New review at Aint It Cool News

Leto II as in The Tyrant?

------------------
Ivanova :
Ivanova Is Always Right.
I Will Listen To Ivanova.
I Will Not Ignore Ivanova's Recomendations.
Ivanova Is God.

----------------------------------

Londo:
Landing Thrusters, Landing Thrusters.
Hmmm.
If I Were A Landing Thruster Which One Of These Would I Be?

Right-o, there...the Tyrant, the Divided God...call me what you will.

"Enemies strengthen you.

Allies weaken.

I tell you this in the hope that it will help you understand why I act as I do in the full knowledge that great forces accumulate in my Empire with but one wish--the wish to destroy me. You who read these words may know full well what actually happened, but I doubt that you understand it."

--The Stolen Journals



------------------



[This message has been edited by Leto II (edited October 16, 2001).]

Besides, folks, have you ever seen the web design at AICN? It screams amateur.

I may seem like I'm rabidly behind this project, and in a way, I am. I really like everything I've seen so far. At the same rate, I won't be dissappointed if the flick is less than stellar. Hell, The Gathering, if you would agree with me, was basically sci-fi drivel. But look what it turned into.

Now that I've calmed down a bit (no one insults my chosen universe and gets away with it.. heh...)

"Captain Christopher Pike" is simply a Trek fanboy, who, unlike other Trek fans, is unable to tear himself away from the Trek cliches in his little brain. There are good reviews, and there are bad reviews. And then there are reviews we should ignore, and this is one of them.

I don't take anything on AICN seriously, anyway. Cinescape, yes. Sci-Fi.com, yes. Prevue, yes. But AICN?

Pfffftt.

------------------
Ranger Channe, the next JMS, who walks in the dark places no one may enter, lives for the One, and dies for the chocolate cheesecake.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dylan Neal:
How the hell did my picture get beside my name, I never chose that! As if actors aren't perceived as vain idiots enough as it is....now I've got to figure out how to get rid of that.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

*points to Antony* Talk to The Boss.

------------------
Ranger Channe, the next JMS, who walks in the dark places no one may enter, lives for the One, and dies for the chocolate cheesecake.

Dum-de-dum-de-dum ...

I really don't care what the "professionals" think.

*whistling Dixie*

I remember reading their reviews of It's a Wonderful Life just for laughs.

JMS has earned my trust, so the detractors can sit on it and spin for all I care. I know where I'm going to be when LoTR come on.

Dum-de-dum-de-dum ...


------------------
"I usually think about you in summer."
"I think about you in the fall."
"We never could agree on anything."

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dylan Neal:
How the hell did my picture get beside my name, I never chose that! As if actors aren't perceived as vain idiots enough as it is....now I've got to figure out how to get rid of that.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Personally I would have preferred a shot from Captain Power.

------------------
--Never argue with an
idiot. They will drag you
down to their level and
then beat you with
experience.--

Well, I just wanted to say that my dear friend, Dylan Neal has valid points in terms of analyzing the pros and cons of "B5LR", both technically (production) and performance wise...and formulating an opinion based on his findings...

Dylan is a hell of a better writer than me in terms of explaining and expressing his thoughts and ideas...especially this part of the industry...I am not a great communicator through text...it is quite a struggle for me to write what little I have already written...I try none the less...

I agree with Dylan Neal essentially that, even though I have been raving about how great I think and feel "B5LR" was for me...its' not like I can't see problems/flaws that will eventually be corrected in the series...But, I didn't think that these problems were significant enough to mention...Yes, there are things here and there...but, they are no big deal at all...and are quickly forgotten in this fast-paced story...well, to me that is...

"To Live and Die in Starlight" definitely, indeed, shows great potential for a series...and the points that Dylan made regarding "pilot projects"...showing potential and using this vehicle to eventually lead (improve) to greater things is a very good point...Like I said..."B5LR" definitely shows a green light more so than red...That is where I thought the review at "Ain't It Cool" was alittle ridiculous...

One of the main points for me that made me turn to a cheerleader for the show is the fact that the budget for "B5LR" is in line with what is usually spent on an average Movie of the Week (MOW)...no more and no less...That is why I was so impressed with what I saw...making $100 dollars look like $1000...which, I believe Warner Bros. and the Sci Fi Channel also witnessed...

Both Warner Bros. and Sci Fi Channel are in this industry for business...pure and simple...so, their grounds for claiming that "B5LR" is one of the best pilot projects seen...is based on the how much money was spent...and what kind of a product that they recieved...and they were extremely impressed when they got the finished product...this is 'FACT'...

So, anyways...I just wanted to say that I am still in reality...and that I didn't feel I needed to get into the details that Dylan has touched on...But I thank him for doing so...and in such a fluently composed way! He is very realistic...very intelligent...and has more balls than I do..."Balls of steel"...

In the end...we shall have to see what everyone thinks when the show airs...It is hard to predict...I have two balls, and neither of them are crystal...nor made of steel...(laughs), but I feel my intuition is good...

The show is for the audience...the people...that is the main concern! And this is the motivating factor for me...I will always strive for 110% effort for the fans!

Here is to all you great supporters of "B5LR"...to all your positivity!

Thank you!

Cheers! -Warren T.Takeuchi-

------------------

well it's obvious this person isn't a fan of B5 then or now

------------------

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR> Warning: it has loads of spoilers. And the reviewer doesn't sound too happy with the movie.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

IMO A more accurate way to phrase it would be: The review is load and the reviewer is an unhappy spoiler.

------------------

I'm probably won't even read this review since I don't want to be spoiled and don't think I would get anything out of it.

Honestly this guys means nothing to me. I've never see any other reviews from him so I have no idea how closely his past reviews have mirrored my opinions of shows/movies. In the same vain I hate to say this but while it is great to hear from the actors I don't place an inordinate amount of emphasis on their opinions either. I enjoy their insight but I still have no idea whatir tastes in entertainment are in relation to mine. I do somewhat trust JMS because I have previously read his opinions on his own work, before I saw these pieces, and they were often close to mine.

I'll wait until I see it and judge for myself what problems and how good overall it is.

Please don't think I'm trying to be mean to the actors. The last thing I want to do is drive them off I'm just being realistic.

------------------
"Yeah, we could start our own game where people throw ducks at balloons and nothing's the way it seems."-Homer

OK.

I read the review.

To the cast, don't trouble yourselves.

It's one person who may or may not have even seen the movie. Probably some yahoo with an axe to grind.

It-Ain't-Cool-News has been going downhill for a while. I hardly drop by there at all, nowadays. It has lost a lot of its credibility and influence.

To everyone else, well, seems like people here have it right. Wait until January and we'll see for ourselves.


------------------
"We are all Kosh."

Well, If I were grading the review as Writing, I'd give it a "D". at best.

Mostly incoherent frothing at the mouth with no substance.
But several misspelled words.

Plus, I have no respect for anyone who has to hide his opinions behind a pseudonym. If he isn't willing to sign his real name to it, why should I give him Any credence??



------------------
The 3 most common elements in the Universe:
Hydrogen, Greed, Stupidity!

With regard to some of the criticisms of this review, it seems like some people are under the mistaken impressions that this was done by a professional reviewer and are saying "I never agree with pro reviewers anyway, so I don't put too much stock in this." Others have exactly the opposite criticism: "This review is very unprofessional and was clearly written by an anti-B5 Trek fan."

The first argument doesn't really hold any water, because this was not written by a pro. This was written by a fan who happened to be able to get his hands on the tape for this project.

The second point seems to me to be equally implausible. So what if the guy likes Star Trek and goes by the name "Christopher Pike"? I go by "Tosk" when I post to AICN talkbacks. Does that make me anti-B5?

He says that the show is *very* Trek. So? Does that make him anti-B5? Just read the review again. While he describes Crusade as awful, it sure appears as though he liked the original series. He certainly seems to have some familiarity with the details of the series, given his take on the differences in FX, and his mention of Sheridan's dream in "All Alone in the Night". I just don't see how you can read this review and presume that the guy hates B5.

Sorry if this post sounds a little harsh. There are legitimate gripes one could have with the review (like his fixation with the FX), and that's why I posted this message. I was hoping people could move beyond the "this was written by a Trek fanboy" posts onto more solid ground.


------------------

I will check the temperature in hell before basing my opinion on Captain Pike's review.

If I would have believed reviews, I would have missed all of Babylon 5 -- and most other good TV.

So the guy doesn't like B5LR. Luckily my task isn't making him like it. I believe there are obstacles totally unrelated to B5LR on that way.

I have heard his opinion and it has been counterproductive to him. I will watch the pilot and probably like it. Even in the most improbable case of not liking "To Live and Die in Starlight", I will remember "The Gathering" and watch the first season.

If Babylon 5 and Crusade are any indication of what we may expect, I will be most pleased. This pilot is a *LOT* better than "The Gathering" -- and "The Gathering", as we all remember, lead to a rather excellent series.

------------------
"We are the universe, trying to figure itself out.
Unfortunately we as software lack any coherent documentation."
-- Delenn

The review did not describe B5LR as boring. The only thing that really kills a film. Strong emotions in one direction tend to be matched by emotions in the other direction.

That reviewer hated it, other people will love it.


------------------
Andrew Swallow

Ok. That review was just awful. Now that I read it, I want to hunt down Capt. Pike and kick the shit out of him. How's bout "The Beating of Capt. Pike" thread?...damn trekkies...i'm sure Pike was beating it to 7 of 9 when he was watching B5lr ...sunofabitch...sorry....just blowing off some steam....DAMMIT!!!!!

And he got to see it before us...

------------------
"Tho' much is taken,much abides; and tho' we are not that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will. To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
-- Alfred Lord Tennyson
A poem left by Jeff Sinclair for John Sheridan

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Emfeeli:
And he got to see it before us...

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

that's what really makes me mad. forget trekkers. give us a screening, Warner Bros. and Sci-fi!!!

------------------
No one here is exactly what he appears.
G'Kar - Andreas Katsulas

Nothing's the same anymore.
Commander Sinclair - Michael O'Hare

Babylon 5

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>I'm a bit worried about the polarization of views so far: cast say it's knockout, but the AICN reviewers seem really unimpressed. I'd like to see a few more independent opinions, and a greater range of views. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I feel I need to step in here. While I've tried to remain very positive in my postings here, Warren's review of the movie should not be confused with mine. He's a good friend of mine, but we vastly disagree on the finished product. I have never said this film is a knockout.

While I remain an ardent supporter of this project and would dearly love for it to go to series, I have to agree with some of this review. Perhaps I sugar-coated my earlier posts somewhat, but that's only because I believe my presence here should be basically that of a cheerleader until everyone has had a chance to view the film.

Obviously some people will hate this movie and others will love it, that's the nature of the business. However I urge everyone to view this film as a pilot, and by nature that means a work in progress! Did we hit a home run? Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that given the chance we won't deliver what B5 fans yearn for, more great story telling delivered over several years. You can't do that all in one shot, and there are always problems to be worked out. Most television shows require a full year before they find their voice and stride. Anyone looked at early Seinfeld episodes lately?

Hopefully you will understand my unwillingness to get specific in my comments. These are just opinions after all. I'm also worried about people getting deflated or making snap judgements after a couple of reviews. THERE IS PLENTY TO LIKE HERE AND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. I just hope you all turn up on the air date and have fun, you've certainly waited long enough.

Now I'm sure I've pissed off some people here and by all means let it fly. Just remember, we all want the same thing here - more great stories.

Dylan

------------------

A couple of things, briefly:

1. If you read the "review" (and kindly note that I use the word verrry loosely in this instance), at the very beginning you will notice that Harry Knowles himself had to step in and see to it that the review got onto Coaxial...again likely because of certain, shall we say, biases upon the part of certain adminstrators in that particular region of Harry's benighted desmenses.

Which is not to attack Harry, per se. He is himself quite the avid Babylon 5 fanatic, to his credit, and it is rare indeed that you will see him tear himself away from the feature film-related areas of AICN to post elsewhere.

It is merely the overseers that he has appointed there that are the problem.

2. Second, although the "reviewer" seemed quite knowledgable of Babylon 5 lore, it is rather clear that, with such an alias as "Captain Christopher Pike", we can begin to ascertain whence his loyalties as a genre fan stem, as well as possible political motivations for scribing such a diatribe.

Quite frankly -- and not to play the "gushing fanboy" or somesuch, here -- I am far more inclined to believe JMS when he states that the upcoming film is of In the Beginning-like quality, as opposed to some other person exhibiting quasi-psychotic fanboy obsession with all things Star Trek.

Simply put, JMS's street cred is far superior than the other's, who seems to possess all the intellectual acumen of the average retarded rock.

Hailing all the way back to his early promises circa 1991 or thereabouts concerning the quality of the first series...so which is it to be? Again, I agree with Dylan's assessment that we should suspend all further judgment until we lay eyes upon finished product -- and that it may indeed possess certain inherent flaws -- but the poster's quasi-snap-judgment-couched-in-critical-verbiage seems woefully lacking in terminal thought and cerebration, and merely a series of hastily-assembled snipes at the people involved in the project.

Credibility, indeed.

The idiot who penned this uninformed little screed should be caned until nothing larger than a toothpick remains.


------------------



[This message has been edited by Leto II (edited October 16, 2001).]

How the hell did my picture get beside my name, I never chose that! As if actors aren't perceived as vain idiots enough as it is....now I've got to figure out how to get rid of that.

------------------