Trailer Sighting

[channe]

That's not one of my favorite trailers, honestly. It goes too fast, and doesn't really intrigue me. But then, I'm far more drama-oriented than effects-oriented.

I'm really, really digging the ISN interviews. They do for me what the effects-laden trailers don't: dangle plot threads, incite the audience to watch ("to recieve the full transmission"), and raise questions about the plot that the audience might want answered. For me, at least, the trailer shown on television is too alike to other trailers shown...

I'm heartened, though, that they followed through with their promise to show the trailer in theaters. That's a coup right there, and it has to be expensive, especially for a telemovie.

Yeah - hell, high water, imperfections - there's only three weeks left. Gah, I've been hanging around here since, what, May? The end is in sight.

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The writer's life is not meant to be a happy one. We all accept that going in. -JMS

[This message has been edited by channe (edited December 29, 2001).]

 

[Quagmire]

Considering the nature of scifi and B5 in particular I'm not surprised that there was not much of a reaction. It's almost taboo to be a scifi fan. However many of those people who did not show much of an outward reaction or even some of those who showed mild contempt with their friends may be intrigued enough to check the movie out.

While I don't go out of my way to hide the fact that I like scifi I don't go out of my way to announce it either.

What we want from the trailer is to attract those open minded enough to give something a chance that haven't been aware of B5 previously.

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"Crying isn't gonna get your dog back. Unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can sit here eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell like dog food or you can go out there and find your dog."-Homer in The Canine Mutiny

 

[A_M_Swallow]

Sci-Fi must be spending more money advertising the Ranger's movie that it will make in advertising.

To be worth while Sci-Fi's general audience will have to go up.

Any evidence that Sci-Fi's viewing figures are up by at least 10% on December/January of a year ago?

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Andrew Swallow

 

[Dylan Neal]

Well I saw the theatrical trailer last night here in L.A. You won't be disappointed if you don't get to see it because it's just one of the standard television commercials many of you have already seen; the one that starts, "a time, a place..." etc.

There was no reaction from the half filled theater and frankly this audience was not your typical eager sci fi crowd. Oh well.

Still, I was glad to have seen what the network had done, and more importantly that they followed through with their original notion of a theatrical trailer.

Cheers,

Dylan

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[Mondo Londo]

As I'm sure you know, all of us are with you come hell or high water -- even if the trailer has already played on TV.

With about three weeks to go, I don't think any of us have lost any excitement or enthusiasm! I'm sure the film will be great, so here's to a fantastic reception and a tremendous new series!


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"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Andrew asks if there is any evidence SciFi's ratings are up or down vs. a year ago.

I haven't computed any "Prime averages", but I am aware of the following:

1. In early December last year, SciFi ran its biggest hit ever--the Dune miniseries. Though they've had a few decently rated movies this year, nothing equals that.

2. Last year B5 reruns were doing great and averaging high ratings that were drawing attention enough to get B5:LR greenlighted. This year, their ratings have decreased by a third vs. last year.

3. SciFi negotiated for, but didn't win the rights to the Star Trek series' reruns. The TNN network won them. Star Trek TNG is doing decent ratings and may be eating into Sci Fi's audience slightly.

Regardless of its status as a pilot, B5LR is Sci Fi's tentpole event in January and is crucial to its overall ratings averages. SciFi really needs people to tune into it--lapsed B5 fans need to tune in, people watched B5 "once in a while" but don't follow it anymore, etc. There are loads of people who used to watch B5 but don't anymore. I still remember when "Into the Fire" scored a 4.1 rating in syndication. Where did those people go? They have to be out there somewhere.

Last year, January's highest ratings were generated by new episodes of Farscape. Farscape isn't coming on this January. Other than B5LR, they only have new episodes of Invisible Man and Chronicle that I'm aware of.

The real positive is that 76 million households can get the SciFi Channel in December 2001. That's almost 10 million more households than a year ago.



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[Mondo Londo]

But, in fairness, we also have to remember the Dune series is far more well known than B5 in popular culture.

Hasn't just the original novel sold something like 12 million copies by itself? I mean without all the sequels and the 3 new prequels?

So, a lot more heavy lifting is needed to get "civilians" to watch a B5 spinoff than a Dune miniseries starring William Hurt.

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"What's up, Drakh?"

Michael Garibaldi

 

[gkarfan]

I'm glad you finally got to see the trailer, Dylan! For some reason San Diego, where I live, doesn't get the trailer, & neither does Orange County. And yet Imperial County, which is more sparsely populated than San Diego or O.C., gets the trailer! Oh, well--if you say it's not any better than a TV-commercial, I haven't missed much. I *did* fnally get to see Lord of the Rings on Friday (I've been sick with bronchitis & bronchitis-related allergies, so I didn't get to see it untl now), & I really liked it. Fantastic movie!

Tammy

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"We're in here! Can anyone hear us?"
"I hear you." [giggle, laugh]
"In here!"
"We are here." [giggle, laugh]
-- Londo and G'Kar in Babylon 5:"Convictions"

Tammy's Station
http://community.webtv.net/gkarfan/TammysStation

 

[westtim]

Saw the "Rangers" trailer at Eatontown, NJ yesterday. It was the 11:10 AM run of the "Lord of the Rings" and the theater was pretty full (Good for LotR!). And yes it was the TV trailer. Nonetheless my wife and I both heard the people in back of us say that "that movie looks good" this made us feel good and of course seeing LotR again made us feel great!! wonderful movie!!

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[A_M_Swallow]

Thank you SavantB5.

Everyone, do not forget to tell your co-workers about B5LR when you return to work/collage in the new year.

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Andrew Swallow

 

[Jomar]

As a long time B5 fan I stopped watching the last run through. I decided I needed a break from it since I knew every episode by heart. Also I have the entire series on tape so can always watch it if I feel the need.

The problem seems to me that the scifi channel is not picking up many new viewers, whereas long time fans have seen it more than once already. Perhaps they should do a bit of advertising during some of their other shows especially when the series is due to start again.

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I always seem to be diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

 

[gkarfan]

Oh, I've come across new B5 fans at the Sci-Fi Channel B5 board. One fan called "Newscaper" came over from Farscape, & it was fun reading his posts as he watched B5 for the first time. The show is still adding new fans. I became a fan during the initial TNT run in 1998.

Tammy

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"We're in here! Can anyone hear us?"
"I hear you." [giggle, laugh]
"In here!"
"We are here." [giggle, laugh]
-- Londo and G'Kar in Babylon 5:"Convictions"

Tammy's Station
http://community.webtv.net/gkarfan/TammysStation

 

[coldsoup753]

I saw the trailer at Blockbuster. Many people stopped to watch.

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Faith Manages

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I saw the trailer yesterday evening in Marina Del Rey, and the theater was about half full, or a bit more. The trailer was the second thing up, after that silly LA Times ad with the multiple cameras they are running now. Anyhow, it was the same tv commercial I've seen before, and seemed to go by pretty fast. Most people, when they watch movie trailers, need those two minutes to really absorb what they are seeing, and this flew by. I know what it's referenceing, but I'm not sure if anyone else did.

Oh, and I wore my Legend of the Rangers t-shirt just in case there was a positive response or anyone saw it and then the trailer and made the connection, but I don't think anyone did. Oh well, I tried.



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Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,

Kailin

 

[GreyVorlon]

i miss watching babylon5 on sci-fi channel but they have it on at such a bad time that i'm at work so i never get to tune it- and sci-fi hasn't been showing anything good lately some i'm not really willing to tune in to watch anything- farscape went down hill and they didnt get the rights to ST..... but i stil can't wait for b5lr

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[GKarsEye]

I saw the trailer.

New Year's Eve day, matinee showing of Rings in New Jersey. It was shown during that first batch of commercials, before the lights go out and the movie previews start.

The theater was practically empty (I mean, who's dorky enough to go to the movies on Dec 31

). As the commercial started, my non-B5 bud says, "Hey, that looks like that Babylon 5 thing." After it was over, one could hear the mighty GKarsEye exclaim, "Everybody should watch this!"

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"You do not make history. You can only hope to survive it."

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>(I mean, who's dorky enough to go to the movies on Dec 31). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not me, but only because I was too damned sick from all the overtime last week to want to leave the house. So I went and saw it on January 1st.

I caught the last showing at a small out of the way theater tonight. There were fewer than 20 people in the audience, and very little reaction to the trailer. Still, I thought it looked good on the big screen, and I got kind of a charge out of the mere fact that it exists, and is being seen by people who otherwise would never have heard about it. (Sort of the way I felt when I picked up the B5 DVD. I was aware that I had this really stupid grin on my face from the time I picked it off the rack until I got in my car, but I just couldn't stop smiling.

)

Plus which, I got to see LotR again, which is a pretty good reason for going to the movies all by itself. (But what is the deal with theaters leaving the damned lights turned up so high during the movies? This has happened the last three times I attended a theatrical screening - one more reason to prefer waiting six months and watching movies at home.)

Regards,

Joe

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Joseph DeMartino
Sigh Corps
Pat Tallman Division
joseph-demartino@att.net

 

[Deviot]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GKarsEye:

After it was over, one could hear the mighty GKarsEye exclaim, "Everybody should watch this!"

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL now that's what we like to hear!



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Deviot
Lincbot@yahoo.com.au

 

[hypatia]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joseph DeMartino:
I was aware that I had this really stupid grin on my face from the time I picked it off the rack until I got in my car, but I just couldn't stop smiling.

) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ah, that's a sure sign of sleep deprivation there, Joe!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, arial">quote:</font><HR>
(But what is the deal with theaters leaving the damned lights turned up so high during the movies? This has happened the last three times I attended a theatrical screening - one more reason to prefer waiting six months and watching movies at home.)

Regards,

Joe

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good question. That happened to me for about 1/4 of one movie. I assumed it was a mistake. Did anyone go back and inquire? Not that anyone should have to, people are being paid to do these little things, no? I myself am finding that I not only enjoy movies on the vcr at home more, but I get to hear and take in more of the movie (plot, mood, dialog, etc.)

What can I say, I’ve never been a fan of the movies. I am a sucker for the comfort and quiet of my own home. If I’m going to be with an audience, I’d rather go to live theater.


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"The Bible is a book: it is a good book, but is is not the only book" - Inherit the Wind
* Quote is from memory, please advise if incorrect/incomplete*

"I do not believe that the same God who
has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."—Galileo

hypatia@b5fan.b5lr.com

 

[bakana]

Joe, since most theaters these day are Automated, there was probably No One in the booth watching to see that the lights were still on.

That's one of the things the Projectionist used to be responsible for doing.
Now, it's usually on a Timer, same as the projector itself.
The theater's Employees are all downstairs selling Popcorn when the movies are starting up.

Economic Fact of Theaters:

They lose money on ticket sales. It all goes to Renting the films and paying the Electric bill.

All the profit is in the Candy, Cola & Popcorn! For instance, it costs less than a Dime to fill a large cola.
Back when I worked in a theater (many years ago), the Cups actually cost more than the coke that went in them.
According to the manager, cola had the largest profit margin of anything we sold.
Which is why we were also told to make the Popcorn very salty.
If they didn't buy a drink with the popcorn, They'd Be Back! Some would come back even if they Did buy a drink the first time around.

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Do not ascribe your own motivations to others:
At best, it will break your heart.
At worst, it will get you dead."