A Niner Watches Babylon 5 (NO spoilers, please)

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

No problems with paying JMS to read his stuff. I've invested in the scriptbooks--heavily, I must say. I just think it was a lousy move to make them available for a limited time. Now the only way to get them is to pay second-hand sellers on ebay ridiculous prices, and that money isn't going to JMS.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Such as it is with the modern day, the internet and collectibles.

 

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I don't see this any differently than for a novel. As long as the copyright is in place, no one has any business transcribing a script to the internet (though I admit I do reference them myself ) any more than they would a novel. Just because you watched it for free once on your television doesn't mean it's free. Someone paid for it then (the studio and advertisers), and if you want your own personal copy, you should pay for it now.

I just wish they hadn't done that "limited run" crap, artificially driving up the after-market price. Which as someone pointed out earlier, doesn't make the writer a dime.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Firstly, Reverend, Thank you for explaining the structure of the Earth Alliance, that's really helpful.

Well, actually, I requested it in the first post. I emboldened and underlined it, and I even put an exclamation mark at the end of it so as not to confuse people. See:

Clearly the problem here is that I put on the façade of a nice guy by saying thank you and using that smiley face because I wanted people to like me, but instead they just ignored me so I'm going to revert back to being a cunt. It's the only way to get people to respect you, it seems.

Okay, so it's probably not the only way, but it is the only way I'm willing to try.

Fair enough. I hoped that by making it as absurd as I did that nobody would take it seriously, but if people can't accept satire then so be it, I'll bend over. Personally, I feel that such people should be burned in a big fire, which is one of the reasons why Obama didn't pick me as Attorney General.

I fail to see how pointing out that JMS has always been a cocksucker is a good defence.

When my former workplace sends me a cheque for the work I did a few years ago then I'll concede that you have a point, until that time I'll point out to you that most of us don't work in jobs where we get paid for the things we did many moons ago. In fact, I specifically remember that the contract I signed for one of my jobs made it explicitly clear that anything I do during work hours or on company property is legally theirs. That was especially odd considering it was a call-centre.

I'm not opposed to the writers being compensated for their work, I supported them during the writers strike because I think they should be getting more money from things like DVD sales and online viewers. But if I were a successful writer of course I'd want my scripts online for free, that way my fans could use them as a reference, and it's not like as if most people are going to use the scripts as a substitute for the finished product. It's as sheet music is to music, reading the notes and the lyrics isn't the same as listening to the actual song, and if I was a musician I'd want my sheet music online so that fans could play it on their own instruments.

I spend around 15-30 minutes a day putting together these short reviews, and when it comes to season recaps it can take 2-3 hours. And there are days like today where I just don't feel like doing it because I'm tired and pissed off by a shoddy service I was provided with this morning and it has ruined my whole day. But I sat down and I wrote it out, not because I'm being paid, but because I know some other people like to read them.

But today I have decided to exercise my rights as the writer of these reviews to be reimbursed for my time doing this. If you want to continue read them then you, and only you Mysterion, must transfer €250 into my PayPal account. Everyone else gets to view it for free, but I've decided that you have to pay for the privilege, and you're not allowed to question my wisdom on this because you have no right to read my words without my consent. And because I'm such a neat guy I'll even knock €100 off the price, so now you can read these reviews for the bargain offer of only €149.99! I'll even throw in an autographed picture of me. If you don't pay me and you read a single word of my reviews I will consider it copyright infringement, and even though I'm such a nice guy that I wont pursue legal action, you'll know what you've done.

If you want to pay then send me a PM and I'll send you the details for my PayPal account.

(Gods, it's such a relief to be me again! )


Midnight on the Firing Line (***)

This is the first real episode of the show so I shouldn't expect Earth-shattering revelations or the universe being turned upside down, but for a show famous for having lasting consequences this episode sure does wrap up neatly. There's an a-plot about the Narn attacking the Centauri and there's a b-plot about some raiders attacking ships (for some reason), and the barely-existent conclusion to the barely-existent b-plot provided an easy out for the a-plot. When does this show stop being like Star Trek?

The Narn/Centauri plot is much better than the story from The Gathering because it's not based around the fate of some puppet I don't know, and it could have long-standing consequences for the whole galaxy. It also features plenty of G'Kar and Londo, and they're easily the most interesting characters so far. That being said, there is a scene where Londo gets a gun and plans to kill G'Kar (reminiscent of the time the Russian ambassador to the UN tried to kill the German ambassador) which manages to be tacky when the new telepath lady sees it in her mind, and trite when Garibaldi talks him down from committing the crime. Combine this with the ending to the episode and this story suffers a quite a bit.

There's one scene which has stuck in my mind since I watched this episode two years ago, the bit where Ivanova explains to Sinclair why why she wont vote for President Santiago because of his lack of chin, along with his VP's double chin. I've finally figured out why I hate that line so much; Sinclair doesn't react to it, he doesn't laugh to it and he doesn't even give that pity laugh that I'm abundantly familiar with. It seems to be an attempt at a clever comment which wasn't all that clever, so instead it feels awkward. Once again, something I'm very familiar with. (See, it just happened again!)

I prefer the new uniforms, and the Council actually feels like a council this time due to the inclusion of the League of Non-Aligned worlds.

Commander Greyshirt: 2

Why is this episode labelled Sabre Rattling on the DVD case? (Region 2) It seems odd, especially considering it is still called it's regular name on the DVD menu and the episode itself.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Oddly enough this was a key scene for the person who got me into the show. He insisted for him it was a moment where it was first indicated how different this show was from Star Trek; after all, Garibaldi totally would have killed Londo just there. When on any Star Trek would a regular castmember have threatened to do that to another regular castmember?

Uh, yeah. Babylon 5 often only seems daring when contrasted to Star Trek's more conservative, status quo attitude - it's not exactly the nuBSG of edgy sci-fi. On the other hand, that was the only game in town more or less.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Your misfortune. That's not what our contracts - freely signed, as yours was - are like, and at least one more reason to wish to be a professional writer rather than an employee at a call center (although, considering the princely remuneration we generally receive from such royalties and residuals, it's often necessary to do both).

Whatever the terms of your employment may have been, they have no bearing whatever either on how professional publication or writing for the entertainment industry work or how they ought to work.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Here.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

DS9 'inspired' by B5 again!

 

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I think Sisko was being figurative. Garibaldi was most defiantly being literal. Don't get me wrong, I love DS9 to bits but it's a completely different animal and there's really no point in comparing them.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

^
Oh, of course he was, I was being tongue in cheek. I thought he was going to link me to, say, "Amok Time", where Spock would have killed Kirk - that's a much better example.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Still, not even then since he wasn't exactly in his right mind. Garibaldi was lucid, rational and deadly serious. PPGs after all, don't have a stun setting.

 

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Nice.

 

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Try writing for 12+ hours per day. It's strange how one would want to be paid for the work they are providing that's making the studio millions of dollars. The thing is, the writer doesn't get to share in most of it, but the script is the writer's property, so if he wants to charge for it to make a little more, it's his choice. A lot of scripts are sold in bookstores for this very reason. If the script is available online, fewer people buy the book and then it's harder to make your next couple of rent payments while you are trying to secure your next job. In the US a writer does not get a permanent job with a studio. We're hired on a show-by-show and season-by-season basis. A contract can be as short as 6 weeks. After that, if you don't continue on the same show, you are OUT OF WORK and NEED extra money, possibly for a whole year or more while you are waiting for the next season in television or out trying to apply elsewhere and prove that you have other skills than writing.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Now that I know that the OP thinks writers who stand up for their rights and who expect to be compensated properly for their work are "cocksuckers" under contract I'm not interested in what he thinks about B5 or any other piece of creative work. He just doesn't get it.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

I've read all of his review threads and they're all really good but I was surprised at his remarks about JMS putting up the scripts. I have no problem with Joe having them taken down. It seems reasonable to me.

I was interested to read your thoughts on B5, though. I knew you didn't like it but your reasoning was interesting. I don't agree (I love this show) but I do understand where you're coming from a lot better.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

By all means, go post your stuff on a pay-for-access website and see how many people value your wit and wisdom as much as you do. Willing to bet that number will not be as quite as large as you might think it will be. Until then, you're just being whiny.

 

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How about we just let the issue of script remuneration go, huh? It's beginning to get annoying.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

I'm quite surprised at the lack of tolerance for tongue-in-cheek smarmy attitudes in this thread. But then, I've gotten used to GodBen's writing style from his other reviews. Guess it can be off-putting at first.

 

Re: A Niner Watches Babylon 5

Well, this got out of hand quickly.

Uh, look, I have all 15 JMS scriptbooks, plus the 3 'Other Voices' scriptbooks, as well as the chronology book. I'd be happy to look up anything for you TheGodBen, since these scripts are (a) no longer available online and (b) no longer for sale, except from overpriced re-salers. Just PM me. Jan is also a very helpful resource, since she knows the scripts (and B5) far better than I do.

Love your reviews, which are even handed and have a well-needed sense of humor. Keep it up.