Babylon 5 Lost Tales reviews needed

[vacantlook]

...the most annoying being a review I wrote for SFX some years ago....

Isn't SFX the publication that jms has openly forbidden from publishing any of his words that he posts online? Of all the B5 and jms lore I know, that story is one that I can't ever seem to remember any details of.

[Joe Nazzaro]

Vintari, the movie is Halloween, which apparently isn't getting many UK screenings, and wasn't screened for the critics here in the States.

Andrew, I don't want to agree with you, but there is probably a chunk of truth in there. There SHOULD only be one vioice, which is the critic, but I've certainly had experiences where an editor has stepped in, the most annoying being a review I wrote for SFX some years ago, where an editor inserted a single word, turning the review from positive to negative. I've never had an experience where reviews were altered at an even higher level, but I suspect when huge amounts of advertising dollars are at stake, those extra voices you alluded to may well come into play. More's the pity.

It hadn't occured to me that people would write negative Lost Tales reviews just to make the DVD crash and burn, but I guess that shouldn't surprise me either.

[Andrew_Swallow]

Ironically, I just had a commission this morning to write a film review for a British magazine, and the editor actually took the time to point out how important it was to be objective, even if those comments were less than positive. I guess these days, when anybody with a keyboard can be a film critic, it's easy to lump some of those newcomers with those of us who have been doing it for 25 years.

There are 4 voices in a review:
The author
The editor
The magazine
The proprietor.

The editor told you that none of the 4 were biased.

[princevintari]

It's interesting how people seem to be pointing out the need for positive reviews to offset the negative ones. Just to play devil's advocate here, could that be because some reviewers have more negative things to say, or is it just because it's the reviewers with an axe to grind who actually take the time to write it down? It's usually pretty easy to tell the people who can be objective (even if it's negative) and the ones who are biased one way or the other.

Ironically, I just had a commission this morning to write a film review for a British magazine, and the editor actually took the time to point out how important it was to be objective, even if those comments were less than positive. I guess these days, when anybody with a keyboard can be a film critic, it's easy to lump some of those newcomers with those of us who have been doing it for 25 years.

Joe, the way I see it is its mostly people with an axe to grind trying to make sure the Lost Tales fails in its tracks. I realise my comments tend to be on the positive side of objective but I do try to at least have a little objectivity.

A one-star review slamming everything with complete negativity is ridiculous to me. Even if you don't like the stories you can't help but comment about the quality of acting, writing, musical score , the CGI, surely the nod to Dr Franklyn and G'kar going beyond the rim is a touching moment for any fan and ofcourse the DVD picture quality.

BTW what was the film you'll be reviewing?

[princevintari]

I actually was one of those who did a 'review' months before it came out...but only because I'd seen the opening sequence that JMS showed at the New York con. And yeah, I posted it because there were so many negatives being posted by people who hadn't even seen a little bit of it.

Jan

I don't blame you because those negative reviews were completely out of order.

That was an awesome opening sequence. I think it took me nearly an hour to download it from you tube but it was worth the wait, had me welling up and so excited to get my DVD. I must have watched it about a dozen times that day.

Going slightly off Topic during the title sequence where we see all the characters with their respective home world's was that the first shot of the Vorlon home world? I can't seem to remember ever seeing it.

[Joe Nazzaro]

It's interesting how people seem to be pointing out the need for positive reviews to offset the negative ones. Just to play devil's advocate here, could that be because some reviewers have more negative things to say, or is it just because it's the reviewers with an axe to grind who actually take the time to write it down? It's usually pretty easy to tell the people who can be objective (even if it's negative) and the ones who are biased one way or the other.

Ironically, I just had a commission this morning to write a film review for a British magazine, and the editor actually took the time to point out how important it was to be objective, even if those comments were less than positive. I guess these days, when anybody with a keyboard can be a film critic, it's easy to lump some of those newcomers with those of us who have been doing it for 25 years.

[Jan]

I actually was one of those who did a 'review' months before it came out...but only because I'd seen the opening sequence that JMS showed at the New York con. And yeah, I posted it because there were so many negatives being posted by people who hadn't even seen a little bit of it.

Jan

[princevintari]

It's unfortunate, but a negative review is still a legitimate viewpoint. The only inaccurate thing in them is that there was no old footage used. Couldn't be-the CG files were lost by WB.

The unfortunate thing is that so many people simply can't wrap their brains around the different format and tone. Not much we can really do to change that, I'm afraid. By all means, if you liked the disk, do post a review, though.

Jan

I agree negative reviews are a legitimate viewpoint but some are clearly fake reviews( loads have been posted on Amazon US months before anyone had even seen it), whether they have seen them or not. I mean there is no way you could say that any of the CGI was used from any of the previous series/movie. The CGI is literally leaps and bounds ahead of the CGI used in the series. Which puts into question the legitimacy of that particular a "review" in my opinion.

I agree we can't change anybody's minds who doesn't like the new Lost Tales but we can give those who haven't bought it yet a more balanced account.

[Jan]

It's unfortunate, but a negative review is still a legitimate viewpoint. The only inaccurate thing in them is that there was no old footage used. Couldn't be-the CG files were lost by WB.

The unfortunate thing is that so many people simply can't wrap their brains around the different format and tone. Not much we can really do to change that, I'm afraid. By all means, if you liked the disk, do post a review, though.

Jan

[princevintari]

I was just browsing Amazon UK and took a look at the Babylon 5 Lost Tales page (without art cards ) and found the following "reviews" right up to the top. I've knocked them down the page a little with my review but if others could follow suit it certainly couldn't harm the cause. Better some well-rounded comments rather than bogus or inaccurate "reviews".

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Disapointing, 5 Sep 2007
By C. Saunders "Uruni" (London, UK) - See all my reviews


I have to agree totally with Mr. G. C. Morgan-Watson's review. These tales should have stayed buried. Nothing was really up to the B5 standard - the dialog was tedious (not to mention obvious), the plots underwhelming and didn't really fit into the rest of the series.
At the end of the second episode, which I assumed was the beginning of the real story, the dvd ended. Both my partner and I turned to each other and said "what?? That's it?".
It seems this was more a cheap money maker with very little to recommend itself. I'm sorry to see my favourite sci fi series end with this

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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Babylon 5 - Lost tales (2007), 4 Sep 2007
By Mr. G. C. Morgan-Watson (UK) - See all my reviews


It would have been better that they remain un-found. This is a very poor addition, using minimal actors ( we counted about 9 - including the two mbaris that kept walking around in circles and the only alien make-up) and old space ship footage. The stories were un-eventful, the dialogue incredibly long winded. A cheap production - not worthy to be in the Bab-5 collection. Disapointing and not reccomended.