Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (2007) (V)

Directors:

J. Michael Straczynski
Sara Barnes

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator)
J. Michael Straczynski (written by)

Release Date:

31 July 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

It's the tenth anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance, and President Sheridan is on his way to Babylon 5 for the celebration. |

Plot Keywords:

Cult Favorite | Babylon Babylonia | Number In Title

Cast

Bruce Boxleitner	...	John Sheridan
Tracy Scoggins	...	Colonel Elizabeth Lochley
Peter Woodward	...	Galen
Alan Scarfe	...	Father Cassidy
Bruce Ramsay	...	Simon Burke
Teryl Rothery	...	ISN reporter Ms. Chambers
Keegan MacIntosh	...	Prince Regent Dius Vintari
Craig Veroni	...	Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Biggs	...	Stephen Franklin (archive footage)
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari (archive footage)
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Babylon 5: The Lost Tales - Voices in the Dark (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

USA:75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | UK:12 | Ireland:12 | USA:Not Rated | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Lost Tales Films

Trivia:

When Sheridan's ship drops out of quantumspace to pick up Prince Vintari, the nebula visible in the background appears identical to, and is probably intended to be, the Ring Nebula, which is visible from Earth in the constellation Lyra. Technically, the vivid colors, which are taken from widely available images of the nebula, are false-color renderings designed to differentiate the different elements in the nebula, and the nebula is not actually bright blue and orange to the naked eye as it is in this scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Colonel Lochley is talking about Simon Burke she says he is a part of security. Later, the computer lists him as being a part of maintenance.

Quotes:

[first lines]
G'Kar: [voiceover] I believe that when we leave a place, part of it goes with us, and part of us remains. Go anywhere in the station when it is quiet and just listen. After a while, you will hear the echoes of all our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we have gone, our voices will linger in these walls.
Simon Burke: Get out of my head. No!

Movie Connections:

Follows Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (1999) (TV)

Half Brilliant

Babylon 5 is sorely missed, and this chance to walk the halls of Brown sector again is greatly appreciated. However, Brown sector is known for its foul odor. Babyon 5 Voices in the Dark suffers from both the best and worst of the epochal television series that predated it. Moments of brilliance are interwoven with corny, pedantic dialogue that almost leaves one with a foul aftertaste. However, in pure Babylon 5 tradition, there is enough brilliance to override the bad, leaving Voices in the Dark as a worthy addition to any B5 fan's DVD library. The first story, involving a bizarre decision to employ the services of a Priest for an exorcism, fails to make the grade as a good B5 story. It's JMS at his worst, which is odd. He's usually very good at making stories work logically, yet, there is no reason for Lochley to jump to the conclusion of an exorcism. In a universe that has seen the likes of the Shadows and Vorlons, many deep space creatures have been encountered that employ similar abilities as "the prisoner". The priest, brilliantly acted by lan Scarfe, delivers the most rational, and well written dialogue in the first half, making Lochley look a little off her rocker. Moreover, why does JMS always rush to the Christian Bible when dealing with Spirituality? There are a myriad of faiths on Earth that have terrifying demonic spirits in them, and to be honest, the whole "Omen" thing has been done to death. It smacks of writing in a closet. Finally, I would have wished the Priest would have interrupted Lochley's boring soliloquy near the end with "Okay. We get the idea." Talk about hammering a point to death. Fortunately, Tracy Scoggins handles the plodding dialogue expertly, and it is wonderful to see the character back in action, despite Lochley's religious irrationality. Fortunately, the second story, involving Sheridan's run in with Galen the Technomage is much more up to the quality of JMS at his best. We have a very tough moral decision forced upon President Sheridan, and he handles it in true Straczinsky fashion: If someone gives you two options, both of which you hate, do your damndest to find a third. And he does in a way that justifies both Galen's dark demeanor and Sheridan's brief but frightening detour from the moral high ground. Bruce Boxlietner is a delight as Sheridan, and he breathes life into a role that is dearly missed. Peter Woodward Shines as Galen, perhaps one of Straczynski's best and most complicated characters to emerge from the B5 universe. I was so relieved when the second story played itself out. It was emotionally satisfying in all the right places, and balanced out the weaker first half. The special effects are great, save for an obvious, painfully long CGI shot in the hang bay when Father Cassidy disembarks. Having a fixed perspective shot, to incorporate live action elements without moving the camera, is an old trick held over from the Matte Painting days. This ranks as one of the worst because the background is too detailed. Less is more (see the final shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Here, they tried to get as much movement in the shot as possible, without moving the camera (which would have required expensive motion control cameras on the green screen set). The result is a visual noise that distracts the viewer from the centre of action. At the end of the day what we have here is a great addition the B5 library, despite its obvious faults. The fans want more B5 and they will get it here. The casual viewer will have some work to do, however. Just as watchers of the original series had to endure the first season's horrible acting, so to will the casual viewer be required to do with the first half of this DVD. I am hoping for more stories from the B5 universe because there are many left to tell.