Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998) (TV)

Director:

Michael Vejar

Writers:

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

Release Date:

4 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The background for the TV series, "Babylon 5," including the Earth-Minbari war, as told by Londo Mollari.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Space Station | Space | Alien Invasion | Genocide

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Bruce Boxleitner	...	John J. Sheridan
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Richard Biggs	...	Stephen Franklin, M.D.
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari
Theodore Bikel	...	Lenonn
Reiner Schöne	...	Dukhat (as Reiner Schone)
Michael O'Hare	...	Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair
Robin Atkin Downes	...	Morann
J. Patrick McCormack	...	General Lefcourt
Tricia O'Neil	...	Earth Alliance President
Robin Sachs	...	Coplann
James Patrick Stuart	...	Presidential Aide
Jason Ross-Azikiwe	...	Captain Sterns (as Jason Azikiwe)
Yasemin Baytok	...	Centauri Woman
Kristin Birch	...	Woman 1
Justin Carroll	...	Lexington Communications Officer
Ardwight Chamberlain	...	Kosh / Ulkesh (voice)
Jacob Chase	...	Luc Deradi
Tim Colceri	...	Captain Jankowski
Timothy Davis-Reed	...	Man 1
Pancho Demmings	...	Alpha 7
Steven Ford	...	Prometheus First Officer
Mio R. Jakula	...	Ganya Ivanov (Eagle 7)
Nick Jameson	...	Minbari Pilot
Mike Kennedy	...	General Fontaine
Erica Mer	...	Lyssa Deradi
Mark Rafael Truitt	...	Minbari Warrior
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudia Christian	...	Susan Ivanova (uncredited)
Trevor Coppola	...	Minbari Tourist (uncredited)
Lane Davies	...	Callier (uncredited)
Steven St. Croix	...	Earthforce Pilot (uncredited)
Jeffrey Willerth	...	Ambassador Kosh (uncredited)
Michael York	...	David 'Arthur' McIntyre (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Vejar

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

Produced by
John Copeland	....	producer
Douglas Netter	....	executive producer
Susan Norkin	....	associate producer
J. Michael Straczynski	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Franke

Cinematography by
John C. Flinn III

Film Editing by
Skip Robinson

Casting by
Fern Champion
Mark Paladini
Mary Jo Slater

Production Design by
John Iacovelli

Art Direction by
Mark-Louis Walters

Set Decoration by
Jason Howard

Costume Design by
Ann Bruice		(as Ann Bruice Aling)

Makeup Department
Manny Case	....	special makeup effects artist
Gabriel De Cunto	....	special makeup effects artist
Jeffrey S. Farley	....	makeup effects supervisor (as Jeff Farley)
Kim M. Ferry	....	hair stylist
Kim M. Ferry	....	makeup artist
Mark Garbarino	....	makeup effects supervisor
Jerry Gergely	....	special makeup effects artist
John Vulich	....	makeup effects creator
John Wheaton	....	makeup effects sculptor
Barbara Wilder	....	key hair stylist (as Barbara Wilder Pearlman)
Cinzia Zanetti	....	key makeup artist
Jason Barnett	....	special effects makeup artist: Optic Nerve Studios (uncredited)
Michael S. Pack	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Ron Pipes	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Skip Beaudine	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alisa Matlovsky	....	second second assistant director
David McWhirter	....	second assistant director
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Dark Hoffman	....	property master
Alan Kobayashi	....	graphic designer
Curtis Laseter	....	construction coordinator (as Curtis Lasetter)
Matthew W. Plummer	....	scenic artist (as Matthew Plummer)
Jerome Johnson	....	props (uncredited)
Garry McEvoy	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Benjamin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Harry Cohen	....	sound designer
Elisabeth Flaum	....	sound effects editor
Don H. Matthews	....	sound mixer
Michael Payne	....	sound supervisor (as Mike Payne)
Zeke Salas	....	sound re-recording mixer
Liz Sroka	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeffrey R. Whitcher	....	sound effects editor (as Jeff Whitcher)

Special Effects by
Dayton Osmond	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Ken Busick	....	compositor
Eric Chauvin	....	matte artist
Tim Everitt	....	computer graphics animator
Tim Everitt	....	computer graphics designer
Phillip Giles	....	compositor
Tom Helmers	....	computer graphics animator
Tom Helmers	....	computer graphics designer
Harry Hendrickson	....	computer graphics animator
Harry Hendrickson	....	computer graphics designer
Rich Jeffreys III	....	computer graphics animator
Rich Jeffreys III	....	computer graphics designer
Geoffrey Mark	....	computer graphics animator
Geoffrey Mark	....	computer graphics designer
Jeff Montray	....	computer graphics animator
Jeff Montray	....	computer graphics designer
Don Neudecker	....	computer graphics animator
Don Neudecker	....	computer graphics designer
Josh Prikryl	....	computer graphics animator
Josh Prikryl	....	computer graphics designer

Stunts
Kerry Rossall	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Blair	....	key grip (as Robert D. Blair)
Peter B. Kowalski	....	camera operator
Charles Lantz	....	best boy grip (as Charles S. Lantz Jr.)
John Smith	....	gaffer (as "The" John Smith)
Wally Sweeterman	....	first assistant camera
Carlos M. Torres	....	best boy electric

Animation Department
Shant Jordan	....	senior animator
Patrick Perez	....	senior animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kim M. Holly	....	costume supervisor
Linda Huse	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Kathie Burr	....	first assistant editor
John Burrus	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Christopher Franke	....	musician

Other crew
Timothy M. Earls	....	concept designer
Harlan Ellison	....	conceptual consultant
Heidi Erl	....	production coordinator
Tracie Esparza	....	assistant to executive producer
Kenneth Gilbert	....	script supervisor (as Ken Gilbert)
Jonathan Gording	....	special effect contact lens consultant
Karen Harrell	....	assistant to executive producer
Carol Henry	....	script coordinator
Joanne Higgins	....	assistant to executive producer
Mike Hoover	....	production accountant
Luc Mayrand	....	concept designer
Larry Stanton	....	systems engineer
Jeffrey Willerth	....	associate to producer
Jaroslava Fernandez	....	special effects contact lenses (uncredited)
Celeste Healy	....	production coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Babylonian Productions
• Turner Network Television (TNT)

Distributors

• Chum Television
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Turner Network Television (TNT)
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (2001) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Netter Digital Animation
• Optic Nerve Studios (makeup effects)
• Ultimate Effects

Other Companies

• Oberman, Tivoli & Miller  production accounting services
• Optic Nerve Studios  makeup effects

Also Known As:

Babylon 5: Last of the Fallen (USA) (working title)
In the Beginning

Runtime:

USA:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Germany:6 | Iceland:LH | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Company:

Babylonian Productions

Trivia:

Both the children and the Centauri woman are members of Emperor Mollari's household, and all got there through murder. Luc and Lyssa are the niece and nephew of Urza Jaddo, whom Mollari killed in a duel in the Babylon 5 installment, Knives. Senna, the Centauri woman, is the daughter of Lord Refa, whom Mollari had assassinated in the installment, And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place. In both cases, Mollari took the children of his victims into his family.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sheridan, Franklin and G'Kar are captured by the Minbari, Sheridan is punched by a guard and his rank pin is crooked. In the next shot, his pin is suddenly straight.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Delenn: It is said that in every age, there is one singular event that forever changes the world around us. A nexus, if you will.
G'Kar: It is said that the future is always born in pain. The history of war is the history of pain. If we are wise what is born of that pain matures into the promise of a better world. Because we learn that we can no longer afford the mistakes of the past.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#22.5)" (1999)

Essential viewing for fans of the TV series, but still enjoyable for those who haven't seen Babylon 5 before.

All stories have a beginning. The five year TV tale of Babylon 5 did not however begin with the first episode. This story told in semi-autobiographical form by one of the TV series' main characters sets the scene for what would become the TV series storyline. Babylon 5 has consistently shown what can be done in the science-fiction area with intelligent writing, a good cast, and a decent budget for special effects. This is no exception, the acting is its usual standard - with particular mention to Peter Jurasik, always excellent entertainment in the form of Londo Mollari. The effects are of the same standard as the TV series, still the benchmark of computer animation for the small screen.

Most of the principals of the TV series are there - although some are reduced to almost cameos. The plot line is somewhat disjointed, but that's offset by the way it is told by Jurasik's Londo Mollari. The individual scenes are just long enough in most cases to carry the plot and allow the actors scope, while still making sure that those who watched the series find out the pasts of all the characters, although Garibaldi is conspicous by his absense.

For those who want a rollicking good tale of heroism, triumph, tragedy, humour and big explosions, then this is a movie for you.