JMS on the "In the Beginning" cinema screening |
Two articles follow in sequential order, posted by JMS to the main UK B5 newsgroup concerning the screening of "In the Beginning" in London on 23rd July.
Subject: from jms re: In the Beginning Screening Date: 28 May 1998 22:52:00 GMT From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5) Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Newsgroups: uk.media.tv.sf.babylon5 I have been asked to get directly into this conversation due to some fabrications and misinformation coming from Wolf and those allied with them. Let me put this information out most emphatically: what is coming out of Wolf right now in this regard is an absolute and total fabrication. Simply put: a tissue of lies which is their normal recourse when confronted with something they've done wrong. They try to throw blame on anyone and everything else, rather than deal with the consequences of their actions. I refer first to the message posted here from Dave Golder. *********** I have been in contact with Wolf and am satisfied with their version of events. Although Brian Cooney has assured me that someone from Wolf will be posting their side of the stpory to the newsgroups this afternoon, I can assure you the ticket money is not and was never intended to go to Wolf; most was to go towards getting the actors to appear at the premier (not to fly them over - Wolf is still paying for that to get them to the Crusades convention and Warners are taking advantage of the situation) while Warners will pocket the rest. Gods knows where JMS gets his facts from. *********** Point One: where I get my facts from is direct from Warner Bros. Legal Affairs. Point Two: regarding the statement that the money was to"go toward paying the actors to appear at the premier (not to fly them over - Wolf is paying for that." Five minutes ago, I walked onto the stage and asked Bruce Boxleitner directly about this. He stated that there are indeed two fees being paid to the cast, one to attend the convention, another to attend the screening. But the amount being paid to attend the screening is literally just a small stipend, a token fee...which is a fraction of the regular appearance fee. This does not come near the amount of money being charged for the screening, more of a courtesy fee than anything else. (Courtesy prevents me from revealing the exact amount, but believe me, it ain't much...the actors were doing the appearance mainly for the fans, since they were already going to be there anyway.) Point Three: regarding the statement "Warners will pocket the rest"...I have checked with WB and this is patently untrue. For starters, until May 18th, WB was still unaware that fees were being charged for admission to the screening, and when it was brought to their attention by the Cult TV article, at first were sure that it was incorrect. WB legal affairs looked into it, and informed that the Cult Times went to press BEFORE the decision not to charge for tickets. (That is from a note to me from WB legal affairs here in the US.) So even then the implication was that no fees would be charged. For WB to "pocket the rest" you'd think they should first know it's actually happening, wouldn't you? They didn't. Further, one of the reasons that WB legal affairs jumped into this is the fact that if admission is charged for a screening of this nature, it constitutes a theatrical exhibition, and that means residuals, royalties, and payments to all of the creative guilds involved in amounts totaling at least two or three hundred thousand dollars. WB would not want that to occur, and be liable for the money involved. In again checking with WB, I was forwarded an internal memo from them which represents their understanding of the situation as of May 18th. It states that "WB will run a standard retail account trade screening for members of Warner Home Video trade and press and Warner Home Video staff on the 24th and 25th July. No tickets will be sold. All tickets will be given away. To ensure a good atmosphere for journalists to view this screening of a straight to video release WB will donate a number of free tickets to fans through Wolf 359 - the organisation run by Brian Cooney which is running the 1998 Babylon 5 convention. As this is a standard promotion of a new video I believe we will not need a specific theatrical license. Please advise if otherwise." Again, their understanding as of May 18th, just 10 days ago, when tickets were being sold was that NO tickets were supposed to be sold...becasuse to do so would involve a standard theatrical license, with all the attendant guild payments. So they were shocked and dismayed when they found out. My assumption is that this is why there were no open ads for the ticket sales until word slipped out in Cult TV. In fact, as late as two days ago, May 26th, Wolf was assuring WB that no tickets were being sold to this event. (Per a memo from WB.) (Concerning the present situation, Wolf's latest line through JAC is "The arrangements are In flux due to interference from a source in USA and an announcement will be made shortly by WB or Wolf359." No, the arrangements are in flux because the agreement with WB was violated. (Wolf continues to try and blame me for this situation, when in fact I was alerted to it all going down well after the fact. This situation has nothing to do with me or my attitudes toward Wolf...and everything to do with Wolf screwing up charging for something they were never supposed to charge for. They hit legal complications that have nothing to do with me...but rather than admit that, they are again trying to throw blame somewhere else.) (JAC also contradicts other Wolf statements with "The screenings are NOT part of the Crusade convention which is run entirely by Wolf 359, WB are not involved." If the screening is not part of the convention, then why were convention attendees given first dibs on the tickets? A contradiction. Here's a real doozy of a contradiction: (On the one hand, Wolf is saying through SFX that WB is "pocketing" the money. Then, they turn around 180 degrees and say through JAC that "WB are not involved." This is the problem with outright lies, they soon begin to mount up and contradict one another. You'd think that sooner or later they'd get their stories straight...or have the balls to come out front and say something themselves publicly rather than hide behind people asked to speak for them. They have a website...let's see a formal reply that can then be responded to directly by WB.) The statement that WB was going to get some of the money is an outright lie; they are not going to take ten thousand pounds knowing they're going to be in the hole for several hundred thousand dollars in fees, not to mention the attendant fines. They didn't know about the fees, and weren't going to get any of them. I repeat: this is a bald-faced fabrication on the part of Wolf. Point Four: nowhere were fans of B5 told that the money collected for this exhibition was to pay the actors or WB. Most of those I heard from were under the impression that this was being done to raise money for charity. If that were truly the case, should the fans not have been told what the money was intended for? Point Five: WB legal affairs has informed me that as recently as May 18th, no one at WB even knew whether or not Bryan Cooney had contracted with Babylon 5 cast members to appear. The event was a press and trade screening which WB had decided to open up to B5 fans as a courtesy and a gift. "At least 50 of the 800 will be members of Warner Home Video trade and journalists." (Again from WB.) JAC, speaking on behalf of Wolf, closes by saying "The information posted to the net so far seems to be incorrect or deliberately misleading disinformation at best so I guess it's simply a case of wait and see." The disinformation is coming directly from Wolf. I have cited all of the pertinent facts and dates to support what has come out. They have not done so and, I suspect, will try to continue to evade and dodge and outright lie to avoid the repercussions of being caught charging for something that was never, ever supposed to be charged for, that was intended as a courtesy and a gift for the B5 fans in the UK who have been supportive of this show for five years. jms jms (jmsatb5@aol.com) B5 Official Fan Club at: http://www.thestation.com
Subject: from jms: ItB Screening Resolved
From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 1998/06/01
Message-ID: <1998060121313600.RAA27659@ladder01.news.aol.com>
Newsgroups: uk.media.tv.sf.babylon5
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I just got off the phone with Ken Parks, grand poobah for Warner Bros. Legal
and Business Affairs at the WB main corporate office in Los Angeles. Here is
the final disposition for the screening:
1) Wolf has been taken out of the loop. WB is now handling this.
2) The screening of "In the Beginning," is a FREE SCREENING, as was intended.
3) All monies paid by anyone will be refunded.
4) Tentatively, Bruce Boxleitner has agreed to stop by one or both of the two
screenings *without cost to the fans* (this last bit dependent on when he gets
into London).
As I said, there was and is no reason for the UK fans to be exploited for what
was always intended to be a free screening, a gift of thanks to them for all
their support over the years. And that has now been the result: the screening
is free.
Sorry to have jumped in here and caused such a furor, but I wasn't about to let
this stand unchallenged. My position on this, Wolf and other related topics
has always been the same: part of my job, as a fan myself, is to speak for, and
keep an eye out for, all the other fans who would probably appreciate some
respect and recognition for five years of support, without being unfairly
exploited.
So enjoy the screening as our gift.
jms
(jmsatb5@aol.com)
B5 Official Fan Club at:
http://www.thestation.com
(Posted to the main UK B5 newsgroup).
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