And now I've gone ahead and read Watchmen. I must say, it's as good as advertised and now I'm especially interested in seeing the movie--despite Alan "Grumpy" Moore's boycotting of it, and despite the fact I know that some of my favorite parts of the graphic novel won't make it to the film: the elaborate backstories, the intertwining plots, and the grotesque pirate story. That said, I think it's interesting the filmmakers are staying true to the setting in an "alternate" 1985, when Richard Nixon has been president for 16 years and when the Cold War is close to heating up. This scenario was very relevant when the book was first published, but might it not seem a little dated today? I guess we'll find out.
If you're interested over at half hour wasted they're hosting a fortnightly "who reads the watchmen" where six guys discuss the book in great detail each episode looks at one issue at a time.
I've just started on the first pod and its pretty good, i'm still finding new things after all these years
I know that some of my favorite parts of the graphic novel won't make it to the film: the elaborate backstories, the intertwining plots, and the grotesque pirate story.
Son Of Barbel tells me that the pirate story will be included on the DVD as a special feature, starring Gerard Butler.
Saw the trailer yesterday, before QoS. I thought it looked very promising- Son Of Barbel just sat there with his jaw on the floor wishing he could speed up time to see it now! )
Lookin' good, and I see it's an R-rated movie--I hope that means they've pulled no punches and are true to the spirit of the book. That said, I'm a little irked that it looks like the heroes are called "Watchmen," which wasn't the case in the book. Sheesh, doesn't anyone respect a literary reference anymore?
Its looking good I have to say, still not sure if it can live up to the book but we'll see. Anyone notice in the riot scene someone was burning an effigy of superman )
The MTV show Spoilers will be having an in-depth look at Watchmen As a bonus, there is also going to be some new footage shown from other upcoming films including Star Trek.
The show airs Saturday night at 8:00EST in the states; I'm sure it will also air in other countries within the next few days.
The MTV show Spoilers will be having an in-depth look at Watchmen.
I take it that we should be aware of spoilers? :v )
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
The film has premiered and mixed reviews notwithstanding it has already earned $25 million in its first day of release.
I really marvel at some of the negative reviews that the movie has garnered. Stuff Online for example took the film to task because all of its heroes are somehow flawed. DUH! That's the point! I also think that critics who are embarrassed at all the praise they heaped on Dark Knight and Iron Man last summer are now hesitant to praise another one of those funnybook movies.
Personally, I thought the film was great. I'm not a raving fan of the graphic novel so I was able to approach the movie without any real expectations. Viewed on its own merits its a visually striking movie with some solid performances that also happens to be very faithful to the source material.
Prospective viewers should however be aware that it earns its "R" rating with some really graphic violence, a steamy sex scene, and some nudity (including a few views of Dr. Manhattan's genitalia or, as Hardyboy refers to it, his blue dingaling).
I'll be curious to see if the movie has legs as the weeks wear on.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
Although I'm late reporting in about this, I saw WATCHMEN on Monday.
It was sort of a mixed bag for me but to Snyder's defense, it took cajones to even try adapting such a critically aclaimed GN.
I mean the book is soooo multi-layered, it is nearly impossible to fit that into even 2 1/2 hours. I really tried not to monitor the progression of the film with the pacing of the book but to my surprise, the director really tried to stay faithful to the source material. It was a love letter to the fanboys.
Sure I was disappointed by certain instances that might have been over-looked for sake of timing but I do understand.
WM is better suited in a miniseries venture IMO.
To be honest, the good outweighs the bad in this case; Zack Snyder seems to be a master at cinematic eye candy. This film was beautiful.
What makes me give Watchmen high props is the performance of Jackie Earl Haley as Rorshach. I truly hope that he gets award consideration much like Ledger did for TDK. I'm still cold to the casting of the actor that played Ozymandius; he just wasn't what I envisioned the character to look like in live action. Malin Akerman was wooden throughout in the role of Silk Spectre II but everyone else did a good job.
Another thing that made me warm to the film more was Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower; it was appropiate for its sequence but might've impacted better during the Vietnam segment instead. I'm just a big Hendrix fan.
I had to break tradition with my kid on seeing comic book films together because Watchmen's adult content is a little rough for young eyes and minds and I had to make a judgement call on this one. I would strongly advise those with young children not to take them in to see this although I saw a man take his little boy in with him only to end up exiting the theatre because his kid started crying during the unnecessarily long sex scene. What a tool. 8-)
All in all, Watchmen is a good adaptation, I'll more than likely end up buying the dvd when it becomes available and I think it's high time that Zack Snyder is thrown a bigger bone by the WB execs... SUPERMAN. I think he's ready. B-)
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Although I'm late reporting in about this, I saw WATCHMEN on Monday.
It was sort of a mixed bag for me but to Snyder's defense, it took cajones to even try adapting such a critically aclaimed GN.
I mean the book is soooo multi-layered, it is nearly impossible to fit that into even 2 1/2 hours. I really tried not to monitor the progression of the film with the pacing of the book but to my surprise, the director really tried to stay faithful to the source material. It was a love letter to the fanboys.
Sure I was disappointed by certain instances that might have been over-looked for sake of timing but I do understand.
WM is better suited in a miniseries venture IMO.
To be honest, the good outweighs the bad in this case; Zack Snyder seems to be a master at cinematic eye candy. This film was beautiful.
What makes me give Watchmen high props is the performance of Jackie Earl Haley as Rorshach. I truly hope that he gets award consideration much like Ledger did for TDK. I'm still cold to the casting of the actor that played Ozymandius; he just wasn't what I envisioned the character to look like in live action. Malin Akerman was wooden throughout in the role of Silk Spectre II but everyone else did a good job.
Another thing that made me warm to the film more was Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower; it was appropiate for its sequence but might've impacted better during the Vietnam segment instead. I'm just a big Hendrix fan.
I had to break tradition with my kid on seeing comic book films together because Watchmen's adult content is a little rough for young eyes and minds and I had to make a judgement call on this one. I would strongly advise those with young children not to take them in to see this although I saw a man take his little boy in with him only to end up exiting the theatre because his kid started crying during the unnecessarily long sex scene. What a tool. 8-)
All in all, Watchmen is a good adaptation, I'll more than likely end up buying the dvd when it becomes available and I think it's high time that Zack Snyder is thrown a bigger bone by the WB execs... SUPERMAN. I think he's ready. B-)
Glad to hear you liked the film Rogue.
It's starting to look like I was the only person who liked Matthew Goode as Ozymandias. Yes, he did have a more slender build, but I thought he did a very good job at conveying the character's darker side when it was needed (his staring down of Lee Iacocca and the other execs after they threaten him, for instance, was very effective to me as was his confrontation with Nite Owl and Rorschach).
Jackie Earle Haley deserves recognition for his work here. Unfortunately, other than genre awards like the Saturns, I very much doubt he'll get it. The movie has gotten mixed reviews from the mainstream press (the New York papers being particularly nasty and close-minded). After the positive notes for Iron Man and Dark Knight, you'd think these snobs would understand that comics can be an intelligent and thoughtful medium in their own right. Guess not.
The sex scene was gratuitous and probably not necessary, but I'm still happy he put it in there. ;% Seriously though, it struck me that Snyder was really trying to make an "adult" comic book movie, as the level of violence and sex went way further than anything presented in the book (from what I recall anyway).
The music used during the Vietnam scenes was probably a little nod to Apocalypse Now; along a similar vein, Nixon's war room was right out of Dr. Strangelove and Dr. Manhattan's bedroom had more than a passing resemblance to the room in 2001 where Dave Bowman was transformed into the Starchild. There were lots of little homages like that sprinkled throughout the movie; I even saw a couple of framed issues of Detective Comics hanging on the wall behind the Minutemen in one of the pictures.
Zack Snyder has already said there will be a Director's Cut of the movie released on DVD with at least another half hour of footage; I would expect that to restore even more of the book.
And I agree that Snyder is ready for one of DC's big guns. His next project is suppsed to be a smaller comedy but I'd love to see him tackle a more recognizable DC property after that. He could definitely do Superman and I have a hunch he'd probably make a Batman movie that's more to my liking as well.
Given the fact that even those who didn't like the movie concede that Snyder was very respectful of the source material, I wonder if Alan Moore will ever comment on the movie. I know all about his stance on Hollywood and his falling out with DC Comics but his condemnation and boycotting of the movie without even having seen a single frame seems especially obtuse and blockheaded to me, especially when his own collaborator Dave Gibbons was so involved and, apparently, pleased with the end result.
I really enjoyed Watchmen. I've never read the comic so I only know it by reputation. I think that may have helped my enjoyment. The opening credits may be the best thing we'll see at the cinema all year. I loved Jackie Earle Haley. Who is this guy? And the rest of the film was highly entertaining.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
I really enjoyed Watchmen. I've never read the comic so I only know it by reputation. I think that may have helped my enjoyment.
Hard to say, J.D. Might be a blessing in disguise that you haven't read the GN before seeing the movie yet. You had the pleasure to enjoy a good film and not have to gauge it against the book as alot of fanboys have been doing on message boards the past week. Then you might read the book and enjoy it equally as much. Depends on who it is I guess...
I loved Jackie Earle Haley. Who is this guy?
If you're familiar with the BAD NEWS BEARS franchise of the 1970s, you'll remember Haley as the tough kid Kelly Leak. I'm glad that he's making a comeback of sorts from this latest role though and I hope it leads him to more work.
Looking at Box Office Mojo today, Watchmen isn't hanging in there too well; not disasterous numbers but very noticable...
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
Tony, I liked the guy who played Ozymandias as well - if only his voice was not a strange Brit/American amalgam, he would've been near perfect. But he was certainly fine for me.
Tony, I liked the guy who played Ozymandias as well - if only his voice was not a strange Brit/American amalgam, he would've been near perfect. But he was certainly fine for me.
His accent was definitely a little odd at times, but by the end of the movie it seemed his delivery had changed somewhat as I had no trouble understanding him. I thought his "I'm not a comic book villain" speech pitch perfect.
The movie made $5 million on Friday, that suggests that it will make around $15 for the whole weekend. It will probably still make over $100 million domestically and plenty more on home video, but that's a very big drop.
Screenwriter David Hayter recently published an open letter to the fan community, imploring them to give the film a chance as it was unlikely WB or any other studio would ever allow something like this to be made again. While Hayter's move struck me as a bit desperate, I do understand what he was saying - I'm always dismayed at the fanboys who pine for faithful interpretations of their favorite books and then, when a filmmaker makes an honest attempt a delivering a faithful and respectful adaptation of a very unconventional book that many said was unfilmable, they proceed to nitpick it to shreds, often over the most minor of issues.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
I don't think it is the fault of the comic book fans for not making this movie successful - the general public just has a hard time stomaching an R-rated comic book movie that is getting mediocre reviews.
And by David Hayter, screenwriter, you mean David Hayter, SOLID SNAKE, who is not desperate, but AWESOME.
I saw this in the cinema yesterday evening - what an utterly bizarre film. I think I got the various messages, given they were laid on with all the subtlety of the explosions engineered to manoeuvre a peace between the USA and USSR at the end of the film, however the picture was not quite a success amongst the audience with whom I viewed it. At several points there were rather audible laughs. Postmodern nonsense, and far too long.
If you're familiar with the BAD NEWS BEARS franchise of the 1970s, you'll remember Haley as the tough kid Kelly Leak. I'm glad that he's making a comeback of sorts from this latest role though and I hope it leads him to more work.
I know the title, but I don't think Bad News Bears ever played in the UK. Apparently the pirate story with Gerard Butler is actually animation. Pity, I thought it might be live action.
Warner Brothers has announced a late July debut for the Watchmen: Director's Cut DVD/BluRay. This version of the film will include an additional 25 minutes of footage incorporated into the film as well as the usual host of extras. Here's a link to the BluRay annoucement which also gives some info on the standard DVD.
I just got thru watching the Director's Cut BluRay with my brother. Even though this new version of the movie clocks in at three hours it all holds together nicely and I enjoyed it every bit as much as when I saw it at the movies. Most of the new footage consists of extensions of existing scenes that flesh out story points (like the psychiatrist's attempt to examine Rorschach or the various heroes reminiscences of the Comedian). There are also a few more snippets of the newsstand vendor and the boy reading the Black Freighter. Probably the most memorable of the new scenes is the death of Hollis Mason; it actually turns out to be one of the most moving passages of the movie as Mason valiantly tries to defend himself while flashing back to confrontations with villains of his era. Other new scenes include Laurie giving some FBI agents the slip after Manhattan leaves for Mars and Dan beating a gang member to a bloody pulp in trying to find out who killed Mason. The level of blood and gore has also seems to have been ramped up a bit in this version.
Visually the film looks fantastic on BluRay, colorful, razor sharp and with a real sense of depth to it. The audio is also quite powerful, with explosive sound effects; the only negative being that you have to crank it up to make out some of the dialog. I haven't even checked out any of the special features yet but the package seems loaded with them.
Amazon.com was selling the BluRay for $20, which puts it in the range of standard DVDs. Prices are really coming down and if you have the budget and the hardware, checking a movie like this out on BluRay is definitely the way to go. Highly recommended.
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
Just got my Director's Cut in the mail today. I never got to see it on the big screen, so I'm excited. 186 Minutes....!
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I saw Watchmen but I generally didn't enjoy it. Here is sort of a annotation I wrote to someone, not much of a review:
I recently viewed WATCHMAN and I am sorry, this film just proves once again how futile it is to make silly super hero comic books more then what they really are.
The Watchmen world is fictious but it was obviously pushing that message of killing be the only way to solve anything and if it wasn't then nobody in the film would have been tied to reality. They used real life political figures like Richard Nixon and Henry Kissenger. They used the Cold War and the infamous Doomsday Clock. It's just like an editiorial cartoonist expressing his views with funny drawings except this charicature is neither clever or intelligent, it was just pure sadism without rhyme or reason.
The characters themselves are generally just terrible and all have one thing in common, being overly sadistic. Rorschach is a bad rip off of The Question and Batman except they made him far more brutal then either of them. Nite Owl is appreantly a very soft hearted person and yet we see him pratically rip limbs off when we see him fight. Dr. Manhattan was an interesting concept but his so called changed of heart was unblieveable. He was, like many other male protagonists in films, convinced to save people because a pretty girl told him to do it. Even when said male lead lost his faith in humanity and dose not give a **** if one them kill each other. Ozymandias was a villian who was generic at best except he set the timers before the dramatic show down.Both Silk Spectres were just female eye candy in skimpy costumes. The Comedian was one of the better characters but again, to make a character so straight faced then dressing him such a ridiculous costume, how can you guage any reaction but laughter ?
Also last but not least came the directon, oh god the direction. Zack Synder is one of the worst in the business and it shows ! Can someone tell him that the "bullet time" action sequences are now camp and annoying ? Also the music. They did the "Cold Case" technique, play pop culture songs every minute the decade takes place in. I can't believe they were playing "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" in Ozymandias's office in backround ! I guess it was foreshadowing but for god's sake, do something less obnoxius.
Well that's it about my feelings for that movie. They might as well make a live action CGI Uncle Scrooge movie with dark music and blood and guts, I may actually take it more seriously.
Comments
I've just started on the first pod and its pretty good, i'm still finding new things after all these years
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GUmgQHvqqc
Son Of Barbel tells me that the pirate story will be included on the DVD as a special feature, starring Gerard Butler.
Rorschach is the man!
2nd Watchmen Trailer
www.scottacademymartialarts.co.uk
The show airs Saturday night at 8:00EST in the states; I'm sure it will also air in other countries within the next few days.
http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/spoilers/series.jhtml
I really marvel at some of the negative reviews that the movie has garnered. Stuff Online for example took the film to task because all of its heroes are somehow flawed. DUH! That's the point! I also think that critics who are embarrassed at all the praise they heaped on Dark Knight and Iron Man last summer are now hesitant to praise another one of those funnybook movies.
Personally, I thought the film was great. I'm not a raving fan of the graphic novel so I was able to approach the movie without any real expectations. Viewed on its own merits its a visually striking movie with some solid performances that also happens to be very faithful to the source material.
Prospective viewers should however be aware that it earns its "R" rating with some really graphic violence, a steamy sex scene, and some nudity (including a few views of Dr. Manhattan's genitalia or, as Hardyboy refers to it, his blue dingaling).
I'll be curious to see if the movie has legs as the weeks wear on.
It was sort of a mixed bag for me but to Snyder's defense, it took cajones to even try adapting such a critically aclaimed GN.
I mean the book is soooo multi-layered, it is nearly impossible to fit that into even 2 1/2 hours. I really tried not to monitor the progression of the film with the pacing of the book but to my surprise, the director really tried to stay faithful to the source material. It was a love letter to the fanboys.
Sure I was disappointed by certain instances that might have been over-looked for sake of timing but I do understand.
WM is better suited in a miniseries venture IMO.
To be honest, the good outweighs the bad in this case; Zack Snyder seems to be a master at cinematic eye candy. This film was beautiful.
What makes me give Watchmen high props is the performance of Jackie Earl Haley as Rorshach. I truly hope that he gets award consideration much like Ledger did for TDK. I'm still cold to the casting of the actor that played Ozymandius; he just wasn't what I envisioned the character to look like in live action. Malin Akerman was wooden throughout in the role of Silk Spectre II but everyone else did a good job.
Another thing that made me warm to the film more was Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower; it was appropiate for its sequence but might've impacted better during the Vietnam segment instead. I'm just a big Hendrix fan.
I had to break tradition with my kid on seeing comic book films together because Watchmen's adult content is a little rough for young eyes and minds and I had to make a judgement call on this one. I would strongly advise those with young children not to take them in to see this although I saw a man take his little boy in with him only to end up exiting the theatre because his kid started crying during the unnecessarily long sex scene. What a tool. 8-)
All in all, Watchmen is a good adaptation, I'll more than likely end up buying the dvd when it becomes available and I think it's high time that Zack Snyder is thrown a bigger bone by the WB execs... SUPERMAN. I think he's ready. B-)
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Glad to hear you liked the film Rogue.
It's starting to look like I was the only person who liked Matthew Goode as Ozymandias. Yes, he did have a more slender build, but I thought he did a very good job at conveying the character's darker side when it was needed (his staring down of Lee Iacocca and the other execs after they threaten him, for instance, was very effective to me as was his confrontation with Nite Owl and Rorschach).
Jackie Earle Haley deserves recognition for his work here. Unfortunately, other than genre awards like the Saturns, I very much doubt he'll get it. The movie has gotten mixed reviews from the mainstream press (the New York papers being particularly nasty and close-minded). After the positive notes for Iron Man and Dark Knight, you'd think these snobs would understand that comics can be an intelligent and thoughtful medium in their own right. Guess not.
The sex scene was gratuitous and probably not necessary, but I'm still happy he put it in there. ;% Seriously though, it struck me that Snyder was really trying to make an "adult" comic book movie, as the level of violence and sex went way further than anything presented in the book (from what I recall anyway).
The music used during the Vietnam scenes was probably a little nod to Apocalypse Now; along a similar vein, Nixon's war room was right out of Dr. Strangelove and Dr. Manhattan's bedroom had more than a passing resemblance to the room in 2001 where Dave Bowman was transformed into the Starchild. There were lots of little homages like that sprinkled throughout the movie; I even saw a couple of framed issues of Detective Comics hanging on the wall behind the Minutemen in one of the pictures.
Zack Snyder has already said there will be a Director's Cut of the movie released on DVD with at least another half hour of footage; I would expect that to restore even more of the book.
And I agree that Snyder is ready for one of DC's big guns. His next project is suppsed to be a smaller comedy but I'd love to see him tackle a more recognizable DC property after that. He could definitely do Superman and I have a hunch he'd probably make a Batman movie that's more to my liking as well.
Given the fact that even those who didn't like the movie concede that Snyder was very respectful of the source material, I wonder if Alan Moore will ever comment on the movie. I know all about his stance on Hollywood and his falling out with DC Comics but his condemnation and boycotting of the movie without even having seen a single frame seems especially obtuse and blockheaded to me, especially when his own collaborator Dave Gibbons was so involved and, apparently, pleased with the end result.
Hard to say, J.D. Might be a blessing in disguise that you haven't read the GN before seeing the movie yet. You had the pleasure to enjoy a good film and not have to gauge it against the book as alot of fanboys have been doing on message boards the past week. Then you might read the book and enjoy it equally as much. Depends on who it is I guess...
If you're familiar with the BAD NEWS BEARS franchise of the 1970s, you'll remember Haley as the tough kid Kelly Leak. I'm glad that he's making a comeback of sorts from this latest role though and I hope it leads him to more work.
Looking at Box Office Mojo today, Watchmen isn't hanging in there too well; not disasterous numbers but very noticable...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
His accent was definitely a little odd at times, but by the end of the movie it seemed his delivery had changed somewhat as I had no trouble understanding him. I thought his "I'm not a comic book villain" speech pitch perfect.
The movie made $5 million on Friday, that suggests that it will make around $15 for the whole weekend. It will probably still make over $100 million domestically and plenty more on home video, but that's a very big drop.
Screenwriter David Hayter recently published an open letter to the fan community, imploring them to give the film a chance as it was unlikely WB or any other studio would ever allow something like this to be made again. While Hayter's move struck me as a bit desperate, I do understand what he was saying - I'm always dismayed at the fanboys who pine for faithful interpretations of their favorite books and then, when a filmmaker makes an honest attempt a delivering a faithful and respectful adaptation of a very unconventional book that many said was unfilmable, they proceed to nitpick it to shreds, often over the most minor of issues.
And by David Hayter, screenwriter, you mean David Hayter, SOLID SNAKE, who is not desperate, but AWESOME.
I know the title, but I don't think Bad News Bears ever played in the UK. Apparently the pirate story with Gerard Butler is actually animation. Pity, I thought it might be live action.
Watchmen Director's Cut Announced for DVD and BluRay
Visually the film looks fantastic on BluRay, colorful, razor sharp and with a real sense of depth to it. The audio is also quite powerful, with explosive sound effects; the only negative being that you have to crank it up to make out some of the dialog. I haven't even checked out any of the special features yet but the package seems loaded with them.
Amazon.com was selling the BluRay for $20, which puts it in the range of standard DVDs. Prices are really coming down and if you have the budget and the hardware, checking a movie like this out on BluRay is definitely the way to go. Highly recommended.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM