Cool News
The WATCHMEN Comic Con Posters At High Res Beauty!!!
Hey folks, Harry here - Like a ton of you, I did not travel to Comic Con - but like you, I've scoured the internet looking at all the images, reading all the news and because so much of the photography is amateurish and at odd angles - it sometimes frustrates me into action. I got sent links to like 3 different sites that took photos of the WATCHMEN comic con posters and they just weren't how I wanted to share them with all of you. So I contacted the folks at Warner Brothers and said, "Hey - can we get damn fine versions of these posters so folks can actually appreciate the artwork?"
About 20 minutes ago, they finally sent over the images and I've got them for you folks.
Meanwhile over at EMPIRE Online they have 4 new shots from the movie! If you click on each poster, you'll get a much larger high res file. ENJOY:
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Good stuff
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It's so fuckin beautiful, man.
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Can't wait to see this next year!
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I know the posters look cool, but a Watchmen movie is impossible.
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The guy is making films shot for shot from comic books almost. It isn't his vision.
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I friggin love em. I want em up in my house. Or at least garage.
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Jul 31, 2008 9:47:26 PM CDT
I want to Photoshop a newspaper into Manhattan's hands
by yotzvonfrelnik
Someone's going to do it sooner or later.
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I had the thrill of seeing the trailer before the Dark Knight at The Alamo Drafthouse in your great city.
It was my first visit to Austin and I am now committed to moving there. I don't ever want to see a movie in any other theater again.
I have downloaded the trailer for The Watchmen from iTunes and watch it daily. 2009 will be a great year for movies for sure.
These posters are so beautiful it isn't funny.
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Give it to me like THAT, Snyder. YES.
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Which one is more toned and firm? Honestly, I just can not decide.
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These posters are simply awesome. Please let the movie be good!
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So I'm going to remain brightly optimistic for this one. With a hint of trepidation. Also, I agree, calling Snyder a visionary director is kinda off. Dawn of the Dead was a fun zombie movie but 300 was a panel by panel re-do. Give anyone one hundred million dollars and a talented FX team and you'd get a very close result. But that's just me.
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So was it weird of me to stare longer at Manhattan's spread buttcheeks than I did Silk Spectre's?
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It's so much cooler when a movie poster is painted - like back in the 60s/70s/80s than today's standard "floating heads" of a film's leads. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, just to name a few, are prime examples of how great artwork can prime you for the filmic experience to come. Kudos to Snyder for the retro style of the posters above.
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Pleeeaaaasssse let the movie be as good as those posters suggest. God, whoever thought we'd get to see the characters and style of Watchmen brought to life like this?
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Jul 31, 2008 9:55:50 PM CDT
They must be doing something right in the marketing for this fil
by mansuper
...because I went out and purchased the original graphic novel, so I could read it before I go see this film, and I was not a fan of "300."
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Nice promotional material.
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Uh, I'm pretty sure those are actual photographs of the actors manipulated the way that they will look in the film.
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to the tune of John Denver's "Plant a Tree"...
Save the Squid for our Watchmen
Only Squid can clear the air
Save the Squid, Squid in the Big Apple
Save the Squid, Snyder, to give the world a scare
Your headache, it's Squid inside you
Make a promise to the fans
Save the Squid, now is the time to
Recognize the Squid for all that it is worth
Save the Squid for our Watchmen
Only Squid can clear the air
Save the Squid, Squid in the Big Apple
Save the Squid, Snyder, to give the world a scare
Lovecraftian Squid will pop in
NYC with psychic scream
Plant a horror for the future
For the death of millions will save everything
Save the Squid for our Watchmen
Only Squid can clear the air
Save the Squid, Squid in the Big Apple
Save the Squid, Snyder, to give the world a scare! -
But--hey--PLEASE, Snyder, put us out of our misery and tell the fans definitively whether or not the SQUID IS IN.
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...will be as CLOSE to the comic as possible. Dave Gibbons is foaming at the mouth about how much they've nailed the tone and spirit of the source material. And of course, it's going to be to comic book MOVIES what Watchmen the comic was to superhero COMICS. I love Allan Moore I really, really do. I just think he should pull his hairy head out of his ass for one second and give it at LEAST half a chance. This comic means a great deal to me as a geek and a writer and from what I've seen so far I know I will not be dissapointed.
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and i hope that frank miller and his production company are paying attention as to how to market a little know comic book commodity...you screwed the pooch with the spirit, frank
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It's so much cooler when a movie poster is painted - like back in the 60s/70s/80s than today's standard "floating heads" of a film's leads. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, just to name a few, are prime examples of how great artwork can prepare you for the filmic experience to come. Kudos to Snyder for the retro style of the posters above.
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Aesthetically speaking that is. Either way it'll make a Black Freighterload of money...
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moore has stated his reason's very plainly...he doesnt care if the movie is good...he believes that watchmen was created solely as a comic and not made to be adapted...and he is right...the material is about comics...end of story...and why should a man who has been fucked everytime he forgives decide now to get fucked again? christ, if gibbons understands, why cant you people?
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Notice in the high res version of The Comedian pic that ol' Ed has a copy of the BLACK FREIGHTER comic! Nice.
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these images are much more impressive than any actor's face in an extreme close-up, which was my point "waggy".
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...except Sally Jupiter's, but there's a book by Juvenal in the background. Nice. Someone's sweating the details.
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i urge you to download it...dont buy it....moore no longer gets residual checks...so fuck dc...download, print and pass it out to your pals
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...I love the attention to detail. I love that Bubastis is in there. I'm sure we're looking at a WHOLE LOTTA cut corners and maybe a different ending (boo!)...but thus far color me impressed.
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And, did anyone else think that in the preview before Dark Knight that when the Comedian was torching that one dude, that it looked like Robert Downey Jr.?/
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I'm down with dling it...god knows there's a subpoena out there with my name on it. but if you do like it...buy the book. Hell, I've got a dogeared copy that I take notes in, each individual comic and the Absolute edition. God, I suck.
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I really think he'll pull this off. It wont be as good as the comic, obviously, there's no way it could be, but I think it'll still be a mind blowing sight to behold. I've read Watchmen once, and I deffinitely plan on reading it again before the film comes out. These posters are making me want to whip it out right now....And also read the comic again...Eh.
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I have to agree with "Symposium" and say: "Visionary director"? Snyder is shooting frame by frame other people visions! If there is geniality, it is from Alan Moore! Moore is the genius, not Snyder. The guy needs to come ou with something really "his" to deserve the "visionary" status.
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"Who watches the watchmen?" was purposefully obscured or incomplete every single time it showed up in the comics. it was always either half-written or partially blocked by the frame, yet every poster but Silk Specter II's has it in full view.
what's amazing here(and i noticed the same thing in the trailer) is that Snyder's managed to hit the uncanny valley of comic book adaptations. when every other detail is spot the fuck on, the deviations(wrong colors on Manhattan's mars fortress) stick out like a sore thumb. -
Anyone notice anything about the doomsday clocks on each cover?
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Isn't the fortress made out of glass?
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'Who Watches The Watchmen' should never be spelled out completely in any panel. It is one of my fav lil detail from the novel that they never spell it out completely in any panel, always something that obscures part of it. Other than that one nagging thing, love every bit about each of them, esp the little details [like the Sally Jupiter cominc in her poster]
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I didn't know they changed the ending.... maybe, instead of a giant squid-thing, they made it into a giant lion."I saw it, it's lion and it's huge!!!"
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amazing. Really respecting the comic. But I think the Dr. Manhattan poster is absolutely freaking disgusting. It's the only one I don't like.
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You got that right. When every other detail is spot on, the little deviations stick out like a wart on a tit.
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Those posters project the correct message to the uninitiated.
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the glass(and the surrounding sand) was pink. i know that it's nitpicky, but when EVERY SINGLE OTHER DETAIL is spot on, it sticks out all the more, hence the reference to the uncanny valley. it took me four viewings of the trailer to realize that the reason i was reacting weirdly to the shot of the comedian in Vietnam was because he wasn't wearing his mask. honestly, i hate Warners right now. i finally get past the three years of obsessing over the release of Dark Knight and they make me do the same goddamned thing for another year with Watchmen. this is the movie i'm most looking forward to next year, and everything i've seen has been amazing, but the little details keep bugging me from an otherwise perfect looking adaptation.
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Yes, it was never completed in the book. But this is promotional art everyone. It has to make sense for the mass majority. this movie is already such a tough sell that as long as the movie's right, we (the knowing fans) should give them a break on any slight deviations on an already extraordinary marketing campaign. Of course they complete the mantra, cause Joe-Blo filmgoer doesn't know what it is even if the movie is called THE WATCHMEN. and yes the trailer showed possibly every big spectacle shot from the movie because folks in Nebraska don't want to see Rorschach sitting in Dreibergs kitchen eating beans in the trailer. you don;t put intellectual shit in trailers when there's SFX shots that will blow your average filmgoers mind. I want the movie to work, and it looks like it will, so everyone, just stop nitpicking the marketing. It's as close as it could be and you don;t seem to realize it could ahve been A LOT WORSE! ALOT! WORSE! Go Snyder Go.
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Guys, these posters are exact recreations of the original advertisements for the comic. They didn't fuck up by spelling out "Who Watches the Watchmen", it was in the original posters too.
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I'm just kidding. It's no big deal.
But it is just a tad weird, like he's about to take a dump or something.
I live in NY, once those posters hit the streets, I can imagine the graffiti. -
"I complement you are most excellent blue butt."
zooch (2008) -
"I complement you on your are most excellent blue butt."
zooch (2008) -
i think you missed my point. this looks amazing, i'm not arguing that. that i might be privileged enough to see a faithful cinematic rendition of fuck-mothering Watchmen within my lifetime is astounding. that it will be almost one year after Heath Ledger and the brothers Nolan gave me a PERFECT cinematic rendition of my favorite fictional character of all time is nothing short of a fucking miracle. but once again, i have to cite the uncanny valley here. there is SO FUCKING MUCH that they have absolutely nailed from the comics that every time i see a variation,(to paraphrase onezeroone) it sticks out like a wart on an otherwise utterly perfect set of tits.
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This is looking great.
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whilst i'm completely willing to concede the argument that the phrase was seen in the original promotional material, i would still point out that these are ComiCon posters. they will likely never be seen at a multiplex near you, they are exclusively for the hardcore geeks who showed up for the Con. maintaining that detail(even if it deviates from the visual reference) would have been a brilliant nod to the fanbase.
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never post drunk. just realized the utter stupidity of what i said. using the original promotional material as a template was utter fucking genius, and a great nod to the hardest of the hardcore.
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As a hardcore Watchmen geek I would have been more irked if they hadn't recreated the original ads exactly. (Allowing for the new costumes, of course.)
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Oh. Nevermind.
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http://tinyurl.com/6y8yax I was too young when originals came out but managed to google this poster. The phrase is not as obvious in this original poster as it is in the one for movie. In the psoter it IS spelled out, but the color composition used obscures it somewhat. They key in this poster, is not light on part of the phrase, but obscuring part of it. Light was just a means in the original poster, end being obscuring the phrase. But in movie poster, he missed out on this little detail. And it kinda worries me. It suggests, Zack got the eye for visuals, but not the meaning and purpose of those visuals. So, am sure it will look faithful to the visual tone of the novel, but other than that, am not very hopeful. In fact, kinda shows why Dave Gibbons is delighted while Alan Moore is not. Visuals alone don't make a faithful adaptation, and Zack has not shown knack for anything but good visuals.
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Look under her chair... its the discarded photo of Osterman and his first love... the one he brings to Mars.
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looks thinner and younger than in supernatural.
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every review will be headed like 'harry watches the watchmen.' fuck.
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Hot!
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Has cover of the Black Freighter comic book on table next to shells.
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at least two posters noticed before me about the Black Freighter comic book... hi ho!
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Are doing the new Bond song? Lame.
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just looking at some of the posters [Silk Sceptre, Night Owl, Dr. Manhattan] that DO obscure the phrase and some [Comedian] that does try to obscure [using the bottle's shadow] one can easily deduce that ones that don't obscure at all [Rorschach, Ozymandis] were also meant to obscure [using light and shadow, the light spot on tv screen] but they just couldn't. So yeah I thikn they tried to recreate the look of original posters [were they all BnW?? if they were, could have gone for that tone] but couldn't figure out best way to obscure the phrase. But again, maybe am being anal... but we're talking about attention to details. Visual detail, yes, but tonally? Not too sure. This is not 300 that can be carried on the force of visuals alone, at least not for me. Maybe I will stick to my graphic novels.
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Jack Black doing Bond would be awesome.
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Jul 31, 2008 11:09:32 PM CDT
Looks like Manhatton's 'bout to drop a glowing blue brownie.
by kongmonkey
"I think I'll create some life." *Splatch*
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Dr. Manhattan, that is.
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I am SO envious of all you fans/potential fans/potential readers who have not yet read the Alan Moore book and will pick it up before/during/after the movie comes out and get to read it for THE FIRST TIME.
I read the book a couple times a year, and it gets better every time (a lot of stuff to take in). But there's nothing like that first time.
ENVY! I ENVY!
Please enjoy the book. Let's keep our fingers crossed for the movie.
And realize that a Watchmen film mounting was inevitable, and we are so much better off having someone who will just rip off the comic than a complete Hollywood re-vamping. I hope. -
And what an amazing time for comics that was - the best!I think Zack Snyder can, in fact, be called "visionary". Other directors may have the same technical means to have made a film like 300, but only Snyder actually did it. It takes a strong and singular filmmaker to properly adapt a comic book for the silver screen. I doubt that Frank Miller himself would have done as fine a job.As for WATCHMEN, they've definitely nailed the look of the original comic, but I'm still a bit doubtful about how well the story arc will play out in a film, definitely a hard one to adapt. I really hope it's good. I loved 300, despite some of its historical inaccuracies, thought it had a lot of heart.
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Language-wise. There's more than a few things in Watchmen like that, where it's British sounding ... "my hands ABOUT it" instead of "around".
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I got the "The Comedian" poster signed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan at Comic Con. I didn't get any of those other awesome posters though.
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Here is a page with the old posters that these are based on:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/03/13/fearful-scenery-vintage-watchmen-ads/
As you can see, the phrase "Who Watches the Watchmen" is clearly visible on some of them.
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bring it!!
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CRAPUTTER CRAPNONONONONONONONNNOOOOOOOOO!
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pretty cool stuff. I'm really not getting a lot of negative thoughts about this movie at all. As a matter of fact I'm pretty damn excited for this.
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...and it's a nitpick: Why is Snyder being called 'visionary' in the ads? Yes, he IS visionary, but he had to approve these ads. It's like he told the art department "Call me 'visionary' in every poster. I like that!"
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They're trying to sell the film. What are they supposed to say "the unproven but full of potential Zack Snyder"? Anyway whoever said anyone with a few million and a good FX crew could make 300 is out of their fucking mind.
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Alan Moore still gets paid for the comic. He wasn't happy about the movie so all his money goes to the artist. And all the rights to the comic will revert back to Moore once the book goes out of print, which will be never.
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I'm really looking forward to this one. :)
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Yeah, dead on about the Rorschach thing, like it should be "Oi 'ad me bloody 'ands abou' it!" There's a ton of that stuff, especially in the first part of the book.
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i cant find a trailor any where on the net ??
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I LOVE that each of their doomsday clocks are different in terms of how close they are to midnight.
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For those posters who keep implying that it is easy to adapt a comic into a movie accurately while still capturing the spirit... you are mistaken. I'm not saying Snyder's visionary like Kubrick or anything, but give the guy some credit.
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You already had Zack's back.
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MUST HAVES.
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...anywhere? I don't know if they passed them out at the con, maybe someone will ebay them?
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These are a perfect recreation of the origional adverts done by Dave Gibbons when the 12 part mini series was first published.
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I've gone from "ah they're making a watchmen film" to "OMG they're really making a f-ing watchmen film!"Spot on Zack, spot on.
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I agree that they look painted, they almost look like Alex Ross paintings. Whether they are manip'd photos or not.
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was not in the original posters to the best of my knowledge, but I love her movie poster. Congratulations to mansuper for buying the book, you're in for a real treat. I just re-read it for the bazillionth time this past week. There are aspects of the thing that truly cannot be filmed. Every caption in a panel, whether it be a carry over from a previous scene, a television noise, script from the Black Freighter, or music from the radio has relevance to the picture in that panel. It is WAY too much to take in in a single reading. For starters though, pay attention to what the tv is saying when Nite Owl first tries to get it on. Fucking Hilarious! You can't really do that in a movie. I really wonder about Nite Owl's portrayal in the film. All the ads make him look so tough and heroic. The older I get, the more I love the character of Dreiberg, and I haven't seen anything in the ads to indicate they've captured his worn out pathetic attitude. If they don't get that then the things he does in the book lose their meaning.
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The professor's name is Glass!
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Alludes that he is working to topple some regime or government in a foreign country for American interests.
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That, sir, was funny.
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you are correct.
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Nite Owl is screaming "NOOOOOOOO!" with that snowy backround? When does that happen in the graphic novel? Because if that is supposed to be what I think it is, then they fucked it up because Nite Owl is not supposed to be there. Sorry for being so nit-picky, but the way I see it, the moment they announced they'd make the movie it's open season.
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and balls.
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I just don't agree with it. The guy comes off like a pretentious tool and his logic is pretty narrow. Following that logic, no medium would ever be translated into another, and that would be unfortunate. Also, people like Moore tend to fuck themselves over because they have such adversarial personalities. I respect the man's talent and contributions to the medium but he really does come off as an overtly negative douche.
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So far Snyder's done everything right!
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I read somewhere the ending is intact but SPOILER Dr. Manhatten does not destroy Ror at the end, I think he still dies but not by Manhatten's hand, which if so, is a big deal and a lousy change, I hope the first part is true and second is not...
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any of his other works...he hated what hollywood did to them, but he never said that they were meant only for the comic book genre...watchmen is different...and the fact remains, that whatever zach has done, it will not be the book...it cant be...and moore pretentious? negative? lets see...fucked over by marvel, who used his marvel uk stuff without recompense...fucked over by dc, not once, not twice but numerous times. fucked over by wildstorm, when lee used him to get the dc deal...fucked over by movie producers and directors...sued by hollywood hacks...maybe moore is naive, but he has a right to be negative...maybe he shouldve just pulled a miller...hung out on the set and gotten director credit...then have all the hollywood types kiss his ass until he believes that he is some kinda genius...then start showing up in a fedora cuz after all these years not really giving a shit about his appearance, he is now a vein prick...then go on to rant and rave that the world doesnt understand george bush and all muslims are disgusting savages...however, for him to do that, he couldnt be moore anymore...now could he....you guys say the same shit about ellison
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honestly....im hoping that laurie has just told him that she is on her period and he cant get any....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....cuz if he sees rorshach get offed, that kinda fucks up a huge plot line
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Not much to them. http://tinyurl.com/6qv9uk
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HA! That would have to be it, because that does not happen in the graphic novel. You're right. It would totally suck and make that whole concept awkward as fuck. And what SpawnofAchilles is talking about is not too comforting either.
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Excellent work!
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...me likey...
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Just noticed the photo of the Comedian sitting on the bookshelf behind Sally.
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Aug 01, 2008 2:32:51 AM CDT
JESSICA ALBA IS UNPROFESSIONAL & CARLA GUGINO IS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!
by illuminate
Carla Gugino makes my pants tight. ;-) lol
I have gotten respect for her ever since she went topless in Sin City. When that bratty bitch Jessica Alba bailed on going nude. IF ANYONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOPLESS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE GODDAMNED STRIPPER. Robert Rodriguez was expecting that bitch to go topless but she never did. He should have signed her bratty, short and almost flat B cup ass to a contract.
Back to Carla, she has bigger breasts, just as good ass, dreamy eyes and above all she takes acting seriously when others like that twit Jessica Alba does not. I don't see why some of you guys find her hot. At best Alba is a one night stand.
Back to Carla again, I see her Oscar in the future. I was glad to see that they finaly showed what she looks like in the film. I hope a smart hollywood executive casts her in a part like Wonder-Woman. She definitly has the body and serious acting skills. -
Where each character in the tank says one word of that phrase ...Oh ...My ...God
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Oh who am I kidding, they look great.
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I made an animated gif with the clocks and the space between Silk Spectre and Rorshach is bigger than between the other posters.
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when I first looked at the poster, I didn't see the Who Watches the Watchmen and when I saw you guys talking about it here, I had to go back and look for it, I don't think it's as obvious as you guys are trying to make it be and I don't think the general public is going to notice it unless pointed out
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At least we can't complain that Snyder didn't nail the posters.
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really
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These are what I put together showing the minute hands. It just looks to me like there is room for another minute hand. That's all.
thirteenwide.com/watchmen/ -
There is the 8th
http://tinyurl.com/6ybl8b -
Does anyone care, but me, that the blood stain on the Watchmen pin for the movie isn't in the shape of a clock hand?
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get the fuck over it already.
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3OO was alright for a film that ended up giving me a headache (too much shouting, noise and i think Sparta was said once every 90 seconds) His zombie film was much better. Still would have preferred Paul Greengrass directing it.
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It looks so slick. Watchmen, to me, should look dirty. Like a talkbacker the other day said, "Why does The Comedian have Robin's Batman and Robin mask instead of a gimp mask"? Not that I think he should have directed it, but Tarantino could have given Snyder a few tips on getting a dirty look and feel of a specific era. To me this looks modern with 80s costumes. And the Patrick Wilson looks too attractive for Night Owl. Night Owl should, IMO, be fatter and a bit older. Like I've said from the get-go, though, there is no way they can ruin the comic, unless they go to every owners house and burn it. I will still have the masterpiece that is Watchmen. I do like the motion comic on iTunes, though. That's pretty kick ass and it allows me to be lazy and watch the comic instead of read it, which is why I initially looked forward to the movie.
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They're making a Watchmen movie?
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They really play up the S&M angle, though, don't they? Asses are the focus of at least three of them. On Silk Spectre, I don't mind, but I could be spared looking at Manhattan's blue asscrack
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you know the giant monster is a bear
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Why the FUCK did no one at the Con ask the filmmaker about WATCHMEN's ending? Seriously, those were some of the most lightweight, silly questions I've ever heard (e.g., who's your favorite WATCHMEN character). NO SQUID, NO PEACE!Know Squid, Know Peace.
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I think it's beyond dispute at this point that the people making this film "get" it. They may mess up individual elements [i.e. the Squid] but overall they "get" it. Look at the character beats and thematic beats in each poster quote. Maybe they just copied the original promotional art for the comic, but hey - if they knew enough to do that, it just reinforces my belief that they "get" it. If this film isn't good it is going to be the most crushing disappointment since TPM.
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Aug 01, 2008 7:58:08 AM CDT
There They Go With THat Visionary Director Bullshit Again
by aquatarkusman
Since he's done one remake and 2 graphic novel/comic adaptations, I think it's fair to say that the vision is entirely someone else's. He's not the second coming of Kubrick, for shit's sake.
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I'm gonna build extra walls in my apartment just to hang them up.
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...is Rorsharch. That's the one place where I come down on the side of the people who are concerned that this looks too "slick". Rorsharch should look like he's one step above a homeless guy. His trench coat and hat should be all beat up and dirty. The brand-new-ish looking hat and coat in that image make him look like Jiminy Cricket Rorsharch.
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His art direction and style are visionary. he has brought to the table a kinetic and faced paced story telling that i don't think i had seen before. Even though it is not his original story-He is not afraid to take chances on these projects- and that being said he ha the balls to stick to a comic book story shot for shot... forget the asshole above that said "if you give 100 million to anyone they could make a good movie..." that is BS. It takes VISION and balls.
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Please. This Snyder guy has all of you guys completely snowed. He's a fucking HACK people. The guy's too busy working out in the gym to make a good movie. These posters are good but the traielr was bogus from start to finish.
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Actually, I won't advertise another film site that is apparently hated on these panels but a Devin F (last name hidden for security reasons) did ask the question. The answer: everything's cool, even though the studio bitched. Oh, and to all the people complaining about the "visionary director" quote: a/ it's just marketing, they're probably scared about the commercial appeal of this one and b/ like it, love it or hate it, 300 was pretty different from what we have seen, ever (and it was slo-mo not bullet-time). You may think the movie's shit but it's certainly visionary. Which is why I'm giving Snyder benefit of the doubt: 300 was a little fascistic (then again, Sparta was a fascist monarchy in the first sense of the word) but Watchmen has fascist characters, some intermittently, others full-time, and still others who aren't into that worldview. That's the beauty of such a layered story: there's ambiguity abound. Let's hope Snyder restitutes that. Judging from the interviews, it seems he might have done so.
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Aug 01, 2008 8:33:01 AM CDT
Wait a second, guys - we don't WANT a visionary director here
by fluffyunbound
So the whole question of whether the studio hype has merit is moot. We want someone who will respect Moore's original vision and find the best way to translate that to film. Snyder demonstrated he could do EXACTLY that with 300. The last thing we want is someone taking this material and saying, "You know what, I've got my own vision to express here" and the end product comes out like Resident Evil or something.
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But how is the actual film? I'm guardedly optimistic. These look great, but, its Jack Snyder -- he's an action film director, and the WATCHMEN is emphatically NOT an action film.
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i guarantee you will see it. i guarantee you saw 300 also- for a hack director this guys is really getting you into the movies.
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Only the "vision" of a hack like Snyder could take a gorgeous blonde and make her look like shit in an atrocious wig. Total miscasting.
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I probably won't. Didn't see 300 in theaters because it looked stupid despite it's slick trailer. A friend rented it and I watched it at his place and I hated every fucking minute of it. And here again we have a slick-ass trailer that is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.
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...it's Zack Snyder.
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Aug 01, 2008 8:48:59 AM CDT
They should have taken the lead from Superman's tagline...
by audaabutayi
"You will believe a blue penis can fly." (well, levitate but that doesn't read as catchy) That's a good way to get your female moviegoing segment in the theaters and ups the ante on the curiosity and controversy factors. Instants like these: I should totally be running a studio...
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Close enough.
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But I don't think thats Snyder's fault. It followed Miller's ragingly butch gay fantasy pretty well. The blame lies more with Frank "Now That I'm Famous, I Really Enjoy Cocaine" MIller than Snyder.
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..for you to find Malin Ackerman ugly on that poster. I hadn't seen her this sexy before (from three angles no less). And being a gentleman, I do prefer blondes (except when it comes to Ingrid Bergman, Claudia Cardinale or Jessica Biel). Anyway: kudos for having seduced a juicier gazelle!
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Gesundheit. Anyway, the point was that she looks liek crap wit hthe wig. They could have gotten, oh I don't know, an actual brunette to play the character instead of taking a blonde and putting a ridiculous and unflattering wig on her.
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I'm not even listening to the comic-adaptation gestapo, or the guys who hate 300. This looks so fucking amazing. I just kind of goaded my girlfriend into reading the book, and then I made he watch the trailer. When the nite owl's ship comes out of the water, she sort of squealed. We're both so fucking pumped.
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and that is fine. what did yo not like about 300? 300 was an ultra violent entertaining movie...and if you didnt like it, you are prob the type that rewatches the english patient 5 times by yourself. Watchmen will be a good adaptation of the book- it will ultimately fall short of its hype... which they all do, even the dark knight.
BUT- it will a great leap forward in the evolution of translations from graphic novel to film. -
Try listening to his 300 commentary. They guy doesn't sound very intelligent. Actually, I have nothing againt him. I enjoyed both the Dawn remake and 300, but he's only made wacky action movies so far. I hope I'm wrong, but judging by all those slow-mo shots from the trailers, it looks like he's up to the same old thing. Like John Woo directing All The President's Men. It just doesn't fit.
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if this movie has ahappy ending and they screw up WATCHMEN like they did with LEAGUE and VENDETTA, then I believe Alan Moore will dance a little jig saying "told ya so" and keep taking his name off movies. this is seriously ambitious material for a movie... hope they get it right.
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and stupid, unoriginal, homophobic yet homoerotic, hawkish, bullying, misogynistic, fear-mongering, eugenics-endorsing, and fascist.
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Include the squid and present it as the start to CLOVERFIELD. Christ this looks good.
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... They should have taken someone with bigger breasts if they were to respect the comics' vision. And a real brunette, true... But Jessica would have sucked: she's the prettiest thing but she lacks the acting chops. I kid, of course. My point is: it's out of our hands, the movie has a shot for greatness if it stays true to its source and if it does turn out to be great, we will all disregard the tiny tweaks to appreciate the bigger canvas. Some might actually start calling Snyder a visionary in earnest. Time will tell, as it always ends up doing. In this instance: at midnight, to be precise.
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Two things. One: The Dark Knight did not fall short of its hype (just my opinion). And Two: There's nothing wrong with rewatching The English Patient 5 times by yourself.
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"and stupid, unoriginal, homophobic yet homoerotic, hawkish, bullying, misogynistic, fear-mongering, eugenics-endorsing, and fascist." haha you are a pussy. sorry man... ok, so the only guys that say the movie was "homoerotic" are the guys that got turned on by it- homosexuals.
i bet you wanted hillary clinton for pres also... -
TOTALLY. Their villain was a bottom, but the hero was top. Fucking HILARIOUS gay subtext.
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the dark knight was awesome...loved it. the only thing that fell short for me was the joker, beleieve it or not... i though it was going to be a much crazier performance from ledger... it was so hyped
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who cares
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But I won't say that I won't see it. I will most definately see it. And most likely, I'll be entertained. Just like I was with From Hell and V for Vendetta. But I just think that it's being done wrong, if they want to do justice to the novel. Intentional or unintentional though, I do love the symbollic references to mid-late-'90s superhero flicks (B-side from Pumpkins B&R single, rubber suits, etc.).
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I have a feeling that it did what Watchmen should do, but most likely won't: (not financially but artistically) skewered superhero flicks without any self-referential satire the way Watchmen skewered Superhero books.
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"...homophobic yet homoerotic, hawkish, bullying, misogynistic, fear-mongering, eugenics-endorsing, and fascist." It was good precisely because it pretty much unabashedly depicted a different version of heroic storytelling from the modern model. The story is told in the mode of heroic poetry, from the perspective of a much different vision of heroism than ours. And beastie, I think that The Dark Knight did "skewer" superhero flicks, but kind of in the style of 24 - you know what I mean "Oh no, the good guy must do some questionable things to fight evil. Wow, look at the ambiguity!" whereas the "skewering" done by Watchmen is much more fundamental. In Watchmen, the entire basis for superheroes is asserted to be a psychologically questionable [and sexually questionable] dream of power, that would have made us much worse had it come true. Watchmen basically says that if Batman and Superman existed, they would have done evil by trying to do good. The Dark Knight says that Batman sometimes does some iffy stuff, but his heart's in the right place and evil makes him do that iffy stuff.
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Remember when AICN posted that pic? and the dude kneeling in the front looked like he was pointing to a coffee stain on his thigh?
The pic shows up in the background of her poster, and the kneeling guy is now pointing at a WHITE DOT on his thight.
I told you something was up with that. Sorry I dont know who he is - Im not a Watchmen fan (yet). I never was into superhero comics. Im more of a Sgt. Rock and The Losers kind of comic book fan. Still, this looks great. If it gets reprinted, I'll pick it up and check out what the fuss is here. -
It was visually engaging and, at times, stunning. I didn't take the over-the-top material seriously at all. I do like Snyder's directorial style--so shoot me.Thanks, Audu... I thought it would be helpful to post the interview excerpt you were referring to regarding the movie's ending (http://tinyurl.com/6zuao2) :***"If you're spoilerphobic, you may want to avoid the rest of this paragraph, by the way. The argument against the relevance of Watchmen is that we've seen our own world's version of that squid attack on New York, and we know that while a tragedy like that may bring the world together, it's for a limited amount of time. It's easy to piss that peace away. Exactly, Snyder counters. 'I think that's part of the awesome thing from the book - you have the book saying that a catastrophic event brings people together, but at the very, very end you have it teetering on the razor's edge. It could easily come apart. I think that's super relevant. Dr. Manhattan says, 'Nothing ever ends.' Alan Moore couldn't have known [how the post-9/11 world would have gone] but I think he assumed that was the nature of man. And it turns out he was right.'
That ending has been part of what keeps fans awake at night in terror (okay, spoilerphobes should sit out this paragraph as well). Would a major motion picture go through with an ending where millions of New Yorkers are killed? And even if they did, would they go with the ending that Moore wrote, where the 'bad guy' gets away with it? 'I've read every draft,' says Snyder. 'In every draft there's been... I don't know if they're happy endings, but they're more traditional endings. The bad guy gets it. [But I think] you have to keep him alive - and not in a sequel way. Look at the end of Superman Returns, Lex Luthor is on an island. I would have liked him to die!'
Sure, Snyder says, there was some resistance from the studio (resistance obviously tempered by 300's huge success), but he was able to talk them into seeing it his way. 'When we got down to actually talking about what was their issue [with the ending] we all came down to the fact that you don't gain anything by changing that part of it. It's a movie you should leave going 'Let's talk about this.' You should debate it, hopefully. Not 'Oh this was awesome, let's go get dinner.''"***Ok, now this is potentially good news, but note that Snyder never explicitly said "the Squid is in"--he said that "the bad guy getting away with it" ending was in (which in and of itself is great news). Thanks again for making us aware of this... -
"We didn't get a copy of the script, and nobody would answer our questions about the end of the movie (although I saw the storyboards!), but otherwise this production was an open book."
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because my other is busy choking it to silk specter's ass
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I say wait till after you see the movie. I don't think the movie will stand on it's own if the comic is strong in your mind. I certainly don't plan to re-read it before the movie comes out.
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It's cool to see something you respect so much being made better than you expected, i hear people all over talking about this film, I really never knew that many people read comic books, well it has been out for twenty years. But this movie is gonna make alot of money and alot of people happy i hope. Alan Moore just might be proud.
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Aug 01, 2008 11:36:21 AM CDT
As discussed above, these posters are nearly exact representatio
by wealthypeasant
the original promotional art. Here's a link to some images of the originals: http://tinyurl.com/5kp6ku
Of course, some of you will complain that Snyder's not being a "Visionary" director for copying the original posters in almost every last detail. While others would complain if he doesn't replicate everything from the comic down to the last detail. Heck! Some of you are complaining that the posters shouldn't have "Who's Watching the Watchmen" clearly visible. Look at the original posters these new ones are based on. The phrase is nearly perfectly visible in all of the posters -- much more so than in the comic itself.
Snyder is a "Visionary" because that word has no connations about whether the "vision" is original, or not. The word has to do with fantasies, dreams, illusions, and unrealistic (but believable), imaginative perfection.
Thus far, it seems that Snyder and company are delivering what the fans want: a living, 3-dimensional comic book. -
Very similar to "I wish all Rome had one neck" in that terrible Caligula movie. Is that some reference to a historic quote? Because if not ... shaaaame...
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... as much as I do now is because of the director. Mind you, I thought the trailer looked very interesting and unique (something rare nowadays). Most trailers look pretty much identical. You show the lead actors and then fire off a mind-numbing fast-paced highlight reel of some action shots that you've seen a billion times before followed by the title (usually a sequel or a remake)... But this trailer was different. First off, I knew nothing about the source material. Never heard of this before in my life but again the mood and the pace of the trailer got me intrigued. Slow, laid-back, melancholy, almost hallucinogenic! Even the music seemed interesting. But I REALLY didn't start caring about this seriously until I saw that the director of 300 was behind it (I also liked the Dawn remake). Then I literally said, "I got to see this!" Since then, I've started reading the first couple chapters of the novel and it seems pretty interesting so far. Bottom line, why the hell NOT mention the director of the movie if his last film was a bonafide hit (even with an R rating)...
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Attributed to Caligula
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right on
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Aug 01, 2008 12:00:56 PM CDT
Can we please get a straight answer about THE SQUID? (SPOILERS)
by le vicious fishus
From the latest Snyder interview (http://tinyurl.com/5oqgjx):"You've gone a long way towards making fans happy with the trailer. 85% of fan's fears seem to be assuaged by the trailer, but what they keep asking me about is the ending. Can you let them know that they have nothing to worry about?
I'll say this about the ending. Patrick hinted at it in that article [Entertainment Weekly]. I was thinking, What is Watchmen? I believe the crux of the movie is that it offers a moral choice. That is Watchmen. Let's just say that, without getting too spoilerish, a certain character in the movie survives that. Makes a moral choice that we would consider, or what an audience might consider questionable, but on paper you could make an argument for. I have to say, you pose that to studio... you tell the studio that this guy who kills millions of people, he's going to be okay at the end. That's tough. It's not like Lex Luthor ends up on an island. I'm saying this guy might be right. That's the movie, that's the fun. Look, I love Iron Man. I think the movie is awesome, I think Robert is amazing in the movie. I walked out of the movie and said, 'That was great! Let's get a beer.' I've always said that you walk out of Watchmen and say 'What's up?' Or you get a beer and [mimes a drunken argument]."Dear interviewers, although it WOULD indeed reeeeaaaally suck if Adrian got offed at the film's end, FANS *REALLY* WANT TO KNOW JUST ONE THING:IS THE SQUID IN OR NOT?Damn, I'm so sick of Snyder's (and interviewers') coyness about this movie's ending. Can we expect some ridiculous fake Doc M attack, death rays, or some other manufactured bullshit or... can we expect THE SQUID!? Be specific, interviewers! -
I see your point completely and agree. What I was talking about was much more general, though. I just meant a skewering of the superhero genre that isn't comedic (Incredibles, Mystery Men, Hancock) or overy self aware (Heroes). But, yeah, your right about the different psychology behind the two stories.Le Vicious Fishus, how do you do bold? Sometimes I want to use it in the talkbacks for tone or titles, so that I don't have to capitalize and make people think I'm yelling. While I'm at it, do you know italics?
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Miller got Sin City made and it was perfectly alligned with his comic. If Moore wanted a more proactive role in the translation of his work he could get it but otherwise, he should just keep his mouth shut because it's a given that changes will occur when translating one medium to another. What matters is keeping the integrity of the source material, which Snyder looks to be doing. I do agree that Moore has been treated unfairly in the past but at the same time other artists and writers have endured similar nonsense, including Miller, yet they seem to move on without the overt bitterness that comes across in Moore's interviews. Despite the changes, I personally loved the film adpatations of From Hell and V for Vendetta and Watchmen looks to be a pretty literal translation. Snyder would obviously give Moore access and input had he wanted it but since he doesn't then he really has no reason to complain. The film doesn't cancel out the novel and the burden is on Snyder to make a movie that does justice to the source material. Again, I respect Moore as an artist but he comes off as rigid and inflexible.
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If he doesn't get money from his creation and DC gets the majority I'm going to be pissed. Especially if the film is like V For Vendetta, which I felt was an insult to the comic.
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I can see Venom's face
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For all we know, the character could be earing a wig as part of her costume (Hell, she doesn't have a mask). I've got more of a problem with her scrawny arms and legs. In that respect, Biel does lok like she could kick some ass. It's a minor issue to me though. I'm sure Ackerman will be fine, as will the rest of the cast.
My biggest concern is just how they are going to cram all that story into 2.5 hours of movie. I hope they do it justice, I just can't figure out how they did it (One reason no one will hand me 100 Million dollars). I've got faith in Snyder's direction and I think his stylized "vision" fits the material.
On another note, I feared Te Dark Knight" couldn't possibly live up to the hype it generated in the last few weeks before it's release, but I walked out of the theater pretty damn impressed. and the further it gets since I've seen it (twice), the more impressed I've become with the movie as a whole, and Ledger's performance in particular. -
What the hell does that entail?
I meant "wearing". -
The comedian wore the gimp mask, and the "Robin" mask at different times in the book.
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I saw George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden making out with each other.
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won't all be in a row... That's why they spelled out the full mantra. Most people aren't gonna be going from one to another trying to figure it out.
Plus, it will make a sweet tagline for the film. -
Looks so fucking gay. Honestly.
And also there is no hope for this movie. All the lame Aint it Cool 300 fanboys should just go fucking get a brain.
Zack Snyder!???! That guy sucks. Two movies so far and they both stink like shit. Also the scriptwriter is so unproven. -
You can drive home the same point of the comics (if that is indeed one's desire) without a giant monster squid plopping into NY.
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Because seriously, EVERY trailer, still, etc seems pretty heavyhanded in terms of setting up who the bad guy is. Is Snyder treating it as a twist or not?
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a lucky shmuck. He'll be "visionary" when he does an original flick of his own design, not a remake or a comic adaptation. That shit's easy. Creating from the ground up isn't and that's where the talent lies.
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It took a great horror movie and made it into an action movie. It removed the social commentary and humor and replaced it with action movie tropes. It was enjoyable, sure, I liked it a lot, but it was a completely different movie in tone than the original. That is why I am guardedly optimistic about this. So far the visuals and the posters are spot-on perfect, but, it takes more than that to make a movie. Especially one based on what is, arguably, the greatest graphic novel ever written.
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Anyone got the link to the Sally Jupiter pin-up pic that got posted here a few weeks ago?
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There's a pair of blue balls in it too. And I ain't talkin' about the Nite Owl's, when he first meets Laurie. Ouch!
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Yeah, Schnyder is a kickass adapter of material into a cool "now" template. That makes him a good enough artist in the scheme of things... but I agree with LaserPants, he needs to make another kind of leap of originality before we can call him a "Visionary."
Of course, Visionary seems to be the buzzword now in Hollywoodspeak. They promoted Hellboy II as "From the visionary creator of Pan's Labyrinth," or some shit.
I think it's suit-talk for "We can't figure out what the fuck he is doing, but he gets a certain amount of butts into seats, so I'm jiggy with it!" -
like the bottle on Silk Spectre's table..the one she drops and smashes on Mars...and the snow globe thing on Sally Jupiter's that SS remembers from childhood...others too
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It was annoying and unnecessary, but it didn't totally ruin the film. I suspect the ending of Watchmen will be changed, but it should be a fun film to watch if you love the book. For those who haven't read the book, it will be unfortunate for the more intelligent ones but the rest will be better off with a dumbed down ending.
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because 300 looks like nothing else that had come before it. Of course films are a collaborative effort and might be better to say it was a visionary team, but the director ususally gets most of the credit if a film is great.
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then maybe the healing will be mostly done by the time the film comes out. Don't let it ruin the rest of it for you. Like I said, Sin City made some dumb arbitrary changes, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
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you're wack alright, have you read the g novel? Because his bare blue ass is all over that thing, don't talk about what you don't understand...
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Every time they show him, they foreshadow that he's the villain.
BE A LITTLE SUBTLE!!!! -
I love this site for the insane nitpicking of things. I am going to put something into prespective for you all. As a fan of FILMS, I think Zack Snyder is visionary. As a grown man nearing mid thirties I have seen many feet of film. I only got into two or three comic book series, or Graphic Novels, if you will, as a teen or young adult. One of which was The Sandman. I never knew anything at all about 300, or Sin City, or even Watchmen until I saw a bit of them on celluloid. Snyder impressed me with Dawn of the Dead in the horror genre. He blew me away with 300, honestly I would be hard pressed to imagine a more beautifully rendered film. It WAS a moving painting. After we finished building the IMAX print of The Dark Knight at the theater I run we had to test run it to ensure the print and sountrack was perfect for the opening. When Watchmen came on to the Smashing Pumpkins song and I was first introduced to the characters of the story it literally blew me away. I absolutely think this film will be awesome. It was, to me, the best comic book adaptation trailer that I have ever seen. I know nothing of the Squid, all that I have seen of this story is the 2:19 minutes of film that ran it in IMAX and an article in EWwith Snyder. It was beautiful. To those naysayers who deem Snyder UNFIT to call him visionary I think you have no idea what the DUTY of a Director is. I'll try to explain it: A Dircetor of a motion picture is given the task of interpreting the source material, script/story/graphic novel, and translating it to the medium of film for an audience to suspend disbelief and be absorbed into the story. It is ALWAYS a tough task to take the written word and translate it. But to say that Snyder is not visionary is just ignorant. 300, flaws and all, you would have to concede, is unprecedented in quality of craft (film). I know before I saw that movie when i watched the trailer for it, that it was incredibly beautiful and that I was excited to see more. A director made it. He translated Miller's magic to screen. And, it was hugely successful. On a $65 million investment it made $210m domestic and $456m worldwide. So a LOT of people agreed that it was unlike anything they'd ever seen. While I hope that it DOES STAY TRUE to the source, as I am certain the source is incredible (I am buying it tomorrow morning and will see for myself), to the people who haven't read the story it will not make a difference if the translation of the story plays out favorably and the film has a momentum and climax that is exciting and enticing. As long as it is good only a percentage of uber-fans will nay say it. Either way, based on the trailer, i think it would be unlikely it will be a failure. Snyder should be respected. If you are unable to do so, you could always produce a test reel of your vision of the story and try and get a studio to greenlight it. I am certain he did that as well. Someone must have had faith in it.
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Seriously!http://tiny.cc/2xrW3Poorly filmed but cool nonetheless.
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Includes cool shot of blood dripping on smiley face button.
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i.e. It was never part of the promotional art for the comic back in the day. It's still hot though...
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HEY now!
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Very cool.
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