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Moriarty Sees A Half-Hour Of WATCHMEN In Hollywood!
Hey, everyone. “Moriarty” here.
You’d never know there was a lawsuit a-brewin’ out there right now based on the exuberant confidence displayed by Warner Bros. today in a presentation that they repeated twice at The Lot in Hollywood. Whatever Fox is doing, Warner doesn’t seem even slightly deterred from their marketing plan. They held an event almost just like this a few years ago for 300, and today, that same exact mood was in the air, that same sure smile on the face of every one of the Warner publicity team members. They feel like they’ve got something genuinely special coming in the form of Zack Snyder’s WATCHMEN.
And, holy shit, are they right.
Gregory Noveck [not Paul Levitz as I mistakenly wrote orginally -- "M"] was the first person up in front of the journalists assembled in the small upstairs screening room. As editor of DC Comics, he’s got good reason to be excited to see this film come together the way it has. Right now, they’re selling approximately 10 million copies of WATCHMEN a day (I may be underestimating that a bit) thanks to the trailer debut and the building hype on the film, and if the movie delivers completely, expect for that to get even bigger. He spoke a bit about the impact the book has had on comic publishing in general, and then handed over the floor to Zack Snyder.
Every time I talk to Snyder, I’m struck by how unassuming he seems to be. If you just met this guy and chatted with him, you’d never guess that he was one of the most sought-after filmmakers in Hollywood at the moment. I love how he always acknowledges the role that his wife and producer Deborah has in his work. Husband/wife teams can be a volatile mix, but when they work, I think they can also be incredibly formidable, and that’s how the Snyders appear. No arrogance at all... just this sense of focus and calm as they make their way through what should be an impossible task. Snyder talked about how long the film was in development and how it had been called “unfilmable”, and how the thing that really helped him was that there was no time to second guess himself once he took the job. He basically had to step in and get to work, and as a result, he never had time to get overwhelmed by the size of the job.
That’s the thing... you can crack any adaptation if you’re willing to put in the time and the manpower and if you have the right collaborators. Two of those collaborators were at the event yesterday with Snyder, and they certainly seem like the right guys for the job. Costume designer Michael Wilkinson is the one doing the most subversive and interesting visual work on the film, I think, with designs that take the last ten years of superhero movies and duck press them into something that alternates between cool and preposterous, just as the original designs by Dave Gibbons did. And Alex McDowell is, simply put, one of the best production designers working right now. He’s worked on films like Burton’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, THE TERMINAL (that airport set, no matter what you thought of the film, was amazing), MINORITY REPORT and FIGHT CLUB. With WATCHMEN, he had one of the largest jobs of this type that anyone’s ever had, and I think he rose to the challenge admirably. After all, he’s not just designing 1985 in the film... he had to create a credible alternate history that spanned over 20 years, and he had to make it feel lived-in and possible, fantastic but also grounded in reality. No easy trick.
I visited the Vancouver sets in December last year, and I’ve seen the same clips packages and trailers that everyone else has so far, but until Snyder finished his introduction and took his seat, I hadn’t seen a full scene play out, so I was still curious how the film would actually feel when all those elements were put together. The first thing we saw was the opening 12 minutes of the movie, and if that had been the only thing that they showed us, I would still be ranting and raving, because this film plants its flag early.
The company logos are shown in start black-on-yellow, without sound, one right after another. Then we pull back from that yellow to reveal a smiley-face pin affixed to the bathrobe of Edward Blake (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), smoking a cigar as he watches TV at home alone. Just these opening few moments will be sensory overload for viewers, especially on repeat viewings. There is so much information about the world and these characters packed into the edges of the frame, details on the walls or things mentioned on TV. This is a film that is perfect for the BluRay age, where you can go back and step through each scene, taking it all in.
I love the talk show that Blake watches a few minutes of, where Pat Buchanan and others debate the state of the world. It perfectly captures the period, and it does a nice job of setting up the way nuclear tensions are on the rise as other countries rattle their sabers in response to the existence of Dr. Manhattan. Blake listens to as much of it as he can stomach, then starts flipping around trying to find something that’s not about the news. He finds a perfume ad (eerily accurate to the era) and stops to watch, enjoying Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” as he does, and that’s when there’s a knock on the door.
When Blake answers it, all hell breaks loose as a disguised assassin steps in. Blake doesn’t seem terribly surprised. He makes a move for his gun, which rests on the coffee table, and a fight for his life kicks in. It’s a beautifully staged bit of action that only gradually reveals just how strong the two combatants are. Snyder uses his slow-motion/fast-motion effect really well here, emphasizing particular beats of the brutality in a way that suggests the static image of a comic book, but without anything as overt as Ang Lee’s comic book paneling. It’s like Snyder found the equivalent film vocabulary, and the result is like reading the original WATCHMEN while on acid... it’s the book, absolutely, but suddenly crawling to life and spilling over the edges of the page. As someone who’s been a fan of this book for 20 years now (jeeeez, I’m an old man), I found it almost disquieting to suddenly see it realized so completely onscreen.
At the end of the fight, Blake’s hurled through his picture window and falls to his death, and as that smiley face button lands on the concrete beside him, in a widening pool of blood, Snyder pushes in on it and the opening title sequence kicks in.
What’s your favorite opening title sequence of all time? Is it the glimpse inside the world of John Doe that kicks off SE7EN? Is it one of the beautiful stark graphic design trips by Saul Bass? Maybe one of the surreal titties-and-gun montages from a James Bond film? Whatever the case, get ready to add a title to that list, because the six minute opening title assault that kicks off WATCHMEN is one for the ages, a fascinating mini-movie that takes us through the whole history of this America-that-could-have-been.
Bob Dylan’s “The Times, They Are A-Changin’” proves to be the perfect song to underscore the passage of this world from innocent exuberance to broken-hearted cynicism, and Snyder stages each of these pivotal events as a slow-motion tableau. I love the stuff from the ‘40s with the original Night Owl and a young Sally Jupiter. Jesus, Carla Gugino’s first appearance in the outfit is like the ultimate pin-up fantasy, with her in this tiny yellow outfit and a pair of tiny panties. I love the original-era costumes, the way they all look like they’re made of wool or vintage materials, not a hint of body armor in sight. As the years fly by, things get darker and stranger, and there are some truly shocking images included. Keep your eyes open for Abe Zapruder standing on Dealey Plaza, totally missing the most important part of the shot that made him famous. Some of the effects in this sequence weren’t done, but it doesn’t matter. Snyder seems determined to make this a stunningly beautiful experience as well as a dramatically powerful one, and these six minutes manage to encapsulate both of those desires. It hits hard, but it’s almost like this dream, especially when you see images like Dr. Manhattan shaking hands with JFK. I really can’t believe a major studio is making this film and letting Snyder push it as far as he is.
The next sequence we saw is one of my favorite passages from the book, and I was very curious to see if they could even approach the poetry of it onscreen. It’s when Dr. Manhattan goes to Mars to consider everything that’s happened to him, and he ends up flashing back through the moments of his life before and after the accident that changed him into the most powerful being on the planet. In the comic, it was some of the most sophisticated writing I’d ever encountered in comic form when it was first published. For Dr. Manhattan, time and matter are inconsequential things, and emotions are a mystery. He sifts through his own memory like someone with a handful of sand, and it’s amazing just how right Snyder gets it. From the odd, single sound effect when Manhattan arrives on Mars to the palpable chemistry between John Osterman (Billy Crudup) and fellow physicist Janey Slater (the stunning Laura Mennell) to the horror of the accident itself and the almost-human guilt that Manhattan feels at the way he may or may not have caused cancer in all of his friends and lovers in last few decades... it’s all there. It’s all right.
I loved the way the entire sequence was temp-tracked to Philip Glass’s KOYAANISQATSI score. In particular, it’s the slower, elegiac movement from the score, and it was one of the most haunting re-uses of film music I’ve seen. I don’t think it’ll make the final cut, but it’s powerfully effective right now, especially once we finally cut back to Mars to find Manhattan building himself a palace of crystal and clockwork. Snyder says that he’s working with Tyler Bates on the score now and that they’ve been listening to a lot of ‘80s stuff like MANHUNTER and TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA and BLADE RUNNER to try and find a period-appropriate way to handle the music. I love that idea, and I hope they watch a lot of MIAMI VICE while they’re putting the score together. You can’t go wrong with Tangerine Dream or Vangelis, damn it. You just can’t.
The final major sequence picks up just after Dan (Patrick Wilson) and Laurie (Malin Akerman) have finally made love onboard the Owl Ship. Energized by an earlier attempt to help rescue people from a building fire, the two of them are looking for something else they can do, some other way to recapture that rush of heroism. It’s Dan who suggests that they suit up and go break Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) out of prison. Once they’re geared up as Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II respectively, they pilot the Owl Ship into the prison yard, where a full-scale riot is already underway. This is perfect, as it allows them to slip in fairly unmolested. Once they’re inside, they tear into the assembled prisoners with a sense of abandon and, yes, pleasure. Why would someone opt to be a superhero? For these moments, when you get to rain holy hell down on the deserving, punching and kicking and breaking bones without any guilt at all. Snyder makes it so sensual, and Akerman and Wilson both play it as people who are getting a near-sexual rush from what they’re doing. In my opinion, there’s no major Hollywood filmmaker working today who gets fight choreography and photography as innately as Snyder does, and this film takes all of that to the next level. These fights look like they hurt. Towards the end of the sequence, they find Rorschach, who has already reclaimed his outfit, and they tell him they need to go. He takes a quick moment to settle his business with Big Figure (Danny Woodburn) before he joins them, and it’s a very dark funny moment, with Snyder making excellent use of a swinging door to help build dread.
After a few more quick images from the entire film, including a tantalizing glimpse at some major spoiler material from the end of the film, the presentation was over and we were ushered outside for a reception where they had costumes on display, props under glass, and that oh-so-portable Owl Ship set up so you could peek inside, just like they did at Comic Con. I had a chance to talk to both Wilkinson and McDowell for a bit, and they both struck me as preposterously sharp and creative, the sort of people you would have to have on your team to pull off a film of this scale. Wilkinson talked a bit about his upcoming work on TRON 2, and I asked McDowell if production designers ever get excited about working at a specific soundstage, the way musicians always dream of playing certain venues. “Certainly,” he said. “The 007 stage, some of the stages at Universal like the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA stage or Stage 12. I love backlots, and getting to transform them is one of the real joys of the job.” We talked about everything from his work on CORPSE BRIDE to the way FIGHT CLUB has managed to gradually build in reputation after its initial box-office failure.
I also spent a good chunk of time chatting with Snyder, and more than anything, he seems pleased. The film’s running 2 hours and 43 minutes right now without closing credits, and he doesn’t feel like he’s really had to sacrifice anything to get it to that length. At most, a director’s extended cut might add 20 minutes or so to that time, and the BLACK FREIGHTER material might add in another half-hour at most. The theatrical version might not be the last cut of WATCHMEN we see, but it’s certainly not a compromised edit in any way.
In fact, if there’s one word I’d use for what we saw yesterday, it would be “uncompromised,” and that is a rare thing to be able to say. I’ve written a lot about the various permutations of WATCHMEN in my time here at AICN. I remember sitting in Lloyd Levin’s living room in London, paging through books of production art and casting ideas for the Paul Greengrass version, convinced that was as close as anyone would be able to get to making the film work onscreen. I championed the Hayter drafts over the years because I could sense the genuine passion to get the heart of the material right. But never in all that time did I dare hope that we would get a movie as accurate in every way as the one that will hit theaters next March.
Who watches the Watchmen? Me, goddammit, as soon as they’ll let me, and many, many, many times after that.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Readers Talkback
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It's looking soooo good.
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I am so unbelievable excited for this flick. And everything I been hearing is amazing. This flick cannot get here fast enough.
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Oct. 2, 2008, 4:59 p.m. CST
Man. This is really...this is really going to be something...
by JediRob
...isn't it. Wow I am stoked.
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You saw it in West Hollywood. Don't be afraid to be specific. You were such a star at Rage last night.
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fuck that's too long
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erm, yeah, that's all i had to say really! Bring it on!.....
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Im liking it thus far. and Im LOVING the idea of them researching Blade Runner and Manhunter as inspiration for the sound track-seriously guys look up Manhunter OST Grahams Theme on YouTube and you'll concur that the opening minute is PERFECT for Watchmen...I have faith that Snyder will deliver, and it seems completely faithful to the origin material (although Rorshach in his outfit in prison could cause a fuss to purists-mind you Im desperate to see that scene with Big Figure as its one of my favourites from the book)...my only beef is the whole fast/slow action thing...it annoys me in general. Hopefully it wont scupper the film too much, but so far its my only problem....roll on 2009!
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...the comic at all IMAX showings. You know, the essays, Omni interview, memoir excerpts--that stuff. Print up a ton of the things and give a package to each IMAX ticket-goer in the first four weekends. DO EEEEET!!!
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Dylan is never a bad choice for a montage. I can just picture this...the old photos from the comic flicking by...scenes of the early Minutemen. Man...I'm pumped for this!
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anybody else getting that feeling?
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I cannot wait. The description of the opening sequence tells me Snyder is thinking on his feet. This is going to kick some serious ass.
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This should NEVER have been a movie.
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yeah yeah yeah, Avatar this and that. Whatever. It's ALL about WATCHMEN, Baby!!!
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so much for bringing the wife...oh well. i cannot wait for this and i hope he doesn't edit a thing
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Spoilers for those who haven't read.... . . . . I heard they are changing the whole giant alien octopus thing. True? If so, what is it gonna be? I don't think today's audiences would buy a giant man-made octopus climax
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Have you guys heard anything about the rumors of Batman 3 pre-production gearing up?
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how compromised was that footage, mori?...if that is your real name.
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wish Powell did the score but hopefully Bates won't drop the ball
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EVERYTHING'S COOL! WISE UP SUCKERS!
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is that guy my real daddy?
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AND YOUR BLASPHEMY FOR A MOVIE i read all the info about the screening and the below statement about ZACK THE HACK SNYDER vision about the film,sums up why alan moore is so right to fart at hollywoods face: -Snyder did not set out to adapt “Watchmen” as a purist, and thusly did not endeavor to include absolutely everything in the movie, rather just what struck him personally as “cool.”-
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Anyone who talks shit about this before anything is released is a God damned Communist. I'm so stoked.
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Stop being a bitch, ya damned commie.
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that The Watchmen is embraced by more that just the rabid fan base! If it can crossover to a more mainstream audience, as a result perhaps we might look forward to even more interesting films in the future (not just retreads and reboots).
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yeah
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PHILIP GLASS RULES!
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Just lent my copy to the girl I love to read for the first time, unfortunately her boyfriend (who I've tried hating but cant because he's a good guy really) will read it first. I've instructed her that she is not to skip the novel excerpts as she reads it.
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But the fact that a sneak peek like this was offered in the first place indicates a lot of confidence, and I can always rely on Drew and Jeremy to be honest about their reactions, so these reports are very encouraging.
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Thank you for sharing what you saw and your thoughts, Mori. That's it. I just decided to quarantine myself from any future Watchmen content. I have only seen the stills and then the trailer. From here on out, I will avoid anything else.
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Is he overweight or showing signs of it?
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I'm already sold, so very sold. I will read it anyway though, just because I'm so hyped now.
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That was a movie that I watched, moderately enjoyed for the most parts, and have no desire to see again. Surrealistically overhyped. Sounds as if it may be the case here, eh?<p><p>Well, at least it hopefully won't be as idiotic as "Triumph of the Will"... uh, I mean, as idiotic as "300" was. Sorry, late at night I tend to associate all fascist movies with "Triumph" first...
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I really didn't click an article about the first 25 minutes of a Watchmen movie to see it explained to me by a music snob/reviewer. I really didn't.
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99% of movies hit dvd within 6 months these days, the average seems to be around 4 months. but even something as huge as dark knight will be out within 5 months.
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refers to the movie "Seven" as "Se7en." Where did that crap start, anyway? Did the producers or director say that's the official title?
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yeah. I'm psyched, but the "Watchmen Experience" is all about the minutiae
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if you look at the opening credits of the flick you will see the title come up as "Se7en"...so articles refer to it by that name becaus...well,, thats what it calls itself at the start...youtube it dude.
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I hate it when people descibe something as 'like being this but on acid'. Mori, I doubt you've done acid, but if this film was anything like reading the book, but on acid, Blake would be sitting in the corner of his kitchen counting the wall tiles.
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Peter Gabriel's score to The Last Temptation of Christ...
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Oct. 2, 2008, 7:40 p.m. CST
Countdown:::: To someone claiming it is overhyped/crap/boring...
by The Dum Guy
I really want to see this.
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as much as I did Sin City which was a joy to watch for the first time. On subsequent viewings, the compromises and things they changed irritated me, but it was a fun time at the theater and worth my $10. This should be the same way.
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I Wiki-ed the name but no result..
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photographed the best known film of JFK's assassination in Dealey Plaza 45 years ago. Try just Zapruder. Or try Google. Or learn some basics about modern American history.
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Who watches the Watchmen? Not very many i'm afraid.
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Thanks! I wiki-ed Dealey Plaza and found it
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Still would of preferred a Gilliam or Greengrass take.
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what you are saying is that you've loved every version of every Watchmen script. I generally agree with your views but this makes me think your opinion cannot be trusted on this film.
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you are either retarded or have a very short memory. 300 and Iron Man both became blockbuster hits based on hype and phenomenal trailers. In both cases Watchmen has those two beat. Nevermind the fact that that trailer played before every showing of the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time, and happens to be the exact same genre. Or hey, maybe it's just a coincidence that every comic book store and book chain in the country sold out of the comic within a week of the trailer debuting (a book that most comic readers have already read).
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C'mon Drew, why are you wasting our time with this?<p> jk, great writeup. Interesting that they're going to show the fight straight instead of interspersing it with the detectives.
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My only fear is that I will die of hype before the release date.
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Sorry I was a wiseass. Bad headache.
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..Walter already has his costume. Sorry, but that's a lunk-headed bullshit creative choice.
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I will send a cake to the first person that can confirm GIANT SQUID for me!!! Must have Giant Squid, oh gods I so need it, will rampage like none have rampaged if no Giant Squid. I think the people who are already apologizing for the possibility of no Giant Squid are weak and afraid and should go check again to make sure door is locked. Someone could be out there right now... slowly... slowly... turning the knob... not wanting to steal... only wanting to witness pain. Kurt Lockwood has a good point about Rorschach and the landlady's kid. That's an important scene that I would hate to miss. Also, I may be remembering wrong, but while Dan and Laurie loved the tenement rescue and got off on the attempted mugging, I'm pretty sure the violence in the prison was a bit too much for Laurie. I believe she felt sick, not sexually excited by the levels of violence going on around them.
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It's important to note that nobody's a freaking Doctor of Movie Quality and they don't have a Movie Device that tells them objectively how good a movie is. Their opinion is never to be 'trusted' because it is their opinion and will never truly apply to you. Never. You must decide for yourself what to enjoy. You read a review, or a preview, or whatever, to take what you can out of it, not to 'trust' it to mirror your own thoughts. Why is this so difficult to grasp?
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Exhibit two: Pruit Igoe (and I'm talking the original 1984 CD with full vocals not the suprisingly disspaointing re-release. Pretty much perfect. As for the LTOC score, not exactly my thing but a respectable choice nevertheless. What are some of your other favorite composers by the way?
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Seriously, edit, edit, edit.
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or "COULD OF" or whatever! It's "WOULD HAVE", OR "WOULD'VE". "WOULD OF" makes no damn sense whatsoever! I see this same stupid mistake EVERY DAY online, and it's fucking moronic. Think about what you're trying to say before you start typing. And kirttrik -- although you triggered this particular tirade -- it's not directed solely at you, but at everyone who's ever typed out that nonsense. And I've seen some people do it whom I normally consider to be fairly intelligent. Phonetics aren't always your friend.
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I've never seen "Seven" so I had no idea that the number 7 is superimposed over the V in the title...with the slash of the 7 also making the right slash of the V. The fucking title is not "Se7en." What the fuck does "Se7en" mean? Is that a word? No, it was just a creative graphic. The title is "Seven." I stick to my position and boycott all articles and reviews as soon as they call it "Se7en." What crapola. Too bad, I kinda wanted to know what Moriarty thought, oh well, guess I'll never know. But I guess it doesn't really matter, as the only way I'm ever watching Snyder's Watchmen will be on DVD.
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...I'm with you, since I'm already bitching on here. That fucking SE7EN thing drives me up the wall. It was a graphic stylization, for shit's sake. And an annoying one at that. Although it doesn't stop me from reading anything I'm interested in, because that would just be silly. Can't wait to see Watchmen, by the way.
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... that's the title of the movie. It's a shame you feel so strongly about it, but the film's title, as written in the credits and all press materials, is SE7EN. If that offends or upsets you, I guess you're very easily offended and upset. Doesn't change the content of the rest of the article, and frankly, seems awful silly to get so worked up about a full 14 years after the film was released.
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... to the IMDb page for the film. <P>http://tinyurl.com/3k8pd <P>Notice how it's written? That's the actual official title of the movie, not some weird affectation. Pardon me if I like to be precise and write the actual title of a film and not just my personal preference.
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Why the fuck would I care if it's a flop or not?
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It only took 10 years...guess you have to act like an ass. Psst, it was a fucking joke anyway. I still think "Se7en" is stupid though. BTW, I've never seen the IMDB page for one of my favorite movies of the '90s. (another joke)But it's stupid there, too.
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Not likely, but even if the box office isn't that good, DVD sales will more than make up for it. I only ask that it be good. A major hit at the cinema would be a bonus.
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To know that. The Zapruder film bitch!
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Thanks, Mori! I've never read the graphic novel, but damn I'm fired up for this.<p> A violent, ass-kicking alternate period drama that's almost three hours long? Hell yes!<p> Can't wait.
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Can someone double-check that statistic? A comic book (or graphic novel, natch) that most serious readers already have is selling at a rate of 10 million A DAY? 70 MILLION A WEEK? And to even suggest that they might keep it going? 300,000,000 a month, then? An underestimate? I'm not accusing anyone of fudging numbers but, was there a miscommunication? Last I heard, the industry wasn't going gangbusters. Maybe I'm operating under an antiquated assumption.
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All you need to do is cut a great trailer the way Zynder has already done, and did before, to pique peoples interests and get them into the theater. All of my non dork friends were talking and asking about this after we walked out of TDK.
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"But if your patience is exhausted, and you still cannot decide. You're sitting in the garage contemplating suicide. And you have no motivation, you can't even catch your breath. All of this acceleration is driving you to death."
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Oct. 2, 2008, 10:40 p.m. CST
I'll buy that it'll be "uncompromised"...until the ENDING.
by flickchick85
And let's face it, the final act is what we're all the most concerned about them compromising. If the ending of this movie is fucked, then so is everything Moriarty saw that came before it. <p>Now, if Mori had seen THAT and called it "uncompromising," then I'd truly be impressed and jump for joy...but of course they'd never show him that. So my trepidation remains. But I do have just a teensy tiny bit more hope, so thanks, Mori.
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... </sarcasm>
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Oct. 2, 2008, 10:47 p.m. CST
Actually Snyder himself already did one of my fave openings
by CarmillaVonDoom
The beginning of his 'Dawn' remake was incredible. I couldn't be more excited for this movie
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Fair enough, it was written that way in the press materials, etc. I still thinks that it was probably a marketing decision at its origin. As far as IMDB goes, we all know that it's notoriously inaccurate, owing to the fact that pretty much anyone can post "facts" there, so referencing it is not the best way to support an argument.
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...at least I didn't take your estimated Watchmen GN sales numbers seriously ;)
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Oct. 2, 2008, 10:53 p.m. CST
Really? Insert Rhetorical Question Here? REALLY?
by Guy Who Got A Headache And Accidentally Saves The World
Dumb motherfuckers.
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No Squid, No Peace.<BR><BR>Know Squid, Know Peace.
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I am cautiously optimistic about "Watchmen", but if every action scene has slow motion, it'll suck.
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I think Moriarty actually has better things to do than respond to every douchebag with an uninformed opinion (especially one about a topic as irrelevant as the title of a 14-year old movie)... but occasionally people get lucky (your "acting like an ass" had nothing to do with it. Just an annoying coincidence. Get over yourself).
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... didn't realize my post above for mysterperfecta didn't work. It was supposed to say "< / sarcasm >," but I guess it read it as an actual HTML command.
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I'm glad that Warner is doing justice to Watchmen, but why the FUCK did they drop Trick r Treat? I've been looking forward to that for YEARS and now it's nowhere in sight. *sigh* I guess all studios have to be retarded in some capacity, the universe might implode otherwise.
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or no Squiddy?<p>We demand to know!
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onto the smiley button when blake lands after the fall to his death. Does it smack/splatter onto it and thats it. Or does it smack splatter fall on it and run down the center of the smiley button real slowwwwwwww... I wonder if they fly around it like they did wiht the bat symbol in 1989.
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... must go into conniptions when they see I <3 Huckabees in written form</p>. Anyhoo... count me amongst the throngs of people eagerly anticipating this. I also think that Snyder is right on the money with his use of speed ramping to give a filmic analogue of comic book paneling. Can't wait.
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Must go into conniptions when they see I <3 Huckabees.
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Won't let me do the symbolic representation of I heart Huckabees... prolly because it might upset people who don't like non-words in their movie titles.
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I always thought, and still do to a point, that this story could never be filmed. But the description above gave me goosebumps. I loved the Dawn remake, but hated 300, yet I know that Snyder has that right mindframe to pull this off somehow. My fingers are crossed.
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My expectations for this movie are so high, I fear that it is impossible for them to be realized. The first trailer gave me a nerd boner, because I really felt it captured the movie. Now, with the recent recaps of the shown footage, I have the ever-feared 4-hour hard-on.
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Is there is a giant squid in this pic?
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... than Mr Beaks! Look who the big cheese is now!<P>Does that mean Harry watched 35 minutes??? With that logic, I guess Massa saw 40 seconds, eh?
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While watching Pat Buchanan debate on the Teeee Veeee! Worlds great film opener ever! You heard it right.
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..that the only way this could have ever worked in live-action would have been in the form of a mini-series? Ah well, I'm still holding out hope.
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I'm still curious about some details. They may be considered minutae but I think they're important. Are Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II in their early 40s? Does Drieberg have a paunch? Is Laure getting a bit think around the middle? Have these characters aged? A crucial detail. Did Snyder and company care enough to make the vehicles electric? Are their airships floating in the sky? After all, Dr. Manhattan has transformed the very essense of our transportation sytems. Could have sworn I saw gasoline powered cars in some of the stills. Will the ending be preserved? Or is it considered too outlandish? I suspect the latter. I'm sorry, after 300 I just don't trust Snyder to handle this properly. I'm not sure he's able to catch the details that are crucial to the story. He may be able to dress the sets properly, but can he get the characters right? Is he brave enough to include the ending as written? I don't think there's a chance in hell.
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and To Live and Die in L.A At, work right now - can't read the article properly damn!!
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and it was pish!
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And then it became my most hated movie of the last 14 years.
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I'll trust you on this and it does sound great. While 300 was a let down I agree that Snyder is capable of capturing action like no one else in the business. And the slo-mo was overdone in 300, however it is a great way to capture the panels from the comic itself without becoming blatent like in Hulk. I'm excited for this.
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spoilers I guess. There's this giant plot about trying to drive away/discredit Dr. Manhattan with cancer. He's the only person with superpowers, the only supernatural element of the story. Then by the end we learn about an off panel psychic, who's body they cloned into a giant monster, with an island full of artists.... yeah. It's pretty stupid. Dr. Manhattan as a unifying threat can work just as well, without all the stupid. He's still the only truly fantastical element of the story. The squid and the island was fine for the comics, but I don't see a problem with changing it a bit.
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I hated 300 but this piece makes watchmen sound promising for the first time. Snyder better not compromise!
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Oct. 3, 2008, 4:18 a.m. CST
Since Mori has already admitted that advance movie press...
by geraldbeans
...is only allowed if you liked the movie, how is this article relevant?
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except to the 20,000 nerds who bought this comic book. mainstream audiences are going to be like, "Why do they have a character who looks like Batman?" They won't get it. And neither do I.
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... and when did I "admit" this thing that isn't true at all?
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How is Snyder the best in the business at "capturing action"? On what evidence? Dawn was good. 300 was ok. But i'll probably never watch them again. You should go and home school yourself on Jim Camerons films. One after another. I guarantee you'll spend the next 14 months with a half-mast salute in anticipation for the mind-fuck that will be Avatar! And Lee's Hulk was brilliantly edited. And a much-maligned film that was great for the first 3/4 until it went off the rails. Still, would rather a "swing for the fences" failure, than bland, pandering rubbish like Leterriers Hulk. That being said, I hope Watchmen is good.
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The Criterion laser disc and Deluxe dvd both have it titled as "Se7en" not "Seven" on the packaging.
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That ending has to be there. All you who've read WATCHMEN know what I'm saying. It's the perfect mindfuck of an ending to the perfect graphic novel, and if Zack changes one frame of it, any amount of amazing stuff preceding it will be ruined completely.<P> No squid, no peace.<P> Know squid, know peace.<P> We NEED that ending. Anything else would be capitulating bollocks.
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... Cameron's a genius. Never said otherwise. But he's not really known for close-up extended hand-to-hand combat sequences. With Snyder, I'm talking about fight choreography, fist to fist, which has turned into shakey disorienting experiential mush over the last decade or so.
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Have a smiley day!
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...is to keep the camera calm and don't make a new cut every 3 frames, to become something like the best in the business?<br> Don't get me wrong, the last Bourne movie seriously gave me a headache for the rest of the day (and watched it on DVD!) and I wish filmmakers would finally let us see again what's going on in their movies, but 300 was such an epic fail and seemed more like it was edited by a teenager who just discovered how to slow shots down in Adobe Premiere and now thought it was a cool idea to use this effect every 3 seconds, that I pretty much think that Zack Snyder got no idea what he does.
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You're sorely underestimating Watchmen's lofty position in the pop cultural hierarchy. And the film looks great. Even those unfamiliar with the title will sample it based on the relentless campaign and its pedigree. I cannot wait!
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Did Mr. Beaks get thrown out of the screening or something?
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Although i was addressing a comment made by talkbacker BurgerKing, you are correct. Camerons not known for that. (Although he has directed one hell of a beat-down drag-out fight between a chick in a cargo-loader and one seriously pissed off Alien queen!) I agree that the over-edited, shaky cam of current film making has become a joke. Once upon a time it was occasionally used for effect in an action sequence. Now we are getting entire films of it! Greengrass and his Bourne sequels are the main culprit (although it was well suited to his United 93. But that’s a different film entirely). Peter Berg is another. The fight scene between Smith and Theron in Hancock was all noise and fury. It was incomprehensible. All a film constructed purely out of editing is, is an exercise in technique. Cameron on the other hand, knows exactly where to put the camera and why. And he keeps the shot wide enough so we, the audience know exactly what’s going on. We have a sense of geography; we know where everyone is, and what is happening. Michael Mann’s another director that understands how to shoot an action sequence. The bank heist scene in Heat is as good as such a scene can get. There are natural filmmakers who instinctively understand how to use the camera. Cameron, Mann, Spielberg, Zemekis. These are natural visual storytellers. It remains to be seen whether Snyder will prove to be worthy of being named with those guys. Hopefully Watchmen will be every bit as good as it’s being hyped up to be. Fingers crossed. If not, we will still have Avatar to look forward to! Cheers.
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Whatever the missteps of some the directors, Watchmen, Avatar, Terminator Salvation and Star Trek seem to be shaping up to skullfuck out the shitty taste of the Star Wars prequels from the mouths of the cinema-going public. <p>Now, all I have to do is not die until next December's over - so I get better started. Ok Ghostball, breathe in... aaaaand out. So far, so good.
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Snyder keeps up this way, and he'll be regarded in history as the next kubrick. <p> little early to call him that though. he still needs another 4-5 films that change the industry. he's got a special vision in 2 films already.
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SUCK IT NAYSAYERS!!! SNYDER RULES!
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Snyders his first two films have been a remake and a comic book adaptation in which he took all his visual cues from established source material. Watchmen seems to follow this trend. To call him the next Kubrick is ridiculous. That man was a visionary. Snyder needs to create an original work or at least a literary adaptation of a challenging novel if he's going to get close to Kubrick. Terence Mallick is the closest we've gotten to Kubrick.
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I feel so old...
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You're not alone in that opinion. I enjoyed the series overall, but the ending was underwhelming. For example, ***SPOILERS FROM HERE ON *** how could Ozymandias be so certain his fake alien invasion plot would work? What was he planning to do if hostilities between the US and the Soviets resumed a year or two later - transport another fake, dead "alien"? Also, since the Comedian had uncovered Ozymandias' plot before it happened, and it represented a direct threat to his way of life, why didn't he try to stop it? Why didn't he go immediately to his government bosses (who were surely pro-war) and spill the beans, instead of getting drunk and crying? That seemed totally out of character. And the way Rorschach went out was totally disappointing! That pissed me off.
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What a dumb name for a movie. Same with Thirthirteenen Ghosts.
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So the sequence where Walter goes back to his apartment to retrieve his outfit is missing, big whoop. The Landlady character isn't that big a loss really. All this means is that after the prison break, Rorschach is already prepped, they can all go straight to Dan's, Laurie can get teleported, cut to the scene with her and Jon on Mars. The two remaining Crimebusters can bugger off to the harbour until the heat is off before heading out to kick some ass and then to Adrian's Tower to uncover the truth. How is that ruining the book? A single page is missing. The only loss I can see is where Walter regrets(?) calling the landlady a whore because it reminds him of his own boyhood. It's a slap in the face to the character and personally I think Walter realises for the first time that no matter how disgusting and sinful the world is, he's a part of it too, no different from the scum. Granted it's a very humanising moment but not essential, maybe it fucked with the pacing. From prison to Dan's to harbour to Walter's to harbour to Veidt's place. Maybe a bit repetitive. Ever thought it might do the character some good to lose that aspect? Rorschach is all about the black and white, the unflinching, uncompromising attitude, he'd rather see the world suffer through WW3 than let the bad guy win. Does that make sense?
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I'm so glad somebody else made a point about that whole "would of" "could of" nonsense. It's one of my pet hates, and I was about to post about it before I saw your reply. Bravo sir!
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I think the bigger shame than the landlady bit missing is that you don't get to see a blank-faced Kovacs calmly killing the midget. In the book that scene worked well to show you that he's a psycho through-and-through, not just when he's in 'costume' mode.
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The opening (and closing) credit sequence of the Dawn of the Dead remake was actually done by Kyle Cooper, not Snyder. Cooper also did the opening to Se7en, among many others.
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NO SQUID, NO PEACE.<BR><BR>Know Squid, No Peace.
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... lucky bastard.
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just a rumor from a weak source, but instead of a giant cthulhu, we get little green men from space. Not literally green, but you get the idea - its being redone as if Watchmen were some sort of odd War of the World Prequel. The same effect happens as in the comic only no giant squid - just some chiggs in jumpsuits.<p> If you dont know what a chigg is, you suck.
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I thought I was already hyped with oOdles of enthusiasm, having (had) watched all the HD downloads via Xbox Live. And Moriarty, that was a great read. I'm just glad I wasn't strapped to my chair. I think I would have shattered it, from being so overjoyed.
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Woah... Cool to hear that someone else is a fan of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis. Although Vangelis is quite known as a score composer, mostly because of Blade Runner or 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Tangerine Dream are not as known... So, I'm glad to see them mentionned here!! Thanks Mori, if you really like them, that's one more thing we have in common other than our love for movies.
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Or that would have showed up in these screenings. And that just made this even more promising. Kayaaanisqatsi soundtrack is Golden BTW.
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WTF happened to this movie, been wondering for a while. Btw, thanks Bingo didn't know that about DOTD.
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"Legend" soundtrack. Beautiful stuff...
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March can't come soon enough for me.
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A bit of Hyperbole perhaps. It they sold ten million copies a day every person in America(from little babies to little old ladies) would have a copy in a little over a month. Even with international sales this figure is a bit of an exaggeration. I know this site isn't the The New York Times but, lets try to show some journalistic integrity stick to some facts.
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The problem is that it is dated. It has inspired so much of sci fi and pop culture since 1985 that reading it now for the first probably isn't a great experience. You have to remember though, that when this came out super heroes were still goofy one liner cracking goofballs. This was the first comic story that created a realistic hero in a realistic world.
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without going back to his apt...it means the confrontation with the landlady is cut out and he will not be wearing the uni with the blood stain on it...both are important to the overall storyline
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...is the new 'Abomination doesn't have ears.' Waaah! ☺
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You padding son of a bitch!
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<br>Even if the film is terrible--which it might very well be--at least this isn't a Joel Schumacher-directed, Akiva Goldsman-written adaptation of "Watchmen". Could you imagine what an abomination that would be?</br> <br>I have nightmares of Dr. Manhattan giving Ozymandias a blow job while saying some stupid Goldsman-esque line like, "Why so blue, Doc?"</br>
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I am so glad that they have not changed much from the story, i won't be mad even if they keep rorshachs face from us till the end. From whats been said there will be very little to worry about when i come to watch this movie. I think the only annoying thing will be the wait to DVD and hopfully the extended DVD :)
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So he's taken this device from 300 and will apply to all his future projects?
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..excited about it! And we're not seeing it till next year!
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God damn I live two blocks from The Lot...can't believe I was *that* close to the screening. Mori and Beaks, next time holler at my window, 227 style!<p><p> And ditto on the music. I think that's got me more jazzed than anything else. No pun intended.
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... only a naive child would think there's any chance of this movie not coming out. Do you really believe that there's any way whatsoever Warner and Paramount are going to let this Fox lawsuit force them to shelve a film that cost north of $100 million? Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally?
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My concern about the adaptation is whether or not Snyder has the desire or freedom to make the movie as political as the comic. If we go by Snyder's previous efforts, you essentially have two very political source materials reduced of anything resembling thoughtful political satire. I guess, I can only hope there's absolutely no way to strip The Watchmen of its political under currents, but I don't exactly trust the studio not to try.
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Would warner and paramunt just force a release and fuck the law ? I don't know how these things work but i for one don't want the movie shelved in anyway even a delay would piss me off. No doubt they will buy there way around any situation that springs up, i guess its just the way it goes. Has there ever been any examples of big budget movies put on the shelf because of a law suit ?
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You have a way of getting me so hyped on a film. Same with Dark Knight. I dig your passion
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Which track did they use? You know the name/track num8er? And by the way it's "I LOVE Huckubee's". Since when does a heart symbol mean "heart"?
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According to Beaks, it's "Prophecies." I don't have the album, so I don't know the particular track titles. It's very organ-heavy and funereal. It's what they play during that last long shot of the spinning piece of refuse coming off the rocket. <P>And not to be pedantic, but the actual title is I HEART HUCKABEE'S. I know the heart symbol usually stands in for "love," but in this case, it's meant to be read as "heart." Even when written without the symbol, the title was always I HEART HUCKABEE'S. Quirky, eh?
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... doesn't matter what the law is. Money will make the lawsuit go away well before March, no matter what the outcome in court. The film WILL make its release date. No question at all.
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This looks and sounds so good! <p> But, when I finally saw 300 (at home, but in HD), I didn't like it at all. It just seemed ridiculous and, honestly, the gayest movie I have ever seen that isn't porn. <p> Dawn of the Dead, I liked very much, but have to agree that he sucked the politics out. Not that it is a bad thing, considering Romero's politicking has ruined the actual "Dead" series.
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...how close was what you saw to the Hayter draft you reviewed years ago, Moriarty? Obviously Tse, Orci, Kurtzman, supposedly even Snyder himself have revised it since, which caused some hesitation. Seemingly unwarranted...
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I don't want to sound like a kill joy or anything, but the very essence of this movie is even being made is complete and utter blasphemize. I am so sick and tired of Hollywood and movies in general these days. If you ask me, a person who has a considerable amount of experiment with film criticism as well as filmmaking, a good film has not been produced since 1949 when the famed director Nicolo Fellini released his film 8 1/2. It's all been downhill since then. I go to film school and essentially, I've seen every good film made and this is just another disappointing. Consider this: millions of dollars are being wasted on this movie to entertain a bunch of american douche bags. Go around the rest of the freakin world. Everybody hates you people and what you "like". jUst a bunch of guns and comic books. Comic books are for children. Movies are for grown-ups. They're supposed tobe about morals and ethics and youman relationships. NOt a bunch of huckleberries dressed up in their favorite talkshow host's underwear. The basic line is that this film is doomed to fail due to the american standard that has destroy the art that was once movies.
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you don't sound like a kill joy you sound like a dick. check out Dark Knight for art greatness........
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this movie is going to bomb<p> It's like The Happening all over again
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Hey, you sound like the dick. The Dark Night? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ok, sorry, just had to get that out of my system. If by the Dark Night, you mean the Batman movie? That unintellectual piece of unrefined wine? Yeah, there were more holes in that movie that a block of aged swiss. BATMAN IS A COMIC BOOK MOVIE THERELY BATMAN IS A BABIES MOVIE. that's just it, Batman was not a film, it was a movie, hayleed by the mainstream media. Just because the media is likement of a movie doesn't mean yo ahve to. That's the problem with the phoenecians on this bored...you sourly lack intellect and therefore taste. Batman is a piece of garbarge.
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ATTENTION BOARD: THIS GUYS LACKING IN INTELLIGENCE SO BAD HIS MOM DOESN'T EVEN REMEMBER HIM. Ok, down to business. I have a passion. I have a passion for these things called films. Not movies, films. I'm a fan of Fellini, Antionini, Jean Claude Goddard, other french and Italian masters, all of who are extinct by the 1950's. We've had 50 years to mke films and all we've done is tell things that are totally obsoltet the the cultural norm. I like films that challenge. What does the Watchmen challenge? If it's anything like the name subjects or the petty comic book liked by 10 year olds world wide, men watching the world around them doesn't sound this interesting. Nothing these days does. I am a film student, clearly with a film theory in his head and what he likes. You can't read into films these days they don't mean anything.
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that don't piss him off in some way. <BR><BR>He's doesn't typically answer TB questions at *all* now that I think of it. <BR><BR>Hey--I love your writing skills, Mori, but it's true. I think there are a sizable number of WATCHMEN fans out here in the semi-fascinating world of cyberspace who want to know the answer to just one burning question: IS THE SQUID IN OR NOT? <BR><BR>If Mori knows, THX, he's not telling. <BR><BR>Here's hoping this post will irritate him enough to at least get an answer: Squid yay, Squid nay or Squid unknown. Shit, I'm not holding my breath.
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check out the French film L'Appartement on DVD from 1996, then come and talk to me. got it?
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OK I know I'm going to get flack for this cause I'm picking on the masters, so let me preface this with, I get it...You and Beaks love this movie. I get that. I've never read Watchmen and I'm going to go see this one... it sounds great, you've convinced me...mission accomplished. BUT... jeez, do you guys both have to get so excited over the SCORE? But of course! KOYAANISQATSI!! Nothing says prewritten talking points like " oh and this amazing SCORE! You know the score from that russian art film from 1982 that has a weird synth meets gregorian chants meets "Hall of the Mountain King" that no one saw all the way throgh but everyone in film school says you SHOULD have seen, or pretends they liked. OK I'm done bitching.... I'd rather people get excited over this than endless Avatar bootlicking, so I probably should stop complaining :)
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... I haven't answered because I don't know. I won't say yes and I won't say no. It was not part of the Hayter drafts, but neither were many of things that have made their way back into the script on Snyder's watch, so we'll see.
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... I don't love the movie. I haven't seen the movie. I was very, very pleased with this half-hour (or so) of foootage we saw, though, and since these were the first finished sequences, with actual dialogue and performance, it was a huge indicator that things are on the right track. And sorry if I think score is a big part of the way film works on an audience, but I do, and it certainly set a hell of a mood.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LMAO ROFL HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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must have been a real goose bump moment to see the Comedian smash through sky scraper window.
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http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=23780
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good spot Cameron1.........
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... you're being trolled. There's no way someone would be that pretentious AND that wrong about the names and dates. Don't take the bait. I'm contemplating a full-blown boot to this ridiculous twat anyway. Anyone who thinks no good films have been made since the '50s has no business on a film geek site.
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That although i enjoyed Snyders Dawn of the Dead... Wrights SHAUN OF THE DEAD is where it's at... Fucking genius! Although Simon Pegg's just taken a nose dive in my book for his random comments on Ricky Gervais. To call him fat is one thing, but stupid? Gervais is a fucking comic genius and Peggs playing the scottish guy on shithead JJ's Star Trek "reboot"! Fuck the reboot! Bring on This Side of the Truth! That will be gold! Gervais thinks so little of Pegg that he even linked the article on his website! Hey Ricky, you so fine. You so fine you blow my mind. Hey Ricky. Hey Ricky. OK, that was too much. And fuck, i should change my subject to 'Can i just rant!' Over and Out.
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now about the soundtrack, can you confirm they are the final tracks that played with the footage you saw? Watchmen with 'times they are changing' and the others you mentioned sound perfect.
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It certainly sounds like it was good or I doubt Mori and Beaks would have been quite so happy. (though if it was just constant action that may hide it)<p> <p>There are poeple who will Troll anything and any thread to do with the Watchmen and have been doing for months now.<p> <p>Let them. They are staggeringly ignorant to proclaim with such pompous certainity on how a Movie will do this far out and without having seen much or anything of it.<p> <p>Put simply they can Fuck Off.<p> <p>They also clearly don't get the source material.
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so and so had the rights, and either let it lapse or sold it, but somehow retained a portion... (that somehow seems strange, the keeping a portion part)<br> They wait until the project is all but complete to make a stink and claim.<p> This feels like blackmail<p> How can you keep ownership of part of a project?<br> Is this like owning the mineral rights to a piece of land?<p> This is really fucked up and I hope it gets thrown out with the sueing party having to pay everyones lawyers fees.
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OK I've taken my chill pill now, sorry to go off on the sountrack thing. I think I'm feeling anxiety over how good everyone keeps saying this film is going to be, and how I've been homing for some good original content from the superhero world. I've purposely stayed away from reading watchmen so that I'll be surprised at the film. Here's to hoping it will be good. If not, I'll blame it on the soundtrack ;)
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Seriously, I wish Snyder & Co. would stop being so coy about whether the squid is in or not. If it is not, many WATCHMEN readers like me need time to adjust. If it is, enthusiasm rises that much more.
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METROPOLIS<br><br> Superman flies through the sky. A piercing noise breaks his concentration. <br><br> LUTHOR<br> Greetings Superman. It's been a long time. Im sure you've already identified the frequency of this signal, and are heading to the point of origin now. Don't worry, Superman, no one is in danger. No one will be hurt. <br><br> SUPERMAN<br> What do you want, Luthor?<br><br> LUTHOR<br> I need a favor. I need your help.<br><br> SUPERMAN<br> Why should I help you?<br><br> LUTHOR<br> This is the cure for UTB. I need you to deliver it to Metropolis. <br><br> SUPERMAN<br> Why not deliver it yourself.<br><br> LUTHOR<br> Because no one would trust it coming from me. <br><br> SUPERMAN<br> Why should I trust it?<br><br> LUTHOR<br> I've decided not to kill anymore.<br><br> SUPERMAN<br> Good.<br><br> LUTHOR<br> You don't believe me.<br><br> SUPERMAN<br> Since I've arrived on this planet, you've tried to sink the west coast into the ocean, allied yourself with an insane warlord, stole from me to create your own continent, you poisoned me with radiation, stabbed me, and tried to drown me. Twice. Why the hell should I trust you. <br><br> LUTHOR<br> Look at me, Superman. Look deep. See anything in my body that shouldn't be there? Right there on the Medulla. About the size of a golf ball. Go ahead, look. It's real, I promise you. Cancer. A parting gift from my Kryptonite Island. I'm dying.<br><br> I've wasted my life poisoning the world with my greed. I want to cure it. I want to save it. <br><br> SUPERMAN<br> I could try to...<br> LUTHOR Forget it, Superman. I don't need a savior. And you're wasting time. Go on,<br><br> Superman flies away. <br><br>
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he could make Batman's action so much more exiting and visceral. Wonder which Superhero he will do next? Whichever he chooses, i bet.
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but if the guy that directed '300' can have a shot at 'Watchmen', I can dream too. <br><br>
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I hear what you're saying, but the Comedian stuff still doesn't work for me. The guy was the ultimate nihilist! Why would someone who thinks nothing of rape, murdering women and children, and even killing President Kennedy just willingly allow Ozymandias to start turning the world into a utopia where he (Comedian) would be obsolete?? It seems to me the Comedian would've gone immediately to Nixon and Co. and had Ozy whacked. That part of the story - the Comedian being too "frightened by the scope" of Ozy's plan to say anything, is just a big plot hole for me.
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I think you're missing the obvious: the only things we know about Comedian are told through the perspective of other characters who each have their own slanted memories of him, as illustrated during his funeral. Further, I think Ozy's power superseded the Comedian's, anyway, and it was already established that the Comedian underestimated Ozy from the get-go.
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I mean if he not only creates a visually striking/well crafted film, but also sticks to Moore's quite brilliant story, this is gonna blow Dark Knight out of the water. In terms of action for sure, Nolan is bloody tedious in that department. But most of all in terms of a solid mystery of a story without gaping logical plot-holes. BB was great, DK even better, but the best thing about them was that they made a superhero film like this possible. I hope they end up appearing as juvenile compared to Watchmen as they really were. Some of the blame i suppose comes from the source material.
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Good god man , is it a film school you go to ? Or is it How to Be a Pretentious Dick State ? if you are going to be a true aficionado of film then you have to learn how to appreciate it in all of its forms and genre's . if you just choose to only watch Kurosawa ,Ozu and Clouzot you'll see good films sure , but you'll miss out on tons of fun and "challenging" films made just for the sake of entertainment . Just because quality and entertainment don't come together as often as we would like doesn't mean they are mutually exclusive . I have seen over 3000 movies some great some terrible , very few that were just boring ( In my view the biggest sin any entertainment/art can do ) But I have learned to love a good piece of 70's exploitation trash as much as The Wages of Fear or La Strada . Once you reach that point , then you can start to call yourself a connoisseur
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As a dude with a B.A. in English and creative writing, and also a published writer, I've read me some books in my day. Yet I seem to always miss those big cultural zeitgeists and have to play catch-up when the movies come around. I feel like an asshole. Harry Potter? Not a damn page. Seen every movie. LOTR? Ditto. Worship the films. But I think I can tackle a graphic novel lol. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna read the damn book before the movie comes out. Thank God I read the Road, because I don't think any movie can be as haunting as McCarthy's prose. Okaybye.
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for you sir are a full retard
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that many walk around with their heads up their asses...the teaser trailer was shown with tdk...immediatly after book sales exploded....not jumped...exploded...the buzz has been so great that the studio is going to let zach have his running time....everyone who has seen the extended trailer and now the 30 minutes of the film has been wowed...and yet, there are those who are still stuck on "this is a comic book movie for the geekiest of the geeks"...well let me tell you this...its pretty amazing how the world that moore envisioned back in 86 is pretty close to the world we live in today...this movie will touch many people, just as the comic did 20 years ago
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Your answer makes sense. Thanks.
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I will agree that McCarthy's "The Road" is probably one of the most eerie, disturbing, and truly accurate portraits of post-apocalyptic America--probably does an even better job than King's "The Stand." My issue with it is that the prose often becomes far too pretentious for its own good--there are times when McCarthy uses certain descriptive metaphors that're just plain jibberish; they don't mean anything and they're practically impossible to decipher. Except, you know, it has some really deep meaning.
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Bring back those complaints about this being "too faithful" I say - - - one of the most illuminating moments in talkback history I'd have to say.
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Trailer blew me away. In Zack I Trust.
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Who the hell doesn't know Zapruder? And who the hell doesn't know it's called "Se7en"? And it's only 13 years old. 1995.
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that I have been as excited about any movie as I am about this one since I was a kid. Now, I just hope that this kick-starts a Justice Society movie set in the thirties and forties and I hope this puts a nail in the coffin of all these post Small-Ville non-costumed Superhero things we've had to suffer through these last few years.
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I think we just assume that the average viewer is much smarter than you appear to be...
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If you're being ironic, that is. If not, you are unintentionally hilarious. Your posts are just so funny. You know, good luck when you get out of film school (or whatever it is you're calling your own ass these days), 'cause you're gonna fail miserably out in the real world. Your posts are definite proof you don't know anything about film.
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You have succeeded in bypassing Memories-Of-Murder as "film scholar douchebag" by a light year.<p>And I may be wrong, but I believe reading somewhere Fellini and some other acclaimed foreign directors admired "comic books" for their visual and cinematic style. Oh, and you're an ass in serious need of a dictionary, or typing lessons.
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just caught your post from last night. Couldn't help myself.
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...you say it's title is "meant to be read as 'heart'. Even when written without the (heart) symbol." Written by who? I always go by what the title looks like on the actual film itself. Example: "Mission: Impossible II" is spelled Mission: Impossible 2" on all the promotional materials (or else "M:I-2"). "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" has no "2" in the title, no matter what the DVD cover says. "I Love Huckabees" takes its title from a button seen in the film, which reads "I (heart symbol) Huckabee's", which of course means "I love Huckabee's". At no point in the movie does anybody read the button out loud, or confirm that the heart symbol in the button's message be read as "heart" instead of "love". IMDB lists the title as "Heart" instead of "Love", but since when do they get to decide that? It's "love" as far as I'm concerned, and I won't budge on that even though I merely like "I Love Huckeabee's" and don't love it. Or heart it. Oh, and please thank Beaks for me re: Coy Annis Cot-See.
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... when I spoke to David O. Russell about the film, he called it I HEART HUCKABEES. And on the press materials, the film's title was always written out as I HEART HUCKABEES. Again, as with SE7EN, it's one thing to say, "Oh, those titles are annoying," and that's fine. But those ARE the titles of the films.
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No wonder the movie's so damn long! 300 coulda been a hour and a half if that hack didn't use that worthless technique. All it is is a time stretcher, nothing more. Watchmen can watch my balls.
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your comment is a non sequitur. Did you mean to reply to someone else?
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If you can't see the genius of this guy and his vast potential after seeing DOTD and 300, you are as stupid as an alaskan governor.
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When I heard WATCHMEN was going to be adapted to a movie I felt the dread any comic book fan would. Then I weird the director of 300 was making it and I felt a twinge of hope. Then I saw the trailer and I felt a bit more confident. Moriarty's article is another reassurance but that release date....March....why March? Isn't that the dumping ground for movie studios to throw away their junk? Warner Brothers screwed up the Harry Potter movies but I hope that the Citizen Kane of comic books really comes true on screen.
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... it's Snyder's lucky date now. DAWN and 300 both opened that weekend, it's his birthday, and I think WATCHMEN will do better without the crowded summer schedule to compete with. Besides, March has been a prestige month for this sort of fare ever since 1999 and THE MATRIX. March is no reason to worry... not at all.
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"...a tantalizing glimpse at some major spoiler material from the end of the film..." <BR><BR>Please share.
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SERIOUSLY WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS
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Mori, when are you back on Attack of the show to talk about this? your their Watchmen source over there.
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Just curious. SOMEONE has to ask the important questions.
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The guy who said it was a movie about Klingons made by Vulcans.
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i thought this was unfilmable. not literally unfilmable, just unlikely to make it to the screen without major changes in tone and content.<p> but the trailer has persuaded me that Snyder's got this at least mostly right, which is incredible in and of itself. I have to say i still think everyone in the trailer looks a little too slick and badass to be authentic Watchmen, who were a bunch of pathetic losers. But i don't get the sense that the essence of the book has been lost, and that's something to look forward to.
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... Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation. hehehehehehe
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Oct. 5, 2008, 7:37 p.m. CST
Smerdyakov, that wasn't Neill Cumpston, so who was it?
by Stereotypical Evil Archer
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Oct. 6, 2008, 12:39 a.m. CST
Who cares when AVATAR is fucking our eyeballs in 2009?
by Motoko Kusanagi
Okay, I'll watch'em both.
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He's gone into every post to push this unrelated political video!
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can someone be so f*****g stupid / ignorant ! only of the major events of the century, way to go USA ! fucking regards.
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Pardon my crashing ignorance but before talk of the film I'd never heard of the graphic novel (I know, I know, unforgivable - bad girl!). Not even sure if it's for sale in my country. I am extremely curious about this project. Should I see the film first or read the novels first? HELP!
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Perhaps someday, he might make one.
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It should be available pretty much everywhere, it's been a major seller, consistently in print for decades. And it's worth it.
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"by ColWTH Oct 2nd, 2008<br> 09:35:39 PM <br> It may be a movie very faithful to the book. But, a movie has to appeal to a wide range of people, not just the small group that rad a comic back in 1986! Most movie goers will look at this thing and say...'"What the hell IS this crap?' <br>Epic flop." <br><br> Although I might be overestimating the intelligence of the average movie-goer, I think they'll get it. It sounds like a pretty solid and faithful work, adjusted for the switch in medium (comic to film), so if someone can get it while reading the comic/graphic novel, I'd venture that someone watching the movie will get it, too. <br> Besides, 10 million copies a day? That's a LOT of new readers... as in, those reading it in 2008, not 1986. <br><br><br> "by chrth Oct 2nd, 2008 09:45:28 PM Why the fuck would I care if it's a flop or not?" <br><br> You should care. The more money they make off of a movie like WATCHMEN, the more chance we'll get actually *intelligent* comic book movies like DARK KNIGHT and WATCHMEN (to name the obvious few). Otherwise, we'll just get more useless drivel or even just slightly-off-the-mark movies like V FOR VENDETTA (which could have been so much better had they not dumbed it down to attract a bigger audience).
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It's CALLED "Seven", it's WRITTEN "Se7en". Is it really that difficult to imagine that someone, when hearing it CALLED "Seven" might believe it is also WRITTEN as "Seven"? <br> Speaking as a photographer, most people don't know photographers, still or film. I'm really bad with names, so even I don't remember most of them. Quick, without looking it up... who took the Tiananman Square shot? The Abbey Road photo? The footage of the explosion of the Hindenburg? Flag at Iwo Jima photo? The Wright Brothers first flight? The haunting Kent State image? The picture of the sailor kissing a sweetheart (extra credit if you can name the photographers of BOTH versions of this famous photo, partial extra credit if you even knew that there were two versions in the first place)?
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http://tinyurl.com/3ma7zt
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http://tinyurl.com/4eozdg
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Are you in another solar system? Because they are very well known around here. I mean, they scored about 20 films in the 80's, including Legend, Miracle Mile, Three O'Clock High, and Risky Business!
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He spouted off about Americans being juvenile and couldn't do it without referring to both cheese and wine. Yep, he's French.
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/
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http://tinyurl.com/3k8pd
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you're just embarrassing yourself - the 10 million/day number was a joke. The Zapruder Film has always been known as the Zapruder Film, unlike the many other examples you cite. Alfred Eisenstaedt took the famous Times Square photo, and, yeah, you got me. I didn't know there were two versions of it, but who cares? It will never be generally known as "the Eisenstaedt photo."
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i would read it everyday. Fact.
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not that good with character, atmosphere and plot...
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it will doubly suck.
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I forgot, you only review left wing crap made by Michael Moore and anything that bashes our troops or Bush.
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of course this is some kind of joke but for anyone curious about actual numbers it sold about 75,000 copies the week after the trailer hit and had sold roughly 250,000 copies before that. DC just ordered a new print run of 200,000 copies so perhaps after the movie hits it will break the 1 million mark which would be quite an accomplishment. Spider-man #1 that came out in the comic crazy 90's sold 1 million and that is just a $2.00 book, watchmen TPB cost $20.00.
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... wrong. We've run multiple reviews for AN AMERICAN CAROL, including a very, very positive one. Try again.
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I watched 300 the day it came out, and I was wowed by the film on several levels. Let's face it, it was a cinematic marvel. <p> However, I just watched it again a few days ago, and i have to say that the acting is atrocious. The style, FX, and coreography are great, but the acting, well...
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I sleepy.
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I cannot believe that people on here do not know who Abraham Zapruder was. Read a book now and again...
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will think. Something tells me no matter how faithful an adaptation this will be, Alan's brilliant misanthrophy evident in his writing will still make him somewhat against it. Oh well, who cares... I can't to see it and this is one of those rare films I would love to watch with the AICN crew.
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yet his movies makes money so he gets a free pass. Americans are stupid. Everything ends with $$$
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:) :( :) :(
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Holy shit is this a masterpiece. If this is done right it will destroy Dark Knight.
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Orcus felt that way 23 or so years ago
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on the Onion web-page. Not what I was expecting, but better than no giant squid at all.
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And it's amazing, just as I've been told. I have no clue how they're going to pull this off though. The average viewer will hate the ending (unless they go all hollywood on it). I'm still looking forward to it. I mean they have the kid from Bad News Bears as Rorschach!
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there should be 'no compromise' on the ending.
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Agreed. I hope to god they don't change anything. I'm just saying that John Q Public is stupid and won't get it. I'm psyched they're making this a movie... I just really hope it's done right.
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mxRhaLq <a href="http://srcxpf.com/ ">bPGgVEc</a>
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PJdEUizc <a href="http://dngrrz.com/ ">Ovfeoxxu</a>
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