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We're Watching The WATCHMEN!!! Holy Printed Panels!!!

First?! by Scorecard	Nov 26th, 2007 06:45:53 PM
Years and Years and finally first?
AICN watching the Watchmen... by Pennsy	Nov 26th, 2007 06:45:55 PM
but who's watching Harry??
Happy Dance by Scorecard	Nov 26th, 2007 06:46:21 PM

The movie will be good if they leave in ... by chrth	Nov 26th, 2007 06:48:35 PM
"I see the world didn't end yesterday" "Are you sure?" If that's not in, the movie will suck.
Yep, that's me. kovaks... by jaxoncgj	Nov 26th, 2007 06:49:10 PM
In the last photo walking in profile.
Nice and sleazy by Mullah Omar	Nov 26th, 2007 06:49:19 PM
I approve of the attention to detail.
Love It. Alan Moore put your name on this one! by talkbackgeek	Nov 26th, 2007 06:53:02 PM
Zack should teach a course on how to translate comics to movies. His number one rule, respect the source material.
Rorschach by brycebishop	Nov 26th, 2007 06:56:39 PM
Nice touch to the pic below. My confidence continues to grow
Xiphios: You got a character shot... by GiggityGoo	Nov 26th, 2007 06:57:05 PM
...in the last pic. Walking in front of Nixon... that's Rorshach.
Whoops... "Xiphos" by GiggityGoo	Nov 26th, 2007 06:57:51 PM
And "Rorschach". Sorry for the finger slips.
chrth by Shakes	Nov 26th, 2007 06:58:10 PM
Great line, that's always been one of my faves too
Who watches The Watchmen? I do! I do! by Zardoz	Nov 26th, 2007 06:59:15 PM
Suh-weet! I can't wait for this to come out! PLEASE be good!
I SUPPORT THE IMPOTENT SUPERHERO ON THIS ONE! by chrth	Nov 26th, 2007 06:59:30 PM

Rorschach is being played by Kelly Leak!!! by joeelliott	Nov 26th, 2007 07:00:34 PM
He's got balls.
Nice by Cobbio	Nov 26th, 2007 07:00:56 PM
I haven't read the graphic novel, don't know the story at all, but these stills look good. Good composition.
PLEASE WB, KEEP THE GRAPHIC NOVEL'S ENDING! by grievenom	Nov 26th, 2007 07:02:54 PM
I have huge hopes and expectations for this movie. I hope Warner Brothers doesn't do the studio thing and Hollywoodize/Bastardize the story by changing the ending. Keep it as it is!
Maybe I'm a skeptic... by Immortal_Fish	Nov 26th, 2007 07:05:06 PM
...but I didn't think a faithful adaptation could be made of this material. These glorious photos have (thankfully) given me reason for pause at the very least. That re-elect Nixon pic is torn off the page. Exquisite! Gang, who'd a'thunk we'd be seeing this in live action long before Alzheimer's kicked in and we didn't know any better?!
Oh god that looks good. by CoursinLarry	Nov 26th, 2007 07:06:19 PM
I loved the book. But I just hope for the movie's sake they don't try to do too literal of an adaptation. I think it would be okay to change around or add some things in order to make it play better in movie form.
Looks Good by skoobyx	Nov 26th, 2007 07:07:04 PM
Zack's '300' and 'Dawn of the Dead' are near perfect so I'm holding out hope. How old would Nixon be now like 100?
Nice, is that Rorschach? by modlight	Nov 26th, 2007 07:12:26 PM
I have to say I'm really glad they are making this look like early 80's New York, not comic book New York. This looks really really cool.
Awesome by chook chutney	Nov 26th, 2007 07:15:07 PM
Notice the Veidt Sport ad on the side of the bus stop canopy. I'm so insanely excited for this movie.
That's the sound.... by Cagliostro	Nov 26th, 2007 07:32:23 PM
of my balls succumbing to the vacuum of artitic creativity. I'm sorry if you were born in the 80's, things weren't always like this, I swear!
That sure ain't Spider-Man's New York by Canada's King	Nov 26th, 2007 07:39:16 PM
These pictures fool me into thinking that's really New York. Excellent, excellent prod. design.
Looks excellent. by OnomatoPoet	Nov 26th, 2007 07:45:47 PM
I didn't give a fuck about comics, much less superheroes, then a few months ago my friend lent me Watchmen and I thought it was amazing. I'm still not sold on superheroes but I think that's why I liked it. At least I don't make fun of comics anymore. I'm now a couple of chapters into Maus.
TDK Update by leobloom	Nov 26th, 2007 08:01:12 PM
Aint it old news?
Why is it spelled 'Collectables' by jimmy_009	Nov 26th, 2007 08:04:24 PM
Don't we spell it Collectibles here in the states?
Goddamnit, it's actually happening? by rbatty024	Nov 26th, 2007 08:04:42 PM
Fuck this POS. Give The Watchmen to someone who's actually made a decent film, not Zack "I love slo-mo and don't understand irony" Snyder. I wish I could have gotten that hour and half of my life back.
Nevermind, I assume it's that way in the book by jimmy_009	Nov 26th, 2007 08:05:17 PM
Probably an intentional 'mistake'
"Collectables" by OnomatoPoet	Nov 26th, 2007 08:14:43 PM
Thats' the kind of educasion you get with Nixons public school's. FOUR MORE YEAR'S! They probably spell it "stationary," too.
Holy Sheeeeeit by Fineus Fog	Nov 26th, 2007 08:15:30 PM
that Production Design is awesome - it's up there with PJ's 1933 New York. I am more pumped than I already was
Why doesn't Nixon look like Nixon? by jrbarker	Nov 26th, 2007 08:33:16 PM
Couldn't they use actual footage of Nixon for this? Otherwise, this looks great!
looks good by graycove	Nov 26th, 2007 08:37:27 PM
really good. spot on
AWEsome! by Super Rabbi	Nov 26th, 2007 08:41:05 PM
AWESOME!
that is a much more aged Nixon by George Newman	Nov 26th, 2007 08:42:09 PM
In the Watchmen, he is going on his 4th presidency, i think.
Nixon wasn't really president in the 80s guys by Guy Who Got A Headache And Accidentally Saves The World	Nov 26th, 2007 08:53:20 PM
He just is in the comics, which aren't real. Jesus.
collectables vs. collectibles by 433	Nov 26th, 2007 08:59:41 PM
Both are correct, the "i" is mostly used in US English. The "a" is used in UK English and by Anglophiles.
I almost gave up on monthlys... by Buckys_Kick_Ass_Arm	Nov 26th, 2007 09:06:20 PM
After reading Absolute Watchmen I was floored. It took me a few months to get back into "conventional" monthly titles because nothing interested me or "came in my brain" the way Watchmen did. I have high hopes!
Tis' Beautiful by finfangfoom	Nov 26th, 2007 09:09:36 PM
But this doesnt mean the movie is going to be any good. Its just gonna look right.
aw hell yeah!!! by theredtoad	Nov 26th, 2007 09:09:42 PM
First time I saw the newsstand picture, I figured it out. Zach Snyder has got this one right. And the last pic cemented it. I really can't think of any way these could look better. My faith in this adaptation is waayyy up now. Love the novel, read it many many times. As a huge fan of the source material, any other fan would agree that this basically all hinges on Doc Manhattan, the believability of him, as opposed to the novel where it was easier to digest.
It's a police radio, oh I'm watching the watchers, Jerry by Doctor Zoidberg	Nov 26th, 2007 09:15:17 PM

Yeah, but Nixon was ALIVE in the 80s by chrth	Nov 26th, 2007 09:16:52 PM
Couldn't they have used the footage of him from then? It's not like he went into seclusion or anything.
WTF Harry? by JimCurry	Nov 26th, 2007 09:31:09 PM
Couldn't you manage a MORE idiotic, nonsensical intro?!
oh hell those sets look sexy as fuck by blonde redhead	Nov 26th, 2007 09:32:13 PM
too bad the guy playing nite owl isn't overweight or middle aged. WHAT THE FUCK EVER.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Gozu	Nov 26th, 2007 09:48:28 PM
Let's look at the facts. Stephen Norrington directed "Blade," a slick action packed comic book adaptation completely lacking in subtlety or logic. Zack Snyder directed "300," a slick action packed comic book adaptation completely lacking in subtlety or intelligence. Stephen Norrington's next project was "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," great graphic novel, terrible movie because poor Stephen was out of his element. I see a lot of the signs with this one.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.. by GeekyAnimeNerd79Beyotch	Nov 26th, 2007 09:55:22 PM
sucked because Connery ruined the director's work.
my prediction by systemsbroom	Nov 26th, 2007 09:58:55 PM
middling opening box office followed by rapid fade to obscurity, in turn followed by endless talkbacker chatter about What went wrong or how Moore's "brilliant" source material wasn't properly respected.
Nixon looks right by KnightShift	Nov 26th, 2007 10:01:47 PM
President of the United States is a job that takes a LOT out of someone (well it's supposed to anyway). After four terms of the stress, Nixon should look appropriately decrepit. Remember how he looks in the graphic novel as he's en route to Cheyenne Mountain? That was much worse than how the real Nixon appeared in the mid-80s. Come to think of it, Ford in the book didn't look so hot either (and I loved the little detail of how he was stumbling down the plane stairs :-)
Wow. by one9deuce	Nov 26th, 2007 10:04:03 PM
That is absolutely A+ production design.
It's just artifice, folks by deathbird	Nov 26th, 2007 10:06:33 PM
Bottom line: If Watchmen turns out to be anything less than a masterpiece, Snyder failed. And fail he will. My advice? Check Metacritic on the day of release: if it scores less than an 80, just watch The Dark Knight again.
No, GeekyAnimeNerd79Beyotch by one9deuce	Nov 26th, 2007 10:13:08 PM
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN sucked because Stephen Norrington is only a mediocre director and they changed a LOT from the graphic novel. I was shocked and dismayed at how different the book was from the film when I finally got around to reading it. I'm not totally sold on Zach Snyder, but he has two important things going for him to do this film right: I believe he truly wants his adaptation to be as close to the graphic novel as possible, and 300 has given him the power to tell studio suits to fuck off.
"But you'd regained interest in human life..." by Bass Ackwards	Nov 26th, 2007 10:13:09 PM
"Yes, I have. I think perhaps I'll create some." That's the quote I want in the movie. And the pics look spot on, count me in as cautiously optimistic.
My quote? by don_gately	Nov 26th, 2007 10:16:47 PM
"Big Figure. Small world."
HAS NO ONE NOTICED RORSCHACH!!! by RobertoInfinite	Nov 26th, 2007 10:17:58 PM
http://rss.warnerbros.com/watc hmen/WMD-22648_select.html Rockin that RUN DMC look. Dope.
nixon by dauphin534	Nov 26th, 2007 10:24:23 PM
is there an actor cast for nixon? that's prob why they aren't using actual nixon footage.
death rides a ... by gredenko	Nov 26th, 2007 10:24:46 PM
nice to see a pale horse poster in there. honestly though--getting the look right should be easy, the source is a collection of images! as good as this looks, the film will sink or swim on things you can't glean from set photos.
Eh. by darthferris	Nov 26th, 2007 10:24:56 PM
I hope this doesn't have that sleek, non-gritty look to it that the images seem to imply. It would be a lot cooler if it looked like vintage 70's cinema with some actual film grain, rather than "300" lite.
42nd street by ShiniGamiSan	Nov 26th, 2007 10:25:08 PM
Hey better jump on the 4, 5 or 6 green, Brooklyn to the Bronx. Actually, that's about how NYC looked in 1980s Dinkin's shithole. Just need some more Hookers, Junkies and Adult Stores, and you got 42nd street back in the day down pat.
The taxi driver by KnightShift	Nov 26th, 2007 10:32:36 PM
Looks like it could be the same lady driver from the book, including identical hat!
This is looking great. by LoneGun	Nov 26th, 2007 10:39:06 PM
Got a really good feeling about WATCHMEN. No one has nailed a proper adaptation of an Alan Moore comic yet, but I have faith in Zack Snyder after his wonderful work on 300.
BUT! by GeekyAnimeNerd79Beyotch	Nov 26th, 2007 10:47:52 PM
It was different because Connery wouldn't let Norrington work. He kept interupting him and walking off of the set.
Attention to Detail My ASS! by Montag666	Nov 26th, 2007 11:02:02 PM
Where are the electric cars and the electric pumps? Namely, the one on the corner where the news stand is? It doesn't mean the movie's gonna suck, but this is the kind of trouble you'll get when you make The Watchmen.
Oh Jesus just fuckin kill yourselves already... by JimCurry	Nov 26th, 2007 11:23:09 PM
If you can't get excited by how cool this looks, and the potential that is apparent, then go anger-fuck your copies of Watchmen and don't even bother following this flick... At least wait till a fuckin teaser - hell, a fuckin official still - comes out before you start getting yourselves all tied in knots about how this won't fulfill your expectations. Or maybe just get lives.
I agree with "Keep The Ending" by Mockingbuddha	Nov 26th, 2007 11:23:54 PM
The whole thing at the end is so great because the whole story is anchored in realism, with, of course, Doc Manhattan thrown in for flavor. Then the ending is just so MUCH more than your typical nuclear holocaust. If the ending changes to any realistic ending, Nukes, chemicals, viruses, whatever, the whole point is lost. And the point is that comics can go places efortlessly that all other media fear to tread. Do Not fear to tread there. A giant SPOILERoctopusSPOILEREND is just what every movie needs.
Mockingbuddha, you're overstating things by systemsbroom	Nov 26th, 2007 11:39:23 PM
Comic books don't go where "all other media fear to tread." They go the same places that children's cartoons and cheap pulp novels go: to vapid inanity. Why? Because some little kids like them, and then they choose to aggressively defend them as legitimate as they grow up, thus shielding them from any real criticism. As such, people around here make dubious claims about the import and quality of things like the Watchmen, insisting that what (maybe) works in a book of drawings will work in a movie.
Why'd they make Bed-Stuy on the New York lot? by MrMysteryGuest	Nov 26th, 2007 11:53:27 PM
Because it looks like it in the third picture!
No electric cars by Bass Ackwards	Nov 27th, 2007 12:07:37 AM
But still, might that not be a spark hydrant he's sitting in front of in that first pic (of course it doesn't make much sense for it to be one if the cars aren't electric)?
this movie is going to suck by iwontwin	Nov 27th, 2007 12:22:02 AM
i am doubtful they can capture the complexity of the novel. we shall see.
Is it just my imagination.... by What Am I Doing 2 Myself	Nov 27th, 2007 12:35:41 AM
....or is that Dan and Laurie sitting at that bus stop? They seem a little out of place. Maybe this is just before they get mugged in issue #3. Don't know who the actors are for this, so I am probably way off base. Just an observation...
meh by ironic_name	Nov 27th, 2007 12:54:19 AM
meh
I Haven't heard, But is This Rated R? by Red Lantern	Nov 27th, 2007 01:19:03 AM
Because I don't see how you can really do it justice if it isn't. Most superhero movies are PG, Blade was one of the few that wasn't. If they try to market it as a PG superhero movie, I'll still see it, but I'm pretty sure I won't like it. Or if I do, it still won't be like The comic book. I remember when I read the comic book and all the eros were really fucking up the bad guys, and I thought, how cool is THAT?! That's why I would want to see the movie, I want to see Rorschach throwing hot grease into someone's face. I want to see the Comedian getting his rape on with Silk Spectre. This was the kind of stuff that made me go Whoa! If you take that stuff out to market it as a PG superhero movie, you may get a good movie out of it, but it won't be The Watchmen I liked reading.
the kid reading the comic.. by soup74	Nov 27th, 2007 01:21:18 AM
why'd they turn him into a 20 year old?
Systemsbroom fuck you. One word delfates your hate by DOGSOUP	Nov 27th, 2007 02:42:14 AM
Maus
Stephen McHattie by The Seaward	Nov 27th, 2007 02:58:51 AM
It's Stephen McHattie aka Night Owl I walking away from the newsstand in the first photograph.
Beaut, looking true to the graph, can't wait... by KillaKane	Nov 27th, 2007 03:13:46 AM
To see all this stuff lit and moving! Snyder's going ot Ace it, on this, I can feel it! ;-)
NICE by Sepulchrave	Nov 27th, 2007 03:55:02 AM
Hope the camera work fits the sleazy production design and doesn't go too slick. Nice if they did some subtle (NOT Grindhouse) style film stock effects to set the mood.
The good thing about low expectations of this is... by IAmMrMonkey!	Nov 27th, 2007 04:12:00 AM
...should it actually be good (and there is a 0.07% chance it will be so there's hope at least) then I'll be both surprised and over the moon. I wait with baited breath.
Though by ApneicMonkey	Nov 27th, 2007 04:14:55 AM
I'm looking forward to watching this movie and I enjoyed the concept and themes of the Watchmen comic, am I the only one who thinks Alan Moore is a little overrated? His narrations just waffle on in their own self-important/self-indulgent soup.
Shouldn't the phrase.. by DirkD13"	Nov 27th, 2007 04:17:14 AM
.."Who watches the Watchmen?" be slightly obscured? At no point in the novel do you ever see the whole phrase, only ever a part of it.
The 'New Issue' posters by Brendon	Nov 27th, 2007 04:18:44 AM
How daft. How truly daft. Did anyone ever see a 'New Issue' psoter on newsstands, even at the height of the comics boom after Dark Knight, etc; No. They did not. This is pretty impressive stuff in many ways, but it seems so keen to interrelate that the film's world might end up seeming a little claustrophobic. The Gunga Diner posters, for example - two of them? And nothing for another eatery? All these visual conveniences and coincidences might end up smacking of contrivance (and yes, of course they're all contrived, it's a set, but hiding the contrivance is the idea)
Nice to see... by meatygoodness	Nov 27th, 2007 04:32:00 AM
Some actual sets from Zack. I was worried this entire thing was going to be shot green screen. This shows it'll probably be just mostly green screen instead.
Still hard to believe this is happening by Constidine4Rorshach	Nov 27th, 2007 05:01:44 AM
DON'T FUCK IT UP PLEASE! WE'LL NEVER GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO DO IT IF THIS GOES WRONG.
Is that Will.I.Am at that bus stop? by Spandau Belly	Nov 27th, 2007 06:56:26 AM
Let the cheesy cameos begin! You know Jay Leno will be in there somewhere, too.
Brendon... by uVa	Nov 27th, 2007 06:57:43 AM

Brendon... by uVa	Nov 27th, 2007 07:01:48 AM
If that is the best "criticism" you can come up with, you fail at life. These references are there solely for the fans who will notice them. To anyone else, they'll just be fucking random posters and graffiti. Plus, there are such things as selective framing of shots to "hide the contrivance," if that is in fact an issue. God damn, the fans can never be pleased.
Where're all the... by Kid Z	Nov 27th, 2007 07:19:37 AM
...bubble-shaped electric cars and spark hydrants?
I'm with systemsbroom by rev_skarekroe	Nov 27th, 2007 07:34:15 AM
Comic books are for little babies. Go read something without pictures in it and grow out of your arrested adolescences. Here's one to get you started http://tinyurl.com/yt3lfx
homeric mission by CuervoJones	Nov 27th, 2007 08:12:08 AM
Watchmen is son BIG that it doesn´t fit in just one movie
"Alan Moore is a little overrated" by IAmMrMonkey!	Nov 27th, 2007 08:17:10 AM
Gasps in horror Whoever let you into this TB WILL be fired!
Fuck all the "fans" by Montag666	Nov 27th, 2007 08:19:35 AM
Seriously. You knew they were making one of the most jealously guarded treasures of the comic book world into a movie, and you guys get mad once people start pointing out the flaws? Rollover and die you sheep. This is the goddamned Watchmen, and we all warned Hollywood to no touch this. Well, if you make the Watchmen, prove yourself, and prove you care about this as much as we do, or it's back to shouts of "let Gilliam make the 12 hour HBO miniseries". No electric cars means no Dr. Manhattan as far as I'm concerned. And everyone else has the right to point out whatever it is they what to point out. As far as I'm concerned, those of you that are already defending this movie without having seen a moving frame of this are WORSE than those of us who are being critical. I am not a religious man, but I must say that making the Watchmen is an abomination and nothing short of blasphemy and sacrilege. STOP MAKING THIS MOVIE NOW. You will not make anyone happy. Snyder, you have ALOT to prove as you can see, and fancy set pictures will not give you a free pass in my book.
Alt 1985 with out alternative 1985' by Diagnostic	Nov 27th, 2007 08:37:30 AM

Montag666 by uVa	Nov 27th, 2007 09:02:32 AM
You say that people defending the film are worse than people who pick it apart. I disagree. When you say something like "No electric cars means no Dr. Manhattan as far as I'm concerned" you may as well paint a fatass red target on your arse and scream "shoot me down" at the top of your lungs. All we've seen are a couple of pics, and you're being ridiculously presumptuous. Have YOU seen a single moving frame of this? "Fancy set pictures will not give you a free pass in my book." What the hell is wrong with you? They're initial teaser pics designed to whet the appetite and give away as little info as possible. I'm not overtly defending this project, but I think Snyder could pull this off. The only reason I'm being vocal is because some people seem predisposed to absolutely HATING the film, with nothing to go on but some set pics. THAT to me is much worse than having some high hopes for a potentially good film.
I,m watching the watchmen. by Ozzie_H	Nov 27th, 2007 09:03:50 AM
can't wait to see how the film the fearful symmatry sequence.
Anyone see the Black Freighter ad in the first pic? by Abin Sur	Nov 27th, 2007 09:14:12 AM
On the side of the newsstand? More coolness indeed.
In fact... by Abin Sur	Nov 27th, 2007 09:15:24 AM
I think Homeboy sitting in front of the newsstand is reading a copy...
uVa by Montag666	Nov 27th, 2007 09:19:37 AM
Yeah. I'm definitely pre disposed to hating this film. It's Watchmen we're talking about. One of the greatest works ever committed to the comic book medium. If you're not going to do it right, then DON'T GO NEAR IT! I'm weary of Snyder especially after his slow motion love making scenes in 300. Very artistic. I'm not conservative about anything, but this. IT SHOULD NOT BE MADE INTO A MOVIE. You can officially consider me a naysayer until I see evidence that this movie is not going to suck.
awesome! by FleshMachine	Nov 27th, 2007 09:28:26 AM
really neat to see this materialize.
I'm dead jealous of the actors in this. by IAmMrMonkey!	Nov 27th, 2007 09:44:37 AM
Imagine getting a part in Watchmen! That's a fucking honor if ever there was one. If I was a big name actor like Brad Pitt or whatever, I'd have taken a huge pay cut to appear in this thing. No matter how it turns out, playing one of the main characters in Watchmen would be something you could cherish for the rest of your life. Of course, if it turns out shite then you'll be hated forever but - if everything fell into place - you'd have something to tell your kids about. I should have been an actor. And ginger. And liked wearing masks.
It could turn out like Lynch's Dune... by Fist Dirtbox	Nov 27th, 2007 09:49:37 AM
Watchmen like Dune is too big a tale to fit comfortably into a 120-140 min movie. Lynch tried to be faithful to the novel but the way events became compressed stood against it for many people. The reality is that some things translate neatly from page to screen, while other things need reshaping to some degree. The key of course is to do it in a way that's sympathetic to the overall vision of the movie, while being respectful of its source. Snyder's idea to do "Black Freighter" as an animated side-piece shows he's definitely thinking about the meta-textual possiblities, so I'm hopeful. It's a helluva task though. The problem with Moore's work is that it relies heavily (in its natural medium) upon layering multiple plot strands and themes to create a density of idea that elevates it above the ordinary. When these secondary and tertiary layers are stripped back (see V for Vendetaa for example) it exposes any contrivances in setting up the primary element - and they often are when taken in isolation quite cliche and contrived. Returning to Lynch and Dune a similar thing happened when the story was condensed - the tone changes as the plot was streamlined and accelerated. Just my 10c anyway, I genuinely wish Snyder well with this tough task. That said, remaking Dawn Of The Dead was a move I don't believe anyone thought would be anything but an embarrassment to Romero's original, and he pulled that off. So lets keep our fingers crossed.
goddamnit Montag666 and co by Harold The Great	Nov 27th, 2007 09:53:21 AM
Watchmen is a great book. It's one of the graphic novels I still own. I've read it countless times. That said, it's not the religious experience some of you wierdos make it out to be. The movie seems to be extremely faithful to it's spirit so far. I don't think even Alan Moore, crazy as he is, want creeps like Montag666 to exist. When you wonder why can't comic books be recognized as a legit art form in most people's mind, think of these guys. They are the exact reason most good directors, producers and screenwriters try to avoid comic books like plague. No other medium has such loud and immature fans - no wonder everybody thinks all comics - even watchmen - is loud and immature. So basically, fuck you for scaring people away from a great read.
looks fantastic. by PVIII	Nov 27th, 2007 10:07:21 AM
that first shot looks like an exact replica of a panel from Watchmen.
New Nonjoker showed up, by the way. by JackPumpkinhead	Nov 27th, 2007 10:10:31 AM
joblo.com/newsimages1/jokeremp ire2.jpg More of the "Marilyn Manson just ate a big cake" look. Disgraceful and pathetic.
Watchmen 2: Now with alternative 1994 by Diagnostic	Nov 27th, 2007 10:18:21 AM
It could have Hillary as President and ... No. Make that Nancy Reagan. Yea, thats it. And Frank Darabont should write the ending.
I second KEEP THE ENDING by Shigeru	Nov 27th, 2007 10:18:47 AM
for the love of God please keep the original ending. No nukes, chemical warfare, giant solar lasers or shit like that.
systemsbroom... by Ghostball	Nov 27th, 2007 10:25:44 AM
Some of us read comics AND pitcureless books. Sometimes, even classic pictureless books, like Pride and fuckin' Prejudice. I know... It's crazy!
Dogsoup by systemsbroom	Nov 27th, 2007 10:32:26 AM
Ahem, Maus does not elevate all comic books, nor does it refute my argument that much of the prestige given in places like this to comic books is misplaced. Maus is a good little work, but it gets extra gravitas points from its subject matter, and there are far greater works in other media that overshadow it.
RE: KEEP THE ENDING by fat bears	Nov 27th, 2007 10:34:22 AM
I'll third that motion, with the proviso that the ending happens in multiple cities. I figure that'd make the threat really more world-wide and not so America-centric. Makes the post-event utopia more believable if we lose NY, London, Cairo, Jerusalem, Tokyo, etc, etc.
Ghostball by systemsbroom	Nov 27th, 2007 10:36:58 AM
I never argued that people here don't read Jane Austen novels, only that some folks praise comic books far more than such things warrant, and that I suspect the reason has something to do with wanting to justify their enjoyment of comics. Good for you for reading "even classic pictureless books," but please note that I never suggested people not read comic books--just that they should be honest about what they are.
systemsbroom by Burgundy82	Nov 27th, 2007 10:55:24 AM
You sir are a self-important blowhard, an arrogant bag of douche ... which begs the question: What the fuck are you doing here? From "Maus" to "Watchmen" to "American Splendor", there IS such a thing as literature in the realm of funny books. For Christssakes, how can you be so unabashedly dismissive of an entire medium just because it has "pictures"?? Sure, there's crap in comics just as there's trash TV and Z-grade shit-flicks, but "Watchmen" transends "pulp" to become something much more. It has just as much artistic merit as any other giant of its respective medium. Next you'll be trying to tell us "The Sopranos" wasn't art because it was on the boob tube every week.
Systemsbroom... by Ghostball	Nov 27th, 2007 10:59:04 AM
Well thanks for letting us know what they 'are', that's a load off - lol
The guy in the poster looks more like... by chrisd	Nov 27th, 2007 11:15:58 AM
George McGovern than Richard Nixon.
If you're gonna sell me Watchmen... by Montag666	Nov 27th, 2007 11:34:45 AM
Then give me Watchmen! That's all I'm saying. And I don't care what Alan Moore thinks of me! Just make it good or don't touch it. Yeah, I'm a graphic novel fundamentalist whacko and there's nothing you can do about it! And yes, most definitely keep the original ending for crissakes!
Looking very, very good. by raw_bean	Nov 27th, 2007 12:23:01 PM
If nothing else (and it's entirely possible that it WILL be nothing else) Snyder's certainly a master at recreating comic visuals on screen.
systemsbroom, just 'cause 90% of comics blow... by raw_bean	Nov 27th, 2007 12:30:30 PM
...don't let that convince you that 90% of novels, movies, plays, TV shows, songs, paintings, photos, poems, dances, and street theatre performances (actually more like 100% of street theatre performances) don't blow just as hard. You claim that loads of comic geeks are holding their medium on an unrealistic pedestal, but by claiming superiority of other artistic media you're putting them on just as unrealistic a pedestal. I've been reading prose seriously since I was a kid, but comics only since I was around 22 or so (V for Vendetta was my first), and it's pretty obvious to me that there's the sublime and the shit to be found in both, and every other story-telling or entertainment medium.
Dick Tracy meets V for Vendetta by Chutch	Nov 27th, 2007 12:47:15 PM
Looks totally fake ass 80's comic booky with all the added benefit of liberal fear mongering of a conservative government. the only thing more moronic than sticking with the 80's was sticking to the re-writing of history in the process. the story should have been re-vamped due to how incredibly out of touch with history it is. see you on hbo...
Good old reliable Photobucket by Kurzinski Valentine	Nov 27th, 2007 01:18:31 PM
or should I say, WORTHLESS SHITBUCKET? Good hotlinking there.
THEY HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE AND HORRIBLE MISTAKE by BurgerKing	Nov 27th, 2007 01:19:01 PM
That mistake being that EVERYONE knows that the who watches the watchmen graffiti is never finished! The bastards get shanked before they finish. Boycott!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the sets look pretty impressive, however, why even make the god damn news stand if the Frieghter isn't going to be IN the movie..
NIXON POSTER FOR DUMMIES by Doc Manhattan	Nov 27th, 2007 01:40:41 PM
The dude in the poster is VERY LIKELY the actor who PLAYS Richard Nixon in the film, being that he is in fact a functional character in the story. How did so many people get tripped up by that fucking poster?... P.S. It's Watchmen, not The Watchmen. Get it right or transplant your ignorance into the Enchanted talkback, you whores.
All we can hope for by I am_NOTREAL	Nov 27th, 2007 01:41:39 PM
is for the film version to turn out as a interesting cult footnote that finds a small passionate audience and doesn't shame the graphic novel. Watchmen is just all too easy to screw up beyond repair and very, very hard to get right...maybe a 10% chance of some form of success, with a 2% shot at greatness...and 90% at abject failure. Don't know if I can even stand to watch.
Systemsbroom by Doc Manhattan	Nov 27th, 2007 01:54:34 PM
is a giant tool. Art comes in many forms but has one central motivation: EXPRESSION. Watchmen expressed more to me through its given medium than nearly any other single piece of work I've witnessed in modern times. So fuck off and die with your "let's call a spade a spade" bullshit, because by that principle, we'd all be calling you a fucking retard right now, you fucking retard.
Beat me to it, BurgerKing by durhay	Nov 27th, 2007 02:05:03 PM
It jumped right out at me.
Harold by Montag666	Nov 27th, 2007 02:19:33 PM
I wish movie producers, writers, directors, etc would stay the hell away from these properties. If only my virulent hatred for those hacks and their lack of imagination was powerful enough to keep them away and force them to think of original material it would be a wonderful world.
Memories by Montag666	Nov 27th, 2007 02:57:59 PM
We can only dream for now. Don't even get me started on the "Bayformers". It turned out the flames were the least of our worries.
WTF is eggy yaaa? by Eyegore	Nov 27th, 2007 03:09:31 PM
I did a google search and got this frigging talkback. English? Do you speak it??
Man oh man oh man by haggardatbest	Nov 27th, 2007 03:56:11 PM
I am actually going to get to see a Watchmen film. Rorschach on the big screen, are you fucking kidding me? I'm already in line.
Looks great by finky089	Nov 27th, 2007 05:04:40 PM
Rorschach has a can of beans and cheets on his Journal!
What a lot of people are not understanding is... by Doc Manhattan	Nov 27th, 2007 05:12:48 PM
that these shots we're looking at are real-life manifestations of the 2-D environments of the book, done with stunning accuracy. Snyder has exactly replicated the visual landscapes, so one would only assume that he'd use the same amount of care and precision in choosing the actors and executing the storylines. And if that indeed happens, this movie will be an all-time classic. Why? Not because of anything deep and fucking clever done by whatever director they could've had but didn't get, or what fucking A-list actor dropped out, or whatever everyone's excuse is for why this movie is going to suck... This will be an all-time classic film because, if Snyder simply sticks to the source material in every facet of production like he has in these shots, he'll have successfully directed ALAN MOORE'S Watchmen. And the book is that. Fucking. Good.
SO HIGH RIGHT NOW by Doc Manhattan	Nov 27th, 2007 05:25:36 PM
transformer noise
Yeah, I guess this does look pretty promising, but... by PumpyMcAss	Nov 27th, 2007 05:36:38 PM
Fuck Snyder. 300 was the most boring and over-rated film of the year. A big homo-erotic slo-mo fest with shit dialogue, shit characters, and torturously boring violence. That being said, Rorshach looks pretty fucking awesome...
Wasn't Will Smith Talking About This Years Ago? by skoobyx	Nov 27th, 2007 07:36:55 PM
I remember a story from 'ET' or something about how he wanted to kick the project off and it was considered one of the "great un-produced scripts" in Hollywood. Is it just me?
Watchmen Babies! In V FOR VACATION! by Abin Sur	Nov 28th, 2007 06:48:53 AM
"Mr. Moore, which Watchman baby is your favorite?" God bless you, Milhouse, that's comedy gold.
Overrated by criticalbliss	Nov 28th, 2007 09:22:47 AM
See: Alan Moore. The primary conceits of his novels are typically shallow: the arrogant mumblings of 14 year old anarchists without the foresight to understand the results of their nihilistic rantings and philosophies. He's a sad, bitter little man. His style trumps his substance. So, he can blame (easily) Hollywood for his "movies" failing, but the true reason stems from his cardboard plotting and wafer-thin dialogue. Watchman might work with enough smoke and mirrors attached--not an easy task. As it is, the comic is fundamentally flawed, with a peppering of good moments within. It's harder to frame a moving world while obfuscating the strings and wires. V for Vendetta shows him at his most innane. The movie was terrible because the comic was terrible. Yes, I hope Watchmen is good. But stop treating this miserable little bastard as a god. He's not.
CriticaLBliss: V For Vendetta was terrible? by D.Vader	Nov 28th, 2007 10:56:58 AM
Well, you just lost any credibility you had there.
uhh critcalbliss... by yassoo	Nov 28th, 2007 11:50:14 AM
have you read any of the extra material in moore's League books? or in Watchmen? cardboard plotting? really? and please elaborate on how a plot like Watchmen's -- the first deconstruction of the superhero as myth story, with a storyline that spans decades, and is critically viewed as the single greatest "comic book" ever -- is flawed? Please illuminate our feeble minds.
uhh criticalbliss... Pt. II by Doc Manhattan	Nov 28th, 2007 02:37:47 PM
Yeah, I really can't see any credibility in anything you just said. I'm not the type to sing praises, but Moore has authored some of the most compelling and thought-provoking works of our time. You're criticizing an artist from a politician's viewpoint, and that's just a waste of breath. And anyway, your entire diatribe is littered with ignorant insults and unsubstantiated blanket statements, which leads me to believe that your disdain for Alan Moore is simply a childish and implusive jab at something you can't understand and appreciate. I mean... what else would be your point, exactly?
Last! by Ivan Balboa	Nov 28th, 2007 04:05:25 PM
This is my first post anywhere ever. Long time reader (years) Many laughs and moans at the comments. So, All I have to say is "Watchmen is going to _____!" Just read it last year. Mostly read traditional books. It's all so exciting, Just kidding it's not. now who agrees?
Pumpy McAss by finky089	Nov 28th, 2007 07:03:35 PM
If you didn't like 300, don't blame Snyder. He accurately reporduced Frank Miller graphic novel on the big screen. Even added a bit more plot to it (not that it necessaryily "needed it" to be a fun watch. But the gn the movie is based on isn't something with rich character or plot development. That doesn't make it "bad", it just wasn't intended to be Citizen Cane. As a movie ONLY - meaning, you remove it from it's context of being based on a GRAPHIC NOVEL, the movie is flawed. But as a graphic novel about a famous battle from antiquity, it works. oh, and Rorschach IS pretty awesome
sorry, Ivan by finky089	Nov 28th, 2007 07:04:15 PM
didn't mean to ruin you "last". I won't be posting again, so feel free to re "last" yourself
V for Vendetta was good? by criticalbliss	Nov 28th, 2007 09:14:36 PM
I'm sorry. You just lost all credibility there. But nice try.
Whoopity shit by Damned if I can login	Nov 29th, 2007 07:56:25 AM
I'm so impressed. Shots from your typical 30 second entry into pretty much every NYPD Blue episode. But, as I have no expectations for this project it's right on track.
It's glaringly obvious who has and hasn't read the book.... by Doc Manhattan	Nov 29th, 2007 09:31:22 AM
Everyone that HAS understands that these sets are perfectly crafted in excellent detail. Everyone who HASN'T makes some lame comment about how unimpressive and average the sets look. But if you haven't ever read the book.... WHY ARE YOU EVEN FOLLOWING THIS MOVIE THROUGH ITS PRODUCTION PHASE IN THE FIRST PLACE??? You people are just talking out of your asses for the sake of... nothing. It's obvious you haven't read the source material and wouldn't appreciate these photos even if they were fucking SPIELBERG'S Watchmen sets, so why are you hatin-ass whiny bitches wasting your time? But maybe I'm placing too high a value on your time. Hell, maybe this is your social interaction for the day. Lovely fucking weather we're having, isn't it, dickholes?
Ah like big BUTS and I cannot lie! by Aznbuddy	Nov 29th, 2007 10:31:43 AM
The production values are already very impressive. They don't look Burtony at all, with his heightened reality and over-stylized sets. And that last shot of Rorschach walking by the Nixon poster gave me goosebumps. The way he looks in it, they took his costume right out of the book. Which is awesome of Snyder to stick to the source material...(here it comes)...BUT...I don't believe he HAS to remain too faithful to the costuming too closely. I mean, is he going to stick Hooded Justice in purple-and-red tights? Is the Comedian going to walk around fighting bad guys in matching yellow shirt and pants? Are we to believe that Nite Owl 1 is going to be kicking in heads wearing almost the same underwear with no pants that Robin 1 did? I like authenticity as much as the next geek, but I'm in the camp that also doesn't think Batman should be caught dead in a fabric costume in any of the new movies. Cause if he were wearing a fabric costume, that's exactly what he would be...dead. I mean, these are CRIME-fighters. When Kane and Shuster and Siegel were creating icons for us to love and behold, they patterned Batman and Superman after circus strongmen. The Batman and Superman they created didn't come from a world of automatic gunfire, Kevlar and armor-piercing shells. Superman has had it easy and can get away with it, but don't tell me Batman has to face our world today with nothing but gray tights, a good roundhouse and a fancy car. Would it be believable for Malin Ackerman to face down an alley full of thugs in a tiny belted dress, stockings and heels? All I'm saying is, I hope he tempers the authenticity with some common sense. While costumes like that are taken for granted in a 4-color process comic book, it doesn't translate so well in a live-action movie. With that said, I am happy to note that Rorschach's coat looks more like Johnny Depp's leather coat in Donnie Brasco, than the One-Armed Man's beige trench coat in The Fugitive.
Damn you , Alan Moore by Aznbuddy	Nov 29th, 2007 10:52:45 AM
BTW, I realize the irony of my previous post in light of the fact that Hooded Justice's alter-ego was supposed to be a circus strongman...Damn you, Alan Moore.
Critical Bliss, if you really were as smart as you're trying to by D.Vader	Nov 29th, 2007 11:15:52 AM
If you had any ounce of real intelligence and critical thought, you'd back up your statements with evidence and examples. But since you don't, as it stands, it sounds like vitriol coming from a jealous hack.
The only thing "glaringinly obvious"... by Damned if I can login	Nov 29th, 2007 12:28:07 PM
...is the fact that you're an idiot. Who has/hasn't read the source material isn't gonna change the facts. a) A set copied from a panel in the comic means absolutely dick. b) Those of us who actually have read the source material realize the futility of the attempt to "adapt" this story to a 2-hour film. and... c) We're not "following this movie through it production phase"...we just enjoy posting sarcastic comments that brass off whiney-assed cunts like you.
... trying to make us think you are by D.Vader	Nov 29th, 2007 12:48:20 PM
.... Was the rest of that title. It let me type it out; I thought it would fit.
Production pics... by Ned Pepper	Nov 29th, 2007 01:20:09 PM
Can't tell too much from the above pics, but I liked Snyder's "300" (never read Miller's book) and I'm holding out hope for a good Watchmen flick. I really liked most of the Hayter script I read, and so I have a generally positive outlook on the project. The production stuff I've seen up to now, along with the cast announced to date, all look pretty danged good to me. No matter what else happens, I'll shell out my cash and go see the damned thing, be it trainwreck or masterpiece. The haters here don't affect my opinion one way or the other, so don't let them get you all riled up either.
Yes, but I asked you what you thought about the weather. by Doc Manhattan	Nov 29th, 2007 08:32:28 PM
Dickhole.

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