Who Watches the Watchmen?

[Skold]

Watchmen trailer is here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/high.html

i'm pretty iffy on Zach Snyder (ruined Dawn of the Dead, but did good on 300). Looks like he nailed it here though. Freaking great trailer. He got Dr. Manhattan right!

[dub]

Kal will ;P

[rex]

So is this more superhero comic book movie flick?

[KaL976]

more antihero than superhero...

hopefully this will be good, but then that would make it a first.

[dub]

You've had that avatar since... well since forever, no?
You must know the (amazing) graphic novels.

[KaL976]

you misunderstand me, i mean it'll be a first if the adaptation to film is any good.

[dub]

hehe you misunderstand me! :D (mainly because I formulated that last post badly)

I was writing that because you've had that avatar forever and a lot of people are only being introduced to the Watchmen with this movie. In fact before this movie was introduced I don't think that many people had heard of the watchmen at all. (except the older folk ;D)
Was just asking if you had read the novels, or if you had stumbled on that avatar pic per-chance and trying to instigate a "the watchmen novels rule" post.

[Slainchild]

I don't know much about it but the trailer looks cool.

[Trynant]

you misunderstand me, i mean it'll be a first if the adaptation to film is any good.

I'm not sure about that. Sin City hit the nail on the head in terms of adaptation, so I wouldn't say a good adaptation hasn't been done before.

Anyways, I loved The Watchmen graphic novel, so I'm pretty eager to see how this will turn out. And thankfully I have lower standards than Kal :)

[KaL976]

hehe you misunderstand me! :D (mainly because I formulated that last post badly)

I was writing that because you've had that avatar forever and a lot of people are only being introduced to the Watchmen with this movie. In fact before this movie was introduced I don't think that many people had heard of the watchmen at all. (except the older folk ;D)
Was just asking if you had read the novels, or if you had stumbled on that avatar pic per-chance and trying to instigate a "the watchmen novels rule" post.

oic. no, read it when it came out.

[Sirius]

Please don't feck up this movie.....PLEASE!!!
Rorschach looks cool in the screenshots but I am unable to view the trailer here at work.

No matter, Alan Moore will be pissed of anyway. He never likes any of the movies made from his work.

[Soggy_Popcorn]

I've never been one for the unknown-comic-book-made-into-a-movie deal. I really didn't enjoy any of the other ones (300, Sin City, etc.). Pretty cheesy stuff, imo.

[Skold]

I've never been one for the unknown-comic-book-made-into-a-movie deal.

:lol: The fact that you don't know it does not make it "unknown".

From Wikipedia:
The miniseries was a commercial success, and its sales helped DC Comics briefly overtake its competitor Marvel Comics in the comic book direct market. Watchmen has also received several awards spanning different categories and genres including: Kirby Awards for Best Finite Series, Best New Series, Best Writer, and Best Writer/Artist, Eisner Awards for Best Finite Series, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer, and Best Writer/Artist, and a Hugo Award for Other Forms...

... A review by "Revolution SF" goes on to say that Watchmen is "one of the most important stories in comic book history..." In 2005, Time placed Watchmen on its list of the 100 Greatest English Language Novels from 1923 to the Present, stating that it was "told with ruthless psychological realism, in fugal, overlapping plotlines and gorgeous, cinematic panels rich with repeating motifs...a heart-pounding, heartbreaking read and a watershed in the evolution of a young medium." Watchmen was the only graphic novel to be listed. It was also listed in Entertainment Weekly's 1000th issue as one of the best 50 novels printed in the last 25 years (#13).

[Soggy_Popcorn]

:lol: The fact that you don't know it does not make it "unknown".

From Wikipedia:

Well, that's true for a bunch of internet-forum-nerds *puts on flamesuit,* but most people I know didn't even know that 300 was a comic :B

[Renegade Retard]

300 was a comic?

[Skold]

Well, that's true for a bunch of internet-forum-nerds *puts on flamesuit,* but most people I know didn't even know that 300 was a comic :B

You're right about 300. That quote is about Watchmen.

[dub]

but most people I know didn't even know that 300 was a comic :B

Which might say more about the people you know than the notoriety of a publication. :-)

[Wail of Suicide]

Watched the trailer yesterday, read the comic today.
Not convinced this can be made into a good movie. The comic is extremely wordy, and makes a lot of use of flashbacks, and concurrent dialogue from different scenes. Will be interesting to see how it turns out, but I'm not expecting too much.

[dragonfliet]

Well, that's true for a bunch of internet-forum-nerds *puts on flamesuit,* but most people I know didn't even know that 300 was a comic :B

When Time Magazine and Entertainment weekly have it listed as one of the best novels of the last 25-75 years, it's FAR from unknown. Methinks that instead of calling people internet nerds you should read more books.

Also,it's bullcrap that you don't care for the adaptation of indy comics--there are PLENTY of other "unknown" comic books made into great movies:
Ghost World
A History of Violence
Road to Perdition
American Splendor
Akira
V For Vendetta (Okay, it's not great, but it was pretty damned good and would have been better if it had been a more faithful adaptation.)

Not great but good (Blade, Hellboy, Men In Black, Oldboy, The Crow)

Back on topic: I think the trailer looks pretty great. I'm still a little on the fence how this is going to play out.

Snyder did an amazing job with remaking Dawn of the Dead (like it or don't like it, it was a slick as hell movie) and captured 300 perfectly. The thing is, both of these are pretty vapid. Dawn of the Dead remake was pretty shallow (the original isn't really THAT deep anyways) and anything by Frank Miller (300, Sin City) is definitely cool, but almost always over the top stupid. You don't read Frank Miller because he's a good writer, but because he's a cool writer.

Watchmen is a very, very, very smart book. V for Vendetta was also pretty good and while the movie adaptation was solid, the straying from the original only slightly hurt it--not because it was't "faithful", but because it simply wasn't as good. Watchmen while a MUCH better book is a very carefully laid one and small deviations could have a worse effect and it's always a shame when great books get poor movie treatments.

~Jason

[Skold]

When Time Magazine and Entertainment weekly have it listed as one of the best novels of the last 25-75 years, it's FAR from unknown. Methinks that instead of calling people internet nerds you should read more books.

Exactly.

Dawn of the Dead remake was pretty shallow (the original isn't really THAT deep anyways)

Don't make me go postal on you. :D It is the bestest movie EVAR. The original that is. Which is very deep.

[KaL976]

http://movies.ign.com/articles/877/877402p1.html

sounds promising

[Sirius]

http://movies.ign.com/articles/877/877402p1.html

sounds promising
Indeed it does. Let's hope for the best.

[Agent_5]

You've had that avatar since... well since forever, no?
You must know the (amazing) graphic novels.

And here I was thinking that Kal's avy was from a cover of a Kurt Vonnegut novel.

[Flak]

I've never been one for the unknown-comic-book-made-into-a-movie deal. I really didn't enjoy any of the other ones (300, Sin City, etc.). Pretty cheesy stuff, imo.

Sure it was cheesy, but which graphic novel isn't? Take them for what they are and you will enjoy them. The are both gorgeous video adaptations of art. I would even say stunning. Turn off the sound if you have to and just watch (although the scores are awesome) I never get tired of watching 300.

[-n7-]

It looks awesome.

[Trynant]

Here's another trailer,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VLA0tg5yI0

[cooloola]

So far this movie seems to be faithful to the original material, and if anyone here hasn't read the watchmen you should, it's awesome.

[Balton]

Here's another trailer,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VLA0tg5yI0

*drools* looking better and better :eek:


btw. anyone know where I could buy the comedian's "doomsday smiley pin" for something less than 5 pounds and 4 pounds shipping costs?

[Jackal]

I know I can't wait to see it. It looks visually pleasing and pretty flippin sweet.

[Kyllian]

I know I can't wait to see it. It looks visually pleasing and pretty flippin sweet.Damn right

[dragonfliet]

every new trailer annoys me for two reasons

1) too much slow mo. Okay, it's just a preview, but 300 pushed the limits. I really don't want to see watchmen take that same route.

2) release date. Oh come on MARCH? that's like a billion geek years from now.

~Jason

[Renegade Retard]

Nice voice acting by Batman, there. ;)

[Skold]

Nice voice acting by Batman, there. ;)

Not only that, he calls the team "The Watchmen." WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! :mad:*

[dragonfliet]

Not only that, he calls the team "The Watchmen." WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! :mad:*

Right, because if a character refers to the group, which is named The Watchmen, in a movie titled Watchmen, who are referenced in the "Who's watching The Watchmen?" graffiti, that's nigh on sacrilege! Dear GOD! The dialogue isn't exactly the same as the book! Somebody alert the president!

I hope I'm not ruining it for you when I tell you that the giant squid isn't in the movie in any way, shape or form. I hope I didn't just asplode your head.

~Jason

[Skold]

The group is never called that, and liked it. "Watchmen", in graffiti and title, referred to more than the group (and some would debate if it referred to them at all). A needless change. The squid could be as well, but i'll reserve judgment until i see how it turns out.

As pompous as he is, sometimes i see why Alan Moore decries the adaptations of his works.

No, "Dear GOD!" here, just my opinion. It's cool if you disagree.

[KaL976]

The group is never called that, and liked it. "Watchmen", in graffiti and title, referred to more than the group (and some would debate if it referred to them at all). A needless change. The squid could be as well, but i'll reserve judgment until i see how it turns out.

As pompous as he is, sometimes i see why Alan Moore decries the adaptations of his works.

No, "Dear GOD!" here, just my opinion. It's cool if you disagree.

Alan Moore's not pompous. He just has a hard time talking to idiots.
'Hey Alan, tell us about your new book in 20 seconds' etc