The Watchmen

[taksraven]

Kinda OT:

I love the music of Muse. I imagined Knights of Cydonia playing in the newest Watchmen trailer but close enough.

Liked the use of the Muse song. ( I think I would have used other Muse songs before this one though) But I still think that the Smashing Pumpkins from the original trailer was AWESOME, even if the song was a leftover from the Batman and Robin soundtrack.

Since Watchmen is set in an alternative 1980's, I think that they should use "alternative" music from the 80's in the soundtrack. By that I mean Joy Division, New Order, The Cure and lots of other "more underground" stuff.

Taksraven

Edited November 25, 2008 by taksraven

[Wes]

I think for an advertising group to be considered "successful" they must totally mislead your perception of what you're going to see.

[Gubaba]

Liked the use of the Muse song. ( I think I would have used other Muse songs before this one though) But I still think that the Smashing Pumpkins from the original trailer was AWESOME, even if the song was a leftover from the Batman and Robin soundtrack.

Since Watchmen is set in an alternative 1980's, I think that they should use "alternative" music from the 80's in the soundtrack. By that I mean Joy Division, New Order, The Cure and lots of other "more underground" stuff.

Taksraven

Why do that when the comic itself had an excellent "soundtrack"? Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Jimi Hendrix, John Cale, Nat King Cole, Iggy Pop...the list doesn't get much better than that.

[Max Jenius]

I don't like how it is sounding like they're naming the supergroup "Watchmen"... weren't they called something else when they teamed up? I guess it would be logical to simplify things a bit.

[ly000001]

I don't like how it is sounding like they're naming the supergroup "Watchmen"... weren't they called something else when they teamed up? I guess it would be logical to simplify things a bit.

I'm hoping they inserted "Watchmen" into the dialog just for the trailer.

I don't think they had a group name since they never actually became a group formally (unless something happened after the failed "Crimebusters" meeting that I missed).

[taksraven]

Why do that when the comic itself had an excellent "soundtrack"? Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Jimi Hendrix, John Cale, Nat King Cole, Iggy Pop...the list doesn't get much better than that.

Some cool stuff there I will admit, but most of it is too mainstream (except the John Cale and Iggy Pop). I still think that my idea would work.

I would like it if the soundtrack was more like the one for the original Crow film or Natural Born Killers to create a darker mood.

Taksraven

[Gubaba]

Some cool stuff there I will admit, but most of it is too mainstream (except the John Cale and Iggy Pop). I still think that my idea would work.

I would like it if the soundtrack was more like the one for the original Crow film or Natural Born Killers to create a darker mood.

Taksraven

Strangely, I was just talking to someone yesterday (at the comics shop) who had seen a rough cut of the movie and he said they use "The Times They Are A-Changin'" over the opening credits.

Yes, he said the movie was very, very good. And he said that the opening credits give all the backstory, and that it's amazingly well-done.

I'm still not letting myself get excited about it, exactly...but I'm opening up to the idea that it might actually end up being good.

[Alex]

One thing i'm hoping this movie shows is how bloody and painful getting the crap beaten out of you can be.

I have this real bad feeling that the murder of the Comedian will be super-stylized with no POVs of him bloody and pulpy.

I WANT Rorscach's death to be messy. I THINK it will all be very PG. Bleh.

[Wes]

They have the trailer before Transporter 3 with a release date of 3/6/09.

[taksraven]

One thing i'm hoping this movie shows is how bloody and painful getting the crap beaten out of you can be.

I have this real bad feeling that the murder of the Comedian will be super-stylized with no POVs of him bloody and pulpy.

I WANT Rorscach's death to be messy. I THINK it will all be very PG. Bleh.

Its a difficult tightrope to walk. Releasing a movie with the broadest potential audience but not compromising on the level of violence.

If the cinema release is a PG, I don't really mind as long as a more "graphic" vision of the graphic novel is released in the future. (Cool wordplay, huh!)

Taksraven

[taksraven]

Strangely, I was just talking to someone yesterday (at the comics shop) who had seen a rough cut of the movie and he said they use "The Times They Are A-Changin'" over the opening credits.

Yes, he said the movie was very, very good. And he said that the opening credits give all the backstory, and that it's amazingly well-done.

I'm still not letting myself get excited about it, exactly...but I'm opening up to the idea that it might actually end up being good.

How did this person get to see a rough cut!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

Taksraven

[Wes]

How did this person get to see a rough cut!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

Taksraven

Teh Internets perhaps.

[Gubaba]

Teh Internets perhaps.

No, it was pretty clear he had some kind of "in."

This was at Comics Factory in Pasadena, after all. Lots of movie and comics business people shop there.

[Alex]

I read Snyder in an interview about two weeks ago talking about the Bob Dylan song being used and giving a basic description of the opening montage (Veidt and Bowie outside a night club etc)

I have a feeling that he wasn't being totally truthful with you on that one.

Edited December 3, 2008 by Alex

[Gubaba]

I read Snyder in an interview about two weeks ago talking about the Bob Dylan song being used and giving a basic description of the opening montage (Veidt and Bowie outside a night club etc)

I have a feeling that he wasn't being totally truthful with you on that one.

Possibly. He seemed well-known to the staff, so I guess I can ask them what his deal is. *shrug*

Either way, I'm just glad they're using Dylan on the soundtrack (although I think "Desolation Row" would be better than "Times." After all, it gave the first issue its title). But then, I'm a big, big Dylan fan, and Watchmen is what got me into him, so of course I'd say that.

[taksraven]

Possibly. He seemed well-known to the staff, so I guess I can ask them what his deal is. *shrug*

Either way, I'm just glad they're using Dylan on the soundtrack (although I think "Desolation Row" would be better than "Times." After all, it gave the first issue its title). But then, I'm a big, big Dylan fan, and Watchmen is what got me into him, so of course I'd say that.

Always thought that Dylan was a bit overrated. (But I do like some of his stuff)

Taksraven

[Ladic]

No, it was pretty clear he had some kind of "in."

This was at Comics Factory in Pasadena, after all. Lots of movie and comics business people shop there.

Snyder has previewd 30 minutes of footage all over the place, there are TONS of reports of what exactly was shown in those 30 minutes.

So either your friend was one of the lucky ones to go see the footage, or he just read the info of the internet and told you.

[Gubaba]

Always thought that Dylan was a bit overrated. (But I do like some of his stuff)

Taksraven

As far as I'm concerned, he's only made five or six TRULY essential albums...but they're so good that all the crap he's released matters not in the slightest.

Snyder has previewd 30 minutes of footage all over the place, there are TONS of reports of what exactly was shown in those 30 minutes.

So either your friend was one of the lucky ones to go see the footage, or he just read the info of the internet and told you.

It feels weird to fend off attacks for some guy I talked to for three minutes max...but he said he saw two cuts, and two-and-a-half-hour cut and a three-hour cut. He said the three-hour was better.

Look, I'll go back to the store on Saturday and get the skinny then. I could find it a bit insulting that everyone thinks I'm so gullible, but whatever.

[Alex]

As far as I'm concerned, he's only made five or six TRULY essential albums...but they're so good that all the crap he's released matters not in the slightest.

It feels weird to fend off attacks for some guy I talked to for three minutes max...but he said he saw two cuts, and two-and-a-half-hour cut and a three-hour cut. He said the three-hour was better.

Look, I'll go back to the store on Saturday and get the skinny then. I could find it a bit insulting that everyone thinks I'm so gullible, but whatever.

Don't worry. We don't think your gullible.

Where was the comic shop btw? Aren't you based in Tokyo?

[Gubaba]

Don't worry. We don't think your gullible.

Where was the comic shop btw? Aren't you based in Tokyo?

I'm TRYING to be based in Tokyo, but there's the whole Catch-22 of "You need a work visa to get a job, but you need a job to get a work visa" problem...and times are not so good for English teachers there right now. Still, I keep plugging away at it...

The comic shop is Comics Factory in Pasadena, CA. Good place, even if you aren't looking for people who've seen Watchmen.

[Alex]

I'm TRYING to be based in Tokyo, but there's the whole Catch-22 of "You need a work visa to get a job, but you need a job to get a work visa" problem...and times are not so good for English teachers there right now. Still, I keep plugging away at it...

The comic shop is Comics Factory in Pasadena, CA. Good place, even if you aren't looking for people who've seen Watchmen.

The one thing I hate about Tokyo is that comic shops are few and far between. The large one in Shibuye closed down to make way for another shoe shop. Yes.....because the nearly 200 already there just weren't enough to meet demand. (sadly, that's actually true)

[Gubaba]

How did this person get to see a rough cut!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!

Taksraven

Okay...I talked to the owner of Comics Factory today, and he said that the guy who was talking about seeing Watchmen is someone who actually worked on the movie...so that I should take his enthusiasm for it with a grain of salt.

[the white drew carey]

Okay...I talked to the owner of Comics Factory today, and he said that the guy who was talking about seeing Watchmen is someone who actually worked on the movie...so that I should take his enthusiasm for it with a grain of salt.

Well, I don't know. I'm sure a lot of people who work on movies don't typically like them as a film. I don't think we need salt, but then again...

?

[VF-19]

Some bad news: Watchmen news

I really hope Fox does not demand that the movie not be released...

[taksraven]

Some bad news: Watchmen news

I really hope Fox does not demand that the movie not be released...

Jesus Christ!

I have to say it though, at the end of the day Warner do have themselves to thank for this for the simple reason that all of the legalities should have been worked out for this expensive project before any footage was even shot.

If heads have not rolled yet over this they will have to eventually.

Taksraven

[kanedaestes]

They had better come up with some kind of agreement and arrangement or we may never see this version of the film. Scary

[Gubaba]

Some bad news: Watchmen news

I really hope Fox does not demand that the movie not be released...

I'm tellin' ya, Alan Moore said he laid a curse on the movie...don't mess with an experienced Kabbalist.

[the white drew carey]

Man, am I bummed.

This is like the only movie I was looking forward to next year, except for The Road.

I don't need to "boycott" the Wolverine movie, as I wouldn't go see it in the theaters anyway. But maybe I'll say that I am?

[Vermillion21]

Saw the trailer .... looks good to me so far.

[Wes]

I'm tellin' ya, Alan Moore said he laid a curse on the movie...don't mess with an experienced Kabbalist.

How can you be experienced in a Hollywood fad? Then again looked what happened to Coolio after he tried to screw with Weird Al...

[Gubaba]

How can you be experienced in a Hollywood fad? Then again looked what happened to Coolio after he tried to screw with Weird Al...

How can something that's been around for more than a thousand years be primarily a Hollywood fad?

If you said you liked anime, that doesn't necessarily mean you like Yu-Gi-Oh, does it? Or if you like music, it doesn't mean your favorite band is the Archies.

[Wes]

How can something that's been around for more than a thousand years be primarily a Hollywood fad?

It's who/how it's used. Yeah if you're a really old Jewish guy who studies descreately, seeing as it is supposed to be kinda secret, yeah ok, but Madonna going "YAH I got a red ribbon I'm with it!" no.

And does anyone really like Yugi-Oh? Pretty sure it's one of those Scientologist-pyramid-scemes...

[marx]

I just finished reading the graphic novel. I'm probably going to get a lot of hate from those in the know but... Is the reader supposed to assume that the big secret is revealed to the world anyway from Rorschach's journal? Especially with doc Manhattan saying "it never ends". I understand the last lines, that maybe the authors leave it in the reader's hands as to what happens next. It just seems to me the scale is tipping more to one side than on the other.

Also in the movie (if released) do you think an audience would be okay with the movie ending just like the book? Where you're not sure if anybody won.

Also, the whole pirate comic, I can see it sort of paralleling the watchmen universe somewhat but I found it a bit annoying. Is there some special significance to the pirate comic that I missed? It just got in the way of what I was interested in the story. I'm sure the pirate comic probably won't be in the movie or if it is, just a brief appearances.

Edited January 2, 2009 by marx

[Gui]

All scriptwritters who have been in charge of this project began to work on it by removing the pirates part in all of their writings; at least, it's what I heard repetitively: concerning this movie project, it should be included as a DVD bonus IIRC, but in an anime format. As for its significance in the comic, I don't know but Moore is not really the type of author who puts deep meanings into his stories anyway, even if you can find some here and there: he's more an author who uses every narrative trick to set up a mood and an atmosphere, leaving the reader do what he wants with the final material; it's a way as another to make the audience participate to the whole artistic process. On the other hand, Watchmen being a heavy critiscism of the classic comics in general (where pirates stories had a particular place I think) and the super heroes ones in particular, there's probably a path to explore here if you look for meanings but I wouldn't spend too much time on this point if I were you: it looks more anecdotic than anything else to me but I'm not very expert of this culture

Concerning the ending of the comic... Well, it's a very clever conclusion IMO because it makes you reconsider the whole story. I think Seymour did pick the diary of Rorschach and the whole story (like it is told in the comic) is in fact a reconstitution of all the facts by the cops in charge of the investigation after the publication of this diary in the New Frontiersman and the denunciation of all the suspicious acts of Veidt; because he can see the future, Osterman probably knew this, hence his declaration to Veidt. Keep in mind that this comic was first published in 1986 but the diary of Rorschach is one year older (first date is in october of 1985 IIRC): it's the time necessary to investigate and reconstitute the whole puzzle, which is particularly complex like you know; but once again, and if you accept this theory, the very final conclusion is still in the hands of the reader

This is typical of Moore: his stories often can be read at several levels and from very different points of view while remaining amazing whatever way you look at them. He's definitively one of the best and should be remembered for several centuries at least, therefore it's almost impossible for the ones like him to be recognized by the general audience during their lifetime: classics always are hermetic, and if the movie ends exactly like the comic it'll very probably do low scores in the box office; I will not lose sleep over it anyway...

[taksraven]

Also in the movie (if released) do you think an audience would be okay with the movie ending just like the book? Where you're not sure if anybody won.

Audiences generally do NOT go for endings like that, so be prepared for some jiggery pokery to the ending of this film to cheer it up.

Taksraven