Watchmen

[Moosferatu]

I recently read Watchmen for my first time. Not that you all don't already know, but it's an absolutely amazing graphic novel. Noting the recent trend of turning Alan Moore's works into movies, I checked IMDb. Sure enough a Watchmen movie is in the works. Obviously this invokes mixed feelings. On one hand it could be an utter piece of shit, like the LXG movie, and on the other, it could end up being surprisingly good, like the recent V for Vendetta but hopefully even better. I don't want to condemn the movie before knowing anything about it, but I'm highly skeptical. Anyway, it just struck me -- Clint Eastwood would make an incredible Rorschach (though he is a bit too tall). I highly doubt they're going to get him though. I wonder what visual style they're going to go for.

[Kolzig]

Yeah, I read The Watchmen for the first time a few weeks ago while I was in UK. Such an excellent comic book, it's going to be impossible to turn that into a movie. For example, the story is way too long for just a two hour movie. You just can't cut it so short without leaving a lot of important stuff out.

[brkl]

I'm reading it again. I'd originally read an electronic version I downloaded (that's no fun, but the thing costs like 24€ here and $13 in the States), but now I ordered a bunch of Alan Moore's comics and other stuff from Amazon. It's really stunningly good. Somehow I can really relate to all the characters, even Manhattan and Rorschach (who is the most awesome comic book character ever). I don't know how Moore does that.

[Moosferatu]

Somehow I can really relate to all the characters, even Manhattan and Rorschach (who is the most awesome comic book character ever). I don't know how Moore does that.

Yeah, that chapter with Jon on Mars reminiscing about his past I think is my favorite chapter in the book. The way it all comes together is amazing.

[brkl]

I *just* read that bit. It's awesome. I almost get a little bit teary.

[vimes]

Years ago, the movie Watchmen was under Terry Gilliam direction... but the script was too long,the content too expansive and the director not reliable enough to be financed by Hollywood.

Now, it seems the script has been hugely reduced - yet approved by Moore - and is going to be made by Zack Snyder... who got the yet to be released 300, I don't know how to think about this project.

[Thrik]

God. I remember reading and really liking it years ago, but have totally forgot most of what happened in it.

Should probably get it again. :~

[loonyboi]

The watchmen movie is back on hold again, so you can relax for now.

I enjoyed V, but it could have been better. Much better. Also the scene at the end

where he professes his love for Evey

made me cringe.

[Roderick]

I don't think it could keep all the subtlety of the story and still be only two hours. The brilliance of Watchmen lay in the depth of the background material, those stories inbetween the chapters that added layers of meaning in all the characters.

Besides that, it's an absolutely fucking amazing story, Watchmen. A few weeks ago I read Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, expecting something with the same depth and was a bit disappointed. Watchmen really stands out as a brilliant piece of comic history. The build-up, and then that nuanced ending... Awesome.

[loonyboi]

Besides that, it's an absolutely fucking amazing story, Watchmen. A few weeks ago I read Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, expecting something with the same depth and was a bit disappointed. Watchmen really stands out as a brilliant piece of comic history. The build-up, and then that nuanced ending... Awesome.

TLoG isn't Watchmen or V quality, but it IS great stuff.

My favorite book by Moore will always be From Hell, I think. It's just such a crowning achievement for the medium. But that's followed closely by V and Watchmen.

[Moosferatu]

I enjoyed V, but it could have been better. Much better.

I just finished reading the graphic novel. I actually think they did a good job translating it into a movie. It stays true to the original story, but isn't afraid to make a few changes in order to make it work better as a movie. Having said that, yeah, they probably should have left out them falling in love. It also would have been nice if they hadn't beat you over the head with the symbolism. Other than that, it was quite good.

[Ben X]

Nic Cage for Rorschach, I say. He can do ugly and ginger, he's got the right physique and the laconic drawl.

I thought the V for Vendetta movie was okay, but everything, especially the politics, was simplified to the point of being facile, I thought. And V was too humanised for my taste.

[brkl]

I prefer Watchmen over V, which I read recently. The movie translation is surprisingly good and actually has stronger characters (with the exception of the Leader) than the comic book.

How were the politics simplified? They weren't exactly intricate in the comic book.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the comic book a lot.

[Moosferatu]

I prefer Watchmen over V, which I read recently. The movie translation is surprisingly good and actually has stronger characters (with the exception of the Leader) than the comic book.

How were the politics simplified? They weren't exactly intricate in the comic book.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the comic book a lot.

I thought the same thing. Finch's character in particular was a lot more interesting in the movie.

As for the politics, neither one was really all that complex, but I will say that another complaint that I have about the movie is that the government really doesn't seem all that terrible. Yeah, they killed a bunch of people, but since then what have they done? Forced people to watch tv? They really should have developed what was actually going on more.

[Kolzig]

My favorite book by Moore will always be From Hell, I think. It's just such a crowning achievement for the medium. But that's followed closely by V and Watchmen.

I always thought that the From Hell movie was ok, but after I read the Moore comic books for the first time, it just was so clear that the movie was crap compared to the comic. I'd buy all the FH comics for myself if I could find them somewhere with a relatively cheap price tag.

[loonyboi]

I always thought that the From Hell movie was ok, but after I read the Moore comic books for the first time, it just was so clear that the movie was crap compared to the comic. I'd buy all the FH comics for myself if I could find them somewhere with a relatively cheap price tag.

Just pick up the big giant collection.

I had all the individual issues, but sold them when I got rid of 99% of my comic collection (I did however hang on to my complete run of Taboo, which is where From Hell started...I'll never part with those).

[peb]

I remember Terry Gilliam saying awhile back that he thought the Watchmen would work best as a miniseries on TV rather than a big budget movie. I'm not sure what network would go for that (except maybe HBO), but it's an interesting idea.

The V for Vendetta movie was better than I thought it would be, but it still wasn't great. Alan Moore reportedly wanted nothing to do with it. Things that annoyed me about it:

- Natalie Portman's "English" accent (Can we just have Yank and Brit actors playing their own nationalities? Wasn't Keira Knightly available?)

- The Benny-Hill-style sequence on the TV show

- Street Fighting Man over the ending credits. Love the song, but it just seemed inappropriate

Need to read From Hell still.

[Thrik]

Pfft, if the accent sounds authentic enough for the Americans... ;

[elmuerte]

- The Benny-Hill-style sequence on the TV show

I liked that bit

[brkl]

Yeah, me too. I thought it demonstrated how that TV guy, I forget his name, wasn't really aware of how dangerous his government is. That character was also improved from the comic book

[elmuerte]

Yeah, me too. I thought it demonstrated how that TV guy, I forget his name, wasn't really aware of how dangerous his government is. That character was also improved from the comic book

I think he knew, but he thought they couldn't touch him without creating awareness amongst the rest of the country and that therefor he was safe.

[brkl]

... but he was wrong. Didn't understand how dangerous that was.

[peb]

Pfft, if the accent sounds authentic enough for the Americans... ;

I'm American and even I could tell it was crap.

I liked that bit

To me, it seemed to undermine the seriousness of the movie. I'm all for breaking up the drama with a light bit, but that seemed too ridiculous.

[elmuerte]

To me, it seemed to undermine the seriousness of the movie. I'm all for breaking up the drama with a light bit, but that seemed too ridiculous.

The seriousess of the movie was lost with V* monolog of V in the beginning of the movie.

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me v.

[loonyboi]

- Street Fighting Man over the ending credits. Love the song, but it just seemed inappropriate

That didn't bother me at all. Doesn't V quote the Stones repeatedly in the comic? I think he quotes from Sympathy for the Devil, but Street Fighting Man worked fine as an ending credits song. I mean it's better than having some pop band do an original song (Just imagine the theme music from Smallville *shudder*).