Oh this will make for good convo too.

Dark Lord · Oh this will make for good convo too.

http://movies.apple.com/movies/wb/watchmen/watchmen-tlr1_h720p.mov

Who's watching the Watchmen trailer?

brettness37

I worked on it for a few weeks, and everything I saw was awesome, very faithful to the original work, though I was only there for about 1/6th of principal photography. They had to cut some stuff out for theatrical, from what I understand, but the Super Special Edition DVD will be amazing if the rumours are true.

Dark Lord

I heard that the black freighter stuff will be on the DVD only...and will be anime

Not sure how I feel about that.

So far some things get me excited and some things get me annoyed. I have heard a rumor that in the film 'the plan' is thwarted by Nite Owl. Nothing I have seen so far denies that fact. In fact, Nite Owl's Batman-like visage in the film only confirms it...if indirectly.

So if that is true there is nothing that they can do to impress me.

If they stay true to the original message of the book, and the theme Alan Moore was trying to get across still resonates...I will overlook small incidentals like a muscular Nite Owl.

Although the fight scene in the jail seemed unfamiliar and my book is upstairs...was that in the story? I can't remember.

I guess I need to reread it.

Dark Lord

I just spit soda all over my screen!

Thom

When I saw that trailor I just about creamed. . .

I have been dreaming of a Watchmen movie forever, often heard rumors but now to see something actually on film is very exciting. . .

I just hope they don't screw it all up, The Watchmen are one of the greatest comicbook stories ever told and they deserve only the best on screen too. . . .

Dark Lord

skatingtortoise

/me gets new underwear.

so far i like everything ive seen of this.

all the changes are in all honesty, necessary to avoid it looking, well...crap.

things that work for an 80's comic wont necessarily fit in with a modern film.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Thom

My PC has never been good with Quicktime video, so I had to download it and convert it to WMV to watch it seamlessly, deffinately worth doing!

Yeah, this one excites me alot.

jmw23

I read an interview in the most recent Entertainment Weekly with the director, and he mentions that the ending of the book caused a fight with the studio execs who wanted to change it. It sounds to me as though it will remain the same, though there was mention of a change in the final confrontation. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Dark Lord

I heard what that supposed change was and if it is what they went with it will utterly ruin the entire point of the novel.

If they change it to what I heard the movie will have nothing more than masturbation. Utterly without soul or content and reduced to a hollow popcorn flick.

If that happens, it doesn't matter how spot on the visuals are. The movie is ruined. And not ruined in a "there weren't any elves at Hem's Deep!" kind of way but ruined in a "Frodo keeps the ring, becomes Sauron and through his superpowers brings peace and flowers to Middle Earth" kind of way.

skatingtortoise

agreed.

any other ending wouldnt make sense really, with the good doctor strolling around converting atoms at will.

danny devito for Big Figure :D (i wish)

Thom

I always wanted to see the sequel with Dr Manhattan going off into his own little niche realm and creating humans & superhumans of his own as an experimantal case study. . .

Then. . . What if: One day Dr Manhattans humans came to earth?

Dark Lord

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=32546

Woot! I thought that sucker was CGI! Oh yeah! I needs to see me some Archimedes in person!!

skatingtortoise

for all UK enthusiasts, EMPIRE magazine has a big Watchmen article this month. will give more details after ive had a proper read.

Dark Lord

Do you have a scanner or the ability to scan the article?

brettness37

Dark Lord

It would be cool to see it at Gencon, but I won't hold my breath. I don't think that GC is the right venue for it, plus I haven't heard anything.

skatingtortoise

hmm... just read it through again, doesnt seem like theres anything new apart from some new stills.

one interesting thing is that theyre having trouble keeping the timing down because snyder and the cast keep putting bits in that they find in the novel :D

looks like theyre doing it with a 'can-do' attitude, which i like.

Dark Lord

So the rumor (the confirmed by Snyder rumor) is that the ending is in fact changed.

****SPOILERS**************************

Instead of sacrificing New York City to a genetically created exploding squid alien thing, to unite the rest of the world, apparently Ozy has created a machine to mimic Dr. Manhattan's powers and sets off blue nukes all over the world...sacrificing the rest of the world to unite the rest of the world against Dr. Manhattan. The the Doc leaves.

So let me get this straight we sacrificed the whole world to unite the whole world against Dr. Manhattan. So then Dr. Manhattan leaves the Earth and the what? The world just continues to be peaceful? Even though it's in nuclear winter and completely Road Warrior time?

WTF? What about Rorshach's journal? Is anyone still alive to read it?

I'm so f***ing angry about this that I just don't even want to rant about it.
I want to throw a brick with a squid tied to it through Zach Snyder's window.

Thom

Well lets wait until we see it bro!

Dark Lord

I probably won't watch it. This has been confirmed as the ending.

IMO changing the ending to Watchmen just spits in the face of that book.

More than anything it makes me sad. Watchmen isn't just men in tights jumping around and creating action packed panels for action's sake. It has something to say. It's designed to make you think because the story was carefully put together in a thought provoking way; it's perfect.

Changing the ending, changes the message and in this case I would say negates it.

If there is no alien monster, then why is Eddie Blake killed? You see? You can't just change the ending without changing the beginning. All of the stories are linked in to the end, and the revelations at the end of the book require the circumstances that led up to them to maintain the continuity.

Because of its design if you alter one thing in Watchmen you have to retroactively alter several things...possibly everything! Every change creates a ripple effect and soon you have different moral (or none) altogether.
Zach Snyder was so caught up in making the fine little details correct that he missed the big picture.
Who cares if Rorshach is wearing the right style trenchcoat, or if Archimedes has its cigarette light if the entire moral of the story is changed?

Okay not only that, but part of what made Ozy's plan have so much impact was the complete carnage he created. The absolute overload of gore and destruction that was caused. Remember blood was literally running in the streets and mangled corpses were everywhere.

Now we get a bright flash and some bodies turning to dust. Yawn. Seen a 1000 times stating with T2 back in 1991. It won't have even a quarter of the impact on the audience that it should.
He just made Watchmen-Lite.

Idiot.
edit: (him, not you.

)

Darkson

Hmm - that really doesn't sound good.

Stout Youngblood

Alas, if true (and I don't doubt it) then it is just another Alan Moore story destroyed. No wonder he refuses to have his name attached to any movie made from his work.

Dark Lord

I enjoyed V for Vendetta's movie. Sure they changed some stuff from the graphic novel, but I feel that they kept it true to the novel, while simultaneously making it relevant for the current climate.
Everything was there and intact. Moore's reaction to it, baffles me.

I don't think the same will be said for Watchmen.

As far as From Hell, Constantine & The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen they are all pretty mediocre IMHO. The film versions are watered down and then spoon fed to the brutish herd who is too lazy in the brain to read a comic book.

Nyarlathotep

Heh. They used to say that reading comic books would make you soft in the head.

Pretty sad commentary on the state of Hollywood, isn't it?

Dark Lord

People who don't read make me sad. I know more than one person who is "a HUUUGE fan of Lord of the Rings" but if you say the name Tom Bombadil to them they look at you like a deer in headlights. "Who?"

Just the other day I was talking to a close friend and we realized that we had both read and loved Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. The other friend in the room just couldn't understand how a book about children could be not only cool, but not for children. We tried to encourage him to read it and he declined and says he'll wait for the movie.

Dumass. That will be a long wait for a big let down. I DREAD DREAD DREDD what that movie will look like.

Nyarlathotep