Timewaster's Guide Archive
Departments => Movies and TV => Topic started by: 42 on July 24, 2004, 03:22:50 PM
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Well, it's official, there is a Watchmen movie in the works. The have the guy who penned X2 working on the script right now.
So, opinions?
Personally, I think if that got some older more established actors and really focused on some of the characters, it could be a great movie. Chances are they will kill it by trying to make it into an action flick with old people.
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This is like the seventh or eighth time since 1986 that they have tried for a Watchmen film. It aint official until you see it on the screen.
My vote: William H. Macy as Rorschach.
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They need to put Christofer Walken in it as well, just beacsue every movie should have Christofer Walken .
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Ok, I have never heard of Watchmen. Someone give me or point me to a summary?
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If you want a very brief, thumbnail idea, go to the International Movie Data Base and look up Watchmen. It is really hard to understand the entire appeal of Watchmen from just a couple of sentances, though. I really suggest you go down to any comic book store and ask for the Watchman trade paperback. It is a sure thing that they will have it. It is very much worth the price to read it.
Basically, Watchmen is what superhero comics SHOULD be.
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well I looked at the IMDB thing. Alternatively, I could stick with my Hellboy plan, which is to go to the movie knowing as little about it as possible so I can enjoy seeing a movie where I don't know what's going to happen.
:)
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Actually, there is a lot of merit to that approach......
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I remember seeing my War & Lit teacher using a big ole Watchmen book in his Comics as Literature course. Guess I'll be picking that one up sometime.
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Ok, Watchmen is amazing
But saying that Watchmen is superheroes as the SHOULD be is missing the point, I think. Watchmen is what Superheroes would have been had they not jumped over most laws of physics (only one character is actually super-powered) and it took place in 1980's cold war.
It's more about what WE would do if Superheroes were among us, and it's done better than say, Marvel's takes on it.
Anyway, I'd see a movie adaptation, but only if it were faithful. I don't think many changes to it would be appropriate. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't know that I"m interested in an adaptation. there was too much comic industry internal reference and usage of the actual format for me to be particularly interested in a film. I'll just re-read the book. THat's not to say an adaptation COULDN'T be done well, but I see the newspaper stand scenes being extremely boring on screen, and the flashbacks being confusing.
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See, I actually think they could clarify some things in a film format. Using different lens filters could help keep the different eras straight. Some good actors could add a lot, particularly in the way of inflection, to the newspaper scenes. And some good montages to depict the newspaper clipping and journal entries.
Course this leads me to the conclusion that Watchmen could only be done well if it were done as a in-depth prestige film that show-cases a lot of talent rather than a summer action/thriller flick. My pick for director would be M. Night Shyamalan. He would definitely do it justice.
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My personal opinion is that Watchmen was great until it ended, at which point it completely sucked. That was the dumbest ending I've ever read in, well, just about anything--it didn't conclude or resolve or pay off anything, it just stopped. Right up to the last chapter, though, it was exceptionally well-done.
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I agree, 42. if someone can do it justice, it's Shyamalan.
I disagree with you Fell. Of course they don't resolve anything. They're not supposed to. It's life. It's about the compromises REAL people have to make that Superheroes appear to be immune to.
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But they didn't even make compromises--they just stopped. It didn't work for me at all.
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hrm... I disagree with that assessment of the ending. Some of them have decided to become heroes again, they have to choose if they allow the brainy guy to do his thing, etc.
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Well, Watchmen has a director now, again. Same guy who directed Bourne Supremacy.
Still not a garantee, but it is one step closer to actually happening.
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I would have to agree with Fell, the ending just stopped. I loved the comic until the very end, where I was left in disappointment. If they were going to have end nowhere, they could at least make a sequel. I was pissed with what happened to good ole Rorschach. He was the man.
It will be interesting to see how the movie turns out. I'm very interested to see the choice of actors.
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I disagree with Fell and MoreDew. Watchmen ended in a very appropriate manner. Things didn't end, they just moved on. A tight ending would that answered everyone's questions and resolved all the conflicts would have just felt forced and fake. Part of the problem is that the characters couldn't resolve the problems they faced, so they dealt with them the best way they could at the time and then moved on to other things. It's actually quite realistic, but not very dramatic.
I think the now chosen director is going to have to be willing to work with the anti-climatic elements if he is to pull of a successful version of Watchmen. As I said before, taking the film into the pure action/adventure realm will kill it.
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I was pissed with what happened to good ole Rorschach. He was the man.
This is called "tragedy" my friend. Note that some of the greatest works of literature ever are tragedies. Oedipus, Hamlet, and so forth.
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indeed, it was very tragic.
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I decided to resurrect this old thread because I'm interested in your casting ideas. Kevin Spacey would be great, I think, as either Rorschach or Night Owl (or whatever his name was, I forget). I've got someone on the tip of my tongue for the Happy Face guy, too, but for the life of me I can't remember his name.
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Night Owl is the correct name. The "happy face guy" is The Comedian. Kevin Spacey would be good as Rorshach, but so would Gary Oldman.
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Yeah, he would do a good job. So would Tim Roth.
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Kevin Bacon! Kevin Bacon should play the newsstand guy.
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Pretty cool interview with the director: http://chud.com/interviews/1914
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I'm liking this director so far. He's spoke to every concern I've had. Now I just want to see his cast list, and then later some visuals. I'm looking forward to this film. I think/hope it will be a landmark in the superhero genre. It has the potential to show that Superheroes can be just as relevant to the life and issues we're in as any other genre.
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And now our hopes are dashed: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=204780
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you killed it! You jerks! You blew it all up!