I've been looking there, seen a lot of cool reviews, but nothing on the flame.I'll keep looking, it's a fun place to surf.
I've been looking there, seen a lot of cool reviews, but nothing on the flame.
Can't find it anywhere, would you mind posting it with spoiler tags?
"It's the Watchmen movie you always wanted to see but never expected to get."
GAAAHHHH!! I can't wait!!!
Does anyone know if you can reserve IMAX tickets through their website, or do you have to buy them at the theater?
Originally Posted by feverishparade
"It's the Watchmen movie you always wanted to see but never expected to get."
GAAAHHHH!! I can't wait!!!
Does anyone know if you can reserve IMAX tickets through their website, or do you have to buy them at the theater?
I checked and (at least here in my area) they are not allowing advance purchases until the 1st or 2nd. You have to keep checking.
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Thanks for the help, merlin!
The figure that's supposed to be hidden in the blue flame as an easter egg isSpoiler:.
VERY disturbing quote from Snyder last night on a TV special:
"If Superman were real, he'd gather all the world leaders together and say 'Behave, or I'll kill you.' "
First of all, NO HE WOULDN'T. There have been countless stories about that very dilemma, and he always chooses NOT to do that, and even stands up to Batman when HE starts acting that way in "The Dark Knight Returns" , which Snyder says he's read.
Secondly, if the ending is what I think it is, that's not done by a hero in the movie either. I'm really trying to get behind this movie, and I DO think i'll enjoy it, (until the final sequence starts, anyway), but Snyder just rubs me the wrong way.
I read the GN, and I must say that this is one comic film that I am not looking forward to. I didn't enjoy the book. It wasn't a great read, it wasn't anything that I found to be really compelling either. It took me quite a while to force myself to finish it. That hasn't happened to me in a very long time with any book, novel or comic. I'll be waiting for the dvd and may wait even longer.
Margaret Emmie Mackey Catoe, you are, have been, and always will be my soulmate, and I love you.
Con todo mi corazon, por todo de mis dias. And I always will, in this life and into the next.
August 2, 1947 - September 24, 2010
I'm hoping the movie version of this will be easier for me to understand.
We're seeing it for sure and I don't say that about many movies.
The kindness of close friends is like a warm blanket
It should be, but I'd caution that people seeing the simpler explanations and then thinking, "So THAT'S what was going on in the subtext of the comic" will be very wrong.I'm hoping the movie version of this will be easier for me to understand.
So true.
Margaret Emmie Mackey Catoe, you are, have been, and always will be my soulmate, and I love you.
Con todo mi corazon, por todo de mis dias. And I always will, in this life and into the next.
August 2, 1947 - September 24, 2010
Wow. This thread had been pretty much died and suddenly it has an explosion of posts.
I am becoming a little more skeptical of how this movie will turn out but, that being said, I still can't wait to go and judge for myself. I hope it is good enough that I can recommend it to friends who typically would not watch a "comic-book" movie.
ONE WEEK!!
This time next week I should be on line with a cup of coffee in hand and my wife by my side.
I now know I don't have to work and I'm feelin' groovy.
Insert witty comment here.
Watchmen AU Review
The movie you always wanted to see but never expected to get.
by Patrick Kolan, IGN AU
Australia, February 23, 2009 - What is Alan Moore thinking right now? Is he Googling headlines, perhaps browsing forums and taking in the early consensus on a project that many said could never be properly adapted to screen? Does he care in the slightest? Should this matter? It's his baby, after all; a story he committed to the ink press more than 20 years ago that has never been more timely than this moment in the unsettled and frantic year of 2009.
Turns out, it wasn't impossible to do Watchmen justice on-screen – it just took a long time, many different points of view, scripts drafted and deals done and dusted. Moore's 338 pages have been condensed into 150-odd minutes of the finest super-hero movie ever made, hands down. Zack Snyder is the man who accomplished it, but Alan Moore was the artisan author who made it possible. Hopefully, if Alan Moore is thinking anything at this moment, it's a small concession of thanks to a director who really did right by him – and by the fans who sat aside and waited, wanting and hoping.
If it could be said that The Dark Knight legitimised comic book films with a level of maturity and sophistication that caught cynics off-guard, then Watchmen cements comic book films of this calibre as equals among any other, irrespective of genre.
The United States is on the brink of all-out nuclear war with Russia. 'Tricky Dick' Nixon remains in power, his gnarled and ageing finger hovering over the Red Button that ends the world. Super-heroes and masked vigilantes, after decades of notoriety and mixed reactions from the public, are on the way out, as congress signs a bill outlawing super-heroics. Everyone is alienated. People in the streets are powerless to improve their situation, and that creates anger and volatility – aggression that eventually embroils the main characters in the world of Alan Moore's Watchmen, faithfully and carefully adapted to screen.
Rorschach sits at the heart of the tale. Someone is systematically targeting super-heroes and Rorschach wants answers. His is an anti-hero for the ages – classically flawed, motivated by his own need to clean up the streets – and appease his turmoil – by any means necessary. He dons his 'face' – a constantly shifting Rorschach pattern that hides Walter Kovacs, played superbly by actor Jackie Earle Haley. He is, as is every other character in this adaptation, perfectly realised and uncompromisingly accurate – down to his speech patterns and short, scrawny build. Watching Earl Hayley's dark eyes and shock of red hair as you listen to his gravel voice draws you into some of the most powerful moments in the film – particularly recollections of his downward spiral into uncompromising violence. His diary entries, scattered throughout the story and capping both ends of the film, narrate his investigation into the murder of The Comedian (the always charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan) –a chaotic steam-train of testosterone who laughs at life if only to keep from crying.
As the Doomsday Clock inches closer to midnight, the tale eventually pulls together two retired heroes – Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II, along with Doctor Manhattan – a man-made-god who insists he isn't. Between these three, an emotional core is forged throughout the film. Once again, Snyder displays his knack for provocative visuals; Nite Owl II, played by Patrick Wilson, is the soft-faced, weak-chinned hero, pulled straight from the pages. Wilson's slightly downturned lips and the gentleness of his delivery captures the character precisely. Malin Ackerman's Silk Spectre II, daughter of the classically beautiful 40s-era Silk Spectre, puts in a solid performance. Her delivery does falter occasionally, but during her intimate scenes with Nite Owl II, there is genuine chemistry and warmth.
Perhaps the most surprising performance comes from Billy Crudup as Doctor Manhattan. Crudup, who is only visible in the flesh for a few short sequences, adds a gentleness to a humanoid rapidly losing touch with humanity. His undistorted voice maintains an almost monotonous tone throughout much of the film; it's so passive that it's almost serene, suggesting the mindset of a being who knows all the answers the universe hides from the rest of us.
Rendered entirely in CG, this is the perfectly proportioned blue wonder brought to life with striking realism. A few small liberties are taken – he has a bigger penis, for one, and a slightly translucent cast to his skin – but the dignity and other-worldly presence is there. Snyder also gives this incredible character a generous nod by preserving much of his mid-story monologue. Every character has enough screen time to provide audiences with solid back-story, but you really do feel for both Rorschach and Doctor Manhattan the most.
Then there's Ozymandias, the world's smartest man seated atop the largest and wealthiest corporation on the planet. How he factors into the story is something best left for you to discover. Matthew Goode, who portrays Ozymandias, is the only character who seems a slightly miscast. He has the clean-cut edge to his image, but lacks the screen presence his character demands. He's a fine actor, perhaps a little mumbly at times, but never the enormously powerful and persuasive figure that you want to see. He's also not a natural blonde, which makes the roots of his facial hair look out of place, which can be distracting.
Ask most people about their thoughts on The Cold War or the place of science and theology in government and you'll likely get a few blank looks. Watchmen circles around these themes, throwing in sexuality, rape, murder, relationships, family, responsibility and humanity into a story arc that jumps through time periods, contexts and order. By shying away from traditions of the super-hero genre, the Watchmen story stood out. But the real question is, will audiences take as much away from the film, which digests and condenses a whole hell of a lot into two-and-a-half hours, as those who have read the novel beforehand?
It's an important question and one that clearly Snyder considered too. He answers it by providing you with a beautifully shot titles montage that takes you through the rise of street heroes and super-heroes, their fame and infamy and eventual decline. He weaves world history into their presence in society. Suddenly JFK's assassination takes on a whole new light; with a super-being on the US' side, the Vietnam War ends smoothly and quickly, while Richard Nixon keeps office for many years to come. It's an intelligent way of trying to bring viewers up to speed within the limits of cinema.
Snyder shoots his sequences, both action-filled and passive exchanges, with tight choreography to ensure he replicates the source material as closely as possible, while still being palatable to cinemagoers. As demonstrated in 300, Snyder is a master of composing a scene or sequence for maximum visual effect. Fights are graphic, often far more impactful and grotesque than originally rendered on page. Bones snap through skin, a man's head is repeatedly cleaved with sickening viscerality – and yet, it is handled delicately, not indiscriminately. Every time Doctor Manhattan extends his pulsating blue arm and blows someone apart, it's within the context that Alan Moore created. The violence is graphic in the comic, and Snyder emulates it with horrific precision. For fans, it's a relief that Watchmen does not pull its punches.
There's a gritty texture to the settings that, when complemented by a colour scheme of purples, oranges, yellows and blues, really manages to capture both the era of the setting and the colouration of the original comic pages. Some liberties are taken here and there – but largely the sequences closely mirror the actions of the panels. For those put off by 300's overuse of slow-motion to emphasise and imitate still frames of illustration, Watchmen keeps this to a minimum, and the film's pace is better for it.
The score must be mentioned because it provides yet another angle for fans to appreciate. Alan Moore quotes lyrics from Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Elvis Costello and Sidney Claire, capping off each issue and also figuratively scoring his words in the minds of readers. Watchmen integrates these tunes, along with a handful of other era-appropriate pieces. The background music, original compositions by Tyler Bates, takes gentle guitar licks and blends them with soft reverb. At other times, the tone shifts to synth keys and street pop beats. If a comparison could be drawn, Watchmen's score sidles up against Vangelis' work for Blade Runner. It's evocative stuff that feels suitably worn.
Critically, Watchmen succeeds because it retains the most important sequences in the novel – moments that flesh out the back story and depth of the characters, rather than simply throwing another explosion at you or splattering a wall with gore – though, there are certainly plenty of moments like this. In fact, I'll elaborate a little more; the greatest success that Zack Snyder can proudly call his was the careful selection of essential plot threads, tied together with clever editing and dialogue either directly lifted from the source or alluding as closely as possible to it.
(Jackie Earle Haley's portrayal of the damaged anti-hero Rorchach steals scenes with his powerful and often violent performance.)
The last 30 minutes of the film are arguably Watchmen's weakest – though, 'weak' is a relative term for a film as consistently excellent as this. The pace falters just a little bit, and there's a sense that some of the build-up towards the climax goes to waste. Two critical changes are made to the original storyline, but they lead to the same outcome. It's strange, but in some ways, the film actually ties together some plot points that Moore never capitalised on – you'll understand when you see it. Is it a better ending? Is it more 'Hollywood'? That's a matter of personal preference, and one best left to the forums. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. The mood and the sentiment are preserved and it's arguably a better fit for the screen.
It's the Watchmen movie you always wanted to see but never expected to get. Snyder's Watchmen is a celebration of how films can add worthwhile dimensions to a beloved story – at all times reverent to the original, but careful to remind us that costumes and masks are never as colourful as the people underneath.
I am pissed! I just found out that I will be oncall for work for the whole first week that Watchmen is out .... that means no movies for me !!! Blast it !!!!
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
It's alright Pam, I'll tell you how it is...
Oh, I am completely going to be living vicariously through this thread until I get to go!
Rely on it !
( PS - I actually have time scheduled off so I don't miss the opening of Wolverine! )
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Got my Imax Tix today for next Saturday showing!!!!!
Woot!!!
28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
I dont have a job so I'm not going to get to see this film unless I get one like NOW
if the worlds gonna end then let's get it over with, i got shit to do
Well, at least you get to go opening week ( trying to look on the bright side for you )I dont have a job so I'm not going to get to see this film unless I get one like NOW
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
I've got some filming to do from 5PM till 1AM on the 6th, and a show the next night.I'll catch it when I can.
I am super curious as to what I'll think of this movie.
The first trailer blew me away. The second made me question...
I've seen a few clips on the net that make it look just awesome, and a couple of clips that make me cringe. The Night Owl clip with Silk, busting into the prison was awesome I thought.
I think I may be wanting the movie to be exactly like the graphic novel, and Dr. Manhattan's voice isn't anything like I imagined it to be in the book and Veidt went from a tough looking fellow to a bit of a dandy. Little crap like that is going to ruin this movie for me if I don't get my head together. I'm going to focus, just go in with a good attitude, not compare it to the graphic novel and enjoy it or hate it for what it is.
What I'm going to do is go to the movie and enjoy it for what it is: Watchmen on the big screen.
When the directors cut DVD comes out with the extra forty minutes back in, that I will compare to the GN.
Clacke - That is so me! I always look at comic book movies ( especially ) this way. I go in expecting to get the cool extra footage on the DVD later on!
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Finally got a chance to read through that review and now I'm even more excited!
I must say though, I sure hope the ending isn't a major disappointment - especially with the review saying the last 30 minutes are the film's weakest...
We shall see!
IN 6 DAYS!
Also - here's the full soundtrack listing.
I'm interested to see where they put these in the movie...
1. Desolation Row (My Chemical Romance)
2. Unforgettable (Nat King Cole)
3. The Times They Are A-Changin' (Bob Dylan)
4. The Sound Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
5. Me & Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
6. I'm Your Boogie Man (KC & The Sunshine Band)
7. You're My Thrill (Billie Holiday)
8. Pruit Igoe & Prophecies (Philip Glass)
9. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
10. All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix)
11. Ride of the Valkyries (Budapest Symphony Orchestra)
12. Pirate Jenny (Nina Simone)
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