Between The Staples

Man I hate the wanna-be comics snobs that insist Watchmen is a Graphic novel and not in fact a comic, missing out entirely that its technically a trade paperback collection of a 12 issue comic book series.

I will watch this movie and *sigh* sadly probably enjoy it much the same way I did 300.
But there’s a part inside of me that is just flat out angry at how dumbed down a version of Watchmen this already is.

Snyder missed most a great many of the elements that makes 300 such a great comic, and has already shown Watchmen is in the exact same category of mass-audience rape-age.

Too bad they didn’t get Nolan for Watchmen or somebody of his caliber cause Dark Knight knocked me on my ass!

Dude, the trailer looks awesome.

This does raise a good question though: Should all comic series/graphic novels be made into a movie?

Something to ponder…

I fucking loved the hell out of this trailer and think y’all are being too nitpicky. The costume changes are sort of trying to nod at comic book movies, much as Watchmen had it’s nods to other comics.

The trailer doesn’t show the colors very well, but Ozymandias is in purple and gold in the other photos I’ve seen.

I’m not sure how a film told with most of the same dialogue and events is some how less intelligent. Dig deeper, read a couple Snyder interviews, and you’ll see they’re actually aiming at a direct adaptation with a few liberties taken. The ending is fully intact - something that wouldn’t happen if they were pandering to the average movie goer, that’s for freaking sure.

And just for the record I’m not telling anybody that’s excited for the movie they shouldn’t be.
Enjoy it all you want, and all the more power to you.
I’m just expressing why for ME, this is missing the ball.

I think we can all agree that it is safe to say, like most literary works… the movie will never be as good as the book.

Even if it this film is 2 and half hours long, it will be skin and bones compared to a 12 hour HBO series, which I had always envisioned would be the only way to pull this off. Each episode representing one comic and such.

Is this trailer successful? Will this help bring audiences to the show? Will this create hype? Get people taking? I’d say yes.
More importantly, will this encourage more people to seek out the “Graphic Novel”?
I’d be lying if I didn’t say yes. In fact, Elfsar Comics was cleaned out of all our Watchmen TP’s a short day after this trailer was released. To me, that’s what is most important, not just as being a proprietor of selling books but that more that people will be drawn to this wonderfully smart book and out seek more stories like this. Some may even be exposed to comics for the first time. I was upset to see that this film will not be attached to FCBD 2009. Instead it will be X-Men Origins Wolverine.

I’ll reserved judgment until after I see the film.
Who will be watching the Watchmen?

I will.

Sorry when I mean “the end of this” I mean, I wish the movie has come out, ppl act like they did after the 300, rant, rave and then… BE DONE WITH IT!

Happy Monday everyone,

I want to thank Elsar for his post. One, it wasn’t antagonistic, which mind you I’m not above being here but there’s a post above that goes past even my boundaries for a rant/argument. There’s getting a point across and then there’s being hostile.

Second, a thanks for rendering down what I was trying to get at in my ramble in one line: “like most literary works… the movie will never be as good as the book.” There it is in a nut shell. So why get angry and electronically scream about something we already know. Seriously expecting a movie adaptation to be word/scene perfect is unrealistic, and if you need to be belligerent about an unrealistic concept then you’re not being very sensible. Not to step on any major feelings here but holy crap get a grip.

Third and this is the most important. All I’ve seen so far of this movie is the official website and the trailer. And I’m knowledgeable of the movie industry enough to know that most times the trailers are made by a marketing company not the director of the movie. That trailer told me nothing about the film, it was my own knowledge from having read the comic that filled in missing information and created suppositions. Of course the trailer concentrated on the Special effects and the actions scenes, in Hollywood blockbuster land those are the things that pack the 10-15 year olds into the theater. Those are the things that sell tickets.

You and I have read the comic we know what a glorious story it is. Joe average movie go’er has no clue about the comic all he knows is there’s a movie coming out at sometime. Do you honestly think he wants to know that “The whole idea that a story whos primary focus is to comment on Nuclear proliferation, and Present Superheroes in as Mature a light as possible…”? Of course he doesn’t he just wants to know there will be fun explosions and tits in costumes punching people. To think otherwise is to fly in the face of statistically proven marketing.

Right, final thoughts. The trailer is not the movie, it is just a trailer. It does what a trailer is suppose to do, make people interested in the property. The movie is still out there waiting to be watched. Passing judgment on the movie before it has even been shown… unrealistic.

Oh and Ethan, congratulations on selling out on your stock of the TPB. Its good to see more people will have a chance to be entertained by it.

Whoa whoa whoa.

I was belligerent?
I simply defended my stance and asked for someone to not assume I’m not in the know.

Someone just told me to “dig deeper” when I’ve dug as far as there is to dig.

That was an unfair assumption to make of a freaky Watchmen head like myself.

I even made a specific post just to express and re-iterate that I’m not telling anybody that their opinion isn’t valid, and that I’m just expressing how I feel about Watchmen.
I happen to have a great deal of passion for the work.

Of course I’ve certainly not been offered the same concession, and have ya’ll telling me that my opinion is flat out “get a grip” worthy.

Yet I’ve also expressed that it’ll be a fun movie I’m sure, and even that I’m jealous of those who haven’t read the book.

But if you want to be passive aggressive and call me belligerent without naming names thats your perogative.

At least I’m not mincing words dude!

I might also add I’m a pretty friendly guy, and that this is the internet.

Theres no need to read hostility where none is intended.
Words are words, whats between them is generated by the imagination!

I apologize if feeling were hurt, but my credibility and understanding of the issue was flat out attacked and last I checked we all have a right to defend ourselves!

Get a grip?
I have a pretty solid one, but thanks for the tongue in cheek advice, and the assumption of emotional immaturity!

And really it seems that theres a mutual love of Watchmen here so why turn on one another?
I’m just doing what I always do and offer my straight up 100% from the gut opinion.

Lets take a step back folks and not make this about personal attacks.

(especially since they seem aimed at me! )

Anyways I’ll step away from this one and I apologize Robert for being the inadvertent cause of hostilities!

Sooooo… I saw Dark Knight on Monday, and finally saw the Watchmen trailer on the big screen. My opinion aside, there were a couple of ladies sitting right behind me that, as the trailer ended, I overheard say “Uh… I don’t get it.”
Now, my buddies and I (speaking about this after the movie) are fairly certain that they understood it was a superhero movie, but the plot was entirely lost on them. Watching the trailer again, I can see why. I personally know what the plot to Watchmen is, but many others who see the trailer prolly aren’t going to have a clue.
Which leads me to ask:
Do you think a more cohesive trailer should have been made (bearing in mind that the film is still nearly a year away), or do you think (as I do) that this pretty much for the fans. If it is mainly for the fans, than judging by the above posts it may be backfiring.

Anyways as I was speculating I don’t think the producers are in it to make movies for the fans, the occasional director might. Del Toro is on record on the DVD as saying he’s a fan, the director of Iron man was as well a fan. If Snyder is a fan I don’t know, although he has said in interviews that he’s doing his best to be true to the material. Will he, has he? we’ll find out.

The trailer doesn’t really tell us, does it? Which leads to your other question, should there have been a more cohesive trailer? I’d say yes. I think we’re all hoping this movie will be good, like Dark Knight good, but we dread that it won’t. So we want the trailer to allay our fears, prove to us that the movie’s not going to suck. I felt that while waiting for the Iron man trailer and Hellboy 2. I feel that now.

The trailer did what it was suppose to, let Joe Public know there’s another superhero movie coming soon and it’s got boobs and explosions in it. Later on hopefully we’ll get another trailer that will tell them that it also has a poignant social commentary story arc within it as well as some of the greatest characters ever created. And then maybe we’ll breath easier.

(Or we’ll continue to hate the re-vamped costumes and let that get in the way. Warmth and love to you Robert while at SDCC and I’m not. )