Just in case you were concerned Alan Moore’s disdain for Hollywood had lessened since, oh, let’s say July, The Los Angeles Times lays those worries to rest.
“I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying,” Moore tells Geoff Boucher. “It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The Watchmen film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I, for one, am sick of worms. Can’t we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change.”
Regurgitated worms. And that — I’m guessing — is before he read this interview with actor Patrick Wilson, who plays Nite Owl in the Watchmen movie adaptation. It seems there’s an option in his contract for a sequel. Sure, it’s a standard clause, but I imagine it’s enough to make Moore tug out his beard.
Oh, who am I kidding? Moore doesn’t strike me as a regular visitor to MTV.com.
In any case, the writer isn’t so sure the first movie will be hitting theaters next March.
“Will the film even be coming out?” he asks Boucher. “There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it’s been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come.”
September 19th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Testing 1 2 3
September 19th, 2008 at 11:03 am
I, for one, wish that people would stop getting quotes from Alan Moore about films based on his books or even film in general. It’s become quite tiresome and if he has no interest in the adaptations, then people should stop asking him about them.
Honestly, I think he has some good points and his creations have been bastardaized many times, but to be “spitting venom” all over a movie that he’s never seen and had no involvement in making just makes him sound as childish as your average internet comics fan saying that a comic will suck after seeing a preview image from it.
If he has no interest in the movies, then (a) why does he keep talking about them and (b) why do we care about his opinion on them?
September 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
He keeps talking about them because people keep asking him about them. If reporters would stop asking these questions, it would come up less.
My fellow reporters: The answer isn’t changing, he still hates the movie adaptations. Find some new questions.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I can’t wait until this one goes the way of League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and the fanboys will shut up and pretend they never were creaming themselves over it.
I’m with Moore, people who adapt his comics and who want them adapted MISS THE POINT of his work in comics.
THE FORM IS IMPORTANT. By acting as if the only way it can be recognized is to adapt it into a more popular form PISSES ON NOT ONLY MOORE BUT ON THE FORM.
I’ve never read a comic and thought “That would make a great movie!” and if you do, you are reading comics wrong.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Thanks oh so much for your sage words of wisdom, ElCoyote Prophet. Starting tomorrow, I will read all my comics the “correct” way.
Sheesh.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I agree, per my first paragraph. At this point it’s just a way to get a snarky comment out of the cranky old comics writer curmudgeon, ho ho ho.
I would think he would object to being exploited that way, quite frankly, which makes me think he likes to be asked the questions and is gleeful at the movies’ failures. How is that kind of thing at all productive for any party involved?
So, yes, find some new questions, like, what’s he working on now?
September 20th, 2008 at 12:00 am
For the record, it’s Joe Lawler that I agree with.
September 20th, 2008 at 2:00 am
If he wants to spit venom on the movies of the stories he was screwed out of the rights of then I’m for it. Though, why these reporters think his answer is going to change in a month’s time when it hasn’t changed in years is beyond me. But yes, I too find it delightfully ironic.
September 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I dont understand why Spiderman movies are okay with newsarama commenters, but a Watchmen movie is bastardizing the form.
September 20th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
SLUGGO said:
“I agree, per my first paragraph.”
Umm, Sluggo, you’re first paragraph was “”Testing 1 2 3
which really isn’t a paragraph
which I’m sure Alan Moore would also agree with if you had a reporter ask him.
September 21st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Very cute. Sorry for the “Testing 1 2 3″, but it’s a necessity given the amount of times I’ve typed a long post only to have it not show up.