Comments on: My thoughts on the Watchmen movie http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/03/my-thoughts-on-the-watchmen-movie/ The Blog@ Team and prominent comics personalities share what’s on their minds. Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Pip http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/03/my-thoughts-on-the-watchmen-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-453778 Pip Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:38:35 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=10165#comment-453778 I'll make 2 short and simple points: 1) If it won't be Watchmen, then it is a marketing ploy. A title to draw people in, take their money and give them not what they expect. A lie, a scam, a fraud, a crime. 2) You cannot tell that story in two hours. Nor in 3 hours. The traditional movie format cannot possibly ever be enough to tell the tale properly. Movies as a medium of telling a story are over rated and so constrained by time that I'm surprised it's still a viable money making venture. Nothing longer than a short story should ever be made into a movie, unless it is a children's book or pulp. I could go on and on, but really I want to stand in front of the theater at midnight opening night, dressed as Kovacs holding a sign that reads "It's going to suck. Go home and save $20." I’ll make 2 short and simple points:
1) If it won’t be Watchmen, then it is a marketing ploy. A title to draw people in, take their money and give them not what they expect. A lie, a scam, a fraud, a crime.

2) You cannot tell that story in two hours. Nor in 3 hours. The traditional movie format cannot possibly ever be enough to tell the tale properly. Movies as a medium of telling a story are over rated and so constrained by time that I’m surprised it’s still a viable money making venture. Nothing longer than a short story should ever be made into a movie, unless it is a children’s book or pulp.

I could go on and on, but really I want to stand in front of the theater at midnight opening night, dressed as Kovacs holding a sign that reads “It’s going to suck. Go home and save $20.”

]]> By: Kimota94 http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/03/my-thoughts-on-the-watchmen-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-453772 Kimota94 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:16:39 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=10165#comment-453772 I used to believe that "Watchmen" was filmable, but only if they did it as a series of episodes, ala "Roots" or (more recently) "Band of Brothers". That format, where there'd be 12 episodes and each issue would get the full hour (or two) that it deserved, would've allowed a screen writer and director to really figure out how to translate what made the 32 pages in each issue work from page to screen. And I would've loved to have seen that happen. Instead, as much as I admire Zack Snyder's intention of staying true to the original source, I think we're going to get a mess that inspires laughs at all the wrong moments. I hope I'm wrong. But the trailers to date have filled me with trepidation and a sort of "Oh, God, does Snyder not realize how stupid that looks?" reaction. I used to believe that “Watchmen” was filmable, but only if they did it as a series of episodes, ala “Roots” or (more recently) “Band of Brothers”. That format, where there’d be 12 episodes and each issue would get the full hour (or two) that it deserved, would’ve allowed a screen writer and director to really figure out how to translate what made the 32 pages in each issue work from page to screen. And I would’ve loved to have seen that happen.

Instead, as much as I admire Zack Snyder’s intention of staying true to the original source, I think we’re going to get a mess that inspires laughs at all the wrong moments. I hope I’m wrong. But the trailers to date have filled me with trepidation and a sort of “Oh, God, does Snyder not realize how stupid that looks?” reaction.

]]> By: Jim Yost http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/03/my-thoughts-on-the-watchmen-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-453710 Jim Yost Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:47:54 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=10165#comment-453710 I agree, the movie is not going to be Watchmen as we know it, but then anything that's not on paper (or a representation of the paper, as in the motion comic I haven't read)wouldn't be. I think what we're likely to get is a pretty faithful adaptation of (The Architects of Fear)+ Superheroes + (Alternate 1985)... Which is not that far off from the STORY of Watchmen. Basically, I think it's got a shot of being as faithful as the most faithful of novel to movie adaptations - the nuance and depth gets left in the book, but the skeleton and essential look is retained. So, I guess what it comes down to is I think you're right that it won't be exactly Watchmen, but it could be Watchmen. I agree, the movie is not going to be Watchmen as we know it, but then anything that’s not on paper (or a representation of the paper, as in the motion comic I haven’t read)wouldn’t be. I think what we’re likely to get is a pretty faithful adaptation of (The Architects of Fear)+ Superheroes + (Alternate 1985)… Which is not that far off from the STORY of Watchmen. Basically, I think it’s got a shot of being as faithful as the most faithful of novel to movie adaptations – the nuance and depth gets left in the book, but the skeleton and essential look is retained. So, I guess what it comes down to is I think you’re right that it won’t be exactly Watchmen, but it could be Watchmen.

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