Watchmen

Paroxysm · 2006-12-26, 04:03

I got Alan Moore's Watchmen yesterday for christmas and just finished it. Now aside from an initial "Holy Fuck" I mainly wanted to talk about the current plans of a feature film adaptation.

Are they fucking stupid?

Firstly this has to be the MOST filmable material I've ever seen. It's probably the most cinematic graphic novel I've read. It seems already paced as if it were to be filmed. Every cutaway shown and constructed in a way that is only possible in a visual language. Infact I'd almost say this would be the most dial it in job a director ever had to do. Pretty much everything is already there and proven to work.

Of course this would require it to be 10 hours long.

Easiest mini series ever really.

So why the fuck do they want to feature film it? You know it's probably not to hard to plow through the narrative skipping the small things except of course the overall narrative isn't all that special. It's ALL about the little details in the relationships between these people.

Plus that the book seems almost entirely dialogue driven and that certainly doesn't work for the big budget (which it would surely have to be) superhero going public... which of course means the adding of big action set pieces to compensate for that. Why bother?

Anyway Just a random rant here today

Acutally I'll be very pleased if someone can pull it off. It just seems so obviously suited to a miniseries format if they insist on filming it.

Currently Zack Snyder of the forgettable Dawn of the Dead (2005) and promising 300 adaptation is attached to direct (although since many have come and gone I'll take it with a grain of salt)

Best series version of a comic is still The Maxx though

Nemoide · 2006-12-29, 02:35

It is definitly quite the most awesome comic ever. I know Terry Gilliam thought of making it as a movie once but decided that there was no way to possibly do it outside of a giant series.
My biggest problem with a (theoretical 12-hour) cinematic adaptation is the fact that it was MENT to be a comic, to showcase the potential within the medium. Also the fact that every previous Alan Moore-based film adaptation has been quite the shit sandwich.

Paroxysm · 2006-12-29, 03:08

It was designed as a comic but it certianly blurs the lines between the two mediums in my oppinions. But all agreed that it's awesome.

Someone was telling me that all the adaptions so far have greatly altered the ending. Mostly the big "evil plan" and how it plays out. dangerous waters... to sail a raft of corpses on.

ShakeItBaby · 2007-03-28, 23:31

I read it again just yesterday. Awesome stuff.

Paroxysm · 2007-03-29, 02:08

Still from the test shoot of the movie.

Sounds like the director is taking it pretty seriously. Not changing the time period or anything. He's even filming the pirate story. We'll still have to wait and see how he fits it all into a movie though.

ShakeItBaby · 2007-03-29, 02:30

Sweet pic.

I reckon a lot of it can be fit in more swiftly through subtlety of the acting. You don't really need the exact same sequence of reveals, flashbacks and dialogue and all that. A lot of the character history could come out through current-time exposition as the story moves along, and since that stuff is like 50% of the whole thing, that crunches it down significantly already.

Be interesting to see how he threads the pirate story in though.

blasky · 2007-03-29, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paroxysm

He's even filming the pirate story.

2006-12-26, 04:03	#1
Paroxysm Magic Piece of Talking Clay Join Date: 2004-08-31 Location: Pangea (Australia) Posts: 10,881	Watchmen I got Alan Moore's Watchmen yesterday for christmas and just finished it. Now aside from an initial "Holy Fuck" I mainly wanted to talk about the current plans of a feature film adaptation. Are they fucking stupid? Firstly this has to be the MOST filmable material I've ever seen. It's probably the most cinematic graphic novel I've read. It seems already paced as if it were to be filmed. Every cutaway shown and constructed in a way that is only possible in a visual language. Infact I'd almost say this would be the most dial it in job a director ever had to do. Pretty much everything is already there and proven to work. Of course this would require it to be 10 hours long. Easiest mini series ever really. So why the fuck do they want to feature film it? You know it's probably not to hard to plow through the narrative skipping the small things except of course the overall narrative isn't all that special. It's ALL about the little details in the relationships between these people. Plus that the book seems almost entirely dialogue driven and that certainly doesn't work for the big budget (which it would surely have to be) superhero going public... which of course means the adding of big action set pieces to compensate for that. Why bother? Anyway Just a random rant here today Acutally I'll be very pleased if someone can pull it off. It just seems so obviously suited to a miniseries format if they insist on filming it. Currently Zack Snyder of the forgettable Dawn of the Dead (2005) and promising 300 adaptation is attached to direct (although since many have come and gone I'll take it with a grain of salt) Best series version of a comic is still The Maxx though __________________ Gotta do something. Don't think of me as an idiot. I'm so much more.

2007-03-28, 23:31	#4
ShakeItBaby Zombies R Us Join Date: 2004-09-02 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,693	I read it again just yesterday. Awesome stuff. __________________ Yesterday's troubles are gone, tomorrow's aren't here yet, and today's are best handled by not worrying about them.

2007-03-29, 02:08	#5
Paroxysm Magic Piece of Talking Clay Join Date: 2004-08-31 Location: Pangea (Australia) Posts: 10,881	Still from the test shoot of the movie. Sounds like the director is taking it pretty seriously. Not changing the time period or anything. He's even filming the pirate story. We'll still have to wait and see how he fits it all into a movie though. __________________ Gotta do something. Don't think of me as an idiot. I'm so much more.

2007-03-29, 02:30	#6
ShakeItBaby Zombies R Us Join Date: 2004-09-02 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,693	Sweet pic. I reckon a lot of it can be fit in more swiftly through subtlety of the acting. You don't really need the exact same sequence of reveals, flashbacks and dialogue and all that. A lot of the character history could come out through current-time exposition as the story moves along, and since that stuff is like 50% of the whole thing, that crunches it down significantly already. Be interesting to see how he threads the pirate story in though. __________________ Yesterday's troubles are gone, tomorrow's aren't here yet, and today's are best handled by not worrying about them.

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2006-12-29, 02:35	#2
Nemoide Not particularly noteworthy Join Date: 2004-08-15 Location: Warwick, NY, USA Posts: 898	It is definitly quite the most awesome comic ever. I know Terry Gilliam thought of making it as a movie once but decided that there was no way to possibly do it outside of a giant series. My biggest problem with a (theoretical 12-hour) cinematic adaptation is the fact that it was MENT to be a comic, to showcase the potential within the medium. Also the fact that every previous Alan Moore-based film adaptation has been quite the shit sandwich.

2006-12-29, 03:08	#3
Paroxysm Magic Piece of Talking Clay Join Date: 2004-08-31 Location: Pangea (Australia) Posts: 10,881	It was designed as a comic but it certianly blurs the lines between the two mediums in my oppinions. But all agreed that it's awesome. Someone was telling me that all the adaptions so far have greatly altered the ending. Mostly the big "evil plan" and how it plays out. dangerous waters... to sail a raft of corpses on.

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