Watchmen (Zack Snyder, 2009)

[Fletch F. Fletch]

In regards to the ending shown at the Portland screening, I wonder if maybe that was a bit of misdirection on Snyder's part and that he may be going for the "squid" ending after all. Even though it is notoriously inaccurate, there is this credit on the IMDB:

IMDb for Neville Page, found this:

Cloverfield: Creature Designer
Watchmen: Creature Designer: Sculptor

Now, he may have been brought in to design and sculpt Ozymandias' pet, Bubastis but maybe he also designed the "squid" creature at the end.

[Antoine Doinel]

New poster.

[Max von Mayerling]

Well, first I'll show my cards and say that I think making a Watchmen film is a terrible idea in the first place. As has already been said, the book is so good, what's the point?

Having said that, it seems to me that changing the ending in this way would make the whole original structure of the plot fall apart. If you take away the elaborate ruse, then you take away the need for the killing that sets the investigation in motion. And sure, they can re-write the thing to keep it going ... but ... then it's not the Watchmen ... it's some loose adaptation.

[moviscop]

I think that is my biggest problem with Synder's work in general.

According to Wikipedia, Gilliam and Aronofsky were both given a chance to stab at it. Gilliam (while he couldn't get the money for it) called it "unfilmable."

Now, when such a visionary director calls a fun "unfilmable", you take it seriously.

That is why I have a hard time accepting any of Snyder's work. It seems rushed and fluffed like a gas-station romance novel.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

I think that is my biggest problem with Synder's work in general.

According to Wikipedia, Gilliam and Aronofsky were both given a chance to stab at it. Gilliam (while he couldn't get the money for it) called it "unfilmable."

Now, when such a visionary director calls a fun "unfilmable", you take it seriously.

That is why I have a hard time accepting any of Snyder's work. It seems rushed and fluffed like a gas-station romance novel.

True. Altho, I certainly don't doubt Snyder's sincerity trying to make the best adaptation possible and making it as faithful as he can within the constraints of big budget, studio filmmaking but his stylistic approach is what really worries me. Too much slow mo, sped up, technique that is rampant in all of the trailers so far. I guess we'll all find out soon enough.

[Murdoch]

My biggest problem will be if Snyder doesn't maintain the gravitas of the comic because if he did do a faithful adaptation then the story and plot are all there. Snyder needs to maintain the characters and not have them in constant states of machismo. There was a layer of vulnerability to the Watchmen characters that I'm afraid Snyder is incapable of handling and that important aspect of the comic will be left out. While I hate the slo-mo, speed-up effect, I will have no problem with it if Snyder can make an adaptation that has as much character study as political commentary.

[Napoleon]

There was a layer of vulnerability to the Watchmen characters that I'm afraid Snyder is incapable of handling and that important aspect of the comic will be left out.

Jake Weber in Snyder's Dawn re-make was pretty vulnerable for a leading man.

My greater concern is whether he can pin down the characters motivations and they way that these motivations are open to interpretation. None of the Watchmen can be described as 'good' or 'bad'. They are all shades of grey and even now I find myself constantly re-evaluating who the heroes and villians of the piece are.

Will Synder be able to capture this? Will he even bother to try? The fact that Ozymandias is shown as a mad eyed loon in the publicity shots indicates he won't.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

There was a layer of vulnerability to the Watchmen characters that I'm afraid Snyder is incapable of handling and that important aspect of the comic will be left out.

Jake Weber in Snyder's Dawn re-make was pretty vulnerable for a leading man.

My greater concern is whether he can pin down the characters motivations and they way that these motivations are open to interpretation. None of the Watchmen can be described as 'good' or 'bad'. They are all shades of grey and even now I find myself constantly re-evaluating who the heroes and villians of the piece are.

Will Synder be able to capture this? Will he even bother to try? The fact that Ozymandias is shown as a mad eyed loon in the publicity shots indicates he won't.

Not to mention, I read that the actor playing Ozymandias was encouraged to speak with a slight German accent?! You raise a good point about character motivations. Is it even possible to convey the complex motivations of these characters in a two-and-a-half hour film? Maybe but I don't think Snyder is the guy to do it.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Interesting rumor. Wouldn't be surprised if it were true:

A new report claims that the guinea pigs who were chosen to see an advanced screening of the Watchmen movie in Portland Oregon a couple weeks ago may have NOT been quite so "randomly chosen," and that the whole thing was a carefully orchestrated test to see if hardcore fans would tolerate the alternate ending they made for "mainstream" movie-goers.

CBR's Rich Johnston is saying that preview's climactic ending was filmed two ways: The true to comic book ending complete with a giant alien squid transporter accident; and the Dr. Manhattan inspired nuclear explosion, and that the latter version may indeed have been a test by the moviemakers to see whether or not they could get away with deviating from the comic book.

Here's the quote:

"I'm told that this screening was intentionally leaked to the fan press - with the exact time and place posted online with details of how to evade the security. The intent is to gauge fan reaction to a squidless ending for Watchmen and see what they can get away with, believing it to be more suitable for a more mainstream audience. The FX for the squid has been completed however."

If this is true, then pop-culture website Collider was in on it, since they originally leaked the info and instructions...

[Fletch F. Fletch]

The latest Watchmen production featurette.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

A new interview with Snyder and he talks about the ending shown at the recent screening and the rumors about multiple endings being filmed.

[Antoine Doinel]

New poster.

[domino harvey]

Snyder confirms: "Hold the calamari"

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Snyder confirms: "Hold the calamari"

Actually, I quoted the original source in my Friday post.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

More posters surface.

[dr. calamari]

Snyder confirms: "Hold the calamari"

Hey! What'd I do?

[MyNameCriterionForum]

I hold the "calamari" at least once a day, if you get my drift. I'm sure Dr. and Mrs. Manhattan know what I mean.

[dx23]

I just threw up in my mouth when I received my monthly EGM Magazine and it features the Watchmen video game. According to the 10 page article, the video game is a new story, not approved by Moore obviously, which is a Watchmen "prequel". So not only is Snyder shitting on the original source, now he has a team recreating stories for the characters of the best graphic novel. Great way to piss on Moore's work. This movie is going to be really bad, Matrix Revolutions mixed with Ghost Rider bad.

[Murdoch]

I just threw up in my mouth when I received my monthly EGM Magazine and it features the Watchmen video game. According to the 10 page article, the video game is a new story, not approved by Moore obviously, which is a Watchmen "prequel". So not only is Snyder shitting on the original source, now he has a team recreating stories for the characters of the best graphic novel. Great way to piss on Moore's work. This movie is going to be really bad, Matrix Revolutions mixed with Ghost Rider bad.

The thing that will suck the most is that all the people that read the graphic novel beforehand will be subjected to the fanboys this movie is already gaining. I don't know if it will be Ghost Rider bad, but I do know it won't be Watchmen good. Let's all just agree that this thread is merely here so the GN fans can bitch about how the movie was a disaster, it's like group therapy.

[Matt]

More posters surface.

If I were (the rather hot) Matthew Goode, I'd be awfully pissed that they made me look like Jeri Ryan on my poster.

[dx23]

More posters surface.

If I were (the rather hot) Matthew Goode, I'd be awfully pissed that they made me look like Jeri Ryan on my poster.

He has a mix of Jeri Ryan and Robin from the 2 bad Shumacher films. Also, The Comedian looks like Nic Cage.

[somnambulating]

One gleam of hope I hold for the release of this movie adaptation is that some of the excavated visual techniques Moore and Gibbons employed will impregnant future filmmakers now that they have bled over into the medium. Some of the gags that help the storytelling along through time and space beg to be realized in a cinematic way.

[Antoine Doinel]

New trailer. Slo-mo abounds.

[kaujot]

Well, at least Rorschach sounds decent. Though a bit Bat-Bale-esqe.

[skeets kelly]

on one hand the new trailer looks pretty good.

on the other hand, my fear is that snyder is going to stick slo-mo in every damn scene like 300 which will make it feel like i'm watching molasses drip for 2 1/2 hours.

also, i don't like the idea that the ending is changed.

balls. but am i going to see it anyway. of course. so i can complain about it.