The Great Tree Forum Index The Great Tree
still kickin'
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   Poster ListPoster List   Member ListMember List  UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
 Links:   great tree   uru live   uru obsession   drc site  

 Documentaries:    learn the story of the great tree

Who Watches the Watchmen?
Goto page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Great Tree Forum Index -> Randomness Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Professor Askew
Great Tree Member
Great Tree Member


Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 2532
Location: Bloomfield, CT

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've seen it twice now and I'm still puzzling over it. I think if I hadn't read the books I would've hated it. But, being an avid reader, I guess I'm filling in the blanks as I watch it.

I think there were two things that struck me as I came out of the theater the second time:

1) As a reader you're able to put the book down and digest the rather dense material a little bit at a time. And even if you read it in one sitting, you're able to reread it over and over to let the themes sink in. As a film, it's very difficult to take all the themes in, process them, and still enjoy the movie.

This movie does a very good job of pitting the left side of your brain against the right.

2) In the end, I found the movie satisfying in an intellectual sense but lacking emotionally. I had no problems whatsoever with the new ending other than it completely lacked an emotional punch. I understood what the ending said to me but I didn't feel anything. A lot of that was how the ending "result" was filmed.

I really hope that the Director's Cut puts back enough material to help me with item #2. I don't care how long a movie is as long as the ride takes you to a satisfying place.

Maybe Watchmen is the unfilmmable movie. I'm still thinking about it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Kyven
Great Tree Member
Great Tree Member


Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Posts: 233
Location: Michigan

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Now this is interesting:
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20507

Grant Morrison is going to write an Earth-4 comic in a style similar to Watchmen. Earth-4 being home to the Charlton Comics characters on which Watchmen was based.
_________________
KI: 00332200
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address
CuzinJohn
Great Tree Member
Great Tree Member


Joined: 09 Feb 2004
Posts: 775
Location: Note to self - fix Avvie and Sig Graphics...

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My crowd and I discussed that very lack of "emotional punch" at the end, Prof... and we came to a consensus about what we thought was missing.

Along with all of the plot snips they trimmed off to get the story to 'fit' in the appropriate time frame, the other thing that got cut out with those plot points was the ancillary cast. Part of the reason we (my crowd) felt the impact of the book's ending was because we got to know the folks that were killed... Bernie and Bernie, the newsstand guy and the comic reader, the cops, Joey and her partner, Dr. Malcom and his wife, the gang at the New Frontiersman... all those 'real' people we got to know in the book were barely in the film, if at all.

They even left out the murder of Hollis, which I thought was integral to the development of the Dan/Nite Owl character. So we never got to emote with any of the victims. So we didn't feel it.

So yeah, bring on the director's cut.

And there was one other point that shows an interesting facet of our society today... my wife, who never read the book, asked the rest of us why, when Laurie was snooping in the owlship, did she press the 'flame thrower' button? And that's when we realized that Film Laurie wasn't chain-smoking the way Book Laurie was.

This film portrayed some of the most visual and gratuitous violence, a particularly vivid rape scene, bodies blowing up, and even a big blue wang... but wouldn't show a pretty young girl smoking. What a bizarre commentary on us as a society today...
_________________
KI 182798

Science is how you talk about the universe with words that bind it to a common reality.
Magic is how you talk to the universe with words that it cannot ignore.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
Professor Askew
Great Tree Member
Great Tree Member


Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 2532
Location: Bloomfield, CT

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You hit the nail on the head with that second paragraph, CJ. I was very disconnected with the finale emotionally but most of my reasoning was a little abstract...I couldn't put my finger on it. But, you're right, cutting out all the ancillary characters really hurt it. (Plus, they were us, the real people, people we could identify with.)

I explained to my wife that the two Bernies and the news stand were definitely the hub of the story for me, the nexus, if you will. The impact of their demise was greatly diminished by their lack of screen time. I know they're going to show up in the DC as well as Hollis' murder. I'm fairly certain we'll be seeing more of Malcolm Long. Not sure about the rest. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The Great Tree Forum Index -> Randomness Forum All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum



RescueTime
Offering Time Management Software for Individuals &
Employee Time Tracking Software for Businesses