WATCHMEN Movie Discussion (SPOILERS allowed)!

[Mighty_Jabba]

Am I the only one who thinks the people at Warner's were not expecting this film to earn a lot of money. I might be naive but it seems to me that above all they just wanted to make a good film that would be as faithfull to the source material as possible and they were not worried about the bottom line as far as finances go. In the last few years Warner seems to be the studio that is intersted in making quality films and is not affraid to invest their money and trust in the hands of people like Snyder or Nolan. It's enough to just look at their comic book adaptations to see it: Superman Returns, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, 300 and now Watchmen. All of those films are a compeletly different league from the competition.

 

[DinoLast]

I don't think this guy liked the movie very much
It's the kinda reaction I was expecting from your average movie goer, expecting an X-Men type movie.
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[BadMoon]

Am I the only one who thinks the people at Warner's were not expecting this film to earn a lot of money. I might be naive but it seems to me that above all they just wanted to make a good film that would be as faithfull to the source material as possible and they were not worried about the bottom line as far as finances go. In the last few years Warner seems to be the studio that is intersted in making quality films and is not affraid to invest their money and trust in the hands of people like Snyder or Nolan. It's enough to just look at their comic book adaptations to see it: Superman Returns, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, 300 and now Watchmen. All of those films are a compeletly different league from the competition.

I think any company in this day and age's primary goal is to make money. I don't think they would make anything unless they thought going into it that they will be profitable.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

I think any company in this day and age's primary goal is to make money. I don't think they would make anything unless they thought going into it that they will be profitable.

Like I said it might be that I am just naive. I remember reading somewhere that when Clint Eastwood wanted to make Million Dollar Baby Warner was not that interested but in the end they gave him the money simply because of the good relationship they had with Clint in the past.
I also like how they fought to finally make Blade Runner dvd/blu ray release a reality and gave us a comprehensive, extras filled edition. And you could say that about most of their blu ray catalog titles, whereas for example Fox gives us a vanilla disc with the film only and usually with poor image quality. It just seems to me that Warner is run by a bunch of people who are very passionate about film (or maybe they just know how to cater to the needs of geeks like me).
Returning to Watchmen - if you're making a film about superheroes, that is R rated, has a guy waving his blue dong around in a lot of scenes and where the superheroes don't fight supervillians but spend most of their time talking, then you don't seriously expect that film to make heaps of money. And that is why I think they were first and foremost concerned with making a quality film and not the money. Like I said, I'm probably a naive idealist

 

[IrishJedi]

Fox will get less money for their extortion (err, I mean lawsuit) - I can live with that. It would seem WB was spending money hand over fist on marketing just to screw Fox out of their points.

That is an awesome take on it.

Awesome post Carl, that was a hilarious read...

Yeah, it is.

Didn't you tell me you voted for Ross Perot?

I did. BUT... I was a naive 21 year old and deserve such ridicule. I've never stared into the sun, though.

This reads more like an insecure justification of merit than an attempt at humor.

WATCHMEN needing justification of merit? Ridiculous.

if you're making a film about superheroes, that is R rated, has a guy waving his blue dong around in a lot of scenes and where the superheroes don't fight supervillians but spend most of their time talking, then you don't seriously expect that film to make heaps of money. And that is why I think they were first and foremost concerned with making a quality film and not the money.

 

[IrishJedi]

Screenwriter David Hayter's Open Letter to WATCHMEN fans:

So it has been five months since I saw my first rough cut of WATCHMEN, and eight days since the premiere of the film I've been working on since late in the year 2000.

The reviews are out -- Some outstanding, others rankly dismissive, which can be frustrating for the people involved, (though I can only speak for myself,) because I firmly believe that WATCHMEN, the novel, must be read through more than once to even have the faintest grip on it. And I believe the film is the same.

I've seen it twice now, and despite having run the movie in my head thousands of times, my two viewings still don’t' allow me to view the film with the proper distance or objectivity. Is it Apocalypse Now? Is it Blade Runner? Is it Kubrick, or Starship Troopers? I don’t know yet.

All I know is that I had a pretty amazing experience the two times I've seen it. And both viewings produced remarkably different experiences. The point is, I have listened for years, to complaints from true comic book fans, that "not enough movies take the source material seriously." "Too many movies puss out," or "They change great stories, just to be commercial." Well, I ^^^^^*ing dare you to say any one of those things about this movie.

This is a movie made by fans, for fans. Hundreds of people put in years of their lives to make this movie happen, and every one of them was insanely committed to retaining the integrity of this amazing, epic tale. This is a rare success story, bordering on the impossible, and every studio in town is watching to see if it will work. Hell, most of them own a piece of the movie.

So look, this is a note to the fanboys and fangirls. The true believers. Dedicated for life.

If the film made you think. Or argue with your friends. If it inspired a debate about the nature of man, or vigilante justice, or the horror of Nixon abolishing term limits. If you laughed at Bowie hanging with Adrian at Studio 54, or the Silhouette kissing that nurse.

Please go see the movie again next weekend.

You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week. If you care about movies that have a brain, or balls, (and this film's got both, literally), or true adaptations -- And if you're thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night. Demonstrate the power of the fans, because it'll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we'd like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again.

In the interests of full disclosure, let me also point out that I do not profit one cent from an increase in box office, although an increase in box office can add to the value of the writers' eventual residual profits from dvd and tv sales.

But I'm not saying it for money. I'm saying it for people like me. I'm saying it for people who love smart, dark entertainment, on a grand, operatic scale. I'm talking to the Snake fans, the Rorschach fans, the people of the Dark Knight.

And hey, if you hated the film, if you think we committed atrocities, or literary mistakes of a massive, cephalopodic nature. If the movie made you a little sick to your stomach, or made you feel bad about your life. If you hated it for whatever reason, that's cool too. I'm not suggesting you risk gastro-intestinal distress just for the sake of risky filmmaking.

But if you haven't seen it yet? Well, I'll just say this...

It may upset you. And it probably will upset you.

And all along, we really meant it to.

Because face it. All this time...You there, with the Smiley-face pin. Admit it.

All this time, you’ve been waiting for a director who was going to hit you in the face with this story. To just crack you in the jaw, and then bend you over the pool table with this story. With its utterly raw view of the darkest sides of human nature, expressed through its masks of action and beauty and twisted good intentions. Like a fry-basket full of hot grease in the face. Like the Comedian on the Grassy Knoll. I know, I know...

You say you don't like it. You say you've got issues. I get it.

And yet... You'll be thinking about this film, down the road. It'll nag at you. How it was rough and beautiful. How it went where it wanted to go, and you just hung on. How it was thoughtful and hateful and bleak and hilarious. And for Jackie Earle Haley.

Trust me. You'll come back, eventually. Just like Sally.

Might as well make it count for something.

David Hayter

 

[ProgMatinee]

Has anyone seen the animated comic on Comcast PPV? Its like 12 1 hour episodes for $2 an episode?

Also, I think its sad you guys are letting the finance stuff get in your heads. The movie's made, who gives a ^^^^ if it does well or not.

This isn't like Serenity where the fans were praying for a miracle success so that another movie got made.

Edit: Just read the post above, sorry, while I agree to some extent what he's saying about the film itself, 1 film's success or failure isn't enough to make some global statement to the film industry about making true to source movies. Thats a bit pompous.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

Has anyone seen the animated comic on Comcast PPV? Its like 12 1 hour episodes for $2 an episode?

Also, I think its sad you guys are letting the finance stuff get in your heads. The movie's made, who gives a ^^^^ if it does well or not.

This isn't like Serenity where the fans were praying for a miracle success so that another movie got made.

Edit: Just read the post above, sorry, while I agree to some extent what he's saying about the film itself, 1 film's success or failure isn't enough to make some global statement to the film industry about making true to source movies. Thats a bit pompous.

If Watchmen makes money that sends a message to other studios that there is audience for films like that. I don't know about you, but I am tired of the brainless, watered down PG 13 friendly fodder that is served in cinemas these days. I'd rather see another blockbuster like TDK or Watchmen than have to endure another summer filled with films like Transformers.

 

[ProgMatinee]

If Watchmen makes money that sends a message to other studios that there is audience for films like that. I don't know about you, but I am tired of the brainless, watered down PG 13 friendly fodder that is served in cinemas these days. I'd rather see another blockbuster like TDK or Watchmen than have to endure another summer filled with films like Transformers.

I don't think one film can do that. And if you believe it can then you need to also believe that the next popcorn film that makes money will just negate whatever stride Watchmen made.

And I'm not sure exactly how TDK is in a category of Watchmen and not Transformers. Its not like TDK was a risk?

 

[EVILFACE]

Am I the only one who thinks the people at Warner's were not expecting this film to earn a lot of money. I might be naive but it seems to me that above all they just wanted to make a good film that would be as faithfull to the source material as possible and they were not worried about the bottom line as far as finances go. In the last few years Warner seems to be the studio that is intersted in making quality films and is not affraid to invest their money and trust in the hands of people like Snyder or Nolan. It's enough to just look at their comic book adaptations to see it: Superman Returns, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, 300 and now Watchmen. All of those films are a compeletly different league from the competition.

They threw money at making the movie, money at the lawsuit and threw even more money in advertising, they expected this to make lots of $$$. I don't see it passing $150 mil, but it will make even with dvd and merchandise sales.

Sad thing is this will prolly keep us from seeing future R rated comic based movies, at least ones with superhero type characters.

 

[ProgMatinee]

You guys are getting yourselves all down and out over something you can't do anything about.

If you liked the movie, revel in it being made. Don't be all negative because the negativity will spread and people frankly will just assume if the fans are all worried about it not being a success then it must not be very good.

Again, I saw this all happen with Serenity a few years ago. If Sin City and Planet Terror didn't kill the genre, this won't.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

I don't think one film can do that. And if you believe it can then you need to also believe that the next popcorn film that makes money will just negate whatever stride Watchmen made.

And I'm not sure exactly how TDK is in a category of Watchmen and not Transformers. Its not like TDK was a risk?

TDK might not have been a risk, but it was not a film that catered to young audience imho. Just like Watchmen it was a serious film that only a grown up person could truly enjoy. That would make a second succesfull blockbuster geared towards grown up audience. Studios would take notice.
As far as one film changing trends - look at "Gladiator" for example and all the history based films it spawned (Troy, Alexander). The whole comic book movie genre was pretty much started by the success of Spiderman alone (and to some extent X-men).

 

[IrishJedi]

The movie's made, who gives a ^^^^ if it does well or not.

Exactly.

 

[DarkArtist81]

That was an awesome letter from David... I know I plan on seeing it again this coming weekend, for the third time. I just really loved this movie, it did exactly what I wanted it to... with only a few rough spots. I can't really ask for more from a theatrical cut. I'll go and check it out again, if only to celebrate that it even got made at all. I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope to make the third trip just as enjoyable as the last two.

 

[Ra88]

League of Extraordinary Gentleman the movie is pure crap. They really ^^^^ed that adaptation up. Funny thing is, I bet Alan Moore would be horrified to know that what got me reading his stuff was From Hell the movie.

From what I heard Moore sold the rights for LXG to the studio before he started work on it. The entire movie is supposedly based on Moore's original plans for the book, so if that's true he has no one to blame but himself.

 

[CelticPredator]

The more I think about the movie, the more I love about it. I'll see it this weekend again for sure.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

The more I think about the movie, the more I love about it. I'll see it this weekend again for sure.

I have the same feelings. This film will only get better with each viewing.

 

[ProgMatinee]

The more I think about it, the better I think I liked it and want to see it again to get my head around a few subtleties, but I don't think its one I'd watch over and over again. I feel that way with most movies anymore. 2 times is usually plenty for me.

 

[EVILFACE]

The more I think about the movie, the more I love about it. I'll see it this weekend again for sure.

"Last House on the Left" for me. Wont revisit Watchment till the directors cut comes out.

 

[Sick Boy 82]

Hopefully more naked Malin in the DC!