WATCHMEN Movie Discussion (SPOILERS allowed)!

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Some tidbits of the WATCHMEN report from NYCC:

The first question from the audience asked about the rumors about the end of the graphic novel being changed for the film, particularly the absence of the "squid monster" that many have been clamoring about. "The outcome is exactly the same as the graphic novel, but the MacGuffin, the gimmick, is a little different," Gibbons told him. "I think you know what I mean; there's no squid. I'd rather not say too much about it, but I certainly wasn't at all upset or disappointed or offended. I think that's the most important thing about the movie adaptation is that it has to stand as a good movie. The reality of it is that you have to make changes and you have to take things away, add things on, amalgamate things to make it work in a different medium."
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Which was followed by:

The next question also asked about the squid, to which Gibbons exclaimed, "Why is the squid so important?" but he mused a bit more about the change for the movie. "In a sense, in the comic book, the squid is kind of a huge special effect that Adrian Veidt pulls, a practical joke, a trick, but if you have a movie that essentially is full of special effects, than the squid is just another special effect, if you see what I mean, so that I think that wouldn't have worked as well in the movie. That's my personal feeling about it. Sorry for all your cephalopod lovers out there." This got a great laugh, as did Gibbons' suggestion that after the premiere, they could all go out for calamari.
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The best part for a lot of us:

Gibbons also fielded a question about any stipulations that Warner Bros. might have in terms of making a prequel or a sequel to the film if it proves successful. "If they want to make a prequel or sequel there's nothing I can do to stop them from doing it," he admitted. "At least on one occasion, DC was once tempted to do spinoffs and a sequel but wiser heads prevailed, and they left it alone, and I think ultimately, that was completely the correct decision."

"If you try to add anything to Watchmen, you're not enriching it, you're diluting it," he continued. "Sure, you can tell another adventure of Batman or Spider-Man, but ("Watchmen") is like a complete story, and certainly, while I'm very supportive of this and I'm very thrilled by what they've done with it, I think if someone mentioned to me about doing a prequel or sequel, my impression is that you won't get Zack Snyder directing it, so my counsel would be 'Leave well enough alone.'" (This got a big cheer, so take note, Warner Bros.)
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Who knew that Arnie was at one point considered for the role of Dr. Manhattan? :lol

Linkage: https://www.superherohype.com/news/watchmennews.php?id=8062
 
Who ruins the Watchmen? I do!



RORLOL.jpg
 
I was reading the Mad parody 'Botchmen' and something struck me about why I like the squid - it's cheesy. It's a classic overly elaborate comic book villain plan, yet another comic staple Moore twists. It's goofy and strange, very "comic book", yet horrific and works. It's why I like the nipples on Ozzy's film suit and the purple dress and gold lame tights he wears in the comic, the ridiculous for fighting crime Spectre get up, the snow Owl suit. There's a kind of goofiness about Watchmen, and superheroes in general, that works to both undercut and heighten the seriousness of "doomsday" and "end of the world" stories, which is an interesting contrast to Tales of the Black Freighter which is unrelentingly grim with no levity. It reminds me a bit the film Adaptation. The whole movie they bend the rules of a traditional film narrative then at the end use those very film cliches to resolve the story, both goofily, the drug fueled swamp chase like the squid, then poignantly, with the brother's death like Rorschach's demise.
 
I had a dream that I saw the film last night and it was horrible because they decided to completely cut Rorschach and Ozymandias out of the film. I hope that's not prophetic :lol
 
Odowankenobi said:
I had a dream that I saw the film last night and it was horrible because they decided to completely cut Rorschach and Ozymandias out of the film. I hope that's not prophetic :lol
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:lol

What would be the film then? Opening and closing credits?

Without Ozzy, the story wouldn't take place. Without Rorschach, the story wouldn't be told. Probably the only 2 characters that couldn't be removed from the story.
 
Entropy Chicken said:
I was reading the Mad parody 'Botchmen' and something struck me about why I like the squid - it's cheesy. It's a classic overly elaborate comic book villain plan, yet another comic staple Moore twists. It's goofy and strange, very "comic book", yet horrific and works. It's why I like the nipples on Ozzy's film suit and the purple dress and gold lame tights he wears in the comic, the ridiculous for fighting crime Spectre get up, the snow Owl suit. There's a kind of goofiness about Watchmen, and superheroes in general, that works to both undercut and heighten the seriousness of "doomsday" and "end of the world" stories, which is an interesting contrast to Tales of the Black Freighter which is unrelentingly grim with no levity. It reminds me a bit the film Adaptation. The whole movie they bend the rules of a traditional film narrative then at the end use those very film cliches to resolve the story, both goofily, the drug fueled swamp chase like the squid, then poignantly, with the brother's death like Rorschach's demise.
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Still going at it about the squid, man?:horse

Gibbons put it very well that the squid was the big "special effect" in the comic, but in a movie already heavily-laden with special effects it would be superfluous. Also, considering the popularity of the alien and monster film genres still raging only years prior (consider Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Alien, with Aliens being released only months prior to Watchmen's initial publication). These sorts of things were big draws, guaranteed to shock and appeal to audiences. Now several decades removed from that it makes sense that the ending would be altered but achieve the same end by different means.
 
Buttmunch said:
:lol

What would be the film then? Opening and closing credits?

Without Ozzy, the story wouldn't take place. Without Rorschach, the story wouldn't be told. Probably the only 2 characters that couldn't be removed from the story.
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Take those two out and it'd be a film with Laurie having sex with Dr. Manhattan and then Laurie having sex with Dreiberg. Sounds like comic book porn to me. :lol
 
Quick Easter Eggs in WATCHMEN for the Batfans:

002.jpg


Hollis Mason (Nite Owl) in Gotham. Batman #1 as posters on the wall. And a couple being saved that look curiously like Thomas and Martha Wane (which would imply that in WATCHMEN's world Batman is still just a fictional comic book character, like Superman).

Aces.
 
Scar said:
Still going at it about the squid, man?:horse

Also, considering the popularity of the alien and monster film genres still raging only years prior (consider Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Alien, with Aliens being released only months prior to Watchmen's initial publication). These sorts of things were big draws, guaranteed to shock and appeal to audiences.
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You misunderstand. I'm not complaining that the squid isn't in the film. I was just mentioning why I think it works and is interesting in the comic, why I think it fits the tone of the story and what a fine job Moore did. As I said before, I'm not one for slavish adaptations and I can totally understand why they wanted something different with less setup required and less WTF for the film.

And I don't think the squid is liked or was included because of the popularity of Aliens or Close Encounters any more than Citizen Kane is revered because people like sleds. The "shock" and "big draw" was not "hey cool there's an alien like in that movie I saw" but the scope and craftsmanship of the superhero deconstruction story Moore and Gibbons told.
 
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