Who watches the Watchmen?

[Double_G]

I think Tom Rothman is also partially to blame for this. If "Watchmen" is delayed (or, God forbid, canned), I'm going to kidnap his family.

[Diabolical]

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic DVD

Warner Home Video has announced DVD and Blu-ray releases of Watchmen: Motion Comics which brings the graphic novel to life in 12 episodes. Each will be available to own from the 3rd March. As far as we know, the only extra material on the DVD release will be a special sneak peak of DC Universe's animated Wonder Woman DVD. The Blu-ray release will include that, along with a "Prison Break" scene from the upcoming Watchmen theatrical film. Each will also include $7.50 movie cash to see Watchmen in theaters.

Anyone see/download these? Were they any good?

[Double_G]

I've been downloading them on iTunes, partially because it's kinda fun to watch and also because I rarely have my copy of "Watchmen" as I'm always lending it out to people. The only downside is that just one guy narrates everything, kind of like a book on tape, which means every female character in the story sounds like Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie". His Rorschach voice is kinda cool, though. Bottom line? If you're a huge fan of "Watchmen" and haven't downloaded any of them online, then go for it, I guess. Personally, I'm waiting for the "Tales of the Black Freighter" animated DVD that's coming out around that time instead. As a bonus feature, it comes with a "Behind the Hood" documentary, which is supposed to encompass all the bonus pages from each issue of "Watchmen". Talk about faithfully adapting the material. Thank God the WB/Fox situation blew over.

[Diabolical]

Even if it I didn't like the DVD, at least it comes with the $7.50 movie cash.

[Diabolical]

And on March 24...

Warner Home Video has announced DVD ($27.95) and Blu-ray ($35.99) releases of Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under the Hood which features the voice of Gerard Butler and other stars from the Watchmen movie team. Each will be available to own from the 24th March. Extras will include a Story Within A Story: The Books of Watchmen featurette, and a First Look at Green Lantern. Art is attached:

Theyre in the book. And on this disc. From the director of Watchmen and 300 come two tales from the celebrated graphic novel that do not appear in the extraordinary Watchmen Theatrical Feature. Tales of the Black Freighter (featuring the voice of 300s Gerard Butler) brings to strikingly animated life the novels richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmens world. Stars from the Watchmen movie team in the amazing live-action/CGI Under the Hood, based on Nite Owls powerful first-hand account of how the hooded adventurers came into existence. Two fan-essential stories. One place to watch the excitement. Watching the Watchmen begins here.

[anarky]

It kinda blows that the whole shit with Fox resulted in that coming out after the movie.

[Diabolical]

At least we're getting it.

[Double_G]

It kinda blows that the whole shit with Fox resulted in that coming out after the movie.

"Black Freighter" was always coming out after the movie anyway. It was moved from March 10th to March 24th. I don't know why it was delayed two weeks, though.

[Diabolical]

A 3 Hour and 10 minutes Director's Cut in July?
OMaybe?

“The director’s cut is three hours and 10 minutes and comes out in July,” Snyder revealed, calling his original edit “considerably more violent than this … and sexier” and explaining that if the movie does well, the director’s cut will get a theatrical release in Los Angeles and New York.

Following that, of course, will be the Watchmen DVD in the fall — which will include what he dubbed a “Crazy Ultimate Freaky Edition” boasting such time-omitted extras as Tales of the Black Freighter, Hollis Mason’s death, more Manhattan moments on Mars and dialogue-heavy scenes with the newsstand-bonding Bernies.

Collider has confirmed that the directors cut will be three hours and ten minutes in length and that the “Crazy Ultimate Freaky Edition” will be three hours and 25 minutes long. Sounds good, huh? Perhaps it is. Or perhaps Watchmen isn’t worth any of your anticipation at all. I mean… can Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s masterwork truly be done justice in a single movie?

My review will come the very second the embargo is lifted. Why hold it back any longer? I wish I could run it now.

Don’t forget that the theatrical release of the director’s cut depends on a grand performance by the first theatrical version. Vote with your wallets. Or, of course, you could argue that keeping back the (supposedly) superior version and telling you’d have to pay twice - or at least sit on your hands a while - to access it is a deeply cynical and hideously commercial move on the part of Warner Bros. and just boycott the ploy altogether.

Looks to me like the great Director’s Cut scam is being warmed over again. Do you accept Warner Bros. giving us just a snipped-down first run?

Spoilers is airing on MTV in the US this Saturday at 8pm and there’s likely to be much more from Snyder then.

UPDATE: Tales of the Black Freighter will last 24 mins, 28 seconds and 11 frames in its stand alone version, so obviously some of that will be left out in the amalgamated edit. The Culpeper Minute - Under the Hood will run 35 minutes, 53 seconds and 4 frames.

[anarky]

Exclusive clip on Borders' website:
http://www.bordersmedia.com/backlot/wat ... 090224_REW

[Diabolical]

What won't you see in Watchmen?
SPOILERS?

Sorry, fans, the Pirate didn't make it into the movie. These colorful Watchmen details got left on the cutting-room floor.

Tales of the Black Freighter
A gruesome pirate comic woven into the story of Watchmen; it will be an animated short with its own DVD.

The Bonus Material
Each issue of Watchmen came with extras — a magazine interview with Ozymandias, Rorschach's psychiatric file, a superhero memoir called Under the Hood. The latter has been made into a faux documentary, also on the Black Freighter DVD.

The Manhattan Street Corner
The corner remains; the people whose lives intersect there have mere cameos in the film.

No More Oil
Unlike the world of the comic, Snyder's society is still hooked on oil — but Dr. Manhattan's alternative fuel remains essential to his tweaked conspiracy plot.

The Missing Comic Book
Gone is a subplot about the whereabouts of Max Shea, The Black Freighter's writer, because of its connection to the Giant Squid. Speaking of which...

The Giant Squid
In the comic, the villain's plan hinges on something fanboys call the Giant Squid. But the film gives the villain a new scheme. For the record: ''I don't hate the squid!'' says Snyder. ''I love the f---ing squid!''

EW

[anarky]

The street corner is gone? WTF? That's actually more concerning than the squid. That last shot of all the bodies and how they're positioned is the most powerful image in the book, especially the Bernards.

[Double_G]

My review has some spoilers in it, but if you already read the book, it shouldn't really be anything surprising.

Holy shit.

Zack Snyder definitely, DEFINITELY did "Watchmen" justice. I think even Alan Moore would like it.

First things first: the cast. They each did an incredible job. Jackie Earle Haley OWNED this movie as Rorschach. He gave an outstanding performance, going above and beyond the call of duty. Patrick Wilson and Malin Akerman were also great. They really nailed the characters because they made them relatable to the audience, just like in the GN. Matthew Goode was great as Ozymandias. He brought some depth to the character. He really did it justice. Billy Crudup did a good job at bringing Manhattan to life. He was really given time to shine during the Mars scenes. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was awesome as The Comedian. He nearly stole the first half hour at certain points, like his handling of the Keene Riots and visiting Moloch. The first scene where he was murdered was really badass stuff and the attempted rape scene was especially brutal. Carla Gugino was okay as Sally, but she might as well have been a cameo role. She was only really in the beginning and the end.

Everything I loved about the graphic novel played out perfectly in the film. I absolutely loved the opening credits sequence that gave some backstory to the costumed vigilantes, a lot of stuff that was explained in the supplemental material after each chapter in the book is shown here, like Nite Owl's first outing and Dollar Bill getting shot to death. I loved the soundtrack, too. To my recollection, pretty much every song from the graphic novel ("The Times They Are A Changin", "All Along the Watchtower") was used in the film. All of my favorite parts from the GN played out better than I could have hoped for, like Rorschach confronting Blaire Roche's murderer, Jon's memories on Mars, the jail scene (the stuff with Big Figure played out exactly like it did in the GN)...the list could go on and on.

I liked the cameos from the minor characters like the Bernies, Bubastis, and Dr. Long. Hell, even the older Hollis Mason was only in one scene. I can't wait to see their roles expanded in the extended cut.

My only gripe is a minor one. The fact that the movie is so damn faithful to the graphic novel gave me a faint feeling that I was watching a movie I had already seen before. Not that that's a bad thing, but it was just weird being able to accurately predict what would happen next in the movie. Also, the last half hour felt a bit rushed, but I'm sure the director's cut will remedy that.

All in all, it was surreal seeing the graphic novel played out so beautifully on screen, but a great experience nonetheless. But now I can't freaking wait for the Ultimate Director's cut.

The street corner is gone? WTF? That's actually more concerning than the squid. That last shot of all the bodies and how they're positioned is the most powerful image in the book, especially the Bernards.

Don't worry, it's not gone forever. The street corner stuff will be in the director's cut. Although there is no shot of the bodies. Everyone gets vaporized. But you do still see the Bernies hold onto each other.

[Ran]

G4TV has been playing their hour Watchmen special. I'm thinking about getting the book. Is it an actual book or is it a graphic novel/comic?

[anarky]

It was a graphic novel broken into twelve monthly issues since long graphic novels were still somewhat rare at the time. Since you'd never find the original issues for an affordable price (especially with the movie coming out), forget I even mentioned it.

The graphic novel is freaking everywhere right now. Even Target has it. It's well worth reading.