Watchmen trailer up!

[DanielJones]

It has been confirmed that they are filming the "Black Freighter" sub-story, but that it will most likely not be included in the theatrical release of the movie. They are planning on cutting it into the film for an extended DVD release. I have not heard if the sequence will be live action or animated.

So it sound like it might be a sub story similar to the O-Ren Ishii sequence in Kill Bill Vol. I. Animated but super graphic. It may prove interesting from an artistic point of view.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Edward]

Edward, everything I've read says that the film still takes place in an alternate 1985.

Interesting.... I'd not seen that. TBH, I'd kinda assumed they'd be updating it as I didn't think the 80s context, the cold war issues etc would be something the studio would consider would play to the mainstream, but that sounds cool. I'll be interested to see whether they tweak it a bit to reflect more the war on terror than the cold war, but nonetheless, nice that they're sticking with the original setting.

I have my doubts about this film: to really do justice to the original, it will be so dense that movie audiences who haven't read the original will be baffled. But if they simplify the story too much, nobody will be happy...

It is a tightrope, but I think possible to do well nevertheless. Seems to me that if Fellowship of the ring could be sufficiently well done as it was, then Watchmen can be condensed successfully too.

One fannish thing I will say about the trailer: Doctor Manhattan looks GREAT!

Hells, yes. An excellent example of how CGI isn't necessarily always a bad thing! I really hope they have the little story detail of him putting the mark on his forehead himself, after turning down the helmet they design for him.

I wouldn't consider it a sign. They simply couldn't have left that out. Doing a poor job on Rorschach could go so far as to make the movie completely unprofitable.

I agree with your second point, but it would be very easy for them to have a mask with a fixed pattern, and not lose anything essential of the character IMO. I'm really glad they're for doing it, because I love that detail, but I honestly don't think it is absolutely core to Rorschach - what I'd be more afraid of them toning down are his unacceptably fascist views, his homophobia, etc etc..... It's the complexity of the character I appreciate, the fact that he can be a hero and you can admire his integrity yet this doesn't excuse his various bigotries.

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Well I picked up the graphic novel and read it this weekend in anticipation of the movie. I'm so excited! What an amazing graphic novel. I really hope they get all the little plot twists and turns in there.

Do you think the guy in the trailer with the black suit and the silver lines across his chest is supposed to be Ozymandias? I hope they include the flashbacks to the Minutemen days.. no sign of Captain Metropolis, Hooded Justice, etc. in the trailer.

I really hope they just exclude the Black Freighter story, I know it intertwined with the story and all, but it was a pain to read, and I ended up skimming most of those parts.

 

[Edward]

I really hope they just exclude the Black Freighter story, I know it intertwined with the story and all, but it was a pain to read, and I ended up skimming most of those parts.

I would equate the Black Freighter segment of Watchmen with Tom Bombadiel in Lord of the Rings.... i.e. it's a safe bet it'll not be in the film, at least not the big screen release.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Apparently it'll be an animated section on the DVD extras, or so I hear!
Edit: Which was already mentioned in this thread!:eusa_doh:

 

[kiltie]

I read recently - EW? - that a projected running time of three hours has already been reduced to somewhere along the lines of 2:15. It's disappointing that studios don't have enough faith in their audiences. If you roll out a solid product, people are gonna be glued to their seats for three hours, and I think Watchmen deserves that running time.
I understand that the "catastrophe" at the end will be somewhat different from the original.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

They should just add intermissions to these things... I think most people would sit for the lot if they had a few minutes to go to the bathroom, get more food, have a stretch etc.

 

[The Wolf]

If a movie is very long then the cinema has to have fewer showings, meaning smaller ticket sales.
Anyway, you know Hollywood loves to put out DVDs that say "special edition, longer, uncut director's version!!"

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Edward]

I understand that the "catastrophe" at the end will be somewhat different from the original.

I'm predicting a 9/11 Conspiracy type thang. As to run-time, possibly they've been influenced by the audience reaction to The Dark Knight, given so many reviewers considered it "overlong."

 

[The Wolf]

As long as the ending isn't what was in Sam Hamm's original script when this was first optioned.
In fact the whole of the original script showed that Sam Hamm didn't "get it".

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Creeping Past]

The Black Freighter...

... is the greatest horror story of the 20th century.

I'm pleased it's going to be a separate animated short. I'm hoping they'll show it as a short B feature. Pixar have successfully revived the animated B short and it would be good to see a major studio pick up the idea.

We need more shorts of the calibre of Presto and, since I'm in this vein, The Crimson Permanent Assurance.

 

[DanielJones]

Here is some interesting news about The Black Freighter.

http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/28/gerard-butler-is-the-black-freighter/

http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/26/tales-of-the-black-freighter-getting-dvd-release/

Cheers!

Dan

 

[UWS Cowboy]

Hey guys, did a search and found this thread. Here's some new footage of the film, with a lot of stuff from the teaser as well.
http://wbads-02.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbmovies/watchmen/video/WatchmenScreamALT_Large.mov

 

[Doh!]

Thanks! It looks like about half of that footage is new.

 

[UWS Cowboy]

The new trailer http://wbads-97.vo.llnwd.net/e1/wbmovies/watchmen/trailer2/watchmen2_lg.mov

 

[Edward]

Windows can't play that with sound for me, but it looks stunning. I love the shot of Rorschach at the end, that quick flash of the pattern on his mask changing.

 

[Pok 9'er]

That extreme closeup of Rorschach is both extremely cool and extremely creepy. I love the idea of a superhero, if he can be called that, walking around in normal clothes instead of some elaborate costume or suit.