David Poland Tells Watchmen Fans to Dry Their Eyes

Posted by Adam Sweeney (adam@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 2, 2009

sadwatchmen_1

Fox’s legal battle with Warner Bros. over Watchmen is starting to have the feel of a Red Sox vs. Yankees slugfest, but David Poland feels that all is fair in love and contract infringements.

Poland’s The Hot Blog has a pretty cut and dry explanation of why fanboys need to ease up on the Fox bashing. His reasoning goes a little something like this:

“If any of you lent a friend $10,000 to start a business they needed $200,000 to really start and you had the understanding that if they ever got their funding, you would be paid back, and if not, you would own some percentage of the business… and your friend took your money, almost got funded but didn’t, then ultimately did, but acted as though you didn’t exist…”

It’s an argument I can definitely understand. As mad as I am at Fox, the reality is that Warner Bros. needs to do whatever it takes to settle this dispute. They went to court, they were found in the wrong, end of story. Does the way that Fox is handling the situation damage their reputation? Yes, without question. But the true damage stands to be done to Watchmen and Warner Bros. if they can’t find a way to get this stain on their project removed.

Hand it to Poland, he doesn’t pull punches. He goes on to say that “if ‘geeks’ want to be treated like serious adults, they need to start banging on WB to eat their porridge and pay what they owe, so y’all can see Dr. Manhatten hang out on Mars. If someone steals from someone you don’t like, you don’t just keep blaming the guy you don’t like because he is ‘evil.,’” and “all this geek whining tells you just why the geek community is not taken seriously.”

I can’t say I blame the “geek community” for being upset. They just want to see the greatest graphic novel of all-time in a theater near them. I think Fox and Warner Bros. need to be like Spike Lee and do the right thing. If they can’t get this worked out so that we get to see Watchmen on March 6, 2009 then maybe we need to start a movie lover lynch mob, lock them in a room and tell them they aren’t coming out until they come to an agreement. You can read the rest of Poland’s argument here.

What do you think of David Poland’s comments? Where do you stand in the battle for the Watchmen soul?


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  • Don B.
    Most of these people who are complaining about what FOX has done are the same ones who will be complaining about how bad the film was as soon as it is released.
  • I doubt the film will be bad, but I think I see where you're coming from. Some people just want a reason to complain.
  • WE ALL DO! With due respect we all come to conclusions and not think it through but with Poland's logical explanation it does make sense in a way. I do feel that this movie deserve to show in the movie theaters as scheduled in 2 months. Many fanboys (& girls) as waiting to see the creative work and hype that Team Zack Snyder has made. Let's all stop the complints and just hope this will be resolved. I don't care who is the studio going to release the film as long as we get to see the finished product.
  • WE ALL DO! With due all respect we all come to conclusions and not think it through but with Poland's logical explanation it does make sense in a way. I do feel that this movie deserve to show in the movie theaters as scheduled in 2 months. Many fanboys (& girls) as waiting to see the creative work and hype that Team Zack Snyder has made. Let's all stop the complints and just hope this will be resolved. I don't care who is the studio going to release the film as long as we get to see the finished product.
  • I can't blame fox, I am also pissed that they changed the ending. If I could I would start a lawsuit.
  • You know I would too but they do have the rights. Face it you'll lose. :(
  • Thats what fox is for.
  • Yaanu
    I just want to see the damn movie.
  • THANK YOU!!!
  • David G
    It still seems like the classic kiddie story where " Kid A" tosses his old toy out to play with another one. But when " Kid B" comes along and plays with the tossed out toy, " Kid A" cries for it back... Know Im not the only one who sees this.
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