Comments on: Test Screeners Watch the Watchmen and Live to Tell All

By: Jeff Hall

Jeff Hall — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:40:54 +0000

I have not read/seen the Test Screeners article yet so bear with me.

Watchmen was the book that drew me into comics. (I never really got into the medium during my youth.)

After a friend handed me the colected work, I spent a gloriously, stoned on medicine day plowing through all 12 issues at once. I literally could not put the book down, despite suffering from some horrible plague like virus.

Unfortunately, like many of the stories I’ve read by Alan Moore, the ending was weak. It did not stop me from loving the book, or feeling fulfilled by the content, but it did leave me feeling like Moore wrote himself into a corner that he really did not know how to get himself out of. (i was left with the same feeling from V For Vendetta, which I also love. Once Moore made his “statement” in each, he ran out of steam and just drew it to a close.)

Hearing that the studio is willing to stick to the book, but also understanding that the ending of the novel was the one and only weak part, and having courage to go against fandom and changing it is encouraging. If they pull it off, even better.

I’m sure I’m with many folks in that I’m torn between my desire to see one of my favorite book brought “to life” and fearing that no matter what is done, it could never live up to the hype.

By: djjeffhall

djjeffhall — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:40:00 +0000

I have not read/seen the Test Screeners article yet so bear with me.

Watchmen was the book that drew me into comics. (I never really got into the medium during my youth.)

I’m sure I’m with many folks in that I’m torn between my desire to see one of my favorite book brought “to life” and fearing that no matter what is done, it could never live up to the hype.

By: big K

big K — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:57:40 +0000

@ Ashley,

Thanks.

My dad is into jazz and soul music. Those guys say “cats” often. I guess it comes from that.

By: big K

big K — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:57:00 +0000

@ Ashley,

Thanks.

My dad is into jazz and soul music. Those guys say “cats” often. I guess it comes from that.

By: Ashley Demma

Ashley Demma — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:36:28 +0000

@ Big K,

I’m so glad you used the word “cat”. You rock.

By: Ashley Demma

Ashley Demma — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:36:00 +0000

@ Big K,

I’m so glad you used the word “cat”. You rock.

By: David

David — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:32:56 +0000

I think V for Vendetta was awesome and that was without the input of the moorester

By: Davebaxter1989

Davebaxter1989 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:32:00 +0000

I think V for Vendetta was awesome and that was without the input of the moorester

By: big K

big K — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:12:42 +0000

I hope the idea of having superhumans may just make things WORSE, that the book implied, or the dark and ambigous way the book ended doesn’t change. That said, concepts on the printed page sometimes don’t translate all that well on film, so I kinda don’t mind if they leave out the giant, psychic space vagina destroying New York part.

P.S.: While I totally respect Alan Moore’s choice to not play a role in how his work is interpreted on film, would it kill him to at least offer some advice so they wouldn’t suck so hard?

P.P.S: This is more of a rant but, What is it with cats like Moore and Garth Ennis being so douchey about comics and comic-book characters nowadays like they haven’t been writing comics for 30 years?

By: big K

big K — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:12:00 +0000

P.S.: While I totally respect Alan Moore’s choice to not play a role in how his work is interpreted on film, would it kill him to at least offer some advice so they wouldn’t suck so hard?

By: Trace

Trace — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:56:11 +0000

The squid ending didn’t piss me off, but I felt underwhelmed. The entire thing was great, and the squid itself wasn’t that bad, albeit a little farfetched. But the fact that everyone just swept it under the rug? I get it, but still…

By: Trace

Trace — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:56:00 +0000

By: Nish

Nish — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:56:12 +0000

I think that if you view this as a comic book adaptation, you will be disappointed, because he Watchmen is unfilmable. It is designed to be everything a comic book can be that a film/book can’t. However, as a film, i think it looks really good.

By: Nish

Nish — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:56:00 +0000

By: 790

790 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:28:46 +0000

You know what I’ve been holding back reading the book , because I want the film version to be my first impression…

And now I’m glad I did…

By: 790

790 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:28:00 +0000

You know what I’ve been holding back reading the book , because I want the film version to be my first impression…

And now I’m glad I did…

By: Nicole C

Nicole C — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:28:52 +0000

I vote No squid, I feel like it really fell apart at the ending, but the new ending with Dr.
manhattan’s more direct involvement in the build-up to the catastrophe itself is a change
that I’m not sure I approve of.

I’m excited, but I’m also skeptical.

By: Nicole C

Nicole C — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:28:00 +0000

I’m excited, but I’m also skeptical.

By: Mladen

Mladen — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:04:29 +0000

spoileriffic… Sounds like a minor change, the ending of the story is still the same, its just the method of how it happens.

I’m more worried that they’ve changed/damaged the thematic content of the story to make it more COOOOOL and blockbustery. Thats definately what it looks like now, but it IS just a trailer, and they’re picking the actiony bits to show off, so who knows…
It still stands that every Alan Moore adaptation has either completely sucked (LXG), or managed to completely miss the point of the novel (V for Vendetta, From Hell). So I’m skeptical, but I’d REALLY like to be wrong.

By: Mladen

Mladen — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:04:00 +0000

spoileriffic… Sounds like a minor change, the ending of the story is still the same, its just the method of how it happens.