tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post457843752441133820..comments2022-03-19T23:20:17.651-05:00Comments on G o l d * W a t c h: Watchmen, My ReviewMike Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15084730575824101316noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-87269387984925802182009-03-26T12:25:00.000-05:002009-03-26T12:25:00.000-05:00that's true. but the fashion spin of each woman wa...that's true. but the fashion spin of each woman was still more in keeping with the times in which they thrived, which was cool.ElleG77https://www.blogger.com/profile/15804814945074017292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-70346922116880267662009-03-24T14:56:00.000-05:002009-03-24T14:56:00.000-05:00Although, the film allowed men to fight crime in m...Although, the film allowed men to fight crime in molded plastic, but still had the women in fishnets and skin-tight latex.Mike Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15084730575824101316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-73165928282554686382009-03-24T14:40:00.000-05:002009-03-24T14:40:00.000-05:00Ok so I liked the film. And I have never read the ...Ok so I liked the film. And I have never read the comic. So..there's that. And while I agree with much of what you say, I have a slightly different take-as in, the actors were fine but the dialogue given them was not good enough. Either it was too repetitive (like you say) or over-simplified and it created a challenge of presenting real (believable) emotion and reaction. The sex and violence scenes WERE blown out of porportion but I liked the costumes as a reflection of the political crassness of the 60s, 70s and 80s. They gave a palpability to the overall American-ness of self-importance that seemed to be the backdrop of the film-the Bay of Pigs, Nixon's reign and even the crime and growing materialism of the nation itself throughout those time periods, especially the 80s and Wallstreet. <BR/><BR/>Another thing I really really appreciated was that though this movie did utilize unneccessary sex, the way the scenes were shot, themselves, and the type of nudity that existed in the film was for ONCE not a gross objectification of women for the sake of the male viewer-you know-a long shot from the man's point of view that focused ONLY on the female body parts, and worse, included the female actor staring seductively in the direction of the camera. From a feminist perspective, this was the most 'equal' take on sex and sensuality that I have yet to see in a major motion picture. 300 was horrifying for this fact and really pissed me off as a movie. <BR/><BR/>And for the record I was less upset about the omission of Tom Bombadil than I was by the gross addition of lines for Arwen-putting her in scenes that she was never in in the book. But I am glad they put in Eowyn's line when she was fighting the Witch King...ElleG77https://www.blogger.com/profile/15804814945074017292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-34439142125665197552009-03-20T16:09:00.000-05:002009-03-20T16:09:00.000-05:00At least you aren't as frustrated as Wolverine...At least you aren't as frustrated as Wolverine.<BR/><BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlqCaqmrto4&feature=dirGeorgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587929726072663935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-79406060316114303962009-03-20T15:37:00.000-05:002009-03-20T15:37:00.000-05:00Ah George, I doubt you had any trouble ascertainin...Ah George, I doubt you had any trouble ascertaining my points. Instead, I feat that my habit of allowing my writing to descend into angry and frustrated rants prevents me from considering my word choices properly.Mike Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15084730575824101316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-22476147794148340682009-03-20T15:28:00.000-05:002009-03-20T15:28:00.000-05:00Aha! Excellent clarification. I think the only r...Aha! Excellent clarification. I think the only reason Laurie sticks in my head is her costume...and her seeming ability to make the worst of living with an ubermensch capable of self-replication and spooky action at a distance.<BR/><BR/>I think you've won me over to the idea of a Rorschach-centric film. And your earlier point that cohesion of plot and clear dramatic progression is lost when too many characters are followed and too much is crammed into one narrative.<BR/><BR/>I also now understand what you were saying about the use of Dan and Laurie as everyman entry-points into the world of the Watchmen. That dovetails with the dumbing-down of so many stories in today's USA.<BR/><BR/>Thankfully today is the last day of the Fast. During the rest of the year I should be able to catch your drift the first time.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587929726072663935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-54259397383266373852009-03-20T15:22:00.000-05:002009-03-20T15:22:00.000-05:00Not necessarily being over his shoulder, but he sh...Not necessarily being over his shoulder, but he should have been emphasized more than the other characters... or perhaps the other characters should have been diminished so that he stands out as the clear protagonist. <BR/><BR/>I think that almost everyone who saw this film agrees that Laurie Jupiter was not only the worst-performed character in the movie, but also the worst-written. The question I've been mulling over is whether or not the movie would have been better without her. (Not completely, of course...)<BR/><BR/>But I think what I basically mean is that the narrative would have worked better had the story been written with the intention of telling Rorschach's story, and not from the point of view of including (or nodding to) every single detail of the comic book.Mike Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15084730575824101316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-89191003251434467822009-03-20T13:47:00.000-05:002009-03-20T13:47:00.000-05:00Now wait a minute. Isn't that what they did? Did...Now wait a minute. Isn't that what they did? Didn't the film start with Rorschach's voiceover? I seem to remember him doing a lot of the narration. Even the epilogue focused on his journal and the newspaper intern. Or were you thinking of watching over his shoulder for the entire film?Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587929726072663935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-15157836033137264582009-03-12T21:25:00.000-05:002009-03-12T21:25:00.000-05:00Some more thoughts: Gavin and I just had a brief c...<B>Some more thoughts:</B> Gavin and I just had a brief conversation about this, and he added a few good insights. <BR/><BR/>One subtle but major difference between watching a film and reading a comic book is that, while watching a film, the audience is passive, but a reading audience is active. While watching a film, an audience needs a guide to take them by the hand and escort them into the world. While reading a comic book, the audience is actively acquiring the content, and putting himself into the world. <BR/><BR/>This doesn't mean that both forms don't need a point of reference, but that the roles of these reference points are different. In films, the protagonist must serve as "the guide," whereas this isn't always the case with novels or comics. <BR/><BR/>In the Watchmen comic book, our point of relation to the world is in the characters of the comic-reader and the newstand man. Two characters who were essentially dropped from the film. <BR/><BR/>Instead, the film positions the Dan and Laurie as "everymen" and hopes to use them as the audiences' point of entry. <BR/><BR/>The more that I think about it, the more I lean towards the opinion that this should have been Rorschach's movie. His is the voice that begins and ends the comic, his is the twisted point of view that paints our world into a dystopian 1985 with a 5th-Term Nixon as President of a nation on the brink of nuclear war. His story should have been the backbone, everything else should have been secondary.... anyway....Mike Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15084730575824101316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-89229750938193036542009-03-12T09:55:00.000-05:002009-03-12T09:55:00.000-05:00Brilliant review. At least my cursory stab at it ...Brilliant review. At least my cursory stab at it revealed that we both identified the same "best actor." I agree with nearly all your points. The fanboy factor is a catch-22: remain faithful to the comic, you lack artistic vision; blaze your own trail, you forsake the author and his canon. I tend to give anyone who takes on the mantle of adaptation the benefit of the doubt. And you should be able to tell from my mini-review that I've never read the comic. <BR/><BR/>One good thing about the movie: it serves as an introduction to Alan Moore's characters for a much wider audience. Call it the Fight Club Effect: had it not been for Chuck Palahniuk and David Fincher, I'd never have discovered one of my favorite bands: the Pixies. I know I'm much more likely to seek out the comics now, after seeing the movie. That has to be worth something. <BR/><BR/>Speaking of soundtracks, I laughed at your take. I did think many of the choices were trite, but I could see where they were going, and how they tried to place the film in the quasi-appropriate historic context. Somehow I feel that applying any Dylan or Cohen song in this day and age, to any film, would be considered ironic regardless of the director's intent.<BR/><BR/>That said, you should _make a living_ as a film critic. You're better than most professionals.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04587929726072663935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-74305280529550860912009-03-09T23:42:00.000-05:002009-03-09T23:42:00.000-05:00You said it before I could: Shoulda been a mini-se...You said it before I could: Shoulda been a mini-series. <BR/><BR/>I'll probably wind up seeing this film at some point, though I'll probably wait for Netflix. Seeing 300 was enough of a hint as to what to expect here. Your review confirmed just about every suspicion I had.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15153585533158668984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7442419893930702237.post-10250649696286616682009-03-09T21:45:00.000-05:002009-03-09T21:45:00.000-05:00Mike took his mommy to the movies. Ha ha!Mike took his mommy to the movies. Ha ha!Bryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02000371427378053532noreply@blogger.com