Knighty Nite

I’m sure many of your FB’s saw “Dark Knight” last night around midnight… midknight? I hope to catch it this weekend. So far the review have gone something like, “Holy shit, Batman!” so I am enthused.

I’ve never read the “Watchmen” comics. I know, I will turn in my comic geek card at the door. I had been reading that die hard fans of Alan Moore’s anti-hero opus were worried about the movie not staying true to the source material, but apparently the trailer (that is showing with “Dark Knight“) is assuaging their fears.

I only know of the characters and story what Josh has told me and what I’ve read on Wiki, but the trailer was bonerific to say the least, even if their Batman analog is a freaking barn owl.

Speaking of Batman… just watch this and smile.

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57 Comments

  1. I think you mean the old Charlton comics, where the Blue Beetle was originally published.
    I know what you mean when you say that the characters shouldn't need to be a take off of other characters but its also true that throughout the genre there are several common archetypes. Take CoH for example, while there are many permutations the universe can still basically be summed up into Magic, Tech, Alien, Nuclear accident etc.
    Also I think when he started writing the story he had it in mind to use specific Charlton characters but then it turned out he wasn't allowed so he changed the characters slightly enough that they would work inside the same story.

    • Yep, they were all old Charlton properties that couldn't be republished due to Legal Witch-craftery. Slap on a new coat of paint and blam, Watchmen.

  2. the trailer wasn't terribly impressive. the movie has no way of capturing the essence of the book, a book I didn't think was all that great either. The book is too involved, with many storylines.

  5. I dunno. I mean, my friend who loves Watchmen and was waiting for that trailer turned to me at the end and went "Uh…well at least it looks pretty." He is the person in my group who loves the book and still sides with Alan Moore in that the movie shouldn't be made. The book is not "cinematic" cause Moore purposely made it not so. We'll still see it, but it's going to be a three hour long poop fest.

  7. Your friend is ANOTHER picky fanboy.

    That trailer was all kinds of awesome. The fact that it was that visually on point, is a miracle. Screw Alan Moore. It looked like pages from the graphic novel come to life.

  8. Your argument makes no sense. As DCMovieGirl said you must be a never-pleased about anything fanboy.

    We are supposed to take your friend's opinion as a true fanboy for the Watchmen when you state that he already didn't want the movie to be made? Of course he isn't going to like the preview!

    It's "higher then thou" fanboys like you and your friend that make me not want people to know I like the Wathcmen and and really really excited about this movie and that the trailer that looked AMAZING. Even if Night Owl is a kinda lame character…..

  9. Hey, don't knock one Nite Owl. He just needs some lovin', even if it is Dr. Manhattan's sloppy seconds. And the trailer does so look bad ass

  15. I love Watchmen and I loved the trailer, especially The Comedian and Rorschach blowing stuff up. And Dr Manhattan. And Silk Spectre. And I'll just shut up now.

  20. I was gonna point out that Nite Owl is not an analogue for batman (if anyone is, it's Rorsarch) but it's been done. On another note, Alan Moore was right (he wrote the damn thing, he should be right about it, shouldn't he?), the way the comic was written does not really lend itself to a cinematic format. The movie's going to miss a lot of what is great about the book (i.e. the complex, non-linear storytelling) but based on what I saw in the trailer, it's probably going to be entertaining at the very least.

  21. I absolutely LOVE the watchmen, it is among my favorite novels. That said, I think (as Moore has said himself) that it is impossible to translate it properly to film, it simply is too complex and utilizes devices that cannot properly be brought to motion pictures.

    Still, though, I giggle gleefully at the trailer. If its 70% essence of watchmen I'll still cream my pants a delightful shade of white.

  26. Yeah, cos good movies have never utilised the non-linear storytelling device *cough*memento*cough*pulp fiction*ahem*the prestige*cough*slaughterhouse five*ahem* er excuse me, there was something in my throat there.
    Personally i have heard a lot of people say it 'doesn't lend itself to the movie medium' but very few offering specific reason why, which at least you did. Moore's own thoughts on the matter seem to have something to do with there be too much to take in in one sitting so its better to be able to go back and read the book several times, that's valid, but there's no reason this can't be done with movies today, especially with DVD. And as for Moore being the author so therefore he'd know, well not many butchers tell you how good vegetarian lasagne and tofu turkey taste do they?

  27. After viewing the trailer a couple squillion times yesterday morning, I popped over here for my usual Friday fix. As always, hysterical, but this time more personally so. I love Watchmen, and I'm excited about the film.

    I'm going to assume that Eli started camping outside the theatre two days prior, and you're the first ones in there — otherwise, that's an oddly empty theatre… (Just a little sassy constructive criticism; I only noticed it after re-reading it for the kajillionth time because it is so dang funny!)

    Or maybe every one moved to different seats once Eli started chanting.

  28. Rereading this and laughing at how far Joel is taking the joke, I realized you need to put a link to this in your "About the Artist" blurb right after you say "and then drive that joke into the earth so deep that you thought you were watching The Core."

    Love Josh getting pissed then resigned to your Nite Owl riff. And Eli still chanting "Batman" in the (literal) background. It's funny cause it really sounds like you guys. Only Josh probably would swear more in the podcast version.

  29. Er, aren't bats also nocturnal? That's a pretty weak argument against Nite-Owl if you're comparing him against BATman. :/

    I'm just sayin' is all. 😀

  30. Not trying to slap you on the wrist, but I have a thing about people on the internet making each other feel bad. Not that you were trying to, but I dont want debates to escalate. HE is a happy place full of happy mountains and happy trees.

  31. This is actually why Im glad I havent invested emotion in the source material. I want to enjoy this movie and not be dissappointed that it wasnt true to the novel. Ill check out the novel after the movie.

  35. I read up on how each character is based on a ….fuck I forgot the name of the company… ANOTHER character from a different comics publisher. I find that really odd. SuperHeroes are similar enough in origin and powers that they dont really need to be directly lifted from another creative entity.

  36. I love it when you guys identify with the stuff that I include just because "thats what he would actually do." It makes my job of creating characters much easier when I can "What WOULD Eli do?" Hey! WWED!?

  38. Once again, why Im glad I havent read Watchmen yet. From the trailer I can almost guarantee that I will at least enjoy this movie. I dont want the baggage that 20 years of Watchmen fandom carries with it. Ive been on that side of the fence far too many times.

    • Greetings … FROM THE FUTURE.

      The film was enjoyable. The book was enjoyable. They were just enjoyable on different levels.

  39. Moore is also quite the "Artiste" in that he's very close to his work. Stan Lee could give two fucks what they do to Spider-Man as long as the checks cash. I support that Moore loves his creations and wants to see them respected, but at the same time as soon as he cashes HIS giant check, all bets are off.

  40. Either than or this comic was 12 hours late and kicking my ass so I neglected to add any background people. I was (this) close but decided to publish before I started getting "where's the comic" emails. You never know, I might add it in when no one is paying attention.

  41. Doug, my good man, you enter the "Fancy Bastad Hall of Fame" for "getting it" that much. I was telling my wife that its easy to write dialog for these three because I just think about what we would say to each other in real life. Joel's argument holds no water and makes no sense, but the idea is to piss josh off by saying as many things that he wont like hearing louder and faster than he can process them and rebut.

    Thats basically the dynamic of our actual friendship.

  42. From my Reply to Doug:
    "Joel's argument holds no water and makes no sense, but the idea is to piss josh off by saying as many things that he wont like hearing louder and faster than he can process them and rebut.

    Thats basically the dynamic of our actual friendship. "

    Yeah his points are pointless. He'd just deconstructing something Josh is enthusiastic about in spite of the fact that he thinks it looks just as cool as Josh does. Its a vicious cycle.

  43. Naaah, too much a repeat of the Brain. But just like LeMarche's imitation of Orson Welles as the Brain, and Allen Swift's imitation of Lionel Barrymore as Simon Bar Sinister, we have to find another voice actor who can do a good version of a great-voiced actor. Hmmm. Who can do John Carradine?

  46. Either that, or just like in Luby's, every time the three of you show up in a movie theater, people around all move away. Dragging heavy tables, or in this case, uprooting theater seats. So maybe instead of adding people, you need to take away chairs.

  47. About them making it into a movie: I should like to point out that I am not versed at all in the world of graphic novel characters. I would not have known about The Watchmen at all if it had not come to the movies. So perhaps a movie is a clever way to bring an innocent newbie like me into your dark and explicit world? I promise to hate every single minute of the movie and then read the novels with orgiastic delight afterwards.

  48. Thats a really good point, so many people who would never read the book will see the film and go to the book shop (or at least download it ;-D).
    I really don't want anyone to go see this movie who has some sort of maral objection to it, its not like I want the movie to be a success so they can make a sequel, (in fact if they ever did announce a sequel i would be right up in arms along side all the die-hard nay-sayers), for all i care this movie can fail terribly (I really doubt this), as long as i get to see it before it does.

  49. I'm reading the graphic novel right now (almost done) and it's so weird…I don't like any of the characters. I don't like the way the story is told. I don't like the plot. I don't like any of the separate components that make up the whole. I can't stop reading it anyhow.

    Maybe once I get to the end I'll like it. Probably I'll still not like it. But I'm giving it a damn good try.

  51. Also, Nite Owl is supposed to be lame. He's a big dorky, ineffectual everyman who happens to put on a costume and build a bunch of geeky gear. He's actually based more on the Blue Beetle than Batman. Rorschach is the real bad-ass. He beats the crap out of criminals to the point that he makes Batman seem well-adjusted. Actually, come to think of it, he probably makes the Joker seem well-adjusted.

  54. It's because when Moore wrote it DC wouldn't let him use any established characters from any of their properties so he had to make them up from whole cloth for the story. Hollis Mason remember the name. And mark it well my friends

  55. This comic made me spit pieces of Subway lettuce all over myself. It's what happens when you do a spit-take while you're eating lunch. Thanks. FREAKING HILARIOUS!

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