Watchmen Roundup
The movie opens tomorrow, as you’d know if you’d been around a TV in the last couple weeks. Looks like I’m going solo to this one, as it’s apparently really violent, not something Jill likes. I just reread the graphic novel it’s based on, as well as a book detailing how it was created. It’s been a while since I’ve read it (I first read it in 1986 as the 12 issues came out), and the new oversized edition is just a joy to read. The other book on the creation is a wonderful companion piece – Dave Gibbons (the artist) saved every scrap related to the project and they’re lovingly reproduced here (including a piece of Neil Gaiman art).
Here’s a roundup of links – first, the book:
- A roundtable interview with the creators in 1988
Alan interviewed in 2007 - Neil Gaiman on the graphic novel (and again)
- Neil Gaiman interviewing Alan Moore right before the graphic novel was published
- Comic book writer Mike Carey on the graphic novel
- Comic book writer Steven Grant on reassessing the graphic novel
- 10 ways to consider it
- Annotations
- Someone reading it for the first time
- What to read next
Next, the movie:
- A collection of behind the scenes, sneak peeks, and bonus videos
- Easter eggs on screen
- AV Club review
- EW review
- Post review
And finally, What if Watchmen was a Saturday morning cartoon?
March 9th, 2009 10:43
We saw it yesterday. Finally I can read some of the reviews without having the movie ruined. Jill made a good call on the violence. A lot of what was only implied in the book got shown with extra meaty goo on screen. I did snort when Lee Iaccoca took a bullet between the eyes. I’ll have to go back to the novel again, I don’t remember Nixon’s warroom being quite so ‘Dr Strangelove’.
March 9th, 2009 10:48
Oh, and one continuity error in the film: The scene where Nite Owl II and the Comedian were putting down the street riots during the Police Strike in Manhattan was supposed to happen between prior to the current 1985 setting of the story, and prior to the 1977 law banning masked vigilantes. The opening shot shows a Porsche 944 being torched. They weren’t produced until 1983.
Not a shame though, I never liked the 944 in ‘Champagne’ and that color was almost always optioned with awful cloth interior and the 3-speed slushbox.