Has everyone who is going to see ‘Watchmen’ seen it already?
After all the websites, Twitter chatter, blogs, etc. me and my film-going companions this afternoon were shocked to find the matinee showing of ‘Watchmen’ empty, only one day after being released.
So is all the hype, all the fan-boy excitement just an example of an Internet Echo Chamber – with no real effect outside the ‘Watchmen’ bubble?
I really did expect long lines; and perhaps crappy seats with poor site-lines being the only ones free – but since there were less than twenty people there at the Green Hills Mall screening we able to see the picture just fine.
Which didn’t help matters.
Podcast review to follow tomorrow.
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UPDATE: Our 40 minute podcast analysis on the failure of ‘Watchmen’ is now online.
posted in forum Miscellaneous by zad1138
posted in forum Miscellaneous by seanpdudley
posted in forum General Movie Stuff by seanpdudley
posted in forum General Movie Stuff by Jett Loe
posted in forum General Movie Stuff by prawnman
Doubt it matters – that's one theater, and a matinee to boot. The film will make over $60 million this weekend, so Warner Bros. isn't exactly going to sweat this…
Am sure you're right Johnny – though if it is financially successfully I think it will have an 'anti-Easy Rider' effect = the studios will finally have cracked the code on how to make a movie generate income without having to worry about quality – to be concerned if the film is any good.
All you'll have to do is scan in comics to to a computer to serve as a basis for your storyboards and you're away = you don't have to worry about bringing any film-making skill to the project.
I don't disagree with your point on the merits of these graphic novel adaptations (watchmen, sin city, etc). However, since when has movie success had anything to do with quality? Paul Blart made over 100 million dollars, even crap like Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans was profitable. Its an unfortunate truth of our age that with the right marketing you can sell almost anything.
P.S. When you guys record your watchmen review, I'd appreciate it if you audibly warn us before you get into spoiler territory, as I won't be seeing the movie till next week. You're welcome to discuss spoiler (ending) material, just give a heads up before you do. Thanks.
You make a valid point peter + yes, we'll put a spoiler warning in – and, we'll see after we record the ep tomorrow, but the the whole ep may be spoiler territory :(
[...] Just Back from ‘Watchmen’ – The Theatre was Empty [...]
dude! what is your angst against “watchmen”, look i like movies, i'm actually studying to become a filmmaker, this film is deep, strong, intense, obviously is not better than the graphic novel, but is an excellent translation form comic to cinema, no piece of literature has been translated exactly like it was on the book because it's impossible, and because of the year gap between the release of the book and the moviemaking, i loved it, just because WB made an hilarant merchadising about it, well, what did you expect? this film was “the dark knight” of this year for them, they wanted to squeeze the juice of the fanboys pockets, and they do it wit every single film that is marketable… if you wanna discuss more here's my e-mail: sodagreen@hotmail.com
Hi edg_07 – i hear what you're saying – i'll have to disagree with you re: the film being strong and deep :) for more of our thoughts on Watchmen you can listen to our show on it here:
http://www.thefilmtalk.com/2009/03/08/watchmen-…
Gratuitous slow motion, masturbatory violence, bad acting, and not a single original idea do not a good movie make. Zack Snyder is a professional story-boarder, not a filmmaker.
did u read the graphic novel? did u liked 300 or Day of the Dead? i thought it was the rightest movie for the graphic novel's content, the characters were the same that the ones in the GN, if the idea of the “bad guy” winning in comic book movie it's not original, i'm michael fucking jackson
I guess you're Michael Jackson then. Sorry, “300″ was one of the worst movies of the year and “Day of the Dead” was laughable. If a movie is going to be exactly like its source material, then why is there a need for a movie? But that's my point — Snyder's movie isn't even good enough be considered an exact copy of Moore's novel. It reappropriates only the visual elements and guts it of every bit of actual substance.
I guess you're Michael Jackson then. Sorry, “300″ was one of the worst movies of the year and “Day of the Dead” was laughable. If a movie is going to be exactly like its source material, then why is there a need for a movie? But that's my point — Snyder's movie isn't even good enough be considered an exact copy of Moore's novel. It reappropriates only the visual elements and guts it of every bit of actual substance.