Alan Moore's "Watchmen" in a movie: not fantastic but not bad either

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Finally decided to see “Watchmen” in the movies tonight.
I wasn’t at all sure that I really wanted to see it.
You see I was one of the few people out there that wasn’t crazy over the “V for Vendetta” movie though I really liked the graphic/comic series. The story and actors were good, and the movie wasn’t bad but it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
Alan Moore wasn’t at all behind the Hollywood production of “Watchmen” so…
By the way Alan Moore is really rather odd but damn good at writing interesting series and being himself I suppose. He’s in “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman” as far as I’m concerned.

I’ve been a long time “graphic (for lack of any better term) novel” reader, though not a fanatic.
Couldn’t afford to be one. Started with comics, and underground comics, Heavy Metal before it turned into well… whatever. I still have the first 3 years worth saved around here somewhere and a few Fat Freddy’s Cat too. Began reading comics and graphic novels early on (Once upon a time I wanted to be an illustrator and went to college for Advertising Art and Design) and never stopped loving the comic/graphic medium to this day.

Unfortunately I got rid of all my comic books (girls weren’t supposed to read them: grow up and all) so when I moved out of parents house they were all given away.
Based on my reaction to the comic book tables at a few I-Con/Otacon visits I’ll never go to a comic-con I’d just sit and cry. Sadly, I had just about everything all the original stuff.
It’s not their monetary value that I get upset about it’s just that it makes me want them back to read and have. I loved comic books with a passion. It would have been better if I realized my interests were mine before I tried to “grow up” and be someone that I wasn’t as comfortable with.
Ah well, water under the bridge.


Back to Watchmen: I had mixed feelings about this movie. Yes, I enjoyed it and it followed the story all right… It wasn’t as gory as it could have been, yet not too watered down either.
Full frontal male nudity sort of (it’s CGI of course). Though Dr. Manhattan was done fairly well and the other characters were fine, I found something lacking in the movie. Maybe it’s because I enjoyed the comic series? I think I’ll have to see it again to fully decide if I really liked it or not, sometimes I have an attitude towards a movie and it effects the viewing. Certainly entertaining enough.

The distraction problem I had with the movie was that I couldn’t get Zena Warrior Princess out of my head (not that Laurie/Silk Spectre was anything like zena really I think it was her haircut, dark with bangs, or something)
Now Zena alone wasn’t too bad if it wasn’t coupled with a strange association in my mind between the unmasked Night Owl (Dan Dreiberg) and Chevy Chase of SNL/Fletch era. I know that’s weird and I seriously don’t get it myself but it took me more than half the movie before I wasn’t distracted by it. Don’t know why Chase got in my head but it definitely wouldn’t have even occurred to anyone young anyway. It’s just weird, maybe it was the glasses, or his mannerisms, no clue.

I’ll watch it again at some point, to give it a fairer chance.
Thumbs up I guess… but with reservations. Btw: semi-gratuitous comic book sex is thankfully far shorter than the silly Night Owl/Silk Spectre scene in Watchmen (seriously hitting the fire button… really lame) Don’t listen to me however, go see it whether you read the comics or not, you’ll probably like it… It was reasonably violent though so if you don’t like blood, etc., you might not. Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian were pretty good castings.

Some comic/graphic novels make better cross overs for movies than others especially if you’ve read them previously: for instance I loved Sin City and thought The Crow was absolutely stunning.
Pretty hard to compare with The Crow, at least in my mind.

I’ve said before that I have odd taste in movies and reading materials for a female it seems.

G’night,

Laura

Twenty-five days to the end of Bush indoctrination... or hey, let's rewrite history!

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The top thing that bothered me the most about the news this Christmas was the Santa Claus shootings in California.
Look, I'm sorry that the guys marriage failed and he lost his job but it gives him no right to kill anyone.
To shoot a young girl, to kill his ex-wife and others. To be that vindictive.
Okay so many folk will say he was disturbed, sick, deranged, crazy, yea probably all of those things... I don't care.
He didn't know what he was doing, he snapped, he was stressed out, he couldn't stop himself. I still don't care, no excuses.
It's simple, he was evil. I don't care what his sad story was, he had no right to end anyone's life except his own.
To dress in a santa suit and go on such a hateful rampage on Christmas Eve... shooting an eight year old in the face?
Maybe they'll even blame it on his mother, you know that inadequate mothering bullshit. Or his daddy. Or a bad schoolteacher, or his past employers... or even his ex-wife.
And there's always the member of his church (or a neighbor) that says to a newspaper that he was "just the nicest guy. He would do anything for the church."
Well, apparently he wasn't all that great in moral character because the son of a bitch shot people and then set the house on fire.
He booby trapped the car he was found in, so more people could potentially be injured.
Yea, this sounds like someone we should all sympathize with. Nope not me.
I don't believe in hell but if I'm wrong and there is one, I hope he rots in it.

Of course he ended up shooting himself.
He should have started the killing with himself.

There's no excuse. There are people that have gone through all kinds of divorce hell, lost jobs, lost health, had horrific childhoods, evil destructive relationships that haven't ever hurt anyone and never will.

We are all the walking functional dysfunctionals in one way or the other.
Evil, selfish people are simply that. This was an evil thing to do, I can't comprehend it because it's beyond understandable.

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Politics and Rick Warren

Why? Seriously. Barack Obama, there are literally thousands of ministers, priests, pastors, preachers, reverends, monks and other religious figures you could have chosen from that wouldn't likely have caused this friggin' mess that you created.

I don't get it. You've been so well thought out, so calculated and articulate in your program so far... what the hell happened? Was someone asleep at the wheel? Did you forget to use your fabulous internet to look at the Saddleback Church's web site?
I don't see why time and time again everyone caters to the religious right (far right). They are not on Obama's side to begin with so why? Again I just don't get it. Yea, Warren is probably further to the left that some of the real core strict evangelical's... but why pick him out of all the others
Hey, why didn't you just pick Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Oh yea that's right. Hmm.
Disappointed right now but hoping against hope that it doesn't change into disillusioned and discouragement like the last eight years of political "leadership."
You could have done so much better... Gay rights is a civil rights issue just like the rights of children, elderly, blacks, and women. Please get the government out of consenting adults bedrooms.

And can someone explain to me why prostitution is illegal? I don't really understand why it is.
I don't need a lecture on how it's immoral, or promotes adultery, or how women are debased and devalued by pimps and their johns. I just don't understand why it's against the law. I get that they don't want them to be hanging around on street corners or soliciting in public places, but why is the act illegal? Is it the money exchange, lack of paying taxes, what is it?

And it really looks like it's going to be Senator Al Franken from Minnesota since the state supreme court denied Coleman's current lawsuit. However it still might go to a "post recount election contest." Still, it favors Franken, but who knows at this point. Don't like either of them. Can't really see Franken as a senator. Ugh.

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If you knew me you might know that I'm a long time comic book aficionado along with the so-called graphic novels.
I also like manga and anime. But mostly I like the darker side of stories with good vs evil battles.
Well my son got me a copy of the Comic Book Tattoo for Christmas.
It's a beautiful oversized book full of short comic/stories.
The interesting thing is that they are tales inspired by the lyrics of Tori Amos.
Even if you're not an Amos fan the stories are interesting, well done and the interpretations fascinating.
Tori gave full creative license to the comic/writer/artists to create their own concepts and it's really sweet.
The foreword is by Neil Gaiman who is a friend of Tori's (not surprising).
So if you get the chance check it out in a store. I think if you like the format like I do you'll be impressed.
Books like this one could illustrate many music lyrics... could be a really fantastic series for bands (or at least their lyricists).
And how the hell did they produce such a beauty of a book for only $29.99?

So I'm in enough trouble for one day,
Hope the "soon to be here" 2009 will be a decent year!

G'night

Laura

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