Watchmen was a twelve-issue comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. DC Comics originally published it as a montly limited series from 1986 to 1987 and it was later republished as a trade paperback, which popularized the graphic novel format. To date, Watchmen remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, and is also the only graphic novel to appear on Time Magazine’s 2005 list of “the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.”
Watchmen is set in 1985, in an alternate history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. Watchmen depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who—with one notable exception—lack anything recognizable as super powers. Watchmen’s deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has influenced both comics and film.
The film:
The Watchmen film adaption, set for release sometime in March of 2009, is directed by Zack Snyder of 300 fame – so we already know that even if it does suck story-wise, it’s going to look really, really cool.
The film stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie and Carla Gugino.
Set in 1985, Nixon is still president, and we’re on the verge of war between the U.S.A and the Soviet Union.
Writing by Jana on Monday, 21 of July , 2008 at 8:18 am
Batman: The Dark Knight finally came out, and like every other Batman fanatic, I eagerly lined up at the movie theatre to see the long-anticipated release.
To sum up my feelings: Wow. OMFG. And just plain…wow.
In the weeks and days leading up to the release I tried very hard to be a good girl: I didn’t read any reviews. I didn’t watch any of the other trailers or the leaked first six minutes that was making it’s way around the net. I wanted to see the movie and not bring any other opinions in with me. I didn’t want to ruin it. Because as we all know; nothing ruins something good quite as much as too much hype and anticipation. I’m glad I did because I was blown away.
I’m not going to post some long, analytical, intellectual, wank here about The Dark Knight; other more qualified reviewers have taken care of that for me. But I do have a few things I want to talk about.
Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger is amazing as the Joker. Amazing. If like me you haven’t paid attention to all the hoopla surrounding his death, seeing him in this performance will blow you away. Yes I’m using that term alot. What makes it so incredible, is that he actually became the Joker on screen.
There is absolutely nothing of this man:
in this character:
Nothing.
I kept searching for some semblance of Ledger underneath that persona, and found none. He managed to create a true psychopath with none of the usual bullshit excuses for the behaviour; but somehow, he made him almost sympathetic at times and not through sob stories or redemption, but through something entirely else. Something you saw in his eyes. Something that’s difficult to pin-point because it’s so intangible. I think it’s that something that marks a truly great actor from a good actor, or a decent one, or a mediocre one. Whatever that is, Ledger had it.
Christopher Nolan
Thank you for taking over the Batman franchise and making it something worthy of cinema instead of the cartoonish garbage it had descended to, and indeed by comparison, had always been. You surpassed the bullshit, and you even surpassed yourself and Batman Begins with this latest offering that had my adrenaline pumping and my eyes glued to the screen in horror. Thank you for not taking (too many) cheap shots or short cuts or giving us a stereotypical villain. Thank you for setting the stage so perfectly for the next installment of the Batman saga.
I love you, man!
Just please don’t screw it up.
For example, by adding Robin into the fray.
Please for the love of god do not do that. Do not resurrect Robin.
I think it’s safe to trust you at this point, but delusions of grandeur and infallibility can creep into the most noble of intentions.
Soto sum up the preceding rambling/gushing: GO SEE THE DARK KNIGHT. Whether you’re a Batman fan or not, just go see it. You won’t regret it
His five are: The Matrix (1999); Ghost in the Shell (1995); The Incredibles (2004); 12 Monkeys (1995); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004).
I agree with The Matrix and Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, further on my list of best science fiction films:
Solaris (1972): The original Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky based on the novel Solaris by Polish science fiction author Stanisław Lem. Themes of love, loss, the nature of existence and our memory abound in this gloomy, existential masterpiece. Solaris (1992):Yeah that’s right. Again. Can you tell I’m a huge Solaris fan all around? The 1992 version is directed by Steven Soderbergh, and stars George Clooney. This version focuses too much on the relationship of the leads, but it is a stunning and under-rated film regardless. Read the book, watch the movies, prepare to ponder the mysteries of life and God. Children of Men (2006): directed by Alfonso Cuarón and loosely adapted from P. D. James’s 1992 novel The Children of Men. Starring Clive Owen. Dark City (1998): a science fiction film noir directed by Alex Proyas. I still remember walking out of the theatre after seeing this for the first time with friends. I was 14 and literally disoriented and dizzy, stumbling around the mall, and talking about the implications of humanity and memory and God (I seem big on these themes, don’t I?) this film had introduced to me. Brilliant. Blade Runner (1982): the cyberpunk classic directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford. Eyeballs. Thumbs. Eyeballs and thumbs….
Writing by Jana on Wednesday, 18 of June , 2008 at 9:31 am
No I haven’t seen it. No I am not going to see it. And NO, being in possession of a vagina does not mean I am a fan of the show.
Just stop already.
Stop telling me how much you relate to the show. Stop telling me how you and your friends are just like Carrie and the girls. You’re not. You’re not a 40-something single woman fucking your way through every virile man in whatever big city you come from while wearing over-priced clothing and eating at the trendy over-priced shitholes where other soulless assholes love to congregate.
Fucking “like a man” while desperately looking for a meaningful relationship does not make you liberated or independent or strong. It makes you a whore. A stupid whore at that. And not because of all the ungratifying faceless sex you’re having, but because you keep trying to convince everyone around you that those meaningless one-night stands are what you wanted in the first place. You’re lying.
One night stands are not fun. You tell me you come every time? Bitch, please, no you do not.
Drunken sex with a stranger is generally one of the most awkward things you can do, and if you had just stayed home and masturbated, not only would you have a guaranteed orgasm (or four) but you wouldn’t wake up the next morning with that empty feeling in the pit of your stomach you never talk about or acknowledge.
(Or a burning feeling down there for that matter.)
Does your entire life really revolve around sex/men, whining about sex/men, and boozing it up with the girls like a vapid college student who doesn’t know any better yet? Are you really incapable of, at your age, having a normal relationship with a man? Do you ever stop and think that maybe you are the problem? Because underneath your cheap and trendy clothing, and even trendier lifestyle that you have nothing of value to offer to another person or to society as a whole?
You’re a piece of ass swathed in shiny accessories and tacky makeup that never learned to have a conversation not centered on your pathetic existence. And you fear that underneath your posturing and shrill laughter that it’s all you’ll ever be.
And you’re probably right.
So please, just stop talking to me about “Sex and the City.” Because you’re driving me mental.
Writing by Jana on Friday, 9 of May , 2008 at 11:49 am
Batman: The Dark Knight, The X-Files: I Want to Believe (working title, I think) and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Three franchises that I have loved and been border-line obsessed with since I was a small child. Movie-wise, this will be an exciting summer indeed.
Yes, I am a nerd. Thanks for asking.
Batman: The Dark Knight.
I don’t want to talk about Heath Ledger and how this was his last film. The details of his tragic death have been delved into everywhere ad nauseum, and will be brought up again as this movie is officially released. I will say this though, and it has been said before, but you can’t tell it’s Ledger playing Joker. The voice, the character — amazing.
I’ve been a huge Batman fan ever since first coming to Canada at the age of five. I watched the cartoons, I watched the cheesy Adam West show, and I loved the movies. And I was obsessed with Catwoman. I would play pretend like I was her and in my childhood imagination, I commandeered a huge army of cats. Batman and I usually wound up married by the end of my game. Again — I was a child, this isn’t a recent thing!
Like alot of fans, I was hugely disappointed by cartoonish crap the films were becoming; the final straw being the horrible 1997 Batman & Robin, unfortunately starring the luscious and talented Clooney. Really, I felt bad for George, but he should have known better.
When Christopher Nolan took over and made Batman Begins with Christian Bale, I was in love with franchise all over again. It became the best of the bunch for me, and Christian Bale is without a doubt the best actor to ever play Batman.
The X-Files
The X-Files is probably what piqued my interest in Science Fiction. It was another childhood obsession (I was like 8, or something, when it debuted) that I never quite grew out of. I was also one of the crazy internet fans who would argue different conspiracy theories online and argue over inconsistencies and etc.And I’m going to admit now that I may have actually written some fanfiction. May have.
I stopped watching soon after David Duchovny left the show; as a huge part of the success of the series was the amazing partnership between Scully and Mulder.
The X-Files: Fight the Future came out ten years ago; and now, finally, we have the sequel which apparently is based on events between seasons 4 and 7. Not sure as to the truth on that one. There’s alot of secrecy (read: clever marketing) surrounding this one.
Finally, we have Indiana Jones 4: Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. Say all you want about Harrison Ford being too old, but as far as I’m concerned, even at the age of 97 (or whatever) he’s sexier than alot of guys my own age.
Indiana Jones made me want to be an archaeologist; and, even after I grew up and realized that archaeology equalled a decade of post-secondary education, relatively low pay, and mostly desk work, I always cherished the image of the intellectual adventurer discovering long-buried treasure and secrets.
I rarely — if ever –get excited about big blockbuster movies, so these had better not dissapoint.
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