Moore Unsupportive of Synder's Watchmen

[Nivek]

This is getting old.

Alan Moore has a legitamite beef with the way Hollywood has butchered his work (League of Xtrodinary Get. was horrific) but his continuous cantankerous angst against Hollywood is not sounding so genuine but just getting to be an "act".

Concidering how visually on cue Zacks Watchmen trailer was to the visuals and tone of the "It cannot be filmed" Watchmen, with all these new interviews he's sounding like some crappy old man. "Git off me lawn afore I release me vicious Dachshunds!!!". I doubt if he has even seen the trailer.

I'm reminded of the Anne Rice backlash to Interview with the Vampire.

 

[Mercurius]

Concidering how visually on cue Zacks Watchmen trailer was to the visuals and tone of the "It cannot be filmed" Watchmen, with all these new interviews he's sounding like some crappy old man. "Git off me lawn afore I release me vicious Dachshunds!!!". I doubt if he has even seen the trailer.

I'm reminded of the Anne Rice backlash to Interview with the Vampire.

I don't think the trailer looks all that great. Nite Owl is way too much superheroish; many scenes of riot just look like overdone cliché; everything is just screaming for impact, depicted in slow camera. ETc.

Manhattan is a bit overdone too, and the "mask" about his eyes make him look like a puppy, when in the comic book it looks more like a domino mask. The Cgi in the Vietnam scene is showing, and looks downright fake (colours, lights).

Moreover, Hollywood can't be radical like Moore's works are. They are afraid, and have a crowd to just please. And: two and a half hour? You can't even get started in Watchmen with that.

The man is right. It will be fun, but that's all.

 

[deathfromabove]

alan moore is into some crazy majik and i think this lawsuit is proof that he has put a hex on the production.

and i agree with merc. watchmen might be a fun time at the theatre but i really doubt it will do the book the justice it deserves. i still think it should have been a no holds barred 6 part miniseries for hbo or at the very least a two part movie like the hobbit will be.

i mean if something like harry potter book seven deserves two films certainly one of the greatest artworks of the last 50 years deserves no less?

 

[LastSunrise1981]

That's the problem with fanboys and Alan Moore. They want a 100% perfect adaptation of a film like Watchmen or V For Vendetta. What they fail to realize is that IF they were to include EVERY aspect of said graphic novels into films, you'd be looking at a 5 or 6 hour film. When cut down it would probably be about 3 or 4 hours at best.

So while Alan is a genius when it comes to writing and has created some fantastic stories. He really needs to get over himself and actually give them a chance. He doesn't have to accept royalties or be involved with the creative process, but he should at least say "I'm going to give them a chance and watch the films."

Little does he know that V For Vendetta was actually closer to what he envisioned in general. Was it 100% faithful? No, but it was pretty damn close and I'm expecting the same results with Watchmen honestly.

 

[Lobster Charlie]

We all have things in our lives that we despise, no matter how much other people try to convince us otherwise. That's just the way things are.

Think for a moment about the things in life that you absolutely hate, the things that you'd personally spit venom at...and you should then be able to understand Alan Moore's point of view on this topic.

I personally couldn't give any less of a crap about his opinion on the Watchmen movie. I'm going to see it, and I'm going to keep reading my copy of the graphic novel, and I'm going to continue following his career because I find him to be an incredible writer.

I'm not trying to make friends with the guy, I don't care how he likes his eggs cooked, and I couldn't care less if he wipes back to front or front to back. He's a comic book writer, and his opinions on things have so far not ruined my enjoyment of his work.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Does it matter? Once you release something to the public, it's not only yours anymore...The point is, it's out of his control. If he wants to be spit vitriol at the "system", let him. He's not alone. But it won't change a thing.

 

[S.D. Plissken]

"I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying," Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. "It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change."

This is absolutely true. Film today has never been dumber--I heard they were going to make a movie about Guitar Hero for chrissakes and Bret Ratner was going to direct it.

Film is a young medium and it's been completely muddled and ****ed up in less than 100 years--the reason is money. I can't think of any other art form more controlled by business and money, and because of this, film has been destroyed because now it's about one brandname cashgrab after another.

Moore's also right about this:

"There are three or four companies now that exist for the sole purpose of creating not comics, but storyboards for films. It may be true that the only reason the comic book industry now exists is for this purpose, to create characters for movies, board games and other types of merchandise. Comics are just a sort of pumpkin patch growing franchises that might be profitable for the ailing movie industry."

There is such a lack of imagination or storytelling ablitiy these days that it's depressing. I will say that The Dark Knight was a wonderful breath of fresh air that was very complex for a summer movie and I enjoyed it greatly. I don't expect the Watchmen film to be as good because I agree--it is impossible to translate and all the wonderful subtleties and nuances of the GN will be scrapped for the sake of expedience. For the sake of a 'WB approved' just-under-3-hour-cut.

Has anyone ever wondered why we as fans need movies of our favorite books? Maybe we really don't. Maybe a book is good enough.

For me, that is the case with Watchmen, and I agree with Alan Moore.

But I will still see the film, as I am a consumer ****e like the rest of you ;-)

 

[The Batkilt]

It goes deeper then that. Wasn't Alan Moore sued for fraud when they made the League movie?

I thought the lawsuit was filed against Fox? Moore was supposedly angry because he felt Fox settling out of court would lead to people assuming that he was guilty of something. I don't think the lawsuit was filed against him, though I could be wrong.

 

[Figs]

S.D. Plissken, while movies based on books or comics aren't needed, it's a nice chance to see it come to life though.

Personally I'll just say this, I love Moore's writing skills and all but frankly as a person he's become a *****e in my eyes. "Spitting venom for months"...??

I've never seen someone so ******** and act like a child about something like this. I find it funny that for how 'intellectual' he seems he can't realize that the movies based on things are not the book.

When things are converted to film they tend to be watered down/edited and lose a lot of the books/games meaning but it's a different medium.

I just think that he goes a little too far with his hate, and it's even sillier when you know that Moore is a big Simpsons fan. Simpsons lost it's humour/creativity years ago, it's strange to hear someone of his writing ability doesn't think Simpsons would be crap.

I'm not at all saying he needs to or should love people turning his works into movies but he just seems like a spoiled brat about it. He needs to realize the true fans and people that actually want to 'think' will read the true material, his books.

It's funny how Gibbons seems to love the film so far from what we've heard, but that will just get ignored since he didn't write it...he only drew the damn thing. If anything this film is looking to match the book visually, lets see how well it sticks to the dialogue and plot before we condemn it.

 

[S.D. Plissken]

S.D. Plissken, while movies based on books or comics aren't needed, it's a nice chance to see it come to life though..

I agree with you, it is nice to see things translated into a more visual/dramatic medium like on film or on the stage. I've read that a Swedish production company Stockholms Blodbad staged a live theatrical adaptation of the 'V' in 2000 under the title Landet där man gör som man vill, which translates into The Land where you do as you please. I think there is still a website for this with score samples, I also enjoyed Bauhaus' David J's cover of The Vicious Cabaret. I hated the film after reading the graphic novel, but I will say that even though it fails the orginal GN in content, it does play up the visuals quite nicely.

It's funny how Gibbons seems to love the film so far from what we've heard, but that will just get ignored since he didn't write it...he only drew the damn thing. If anything this film is looking to match the book visually, lets see how well it sticks to the dialogue and plot before we condemn it.

Gibbons loves it, and that does mean something. I met Dave Gibbons this year at SDCC, he drew me a picture of the Comedian, and I was ****ing thrilled about it. He was extremely nice and friendly and I highly value his opinion regarding the film. I think he has as much a say in this as Moore does. This is partially why I would even bother checking out the film.

 

[Dark Victory]

This is news?

 

[Sandman138]

Personally, I think most of his points are spot on. Mainstream comics have become slaves to the film industry in many ways and movies in general are very straightforward and limited in their scope these days. Its literally mandate from the producers as anybody who has attended a professional screenwriting workshop can attest to.

All that said, Moore's distaste for this film is obviously a personal bias. He has every right to that bias; Hollywood treated him like ****, and he is far from the only writer to hold a grudge against the entertainment industry for their attitude about authors. However, he's already admitted that he isn't going to give this movie a fair shot so it would be really nice if everybody just dropped the issue. The movie looks like it is shaping up to be the best possible adaptation of the material that a movie could be (so long as the script maintains fidelity). If your excited about that then great. If not then whatever. Looking to Alan Moore to justify your opinions is a waste of time.

 

[matrix_ghost]

Concidering how visually on cue Zacks Watchmen trailer was to the visuals and tone of the "It cannot be filmed" Watchmen, with all these new interviews he's sounding like some crappy old man. "Git off me lawn afore I release me vicious Dachshunds!!!". I doubt if he has even seen the trailer.

I'm reminded of the Anne Rice backlash to Interview with the Vampire.

With one big difference.
Anne Rice did see the movie ,did a 180 and paid for a two page ad praising the movie and Tom Cruise.

I mean really does anyone here honestly expect Alan Moore do to this

 

[I Am The Knight]

With one big difference.
Anne Rice did see the movie ,did a 180 and paid for a two page ad praising the movie and Tom Cruise.

I mean really does anyone here honestly expect Alan Moore do to this

I wonder what she thought about "Queen Of The Damned"

 

[GrieVen]

Moore always detests the movies adapted from his books. From his perspective Watchmen the Movie is impossible because Watchmen was written specifically to do things that could only be done in comic books. He's going to hate it no matter what.

On the one hand, he reportedly hates the movies adapted from his books. On the other hand, he supposedly has never watched any film adaptations of his stories. So which is the truth?

My guess is he's watched V for Vendetta, League, From Hell, and just won't admit to it. Why all the hatred if he hasn't even seen them? Word of mouth?

 

[CrimsonMist]

I also enjoyed Bauhaus' lead vocalist cover of The Vicious Cabaret.

Actually, the V For Vendetta EP was recorded by David J., Bauhaus' BASS PLAYER. Bauhaus kicks ass. David J. kicks ass. It's all good. Everyone who doesn't own that album needs to buy it. Otherwise they're not comic fans. The remastered CD even comes with a new recording of Song From The Kitty Kat Keller, which is cool.


anyways, i think Alan Moore should actually watch his films before ripping them new ones. LXG and From Hell, OK. But if Alan Moore wants to thoroughly rip Hollywood a new one, he should watch V For Vendetta and Watchmen, and THEN proceed to stay his opinion. Sometimes(hell, most of the time) he just sounds ignorant and assumes they're doing something wrong.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Wouldn't it be funny if this whole thing was a cover and Moore is actually highly anticipating this film? When he sees the film, he'll have to shave his beard to sneak in. t:

 

[The Major]

I thought the lawsuit was filed against Fox? Moore was supposedly angry because he felt Fox settling out of court would lead to people assuming that he was guilty of something. I don't think the lawsuit was filed against him, though I could be wrong.

This was a separate lawsuit. There was another movie at WB being made based on a similar idea as League. Cast of Characters was its title IIRC.

Moore had to appear in court and everything.

I bet CoC was what the movie was really adapting since it changed nearly everything from the comic book.

 

[The Batkilt]

This was a separate lawsuit. There was another movie at WB being made based on a similar idea as League. Cast of Characters was its title IIRC.

Moore had to appear in court and everything.

I bet CoC was what the movie was really adapting since it changed nearly everything from the comic book.

That's the lawsuit I'm referring to. Fox were sued as the film adaption of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen resembled the CoC screenplay more than the League.... comic book. Moore was reportedly unhappy as he felt it would lead people to think he was given the CoC screenplay and asked to write a comic book based around it so Fox could make a film out of it.

Personally I don't have any doubts that Fox took the CoC screenplay as the basis for the LXG movie, but I don't buy that Moore of all people would go along with writing a comic so they had an excuse for a film.

 

[Sawyer]

Wouldn't it be funny if this whole thing was a cover and Moore is actually highly anticipating this film? When he sees the film, he'll have to shave his beard to sneak in. t:

lmao. he just wants to keep up his rep of hating everything Hollywood does to his books, but secretly, he has an underground lair with the tightest security known to man. What does he have there? V for Vendetta, From Hell, LXG and the trailer for Watchmen constantly playing on a huge movie screen.

We all know this has to be true.

 

[Doctor Jones]

lmao. he just wants to keep up his rep of hating everything Hollywood does to his books, but secretly, he has an underground lair with the tightest security known to man. What does he have there? V for Vendetta, From Hell, LXG and the trailer for Watchmen constantly playing on a huge movie screen.

We all know this has to be true.

Exactly! He probably thinks the films are better!

 

[I Am The Knight]

lmao. he just wants to keep up his rep of hating everything Hollywood does to his books, but secretly, he has an underground lair with the tightest security known to man. What does he have there? V for Vendetta, From Hell, LXG and the trailer for Watchmen constantly playing on a huge movie screen.

We all know this has to be true.

He's probably watching LXG right now t:

 

[Chris Wallace]

I hope not. V was the movie.

 

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

Yeah the V movie was every bit as good as the book, IMO.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I actually thought it was better.
I wouldn't be surprised if Moore really was on some BS.