Watchmen at BNAT X

[Antonello Blueberry]

The opening 22 minutes of the movie were shown yesterday in Austin at Harry Knowles festival BUTT-NUMB-A-THON 10. Here's a thread to collect the various opinions on the footage.
http://www.cinemaisdope.com/bnat-x-showcases-the-future-of-cinema/

Watchmen - So it was only the opening 22 minutes, but this easily might be the best film of 2009. The fighting was downright pitch perfect and elating that it feels so damn intense. The director of 300 in just its opening 22 minutes alone show that he has progressed well past this previous effort. Gone are the complete reliance on green screens and in this outing you can tell the focus is to mix practical and digital as much as possible. It’s this effort to create a fully fleshed world versus the wall to wall CGI of 300, that makes Watchmen shine. The trailers only give the slightest tease of the tone and how this one plays out. The film itself unfolds very assured and seems to have a perfect flow early on, despite a very sprawling initial storyline. Exceeds the hype, wow!

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39449

Then Rorschach showed up.

Jackie Earl Haley brought the first 22 minutes of WATCHMEN with him, and if I was a little worried before I'm not at all now, squid or no squid. This felt very much like Moore's and Gibbon's WATCHMEN with chunks of dialogue taken directly from the book.
Yes, Rorschach's Journals are in there, full of the misanthropic loathing that we know and love. Hollis Mason is pimping his book and Dan Dreiberg still listens to those stories. The opening credits are marvelous, introducing the characters and the world, effortlessly setting up the story to the notes of Bob Dylan's "The Times Are A Changing."
"It's very scary playing a guy with a ****ing sock on his head," said Haley at the Q & A, but he needn't have worried. He embodies Rorschach completely, and Haley admitted that the character was a hard one to shake. Without having seen the entire film, I don't know if his performance is awardsworthy, but from what I saw he is off to a hell
of a start.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39451

So next, we didn't get ALL of Watchmen (it ain't done, folks, calm the
**** down), we saw the completely finished, full of effects first 22
minutes of the movie. This looks tremendous. Jackie Earle Haley in
person was a nice treat, and a couple questions got vague even for
Inside the Actor's Studio standards, but it was really a treat. I
wouldn't want to see this movie in anything but top form...which
brings me to another letter:

Dear Zach (but more the studio that says yea or nay),

We cannot wait for this movie to get all locked and buttoned up. When
you have this done, please bring it to Austin in advance of release.
There are still people out there like a good friend of mine who are
still on the fence about "can they make a good Watchmen movie?" That
22 minutes proved it to me. The word spreads fast from here once we
see this stuff. "Maybe I'll go next weekend" becomes "well, if you
say so, **** it, I'll go the first day."

Begging,
The City of Austin's Geek District

 

[Hurm...]

Wow, very impressive. This is article is very reassuring.



Damn...

 

[TNC9852002]

Gotta love it.

-TNC

 

[BestGirl]

Yay! More good WOM! After all is said and done I'll bet even BlackLantern will watch it in theaters.

 

[the_tortel]

Exciting!!

 

[Project862006]

TwitchFilm.net


Footage from Zack Snyder’s film Watchmen has slowly been dribbling out in the form of trailers. These trailers have given a small impression of what the film will offer but little indication of how the film might work in completed form. Jackie Earle Hayley, who plays the character Rorschach in the film, introduced the first 22 minutes of the Watchmen film at the 10th annual Butt-Numb-a-Thon in Austin, TX on December 14th, 2008. The footage consisted of: 1) the pre-title sequence, 2) the title sequence, and 3) scenes roughly corresponding to pages 1 through 13 of the first issue of the Watchmen comic. Perhaps it is premature to come to any conclusions but if the rest of the film plays like these scenes, Snyder has nailed it. Mild spoilers are appropriate.
Its obvious that a pain staking amount of effort has been expended to translate the alternative Manhattan portrayed in the comic into a rich movie environment. What is also obvious is that unlike 300, much of this film is occurring on CGI-enhanced sets. The complex mix of effects and sets featured in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner immediately come to mind. This approach always grounds the action and performances, thus enhancing the believability of the narrative. It works here as well. However, detailed visual environment means little without engaging characterizations and dialogue. Snyder seems to have made the best possible use of the source material.
Both the pre-title sequence and the titles provide a gripping entry point into the Watchmen world by using various details from the comic’s narrative. Observant viewers will note the clever use of a long-running U.S. public television show to frame the geopolitics of the Watchmen universe. The title sequence is an amazing montage that places numerous Watchmen characters within the context of familiar historical events and places. Like the rest of the footage, there is little to say about the scenes that kick off the narrative without significant spoilers. It can be said that they represent a full visual realization of the events portrayed in the comics. Rorschach’s internal monologue comes to life in Hayley’s rough voice over. The material featuring the Comedian is perfect. Watching Rorschach and the Night Owl interact in live action is unreal. Once again, if the entire film locks together like these sequences, Watchmen will be worth every ounce of hype that precedes it. Keep the faith.

 

[I Am The Knight]

These screening reports are delicious.

 

[david icke]

Haven't clicked on the link yet but those reports you highlighted have been enough to get me really excited, cheers.
I'm starting to get the feeling that I got just before Batman Begins was released, it seemed too good to be true that a faithful Batman movie would ever be released and i would get to see it. On the way out to the midnight preview I got a taxi and was thinking the taxi was going to crash or something(actually, i suspected that driver was a little drunk). I'm going to be more careful than ever leading up to this movie, cross at the lights, avoid the heavier bar brawls etc.

 

[Project862006]

The best most detailed and insightful review that should make everyone happy is at chud check it out :

http://chud.com/articles/articles/17450/1/WATCHMEN-THE-FIRST-22-MINUTES/Page1.html

 

[the_tortel]

The best most detailed and insightful review that should make everyone happy is at chud check it out :

http://chud.com/articles/articles/17450/1/WATCHMEN-THE-FIRST-22-MINUTES/Page1.html

Praise!

 

[Hurm...]

Damn, great reviews. Glad Snyder is trying his best.

 

[Overman27pj]

I am so stoked!

 

[Spade]

Best news I've heard all day. It's good to hear the fears over this film are primarily unfounded. Now for the awesomeness...right after the court case.

 

[Darknightnomis]

The best most detailed and insightful review that should make everyone happy is at chud check it out :

http://chud.com/articles/articles/17450/1/WATCHMEN-THE-FIRST-22-MINUTES/Page1.html

I can't believe that much of a well thoughtout and insightful review came from Devin at Chud.com.

Although he did get some references wrong, Hollis book is 'Under the Hood' not 'Beneath the Hood' but hey, i'm not one to nitpick.

Still, all these positive pre-screening's are encouraging that Zach may have made something special.

 

[I Am The Knight]

A lot of people should read that CHUD piece, which seems to confirm that Snyder is not what he seems.

 

[nite-owl]

I liked the idea of watchmen being a term describing superheroes or vigilantes.

 

[I Am The Knight]

^Yeah, that makes more sense.

 

[Solidus]

I think that the people that have already chosen to hate this movie will not change their views, thats internet boards for you. The reason not many have come into this thread, *which is quite a big deal with this topic* because they don't want to hear on how "good" it is. Because they want to believe it will be nothing more then watered down, to make themselves feel more intelligent on the subject matter.

I admit I had my doubts on the film, but it truly seems to be shaping up. I think a lot more should read these articles especially from "picky" CHUD.

 

[RustyCage]

I think that the people that have already chosen to hate this movie will not change their views, thats internet boards for you. The reason not many have come into this thread, *which is quite a big deal with this topic* because they don't want to hear on how "good" it is. Because they want to believe it will be nothing more then watered down, to make themselves feel more intelligent on the subject matter.

I admit I had my doubts on the film, but it truly seems to be shaping up. I think a lot more should read these articles especially from "picky" CHUD.

I'm in utter agreement with you, man. t: I've had doubts here and there too (and I still wish Nite Owl II's goggles were round, but I can get over that), but holy cow is this shaping up to be amazing!

And I also agree with you on the subject of people choosing to hate the movie. Some may be surprised that they ended up enjoying it and come around and try to convince the others or spread their praise, but I think a lot of people just want to hate it to say they hate it, it's an ego thing that they won't compromise. They'll shut out anything good on purpose just to stick to that so they don't feel stupid.

 

[Hurm...]

I think that the people that have already chosen to hate this movie will not change their views, thats internet boards for you. The reason not many have come into this thread, *which is quite a big deal with this topic* because they don't want to hear on how "good" it is. Because they want to believe it will be nothing more then watered down, to make themselves feel more intelligent on the subject matter.

I admit I had my doubts on the film, but it truly seems to be shaping up. I think a lot more should read these articles especially from "picky" CHUD.

Lmao. I was wondering why the typical nay-sayers weren't in here yet.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Lmao. I was wondering why the typical nay-sayers weren't in here yet.

You'll notice BlackLantern has nothing to say about this article.

 

[Hurm...]

You'll notice BlackLantern has nothing to say about this article.

That's alright. He must be working hard doing his job. Saving up for opening night and all.

 

[TheBatman072]

Sounds awesome to me.

 

[[A]]

I hate how everyone's getting to see it but me!





*well ok, not everyone.. but lotsa people