What's Moores problem?!?

[4NutzinYoface]

Alright...so I'm trying to figure out exactly why Alan Moore is so pissed off...wondering if someone can shed some light on this.

I just read an article where basically director Zach Snyder was saying something akin to "...worst thing that can happen is on a rainy day Moore will pop in the "Watchmen" movie in his DVD player"....to which Moore replied something along the lines of "...if that's the worse thing that he thinks will happen he has another thing coming....that movie will never enter my DVD player...ever".

Now, alright the guy has put his heart and soul into the making the book and just wants it left like that.....is that the reason? Hollywood has mucked up a few of his other properties is that the reason? Wasn't he a prick about his other properties being turned into movies before the were realized as 'bombs'. However V for Vendetta didn't really 'bomb' persay...I thought it was pretty cool...but I guess it was so far off from his original works or...?

All I know is that there are quite a few people (myself included) who probably never would have even READ the book and now that I have seen things from the movie and thought "Wow...now that looks awesome!" have I decided to purchase the graphic novel...and I love it!

So my question is wouldn't he be happy about that...at all? OR judging by the passion put forth by Snyder and crew to actually MAKE this thing as friggin' authentic and to the source material as possible..wouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe he'll pull it off and it will please even the books most die hard fans? Either way if he is so protective of this thing why didn't he just write it and keep it to himself...maybe show a few loved ones? Wouldn't it stand to reason that if you make a comic book there is a chance it could be extremely popular and take off and go world wide?

I'm sure the first thing he wasn't thinking before he started creating it was "Hmmm...alright...how can I make this thing the way I want it but I really want it to be extremely unpopular and stay within the city limits and not go anywhere......because if it gets popular I'll be super pissed"

Either way everyone is an expert and probably thinks they 'know' exactly what Moores problem is and since there is a better chance of a blind Amish sheep herder coming on this board than Moore I figured I'd get at least some direction as to what his problem is.

 

[Shadow-Guardian]

Short answer: he's a dick.

 

[chosen1]

Short Answer: You're an idiot.

Thank You. People are now going to insult the creator of the book. because they want this film so bad. here we go

 

[Drizzle]

Alright...so I'm trying to figure out exactly why Alan Moore is so pissed off...wondering if someone can shed some light on this.

Yeah. You'd be pissed off too.

 

[CBGB]

Yes, what Drizzle said.

 

[Drizzle]

Alan Moore just completely gave up on Hollywood after LXG. He was pissed off enough as it is, but that was the last straw. However, unlike LXG, "Watchmen" looks like a faithful adaptation of the graphic novel, and I hope Alan Moore will one day watch it. What the hell will it take to get him to watch it? If the "Make A Wish" foundation approaches him and tells him that it's some sick kid's dying wish for Alan Moore to watch "Watchmen"?

 

[November Rain]

I suppose he believes it's a diluting of an artform, probably the way a canvas painter would believe having massive ink copies of his work available everywhere is a diluting of his art.


one can indeed argue that the media intention would inevitably get more people to relish in the original IF the film is well received. However the very opposite can happen if the film fails to make its mark. There's nothing worse than having your original work tarnished via a commercial interpretation of it.

 

[chosen1]

Can you really blame Moore? Theyve destroyed all of his work. Watchmen will be the greatest theft of them all. And people wont even realize it. Because I believe despite my objections that Watchmen is gonna be a "Good" Movie. But its not going to be right. The essence of the comic from looking at those trailers has been Lost.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Short answer: he's a dick.

"That movie will never enter my DVD player" IS kind of dick-ish.

 

[Mercurius]

The answer is simple, but many-sided:

a) Alan Moore thinks, not without sound reason, that 100 million to make a movie is absurd,'cause the same money could heal small poor countries;

b) He has said movie business of that amount puts the decisions into too many hands, and the result is unfocused and biased, different from comics, where the author has control of his effects and what the story is about;

c) Moore hates the previous movies that adapted his books. From Hell, V for Vendetta, LXG cheapened the experience and made his works, of extreme social criticism, a mindless popcorn crap;

d) He has also serious problems with entertainment industry: exactly, something that is called "entertainment" is just the old Circus Maximus of the Romans: let the people get this, have their good time, and not think. Also, the contracts and the whole legal departments are full of rats of the worst kind, and Moore is not a godfather to deal with them;

e) Many other reasons still to be known.

 

[Mercurius]

Alright...so I'm trying to figure out exactly why Alan Moore is so pissed off...wondering if someone can shed some light on this.

I just read an article where basically director Zach Snyder was saying something akin to "...worst thing that can happen is on a rainy day Moore will pop in the "Watchmen" movie in his DVD player"....to which Moore replied something along the lines of "...if that's the worse thing that he thinks will happen he has another thing coming....that movie will never enter my DVD player...ever".

Now, alright the guy has put his heart and soul into the making the book and just wants it left like that.....is that the reason? Hollywood has mucked up a few of his other properties is that the reason? Wasn't he a prick about his other properties being turned into movies before the were realized as 'bombs'. However V for Vendetta didn't really 'bomb' persay...I thought it was pretty cool...but I guess it was so far off from his original works or...?

All I know is that there are quite a few people (myself included) who probably never would have even READ the book and now that I have seen things from the movie and thought "Wow...now that looks awesome!" have I decided to purchase the graphic novel...and I love it!

So my question is wouldn't he be happy about that...at all? OR judging by the passion put forth by Snyder and crew to actually MAKE this thing as friggin' authentic and to the source material as possible..wouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe he'll pull it off and it will please even the books most die hard fans? Either way if he is so protective of this thing why didn't he just write it and keep it to himself...maybe show a few loved ones? Wouldn't it stand to reason that if you make a comic book there is a chance it could be extremely popular and take off and go world wide?

I'm sure the first thing he wasn't thinking before he started creating it was "Hmmm...alright...how can I make this thing the way I want it but I really want it to be extremely unpopular and stay within the city limits and not go anywhere......because if it gets popular I'll be super pissed"

Either way everyone is an expert and probably thinks they 'know' exactly what Moores problem is and since there is a better chance of a blind Amish sheep herder coming on this board than Moore I figured I'd get at least some direction as to what his problem is.

You need to understand there is a difference between an artist and a pinhead executive.

The difference:

THE PINHEAD EXECUTIVE

A pinhead executive is worried with huge amounts of money, because he can't think of anything else.

THE ARTIST

An artist is writing something to change people's perceptions, to refine it. He's not thinking if it gonna bomb. Who cares?

He has to reach that point in which he notices the work is a work of art. People will like it? It's up to people.

He's not making some romantic comedy, or entertainment for the whole dumb family. He's attacking some vicious strategies in society, depicting life, conveying knowledge for those who know how to read.

CONCLUSION

So, before you think all some chap wants is money, think twice. He might be interested in knowledge, and you might not be able to buy or smooth him, nor his opinions.

 

[S.D. Plissken]

I appreciate the frustration people can have over this issue, but really, the existence of this thread is pointless.

There is no way to really know the answer to the question, and this has been discussed literally to death by the everyone on here and other 'watchmen' or comic book boards.

The man is what he is, and he is sticking to principles that he clearly feels very strongly about. That does not make him a 'dick' or an 'idiot'. He is an accomplished adult man who can do whatever he wants. Judging him for his behavior and bringing up the same issue over and over again is simply a waste of time.

He doesn't need to love the movie for the 'true fans' or any fan or moviegoer to enjoy it. Snyder and his crew and all of the players knowingly made the movie without Moore's blessing. Dave Gibbons has adamantly supported the film and has done a large amount of publicity for it. From what we have seen, the movie looks excellent. I for one am very excited to see it, and for the moment, I have very little negative to say until I actually see this thing. At this point, I have seen enough to make me almost totally satisfied with the work that has been put into it.

This thread should be merged with the myriad of "what is Alan's problem?" threads that already exist in this forum.

One love.

-Snake

 

[RustyCage]

Thank You. People are now going to insult the creator of the book. because they want this film so bad. here we go

Just as people can mistakenly diagnose Alan Moore's social/writing quirks, you've mistaken the nature of their diagnosis. No one's insulting him because 'they want this film so bad', we're getting the film either way. If you'd pay attention, you'd see that they're insulting him because of his attitude and his personality toward certain subjects, and they find that offensive, dense, and even shallow.

However, typically they don't fully understand why he feels that way, so that doesn't make them right either. But make no mistake, it's not about wanting the film, it's about defending the film from presumptuous and condescending criticism before it's even had a fair chance to show it's worth. So it's a cycle. He assumes films are rubbish, his assumption causes people to assume he's a ____ (choose your own word), and that assumption causes you to assume things about them too. Frankly, everyone involved in the cycle is incorrect in their actions and need to do their research and give each other a chance before being so damning.

Edit - For the record, I have looked into Alan Moore as a person and he seems like a swell and insightful guy. Just so no one mistakes me as being an Alan hating troll or some crap.

 

[RustyCage]

The answer is simple, but many-sided:

a) Alan Moore thinks, not without sound reason, that 100 million to make a movie is absurd,'cause the same money could heal small poor countries;

b) He has said movie business of that amount puts the decisions into too many hands, and the result is unfocused and biased, different from comics, where the author has control of his effects and what the story is about;

c) Moore hates the previous movies that adapted his books. From Hell, V for Vendetta, LXG cheapened the experience and made his works, of extreme social criticism, a mindless popcorn crap;

d) He has also serious problems with entertainment industry: exactly, something that is called "entertainment" is just the old Circus Maximus of the Romans: let the people get this, have their good time, and not think. Also, the contracts and the whole legal departments are full of rats of the worst kind, and Moore is not a godfather to deal with them;

e) Many other reasons still to be known.

Exactly, it really makes sense that he feels the way he does when you consider both his experiences and his ponderings. Although, there's one thing I don't get. I wonder why he apparently excludes comics and comic making from his gripes with the costs of production? Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't there been times when big names in the biz, even Marvel of all juggernauts, were facing bankruptcy because they were spending so much money printing comics and no one was buying them? Wonder how many prints of Spider-man it would take to feed the same countries?

 

[CelticPredator]

Yeah. You'd be pissed off too.

Seriously. I was pissed off I even rented it. Such a vile piece of ****.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

that tagline doesn't even make sense!

 

[November Rain]

i wonder why moore gave them the rights in the first place

has he kinda sold out, got his check and then prancing around on his high horse?

 

[CelticPredator]

Because he thought they could do it justice? But he was wrong.

 

[Motown Marvel]

considering moore's history with hollywood, i dont blame him for his opinions. and yeah, it'd be great if he were more open to the film....but in the end, why does anyone care? yeah, he's a comic book genius, my favorite writer, and i love hearing his opinions on these things. but frankly, they have no effect on me.

 

[November Rain]

Because he thought they could do it justice? But he was wrong.

well if you are going to stick to your guns, don't sell the rights to your products...

or give the money to charity

 

[Gilpesh]

i wonder why moore gave them the rights in the first place

has he kinda sold out, got his check and then prancing around on his high horse?

Moore doesn't own the rights.

Heck, he's even getting screwed over on the sale of Watchmen comics.

 

[Motown Marvel]

well if you are going to stick to your guns, don't sell the rights to your products...

or give the money to charity

alan moore has asked all money he would usually receive from these projects to go to the artists. he doesnt accept the money. and most of his books he doesnt own the rights, so he has no control over them being optioned for film.

 

[OctaviusINC]

The answer is simple, but many-sided:

a) Alan Moore thinks, not without sound reason, that 100 million to make a movie is absurd,'cause the same money could heal small poor countries;

b) He has said movie business of that amount puts the decisions into too many hands, and the result is unfocused and biased, different from comics, where the author has control of his effects and what the story is about;

c) Moore hates the previous movies that adapted his books. From Hell, V for Vendetta, LXG cheapened the experience and made his works, of extreme social criticism, a mindless popcorn crap;

d) He has also serious problems with entertainment industry: exactly, something that is called "entertainment" is just the old Circus Maximus of the Romans: let the people get this, have their good time, and not think. Also, the contracts and the whole legal departments are full of rats of the worst kind, and Moore is not a godfather to deal with them;

e) Many other reasons still to be known.

a.) The Watchmen GN is selling like hotcakes because of the film and I'm sure Moore gets some sort of money from it. I do not believe he gets NOTHING from it. Maybe he could take some of that profit and turn to a charity or start one of his own to help those "small poor countries."

b.) Maybe if he was involved in said projects he could make screen adaptions off his work become something more worthwhile. Rodriguez and Miller worked hand in hand and what was produced was a movie turned comic that payed an enormous amount of respect to the source material. Sometimes if you don't like something you got to do it yourself

c.) Aw, someone bring me a violin. See point B.

d.) Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. He's gotta get his ego out of the way. What does he think his books are? They're a form of entertainment. Who cares what the ANCIENT romans thought what entertainment was. They'd have gladiators fight lions and bears for entertainment. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'. He should know that.

I love Moore's work. I really do. But having an undying love for Moore does not make you a "bigger" fan then someone else. It's his life. He could do whatever he wants. It IS his work afterall.

I just find his lack of support childish.

 

[I Am The Knight]

i wonder why moore gave them the rights in the first place

has he kinda sold out, got his check and then prancing around on his high horse?

I believe he used to think that "If the movie sucks, that's not my problem, it's a separate entity and there's always the book" but then he changed his mind. "Clearly, people cannot differentiate the one from the other" I'm paraphrasing here.

 

[The Guard]

It's always interesting to see people impose their views on Alan Moore when they see his outlook on things. This is not a difficult scenario, the man simply doesn't value the exact same things that mainstream society values. Everyone is different, and Alan Moore personally, for whatever reason (bias, past experiences, etc) doesn't feel like Hollywood should be doing what Hollywood has always done. It's really that simple. He just has a different outlook on things. And so what? He's entitled to live life and view things the way he'd like to.

Can you really blame Moore? Theyve destroyed all of his work. Watchmen will be the greatest theft of them all. And people wont even realize it. Because I believe despite my objections that Watchmen is gonna be a "Good" Movie. But its not going to be right. The essence of the comic from looking at those trailers has been Lost.

Hollywood has not destroyed Moore's work, they've made subpar adaptions of his work.

There's a huge, huge difference.

What, precisely, is the "essence" of the comic?