Having just read Watchmen for the first time this week, the story from the graphic novel was fresh in my mind as I saw the film adaptation yesterday. I contend that the film version is a very faithful retelling of the graphic novel that will surely entertain folks who have read the comics or not. The opening sequence was really very cool … it explained some of the history of the superheros in the film and set up the storyline nicely. In the comics, there is a lot of graphic violence that is not seen in very many comic book titles … but even so, I was never bothered by the images I saw. On the big screen, the violence is brought to life and really drives the point home. In this way, I think the movie version is superior to the comics. As I suspected, there is a lot of penis in this film. I’d say that 90% of the scenes with Dr. Manhattan in them has full frontal CGI p33n swingin’ in the breeze. I must say, it’s refreshing that the male anatomy can be so casually used in a movie like this … it adds to the realism and amplifies the feeling you’re supposed to get from the graphic novel. Of the actors in the film, I felt that Malin Ackerman (who plays Silk Spectre II) came off as a poor man’s Cameron Diaz (you may remember her as the bitchy younger sister in 27 Dresses) and was the weakest of the cast … but overall, I quite liked the performances from all of the actors. The movie is not Academy Award level but it’s really entertaining. As for the changed ending, I have to say that I much prefer the ending in the film to the ending in the book. If you are a purest for the graphic novel, you may be disappointed but I was not at all. I much preferred the way the movie ended … it was more believable and saved the film from getting too cheesy. I don’t have many complaints … the movie is a really good representation of the comics. I’d be curious to hear what real moviegoers who don’t like the film as compared to the graphic novel think. Mebbe I missed something. But, as I said, I really enjoyed the film … I deffo think y’all will too.

After the movie, I had to race home to change and meet up with Gillian for our date with Lynda Carter. After the jump, check out some photos from our fun last night and watch a video of Ms. Carter performing Crazy by Patsy Cline …

OMG, we had so much fun … and I am THRILLED to let y’all know that I did get to meet and take a photo with Lynda Carter. She performed an hour and a half of standards and a few original songs. Here is a short video of Lynda singing Crazy by Patsy Cline:

The familiar “Who Watches The Watchmen?” graffiti from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘ celebrated graphic novel — and Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Watchmen” movie — has been popping up all over lower Manhattan lately. But is it a viral marketing campaign, or fans excited about the film’s looming arrival in theaters? Sure, graffiti is nothing new in New York City, but the fact that this kind of graffiti is showing up around the city has become a common topic of conversation among New York City comics fans — and everywhere else the familiar tag is popping up. From personal blogs to Twitter feeds and Flickr photo sets, “Watchmen” graffiti has found its way online, with photos [being] snapped in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood and … in the SoHo area. If viral marketing was indeed involved, the company would have to go great lengths to get permission from the city to tag a telephone booth near Union Square, while the tag found in Chelsea was on the side of a restaurant. I’d assume it would be difficult to get the restaurant owner to agree to that one. Better yet, is the graffiti a product of something more like the controversial “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” viral marketing campaign that hit Boston back in 2007? One kind of hopes, though, that it’s the work of one — or more — comics fans who just like “Watchmen” that much. While we probably won’t get any answers about the graffiti’s origins, any chance to show off a comics in-joke posted in a public forum is worth mentioning.

On the one hand, I think this is genius … on the other, it’s grossly criminal. Seeing this type of graffiti splashed on buildings all around town, just like in the comics, adds a level of meta-ness that, I think, heightens the movie going experience. But I suspect that owners of storefronts and buildings who may fall victim to this type of marketing might not be too happy about the practice. I agree with the report that we may never find out if this graffiti is actually sanctioned by the movie makers or if it’s merely the work of fanboys. Having seen the film yesterday (review to come later today), I can understand how fans of the original comic might want to express their fandom in this way. The movie, in my estimation, is excellent. While I personally would not go to these lengths to profess my fandom, I can see how some might. It’d be interesting to know if this sort of graffiti has been seen in any other cities.

[Source]

I managed to get thru chapter 11 with only the final chapter to go. Yeah, it’s a really great read. It’s so smart and so really intelligent … it’s very much a nice change of pace from the usual drivel that I entertain myself with these days ;) I totally understand why so many folks are such devoted fans of the graphic novel. I’m anxious to read how the whole saga ends … I hope to have it completed this afternoon.

David and I are planning a little grocery store outing later on … which is always fun. It’s rainy today but the temps aren’t too bad. I’m just dying for Summer to get here already :)

After the jump, check out the NSFW uncensored full-frontal version of his photo along with an illustration from the original Watchmen graphic novel (for comparison) as well as portions from Crudup’s interview with Parade.com …

Billy Crudup has the biggest role in a very big movie. He’s the towering Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen, which has devoted fans counting down the days until its release. Playing the blue and often conflicted superhero in the adaptation of the popular graphic novel was a new challenge for Crudup, who more often than not has earned critical acclaim for his serious performances. And Crudup had to get used to letting a computer enhance his body, which left little to the imagination on the big screen.

A: Fame isn’t really what it’s about. Look, it’s a human quality for people to want to feed their egos by having other people worship them, by having their attention, by having people be attracted to them. I think it probably has something to do with immortality. So to deny that is sort of silly. However, I do feel like there are more important things than whether I’m going to be on the cover of another magazine or on ET.

You gotta love that such a down to Earth guy has no qualms about appearing totally nekkid in one of the most anticipated films of the year … animated or not, such a feat takes … well, balls. I’ve already purchased tickets for an IMAX showing of Watchmen at midnight Thursday and I can’t wait to finally see the film for myself. I’ve dug out my copy of Watchmen the graphic novel and hope to have it completely read by showtime. I ain’t gonna lie, I’m curious to see what animated p33n looks like on the big screen (and in IMAX, no less). It shant be long now. Are any of y’all also gonna be seeing Watchmen on Thursday night?

[Source]

The $120 million comic book adaptation “Watchmen,” one of 2009’s most eagerly awaited films, premiered in London Monday, aiming to repeat the success of superhero hits like “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight.” The red carpet launch of the special effects-laden action thriller is the culmination of years of to-ing and fro-ing over scripts, budgets and, finally, a legal dispute between rival Hollywood studios. Directed by Zack Snyder, whose “300″ was a box office winner in 2007, Watchmen is based on a 1986 comic book series of the same name written by Briton Alan Moore and illustrated by compatriot Dave Gibbons. As with other movies based on his stories, Moore has distanced himself from the film, which hits cinemas in Britain and the United States on March 6. Asked if Moore was likely to watch the movie, deemed “unfilmable” by some in the business, Snyder told Reuters: “Look, you know Alan has famously said ‘I don’t want anything to do with it’ and I just try and respect that as much as I can.” Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 United States, where the “Doomsday Clock” charting U.S. tensions with the Soviet Union, is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is found murdered, masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all superheroes, both past and present. The film contains scenes of sex and violence, earning it an R rating in the United States meaning under-17s can only see it with a parent or adult guardian, limiting its commercial potential. Snyder said the success of “300,” his ultra-violent depiction of the legendary battle between Spartans and Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C., had given him more freedom. “I think that ‘300′ really helped us to say, okay, look, it can be rated R.” The fate of the film was in doubt until last month, when studios Warner Bros and News Corp’s Twentieth Century Fox reached a settlement in a copyright infringement dispute. Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc, produced the film, but Fox sued Warner last year to stop its release. Fox, which acquired the rights to the “Watchmen” story in 1986, claimed it had a continuing stake in the project. Warner was also behind The Dark Knight, the Batman sequel which was last year’s biggest grossing film globally with ticket sales of $1 billion.

At last … Watchmen has its first official premiere … the long-awaited big screen adaptation is finally upon us. I’ve done my best to stay away from spoilers and extended film clips mainly because I don’t want to be spoiled by what I read and see before I can see the movie for myself (plus, I’m still reading Watchmen … I need to finish it soon). That said, I’m very concerned by the mixed reviews that I have stumbled upon. Last week, I read some bits of a review written by a fan (not a “credentialed reviewer”) and it was not very complimentary. As for the “official” reviews from the media … well, they are a mix of good and worrisome:

Directed by Zack Snyder, whose “300″ was a box office winner in 2007, Watchmen is based on a 1986 comic book series of the same name written by Briton Alan Moore and illustrated by compatriot Dave Gibbons. Critics gave it mixed reviews, with several predicting approval from the hardcore comic book fan fraternity. How it plays to a wider audience, however, will be more important to its commercial prospects. “For those just watching Watchmen for the Watchmen, without any expectations or knowledge of the comic’s storyline or historical importance, this really will be a blast,” wrote Mike Ragogna in the internet newspaper The Huffington Post. But Robbie Collin, of Britain’s top-selling tabloid weekly News of the World, disagreed: “This two-and-a-half-hour wannabe pop culture epic isn’t the worst superhero movie ever made … But it is one of the most spirit-crushingly disappointing,” he said. As with other movies based on his stories, Moore has distanced himself from the film, which hits cinemas in Britain and the United States on March 6. Asked if Moore was likely to watch the movie, deemed “unfilmable” by some in the business, Snyder told Reuters: “Look, you know Alan has famously said ‘I don’t want anything to do with it’ and I just try and respect that as much as I can.”

See, I’m not so much worried about what the negative reviews say (because, honestly, many reviewers like to be negative so that they can garner a little press) but I am concerned that author Alan Moore doesn’t want “anything to do” with the film. HMM. I really believe that people are going to love it and people are going to hate it … just like every other movie ever made … and it will be up to individuals to make that determination for themselves. I am looking forward to seeing this film, not the least of which because this film promises the first fully-frontal nekkid male character — in CGI. I mean, I’m also interested in seeing this masterpiece of graphic novelness brought to life on the big screen but … CGI p33n is where it’s at ;)

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source, Source]

They have come to glimpse the miracle. They have come to witness the revolution. They have come for Watchmen — the allegedly unfilmable superhero movie, the long-awaited adaptation of the comic book that changed the face of comic books forever. On this warm July morning, over 5,000 fans attending the annual geek pop summit known as Comic-Con have assembled inside the San Diego Convention Center for a first look. Many spent the night on the sidewalk. Some have come in costumes — most modeled after Rorschach, a vigilante with an inkblot mask and a pitiless brand of justice that makes Batman look like Bambi. Behind the stage, indie-movie icon Kevin Smith, a.k.a. the Most Famous Fanboy in the World, parks himself in front of a closed-circuit TV, a happy grin on his bearded mug. ”You have to understand, I’ve been waiting for this moment for years,” says Smith. ”This is it, man. This is the pinnacle. You have no idea how f—ing pumped I am.”

Yes, yes … comic book fans the WORLD OVER have been waiting and praying for this movie to be made and, at long last, the time is nearly nigh. The EW coverstory can be read in full HERE and goes on to essentially hype the film to grandiose proportions … which I feel is kinda risky considering that A.) rabid fans of the comic book are notoriously the hardest people to please and B.) something hyped so much is bound to incur the wrath of haters who are licking their lips at the chance to tear it down. For me, Watchmen is a pop culture phenomenon and is absolutely worth talking about … in human terms, not necessarily godlike or divine platitudes. After the jump, check out a few really nice black and white portraits of some of the Watchmen superheros that will be featured in the new issue of EW magazine …

Say hello to Nite Owl II, Sally Jupiter, Hooded Justice, Mothman, Nite Owl I and Billy Crudup/Dr. Manhattan (complete with CG markers):

If you can believe it, I still have not read the Watchmen graphic novel in its entirety. I’ve had the book for years but, for various reasons, have never been able to finish the book. I absolutely plan on finishing the book before the movie hits theaters … after all, I have to know if all the book’s hype is justified. I am fascinated by the devotion that so many comic book fans have for this particular graphic novel. I am very interested and curious to see this film … are you?

[Source, Source]

In the film, Dr. Manhattan is played by Billy Crudup but we have no way of knowing if the blue CGI p33n on display in the film is actually based on Billy’s manhood or if it is merely the work of inventive animators … I guess only a few people, ex-girlfriend Claire Danes included, will know for sure. After the jump, and without futher ado, check out the uncensored NSFW screencap of Dr. Manhattan in all his glory …

I added an image from the Watchmen graphic novel for comparison … and yep, looks like an animated penis to me. Altho the movie will only be providing a CGI penis in the film, I think it’s still a pretty big step to feature male full-frontal nudity at all. I’m pleased to know that the filmmakers want to keep the integrity of the original graphic novel intact for the movie version. One small step for p33n, is one giant step for mankind.

[Source via ONTD!]