Vimeo didn't like my first few attempts at getting this video up. But now after many hours of editing and fighting the system you can hear and see in glorious TECHNICOLOUR Iain and I discuss the following;

Dod Sno (Dead Snow)

Charlie Brooker's Newswipe
Lost
Battlestar Galactica

Wheelman
50 Cent: Blood on the Sands
I Love Katamari
EVE Online

Scalped
Iain's old comics

Another podcast which started with great intentions of being a shorter episode but ended up a kick in the derriere off an hour. Listen to Menty and I as we discuss the following this week;

Surveillance

Kings
Red Riding
Lost

EVE Online
Resident Evil 5
Legends of Wrestlemania
Guitar Hero
GTA: Chinatown Wars
Bioshock 2

 

What follows is my counterpoint to Dave's piece last week. Apologies if I repeat a few of the points I made in the podcast this week, but I felt like I came across as a bit of a idiot. I wish I could talk as well as I write! Anyway, without futher ado...

 To say Watchmen has been a long time coming is somewhat redundant, at least to the nerds. No-one outside geek culture seems to know it exists. Preliminary investigations carried out by myself over the past few weeks have mostly met with blank expression, or at best a faint glimmer of recognition at the name.

 This is the Watchmen movies first and biggest problem. Most people will have no idea of the story and philosophy behind it and see it as just another comic book movie, and when viewed as such it doesn't look good. The stench of cheese is so strong it overpowers much of the film. From the sub-matrix samey fight scenes to the circa-1980s OTT sex scene, Synders need to dazzle belittles Alan Moores intended vision.

 Watchmen was never supposed to a superhero movie, it was a heavily politicized treaty on the American era that spawned superhero culture. It's why it's often referred to as the bible of comics. It was one of the first to legitimise the medium in the eyes of the mainstream, showing the world that comics weren't just for kids anymore.

 Synders attempts to recapture the ideology of Moores masterwork works against the aforementioned pyrotechnics. If anything I wish he had either went all one way or the other as I feel his half-arsed attempt does more damage to the original vision than if a singular direction had been pursued.

 Perhaps I am being overly critical of the film, as I admittedly was zoning out towards the end of the very long 3 hour running time, glancing at my watch. In doing so I don't think I quite understood the ending. There is a LOT to take in in the film, and I believe that it will find a more appreciative audience on DVD. I'm certainly willing to give it a second chance.

 Iain

 

Well it was about time me and Iain had a wee step-to on the podcast and it was the Watchmen movie which caused it. This week we also discuss;

Watchmen

Breaking Bad
Red Riding

Resident Evil 5
EVE Online
GTA: The Lost and Damned
Silent Hill: Homecoming
Madworld
HAWX demo

This week's podcast is the first to be enhanced for iTunes. If you are listening on you iPod, you can skip straight to whichever section you want.

 

So, I have had a few days to think about the movie and how it reflects the Greatest Comic Book Of All Time (TM). I'm not going to go on about the film in too much length - you'll need to listen to this weekend's podcast for that. I'm not even going to dissect the graphic novel too much here, rather investigate the relationship between the two and the impact the Watchmen phenomena has had over the target audience - geeks like you and me - and the more general public.

I went to see the movie on Saturday night with my better half Denise, my best mate James and his lovely fiance Elis. I was the only person to have read the comic. Denise was pretty 'meh' about the movie, James and Elis didn't really like it. I'm still not sure how I feel about the film. I enjoyed it, I think, but it has flaws. This was unavoidable - Alan Moore's epic tale of how caped crusaders would actually affect the world we live in simply covers too much ground to please all viewers. Does Zack Snyder remain as true as possible to the comic but try and compress it into three short hours? Or does he simply aim more for the 'feel' of the graphic novel whilst remaining liberal with his literal translations of what went on?

Anyone who has watched 300 and read the comic would know that Snyder has no problems with doing a direct lift but then again Miller's tale is relatively short and much easier to translate. In the end, Snyder tries to appease both the geek purists and the more general public, most of who consider Tobey McGuire kissing upside down to be a significant comic book movie event. And he kind of suceeds. The movie remains very reverant to Moore's vision whilst trying to challenge the average Batman / Spiderman 'fan'.

The early shots of Rorschach (superbly acted by Jackie Earle Haley) have him uttering a speech lifted straight out of the beginning of the comic as he starts his investigations into The Comedian's death. And yet it didn't feel quite right to me on screen. I couldn't help feeling that Snyder was aiming for pure fan service in those early moments. I felt the same way as Dr Manhattan moved through time as he chooses to depart from Earth. And yet some moments were obviously intended to make the film more inclusive (dumbed down?). The key evidence of this has to be the ending which Snyder evidently felt would just be too much for the wider audience. It's a testament to his craft as a director that he manages to largely maintain what Moore was trying to say as the comic ended.

And this is the most important thing about the movie. Ultimately, come the end, the viewer is still fundamentally challeneged to think about what has happened. Rorschach is clearly a twisted, psychotic individual and yet we are supposed to hold him dear as an anti-hero who makes Bale's Batman look as frightening as Ronald McDonald. Yet at the end, he will not compromise, even at the potential expense of billions of lifes. For that he must die and he knows it as well as Dr Manhatten who carries out the execution with sadness but complete logic.

Ozymandius ultimately was the good guy. He is once again a warped individual but he believed that the only way to save billions was to see a scant few million killed. Of course, he is proven correct and saves the world from nuclear destruction.

There are many more examples which show Moore was at the top of his craft, painting pictures and scenarios where the traditional good guy / bad guy, right / wrong style of comic writing from years gone by was not the only option. He was desperately trying to sway those who see comics as 'cheesy' and for those who have taken on the challenge of reading Watchmen, he suceeded. Snyder manages to capture this on screen and anchor the film to that way of thinking.

I just don't know. I need to see it again so I can try and straighten out the intricases of his vision. I need to look past the cringeworthy sex scenes and bizarre music placement. I recommend you all go see it but even more importantly, read the comic first. Ultimately, Watchmen the movie isn't as good as Watchmen the comic but it is probably as good a translation as we could have ever have hoped to see on the big screen.

Few problems getting this week's podcast up onto the site but think we've got it all sorted now. Quite a good wee episode I think where we discuss the following;

Franklyn
Watchmen (movie - briefly)

Reaper
Lost
Red Riding
30 Rock / Dexter / Heroes

Halo Wars
Mega Drive Collection
Legends of Wrestlemania / Wanted / Riddick
XBLA Awards

Watchmen (comic)

Remember and keep an eye on Iain's movie blog at www.lynched.blogspot.com.

 

Another fantastic wee podcast from myself and Iain for you peeps to enjoy! This wee we cover the following;

Oscars
Push
Gran Torino

Dollhouse
Burnistoun
United States of Tara
Chuck

Street Fighter 4
GTA: The Lost and Damned
Braid
Halo Wars
Mega Drive Collection
Fear 2
Dawn of War 2
Left 4 Head