Any Must-See Movies 2009 for you?

[DJ Doena]

I will watch it on Tuesday, but I forgot to reserve tickets. If there aren't good seats anymore I will go next week.

I haven't read the comic though.

[Achim]

I just returned from the cinema. I just recently bought the comic book but decided that I want to read it after the movie (giving the movie the chance to live on its own).

I enjoyed it. It felt much shorter than it was (always a good thing), looks beautiful and is appropriately acted. I am surprised to see a naked man that much in an American comic book film

The story was slightly confusing to me, as I had a few moments where I didn't understand what they were saying, but I guess it'll become more clear when I read the book.

Looking forward to the Director's Cut and its extended version...

[Jon]

I haven't seen the film, but from what I've heard they have to have missed the mark. I'm not sure anything is "unfilmable", but there's a point at which the talent/ambition/money ratio affects how they approach any film. To do it properly would have meant committing to methods that would have put off mass audiences, which would be wonderful for the art form, but studios don't like audiences taking years to unlock a film! Like Citizen Kane.

Watchmen has been called the Citizen Kane of comics and I can only agree in so far it's the most ambitious and layered of anything I've read in graphic novels. Judge Dredd: America and Alan Moore's own The Ballad of Halo Jones are my favourites, but still, Watchmen is awesome.

When you do read it, and I really hope you do soon, make sure you read everything. That may sound odd, but he interrupts the story with extracts from other material, like biographies and news reports. You'll have heard of Tales of the Black Freighter that Snyder did do, but is being released separately; that's a comic within a comic and forms a metaphor for what is happening. It all adds to making sense of the whole. The fact it isn't a film within a film tells me the ambition falls short. It would only have been a step up from what Tarantino did in Kill Bill.

Hopefully the DC will have a go. I might wait for the DVD!

[Jon]

Ahem. It looks like we get proper films this year, people! One of my favourite directors, teaming with a pair of actors who always give value for money, and channelling a modern classic...

Public Enemies

Michael Mann, with Bale and Depp, mix with the Untouchables and apply a little... Heat? Oh, I'm there already!

You see what I did there, didn't you? Apply a little "Heat"? Geddit? No?

Seriously though, for the last few years the big tentpole movies have been fantasy. It's nice to see an old school genre getting a remix and it's very encouraging to see something that might even live up to relatively recent entries like L.A. Confidential, not to mention the before-mentioned The Untouchables...

That doesn't stop me being very excited about this as well though: Star Trek's 3rd Trailer and I'm no Trekkie. For those of you that are though, there's a conversation on the Empire forums picking up on a line in the trailer ("James T. Kirk was a great man, but that was another life...") and suggesting it might be getting into the mythology with a time-bending idea. I'm not bothered either way, but it's nice for the fanboys if they are doing that. Give the franchise a makeover and be ambitious enough to play with the legend.

[Dragonfire]

I saw Watchmen Friday ..first show of the day here.  I've never read the graphic novel, though I think I want to get it now.  I really enjoyed the movie.  I had no clue what to expect going in and I did enjoy it.  I was surprised by all the male nudity from Dr. Manhattan...I'm still wondering why he was naked so much.  Was he wandering around naked in the graphic novel a lot too?  Anyway, it was entertaining and enjoyable for me.  It did get very violent at times and a few things were very disturbing..but they seemed to fit with everything else going on.

I did post a review on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Watchmen

I read a few things after I saw the movie, and it sounds like the other stuff - at least the Black Freighter stuff - will be in the director's cut.  I can't remember if the Under the Hood things are supposed to be in it too or not.  I'm thinking I read that the studio pushed for more cuts to get the movie shorter, which was why it wasn't there now. 

[goodguy]

I probably won't see Watchmen until it is on DVD for a reasonable price, but I have read some reviews. Roger Ebert wrote a very favorable 4-star review and even blogged about it. Of course, Ebert cannot be trusted on these kind of movies, he also raved about The Dark Knight. Or Sin City.  On the other side of the spectrum is Anthony Lane of The New Yorker. Going by my instincts (again, without having actually seen the movie), I'm with Lane on this.

[Achim]

When you do read it, and I really hope you do soon, make sure you read everything. That may sound odd, but he interrupts the story with extracts from other material, like biographies and news reports.

No, it didn't sound odd. I specifically bought the "Absolute Watchmen" edition (in hard cover and with slip cover no less) as it comes with all those extras. I am intending to read it soon.

[quoteHopefully the DC will have a go. I might wait for the DVD! [/quote]

The movie is 163min in its theatrical cut. Pretty much the limit what studios and theaters like to do. I understand, as Dragonfire already mentioned, that the DVD/Blu-ray will sport a DC with 30 additional minutes and then there will be an extended cut of that with the short(s) inserted. Of course, we've been waiting for the DC of The Whole Bloody Affair for a while now, so I am really crossing my fingers on this one.

Michael Mann, with Bale and Depp, mix with the Untouchables and apply a little... Heat? Oh, I'm there already!

Wow, that sounds great! Where do I sign on?

[Jon]

I probably won't see Watchmen until it is on DVD for a reasonable price, but I have read some reviews. Roger Ebert wrote a very favorable 4-star review and even blogged about it. Of course, Ebert cannot be trusted on these kind of movies, he also raved about The Dark Knight. Or Sin City.  On the other side of the spectrum is Anthony Lane of The New Yorker. Going by my instincts (again, without having actually seen the movie), I'm with Lane on this.

Hmmm... Dragonfire's review notwithstanding, that article does have the ring of truth. The thing is, you can't put those characters and those scenes together without it being impressive. The comment about Snyder sharing Moore's views on vengeance are interesting. Which one exactly? The comic is so subtle that each time you read it, you come away with a new perspective. Very few mainstream films do that, sadly. Of course it doesn't matter because the best thing about this is that more people will read the book and stop treating comics as sub-illiterate! Will you be reading it, Matthias, while you wait for the DVD?

[Jon]

The movie is 163min in its theatrical cut. Pretty much the limit what studios and theaters like to do. I understand, as Dragonfire already mentioned, that the DVD/Blu-ray will sport a DC with 30 additional minutes and then there will be an extended cut of that with the short(s) inserted. Of course, we've been waiting for the DC of The Whole Bloody Affair for a while now, so I am really crossing my fingers on this one.

I still feel robbed! 

[Dragonfire]

I forgot to mention before..I heard that the longer director's cut was going to be released to theaters over the summer.

I got Watchmen tonight..the graphic novel I mean.  I've already started reading it.  I'm up to the first exert from Under the Hood.  I'll probably read more of it tonight.  So far, I'm really liking it.  I've noticed several images that ended up in the movie already.

[lovemunkey187]

I thought that Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was one of the things about the film though.

I am surprised to see a naked man that much in an American comic book film

Spoiler (hover to show)

At least they didn't show him nekkid when he was 80feet tall.

Watchmen has been called the Citizen Kane of comics and I can only agree in so far it's the most ambitious and layered of anything I've read in graphic novels. Judge Dredd: America and Alan Moore's own The Ballad of Halo Jones are my favourites, but still, Watchmen is awesome.

I've reread Watchmen several times, but to me it's not as good as V For Vendetta or Dark Knight Returns(Which I think is one of the best stories ever).

Has anyone read League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen?
If not DO NOT be put off by the terrible film and give it a read.

[Achim]

I thought that Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was one of the things about the film though.

Yes. I wonder if that was his natural voice. I should look up what other work he has done...

Spoiler (hover to show)

At least they didn't show him nekkid when he was 80feet tall.

I've reread Watchmen several times, but to me it's not as good as V For Vendetta or Dark Knight Returns(Which I think is one of the best stories ever).

Has anyone read League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen?
If not DO NOT be put off by the terrible film and give it a read.

Didn't Alan Moore also write the highly regarded "The Killing Joke"...? I am considering to order that next time I buy stuff from Amazon. LoEG does not really catch my interest, assuming that at least the premise of the movie was based on the book.

[Jon]

Haley played a fascinating part in Todd Field's Little Children. Both that and In The Bedroom are very powerful dramas and Haley is marvellous as the hated paedophile who nonetheless demands your sympathy. Makes you think very hard about a situation that could be just around your corner...

I've reread Watchmen several times, but to me it's not as good as V For Vendetta or Dark Knight Returns(Which I think is one of the best stories ever).

Has anyone read League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen? If not DO NOT be put off by the terrible film and give it a read.

League is fantastic. That bloody film... dreadful, complete tripe. That book is just quality. Have to say, I have The Dark Knight Returns, but it doesn't quite gel for me. It is brilliant, just not quite as good as I expected. And I thought the sequel -The Dark Knight Strikes Again- was a mess.

I think quite a few of you would enjoy the one I mentioned before, The Ballad of Halo Jones. It's a sprawling space saga, following this one, small character in the middle. There's a sequence in the middle of a war that has been ripped off loads of times but still packs a punch.

2000ad keep up an amazing standard. I've fallen behind considerably... so the other day started to catch-up again. The Dredd story dealt with a terrorist group and the ending of the penultimate episode made my jaw drop. Very powerful stuff. And they call these comics! 

Anyone read Preacher? I'd love to see them try that as a film! Pete would like the vampire fella...

[Dragonfire]

I thought about getting V for Vendetta before, but so far I haven't.

I stayed up way too late last night reading Watchmen..up till almost 3:30 am and I had to be at work at 9 today.     I need to get more sleep tonight, so I can't do that again.  But I can read late tomorrow night since I'm off Thursday.  I'm really liking it - and I'm reading all the extra stuff too..Under the Hood etc. 

[lovemunkey187]

Didn't Alan Moore also write the highly regarded "The Killing Joke"...? I am considering to order that next time I buy stuff from Amazon. LoEG does not really catch my interest, assuming that at least the premise of the movie was based on the book.

Yes, he did write killing Joke.
The story of the comic is different to the film(Alan Moore did the right thing by demanding his name was removed from it), most of the characters are the same a couple were added to the film that weren't in the book.

League is fantastic. That bloody film... dreadful, complete tripe. That book is just quality. Have to say, I have The Dark Knight Returns, but it doesn't quite gel for me. It is brilliant, just not quite as good as I expected. And I thought the sequel -The Dark Knight Strikes Again- was a mess.

I am a huge Frank Miller fan (especially Sin City) and can see your point about DK2.  But DKR was the thing that started me expanding my comic reading habits.

Anyone read Preacher? I'd love to see them try that as a film! Pete would like the vampire fella...

There's yet more talk of a Preacher movie.  The last I heard, Sam (American Beauty) Mendes was attached as director.
Desmond Askew would be great as Cassiday, he can pull off a decent Irish accent, or at least he did in Go.