So The Watchmen feature film seems to be in what the folks like to call Development Hell [I'll take down that link to the site that even had a message board which is non-existant now I guess?]. And of course that's a shame indeed. These next two years -- with all these bottom tier comic characters getting their movies -- would be a perfect time to cut to the real point of what the whole superhero mythos is all about and shed the metaphors and put some real substantial issues out there. But in the meantime we do have a different Alan Moore book coming out to the move screens in V For Vendetta.
You may have heard about this movie recently with the London terrorist bombings as this is indeed a book that takes place in London and has "terrorist" bombings as the crux of the plot. I must say I'm proud that the WB hasn't pussied out on this movie and is going forward with the release date of November 4th. This story does take place in a completely alternate reality -- in the book it takes place in the 1990's in a what-if-the-fascists-had-gained-power-England. I don't remember the book actually referencing the Nazis but that's the impression you get. It's a very much Orwell Big Brother society where subversives (homosexuals, most music/movies, literature, theater, etc.) are banished/exterminated and the powerfull are a type a hierarchy and rule unchecked.
It's a pretty great read, but the recently released trailer for the movie does not do much for me. The book was affecting in its artwork as presenting this quasi future of England as being a bit grimy and ugly. But it seems this movie has quite the glossy coating. The screenplay was written by the Wachowski Bros of Matrix and Bound fame and they were reportedly the second unit directors and it seems they and their former second unit director -- who's the actual director of this movie -- are unable to film a frame of realistic settings. I mean, remember how Zion, or whatever their "real" world was, looked in those Matrix movies? It was like the cleanest raggety clothing and most pristine underworld put on film...
Yes, in most of your mainstream, well known comics you're given a brightly colored, sharp lined, and clean universe in those tiles. V For Vendetta is not one of those books. DC Comics are known for getting darker and getting mort dirt under the nails of their characters -- especially those on their sister imprints like Vertigo. Which is why I always liked DC more than Marvel when I was a kid. This is the reason why I'll again say Batman Begins is a truly great adaptation. Even though the Batman character has gone full spectrum in that regard -- from cheesy to dark and brooding -- in both movies and comics unfortunatley enough....
Anyway, I also wanted to mention the release of a, well I guess you could call it a teaser, for the Tenacious D movie -- The Pick of Destiny. The interview at least in rather entertaining. I think of it I guess as a guilty pleasure with these guys. I fell in love with them when I unwittingly witnessed their HBO episodes back in '99, and was rediculously hppy when they released those episodes on DVD last year. But I was initially let down with their CD release in 2001. But since then it has indeed grown on me and I'm looking forward to the new album/movie soundtrack. Good goddamn am I looking forward to it... You can read an interview with the funny fuckers here.
P.S. - Back to the previous points, I should say that I thought Constantine was a pretty decent movie. This also being an adaptation of a Vertigo comic that Alan Moore had a hand in at it's incubation. Reeves does a good job with the role without being a blond haired Brit -- and I really don't think that whole issue makes a difference. It's a bit wattered down, but he does get Constantine's essence to make the movie work. I'd love to see a sequel to this one -- just as I'd like to see a sequel to another unfairly maligned adaptation, Hulk. Hulk, to me, was the closest film has ever gotten to capturing the experience of reading a comic book. Now, this isn't necessarily a great thing for casual goers -- or even faithful Hulk fans -- but Ang Lee's use of paneling and framing is about as good as it gets in that regard.
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