Watchmen Series on HBO

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Madness, Oct 21, 2019.

  1. APH

    APH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cambridge, England
    I think the TV show wants to give the appearance that it understands the comic more than the movie did.
    But I prefer the movie to the first episode of the show. By blindly translating, the movie caught some of the comic.
    The Tv show has none of the comic. If it had a different title, maybe I'd give it more time. The brand probably works for it in most instances, but against it in my case.

    Maybe I will try episode two - I gave up with Stranger Things, as I found it utterly boring, and to be fair, this wasn't quite as boring as that. I did start looking at my phone halfway through though.
     
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  2. marmalade166

    marmalade166 Sous les pavés, la plage!

    Location:
    Aberdeen, Scotland
    Big fan of the comic book ( and Alan Moore in general, both as a writer and a human being), enjoyed the film and loved this first episode

    And as for the folk moaning about perceived political/social issues being 'pushed', they really don't get Alan Moore and his work! :rolleyes:
     
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  3. David Campbell

    David Campbell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Luray, Virginia
    One of my favorite Superman tales. I bought this annual without knowing what it was beyond just an old Superman comic way back in 1992 out of a dollar box at a flea market. Easily in my top 10.
     
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  4. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Great, influential issue (and was adapted for an episode of the animated Justice League).

    Moore’s other Superman story “Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?” is also pretty good.

    ‘The Complete DC Works of Alan Moore’ collection is well worth picking up.
     
  5. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    I really enjoyed the first episode and look forward to what they do with this. I am already on board with what I sense is being connected to the source material but not wholly bound by it, the freedom of this is a different story, 34 years later; how would it all have played out with I'm guessing a good many doses of flashback. That is my sense anyway. I also liked the way Oklahoma! was interwoven into things and hope we get more of that more than meets the eye craft.
     
  6. Daryl M

    Daryl M Senior Member

    Location:
    London, Ontario
    The musical score, Don Johnson and Tim Blake Nelson were the best things about the initial
    episode. I don't think I'll be back.
     
  7. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    A little levity, as Marc Bernardin, Jacqueline Coley & Malcolm Barrett play the ""Watchman" so black..." game!:
     
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  8. ConnieGuitar

    ConnieGuitar Here in my balloon...

    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes...

    Imo, as a fan of the original graphic novel from initial release, I'm less concerned with the series following the proverbial letter of the law than the spirit of it. There's a whole lot here that I feel I can hang my hat on so will definitely be tuning in fwiw.

    But would say that the obvious (or less so) nods to the original work may definitely prove an annoyance unless the eventual explanation of how it all ties together is satisfactory - which could be a *very big* ask.
     
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  9. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    I saw this last one was co-written by Lindelof & Cuse.
    I was a little "LOST"-y.
     
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  10. APH

    APH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cambridge, England
    Just watched episode two - what a weird mess this series is.
    The further it gets from Watchmen, the more I like it, so I enjoyed the first half, with the relationship between the cops, and the stuff about the Tulsa race riot. The second half, where it tilts back towards Moore, I hated.

    I really wish this could have been an original series, without any reference to Watchmen at all, but I suppose the money would not have been forthcoming for that.

    The Watchmen related parts remind me of a kid playing a Dave Gilmour solo. Yes, he can do it, and, look, his rich dad has even bought him one of Gilmour's actual guitars to use, but something is just off. It's a copy - a sometimes convincing copy, but still a copy.

    Ultimately, it becomes about trust. I trust Alan Moore to create worthwhile popular art, that pays back the investment in time that it asks.
    I also trust Neil Gaiman.
    I trust Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, that Westworld will continue to be worth watching.
    Based on his track record, and the episodes so far, I do NOT trust Damon Lindelof to do anything but hack work, and whenever the show starts to pique my interest, by seeimg to be intelligent, it then moves onto a really stupid scene, like the stage play scene, or the stupid TV show, and I hate it all over again.
     
  11. EddieMann

    EddieMann I used to be a king...

    Location:
    Geneva, IL. USA.
    Ok, I don’t read comix or graphic novels (yet anyway), I’ve not seen the original movie, and I don’t have a clue as to what the hell is going on in this. But I really like it and plan to keep watching.
     
  12. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    I'm definitely going to stick with this series. Knocked out by the first two episodes.
     
  13. skinnyev

    skinnyev Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    I liked this episode a lot more than the first one. The way that the scene played out finding the Klan outfit was very similar to how Rorschach found the Comedian's costume after the murder. Also, the flashback scenes with Don Johnson also played out similar to flashbacks in the comic which usually juxtaposed some other type of story element. I think I'm getting a better feel of this show and what they are trying to do, it's certainly well done, but where the story is going is a mystery to me.
     
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  14. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    one more, and that might be it for me.

    i guess i'm too old to 'get it", but i find it haphazard and confusing, and other than regina king terribly acted.
     
  15. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    Loved the comic book. Thought the film was just "meh." I didn't hate it, but I also didn't think it actually added anything of value. Very impressed with the pilot episode. So far I'm confident they're on the right track. They've got my attention. Even without Alan Moore's name in the credits.
     
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  16. Madness

    Madness "Hate is much too great a burden to bear." Thread Starter

    Location:
    Maryland, USA
    Just watched the first episode. Interesting, but confusing because I've only seen the movie and haven't read any of the comics/graphic novels. Wondering if that would be beneficial. DVR'd the first two episodes thanks to a free HBO weekend, but won't see the rest until I pay for HBO when WestWorld comes back.
     
  17. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Just finished the 2nd episode, and I really like what I'm seeing with this show so far. Definitely a springboard off of the original Moore / Gibbons work to explore some very interesting themes that are simultaneously modern and timeless. I think a lot of what they're doing here is bold. The music by Reznor and Ross is tremendous and I love Regina King's character.

    Indeed, how the show is mirroring the structure of the comic plot in ways is no doubt intentional, which itself also began with the death of a character to kick off a mystery. People who aren't familiar with the original work may be lost here but could also perhaps enjoy it on a surface level as a show without getting all the references.
     
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  18. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    I loved the movie but this show not very much so far.
     
  19. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    I don't normally point this out, but best username/subject match ever, Chrome_Head:

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Bwahaha! Nice one—really liking that character too!
     
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  21. GeetarFreek

    GeetarFreek Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana
    Love it, soundtrack is great, too. I like this alternative timeline scenario and I know Jack squat about the comics.
     
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  22. misterbozz

    misterbozz Senior Member

    Location:
    Nerima-ku, Tokyo
    Enjoyed the first couple of episodes, unencumbered by knowledge of any other incarnations of the material.
     
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  23. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    So, that long-haired kid was also building the same mansion as Dr. Manhattan was, right?
     
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  24. Jim B.

    Jim B. Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    While you are waiting then I suggest you read the graphic novel. It's only the size of 12 comics so not too much of a struggle and is an experience I think everybody should have, it really is that good. It was the only graphic novel included in Time's 2005 list of the 100 all-time greatest novels list, which is some achievement.

    Why do you need to read it?

    Apart from being a great novel you need to get the full experience by knowing the background. And while superficially the series seems it's own story I can see them bring it closer into the 'lore' of the comic as it goes on. Plus we have the main protagonist of the comic as a major star of the series (Jeremy Irons) and regular mentions of Dr Manhattan on Mars and his powers etc.

    Plus the comic creates an alternative reality earth from the emergence of Dr Manhattan from the early 70's on, if you like it branches off from our reality due to the events in the comic. So the only way to appreciate why certain things are happening in the TV series is to know how history is different to our real world history in the comics. For example in the comic Nixon doesn't leave office the way he did.

    Basically you are watching a world created/altered by the Watchmen so you need to see what they did in fact alter and create and in what way.

    The comic is 100% essential to appreciating this series.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2019
  25. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.

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