SPEARE'S TIPS: THE FILM (!) OF 3/6: Watchmen

Well I didn't call you a fatboy, so yeah I did.

2 reviewers from down here who have hosted a half hour movie show for forever (well at least over 15 years) once a week on non commercial TV reviewed Watchmen last night. They are both 50+ years of age and openly admitted that they dislike superhero movies, although they didn't mind Iron Man and The Dark Night, and had not read the novel. I respect their views more than any other Australian movie reviewer and one of the things I like about them is that half the time they disagree with each other but present their viewpoits intelligently and respectfully. Anyway last night they actually agreed with each other and both of them gave Watchmen glowing reviews, calling it better than The Dark Night. Apparently one of the 1st things the female reviewer did after watching the movie was to purchase and read the novel. Unfortunately they didn't tell us how much money it was going to make in it's first week or overall.

Was the female critic Margaret Pomeranz? Because she seems to be pretty fair on what I've read about her.

Buscemi wrote:Well I didn't call you a fatboy, so yeah I did.

Would have been far more accurate that way

Buscemi wrote:Was the female critic Margaret Pomeranz? Because she seems to be pretty fair on what I've read about her.

You got it. To paraphrase Surfer; Your movie knowledge is mind blowing for one so young.

Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton from At The Movies, nee The Movie Show.

J-Man wrote:

Talking about the trailers for Watchmen, perhaps this isn't the thread to bring this up, but does anyone else hate that whenever they mention Zach Snyder in any promotion for this movie, they always precede it with the term "Visionary"? I hated 300 (terrible dialogue, poinless slow-mo, and repetitive action usually only found in a Dynasty Warriors video game).

I did like Dawn of the Dead.

I get totally annoyed when I see him get called visionary as well. I hated 300 and left the theater early. I saw no reason why Sparta was better than Persia, with the way they handled their people. In fact, it seemed like Sparta was the "good guys" strictly because they were white. I found it to be somewhat racist and xenophobic. I also hated all the slow-mo.

As for Dawn of the Dead, it was good, but due more to James Gunn writing the screenplay than any direction by Zack Snyder.

Actually, James Gunn didn't write all of Dawn Of The Dead. Due to obligations with Scooby-Doo 2, he was forced to leave the project with a few rewrites left to do. So the producers brought in top writers Scott Frank and Michael Tolkin (yes, the guy who wrote The Player) to do those last few rewrites. However, Gunn is the only credited writer since most of the final script is still his work.

Meanwhile, Dawn Of The Dead and Scooby-Doo 2 helped him become one of the few people to have major involvement with films that opened to Number One in back-to-back weeks (March 19th and March 26th, 2004).

I have already posted my 48-53 M OW a week ago but to narrow it down for this little contest I will say $52 M.

I wish it was an 80M OW but I just don't think it will be. BTW, I think Friday numbers will be huge because of all the geeks fighting over the midnight showing. Sunday will be much less.

Also BTW, I watched the first disc of the Watchmen Complete Motion Comic last night. See my post in the Watchmen thread for it.

mfrendo wrote: I get totally annoyed when I see him get called visionary as well. I hated 300 and left the theater early. I saw no reason why Sparta was better than Persia, with the way they handled their people. In fact, it seemed like Sparta was the "good guys" strictly because they were white. I found it to be somewhat racist and xenophobic. I also hated all the slow-mo.

I agree that it the film can be looked at as having racist tones to it. I mean, why were nearly all the Persian characters some kind of mutant? I just couldn't comprehend that decision. A bunch of perfectly crafted white Greeks slaughter a bunch of other race mutants. Even if it wasn't meant to be racist, it certainly comes across as such.

Village Voice had a good joke about him being called a visionary in their review, "Warner Bros. is marketing Snyder as a "visionary." That's a grateful studio's code word for "competent hack.""

mfrendo wrote:As for Dawn of the Dead, it was good, but due more to James Gunn writing the screenplay than any direction by Zack Snyder.

I attribute most of Dawn of the Dead's success to James Gunn as well, but I'm still hopeful for Watchmen (even if it's guaranteed to over use slow motion technique).