mwa ha ha! I just got back from seeing the WATCHMEN movie!!

[ellenkushner]

Mind, you, I had not intended to see "Watchmen" at all (you know how often I go to any movies) - but old college friend Peter Sanderson curated the display of art at MoCCA, and got us discount invitations to the benefit advance screening, so la la la we went.

I loved it!

At least, the first 2/3. After that, it kinda falls apart - not necessarily the movie's fault: I've never read the comic, but I get the sense wrapups are not his forte. I *loved* the soundtrack - good old period tunes by Dylan & Simon & Garfunkle et al that really managed to create a mood and comment on the action. We howled every time Nixon or Kissinger came on - I'm not sure most of the audience actually knew who they were . . . . do they actually know that Nixon served no third term? And when the ticking clock of nuclear terror occurred, well, cue the Philip Glass!

I will say no more, as I want to go catch my beloved Billy Crudup on Jon Stewart (he will play Richard St Vier before he gets too old! He will! He will!) - and besides, why spoil it for the rest of you?

Comments

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

You went to college with Peter Sanderson? Man, this _is_ a small world!

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

Billy Crudup playing St Vier? You just made my heart skip a beat. How perfect. And that also means a cinematic version of the story! Oh, how cool!! Tell me this idea is more than just a fantasy?

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Actually, he was in grad school (at Columbia) with my friend Nick while I was an undergrad and right after, when I lived on W. 110th.

You?

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

This idea is just a fantasy.

I did write about Crudup (& my one encounter with him) in a long-ago post:

http://ellen-kushner.livejournal.com/17097.html

Just a bit of snark

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, Swordspoint adapted on film! Hollywood is sooo good with those. I can just see Brett Ratner as the director (well, you know, he is rumored to be on Conan, and Conan is fantasy, just like Swordspoint, so it's the logical Hollywood choice), and I'm sure the coach chase scene at the climax will be very exciting. ^________^

[(Anonymous)]

I saw it on Wednesday and loved it for the same reasons you mention - except I was watching it as a fan of the original comics. I agree that it falls apart towards the end, mostly because that's when they stray from the original story. The original ending was much more striking and even shocking than this one. It's cleverly done, but something is missing at that point. But I'm so relieved anyway - I honestly didn't believe it could be that good.

Mélanie Fazi

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I heard they changed the ending, which sucks, I'd like to see it but am scared of being disappointed.

Crudup would be perfect for St Vier, he has the most divine wrists.

I love casting my books. Who do you see for Alec?

[belledewinter.livejournal.com]

Crudup is gorgeous. ♥

And I really can't wait to see Watchmen, I fell in love with the graphic novel. :)

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

That cover of "Desolation Row" was by My Chemical Romance, and I am falling more in love with it every time I hear it. And they say that doing it in that style had a lot of influence on how they wrote the songs for their next album, and THAT is most amazingly reassuring to me, as I had some trepidation about how they'd manage to follow up the tour de force of Black Parade.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see who she says this week -- it changes. last time I asked I think it was Fabrizio Moretti from the Strokes?

I'm still pushing for Michael Wincott to be Lord Ferris.

Wincott.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh god yes. He'd be perfect. *drools*

Why isn't Hollywood making this now?

Re: Wincott.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Hollywood is criminally neglecting the strong market niche for swashbuckling same-sex romance in gorgeous period costume that HAS HAPPY ENDINGS.

Also, Bowie for Lord Horn (perfect faded beauty!), JRM for Michael Godwin (he's a bit old for it now, but there are layers with him having played a quasi-Bowie, and if he grew out his hair...), and Nicole Kidman for the Duchess.

er, yes, this is an expensive movie. With Sandy Powell to do the costumes, and Bob Anderson for the fight choreography. So they have to do it SOON because Bob Anderson won't be around forever.

Re: Just a bit of snark

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

I live for the coach chase scene.

I just wonder if they'll manage to make something explode. There's no adventure pic without an explosion, you know. Though perhaps they'll settle for lots of pushing people through plate glass, like Watchmen - and you know I do have one of those already....

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

(Hi, Melanie!!)

Well, damn, now I'll have to read the comic.

Re: Just a bit of snark

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

"Wonder if they'll manage to make something explode"?

O ye, woman of little faith! They managed to make a San Francisco cable car explode into a soaring pillar of flame, in The Rock. Can a horse-drawn carriage present much of a challenge to them? You know it doesn't.



Hmm... Not too sure about that "ye", back there. Isn't that plural?

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Richard St. Vier, while hanging out at Borders last night I picked up a coy of F&SF and read A Wild & Wicked Youth. It was quite lovely.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Aha! First Sighting. I didn't know if it was on the stands yet. Yay. Now I can blog it.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Yep.

Actually, he may be too old for "Swordspoint" Richard by now - but check out these photos of him in 2001 in "Charlotte Grey":
http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/charlotte_gray_004.html

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

I know him from my comic-book connection. Last time I saw him was in NY at the Julie Schwartz memorial hosted by DC Comics, which was in 2004.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

He's on FaceBook now, and eager to hear from old friends.

Stage Beauty

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah! That's what first inspired me to cast him. See my link to old post, above.

Flashbacks

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Well, he's not *that* much too old. A younger actor Would Not Do. It's not his face, it's his entire manner. And his, well, acting.

They can't all act, you know.

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

And we are already friended!

Re: Just a bit of snark

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

The set-piece of St Vier rescuing Michael Godwin and the lovely ingenue Lady Diane from the burning, sinking barge during the fireworks sequence is going to be spectacular!

[theniwokesoftly.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the idea of Billy Crudup as Richard! I'm not sure I've noticed a mention of that before.

The movie was fantastic. I have a deep and abiding love for both the Comedian (in good part because he was played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but I also had a weird fascination with him in the comic) and Rorschach. Because I am disturbed. And the soundtrack was perfect. Did you catch Me & Bobby McGee playing when Dr. Manhattan and the Comedian were in the bar in Vietnam?

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

1) It's in an old (old old) post - follow the link from his name.

2) Whooooaaa! I totally missed that one! Or maybe I didn't miss it but it was so perfect that it just fit flawlessly in. I remember occasionally bouncing to the music; that may have been one of the times.

My one serious complaint?

Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." It is really one of my favorite songs ever, period, and of course hearing Cohen sing it was just fine - but not there! Not then!

[theniwokesoftly.livejournal.com]

It was on the jukebox in the background, not overtop everything like the others, so it did just fit in flawlessly. I was Janis Joplin at a summer concert two years ago, and that was the song that I first did, so that's most likely why I noticed.

I totally started laughing when Hallelujah started. No-one else did, but it was so surreal to have it THERE, I couldn't help it.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

"laughing when Hallelujah started"

You weren't the only one!

You were Janis Joplin? Cool.

[theniwokesoftly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I participated in an annual covers concert. The band is all guys, so if they want to do songs that were done by Fleetwood Mac or similar, they bring in "guests", and every guy in the band pretty much has one or two artists who they play in the course of the show- we have a John and a Paul (who also does Elvis), my little brother started being Johnny Cash a while ago and last time I was Janis Joplin. It's silly and fun.

I read your Billy Crudup post- I love that you fangirl him the way I fangirl you :D

[mantichore.livejournal.com]

Hm, just in order to justify my reputation as a crusty and mean elitist, I shan't be seeing Watchmen. From reports I trust, the whole movie is about those brave though slightly kooky superheroes trying to unmask a dastardly plot brewing in the backdrop (and... well, you know), while the whole point of the book was that super-heroes were noxious twits who, in spite of not having any actual super-powers, had actually managed to make the world worse (the Cold War never escalated that badly in our 1985), and proved totally pathetic and ineffective. And it seems the kiosk owner, the kid reading comics, the lesbian taxi driver and other such ordinary people have pretty much been excised from the film, whereas they were rather important to the ending of the book. (And, according to those reports, if the movie falls apart if the last hour, it's because the director suddenly realizes he has far too little time left to conclude the whole mess. So he has to adapt the plot in a tighter way! ^_______^)

Anyway, that's that: I'll refrain.

Re: Stage Beauty

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

"We have a solid in to him"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAghhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Hyperventilation begins here.

Have a great move - can't wait to see the new place!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_stranger_here/]

I'm glad you loved the soundtrack! I did too, though popular opinion seems sharply divided on the subject. I thought it was just right -- with the glaring exception of L. Cohen's wonderful song during that scene that seemed to go on FOREVER (I guess we can be glad they didn't go with "Waiting for the Miracle", clocking in at nearly 8 minutes long). The music was one thing the movie could offer that the comics couldn't, and by and large, I thought it added a lot. Especially liked the Dylan song over the opening montage.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

I actually got teary over the opening montage w/music.

But I am so with you on the Cohen (did he actually record that pre-1987? they were being so careful about everything else. I'm too lazy to check). The NYTimes review, while sometimes unpleasantly mean-spirited, did nail it with:

Speaking of acts of congress, “Watchmen” features this year’s hands-down winner of the bad movie sex award, superhero division: a moment of bliss that takes place on board Nite Owl’s nifty little airship, accompanied by Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” (By the way, can we please have a moratorium on the use of this song in movies? Yes, I too have heard there was a secret chord that David played, and blah blah blah, but I don’t want to hear it again. Do you?)

(Though I believe that should be "Do ya?")

http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/movies/06Watc.html

[http://users.livejournal.com/_stranger_here/]

Ha. "Moment" of bliss? I feared it would never end.

I do want to hear the song again, of course, just not in movies. And hey, "blah blah blah"? Some people just don't really care for music, do they.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

lol! (or should that be s[nicker]ol?)

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I'm in the minority here, but I actually thought their choice of WHICH verses out of "Hallelujah" to use were telling. "I told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya" when it only works for them when they're masked?

VE-RY interesting.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Yes, I noticed that the lyrics were extremely apposite; but that still didn't make it a good music choice.