Finished the graphic novel this morning and WANT to see the movie NOW, but pressing obligations say no. Having finished it, I don't understand why the squid was removed. It was really so very brief, that if the lead-up and reveal was filmed, would have been maybe 15 minutes of movie time? Shoot, if the squidness was so ridiculous, just change the shape, it just has to be alienesque. What was the reasoning? (I'm all het up without having seen the movie yet, but apartment hunting makes me stressed and cranky). Too much the end of Signs? Too left field/out of the blue?

Juliebird, I think the reasoning was, at least partially that including the monster squid means including *how* it was built, which means inserting the storyline of the artists and scientists that "disappeared" and all that. Even at nearly three hours there just wasn't time for that. Though I don't think the "end of the world" MacGuffin was the perfect replacement, I thought it was an acceptable one to get rid of a storyline that would've eaten a shitload of screen time that non-fans would not have appreciated, necessarily. And, frankly, I'm okay with the "overthrowing the old god" interpretation (the Zeus v. Kronos interpretation), but would have been happier if they'd elaborated on *that* theme more with Ozy.

I saw Watchmen at the Imax today with my brother. I enjoyed it, though I preferred the comic. Do agree the fighting skills were overdone (and the gore as well), not to mention Rorshach is apparently part lemur, given his ability to run up walls. Also found it to be hurried in many places, losing some of the character motivation. My favourite change from the comic, incidentally, is not losing the giant squid. It's that Snyder apparently decided that having an assassin gun down Veidt's secretary was just inappropriate, and wouldn't it be more fun instead to shoot Lee Iacocca through the head?

One thing that didn't bother me was the full frontal bluedity. Maybe it's just that human penises are pretty uninteresting compared to the Swiss army tools you find in the rest of the animal kingdom.

Being the Imax experience, the thing was incredibly loud. I was fascinated to learn that beating the crap out of the Comedian is apparently about as noisy as a nuclear explosion. My ears are still ringing a little.

Still, we enjoyed it. Oh, and I got Wallybee kind of interested in reading the original work, though given the amount of gore and violence in the film, I've warned her off seeing it.

billytea scans through a Tom of Finland book: "Disappointing. Dull. Uninspired. Lacking in baroque excess."

Heh. billytea is maybe not Tom of Finland's target audience.

And why *is* Finland so cool?

I wanna see a fight between Tom of Finland and Tom's of Maine.

You might think Tom of Finland would kick Maine's ass, but leathermen can often be wusses... Plus Maine can threaten to scuff up Finland's leather with his toothpaste.

And why *is* Finland so cool?

It's the leather jackets. Just ask Danny Zuko or Fonzie.

And why *is* Finland so cool?

Because Tom is there. And Linux came from there. And they drink vodka by the case.

Really, that's all you need.

Finland Finland Finland!

At the theater today they had a preview for The Spirit, and every time The Octopus says "I have eight of everything," I snicker to myself and say, "Really? Eight? Of *every* thing? Going five up on Hell Comes to Frogtown ?"