Six hour drive back home allowed me to mull some more on Watchmen and the awesome idea of a "So You Think You Can Do It Better?" movie editing kit (I'd so totally buy that!).

Finishing the graphic novel I was impressed and affected but wasn't infatuated with the story and really found it hard to connect to any of the characters. But I was blown away by the structure and the rhythm. Watching the movie a first time I found that the movie had forsaken what I loved most about the graphic novel, watching a second time I realized that it that it *had* developed a style and structure of it's own (for better as well as worse). I

I wondered then, would the story hold up if told completely chronologically? And by hold up, I mean: would it still be compelling? Was I merely awed by flash and style?

What was the mass appeal of the original story? The political commentary? The glimpse into another world so similar to our own? The commentary on the genre of costumed heroes? What character or characters were the entry-point into the story, either through identification or fascination?

Or was it the brilliant pseudo-cinematic mastery of picture and prose?

I can only answer that it was the latter for myself, but what about the fans who became so decades ago?

I'm very curious about the answer to these, although maybe I should pose it in another thread?

Or was it the brilliant pseudo-cinematic mastery of picture and prose?

Well, that. In fact I would say that it surpassed what film was capable of in the way that symmetries kept popping up in between panels and pages, with lots and lots of meticulous details.

But also Moore was taking the superhero genre places it had never gone before. It was pretty ballsy, which is hard to see in retrospect.

Well, that. In fact I would say that it surpassed what film was capable of in the way that symmetries kept popping up in between panels and pages, with lots and lots of meticulous details.

Okay, because the thought that was bubbling on the backburner was that, if the movie couldn't recreate this, then I feel that a movie of Watchmen sort of had a responsibility to therefore be innovative and groundbreaking in it's own, different and unique way. To tell the story on film the way a filmed story has never been filmed before (with lots of attention to meticulous details!)

It almost makes me sad that Darren Aronofsky couldn't have made both The Fountain and Watchmen. Not that I'd trade. But I am greedy.

It almost makes me sad that Darren Aronofsky couldn't have made both The Fountain and Watchmen.

Oh not me. I thought Snyder's Watchmen went quite far enough with the brutal and visceral aspects of the comic. I shudder to think where Aronofsky might have gone.

I haven't seen all of Aronofsky's work, but when I read the trivia that he backed out in order to do The Fountain, it kind of clicked that that movie also did some head-tripping past (albeit fictional), present, as well as future (emotional speculation) inter-cutting, with lyrical imagery and motifs. Also, naked men and the lotus position.

edited to add commas!

I watched Millions yesterday, and I think I have moved from simply admiring and respecting Danny Boyle to loving him and wanting to see whatever he does. Such a nice little movie.

from simply admiring and respecting Danny Boyle to loving him and wanting to see whatever he does

Which rumor says is the next Bond film.

Nope. Would've been neat, though. I still haven't watched QoS.

In sad news, I've just heard that they're going to take Natasha Richardson off of life support this evening.

Where did you hear that, Corwood? There have been all sorts of conflicting reports about her status. It's really sad, regardless.

Ron Silver died on Sunday.