So far the biggest potential negative I've heard about this film is that Snyder was even considering letting Tom Cruise touch it. Doc Manhattan is not Xenu.
@Matt Jacobson: "That was almost as much fun as slashing the abdomen of a rodent open then sucking its warm, pulsing entrails down my gullet in one gulp. Almost."
Perhaps the sparkles are the luminescence induced in air molecules resulting from the increase in Cerenkov radiation emitted by Dr. Manhattan? Cerenkov radiation is a hand waving explanation for why he is blue - high speed electrons leaking from his atoms generate electromagnetic shock waves on the blue-uv portion the spectrum.
Perhaps his beta ray emission increases when he is excited with Laurie? (Insert lame sex joke here).
Every time I hear about the McLaughlin Group scene, I get bad flashbacks of all the iffy stuff the Wachowskis inserted into V for Vendetta. They made an OK movie by itself, but a lot of the new stuff just didn't come within miles of the original. Watchmen has piles and piles of great things to choose from, I don't think you need to jam in a lot of new material that Alan Moore didn't write.
I don't think Snyder needed to fight so hard for the blue wang. I'm no prude, but even I wouldn't begrudge them putting Dr. Manhattan in the black speedo deal he wears for parts of the book. Maybe Snyder could've gotten more minutes added to the running time by agreeing to cut the nudity!
I kinda wish they HAD split it into two movies. Seriously, the more of the original story they can fit in there, the happier I'll be.
Casting unknowns was probably the way to go... But in my head, I still see John Cusack as Nite Owl and Jude Law as Ozymandias.
@ursulahitler: He did. He knew they'd only let the movie run so many minutes, and execs love nothing better than cutting stuff out. So he put in extra blue wang to give them something to cut out of the movie. They're happy to have meddled with the director's vision and he's LOL that they fell for that.
I...really wish I didn't know about that director's cut theatrical run in July. My first viewing of this movie is going to stick with me, and I don't want to see anything but the definitive version.
Besides, the director's version is about half an hour longer than the regular. That seems to mean a lot more than blue dicks and elderly kicks were edited out.
Hollis's death isn't included in the theatrical release?
Oh well, I can live with that. Though it is a favorite sequence of mine, what with the cute widdle kiddies finding a blood spattered Mason and all, but it's not directly related to the major plot threads, so I can let it slide.
The only really major disappointment I have is that Dan's momentary snap when he beats the shit out of the Knot-Top probably won't make it...
"Who did it? Tell me who did it, you slime! Who murdered Hollis?...
You tell them! Tell them they're dead! You know how much fire power I have floating out there?"
And then Rorshach, of all people, pulls him off the top-knot. It really shows Dan's dark side: how pudgy, laughable "mister costume fetish" would have been a serious badass back in the day.
Since "myth" has been changed to the less-effective "belief system," I believe the Christians who read this page are no longer being properly marginalized.
I would like to offer that service to them now.
I believe they need it.
Christians: your story is a myth, and I mean that not just in the anthropological sense of "a story, or a belief system," but in the more common sense of that word, meaning, "something that is not true...something totally made up."
History, science, archeology, even REALITY, all fail completely to support your fun little story of magic and guilt and violence. Virgin births don't happen, though there's no shortage of historical messiah figures from both before and after Jesus of Nazareth who were allegedly born that way; the miracles of Jesus were primarily written about decades and even generations after they allegedly took place; and the original book of Matthew completely failed to mention that Jesus ever came back from the dead--kind of an important detail, you might think.
Anyway, every religion on the planet has their beliefs--their myths, if you will--so wanting special preference for Christianity's unprovable story really just sounds petulant and irrational. You should no more be offended over Christianity's beliefs being referred to as myths than you should over hearing the beliefs of African tribesmen and Navajo medicine men referred to in that way.
Really, grow up, and get the hell over yourselves. If you want to continue believing stories that have no more facts to back them up than anyone else's unprovable stories, then you might want to grow some thicker skin while you're at it. Or at least shut up about it all.
@MikeSmith: Why do you feel a compulsion to insult other's beliefs? Some self examination may be in order, that sort of anger and hatred is not healthy. I hope you get better. Getting through puberty will help. Good luck.
Not to be a stickler, but the Bible has shown to be fairly accurate history, and archeology has supported much of it as well. We'll never know about the "magic" stuff, that's why they call it faith.
What I can't figure out is why the word "myth" bothers so many people. Myth just means "story." The connotation of falseness is something we can choose to ignore (I mean, we could have given Annalee the benefit of the doubt and realized she meant no offence); and just because religious stories can be considered mythology doesn't make them any less valid or useful.
@an aching taste of blue: Technically, you're right, but the falseness connotation has overwhelmed all the other meanings, so everyone gets bent out of shape.
@an aching taste of blue: I was taught in my Catholic high school that a vast amount of Bible stories are myths. That's generally what something is when you don't take it as the literal truth-- a story with a moral. A myth.
But then again, a fair amount of Protestants don't consider Catholics as Christians. Because they apparently worship the saints. Hm... I'm an atheist now, but I don't ever remember worshiping saints in my Roman Catholic childhood.
@Lassus: Well, I guess the other religions have the age thing going for them. Scientology is, what, only about 40 years old? I personally agree with you. But hey, man, the age thing really makes a difference to most people. But when people make fun of Scientology, I usually say something like, "Oh, so your zombie space god with multiple personalities is more believable?" That usually shuts them up for a bit. But then they bring back the age thing. *sigh* Religions just can't get any respect around here unless they're ancient.
@meirelle wants an F-15: From the point of view of pure faith, having faith in one unseen thing is the same as another. To believe in the physical reality of Xenu and his followers existing here as mental ghosts is pretty much the same thing as believing that angels are somehow going to help your football team win the Rose Bowl, or believing in UFOs.
But believing in religion itself? Or in god itself as a fundamental spiritual force? That's not quite the same thing. It's simply believing in another reality, different than this one. Which is also a belief unprovable, and unscientific in principle.
BUT on the one hand, one believes that one's religion is right because of the sheer number of people it's had a positive effect on. And because of the effect as a whole. There are marked differences between healthy spiritual beliefs and those used for predatory and parasitic purposes, even if the fundamental kind of faith you have is the same.
man, I got here late, and am stuck with this midlevel horse, all the high ones are gone...
I'm pretty sure there are Christians who are jerks...and there are Jews who are jerks, and Muslims who are jerks, and there are atheist and agnostic jerks as well - but should we really go around categorizing the whole because of the few (or even the many?) Until every single Christian tells you that you're going to hell for not being like them, then the blanket statement is false, and since I'm a Christian who never tells anyone they're going to hell for their beliefs or nonbeliefs, the blanket statement will never be true. So, relax...
And it goes for the other side too - if you believe in something, great, fantastic - but keep your damn views out of everyone else's life. Trying to change folks minds about beliefs/non-beliefs is like telling them their shoes are ugly. They made their choices, just like you did. Part of my faith is based on the acknowledgment that I could be completely wrong - as my favorite author and renowned atheist, Douglas Adams, once wrote: "Proof denies Faith." It's one thing to think you're right, to believe you're right, but none of us know with any certainty (except for my dog, and he's not telling, but he did die once and was brought back by the vets, so I'm pretty sure he knows.)
Does the Christian-bashing bother me? Yes and No - no, it doesn't because some of it is valid, some of it is funny, and all of it is the opinion of the authors. If it bugged me, I'd skip that author or the site altogether. I don't need my beliefs validated by other's opinions, and I don't let others opinions invalidate my beliefs.
The part that does bother me is that most of the Christian-bashing that goes on is really Catholic-bashing (Inquisitions, Crusades, etc.) Can't us Protestants get some mud slung our way? Come on, guys, I'm Lutheran - like the Nazis! This is the freaking internet, is there NO ONE willing to call me a Nazi without actually knowing me? Sheesh!
@c0dek: All (ok, most) comedy aside, I really appreciate your coming out as a Tolerant Christian. The irreligious tend forget that most people of faith are perfectly reasonable and tolerant of their fellow mammals.
Except for the Episcopalians, those guys are just FREAKS!
The Episcopalians are basically one step past the Unitarians at this point. I mean, they call themselves "Whiskeypalians" (hic!), think pretty much any religion is a-okay (except maybe Southern Baptists), accept divorce, encourage birth control, have women and gay and lesbian priests and bishops.
Really, the only mortal sin for Episcopalians is using the wrong fork at dinner. Outside in, people!
Why, yes, I may have just had some of the champagne left over from last night, why do you ask?
03/01/09
03/01/09
So, any guesses as to what the catch phrase would have been?
"Look on MY works, ye mighty, and despair!"
03/01/09
"Whoo watches the Watchmen? Whoooo? Whooooo?"
cuz he's an Owl right? I'm going to be saying this in my head til Friday.
03/01/09
03/01/09
03/01/09
03/01/09
Perhaps the sparkles are the luminescence induced in air molecules resulting from the increase in Cerenkov radiation emitted by Dr. Manhattan? Cerenkov radiation is a hand waving explanation for why he is blue - high speed electrons leaking from his atoms generate electromagnetic shock waves on the blue-uv portion the spectrum.
Perhaps his beta ray emission increases when he is excited with Laurie? (Insert lame sex joke here).
03/01/09
02/28/09
I don't think Snyder needed to fight so hard for the blue wang. I'm no prude, but even I wouldn't begrudge them putting Dr. Manhattan in the black speedo deal he wears for parts of the book. Maybe Snyder could've gotten more minutes added to the running time by agreeing to cut the nudity!
I kinda wish they HAD split it into two movies. Seriously, the more of the original story they can fit in there, the happier I'll be.
Casting unknowns was probably the way to go... But in my head, I still see John Cusack as Nite Owl and Jude Law as Ozymandias.
02/28/09
02/28/09
Besides, the director's version is about half an hour longer than the regular. That seems to mean a lot more than blue dicks and elderly kicks were edited out.
02/28/09
Oh well, I can live with that. Though it is a favorite sequence of mine, what with the cute widdle kiddies finding a blood spattered Mason and all, but it's not directly related to the major plot threads, so I can let it slide.
The only really major disappointment I have is that Dan's momentary snap when he beats the shit out of the Knot-Top probably won't make it...
02/28/09
"Who did it? Tell me who did it, you slime! Who murdered Hollis?...
You tell them! Tell them they're dead! You know how much fire power I have floating out there?"
And then Rorshach, of all people, pulls him off the top-knot. It really shows Dan's dark side: how pudgy, laughable "mister costume fetish" would have been a serious badass back in the day.
01/02/09
I would like to offer that service to them now.
I believe they need it.
Christians: your story is a myth, and I mean that not just in the anthropological sense of "a story, or a belief system," but in the more common sense of that word, meaning, "something that is not true...something totally made up."
History, science, archeology, even REALITY, all fail completely to support your fun little story of magic and guilt and violence. Virgin births don't happen, though there's no shortage of historical messiah figures from both before and after Jesus of Nazareth who were allegedly born that way; the miracles of Jesus were primarily written about decades and even generations after they allegedly took place; and the original book of Matthew completely failed to mention that Jesus ever came back from the dead--kind of an important detail, you might think.
Anyway, every religion on the planet has their beliefs--their myths, if you will--so wanting special preference for Christianity's unprovable story really just sounds petulant and irrational. You should no more be offended over Christianity's beliefs being referred to as myths than you should over hearing the beliefs of African tribesmen and Navajo medicine men referred to in that way.
Really, grow up, and get the hell over yourselves. If you want to continue believing stories that have no more facts to back them up than anyone else's unprovable stories, then you might want to grow some thicker skin while you're at it. Or at least shut up about it all.
01/02/09
Not to be a stickler, but the Bible has shown to be fairly accurate history, and archeology has supported much of it as well. We'll never know about the "magic" stuff, that's why they call it faith.
01/01/09
THIS IS A DISASTER!!!!1!11!
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
But then again, a fair amount of Protestants don't consider Catholics as Christians. Because they apparently worship the saints. Hm... I'm an atheist now, but I don't ever remember worshiping saints in my Roman Catholic childhood.
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
(yay)
Happy New Year, io9 and many many more!
:D
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
But believing in religion itself? Or in god itself as a fundamental spiritual force? That's not quite the same thing. It's simply believing in another reality, different than this one. Which is also a belief unprovable, and unscientific in principle.
BUT on the one hand, one believes that one's religion is right because of the sheer number of people it's had a positive effect on. And because of the effect as a whole. There are marked differences between healthy spiritual beliefs and those used for predatory and parasitic purposes, even if the fundamental kind of faith you have is the same.
01/01/09
I'm pretty sure there are Christians who are jerks...and there are Jews who are jerks, and Muslims who are jerks, and there are atheist and agnostic jerks as well - but should we really go around categorizing the whole because of the few (or even the many?) Until every single Christian tells you that you're going to hell for not being like them, then the blanket statement is false, and since I'm a Christian who never tells anyone they're going to hell for their beliefs or nonbeliefs, the blanket statement will never be true. So, relax...
And it goes for the other side too - if you believe in something, great, fantastic - but keep your damn views out of everyone else's life. Trying to change folks minds about beliefs/non-beliefs is like telling them their shoes are ugly. They made their choices, just like you did. Part of my faith is based on the acknowledgment that I could be completely wrong - as my favorite author and renowned atheist, Douglas Adams, once wrote: "Proof denies Faith." It's one thing to think you're right, to believe you're right, but none of us know with any certainty (except for my dog, and he's not telling, but he did die once and was brought back by the vets, so I'm pretty sure he knows.)
Does the Christian-bashing bother me? Yes and No - no, it doesn't because some of it is valid, some of it is funny, and all of it is the opinion of the authors. If it bugged me, I'd skip that author or the site altogether. I don't need my beliefs validated by other's opinions, and I don't let others opinions invalidate my beliefs.
The part that does bother me is that most of the Christian-bashing that goes on is really Catholic-bashing (Inquisitions, Crusades, etc.) Can't us Protestants get some mud slung our way? Come on, guys, I'm Lutheran - like the Nazis! This is the freaking internet, is there NO ONE willing to call me a Nazi without actually knowing me? Sheesh!
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
Hitler (natch)
Mussolini
Tojo
Franco
Groucho
Beppo
Torquemada
Martin Luther
Martin Lawrence
That broad who wrote Twilight
Billy May
George Lucas
Frank Miller
Mr. Dwyer, my high school Chemistry teacher
Josh Wimmer
and your mom
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
Except for the Episcopalians, those guys are just FREAKS!
01/01/09
The Episcopalians are basically one step past the Unitarians at this point. I mean, they call themselves "Whiskeypalians" (hic!), think pretty much any religion is a-okay (except maybe Southern Baptists), accept divorce, encourage birth control, have women and gay and lesbian priests and bishops.
Really, the only mortal sin for Episcopalians is using the wrong fork at dinner. Outside in, people!
Why, yes, I may have just had some of the champagne left over from last night, why do you ask?
P.S. c0dek is NOT worse than the Twilight broad.
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
01/01/09
With our powers combined, this blog will become CAPTAIN PLANET!!!! :0
Oh, wait. That's all about the environment and global warming and stuff. Hm... I sense another can of worms coming.
But seriously, RAH. Where would we be without you? You're our token conservative star commenter. io9 would feel so empty with you gone. :(