I've been going nuts over the Watchmen trailer since it first appeared. This is actually the first time I've ever gotten a song stuck in my head (an unfamiliar song) just from a trailer; I've watched it that many times.
I know that some Horrorthon regulars have not read Watchmen (and I'm not going to talk about the story) but I'm awfully curious how all this looks to the uninitiated.
Somehow it gets back to the effectiveness of the title. I vividly remember crossing the campus in Chicago back in 1985 and seeing Tyler (a girl I knew who collected comics) carrying a bagged version of "Watchmen" #2, which was the first time I'd heard of the book. The title leaped out at me, because (unlike nearly all comics) this cover exhibited a modicum of design sense: the title was in a cool font and was yellow and was turned 90 degrees along the book's spine. (Dave Gibbons gave an interview where he talked about the Watchmen title typography and how comic book stores' domination of newsstands made that kind of cover design possible.) But "WATCHMEN" leapt out at me instantly and conveyed the whole tone of the project: an ominous, uneasy view of superheroes who have been given this strangely paternal, dangerous-sounding epithet.
The same thing happened again at the end of the trailer, when the same yellow font formed the same word...on the movie screen...and made me and many others very happy. It's the same strange phenomenon as the Lord of the Rings movies, but even more so: in that case, we got all excited about a movie, but we already knew the whole story. In the case of Watchmen it's even worse: not only do we already know the whole story, we already know what everything looks like (Tolkien's version wasn't illustrated). And the movie appears to be so faithful that I (and anyone else who's read the book) can tell you exactly what's going on in every single shot of the trailer.
Has anything like this happened before? The trailer says "The Most Celebrated Graphic Novel of All Time" (which is obviously true, if a bit strange since Watchmen is essentially the first graphic novel). It's also the book that famously introduced the element of real time into the comic book world, which is why it's significant that the story takes place in 1985 (and an explicitly divergent 1985 at that). So we've got a faithful period-piece movie made from comics. Seriously, has anyone done anything like this before?
On message boards, many people "admit" they haven't read Watchmen and then gush about the trailer. This intrigues me, because I can't imagine seeing this thing and not knowing what's going on; I'm too familiar with the story and the images. But the trailer (and its uninitiated viewers) are bringing me back to the excitement of 19-year-old Jordan seeing the word "WATCHMEN" sideways on a comic book. Nothing like that comic had ever happened before, and now, 23 years later, it's going to happen again.
Am I even making any sense? You tell me. Watchmen is special, and I have a feeling this movie will be special too, not just because of its quality but because, just like the book, it's something happening that's never happened before.
Are any of you Watchmen neophytes excited? What does the trailer look like to a Horrorthoner who hasn't read the book?
8 comments:
As someone who has not yet read Watchmen (I know, I know), the trailer sent shivers up my spine. Though I wasn't able to ascertain much of the plot, it was visually stunning (and done justice by the IMAX.) I could also sense an overall grim yet awe-inspiring tone. It's clear that the movie is something that's being taken very, very seriously.
And FYI - I tried to buy the graphic novel this weekend but my comic shop was sold out. So stop rolling those eyes Jordan!
Jordan, I read the books once, but don't remember too much about them. I thought the trailer captured the darkness of it all, and had a "manic" feel to it. It felt like it was building to something really, really bad.
My wife, the Swede, has never seen a Brady Bunch episode, so she certainly hadn't read Watchmen. She had no idea what was going on in the trailer, and didn't seem particularly interested in the movie based on the trailer.
IMO I believe this trailer was for you and the other Watchmen crazed, Jordan. I think they gave you some of the most iconic images to assure you they were taking good care of your baby...
The moment when I imagine being most intrigued (as a neophyte) is when they cut into what appears to be the flames of a battle, and the guy with the cigar is prominently wearing...the smiley face button.
If I hadn't ever read it, but I'd only seen the covers/posters etc., I imagine I would see that and go, "What the hell...? Is this just the coolest comic story in the universe or what?"
God help me, I know better than to start anything resembling an argument about film (much less a film about a comic) with Jordan, but....I'm not sure somebody outside the comic-world would have that same reaction Jordan. We've seen the "Peace" symbol button on the helmet in Full-Metal Jacket, and I wonder if a non-neophyte would simply see the smiley-face as a continuation on a theme...
(Now you’re going to list 49 other little symbols in the trailer, that make it completely unique, I am going to say I was just playing devil’s advocate, and slink away with my tail between my legs.) Just predicting the future based on past events…..
I think we actually totally agree.
If I was exactly the same person but hadn't read Watchmen, I would have definitely noticed the "blood on the smiley face" iconography and TOTALLY dug it. Then I would have seen the trailer and noticed the button and said, "He's actually WEARING a smiley face button! Oh my God, it's even cooler than I thought!"
the moment that stuck out for me at the time, and i watched the trailer online later that day (still the first day of its release) and played this part over and over again, was seeing dr. manhattan vaporise the chinese soldier in the middle of the battlefield, his face and his pace unchanging.
he's the only non "human" in the group. making his character look real is one of the crucial elements to selling the look of the film.
he looks great. also, it's billy crudup, so the talent is there as well.
50, I agree on both counts.
Miko, I misunderstood you; we're NOT actually saying the same thing. You could be right; I don't know. The smiley face was intriguing as hell the first time around; I imagine it would still have some intrigue to an uninformed viewer. But you could be right.
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