Oscar Season is now upon us and studios are releasing their Oscar-friendly products every week. Because of this some of the movies that have already come out tend to be forgotten for the major categories. No AMPAS member will ever read this, but I’d still like to go over what films that I love that have already come out deserve to be in the running for Oscars in the major categories and some of the technical categories.

Best Picture: Where the Wild Things Are, Star Trek, Up

Best Director: Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are; Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker; Pete Docter, Up

Best Actor: Sam Rockwell, Moon; Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man; John Malkovich, The Great Buck Howard; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker; Max Records, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Actress: Maya Rudolph, Away We Go; Gwyneth Paltrow, Two Lovers; Amy Adams, Sunshine Cleaning

Best Supporting Actor: Jackie Earl Hayley, Watchmen; Michel Gambon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Best Supporting Actress: Kristen Stewart, Adeventureland; Emily Blunt, Sunshine Cleaning; Ginnifer Goodwin, He’s Just Not That Into You; Rachel McAdams, State of Play

Best Original Screenplay: Adventureland, Moon, Sin Nombre, Up

Best Adapted Screenplay: Where the Wild Things Are, Coraline, Star Trek

Original Score: Up, Star Trek, Drag Me To Hell, Coraline, Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, A Serious Man

Sound Mixing & Editing: Drag Me To Hell, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Make-Up: Drag Me to Hell, Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Watchmen

Costume Design: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Where the Wild Things Are, A Serious Man, Watchmen, Easy Virtue

Art Direction: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, A Serious Man, Coraline, Moon, Watchmen, Easy Virtue

Cinematography: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Sin Nombre, Where the Wild Things Are, The International

Visual Effects: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Moon, Star Trek, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are

We here at Foodie Friday have been excitedly tracking our 15 minutes of fame on Reddit tonight.  It’s awesome to see everyone’s appreciative comments of the periodic table cupcakes (and speculation about me being a bored housewife).

So you guys like nerdy cupcakes.  You want to see more nerdy cupcakes.  Okay.

Here are some that I made out of fondant for Watchmen.

Does lightning strike twice?  Regardless, thanks for all the periodic table love.

It’s time for the yearly roundup.

READ:

I’ve read more Children’s books than adult fiction, and more magazines than books this year. These books aren’t necessarily published in 2009.

1. Cory, an intimate portrait.
2. The Traveller.
3. Chung Hyo Ye.
4. Slumdog Millionaire (definitely better and more violent than the movie).
5. Indignation and Every Man (both by Philip Roth)
6. Christian Bok’s Eunoia.

I also read Shakespeare in Love – A Collection of Shakespeare’s Love Poems. I’m totally suggesting you read it over the holidays.

SEEN:

1. Drag Me To Hell is Sam Raimi’s return to the horror genre and has set the bar high for all the other horror movies shown after it. Drag Me To Hell is gross, shocking, suspenseful, funny at times, and did I mention gross? Summed up in two words: Classic Horror. And yes, you’ll never look at dentures the same way again.

2. The Soloist is about real life. Realizing that yes, there really are gaps, unreachability, disconnection. It is in this acceptance lies the movie’s strength.In small scene, Robert Downey Jr sits down on the steps of the shelter and listens to a homeless woman’s random rant with the ears of a kindred spirit. He nails it. The movie is not about friendship, not about schizophrenia, not about big moments.

3. The Hurt Locker is a gripping tale of an American bomb squad in Iraq. It is a viscerally exciting, adrenaline-soaked tour de force of suspense and surprise, full of explosions and hectic scenes of combat, but it blows a hole in the condescending assumption that such effects are just empty spectacle or mindless noise. The thing about this movie is that it ISN’T about that war. Maybe it’s as gripping because it is from a woman’s point of view (directed by former Mrs James Cameron, Katheryn Bigelow). Or maybe because the opening quote in the movie is true. War is a Drug.

4. Watchmen. Comic geeks’ justice since The Dark Knight. Never mind that it is 3 hours long. It has Billy Crudup. Worth it all the way.

5. Public Enemies. Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard. And Marion Cotillard. Did I mention Marion Cotillard? I totally forgot that it’s about John Dillinger, the human being, criminal extraordinaire. All I had in mind was Marion Cotillard.

*****Special props to one Filipino movie that sent me laughing for one and a half hour. Kimmydora gave a whole new twist to the phrases:  Get out,  Go to hell,  Go kill yourself.

HEARD:

It’s the year of the best in music. Well, mainly because 2009 is the year when artists are either too lazy to record, or they’re too cramped up with hits, they felt the need to compile their greatest hits

1. Madonna’s Celebration – or 34 Songs that changed the world (+2 new tracks) is the biggest 2-disc compilation released this year. It’s also the most meaningful, if you’re a fan, because the songs in this collection have been voted for by the fans themselves. Madonna releases a greatest hits every so often (Immaculate Collection in the 90s, Something to Remember in 96, GHV2 in 2001), that will make you, Of course, wonder where is What It Feels Like for a Girl, or where’s Drowned World, or Angel; but then again, this non-chronological reminder of Madonna’s reign as queen will make you forgive and forget that the new song Revolver tells that Madge’s sex is a killer and asks if you want to die happy.

2. Incubus’ Monuments and Melodies – or 13 hits, 2 new tracks, and 11 “it takes getting used to” is the first greatest hits compilation album by American rock band Incubus. Monuments chronicles 13 previously released singles from the albums Make Yourself, Morning View, A Crow Left of the Murder…, and Light Grenades, along with two new Brendan O’Brien-produced tracks, “Black Heart Inertia” and “Midnight Swim”. Melodies has a collection of rarities, including B-sides, soundtrack cuts, alternate versions, three previously unreleased songs, and a cover of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”.

3. Snow Patrol’s Up To Now – or I’m not complaining about Snow Patrol’s Kitchen Sink approach. While most listeners have the unanimous feel that Snow Patrol may have thrown everything in in this 30-track collection, I am so not complaining. While a lot have not been crazy over their cover of Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, or that they shouldn’t have included that live version of Chasing Cars, still I won”t complain. It’s good food served on a fancy plate. It’s 30 tracks of proof why Snow Patrol may be the super indie rock group of our time.

4. Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits – or No fuss, no frills. The band didn’t think of a better title to suit the CD. Or maybe they didn’t have much control. Apparently, Dave Grohl is unhappy with the release, and has revealed that the band had no control over the decision. Grohl had been wanting to release a greatest hits when the band retires. Their label however, had been wanting to release one for the last four years, but the band had been countering it with saying that they hadn’t written their true hits yet. Grohl says that the clause was in their contract, or else the band would not have let it happen. He also feels that the track listing is weak and the band has had better songs that could have been included. I, personally, second the motion.

5. U2’s No Line on The Horizon. It happens. That after one good album comes a glitch. Remember Pop after Achtung Baby? This is what happened with No Line on The Horizon. You get what I mean, right?

TOUCHED:

1. Scribe Diary. And that coffeeshop planner. And that Powerbooks perpetual diary. As much as I really fell in love with the Scribe Diary, I am inclined to give it away (do I smell a contest coming?) . It’s so beautiful, I’d like to share my joy when I first saw it. That feeling of Love at First Sight (yeah, yeah, impulse purchase).

2. The Lava Cake. This should be under “tasted”, but since I didn’t put that category, I’d place it under “touched”. Which is still appropriate, because by touching it, I can say that it is indeed soft, and un-spongey. By tasting it, I can say that I’ve reached my chocolate quota this year. Got Momo and order a lava cake – - now!

3. Bass Front Getaway Wallet / Clip. I’m not a wallet kind of person. I still use my money clip as of today, but when a good friend gave me this to compile my cards and stuff, I got used to having it in my pocket. Plus it still has the clip which can hold my bills

4. The Astoboy stuffed toy.

5. The Bacardi Speakers. Because it’s foldable, super portable, and comes with a bottle of Bacardi.

Como ya tiene que no posteo nada (y no porque no sepa qué), les comparto estos geniales videos que me encontré navegando por la red. Se tratan de trailers de películas combinados y editados de forma muy ingeniosa para dar toda una nueva clase de filme. He aquí los 6 que más me gustaron y dignos de postearse de los que vi. Si quieren ver más, vayan a YouTube o a esta otra gran lista de Empire. Enjoy!

The Ten Commandments (1956) meets 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and goes comedy!

WALL-E (2008) meets Watchmen (2009)! (gran imitación del verdadero trailer)

Transformers + Terminator? = Transforminators!

Mary Poppins goes psychopath! It’s Scary Poppins!

The Incredibles (2004) meets Quantum of Solace (2008)!

Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999) meets The Dark Knight (2008)!

I am immersed in deep thought and deep meaning. I recently bought The Boondock Saints, and I just LOVE the family prayer.

And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patri. Et Fili. Spiritus Sancti.

Also, I was just listening to Shai Hulud’s “Ending the Perpetual Tragedy.” And though I cannot find the quote to the monotone section of that anywhere online, it is still something you should hear. It’s quite chilling and uplifting. Shai Hulud is an American hardcore punk band from Pompano Beach, Florida, who got their name from the Great Maker worms of Frank Herbert’s Dune. I often get very filled with greater meaning, but VERY, VERY seldom is it anything to do with religion. I get this feeling from things that OTHERS create: Music, Artwork, Photography, Film, anything that overflows with extreme passion. And it is such a great feeling. I very much believe that the purpose for life is not just there, but instead, it is created. living creatures create their own reason and purpose, and that’s not hard to see.  The passions that one harvests, the GREAT amounts of love that one can hold for another, anything that a creature loves unconditionally, is the purpose of THAT individual life’s existence. Is that so hard to realize? For some it apparently is.

*Ahem*, MORE PHOTOS!

Don’t be misled, I do not play guitar. Of course, I WISH I could, but alas, I don’t. I was simply trying some camera angles. I took this strapped to the end of my Vendetta’s neck. God I wish I could play that thing.

Also, If you’re wondering why I’m wearing the same thing in all my photos on the blog, It’s because I pretty much took a WHOLE lot on the same day. Hahah.

Sabrina! It’s my cat again. I love that thing. I love cats.

Pretty self explanatory, except that I stuck my camera in the tree to take this one. I thought it was pretty cool.

On one last note, “I caught ‘em all” today! YES, I AM REFERRING TO THE ORIGINAL 151 POKEMON FROM 1998 POKEMON RED, BLUE, & YELLOW. I am definitely a Poke’nerd, but at least I own up to it! That was my generation, and I loved it. Every last bit. I’ve been working HOURS on those games to catch them all, and trust me, you have to have all three games to complete the collection. PHEW…That took so many hours of gameplay. Kingdom Hearts has got to be my favorite game of all time though. End of story.

____________________________________________________________

Now, for the new, weekly bits of media to check into:

Album of the Week: Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle is one of my FAVORITE bands, and they’re sadly not together anymore, which emphasizes them THAT much more. Thirteenth Step is no doubt they’re best album, so check it out. There are only two songs on the whole album that are a little strange. The rest is gold.

Book of the Week: WATCHMEN – The Graphic Novel by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

God, I could do an entire SERIES of blogs on this. And I probably WILL do a post or two. Anyways, until then, You should read it. It’ll only take a week or so, but it is one of the deepest pieces of literature I have ever read. There are hidden messages all over the place, and you probably won’t understand some things the first go around, such as “The Black Freighter.” Regardless, you’ll definitely like it.

Annnnnd…..

Movie of the Week: Into the Wild

This is one of my favorite movies, and soon to be, books, of all times. Its a true story about a boy who, just after graduating from college, decides to burn all of his credentials, money, and everything that ties him to society, and tramps across the Americas for two years, before taking the ultimate end to his travels in Alaska. Checkitoutttt….

THANKS FOR CHECKIN’ IT. BYE!

This post is the first in a series to be posted on this blog that will explore the occult symbolism found in the graphic novel Watchmen, by Alan Moore and David Gibson. This celebrated book, which was recently made into a film, was published before Alan Moore’s occultic ‘conversion’ (SOURCE). Despite this, the book is filled with magical references, many of which act as another layer of synchronicity to the storyline and offer esoteric interpretations regarding events in the book and the motivations of various characters. Moore admits to having knowledge of the occult, before becoming a magician himself (SOURCE), but it is unclear whether these references were purposely written into Watchmen, or if they are simply coincidental. Either way, Watchmen is truly a multifaceted book that operates on many levels and has, in Alan Moore’s words, “loads of these little bits of synchronicity popping up all over the place” (SOURCE).

This first post discusses some of the Kabbalistic themes related to the character Rorschach found in Chapter 1 of the book. These references seem to be synchronous with Rorschach’s psychology and describe his motivations in uncovering the conspiracy behind the main events of the book. Please note that this post contains spoilers, so if for some reason you haven’t read the book or seen the film, you may wish to stop reading now. Also note that I am not an expert in esoteric matters – I have tried to do my best in interpreting the meanings of the various bits of symbolism, but not being personally involved in this sort of thing, I may not always get things right. Also I am sure that deeper levels of interpretation, going beyond my current level of understanding do exist. I do not support the occult or agree with the practice of magic. I did, however, think it was important to write in this area, firstly to point out another example of a work of pop culture that is infused with occult themes and symbolism. This is particularly interesting in the case of Watchmen, which is literally about the formation of a New World Order by a follower of the Mysteries. Secondly, I feel that discussion of these themes adds a new dimension to enjoying and understanding the book. My aim with these posts is to broadly cover this topic area. To that end, please feel free to email me with suggestions and tips regarding additional occult references in the book. I am sure there are many that I am unaware of.

At midnight, all the agents…

“Now at midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew, Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do. Then they bring them to the factory, Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders, And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles, By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping, To Desolation Row” – Bob Dylan, Desolation Row

The frame pictured above (Chapter 1, p.6) depicts Rorschach beginning his investigation of the Comedian’s murder. The frame depicts Rorschach climbing into Eddie Blake’s apartment, via the use of his grappling hook gun. Interestingly, there are numerous similarities between the depiction of Rorschach in this frame and the infamous ‘Baphomet’ image created by arch-occultist, Eliphas Lévi. This image is pictured below.

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet

Interpretation of some of the symbolism encoded in the image of Baphomet reveals insights into Rorschach and the storyline of Watchmen. As with the image of Baphomet, Rorschach is forming the sign of hermetism with one arm pointing up and the other arm pointing down. This is representative of the hermetic imagery of “as above so below,” which signifies the unity of microcosm and macrocosm. Applied to an individual, this can mean that effects on one level of reality appear on another.  For example, an event occurring in the spiritual or psychological level can affect the physical level and vice-versa. This applies to Rorschach and his understanding of the world, which we see in the opening pages of the book. The outside world, which is seen by Rorschach as on the brink of destruction, filled with vermin, filth, sex and murder matches the darkness and violence of Rorschach’s own mind. The hermetic imagery asks the reader if Rorschach is a projection of the world or is the world a projection of Rorschach. This same theme is explored in Chapter 6 of the book, where Rorschach is identified as a ‘monster’ who is ‘fighting monsters’.

Eliphas Lévi’s image has Kabbalistic connotations. According to Wikipedia, one of Baphomet’s arms is pointing up to the white moon of ‘Chesed’, while the other is pointing down to the black moon of ‘Geburah’.  Another article I found about Baphomet indicates that Chesed and Geburah are two Sephirot on the opposite sides of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These particular Sephirot “are commonly understood to be male and female, severity and mercy. Chesed represents kindness and love, while Geburah presents power, strength and judgment.” Thus, hermetically pointing at both Sephirot is a sign that is meant to “expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice.”  - a caricature of the Kabbalistic conception of God.

Mercy and justice are certainly not harmonized in Rorschach’s character. Rather in the constant strive for justice, he is merciless. This is reflected esoterically in Dave Gibbons’ depiction of Rorschach in the frame above. Please note that Rorschach is pointing to a painting of a topless female on the bottom-right corner of the frame.  If Rorschach can be imagined to be pointing at Sephirot like Baphomet, then we can see that the position of the lower right Sephirot have swapped – Baphomet was pointing down towards the ‘male moon’, Geburah, Rorschach is pointing down to a portrait of a nude female, the ‘female moon’, Chesed. There is definite lunar symbolism in this image. Notice that the portrait of the female has a blood splatter on her body, perhaps representative of menstruation. This justifies the interpretation of the portrait as the ‘female moon’. Since the lower right Sephirot is reversed from Levi’s image, this may imply that the harmony between Geburah and Cheses, between mercy and justice is out of balance in Rorschach.

Baphomet has two horns representing duality. The hermaphroditic imagery of Lévi’s image (notice the female breasts on a male body), implies a synthesis or union. This signifies that duality is synthesized in the godhead and becomes a union. Likewise, Rorschach, as in the above image, is constantly pictured with two dark spots on his hat, interestingly, in place of horns. This may represent Rorschach’s dual nature – his split personality. Interpreting this in the context of the hermaphroditic symbolism inherent in the Baphomet image implies the synthesis of good and evil in Rorschach’s personality. While Rorschach fights evil, he is not the antithesis of evil, rather he is a synthesis of good and evil, fighting evil with evil methods himself (e.g. threats, torture). This synthesis is explored in depth in Rorschach’s interviews with the psychiatrist in Chapter 6. – remember the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche presented at the end of the chapter – “Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster. And if you gaze into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you.”

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet also informed the symbological development of the Devil Card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck. While there is no need to additionally discuss similarities between the card and the image of Rorschach above, there is, however, one extremely interesting relationship worthy of note. According to Wikipedia, one interpretation of this card is “self-bondage to an idea or belief which is preventing a person from growing or being healthy.” This is an incredibly accurate interpretation of Rorschach’s personality and describes his complete fixation on tracking down the ‘Mask Killer’, a figment of his imagination that is disconnected from the events in the book that are really going on.

To summarize, the hermetic and hermaphroditic imagery present in Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet can be interpreted in such as way as to provide insight into Rorschach’s character, the nature of the world the book is set in, and later elements of the storyline. The next post in this series will explore some of the freemasonic imagery found in chapter 1 of the book, as Rorschach begins his journey towards knowledge, from ignorance to uncovering the conspiracy behind the events of the book.

: : : : : : : : : : :

¡Por fin! Hace tiempo que estaba buscando este item. “¿Cómo puede ser que los encargados del merchandising  de Watchmen no hayan hecho un pin?”, me preguntaba. Con el tiempo aparecieron varios, pero ninguno era del tamaño real, es decir del tamaño del pin del personaje The Comedian en la película. Al fin llegó. El smiley aparece tantas veces y ocupaba un lugar tan central (no en la trama, sino más bien simbólicamente) que no podía dejar de tenerlo. Disponible a la venta en JuguetesdeColeccion.Com.

The trailer for the new Nightmare on Elm Street trailer didn’t really show Freddy’s face – turned out the effects were still being worked on but they had said they’d done a lot of research regarding burn injuries.

Now Figures.com had this photo of Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy and we can now see that he does look a little different to the original. Definitely a more burn victim look.

I think it will work in the film. What do you think of Freddy’s face?

A ideia inicial de escrever para o Judão era sobre um nerd na Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo. Mas acontece que há duas coisas: 1) eu não sou nerd e 2) não estava a fim de assistir nada da Mostra. Calma, que essa é uma técnica de prender a sua atenção, afirmando duas coisas que podem polemizar. Então vamos lá.

Eu sou nerd, claro. Mas não do jeito que as pessoas estereotiparam os CDFs. Gosto de Lanterna Verde, X-Men, Star Wars e De Volta para o Futuro. Mas também gosto de Wong Kar-Wai, Pearl Jam e Monet. Tenho toda uma teoria sobre o gostar das coisas, sobre colocar as pessoas em categorias pré-determinadas, mas vou te poupar. O fato é que há algum tempo passei a quebrar certos paradigmas e pude tirar proveito de mais coisas. Não jogo RPG e por isso não sou CDF? Gosto do diretor Jean Paul Civeyrac e por isso sou cabeçudo? Sei pelo menos cinco versões diferentes da morte de Thomas e Martha Wayne, por isso sou nerd? Acho o Nirvana sensacional e isso faz de mim um grunge? Que seja. Pode me colocar a tag que quiser. Vou continuar curtindo cada uma dessas coisas, sem precisar defender uma ideologia específica, baseada em coisas tão banais e divertidas como música, HQ e filmes.

Essa foi a primeira vez em três anos que não trabalhei na Mostra ou em algo relacionado a ela. Por isso não queria assistir a nenhum filme da programação. Era muito agito e só queria assistir um filme em paz. O único que assisti foi Bastardos Inglórios. Em 2007, fiz assessoria do evento, ocasião em que ‘conheci’ o Borbs. Até então, só sabia o nome que assinava os textos do Judão. Por isso, o lobby que fiz, para que a equipe desse estimado site ganhasse credenciais, foi justamente por achar que mereciam.

Ouvi algumas chacotas, mas sempre mantive minha opinião. O motivo: leia o parágrafo anterior. Simplesmente segui a lógica: se eu era leitor do Judão e via filmes da Mostra [não só os blockbusters, mas os 'cabeçudos' também], a probabilidade de existir mais pessoas nessa condição era grande. Nesse ano, uma das pessoas que já trabalhou comigo mandou-me um email, com o release da MTV anunciando a parceria com o Judão. O email: “Você tinha razão. Eles venceram”.

‘Eles’ não, cara-pálida. Nós. E não nós, os nerds, apenas. Pegue Rock Band dos Beatles, por exemplo. São dois mundos que ‘colidem’. Repare na ascensão e reconhecimento de filmes como Spider-Man, X-Men e afins. Até as moças que praticam yoga ‘venceram’, já que há jogos específicos para a prática, no Wii. Acho que o caminho da ‘vitória’ segue lado a lado a trajetória do avanço tecnológico nos últimos anos. Quando o mundo deixou de olhar para Bill Gates como estereótipo de nerd e passou a ter Steve Jobs como seu símbolo, começamos a trilhar a vitória. E pelamor, sem essa de entrar na pendenga Microsoft x Apple e defender seu sistema operacional, dizendo que o verdadeiro geek-nerd-CDF usa é Linux. O Bill Gates só tem cara de bobo e a palavra ‘geek’ sempre foi associada a isso, a alguém meio bobo, meio estranho [assim como 'punk', para arruaceiro].

Liberte-se das categorias em que te colocaram. Aceite que alguém ‘nerd’ nunca tenha lido Dark Knight, Watchmen ou Akira. Assista comédias românticas com sua guria, para dar risada e vê-la sorrir. Vá para praia sem iPod [ou celular!]. Viaje para algum lugar que não tenha energia elétrica e aprenda a montar uma barraca. Só não faça algo porque alguém esperou que você fizesse. Que a Força esteja com você.

______________________

Texto publicado originalmente no Judão.

Verses 7-9

7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a ^awatchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou ^awarn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his ^biniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

The cover of Alan Moore's Watchmen

Watchmen was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Watchmen was originally a mini-series published under DC Comics, it spanned one year with twelve issues and was collected into a graphic novel around 2005. It was the winner of the Hugo Award and was the only graphic novel on Time Magazine’s list of the top 100 English novels.

Watchmen has been widely received as the most celebrated graphic novel of all time. Many times director’s had tried to adapt the book to film, and in 2009 in some ways Zack Snyder (director of 300) succeeded.Many fans did not like the film very much, personally I thought it was a pretty faithful adaption, click here to read my review of the film.

The story follows that of six would-be heroes who decide to take the law into their own hands after the Minute Men were disbanded sometime in 1940. The characters consist of Silk Spectre II, Nite Owl II, Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian, Ozymandias, and Rorschach. After the Comedian is killed Rorschach begins investigating his death, he comes up with the theory that there is a “mask killer”. He then proceeds to inform all of the retired heroes of the Comedian’s death and his mask killer theory. The heroes must then overcome their differences and band together to stop World War III.

Next, the characters of Watchmen:

The Silk Spectre II

Laurie Juspeczyk aka Silk Spectre II is the daughter of the original Silk Spectre, her mother forced into the role of a masked adventurer (masked is sort of false as she doesn’t actually have one but what are you gonna do?). She is Dr, Manhattan’s girl friend, however, she leaves him in the third chapter.

Nite Owl II

Dan Dreiberg aka Nite Owl II took the role of Nite Owl when one of the old heroes in the Minute Men retired. He later retires after the passing of the Keene Act. In the ’60’s he and Rorschach worked together as partners.

Rorschach

Walter Kovacs aka Rorschach decided to become a masked adventurer after a rough childhood in which he saw the true horror of the world. After a kidnap case in the ’60’s he went insane and began killing criminals instead of catching them and leaving them to the police. He became a wanted man after the passing of the Keene Act. In some ways he is the main character, because he is the one who tells the story.

Ozymandias

Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias was a man who believed in Utopia and world peace, and believes these things lie in the future. He retired from adventuring two years before the Keene Act was passed, and cashed on his alter ego making all sorts of merchandise and becoming an aristocrat.

Dr. Manhattan

Jon Osterman aka Dr. Manhattan was killed in an accident in an intrinsic field machine, he was torn apart then made a new body with all sorts of abilities, he is one of two heroes still in employ with the government.

The Comedian

Edward Blake aka The Comedian “He was practically a nazi” and a very lonely man. Heis practically insane like Rorschach. The Comedian is more of a soldier than a super hero. He participated in the Vietnam war with Dr. Manhattan.

The art of Watchmen is beautiful, Dave Gibbons does a wonderful job, and John Higgins uses are beautiful especially when they are used to show distance of an object. And the design for the costumes is the most important part to me because the costumes of most of the heroes are colorful which is surprising considering how grim the book is.

Overall, Watchmen is an excellent and thought provoking book and should be purchased by anyone who either likes comics or likes literature in general.

It’s been four years since WATCHMEN came into my life in graphic form. Not long after, the film production was announced. I harbored the lowest expectations, primarily to protect myself from grave disappointment. The novel resounded quite heavily with me and just about every other comic geek. I’m not fanatic, but on some days, close.

Dave Gibbons’ Babylonian cityscape is pure alchemy, forging a palimpsest of our popular cultural memories. On pulp, I identified it as an unmistakable Frankenhattan, but on screen, the slick and atmospheric translated as San Francisco (at least, to me it did). Countless nights I have walked, driven, biked, commuted home on the rain-glossened asphalt or in the cool shroud of fog.

I flew back to SF for a social visit early spring. Atmospheric conditions prevailed opening night of WATCHMEN; the streetscape was wet, shiny, with the occasional bright punctuation of streetlight. I met up with D,  a fast friend, comic devotee, and co-conspiratorial perv. We share a great appreciation for tight black shiny things. We plain old get off on it. But never together. Oh no. Never.

Latex superhero consummation wasn’t really on my mind when I bought the tickets to the damn movie or planned to share it with D.

Never mind that I was simply enthralled about the moving Rorschach mask. The film also offered a galvanizing fetish moment for me: spacecraft steel, resin, latex, spandex, masks, shiny thigh high boots, and a moon to boot! I watched in halfway amazement and embarrassment. If I had a cock, I would have had a full erection. Instead, I ignored the misplaced soundtrack and thanked the perv gods for this little gift of superhero latex porn. I was getting off.

When we left the theater, I was dying, dying, dying to get home.  Stepping into the San Francisco night fog, bright strips of reflecting tram rails pointed us home. D, more lucid than I, suggested splitting a cab.  In the In the quiet compartment of that backseat and the 4am somnolence, I was feeling incredible pangs of lust. The delight of the ceremony of filmwatching in SF with D was also part of my blithe.

Here’s what I love most about latex: it mitigates immediate contact all the while heightening sensual experience. Almost as stimulating as a climax is the moment when the body is released from the garment. Cool air rushes in, hot sweat trickles, nipples stiffen, the skin sharpens. A warm mouth comforts. It is not unlike the exit, entry, and reentry into differing environments in chilly San Francisco.

I thank the perv internet gods for the happy introduction to D. I find it comforting to think of the screenings we sat in together, separately, before our introduction. I’m especially thankful that we share a great appreciation for tight black shiny things. We plain old get off on it. But never together. Maybe one night, we’ll be inspired like Nite Owl and go for some adventures together.

Love you D.

• Picture Above: Who Watches Obama? Obama-izing images isn’t lame and cliche now, right? It’s still cool, probably.
• Cats For Gold! It’s a tough cat economy (catconomy?) out there. Sometimes you have to give up the golden heirlooms you promised your mother you would pass on to your daughter right before you passed away in order to sustain your cat-self (logically that last cat/other word infusion wasn’t all that sound. But oh cat-well!).
• If Wonder Woman Comics Were More Honest. The premise of the comic is centered around the fact that she is a super-hero. Honesty/believability=unnecessary.
• Michael Jackson’s Face on Baby Scan. Believe!
• Tumblr Marriage Proposal. Aww…Blogging is so romantic.

Alla sammanfattar 00-talet just nu, jag är inget undantag. Det kom en hel hög bra filmer under decenniet, från hyperrealistiska dramadokumentärer till högklassig fantasy och underbara animerade filmer.

Här är de tio bästa:

10. Donnie Darko
Den här filmen hade inte behövt alla tidstypiska poplåtar för att placera sig omisskännligt i 80-talet. Stämningarna som byggs upp och skildringen av Donnies accelererande psykos gör den till det mästerverk den är.

9. Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex
Kritiken mot den här filmen är befogad, lika lite som boken den bygger på förklarar den på något begripligt vis Röda arméfraktionens drivkrafter, förutom att det ser väldigt häftigt ut att sno bilar, spränga saker och skjuta folk. Å andra sidan lyckas filmen verkligen med den uppgiften, stadsgerilla har aldrig varit sexigare.

8. Der Untergang
I Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex spelar Bruno Ganz terroristbekämparen Horst Herold, mannen som skaffade sig ett eget datoriserat furstendöme på BKA i Wiesbaden. I Der Untergang är han der Führer själv. En paranoid, nervsjuk gammal man i ett rike i totalt sönderfall. Den definitiva Hitlerfilmen.

7. Morvern Callar
Samantha Morton är lysande som missanpassad snabbköpskassörska i en film som är lika vacker när den skildrar skotsk vinter som spansk sommar.

6. Bloody Sunday
Brittiska soldaters massmord på fjorton obeväpnade demonstranter i stadsdelen Bogside i Derry, Nordirland 30 januari 1972 skildras utdraget och obarmhärtigt realistiskt. Som film om terrorns orsaker är den raka motsatsen till Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex. Konkretare och mer lättbegripligt kan det knappast bli.

5. This is England
Britterna har en alldeles särskild känsla för realism, och en kärlek till sina subkulturer som av någon anledning saknas helt i Sverige. En kärleksförklaring till skinheads som går rätt in i hjärtat.

4. Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazakis verkliga genombrottsfilm i västvärlden är en helt fantastisk sagoberättelse och något av det bästa tecknade jag sett på film.

3. Lord of the Rings-trilogin
JRR Tolkien skrev de ultimata fantasyromanerna, och Peter Jackson har gjort den ultimata fantasyfilmen. Ses helst i de förlängda DVD-versionerna, i en följd.

2. The Virgin Suicides
USA-premiär 1999, Sverigepremiär 2000. Därmed kvalar Sofia Coppolas hyllning till Peter Weirs Picnic at Hanging Rock in på den här listan. Så fantastiskt vacker.

1. Fight Club
Ja, den kom verkligen 1999, men överskuggar 00-talet så fullständigt att den självklart toppar en sådan här lista. Ett mästerverk och en av de där filmerna som faktiskt är bättre än boken.

Strax utanför: Old Boy (korridorscenen!), No Country for Old Men (garagerockfrisyren!), Battle Royale (Takeshi!), Pans labyrint (fascism och fantasy!), The Football Factory (kläderna!), Inglourious Basterds (uniformerna!), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (sagokänslan!), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Johnny Depp!), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (galenskapen!), Watchmen (allt!)

Mer om 00-talet, filmer, Old Boy, No Country for Old Men, Inglourious Basterds, Battle Royale, Pans labyrint, Football Factory, Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Watchmen, Fight Club, The Virgin Suicides, Lord of the Rings, Spirited Away, This is England, Bloody Sunday, Morvern Callar, Donnie Darko, Der Baader-Meinhof Komplex, Der Untergang,

Interview: Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino has spent the better part of the last decade playing some of the most complicated and interesting female characters in Hollywood. After early roles in lighthearted fare like Son in Law, she played an appropriately combative counterpart for Michael J. Fox’s deputy Mayor on Spin City before appearing in Wayne Wang’s The Center of the World as a troubled seductress, Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City as a tough-as-nails parole officer, Ridley Scott’s American Gangster as Russell Crowe’s exasperated ex-wife, and most recently in Zack Snyder’s Watchmen as a sexpot superheroine with a pitch-black past. This month, she’s acting in Sebastian Gutierrez’ Women in Trouble, where she plays a porn star coming to terms with the news that she’s pregnant.

Cinematical recently spoke to Gugino at the film’s Los Angeles press day, where in between pointing out some of the bruises she earned while shooting Zack Snyder’s Watchmen follow-up, Sucker Punch, she offered a few insights into her character in Women in Trouble.

Cinematical: What immediately jumped out to me about Elektra is that even though she’s at her own crossroads in Women in Trouble, she seems to have the most certainty of the characters about who she is.

Carla Gugino: It was interesting. I was kind of intrigued by the fact that this woman who was a porn star, which was all have varying ideas about what that means and what that kind of person might be like, [and] I think that’s where Sebastian really kind of deserves the credit, because it was a structural thing, which was she is at the very top given a piece of information that is a wake-up call. It’s a real “uh oh – I’d better take a look at my life, and I’d better look at it really clearly really fast.” So therefore it did seem like all the scenes had this kind of resonance of, yeah, I have to look at what I’ve been doing, and I have a 13-year-old saying to me, “do you have fake boobs?” and sort of having to be like, I have to be accountable for all of these things, and kind of realizing like, oh wow, somebody else might have taken my childhood and done something better with it. Do I still have that chance? It’s not even better like a judgment of someone who is in that profession, but I think for her, I think she definitely has become very famous for something that she isn’t that proud of.

That was a really interesting thing as I was sitting there in the elevator; we were shooting that and that was one of the first scenes I shot. [Actually] we shot the Even Reverse Cowgirls Get the Blues scene and then we shot that, but I was sitting there and I thought, what an interesting thing! Because I reveal myself on an emotional level as an actress a lot; actresses, actors, that is what we do. We have to strip down, and you do it in a fairly private way [when] there are maybe 100 people on set, in this case it was ten people on set because we had such a small crew, and then you give it to the millions of people – you just give it to the world. But this is so interesting for her because she’s physically completely revealing in her profession, but nobody knows anything about those people; you know very little about what they’re like for real. Many porn stars have very faithful relationships they’ve had for many years, they’re very homebodyish people, and it’s a really interesting juxtaposition between their profession and their personal life, but from that I wanted her to be really no-nonsense and to be kind of unadorned, and that’s what I think maybe is what you’re saying, which I’m so appreciative that it came through.

wit2

Cinematical: Did that empathy and understanding of her come from what was on the page, or did you do any research into the private lives of real porn stars?

Gugino: It was kind of both. I think as an actor you end up being more empathetic than most people because you end up getting in the skin of other people so you see it from their perspective. I just finished doing Desire Under the Elms on Broadway a few months ago, and that’s a character that literally has never had love in her entire life – [she] falls in love with her husband’s son, has a child with him, and ultimately kills the child. So Elektra’s a saint! (laughs) I mean, I really had to get into the heads of some people, and you end up understanding where they’re coming from. You end up understanding the nature of humanity and the complexity of it. I’m not a very judgmental person anyway; I never say, “oh, I would never ever do that.” We’re all capable of everything, and life is complicated, and people are trying to do the best they can. But I think that he wrote this character and he wrote all of these characters with multiple levels, [and] I think we are all empathetic of people when we understand them. Which is of course the meaning of empathy, but I think if you are standing outside someone and you cannot see it from their perspective, then there is an innate separation. But even in something like this, with Connie Britton’s character and my character, at first – and I think Connie plays that moment so beautifully too – she’s like, “oh, you’re an actress? What do you do, film, television?” And I’m like “porn,” and she’s like, “oh?” You can see the moment of this is a different woman than I thought she was, and she does it so well, but then very soon she also is like, (whispering) “so are you famous?” You realize we all want pretty much the same thing you know; we all want to be seen for who we are and we want to be loved.

Short of that, everyone goes about it in different ways, but in terms of the question you asked, yes, some of it was from the page, but also I watched this really cool documentary that I had Tivo’d so I’m pretty sure it was on HBO, and it was a bunch of porn stars talking about their profession. Some of them were extremely successful, some of them were just starting out, so I was like this is so fascinating because they’re talking about these things just as if [an ordinary person were saying] “yeah, when I wanted to become a secretary I could only type 20 words a minute, but then I ended up being able to…” and meanwhile they’re saying “I could only take one guy but now I can take three.” Then you also realize, how cool is that, the power of words? It’s just words, but words make people so uncomfortable, and that’s the thing about this movie too, that I love is that there’s nothing really physically explicit. I mean, you see women in lingerie and hopefully they look sexy, and there’s that aspect of things. But the truth is it’s much more of an emotional bareness, and verbally it’s very evocative and provocative. I love that – the simplicity of like, you could do all of these things but mostly people just want to see their neighbor naked. it’s nice because Sebastian loves women but it’s not like, “she’s smart so she can’t be sexy,” or “she’s sexy so she must not be very smart.” It’s like, they can be everything – they can be complicated and everything that we are.

Cinematical: You’ve had some really interesting opportunities to play strong female characters. Whether or not it’s out of a sense of responsibility – because certainly no one asks men if they feel a sense of responsibility to portray men in a flattering way – do you feel a sense in a film like this which is representing so many different kinds of women that you might tend to play up a character’s, say, resilience rather than her vulnerability? Or is vulnerability an inherent part of female strength?

Gugino: I do, actually. I guess I feel like Elektra is super-vulnerable ultimately, but resilient, and I guess that’s the thing. I feel like human beings are really resilient; people have survived just insurmountable things. Did you ever see Steve Jobs’ commencement speech for Harvard? It is one of the most inspiring speeches I’ve ever heard, but one of the things he says is, “all of the pieces connect, but you just don’t know when you’re in it how they’re going to connect. But you will know later, so just trust that they will.” I do think people are resilient, and also, I’ve played some really tragic characters too, but I guess for me, I want you to come out feeling a little hope. I want a shift to have been made. There are characters I’ve played, like inCenter of the World, this Wayne Wang movie, she’s pretty tragic and you don’t ever really get out of that hole with her. But that was also what I needed to serve in that movie, so that’s a woman who’s sort of stripped-down and hasn’t found her way back yet. So it’s not like I feel like they always have to be resilient, but nor am I afraid of vulnerability in those instances.

[But] I think you said it perfectly – they don’t ask men these questions – but the reason they ask women these questions is because there are so few portrayals, [so it's like they're saying] you have a full character here so you really owe it to the women to get everything in there, you know? If I looked at it like I was in any way representing my entire sex, it would be too overwhelming and I wouldn’t know because you’re sort of boxed in. the only thing I can do is be true to the story and the character, and maybe kind of like a little hidden thing I might want to [include] is to go, “you might think there is no way to get out of this situation, but there will be some way.” I think that’s the good thing with Sebastian as well; he has the ability of cutting to the core or the heart of somebody, but he’s innately optimistic.

Cinematical: Is it challenging then to play a character where you know what their trajectory is going to be? Or is it freeing to know that endpoint and in the process of getting them to that you can construct the formative moments in between?

Gugino: It’s funny because I’ve asked writers that question too, and mostly they don’t know where it’s going, or they might have a sense where it’s ending, but then it’s that thing of like, all of a sudden a new character appears and it’s like, “oh, I didn’t know she was coming in.” So I kind of like the beginning, middle and end, because in that I have no idea how certain things are going to manifest, but it does give me a sense of, if I have to get there, if this scene doesn’t deliver what it needs to deliver, I never want to be in a position where you don’t believe how I got there. So laying groundwork, just as a technical thing, it’s actually really helpful. I’ve been a part of movies where there’s a lot of improve; …Center of the World was a film where things were changed by how we shot it. Like after the scene where I came into the hotel room, that scene changed everything so much; they were supposed to have a big sex scene right after that, and they were like, “we would never be having sex right now – that was too intense.” So it’s cool when you can change those things, but you still kind of know somewhat of a sense where you might be going.

by Todd Gilchrist (cinematical.com)

more4you cheap web hosting plans

Yep. I watched it. All three hours and thirty-five minutes of it. And despite adding nearly an hour of extra footage, including the ‘comic within the comic’ “The Black Freighter”, the problems with Watchmen remain.

Based on the overrated fanboy funnybook by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen is based in an alternate America, between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, where ordinary (and not so ordinary) people dress up as hood ornaments to fight crime. Years after being outlawed, these crime fighters come together again to unravel a mystery surrounding the murder of one of their own.

Known as Minutemen, there’s Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), a pudgy technogeek with a serious case of erectile dysfunction;  Silk Spectre (Malin Åkerman) who has daddy issues and seems to find sucking on a battery arousing;  Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley), a deeply disturbed bloodnut and quite literally a dirty son of a whore;  Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), an effeminate billionaire and ‘the smartest man in the world’;  The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who generally speaking, just isn’t a very nice guy;  and Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a blue skinned nudist with a penchant for hiding his dong just out of frame (or behind a budgie smuggler). These characters come together to crap on about quasi-philosophical garbage and to slow-mo fight their way through a poorly constructed conspiracy mystery.

There is such a thing as ‘too faithful’, and after “300” and “Watchmen”, director Zack Snyder has proven that he is about as imaginative as Rain Man counting cards. By spewing each frame onto the screen, he has essentially made a moving version of the funnybook. Snyder has revered the source material so much that he has lost sight of the fact that what works on the page, doesn’t always work on screen.

Snyder has made a number of severe miscalculations; the music in particular is annoying and obvious. “Ride of the Valkyries” for a Vietnam scene? “Hallelujah” for a love scene?  That’s just lazy.  And a truly bizarre and baffling use of “99 Luftballoons” which comes completely out of nowhere and lasts about 19 seconds before fading out. It’s like Snyder had it written into his contract that he must include the song in the movie.

Also annoying is the aforementioned over-use of slow-mo, and the constant movement of the camera. It seems as if Snyder was conscious of the restrictions he placed on himself by being so faithful to recreating every frame as it was in the comic that he attempted to breath life into the film by moving the camera in every single shot. In a static scene of dialogue or exposition he is constantly doing a slow push in. It’s annoying.

The performances as a whole are fine. Jackie Earl Haley is particularly good as Rorschach, but he benefits from having the most interesting character and the best lines.  Ozymandias looks less like ‘the smartest man in the world’ and more like he should be dancing on the Kylie float in the Gay Mardi Gras Parade.  He also has a staggering amount of superhuman ability for an ordinary human being.  The bullet thing is particularly ridiculous.

Snyder hasn’t interpreted the funnybooks for the movies. Sure, he’s made a substantial change to the end, which was the correct decision. The squid in the comic is stupid, but it kind of works. At the very least, it’s easier to accept. If Snyder were to have featured a giant squid attacking New York in the movie it would’ve been laughed off the screen. So he had the foresight to change that, but has mistakenly kept infantile joke shots like the flame spurt.

Jarv's favourite moment in film history.

The best part of the film is the Doctor Manhattan origin.  It’s the one section that successfully translated from funnybook to screen.  And it’s good to see Crudup without the CG dong and the weird lightbulb eyes.

The most enjoyable part of Watchmen, as in the comic, is “The Black Freighter”. A brutal tale of one mans descent into madness, the animated sequences in this Ultimate Cut are very effective and make for a welcome respite from the film itself.

The biggest problem with Watchmen, is that I just don’t think that the story’s relates to 2009.  The original comic is a somewhat effective commentary of a particular time and state of the world.  Now that the Cold War’s over, Nixons a distant memory, Vietnam’s old news and Viagra’s been invented, it feels irrelevant.

Watchmen did have potential, but it’s been kicking around for so many years that it’s time has passed and the list of those who DIDN’T direct or star in it, what could’ve been, is more interesting than that finished product.

O diretor Zack Snyder, conhecido de filmes como 300 e mais recentemente, Watchmen está no cargo para dirigir o longa em animação 3D “Guardiões da Ga’Hoole”. De acordo com o Hollywood Reporter, trata-se de um filme com elementos de fantasia.

A produção é australiana e será realizada em Sydney. Na história, Soren é uma jovem coruja que é fascinado pelas histórias épicas que seu pai conta sobre os Guardiões Ga’Hoole, guerreiros míticos alados que lutaram numa grande batalha para derrotar o puro mal.

Alguns nomes já estão fechados para fazerem vozes dos personagens. São eles: Sam Neill, Geoffret Rush, Hugo Heaving, David Wenham. O projeto também contará com atrizes australianas e inglesas, como a vencedora do Oscar por A Rainha, Helen Mirren. Não está implícito na notícia quais personagens os respectivos atores emprestarão suas vozes.
A Warner Bros. e a Village Roadshow Pictures cuidam da produção, visando o lançamento na Autrália no dia 9 de dezembro de 2010.

Sem dúvida um projeto bem diferente de juntas homens sem camisa em um fundo verde ou dar vida para heróis que até então estavam fracassados. Parece interessante. Não custa nada ficar de olho no trabalho de Snyder. Não dá pra negar que é um cineasta talentoso. Se agrada, aí fica por conta de cada um…

Guilherme Jr.

To end off the summer, Mango Moose Media covered the city with Watchmen posters promoting the DVD. Poles and construction hoardings were blitzed in high traffic areas promoting the release.
Check out the photos below.

If you haven’t already, you should check out this post by T. aka Ricky Raw, in which he skewers the recent “poverty porn” flick Precious. This passage struck me in particular:

I watched it in a predominately black theatre, and many of the scenes the audience was laughing or cheering at were disturbingly inappropriate, and much of that seemed deliberate based on how over-the-top the subject matter was presented.

Has anyone else noticed this trend of people laughing or cheering at movie scenes that are supposed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable? Two years ago, I saw Black Snake Moan, a film in the same exploitative vein as Precious, only focused on poor rural whites as opposed to poor blacks. During one pivotal scene in which the main character, played by Christina Ricci, physically assaults her mother with a shovel, some asshole two rows behind me was hollering hysterically through the whole thing. It was just one jerkoff, though, so I forgot about it at the time.

It happened again when I saw Watchmen, where a good third of the audience was driven to hysterics and cheering during the scene in which the Comedian attempts to rape the Silk Spectre. The film was already making me nauseous (the only movie that had ever done that to me), and watching the audience cheering on rape, violence, and brutality almost made me walk out out of sheer anger and disgust. I frankly wanted to take every single one of those faux-macho, hairy-palmed comic book geekazoids out in the backyard and beat the shit out of them, given them the beating their fathers should have given them. I managed to sit through the rest of Watchmen without starting any fights, but the dark, nihilistic gestalt of the film combined with the sick audience reaction put me in a deep depression. I spent the rest of that night in a dejected mood, drinking bourbon and watching Nostalgia Critic videos.

Has anyone else seen this phenomenon and been similarly repulsed?