David Hayter has a letter for you about WATCHMEN! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.
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David Hayter has a letter for you about WATCHMEN!


AN OPEN LETTER FROM A WATCHMEN SCREENWRITER

So it has been five months since I saw my first rough cut of WATCHMEN, and eight days since the premiere of the film I've been working on since late in the year 2000.

The reviews are out -- Some outstanding, others rankly dismissive, which can be frustrating for the people involved, (though I can only speak for myself,) because I firmly believe that WATCHMEN, the novel, must be read through more than once to even have the faintest grip on it. And I believe the film is the same.

I've seen it twice now, and despite having run the movie in my head thousands of times, my two viewings still don’t' allow me to view the film with the proper distance or objectivity. Is it Apocalypse Now? Is it Blade Runner? Is it Kubrick, or Starship Troopers? I don’t know yet.

All I know is that I had a pretty amazing experience the two times I've seen it. And both viewings produced remarkably different experiences. The point is, I have listened for years, to complaints from true comic book fans, that "not enough movies take the source material seriously." "Too many movies puss out," or "They change great stories, just to be commercial." Well, I f***ing dare you to say any one of those things about this movie.

This is a movie made by fans, for fans. Hundreds of people put in years of their lives to make this movie happen, and every one of them was insanely committed to retaining the integrity of this amazing, epic tale. This is a rare success story, bordering on the impossible, and every studio in town is watching to see if it will work. Hell, most of them own a piece of the movie.

So look, this is a note to the fanboys and fangirls. The true believers. Dedicated for life.

If the film made you think. Or argue with your friends. If it inspired a debate about the nature of man, or vigilante justice, or the horror of Nixon abolishing term limits. If you laughed at Bowie hanging with Adrian at Studio 54, or the Silhouette kissing that nurse.

Please go see the movie again next weekend.

You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week. If you care about movies that have a brain, or balls, (and this film's got both, literally), or true adaptations -- And if you're thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night. Demonstrate the power of the fans, because it'll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we'd like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again.

In the interests of full disclosure, let me also point out that I do not profi t one cent from an increase in box office, although an increase in box office can add to the value of the writers' eventual residual profits from dvd and tv sales.

But I'm not saying it for money. I'm saying it for people like me. I'm saying it for people who love smart, dark entertainment, on a grand, operatic scale. I'm talking to the Snake fans, the Rorschach fans, the people of the Dark Knight.

And hey, if you hated the film, if you think we committed atrocities, or literary mistakes of a massive, cephalopodic nature. If the movie made you a little sick to your stomach, or made you feel bad about your life. If you hated it for whatever reason, that's cool too. I'm not suggesting you risk gastro-intestinal distress just for the sake of risky filmmaking.

But if you haven't seen it yet? Well, I'll just say this...

It may upset you. And it probably will upset you.

And all along, we really meant it to.

Because face it. All this time...You there, with the Smiley-face pin. Admit it.

All this time, you’ve been waiting for a director who was going to hit you in the face with this story. To just crack you in the jaw, and then bend you over the pool table with this story. With its utterly raw view of the darkest sides of human nature, expressed through its masks of action and beauty and twisted good intentions. Like a fry-basket full of hot grease in the face. Like the Comedian on the=2 0Grassy Knoll. I know, I know...

You say you don't like it. You say you've got issues. I get it.

And yet... You'll be thinking about this film, down the road. It'll nag at you. How it was rough and beautiful. How it went where it wanted to go, and you just hung on. How it was thoughtful and hateful and bleak and hilarious. And for Jackie Earle Haley.

Trust me. You'll come back, eventually. Just like Sally.

Might as well make it count for something.

David Hayter"

 

You know a movie is bombing when the writer pops up on the internet practically begging fanboys to go see it again. I have no desire at all to see Watchmen again. I don't even know if I'll pick it up on Blu-Ray.

 

Gonna see it again Sunday- movie date.
gonna have fun with this one.

 

Not unless you can pack in about 4000 more screenings yourself in the next couple of days.

Production was well over 150+, and it's only earned about 87 going into the 3rd weekend. It will slowly get over the production costs before it comes out of theaters I'm sure, but just barely making back what you spent is hardly a success.

DVD sales will be ok though I bet.

 

Also:

Hundreds of people put in years of their lives to make Beverly Hills Chihuahua too, sheesh. Your movie kinda tanked, get over it.

FANBOYS GO SEE IT 100 MORE TIMES!!

WTF. Man I hate comics sometimes.

 

Yeah, I kinda doubt that.

 

Once was enough thanks. I'll be saving my money for Wolverine, Star Trek, Terminator, UP!, TF2, GIJoe and Public Enemies.

 

i wanna see it, but cause of the "scenes" i can't go see it.....sorry writers

 

He has a point, though.

 

I liked it to begin with, but definitely dug it more the second time.

I'm of the firm belief that most things should be given a second shot. There's music I'm totally in love with I would've never even bothered with years ago. I'm a lot more open minded these days than I was as a silly teenager, and it's fairly rewarding really.

I think the best point here is the one about studios watching to see if sticking pretty close to the source material "works." I'd hate for this to end up only making studios want to change shit like crazy even more. I usually accept and understand the changes in these adaptations, but sometimes it is refreshing when all the elements aren't shuffled *too* much

 

Ktulu, your avatar is fucking amazing....

Anyway, if Solid Snake wants me to watch it, I'll give it a shot. Otherwise, he might break my neck.

 

If I paid to see it once, and they want me to see it again, I think they should let me see it for free (or discounted), since I already paid the first time. He brings up reading the book more then once. The thing is, the book was only paid for once.

 

^^ Id never heard of the Watchmen before this movie and liked it; Im gonna get it on Blu.

 

Already did,so HAAAAAA!

 

no id rather not see it again

 

That's only domestic gross, though. Worldwide, it's made about $140 million total. It will have no problem making a decent profit during its theatrical run, and a fair amount on DVD as well. It's certainly no megahit, but it isn't anything close to tanking.


On a different note, I'd only read the book once (eight years ago) and am hardly what you would consider a fanboy of the property, and I thought it was great and would see it again for the opening montage alone.

 

I hate to say it, but...this. I saw the movie two times, and I still think it was bland.