Doing all the panel comparisons for those Watchmen set photos way back was so much fun that I couldn't resist picking apart the trailer and doing the same.
Click on the film frames for HIGH RES, and beware spoilers if you've never read the book.
Notice the giant Dr. Manhattan calves in the background there. I was thinking when I watched the trailer that this 'Nam stuff looks a little weird, but it really just looks like the comic. So I won't complain!
Tons more after the jump!
Dr. Manhattan's transformation is well covered in the trailer: The details are all there, right down to concrete block 15 and the coat Osterman went to retrieve. Osterman asks what happened to the other 14 blocks... BOOM!
Over time, Osterman reconstitutes himself.
And then BOOM! again, he appears in the mess hall.
Night Owl and The Comedian look down on an unruly crowd. The visible signs: "Bring Back Our Police," "Badges Not Masks," "Give Us Our Police Back." Also of course check out the "Who Watches the Watchmen" graffiti in the top frame. Who knows why that guy BLOWS UP the store everybody is standing right in front of, though.
Rorschach roughs up Moloch. Moloch seems well cast, if a little young (like everyone else in the movie).
Veidt disposes of an assassin. I think it's admirable that Snyder has kept some of the unorthodox color choices of the book. Putting a guy in a purple suit (unless it's The Joker) is a risky proposition on film. I will say, though, I still wish there was more color in these images we are seeing. The book is so saturated, it's a dark book at times but it achieves that through the storytelling, almost in spite of the bright illustrations.
The snow here places this frame up outside at Veidt's arctic retreat, but there isn't a moment where Night Owl screams like this in the book. Perhaps Night Owl witnesses Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach's final exchange?
Dammit, what an idiot Zack Snyder is. Doesn't he know Dr. Manhattan only blows shit up with his left hand?! This movie sux!
This is the only moment I could figure out this belongs to... Even though Dr. Manhattan isn't wearing his unitard and Laurie doesn't appear to be twenty years younger in this flashback (because, uh, that would make actress Malin Akerman TEN YEARS OLD). But there is a little sparkly action in the background of the comic panel, so I'm thinking this is it. Also notice that they've given Akerman a little face mole in just the right place!
You're sitting there like, "What, those aren't the same frame!" Click on the film frame of The Comedian fighting in his apartment and look closely behind him. There on the wall is a sexy pic of Sally Jupiter similar to the one she has on her own wall! Looks like she's not the only one still carrying the torch.
UPDATE: Artist James Jean has given us a better look at that piece of art, a "Vargas-esque" portrait he was commissioned to do for the film. Note that the one on Sally's wall is signed by the artist himself, "Varga." Jean also has some early sketches of the piece at his website.
Flame on! Notice Rorschach is using Veidt hairspray for his attack.
This frame looks like it's from the scene where Laurie gets mad at Dr. Manhattan for splitting into multiple beings and getting work done while they are making love.
The Comedian is murdered. If you click the film frame and look at the high res you can just make out what appears to be the smiley face button on The Comedian's robe.
The Comedian's funeral. Something that I find interesting is that the book is told primarily in these tall 1/9th page panels, and the movie is trying to stick very closely to the compositions but must adapt them for widescreen. It's neat to see how that affects things.
Veidt's triumphant moment. Not much on TV in the movie...
Laurie and Dan fight fire. Seeing the fire victims likening Laurie's costume to a nightgown made me realize--The Silk Spectre wears silk! Duh! The movie version is more like The Leather Phantasm or something.
Night Owl on the prowl.
Walking into the prison riot to free Rorschach.
This is the shot from the trailer that really put the goosebumps in me. This is why this movie couldn't have been made ten years ago.
BONUS! For being such a good reader, I'm giving you comparisons for these great production photos that were in Entertainment Weekly... More prison riot ass-kicking on the way to get Rorschach.
The moment The Comedian is attacked by and then murders the Vietnamese woman he impregnated and abandoned. It's a great scene, Dr. Manhattan admonishes him for doing it but then the Comedian points out he could have stopped him by just vaporizing the bullet or any number of other ways. He has discovered Dr. Manhattan doesn't actually care much for human life.
The Comedian contemplates sexual assault in a flashback. I'm not sure how Snyder managed to make Carla Gugino look homely, but... There it is. Notice they've given her the face mole as well.
Oh my! This kinda came out of nowhere, didn't it? And it's not one of those little two shots of a CG title teasers, this is a full-felged trailer with tons and tons of footage. UPDATE: If you aren't into crappy YouTube footage, Apple has a higher res version up (thanks Degan).
The trailer itself is mostly just a collection of shots that feature the main characters. It tells nothing of the story, doesn't impress really with costumes and effects...of course us nerds know that the source material is so good it can't possibly falter on the story and character front (right?), but I can't imagine those not familiar with the book will be too impressed with this. Still, as a fan of the book, it's undeniably exciting to see familiar frames come to life. For a look at the accuracy of the page to screen transition, check out our side-by-side comparison of some of these frames with the panels that inspired them.
Hoo boy, this is good. I'm a little bit less wary of this film now. It seems to have a lot of practical special effects, with only a couple of really noticeable ugly CG things. There was only one joke about Indy being old, and it wasn't too bad. And also, there appears to be a lot of action going down in the mysterious storage room that we saw a glimpse of at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark! That room has always been the most enduring image from the trilogy for me, so I'm both excited to see more of it and terrified that the film will ruin the special spot that room holds in my brain. What does everyone else think?
As most of you probably know, Be Kind Rewind is the new movie from Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). It's about two video store clerks that accidentally erase all the tapes in their store and shoot homemade versions of the lost films. Apparently the process is called "sweding," and we've previously reported on it here. Here's the trailer for the film:
Got it?
Now get ready for the twist.
Michel Gondry has personally gone and sweded the trailer. Yes, he's sweded the film about sweding. Fantastic.
The Soul Calibur franchise has seen it's fair share of stunt casting over the years, with appearances by Spawn, Link and others. But this may take the cake, as the PS3 and XBox 360 versions of Soul Calibur IV will star Darth Vader and Yoda... Respectively. That's right, each system gets one lightsaber duelist. There will be no Jedi vs. Sith action. However, I'd put money on the characters showing up for purchase on XBox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network. How much is your geekdom worth?
Will Smith's upcoming movie about an aging, jaded superhero named John Hancock looks... pretty good, actually. They roughed up pretty boy Smith, and he plays the character with a snarly weariness that is an exciting departure from his usual debonair schtick. In fact, he looks more eroded here than he did as a homeless man in "The Pursuit of Happyness." The only thing that could go wrong with the flick is if it's just a goofy comedy, and the "...and then there's Hancock" line hints that may be the case. And as we all know, goofy superhero comedies are awful.
UPDATE: The douchebuckets at Sony Pictures Entertainment do not want me to promote their movie for them. For free. The world makes no sense.
The shaky-cam bootleg trailer is after the jump, but for those who don't want to buy a ticket for I Am Legend but do want to see a high quality Dark Knight trailer, Ain't It Cool News has word on the site where the official trailer will be debuting. It's yet another Dark Knight viral site; atasteforthetheatrical.com, which features a Gotham Times classified ad for a mobile camper, or trailer. Looks like it will be up there on Sunday, but who can wait? Bring on the handicam...
Thoughts: In his big close-up, Joker looks like one of the killer clowns from outer space. Or Sweet Tooth. Too much pancake make-up, not enough teeth.
We get to hear the "why so serious" tag line in action, and Heath's reading is oddly...serious. This trailer indicates we'll be getting a Joker more on the brooding side, and where's the fun in that? I personally like my Joker more upbeat; I understand Nolan is set on making these movies set in gritty, pseudo-realistic world, but it would be a shame to sacrifice the more enthusiastic side of Joker's insanity for the sake of making him more grimly frightening.
I can't quite pin down what Heath is going for with that voice. The back-of-the-throat growl brings to mind Jack Nicholson's version, but without the air of sophistication. Heath's laugh is passably creepy while also coming off somewhat forced, but it's hard to judge fairly when we've already had the best of all possible Joker voices provided by the untouchable Mark Hamill.
Of course there is the school of thought that says, "Look, these are new movies. Nolan and Heath are trying something different. If you want to see the animated series Joker, watch the damn animated series." Fine, hypothetical blog text, I think I will. While we're waiting for the Hi-Res trailer, perhaps you'll join me in enjoying some classic animated Batman vs Joker escapades courtesy of the flashback segment from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (the much more grisly unedited cut, of course). Psychological pwnage starts at about 4 minutes in.
The trailer for the Wachowski Bro's Speed Racer is here, but I'm afraid it serves to lower my excitement level rather than raise it. Aside from the visuals, this feels like just another Fast and the Furious sequel. I'm willing to bet it's just a bad trailer, but I'm disappointed nonetheless.
As far as fake trailers for fake video game movies that use a mix of gameplay and live action footage, this is tops! Seriously, these guys did a great job.
What's with all the Capcom news? The trailer for Street Fighter IV was released yesterday, and while it doesn't give much away as far as gameplay goes, it's well directed, showcases some nice character design, and just about trips over it's own AfterEffects flourishes. My biggest qualm is that Ken does that horribly over-used "bring it on" hand gesture. You know what I'm talking about, like from the Matrix? Which came out eight years ago? Fight choreographers, please, find some other button to press.
Yeah, so, Street Fighter IV; I hope A. It's keeps the old school side scroll and B. We get a look at the character lineup soon, cause I want to see some familiar faces. And I'm not talking about those second-stringers from Street Fighter EX or III or any of that crap, I'm talking about BLANKA, DHALSIM, and VEGA. The crazy ones! And maybe Cammy, just for balance. Something about Russian girls, I don't know. (EDIT: Apparently I'm remembering wrong, Cammy is British. Must have been a dream I had.)
Bionic Commando, the NES sidescroller with grappling hook arm action, is finally back, coming to the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. While twenty years ago your hook extended just enough to get you up to the platform right above you, now it turns you into Spider-Man, swinging around a post-apocalyptic city like you were born in the sky. Oh, and do you recognize that voice? Sure enough, it's Mike Patton of Mr. Bungle/Faith No More/Lovage fame!
For all the talk about the Wii not having the graphical chops of the 360 and PS3, Super Mario Galaxy is an incredibly beautiful game. Most of the video we've seen up to this point has been heavily compressed or filmed off of a screen, so this official trailer really blew my eyelids off. Stunning! Note to Nintendo: this is one trailer that really doesn't benefit from having smooth-faced Benetton models smiling while they play. I understand that a game with more Wiimote waggling might need a little illustration of how it's played, but there isn't much of that in Galaxy so all the shiny people look super cheesy.
The good news is, the new Sweeney Todd trailer looks gorgeous. Shots like the one above make me hope that Tim Burton's imagination is back on track after his long dry spell. Okay, so that pic is from a fantasy sequence that's not exactly characteristic of the look of the rest of the film, but still, it's awesome. And really, there's nothing like working with the greatest material ever written to get the old directorial mojo working again.
The bad news is the trailer itself is pretty poor, due an attempt to cover up the fact that Sweeney Todd is a sung-through musical by cramming in every spoken line of dialogue (all ten of them). The trailer can be viewed here, but really, if you've never seen the play the trailer may give you the wrong impression - there's barely any music in it, the one clip they do have of Johnny singing looks strange out of context. The trailer's overall impact is much more conventional and less hardcore than I believe this movie truly is (UPDATE: I was right. Read my rave review for details). But still, visually it kicks ass, and after the jump I've screencaped some "killer" stills, accompanied with my patented Foaming Geek Analysis.
Remember those moments in Kill Bill when The Bride sees someone she wants to kill, and it goes into Revenge-O-Vision? This movie will have many of those kinds of moments, but with more pathos.
This is from a song sequence in which Todd decides to kill, well, everyone. "What do you mean, everyone?"EVERYYYYONNNE!
The most moving love song in Sweeney Todd is sung directly to a pair of razor blades. Is that, or is that not, all the reason you need to see this film?
What a kooky pair! Helena Boham Carter plays Mrs. Lovett, Todd's practical, street-smart, and highly delusional partner in crime. Carter doesn't make much of an impression in the trailer, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume her ultra-dry performance is more of a long form thing. Note that in this pic Johnny is doing his trademark wounded glare. Can't go wrong with that.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Adolfo Pirelli, one of those turn of the century snake-oil salesmen you're always hearing about. We can look forward to a suitably over-the-top performance and an purposefully broad Italian accent.
Alan Rickman as the evil Judge Turpin, seen here in a 15-years prior flashback. Wow, he really cleans up well. Snape fans are going to lose their shit. However, Rickmanites will be somewhat discouraged to know that for the majority of the film, Mr. Rickman will be looking more like this next still...
Still, you take what you can get.
Todd makes a "few minor adjustments" to his barber chair.
Welcome to the grave, filmmgoers.
The very CG exterior of Mrs. Lovett's shop.
To close, a selection of images that signify what this movie is all about. Not the soul-corroding power of anger, not the self-destructive nature of revenge, nor dehumanizing caste system of the industrial age. No, this film, as the MPAA will attest to, is at it's core about angrily slashing people's throats with huge straight razors. Enjoy.
Slashy slashy!
Related: Geekanerd's rave review of Sweeney Todd. Even the highest hopes can be satisfied.
Notice the giant Dr. Manhattan calves in the background there. I was thinking when I watched the trailer that this 'Nam stuff looks a little weird, but it really just looks like the comic. So I won't complain!
The details are all there, right down to concrete block 15 and the coat Osterman went to retrieve. Osterman asks what happened to the other 14 blocks...
BOOM!
Over time, Osterman reconstitutes himself.
And then BOOM! again, he appears in the mess hall.
Night Owl and The Comedian look down on an unruly crowd. The visible signs: "Bring Back Our Police," "Badges Not Masks," "Give Us Our Police Back." Also of course check out the "Who Watches the Watchmen" graffiti in the top frame. Who knows why that guy BLOWS UP the store everybody is standing right in front of, though.
Rorschach roughs up Moloch. Moloch seems well cast, if a little young (like everyone else in the movie).
Veidt disposes of an assassin. I think it's admirable that Snyder has kept some of the unorthodox color choices of the book. Putting a guy in a purple suit (unless it's The Joker) is a risky proposition on film. I will say, though, I still wish there was more color in these images we are seeing. The book is so saturated, it's a dark book at times but it achieves that through the storytelling, almost in spite of the bright illustrations.
The snow here places this frame up outside at Veidt's arctic retreat, but there isn't a moment where Night Owl screams like this in the book. Perhaps Night Owl witnesses Dr. Manhattan and Rorschach's final exchange?
Dammit, what an idiot Zack Snyder is. Doesn't he know Dr. Manhattan only blows shit up with his left hand?! This movie sux!
This is the only moment I could figure out this belongs to... Even though Dr. Manhattan isn't wearing his unitard and Laurie doesn't appear to be twenty years younger in this flashback (because, uh, that would make actress Malin Akerman TEN YEARS OLD). But there is a little sparkly action in the background of the comic panel, so I'm thinking this is it. Also notice that they've given Akerman a little face mole in just the right place!
You're sitting there like, "What, those aren't the same frame!" Click on the film frame of The Comedian fighting in his apartment and look closely behind him. There on the wall is a sexy pic of Sally Jupiter similar to the one she has on her own wall! Looks like she's not the only one still carrying the torch.
Jean also has some early sketches of the piece at his website.
This frame looks like it's from the scene where Laurie gets mad at Dr. Manhattan for splitting into multiple beings and getting work done while they are making love.
The Comedian is murdered. If you click the film frame and look at the high res you can just make out what appears to be the smiley face button on The Comedian's robe.
The Comedian's funeral. Something that I find interesting is that the book is told primarily in these tall 1/9th page panels, and the movie is trying to stick very closely to the compositions but must adapt them for widescreen. It's neat to see how that affects things.
Veidt's triumphant moment. Not much on TV in the movie...
Laurie and Dan fight fire. Seeing the fire victims likening Laurie's costume to a nightgown made me realize--The Silk Spectre wears silk! Duh! The movie version is more like The Leather Phantasm or something.
Night Owl on the prowl.
Walking into the prison riot to free Rorschach.
This is the shot from the trailer that really put the goosebumps in me. This is why this movie couldn't have been made ten years ago.
More prison riot ass-kicking on the way to get Rorschach.
The moment The Comedian is attacked by and then murders the Vietnamese woman he impregnated and abandoned. It's a great scene, Dr. Manhattan admonishes him for doing it but then the Comedian points out he could have stopped him by just vaporizing the bullet or any number of other ways. He has discovered Dr. Manhattan doesn't actually care much for human life.
The Comedian contemplates sexual assault in a flashback. I'm not sure how Snyder managed to make Carla Gugino look homely, but... There it is. Notice they've given her the face mole as well.
