CBR: WHO DIRECTS THE WATCHMEN? Zack Snyder

[CBR News]

CBR talks to "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder about his feature film adaptation of
the classic DC Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons; the
challenges and goals of the film, and what his favorite part is.


Full article here.

[He who laughs last]

I'm pretty juiced to see this a week early.

My job scored me a free screening a week early. I'll post a review if anyone is interested before it comes out in wide release.

[Dr. Pickles]

You’ve actually changed the ending of “Watchmen” significantly in that there’s no longer a manufactured “alien” creature that kills everyone in New York. Can you explain your thinking behind the changes?

I’m not going to say exactly the reasons for that, or the why of it, but I think that comes out of the need to be with Rorschach and Dan and Laurie and Manhattan a little more in the movie. We really felt like that story was another line, it’s a whole other line.

I have absolutely no idea what the hell that means. None. For one thing, the reasons are the "why" of it.

And here's a quote from an interview he did in Entertainment Weekly :
With their comic, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were saying, ''Superheroes are kinda funky, aren't they?''

Er...not really? I don't think that was the point of the story. At all.
I don't know the man, and I don't really think he's an idiot but when Snyder says stuff like that, it leaves me scratching my head and thinking that he has more respect for the look of the book than the actual plot.

For the record, I am looking forward to this more than any other film this year. I think it looks great and I'm happy to hear that the running time is longer than normal so we can get a decently fleshed out story. The attention to detail exhibited in what I've seen is astonishing and it's obvious that Snyder and crew really went the extra mile to make everything look as good as it possibly could.

This crap about the ending really irritates me. I'm not going to bitch and moan about "the squid" and all that, but they better have something damn good to replace it. I've read posts on various sites that claim no one really gives a shit about the squid ending and maybe for the average moviegoer that is true, but the fact is that the ending has everything to do with the beginning. If the squid isn't there, then what did the Comedian see that required him to be killed? I've read that the whole endgame involves Ozy using machines that mimic Manhattan's energy frequency to destroy several cities. I don't necessarily think that's a horrible ending but it isn't great either, especially in the context of the rest of the story. If it's a plot to get the world to turn against Manhattan, that falls on its face because if Doc wanted to destroy everyone, he'd just do it. It wouldn't matter if Earth united against him, he'd blink our whole planet out of existence and use our souls to light his Christmas tree back at the Mars palace. If it somehow makes Doc leave Earth, that too is pointless since he already does that in the book.

I certainly won't boycott the movie based on the ending, but I will be disappointed if it doesn't make sense. If Snyder had spent half the time he used getting the look of the movie on making sure the story was done right, I'd have no complaints.

[Dr. Pickles]

oops...sorry