Trailers for "Watchmen" and "Terminator Salvation"

[jetsetter]

Terminator Salvation

Watchmen

Just clink on the titles to see the trailers. Both look good.

[edkwon]

Yep, just saw the Watchmen trailer, it looks COMPLETELY accurate to the comic book from the brief scenes and characters.

[IceBone]

Holy shit, i better read the watchmen again before the movie comes out!

[jetsetter]

You can find a higher quality version of the Watchman trailer here:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/

[BlaRo]

They managed to make Dr. Manhattan especially look spot-on.

Totally seeing this sneak-preview opening night, illegal leaked download one week prior, stolen projection reel from my friend that works at Regal Cinemas, etc.

[jetsetter]

If anyone was wondering, Watchmen is being directed by Zack Snyder. Some may remember him as the director behind "300". He seems to have to ability to make some of the best looking films out there, and those trailers are amazing.

[pfrocker]

I'm guilty, I've never read watchmen. Could someone fill me in what's it about? I read the Wikipedia still little confused.

[Vltros]

Originally Posted by jetsetter

If anyone was wondering, Watchmen is being directed by Zack Snyder. Some may remember him as the director behind "300". He seems to have to ability to make some of the best looking films out there, and those trailers are amazing.

Agreed! And the movie screenwriter is Solid Snake Himself! David Hayter!

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by pfrocker

I'm guilty, I've never read watchmen. Could someone fill me in what's it about? I read the Wikipedia still little confused.

If you read the wikipedia summary and still don't get the story, then you'll have to go to your local Barnes n Noble and read a copy of the trade paperback edition. Every store has a copy in the comic book section.

The story is pretty complex and it is NOT a happy ending kind of story. Pretty dark and messed up from start to finish.

[D-Fence]

I have never heard of Watchmen

Read the wiki, saw the trailer, will be my kind of shit

[edkwon]

Originally Posted by D-Fence

I have never heard of Watchmen

Read the wiki, saw the trailer, will be my kind of shit

Watchmen came out in the 80s, around the same time the Dark Knight Returns comic book series was released, its pretty old (over 20 years) so it predates a lot of younger members on the forum. Pretty sure bet most ppl who have heard of it or read it is in their late 20s - 30s. It never had much mass media exposure like Batman did.

[jetsetter]

Faced with a decline in DVD sales, Warner Brothers, part of Time Warner, is planning an unusual effort around its upcoming adaptation of the popular graphic novel “Watchmen.” Directed by Zack Snyder and set for a March 2009 release, the big-budget movie tells the story of a group of retired superheroes who are tied to a conspiracy that could change history.
The twist is that Mr. Snyder, known for turning the Spartan comic book series “300” into a global hit movie, is also directing a separate-but-related picture that Warner plans to distribute exclusively on DVD.
The second film, tentatively called “Tales of the Black Freighter,” follows a side “Watchmen” storyline about a shipwreck and will arrive in stores five days after the main movie rolls out in theaters. The DVD will also include a documentary-style film called “Under the Hood” that will delve into the characters’ backstories.
Warner, the No. 1 distributor of DVDs, bills the effort as a way to renew retail excitement for little silver discs now that the once-booming market has matured.
After years of blistering growth, domestic DVD sales fell 3.2 percent last year to $15.9 billion, according to Adams Media Research, the first annual drop in the medium’s history. While it is still a blockbuster business, any decline is cause for concern because DVD sales can account for as much as 70 percent of revenue for a new film. Results for the first quarter this year were mixed, with overall sales flat but notable softness for some new releases like Warner’s box office hit “I Am Legend.”
As a result — and as consumer adoption of the next-generation Blu-ray discs lags — some important retail partners like Wal-Mart Stores have been starting to rethink how much shelf space they devote to the category. Also up for discussion is to what degree retailers market new releases in circulars and with in-store promotions.
“There is a fear that if the DVD category declines over time that any well-run retailer is going to re-evaluate its commitment,” said Ron Sanders, the president of Warner Home Video. “We are offering retailers a meaningful opportunity to be involved with the theatrical event, to have a product that will generate foot traffic and sales.”
If that sounds like spin, to some degree it is. The movie studio would not be drafting one of its top filmmakers and sinking millions into “Tales of the Black Freighter” if it did not see a direct benefit for itself.
The immediate goal is for the parallel release to help start a potential new movie franchise. As television advertising becomes less effective because of declining TV viewership, movie studios need to reach a mass audience somehow, and having what amounts to ads sitting on store shelves is seen as a crucial antidote.
The effort is also a way for Warner to get more DVD bang for not many more bucks. The “Watchmen” film, Mr. Synder said, will probably generate at least three DVDs: “Tales of the Black Freighter,” followed about four months later by release of “Watchmen” itself, and then an “ultimate” edition in which the two are edited together into one megamovie.
“The überfans of this property are going to go crazy for that,” Mr. Snyder said.
Warner has another reason to make nice with retailers. The studio, under added scrutiny from Wall Street now that its corporate parent plans to spin off Time Warner Cable, has annoyed chains by leading a movement in Hollywood to simultaneously release titles on DVD and on video-on-demand services.
Retailers worry that DVD sales will suffer from the lack of exclusivity, but Warner — which enjoys 60 percent profit margins for video on demand, compared to half that for physical DVD sales — says there is no cannibalization. Warner said this month that it would distribute many new releases simultaneously to DVD and on-demand services.
Warner downplayed any friction from the growth of video on demand. “Our retail partners haven’t seen a dramatic impact one way or another on their business, so they’re allowing us to work on it,” said Mr. Sanders.
Retailers seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach to Warner’s olive branch. Wal-Mart, the nation’s biggest DVD retailer, with as much as 40 percent of sales, declined to comment. Target, which has historically accounted for about 15 percent of DVD sales, said, “We’re always looking for opportunities to generate excitement in our entertainment business.”
Tom Adams, the founder of Adams Media Research, predicted that retailers would embrace the “Tales of the Black Freighter” strategy. “They have every reason to try it,” he said. “It’s a fresh idea and it’s something that will be of value to movie fans.”

Warner knows releasing a related film on DVD at the same time it is trying to motivate people to buy tickets to “Watchmen” is not without risk. Consumers could become confused about which is which. And if they are disappointed in the quality of “Tales of the Black Freighter,” the plan might hurt sales of the “Watchmen” DVD.
“We feel a great responsibility to do this well for exactly these reasons,” said Diane Nelson, president of Warner Premiere, the division responsible for direct-to-DVD projects. “The movies that we do under this parallel content strategy have to be viable in their own right.” Although Ms. Nelson declined to reveal the budget for “Tales of the Black Freighter,” she said it was 30 percent to 50 percent higher than a typical direct-to-DVD effort.
Still, some concessions were made because of the budget, Mr. Snyder said. The original plan was to tell the “Black Freighter” story in a visual style similar to the mock-historical “300.” But an early budget was approaching $20 million and the studio balked, he said. Instead, the feature will be animated.
Mr. Snyder said he was eager to head a direct-to-DVD project, in part because it would allow him to use more material from the “Watchmen” graphic novel.
“I thought the ‘Black Freighter’ story would never see the light of day,” he said. “The main picture is nearing three hours long and I know I have a fight on my hands just with that.”
In addition, the studio plans a dozen 22- to 26-minute Webisodes to help make the complex story easier for the uninitiated to digest. Called “The Watchmen Motion Comic,” it will be a panel-by-panel slide show of the graphic novel narrated by an actor.
Although no decisions have been made, Mr. Snyder, who is overseeing the digital component but leaving the details to others, said the Webisodes would probably be combined for later release on — you guessed it — DVD.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/bu.../26retail.html

Sounds like a good idea.

[jetsetter]

[prizrak]

Watchmen looks absolutely amazing.

[Redliner]

Wow...

[Ilpav]

Uhh... maybe Terminator Salvation needs it's own thread? Seems like no one here even noticed it.

I've never heard of Watchmen, but it looks pretty good.

[Ilpav]

I am interested in knowing what Watchmen is all about, so I am planning to rent the book from my local library. I just want to know something: does it only come in a 12-issue series or can you get one book with all 12 episodes put together?

My local library has this one:


Does this book have all 12 episodes put together?

[jetsetter]

I just want to know something: does it only come in a 12-issue series or can you get one book with all 12 episodes put together?

You can get one with all 12 episodes. It's about 400 pages I believe. I order this version off Amazon a short time ago.

http://www.amazon.com/Watchmen-Alan-...7131301&sr=8-1

[jasonof2000]

I'm really not looking forward to the Terminator movie. The last one was just so HORRIBLE and they really should let the series die and make up something original.