Film General : Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

For me I say yes. It's sold over 50M units thus far on DVD/Blu-Ray and who knows how many digitally. That's the first sign of a cult classic, the second being its fairly high ratings on various websites, amazon 3.8/5 stars rounded up to 4/5, IMDB 7.6/10. also many would say it Snyder's only good film. Lastly it's had various releases on Video (err Disc) which points towards fans wanting to collect the damn thing a dozen times.


EDIT: actually on amazon the rating has went up since I last looked to 4.3/5 stars overall.

Thoughts?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

snyder is gr8 in general so ye

vengeance for the dead
Top 100: http://www.imdb.com/list/mduBIpnlpTA/

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

Sure, it's pretty great and probably the best superhero film.


What would you do - trapped in another dimension?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

What I'd really want to know to determine whether something is a cult classic is how many copies it's selling now, in comparison to when it first came out. I mean, are new reviews popping up on IMDb at a steady rate, and are the re-releases a new development? Otherwise, how could you separate a growing fanbase (specific to the movie?) from the buzz and promotion around it when it first came out?

Personally, as a fan of the comic, I've wanted to tear my eyes out every time I try to watch more than 2 minutes of it.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

from what i've seen it's grown in acclaim through the years, especially with the propagation of vulgar auteurism as legitimate criticism, and it seems a fair deal more liked than its release. it's kinda hard to determine these things and i don't thing i would call anything that came out in the past few years a cult film but i can see it for sure.

vengeance for the dead
Top 100: http://www.imdb.com/list/mduBIpnlpTA/

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It's good but it was successful and most people think its good.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It's cult crap to me.

Ok, to each their own, we all have different tastes but I found it unbearable.



"Every time I walk into my office I walk past 5 Lombardi Trophies not 5 rushing titles" .

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

^ This. I know the graphic novel has a large following, but I don't see the necessity of this translating into the movie.


Et ses mains ourdiraient les entrailles du prêtre
Au défaut d'un cordon pour étrangler les rois

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

jharmon

- - - -
Whadda ya hear! Whadda ya say!

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It's my favorite Superhero film of all time and one of my favorite movies of all time, period. It's the encapsulation of what a popcorn summer-time blockbuster type of film should be. It's funny, sad, action-packed, thought-provoking, loud, romantic, etc...

It literally deals with so many profound themes, messages, and character's that it's just so jam packed full of content that it's easy to not digest or understand it on first viewing.

I'll admit that due to how Snyder directs his movies, they all appear superficial, but this movie is anything but.

(P.S. this movie deals with the Superman-conundrum that Snyder failed to present in BvS!)

"My greatest pain in life is that I will never be able to see myself perform live"

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I thought Watchmen was great.

May not have been a billion dollar movie but the movie itself was great all around.

The only thing I would have changed was to hire someone other than Malin Ackerman to play Silk Spectre, she is not a good actress like at all.

Somewhere there is a land of peace, acceptance, love, and equality. Pray they do not allow humans.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It stopped being a cult classic when it was made into a movie.


How many syllables Mario?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

10/10 The superhero-film orgasm.

How's Annie? How's Annie? Hahaha, How's Annie?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It pales in comparison to the novel (while still being a much more faithful adaptation than some of the potential disasters that could have happened), but as a separate entity, I definitely like it quite a bit. There's something about the look and feel of it that I really like, even though I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it is. Other than the one shot where you can see Snyder crouching in the corner under a tarp, it's very well composed and executed, and I really like the score as well as the use of pre-existing music. Overall, I really think it's one of the more interesting, unique, and worthwhile mainstream "blockbuster" type films made in the last decade.

As far as it being a cult classic, yeah, it definitely has that kind of appeal for me. I've bought two editions of it so far, and every time I see an edition on a rack in a store that I don't have I'm tempted to buy it.





A voice made of ink... and rage.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

Did not expect that answer from you Fed. Did you get misty the first time you read the comic when

Rorschach died
?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

The best comic book movie ever made, imo. I think Alan Moore should give it a go. He'll probably hate it, but maybe less so than the other adaptions of his work.

http://www.the-fanboy-perspective.com/

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

A movie is either a cult classic or it isn't.

I like the movie quite a bit if that is what you want to know.



7/10=good()5/10=mediocre

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I loved it - my only 9/10 for Snyder, and it was in my top 100 of all time for a while.

The Angels Have the Phone Box

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

For me it's a cornerstone of the genre, yet nothing more than a very good film. It helps that it's never pandering to mainstream audiences.

The book is incredible. I much prefer the book's ending.

...my essential 50 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056413299/

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I agree it's a cult classic, but I didn't enjoy it. I found it boring.

Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life!

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I liked it even with the changes at the end. I've heard Alan Moore was a big fan as well.


I think it was seen by too many people when released to be considered a cult classic though. I wonder how many people are familiar with the Danny Peary books?

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

Well yeah, it's one of the top 15 best American films ever made imo.

Favorite Films: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls073282425/

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

It's a pretty good film overall. I'm not sure I'd call it a cult classic though.


"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway". - Walt Disney

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I'm not going to get into the definition of "cult" or "cult classic" - apparently it's as hard to define as "film noir", "obscenity" or, judging from a recent thread, "communism". I'm unsure how something that has sold so many copies is a "cult" classic though - to me "cult" in this sense of the word does not equate to "broad mainstream appeal". Star Wars isn't a cult movie, is it?

But anyway, my opinion of it as a film is that it sucks. I am a big fan of the original comic - easily the best superhero story I've read, with only a few other works by the same writer really competitive - so that's certainly part of the problem, it would always have been hard for anything to equal it. But Snyder's blunt, hamfisted direction and in particular his use of songs to underscore every point he makes in a literal, infantile way, killed it for me. Some good performances, especially from Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley, and some of the production design was appealing, but that's about it.

I will say that I haven't seen it since it came out, so I only saw the theatrical release version; I actually bought the super-duper-deluxe-final-ultra-extended-mega-galactic cut or whatever it's called, the one with several discs and a hardcover copy of the comics, a couple of years ago when it was ridiculously cheap on sale, and I keep meaning to give it another chance in the longer version. But given that I haven't liked anything else Snyder has done I'm wary. Anyway now it's on my mind again, maybe I'll get to it before long.

Here's to the fools who dream

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?


in particular his use of songs to underscore every point he makes in a literal, infantile way

It should be noted that the novel itself actually does this in a couple places, if I recall. For example, toward the end of the book, the lyrics to All Along the Watchtower ("Two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howl") are literally written out on the page as Rorschach and Night Owl ride up to the base in Antarctica. The film in turn uses that same song for that same moment. So, at least in some instances, it's hard to argue that it's "infantile," when the director was merely taking inspiration from the actual source material.




A voice made of ink... and rage.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

Just FYI.


Throughout the narrative of the Watchmen comic series, many popular songs are referenced. Some songs are simply playing in the background of some of the comic panels, others have lyrics that are used as titles and ending quotes of some of the chapters. The following is a definitive listing of all of these song references. Use the player on the right to preview all of the tracks that are listed below.

http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/watchmen-comic-songs-music.php


Snyder used several of these songs referenced in the novel in the film.

"Desolation Row", "Unforgettable", "The Times They Are a-Changin'", "You're My Thrill", and "All Along the Watchtower" were all taken directly from the source material.




A voice made of ink... and rage.

Re: Technically Watchmen is a cult classic, but is it to you?

I dunno if it's a "cult classic" at this point but it's quite easily the best thing Snyder has done.




The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn from the crow.
Top