WATCHMEN UPDATE: MINUTEMEN, BLACK FREIGHTER ON DVD, & A 3-HOUR SCREEN TIME

The "classic" 1940's MINUTEMEN [wiki] revealed on AICN - featuring (l-r): Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, Nite Owl, Captain Metropolis, The Comedian (kneeling), Silk Spectre, and Hooded Justice [peep some Costume sketches here / Dollar Bill-costume in color here] - from the Zack Snyder-directed live-action movie adaptation of Alan Moore's WATCHMEN.

SPOILER-ALERT: One of the pivotal scenes in the comicbook that takes place after this group photo was taken, was The Comedian had tried and nearly raped Silk Spectre (Sally Jupiter), until Hooded Justice appeared in the nick of time and beat Blake to a pulp - which became one of Blake's breaking point it seems - with Blake being expelled from the Minutemen shortly after ... years later, it was alluded that Hooded Justice was murdered by Blake as revenge for the beating. *nice* [About The Comedian]


The current movie-edit apparently is clocking-in at nearly 3-hours long, according to FirstShowing.net's report from NYTimes - which to me personally, may not be enough to tell the entire story, IMHO - but of coz "suits" may feel differently, as in the end, it isn't all about pleasing fanboys, but of putting butts in seats - plus a little extras in the DVD helps move the product too, innit? (IMHO, of coz) ... I for one will watch however long a film may be, provided there be close access to the restroom (old age = lesser pee-control - shuddup)

And on the DVD--front, Slashfilms reports of the release of the TALE OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER as a 100% animated movie on DVD - 5 days after the Watchmen movie premieres on March 6th 2008. It has been mentioned that the DVD "is budgeted for 30 percent to 50 percent higher than a typical direct-to-DVD effort. he DVD will also include a documentary-style film called “Under the Hood” that will delve into the characters’ backstories."

"Tales of the Black Freighter" is a comic book within the Watchmen universe, an example of post-modern metafiction that also serves as a foil for the main plot. The specific issues shown in Watchmen chronicle a castaway's increasingly desperate attempts to return home to warn his family of the impending arrival of the Black Freighter, a phantom pirate ship which houses the souls of the damned." [read more on Wiki]

"Under the Hood" was a book of biographies of retired costumed adventurers written by the retired first Nite Owl - which were are used in the story to help the reader understand the chronology of events, and also the changes in public opinion and representation of costumed adventurers through the decades.


After the Black Freighter-DVD, the movie DVD will be released 4 months after, and after that - there may well be an "Ultimate Edition DVD" - where both features would be edited into a singular narrative, just like in the original comicbooks ... aiyoh, like that how? *coolness*

[additional comicbook panel-images via lowtion.irg]