WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:04.960 Weird. 2 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:57.799 We welcome back midnight viewers to follow Alone's weekly round up. 3 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:01.000 Biden Follom Alone and with me y as always is 4 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:05.200 my own sugar plum Fairy, Miss ripley Gen. How are you, lady? 5 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:09.200 I'm not actually feeling the season yet. December twenty fourth, 6 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.680 that's usually when it kicks in, or if I hear 7 00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:16.159 literally any version of baby Please Come Home. Speaking of Christmas, 8 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.439 Speaking of current I sincerely keep attempting to do a 9 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:24.680 Christmas horror movie episode, but all this new entertainment keeps 10 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:28.359 flooding my eyeballs and it's hard not to ride that wave. 11 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:32.560 You ready, Let's get it on. I was a DC 12 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.799 comics kid. Marvel had a healthy horror line and that's 13 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:37.840 where most of my attention would rest if I was 14 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:41.200 on the other side of the comics divide, but DC 15 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.519 was the appealing one to me. The tone overall was 16 00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:48.359 just darker, certainly with my man Batman, even though during 17 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:50.760 the late seventies he was basically James bonding around the 18 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:54.120 globe and fighting ninjas. When that happened, I started getting 19 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.599 into the less super heroic amongst the DC titles like 20 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:01.799 House of Mystery or Sergeant Rock Sergeant. My God, what 21 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:04.400 a book that led me to the point of this 22 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:08.120 stroll down three color print nostalgia lane. Once you get 23 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:10.560 into the Sarge, it isn't a stretch to get into 24 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:14.919 books like Star Spangled War Stories or more importantly, weird 25 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:20.280 war Tales. It was an anthology, Hello, hosted by Death. 26 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:23.879 It was Walt Simonson's first title. Frank Miller got his 27 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:26.680 start there. It was also the title that, near the 28 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:27.800 end of its life. 29 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:28.520 J M. 30 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:31.199 Damtteus, who Do a Hell of a Run with Captain 31 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:36.280 America during the nineteen eighties, created The Creature Commandos. Joe 32 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.680 Kubert God bless him did the first cover, and Pat 33 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:42.680 Broderick did the art. I'm saying all their names. Hell, 34 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.240 I'm gonna throw len Ween in there. He was the 35 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.159 editor at DC at the time. Those four guys created 36 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:53.000 The Creature Commandos back in nineteen eighty. They didn't get 37 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.360 cute little animated versions of themselves with a created by 38 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.280 credit on the New Animated Show. So I just wanted 39 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:00.919 to say their name out loud. 40 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:01.680 J M. 41 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:06.879 De Matteus, Joe Kubert, Pat Roderick, Lenn Ween. The comic 42 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.800 took place during World War II, with the commandos based 43 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.919 out of London. They weren't prisoners, by the way. Instead 44 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:16.159 this is a dark mirror image of Marvel's Super Soldier program. 45 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:19.520 Each of the commandos were turned into the creatures. The 46 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:23.439 lineup is Sergeant Vincent Velcrow, which I love. They turned 47 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.000 him into a vampire. Warren Griffith became a werewolf, though 48 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:29.680 he doesn't need the moon to change. In fact, he 49 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:33.159 really has no control at all. And Lucky Taylor, who 50 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:38.159 stepped on a landmine and was Frankenstein back together into Frakenstein. 51 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.479 A couple of issues in they'd fuck up a mission 52 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:43.759 and turn a scientist into the Gorgan. She'd fill out 53 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:47.800 their roster. These guys fought dinosaurs and Nazi robots, and 54 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:51.039 I fucking loved them. So when James Gun announced not 55 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.199 only was dc changing its logo back to the glorious 56 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:58.159 seventies version, but the first phase was called Gods and Monsters, 57 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:01.680 and then on top of them, the new DCU would 58 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.680 begin with the Creature Commandos. 59 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:09.280 General Flag, you found yourself in the middle of an international. 60 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:10.800 Incident, Oh Princess. 61 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.040 The United States is in the business of saving the 62 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.199 damn world by any means necessary. 63 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:25.000 What in the whole hellth. 64 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:33.839 Conger said, we can't use human prisoners. These assholes aren't human. 65 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:37.079 Do you understand me? 66 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:37.439 Now? 67 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:38.600 Who is she? 68 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:40.480 We call her the Bride? 69 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:42.800 I was boon here. 70 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:45.959 Who's Jason in the argonaut? 71 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:47.800 That's doctor Phosphorus. 72 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:49.160 Why are you doing that? 73 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.759 It's business? What is that? 74 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:55.800 That the weasel? We know it has what it takes 75 00:04:55.800 --> 00:05:06.120 to survive. That's Nina Mazerski Baboo. Last one is g 76 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:11.120 I Robot Cheers. 77 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:20.560 I know you all aren't exactly enthusiastic about this mission. 78 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:22.480 I didn't realize I had a choice. 79 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:25.399 Abe, you said you wanted me to be a hero. 80 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:28.399 Not like that. 81 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:31.680 Until we find out the truth of what's going on here, 82 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.800 we're supposed to be on the same damn team. 83 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:43.800 G a friend, Mina he shababes. 84 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:59.199 Don't be so hyperbolically violent. You need therapy. 85 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:11.360 You wanted monsters, you go, monsters die? 86 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:12.120 Nazi? 87 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:13.959 He's not a Nazi. 88 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:23.759 Gi Oh okay, if you listen with any regularity, you 89 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:26.319 know I think Marvel has forever dropped the ball when 90 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:30.519 it comes to the supernatural. Even Thor's powers are scienced away. 91 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.279 They're getting it together. But when I heard the Creature 92 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:37.800 Commandos were the opening salvo at DC. I thought maybe 93 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.639 Marvel's time might actually be up. And after seeing the 94 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.839 first two episodes of the new animated Creature Commando series, No, 95 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.040 probably not. I'm just gonna wait for the ghost Rider movie. 96 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.480 Come on, Johnny Blaze, I'm counting on you now. Given 97 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:56.560 the shakeup to the Guardians lineup, it was no surprise 98 00:06:56.600 --> 00:07:00.519 that these Commandos would have a whole new configuration. I mean, 99 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:04.079 the original Guardians were Starhawk and Major, Victory and Nikki. 100 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:06.680 It was James Gunn that assembled that group that we 101 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:12.000 love right right now. That was Nicole Perlman. No one 102 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.439 ever talks about miss Pelman. She was in the writer's 103 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:17.120 program in the early days of the MCU, and when 104 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:19.800 asked what characters she'd like to write about, she said 105 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.040 the Guardians, and they were intrigued enough at her odd 106 00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:25.879 ball choice to let her assemble the team, which is 107 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:28.480 what she did. Picking from the two thousand and nine 108 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:32.680 rebooted Guardians, she boiled their fourteen characters down to five 109 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:36.199 and then wrote the first draft of that script. Oh, 110 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:38.480 it didn't have a Walkman in it. If you think 111 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:40.600 the soundtrack is what makes the Guardians a good movie. 112 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:43.319 You're out of your fucking mind. Gunn has said that 113 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:47.040 the animated versions of these Commando characters and their live 114 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:51.160 action counterparts will be interchangeable, which in fact is really 115 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:54.160 cool because I would actually like to see these actors 116 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:57.720 in these roles. Into the animator's credit, the character models 117 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:01.319 could very easily be inhabited by the actors. I just 118 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:03.720 want to see them in a movie written by somebody 119 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:07.680 not named gun The animated lineup here are the Bride 120 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:12.319 voiced and I guess played by Indira Varma. Doctor Phosphorus 121 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:16.000 is Alan Tutek. Frankenstein is David Harber. He must have 122 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:19.399 gotten the taste for Frankie with that weirdo Netflix Frankenstein 123 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:23.480 thing he did. Frank Agrillo is Rick Flagg's senior and 124 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:27.639 Sean Gunn as Weasel again and Gi Robot. 125 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:28.199 Now. 126 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:30.680 I have a lot of problems with this show, but 127 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:34.080 Gi Robot is not in any way one of them. 128 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:37.559 Any character that's either regaling us with tales of Nazi 129 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:40.840 killing or wondering when he'll be allowed to kill Nazis 130 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:44.360 again is aces in my book. I'm gonna get him 131 00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:47.480 tattooed next to cap It's a wild improvement over the 132 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.480 original character. I think most of Gun's humor is suspect, 133 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:54.360 but his instinct here is right on overall. If you 134 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:57.960 love that Suicide Squad movie he did, this is more 135 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:01.279 of that. It's just a bunch of dicking around, a 136 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:04.360 bunch of lame jokes, a bunch of lame dialogue, some 137 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:08.240 cool set pieces and clumsy flashbacks meant to endear us 138 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:12.440 to the characters, but are so fucking transparent it's genuinely shocking. 139 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:15.320 I'm most likely in the minority on this one. I 140 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.720 always seem to be when it comes to James Gunn 141 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:22.679 and Christopher Nolan and Robert Eggers? Am I a snob? Good? 142 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.720 I'm not hating just to hate. I think Gun is 143 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:27.960 the right guy to be in charge of DC. I 144 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:30.200 just want him to loosen the reins and let some 145 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.559 other talented people in there who can, you know, make 146 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:38.159 good movies and good TV shows. These are okay, but 147 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.879 they should be fucking awesome. DC has all the potential. 148 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:44.399 Did they lead with this because it was ready or 149 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.399 because they knew Agatha all along was coming out? I 150 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:50.039 don't know. It's a seven episode show and they've only 151 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:53.399 released the first two episodes, so who knows it might 152 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:57.000 get great? Is knowing that you're telling a multi episode 153 00:09:57.080 --> 00:10:00.080 story letting writers off the hook from writing a f 154 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:02.840 fucking brilliant pilot. What do you think the ratio is 155 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.919 for sustained series that you loved that started great versus 156 00:10:06.919 --> 00:10:10.320 ones that eased into greatness? I think that's worth considering. 157 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:15.039 If you're high quiet you narcotics officer, what do you think? Listeners? 158 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:19.519 Let me know your opinion, particularly if you're in ealing 159 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.240 in the UK. That's right, it's a bit ripley. I'm 160 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:25.200 calling out the areas in which we're getting a lot 161 00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:29.120 of downloads, so we're spot letting ealing this wintery week. 162 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:32.679 How's life annealing? Is it anything like those comedies from 163 00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:36.080 the fifties? Let me know? Email is in the description. 164 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.159 You better believe I'll read them on the air. Write 165 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:43.080 me a letter, I'll read it. I am not getting 166 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:45.879 you an ink well for Christmas. You can't hold a pen. 167 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.320 Those aren't fingers, they're beads. HP. She's at it again, 168 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:00.320 Thank you HP for the holidays. I'm sending you some thick, 169 00:11:00.519 --> 00:11:04.919 juicy steaks. What do you got? Hound Rip's pick puts 170 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.639 me in a weird headspace. When I was thirteen, when 171 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:11.840 I was twenty three, when I was thirty three, I 172 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:15.320 would have died to see any filmed version of Alan 173 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:19.360 Moore's Watchman. Just give me a crumb of visual effects, 174 00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:23.679 demo reel anything. The movies plural we're talking about tonight. 175 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.480 When they were first announced, my thought was, do we 176 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:29.159 really need another version of Watchmen? 177 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:34.480 October thirteenth, nineteen eighty five, on Friday Night, a comedian 178 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:35.440 died in New York. 179 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:44.480 Somebody knows why these days nobody's safe. 180 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:49.200 The comedian is dead. Why you're supposed to be the 181 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:53.120 world's smartest man? Fight It was active for forty years. 182 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:54.919 Men make a lot of enemies. In that time. 183 00:11:55.039 --> 00:12:04.879 Blake was a monster. We're society's only protection, protection from 184 00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:12.799 all from themselves. Who killed No, no, no no. 185 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:17.600 Maybe this was a political killing, or maybe someone's picking 186 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:18.879 off costa heroes. 187 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.320 I thought I knew how the world was, but then. 188 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.200 I found out about this gag. 189 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:29.159 Hiding out shirtgun falls doesn't fit. 190 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:38.519 Waiting for a flash of enlightenment. M A world grows 191 00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:41.000 up around me, But am I shaping it? 192 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.480 I want to know behind that it's a joke, but 193 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.320 I don't get it. 194 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:52.600 Every day the future looks a little bit darker. 195 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:55.000 The past. 196 00:12:56.759 --> 00:12:58.360 He's getting brighter all the time. 197 00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:04.399 I just late, always has been, always will. 198 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:06.519 Be behind this. 199 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.039 I don't know. 200 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:16.000 There is good and there is evil, and evil must 201 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:21.720 be punished, even in the face of arm Again, I 202 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.639 shall not compromise on this. 203 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:28.480 I know what you're thinking. 204 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:32.399 Or six shots or only five? 205 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:40.720 Ipsey Castudias Castudio thus proclaimed one of the multitude of 206 00:13:40.759 --> 00:13:44.519 buttons that bestooned the lapels of my long duster coat 207 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:48.000 in nineteen eighty seven, I had, in fact every Watchman 208 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:51.679 button that VC had deigned to release officially. I had 209 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:55.039 every bit of a merchandise, every volume, every issue there 210 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:57.960 was to be had of Watchmen. The same year that 211 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.720 Frank Miller was throttling comic book fan with the notion 212 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:04.440 that Batman could get old and hurt, Alan Moore took 213 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:08.039 a defunct line of Charlton Comics characters and reach with 214 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:11.919 them each gen real world examination of what our world 215 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:15.879 would be like with costume superheroes. The great fuckaroo here 216 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.519 being that Allan Moore created the book with the understanding 217 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.039 that when it went out of print, the characters would 218 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:23.919 revert back to him. But even in years when the 219 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.960 book wasn't selling, DC kept putting out new editions. Just 220 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:30.399 one of the many reasons Alan Moore now lives on 221 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:33.879 a farm and worships nature deities. I won't say I'm 222 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:37.000 a defender of Zack Snyder's two thousand and nine live 223 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:41.399 action adaptation. I am a champion of that film. As 224 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:45.120 a visual translation from book to screen, it is unparalleled. 225 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:49.120 That world is fully realized, and it has some solid 226 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:53.080 goddamn casting choices. Who else but Jeffrey Dean Morgan could 227 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.960 be the comedian, and what a coup was it? Having 228 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:59.559 Jackie Earl Haley as a roarshack hell Billy cut Up 229 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:04.360 is credible as Doctor Manhattan and Meelan Ackerman is in it, 230 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:10.480 and Matthew Good is miscast. Sorry, Antonio will settle up 231 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:14.639 over on Anthologies attacks next show. He is miscast. They 232 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:19.159 should have cast a Jude Law someone Virol, and that 233 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:22.919 movie manages a minor miracle. The book is sprawling and 234 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.919 seemed impossible to adapt. I read the first adaptation of 235 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.759 Watchman in nineteen eighty nine. That was Sam Ham, who 236 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:33.759 had just written the Batman script for Tim Burton. That 237 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:37.799 version jettison so much of the book it was virtually unrecognizable. 238 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.799 Then it added an opening prologue that saw the Watchman 239 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.200 in action at the Statue of Liberty, failing to stop 240 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.240 a terrorist attack. Because you want to add scenes to 241 00:15:47.320 --> 00:15:49.639 a story that you're cutting seventy five percent of the 242 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:53.159 original material out of. Over the next two decades, there 243 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.360 were so many boneheaded attempts to turn it into a movie. 244 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.360 The main problem is the ending of the book. Every 245 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:03.440 single drest by every single different screenwriter had a newly 246 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:07.519 concocted ending for the movie, including the Zack Snyder version. 247 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:10.039 The difference between those early drafts and what we got 248 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:13.840 was the new ending made perfect sense. The world needs 249 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:16.799 to be united against a common foe. In the book, 250 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.159 Osymandias creates that foe separate from the rest of the action, 251 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:23.960 and it's only revealed in the final pages. It would 252 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:28.519 have been incredibly jarring on screen and quite frankly unnecessary. 253 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:32.279 What better foe is there than Doctor Manhattan. It doesn't 254 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.720 excuse the fucking horrendous old age makeup on Carla Gugino, 255 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:39.720 or on Jeffrey Dean Morgan, or the pitiful music choices. 256 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:43.639 Was I making fun of James Gunn earlier, bite my tongue. 257 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:46.639 And I know Zack Snyder can't allow an actor on 258 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:49.519 set with less than three percent body fat. But Dan 259 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:53.000 Dreiberg is supposed to be a middle aged fat man. Zack, 260 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:57.360 I'm sorry he was fat. So then they released the 261 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:01.360 director's cut. Then they released the motion c you know, 262 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:03.919 panels from the comic with a few images kind of 263 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:08.240 swaying around a little bit while an actor reads dreadful. 264 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:12.799 Then they released the Tales of the Black Freighter anime. Bullshit, 265 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:15.279 this isn't the order they released them in. By the way, 266 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.960 don't email me about shit like this, please, My point being, 267 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:22.799 oh wait no. Then they had that new HBO series 268 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:25.880 set in the events after the comic book that wasn't 269 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.079 in the movie continuity. It was the comic book continuity. 270 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:31.240 Then there were a whole bunch of prequel comics that 271 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:37.799 came out, the comedian Friends with the Kennedys ridiculous. So, 272 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.839 like I said, even with Warner Brothers animation at the Helm, 273 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:45.319 the idea of yet another Watchman adaptation was not exactly tantalizing. 274 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.799 And this was going to be in two parts. Boy 275 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:52.559 was I wrong? This is it. This is the one. 276 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.960 If you want to see a filmed adaptation of Watchmen, 277 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:59.000 skip everything else and watch these two movies. The voice 278 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:02.680 cast is perfect, there is no one miscast, and because 279 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:05.119 it's two movies, the characters are given the room to 280 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:08.920 actually interact and pause and amote with one another. You 281 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:12.960 see why they like each other and why we like them. 282 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:16.680 And Watchman was always a mystery. Every version has paid 283 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:19.559 a bit of lip service to that. This one pursues it, 284 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:22.000 and even as steeped in the comic as I am, 285 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:25.920 I thought the investigation here was fairly riveting. The adaptation 286 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:29.720 is by J. Michael Strazinsky. Midnight viewing listeners will recognize 287 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:32.680 the name from his time over on Twilight Zone eighty five. 288 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:36.519 He'd of course go on to create Babylon five. If 289 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.720 I've said anything again him in the past, it's mood. 290 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:43.559 Here he's doing a fucking fantastic job, improving on the 291 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:48.960 comic's dialogue wholesale and reorganizing scenes to maximum dramatic effect. 292 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:51.519 And it doesn't skimp on the bits that made the 293 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:55.039 comic book special. I know Snyder tried to weave in 294 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:58.160 the tail of the Black Freighter comic by literally cutting 295 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:01.400 to a fucking horribly animated version from time to time 296 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:04.599 in the film. It was awful and jarring and took 297 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:07.480 you out of the movie. Watch the theatrical cut of 298 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.000 Snyder's movie, if you're going to watch it. The kid 299 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:13.400 is reading the comic book. Here we've get the kid 300 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:15.759 reading the comic book, and we get close ups of 301 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:18.759 the pertinent panels with narration, But then we cut to 302 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:22.359 other scenes where the comic book word balloons appear over 303 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:26.079 the actions of other characters, and the narration continues. It's 304 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:29.720 a nifty effect, making all the bizarro connections you know 305 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:33.359 that Alan Moore layered in these films retain the comic 306 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:36.000 book's original ending. If you don't know it, I'm not 307 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:38.400 spoiling it because I am very curious to see if 308 00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:40.519 it worked on you. Even in the book, it was 309 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:44.000 tough to get immediately behind, but I swear watching it 310 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:47.240 come to life here, it totally would have worked in 311 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:51.640 live action. It would have been haunting. Actually special shout 312 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.759 out to the voice of Doctor Manhattan. That's Michael Servers. 313 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:57.599 He was a Sweeney Todd back when they did that 314 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:02.079 as a concert. Marvelous singing voice marvelous voice in general, 315 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:05.559 he absolutely nails the detachment in wonder of that character, 316 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:08.119 and Titus Welliver would be a great roar shack in 317 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.920 any media. Oh and Katie's Sakoff is brilliant as well 318 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.079 as Silk Spector. Look at you, Katie Sakoff, just muscling 319 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.880 your way into every goddamn franchise. Good for you? Is 320 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:21.240 she in a Marvel film yet? I'm sure it's on 321 00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:24.279 the way. Part one of Watchmen is on Max. Part 322 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:26.960 two is available for purchase, but it'll be on Max 323 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.839 soon enough. I'm shocked I enjoyed it as much as 324 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.400 I did. I have quipples about it. I mean, yeah, 325 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:33.960 it would have been nice to have the whole thing 326 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.160 animated by hand, or at least given another six months 327 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:40.839 to render into absolute beauty. But the designs are great 328 00:20:41.400 --> 00:20:44.039 and the action is solid, and the colors are popping, 329 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:47.160 and I'm gonna shut up. We got one Mornago ripping. 330 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.559 Then it's time for a boiled egg. Oh, someone's ears 331 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.240 just perked up? Are yours perked up? 332 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:53.440 Too? 333 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.680 They shouldn't be. It's Dear Santa. 334 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:03.200 Every Christmas, something magical happens when a kid sends a 335 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:09.920 letter to Santa, but Lea to Santo is a crappy speller. 336 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:19.000 This looks like fun. 337 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:24.039 Oh that's the hugest thank you. 338 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:24.680 What do you want? 339 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:25.720 You summoned me? 340 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:28.920 Not what I expected. What do you expect? In the movies? 341 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:30.759 The render used to have the antler. 342 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:33.960 It's not you, kidder, you high I'm ready. 343 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:37.640 You lucked out big times. I'm way better than Santa. 344 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.759 Oh oh freaking oh, you, my friend, are getting three wishes? 345 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:44.599 They stole that from me. 346 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:47.400 By the way, after you make your wishes, I'm taking 347 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:50.480 your soul. You ain't never had a friend like me. 348 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:54.000 Okay that I may have stolen from Aladdin? Now, or 349 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:57.200 even let me show you a few of the things 350 00:21:58.440 --> 00:21:59.319 that could do for you. 351 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.200 I'll be right back. 352 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.599 It's post alone. 353 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:11.559 Look, I'm more insane. It's going to trucks getting. 354 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:14.279 I think he's just confused. 355 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:17.880 Please believe you. He trusts. 356 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:23.000 Yo down here, what are you waiting for? 357 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:23.960 Go make a move? 358 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:28.240 See me at thirsty. 359 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:31.680 I tried everything. 360 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:32.960 That kid's incorruptible. 361 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:35.039 What about doing something out of kindness? 362 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:36.839 I don't even know what you've just said. I mean, 363 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:38.400 I know all the words, but I just never heard 364 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:39.119 him in that order. 365 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:47.039 You know this man, I'm his uncle. 366 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:48.519 Beat it. Who do you think you. 367 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:51.640 Are talking to me like that? 368 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:52.599 That doesn't sound right? 369 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:53.279 Thought me. 370 00:22:55.240 --> 00:23:01.240 Watch this, Please trust the thought. You just gambled lost estimates. 371 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.920 Yet the pleasure was mine. 372 00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:12.960 Jack Black plus Christmas equals the Holiday from two thousand 373 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:18.079 and seven with Kate Winslet and Jude Law and Cameron Diaz. 374 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.279 That's the Christmas movie with Jack Black. You should watch 375 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:23.480 this thing. 376 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.279 Oh, I know. 377 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:29.640 This is the script that those guys wrote, those guys 378 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:32.759 being the Farily Brothers and Jack Black and Rigg Black. 379 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.880 Back in the early nineteen eighties, a guy named Jericho 380 00:23:39.079 --> 00:23:41.960 Stone wrote a treatment for a film about a little 381 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:45.920 girl whose father had just remarried years after his wife 382 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:50.160 her mother passed away. The stepmother is the picture of 383 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:54.519 sweetness until she gets alone with the girl, and then 384 00:23:54.839 --> 00:23:59.640 she's fucking horrible, horrendous. And because no one but the 385 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:03.160 little girl sees this and no one believes her, she 386 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:06.480 begins to believe that the stepmother turns into a whole 387 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:09.839 other creature. She decides, in fact, that her stepmother must 388 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.920 be an alien. Here's a synopsis of the movie they 389 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:17.279 made with Dan Ackroyd and Kim Basinger trying to rescue 390 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:21.640 her home planet from destruction. A gorgeous extraterrestrial named Celeste 391 00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:25.680 arrives on Earth and begins her scientific research. She woos 392 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.400 quirky scientist doctor Steve Mills, a widower with a young daughter. 393 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:32.519 Before long, Celeste finds herself in love with Steve and 394 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:36.240 her new life on Earth, where she experiences true intimacy 395 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:39.720 for the first time. Quite a leap. Huh, that's the 396 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:44.160 feeling I got watching Dear Santa. It's about an awkward, misfit, 397 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:49.000 dyslexic boy who accidentally sends his letter to Santa instead 398 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:52.839 to Satan, and Satan shows up and will grant three wishes, 399 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:56.240 at which point he'll own the kid's soul. And the 400 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:58.680 kid's parents are on the verge of splitting up, and 401 00:24:58.759 --> 00:25:01.319