Moving Pictures: Comics and Animation Picks from the NZIFF

Above: A scene from the film, My Friend Dahmer.

The New Zealand International Film Festival has just launched its film line-up for 2017, and there's plenty of gems in there if you're a fan of comics and animation!

Leading the pack is My Friend Dahmer, based on the graphic novel memoir by John 'Derf' Backderf. Directed and adapted for the screen by Marc Meyers, My Friend Dahmer focuses on Dahmer's High School years as witnessed by his friend John Backderf, and the events that lead up to Dahmer's eventual serial killing spree of 17 young men and boys. The film stars Ross Lynch as Dahmer, Anne Heche and Alex Wolff. For more information on My Friend Dahmer, check out the NZIFF page HERE.

Above: A scene from the film, Blade of the Immortal.

Next up is Blade of the Immortal, an adaptation of the classic manga series by Samura Hiroaki. Directed by Miike Takashi, Blade of the Immortal stars Kimura Takuya as Manji, whose sister is viciously killed by bounty hunters. After dispatching the killers, a mysterious nun uses blood worms to heal his wounds, granting him the ability to regenerate. Years later he is hired as a bodyguard for Rin (Sugisaki Hana), whose kendo-master father and pupils were slaughtered by the swordsmen of Itto-ryu. Together Manji and Rin set out to avenge the death of her family. For more information on Blade of the Immortal, check out the NZIFF page HERE.

Above: A scene from Ethel & Ernest.

Ethel & Ernest is an adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ award-winning graphic memoir of his parents’ lives, gorgeous rendered in hand-drawn animation that perfectly captures Briggs’ art style. Adapted and directed by Roger Mainwood, The story is a progression through the lives of Briggs' parents, from their courtship in the late 1920s to their deaths a few months apart in 1971. A lifelong milkman with few complaints, Ernest keeps a close eye on world events – the rise of Hitler, the arrival of the fridge, the phone and the television, and the actions of successive governments. While Ethel, a former lady’s maid, would rather sleep than watch the moon landing on TV and bristles at any suggestion that their little household in Wimbledon might be considered working class. Jim Broadbent and Brenda Blethyn provide the lead voices, with a soundtrack marking out the periods of time featuring original contributions from Carl Davis and Paul McCartney. For more information on Ethel & Ernest, check out the NZIFF page HERE.

Above: A scene from Ancien and the Magic Tablet.

Steampunk dreams intersect with corporate reality in this imaginative anime set just days before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. High school senior Morikawa Kokone can fall asleep anytime, anywhere. In a series of strange dreams while napping, she travels to Heartland and becomes Ancien – a brave princess with a magic computer tablet, a feisty sidekick and an appetite for adventure. Her waking life is equally full of daring escapades. Her mechanic father Momotaro, a man of very few words, finds himself in unexpected trouble, and it’s up to Kokone to come to his rescue. When events in Heartland begin to parallel her waking world, Kokone realises that unravelling the mystery of her dreams may reveal the key to her challenges in the real world. Directed by Kamiyama Kenji (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), Ancien and the Magic Tablet features the voices of 
Takahata Mitsuki, Mitsushima Shinnosuke and Maeno Tomoya. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles. For more information on Ancien and the Magic Tablet, check out the NZIFF page HERE.

Above: A scene from My Life As a Courgette.

My Life As a Courgette is an Oscar nominated stop-motion animated film by Swiss director Claude Barras. Based on the YA novel by Gilles Paris, the film follows a nine year old orphan who prefers to be called Courgette, who's sent to a group home after the accidental death of his alcoholic mother. Courgette befriends a local cop named Raymond, and a new girl at the orphanage, Camille, who, like Courgette, was orphaned by violent circumstances. Despite the very adult situations that have burdened the lives of Courgette and his friends as the orphanage, My Life As a Courgette illustrates the resilience of children, and the ability to build new relationships and create a life out of the chaos that surrounds them. The film will be available in both a subtitled and dubbed version. For more information on My Life As a Courgette, check out the NZIFF page HERE.

Above: A scene from the short film, Red Riding Hood Redux by Danijel Žeželj.

As always, there is a health amount of animation short films featured in the Animation Now! section of the festival. A new addition this year is the Animation Now! Black and White screening. Of note to comic fans should be the 12 minute short from this screening, Red Riding Hood Redux. The film is directed by Croatian cartoonist Danijel Žeželj, the atmospheric artist from Luna Park, Hellblazer, Loveless and many more. For more information on the Animation Now! showcases, visit the NZIFF page HERE.

For more information on the films and screenings coming to a city near you, visit the New Zealand International Film Festival website HERE.

- AK!

Weekend Listening: Batman v Superman

Above: The cover of World's Finest Comics #3 (1941) by Fred Ray. Copyright DC Comics 2015.

This week on Radio NZ Nights I talked to Bryan Crump about Batman vs Superman, Captain America vs Iron Man: why do comics readers love to see their heroes clash? How can Batman even hold his own against Superman? We talk about the character's shared histories, from their goofy 1950s adventures to their gritty showdown in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. It's all discussed in a fun 18 minute discussion you can listen in on HERE.

Above: Splash page from World's Finest Comics #153 (1965), written by Edmond Hamilton, art by Curt Swan & George Klein. Copyright DC Comics 2015.

And for more on Batman and Superman's bizarre 1950s adventures (and other odd-ball comics), check out Jon Morris' great comics blog, Gone & Forgotten HERE.

- AK!

REVIEW: The Art Of The Adventures Of Tintin by Chris Guise

Above: The cover of The Art Of The Adventures Of Tintin by Chris Guise. Copyright Paramount Pictures/HarperCollinsNZ/Weta Workshop 2011.

This latest publishing collaboration between Weta Workshop and HarperCollins gives an intriguing and immersive look into the conceptual art behind the upcoming Spielberg/Jackson film production of The Adventures Of Tintin. Weta Workshop have once again wisely chosen to give the author duties over to the film's Lead Conceptual Designer Chris Guise (following on from Greg Broardmore's Art of District 9), who's in a knowledgeable position to really draw on the best of the film's concept artwork to produce this eye-popping collection.

Guise makes it clear from the beginning that this hardback collection looks at the many paths taken in the film's design process, focusing more on the concept exploration and 'roads not taken' rather than just the finished product, a decision which makes all the difference here. With the wealth of material on offer, it's great to see the development of visual ideas with all the side-steps along the way, which really provides the most fascinating material.

Above: Steven Spielberg on set with Peter Jackson, directing Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock and Jamie Bell as Tintin in Motion Capture suits. Copyright Paramount Pictures/HarpercollinsNZ/Weta Workshop 2011.

It's no secret that the film itself is entirely CG animated, with actors providing performances via Motion Capture technology, building on Weta Digital's previous work on The Lord Of The Rings and Avatar. Because of this process, a great deal of the film's success will rest on it's concept and production artwork, providing the locations and appearance of the characters themselves, right down to the burst blood-vessels of Captain Haddock nose!

Guise presents each part of the film's production process in a largely visual layout with minimal but informative text, letting the artwork speak for itself. He also wisely utilises the artists to talk about their own work and choices, providing some fun personal observations. Probably the most enjoyable section comes early in the book, where the concept artists (clearly fans of the comic albums) are given free reign to reinterpret examples of Herge's artwork in a more realistic style as a starting point for the film's visual look. This results in some great takes on many of Herge's classic covers, and provides a hint of where things may go if the film warrants a sequel (Destination Moon looks to be a firm favourite of the art team).

Above: A look at the development of visualising Tintin. Copyright Paramount Pictures/HarpercollinsNZ/Weta Workshop 2011.

The process of conceptualizing the film's characters is a fascinating study. Transforming Herge's two dimensional characters into three dimensions is key to the film's look and success, and that's particularly true of the film's reporter hero Tintin, who simplistic appearance (his head is little more than a slightly developed smiley face) is iconographic symbolism personified. The visual exploration of this tricky design task is well examined, and includes the book's most curious out-take: photos of the original test for a live-action Tintin, with prosthetic applications used to enhance the actor's features to match the comic (see the sample page above). It's a tantalising glimpse into what could have been, and while it's hard to gauge whether the prosthetics would have been more or less creepy than the realistic CG the production has decided to go with, avoiding shades of 1990's Dick Tracy is probably for the best. There's a dedication to Herge's original character designs here that is impressive, while also taking into account muscle movement and the full range of expressions needed for filming.

Above: A look at developing Tintin's apartment. Copyright Paramount Pictures/HarpercollinsNZ/Weta Workshop 2011.

The film's many locations are also well covered, from Tintin's apartment to stately Marlinspike Hall. Again, no small detail is overlooked, with the design team puzzling over unique problems like the best way to construct Tintin's apartment, which wasn't consistent over the entire run of the comic series eg. his curtains are different colours in different books!((gasp!)).

Overall, this is a very well considered 'art of' collection, with plenty of details to please the legion of Tintin fans and film enthusiasts alike. Best of all, there's an abundance of material here which will be even more pleasing to revisit after seeing the finished film itself, which is really what makes this collection shine.

The Art Of The Adventures Of Tintin by Chris Guise, published by HarperCollins NZ & Weta Workshop. 

RRP $60.00 Hardcover ISBN:9781869509309

-AK!

A Glow in the Dark: Green Lantern Movie Review

Above: Ryan Reynolds as Hel Jordan. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

I have an old beaten-up copy of a Green Lantern comic from my childhood featuring a letter column in which a reader fantasised about what it would be like to see a Green Lantern movie in theatres; to see the green constructs of the ring-slinger's will power brought to life on the big screen, to hear the lantern's sacred oath spoken in surround sound, "wouldn't that be something?", he wondered.

Almost 20 years later, I was thinking much the same thing at last weekend's movie premiere. Talking with fellow GL comics fans, artist Michel Mulipola and TV personality Colin Mathura-Jeffree, we couldn't help but pinch ourselves: are we really about to see a movie starring Green Lantern?

Much like Marvel's Ironman, Green Lantern has always been considered a second-tier comics character without the brand recognition of Batman or Superman. But never the less, he's had a loyal fan-base since his re-introduction in Showcase Presents #22 from 1959 (an earlier namesake of the character existed in the 1940s). Re-imagined as the first human recruit in an intergalactic police force by writer John Broome, test pilot Hal Jordan was an immediate hit with fans. It didn't hurt that his adventures were drawn with dynamic action by the legendary artist Gil Kane, who fashioned one of comics' most iconic costume designs for the character, one which is still used in comics today and the basis for the film design.

Above: Ryan Reynolds on set with kiwi director Martin Campbell. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

Bringing a sci-fi comics character like Green Lantern to the silver screen is no easy task, one that was entrusted to kiwi director Martin Campbell. Known more for his gritty hands-on action films like Casino Royale, Edge of Darkness and The Mask of Zorro, Campbell certainly had his work cut out for him here; juggling an origin story, explaining the mythology of the Green Lantern Corp, and still trying to find time for humour and romance, while processing all of this in 3D. He may have bitten off more than he can chew, but for the most part he gets it right.

The movie opens with the introduction of the fear-infused entity Parallax, whose appetite for fear and destruction sets events in motion, as he escapes from his imprisonment in a distant sector of space, fatally injuring Green Lantern Abin Sur (an unrecognisable Tem Morrison) in the process. Making a bee-line for earth, Sur's power ring is seeking a worthy replacement, which it finds in the unlikely form of impulsive hot-shot pilot Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds).

Above: Temuera Morrison as Green Lantern Abin Sur. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

This opportunity to get waaay out of dodge comes at the right time for a restless Jordan, facing disciplinary action for his cocky pilot antics and generally written-off off by everyone bar his ex-girlfriend/boss Carol Farris (Blake Lively) and tech supporter Thomas (Taika Waititi). Once in possession of the ring, he's soon whisked away to the planet Oa, the home of the Green Lantern Corp, for alien boot-camp 101 with instructors Sinestro (a suitable arrogant Mark Strong), Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush) and Kilowog (voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan), and as much plot exposition as he can handle.

Meanwhile back on earth, nerdy scientist Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) is brought in by the government to study the remains of Abin Sur. The autopsy results in a different gift for Hammond: an infection of Parallax's yellow energy, which grants him with telepathic powers and an unsightly enlarged forehead. With their new found powers, Jordan and Hammond are soon on a collision course which inevitably leads to a final showdown with Parallax making a pit-stop to snack on Earth before his final destination, Oa.

Above: A scene set on the planet Oa. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

As a film, Green Lantern visually stands apart from the crowd with it's unique look and eye-popping visuals, thanks in large part to a couple of Oscar winning kiwis: production designer Grant Major and costume designer Ngila Dickson.

Major's conception of Oa is a joy to behold and sets a new bar for digital environments; it's believably alien, with realistic textures and lighting effects that are only enhanced by the 3D processing. Dickson's decision to go with all CG costumes for the Green Lantern actors is probably the film's biggest gamble, and it pays off. As pure energy constructs themselves, the costumes neatly reinforce the story while making the human actors seamlessly blend in with the legion of CG created creatures. The fact this separation doesn't occur to you immediately only signals just how much of an achievement this really is. It's a true credit to both of them that this film is at it's best during it's cosmic sequences.

Above: Hel Jordan on the Planet Oa, with the rest of the diverse Green Lantern Corp. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

The film soars in outer-space, it's only when it comes back down to earth that it looses it's momentum on several fronts.

Written by TV veterans Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim and Michael Goldenberg (who between them have written for Everwood, Smallville, Flash Forward, No Ordinary Family as well as comics for DC and Marvel), are no strangers to this kind of material, yet they still struggle with a larger canvas. The story manages to feel both exposition heavy in places and too light in others. To be fair, there is a lot of material to explain in it's two hour running time, but that comes at the expense of characterization. Many of the leads are sketched out with the thinnest of personalities, leaving the actors with some serious heavy lifting. Lively and Waititi particularly have to work hard not to blend in to the background; and Strong as Sinestro does his best, even though in plot terms he has precious little to do.

Above: Hel Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) with Carol Farris (Blake Lively) share a brief emotional moment. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

A back-story tying Hal, Hector and Carrol together as old friends is alluded to, but is frustratingly underplayed (maybe even cut for pace?), which would have helped give crucial scenes the emotional weight they desperately need. This becomes even more of an issue when the central theme should be 'strength of will can overcome fear'; and apart from a late rally from Reynolds, few of the other characters get the chance to show much of an emotional response at all. The humour and romance is wedged in between all these other moving parts, and comes across as a bit forced. Thankfully Reynolds' natural star-power and easy-going delivery sells the humour, and if he had more than a handful of scenes with Lively perhaps the romance would have felt more natural too (although female viewers may disagree, as apparently a little Reynolds goes a long way!). Drawbacks in the scripting aside, Chambell along with team of effects expects, still manages to elevate this material and give it the grand space opera treatment it deserves.

As is customary with comic films these days, there's a fun after credits teaser; although DC should take note: a teaser scene shouldn't be a plot point that appears to be forgotten from the main feature, as it looks more like a plot-hole and less like a extra treat.

Above: Hel Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) summons his will power. Copyright Warner Bros/DC Comics 2011.

Overall, Green Lantern is a promising addition to Warner Bros/DC Comics franchise of comic-based movies, and will hopefully get a the chance to fly again in a sequel free of it's origin story restraints. Best of all, it's easily the most accomplished 3D film to come along since Avatar, which along makes it well worth the ride across the universe.

For more information on the movie, you can visit the official site HERE.

-AK!

Above: I took some time out from blogging to join the Green Lantern Corp!

EVENT: NZ screening of Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods

If you're in Wellington this Thursday the 27th of Jan, you might be lucky enough to catch the NZ premiere of Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods, an 80 minute documentary by director Patrick Meany focusing on the cult comicbook writer.

One of comics most celebrated authors, Morrison has written character defining runs on such diverse titles as: Animal Man, Doom Petrol, Batman, All Star Superman, New X Men, JLA and many more. Whether it's redefining the superhero icons that populate the mainstream market or exploring the limits of the medium in his own creator-owned series like The Invisibles and The Filth, Morrison continues to take comics to new heights, both bizarre and wonderful.

He's also a practicing Chaos Magician and claims to have once been abducted by aliens while traveling in South Africa (an experience that informed his work on Animal Man). He's never short of a great story, and you can expect many of these legendary yarns to be discussed in this doco, which features interviews with more than 45 of his colleagues, collaborators, family and friends, as well as the man himself.

The screening will be held at Time Cinema, 119 Sutherland Road, Lyall Bay, Wellington. Doors open at 6.30pm, it's $15 a ticket including free Popcorn and the venue is BYO. All proceeds (after cost of venue hire & pop corn) goes to the makers of the film who've kindly provided a copy of the documentary.

There's a limited number of seats which are selling fast, so to book your ticket email: talkingwithgods@gmail.com.

-AK!

First Look: Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur in 'Green Lantern'

Above: The body of alien 'Abin Sur', played by Temuera Morrison. Copyright Warner Bros 2010.

Continuing my coverage of New Zealand related links to this weekend's massive San Diego Comic Con: images have surfaced over at Comic Book Movie of the Warner Bros booth, featuring a display of the body of alien Abin Sur (played by Temuera Morrison) to promote the upcoming movie 'Green lantern' (more images can be seen HERE and via Bleeding Cool HERE).

And yes, if you put two and two together: this basically means Warner Bros are displaying the DEAD body of Temuera Morrison all weekend at San Diego for the entertainment and amusement of thousands!

No word yet on whether the Morrison family will attempt to reclaim the alien body for a proper Tungi.

Above: The body of alien 'Abin Sur', played by Temuera Morrison. Copyright Warner Bros 2010.

-AK!

Karl Urban to be Judge Dredd?

Above: NZ actor Karl Urban and 'Judge Dredd' (painted by Simon Bisley).

According to a report over at Bleeding Cool, New Zealand actor Karl Urban ('Star Trek', 'Doom', 'Lord of the Rings') has been offered the lead role in the forthcoming movie reboot of the famed British comic character 'Judge Dredd' created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

It's been 15 years since Sylvester Stallone's disastrous attempt to bring the lawman of Mega-City One to the silver screen, derided by fans and critics alike for abandoning the comic's satirical edge and dark humour in favour of a more straight forward action movie approach. The decision to remove Dredd's iconic helmet in the movie was also a huge slap in the face for fans, as Dredd's true face has largely remained a mystery throughout the decades of the character's publishing history.

It's expected that if Urban accepts the role, the helmet will stay securely fastened at all times!

The new version of the film from Rebellion and DNA Films is expected to start shooting later this year for a 3D release, from a script by Alex Garland ('The Beach', 'Sunshine', '28 Days Later').

In the Meantime, Urban will be keeping his geek credentials up by appearing alongside Bruce Willis in the movie 'Red', based on the comic series created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner, which opens in October.

-AK!

Random News Round-up: Wheels & Bullets

Above: The Batmobile circa 1989, designed by Anton Furst.

If you're in Auckland this weekend and you've ever wondered what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a Batmobile, you're in luck! The 1989 Batmobile created for Tim Burton's Batman films is on loan from Warner Bros Movie World to appear at this weekend's Speedshow '09 at the ASB Showgrounds.

Designed by the film's award-winning production designer Anton Furst, it's a provocative combination of sleek gothic chic and phallic symbolism on wheels (thanks to it's jet turbine engine). It could go from 0 - 60km/h in 3.7 seconds, but it's maximum speed of 530kn/h (with booster) was never reached, as it would quickly zap through the two blocks they had on set in less than a minute. Over at the Speedshow website they've listed the car's impressive features: mounted machine guns, grappling hooks etc. Although I doubt this model's ability to turn into a Batmissile or deploy full-cover shields without the use of CGI, you're more than welcome to put on your best Batman grunt of "shields" for it's voice activation system!

In DVD news, the sequel/reboot 'Punisher: War Zone' made it's unannounced debut straight-to-DVD and Blu-ray here in New Zealand this month, after bombing in the US (mainly thanks to Lionsgate's unfortunate December release date, 'cause nothing says Christmas like an ultra-violent vigilante mowing down gang bangers). It's a pity, because this is easily the best screen version of the character to date. Directed by Lexi Alexander, from a script by Nick Santora and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Ironman) stays much closer to Garth Ennis' MAX comics than the previous film effort, and is all the better for it.

Above: Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle/Punisher. Copyright Marvel/Lionsgate 2009.

The plot is fairly straight forward: the Punisher (a perfectly cast Ray Stevenson) takes down the Russoti crime family in a bloody no-nonsense opening, before tracking down the one that got away, Billy Rossoti (the Wire's Dominic West) and throwing him in a glass recycler (goodbye pretty boy, hello Jigsaw).

In the altercation with Billy's gang the Punisher guns down an undercover FBI agent, which sets him in the sights of agent Paul Budiansky, leading him to team-up with the one man Punisher task force: detective Martin Soap.

Guilt ridden by the accidental casualty, Castle is prepared to quit (possibly kill himself?) when Billy resurfaces as 'Jigsaw' and plans to take out his revenge on the widow of the undercover agent. With the police and Jigsaw gunning for him, Castle sets out to protect the widow and her daughter from the mobster's retribution and dispatch every last gangster extra the movie can afford (and there's plenty of 'em!).

Unlike the last film effort, this one pulls no punches to get a lower M rating, and piles up the bodies for a gory hard R, which is really what you want from a Punisher movie, right?(and interestingly, Marvel title it as 'Marvel Knights' in the credits). Taking it's cue from Ennis, the violence is sharp, straight to the point and occasionally outrageous.

Ray Stevenson is perfectly cast as Frank Castle, he's simmering with equal parts anger and haunted regret. He has no qualms about violently dispensing the bad guys at the drop of a hat, but also looks like he would welcome his own demise without any complaints. He doesn't speak unless he has to, but his actions speak volumes and that's really the way it should be.

Above: Dominic West as Billy Russoti/Jigsaw. Copyright Marvel/Lionsgate 2009.

Dominic West clearly enjoys himself as Jigsaw. He doesn't have a huge amount to play with here, but injects his performance with enough humanity to keep the character grounded and avoid the campy acting usually associated with these kind of roles.

If you familiar with ennis' Punisher comic (well, any of his comics really) there's always an 'annoying, little bastard' henchmen character, and he's it's 'Looney Bin Jim', played by Doug Hutchison (probably best remembered as 'Tooms' from 'The X-Files', basically he has a masters in playing nutcases!). It's an amalgam of Ennis' crazy bastards and gets to indulge in some of the more extreme carnage in the movie. But at 5' 8 even with kung-fu moves thrown in, his slight frame never really convinces as someone who could take down Castle (but that doesn't stop him taking a bite out of him!).

Above: The Punisher taking down the mob. Copyright Marvel/Lionsgate 2009.

Tonally the movie only wobbles a couple of time, mainly due to the fact that so much of it taken from Ennis' work, whose combination of pathos and gallows humor is difficult to mimic, and doesn't lend itself well to a dramatic movie without undercutting it's intentions (Ennis' comics usually pock as much fun at the conventions of action movies as it steals).

So until Marvel/Disney give Ennis the chance to write a Punisher movie himself, this is probably the best you can hope for. Given that this is the second Punisher feature to under-preform it's unlikely to make a return to the big-screen any time soon, but it makes for good weekend viewing.

-AK!

REVIEW: Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter/Under the Hood DVD

Above: A scene from 'Tales of the Black Freighter'.

Tales of the Black Freighter

Starring the voices of Gerard Butler and Jared Harris

Screenplay by Alex Tse & Zack Snyder Directed by Daniel Delpurgatorio and Mike Smith

Under the Hood

Starring Stephen McHattie, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer and Jeffery Dean Morgan

Screenplay by Hans Rodionoff Directed by Eric Matthies

Based on the 'Watchmen' comic series created by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

When this release was first announced, like many fans of the series 'Watchmen' I was surprised, very skeptical and ever so slightly intrigued. Frankly I was surprised they would bother to go to the effort of filming these additional narratives; both of which were interesting side stories in their own right, but really only created to comment on and enhance the central plot.

How they would stand on their own would be a completely different story.

Especially in the case of 'Tales of the Black Freighter'; told as a comic inside a comic, which captured in motion, would sort of defeat the purpose. 'Under the Hood' was a mock autobiography presented as a series of text features, fleshing out the history of this alternate world setting. Seeing this captured on film was a much more intriguing hook for me; especially since the production team had clearly invested a lot of time and effort in casting and recreating the era for the main feature's opening credits (one of the film's clear highlights).

First up, 'Tales of the Black Freighter' faithfully follows Alan Moore's story of a shipwrecked Sea Captain who must build a horrific raft to sail home ahead of the dreaded Black Freighter to raise the alarm and save his family, a decision that ultimately costs him his humanity.

In it's original context it was presented as short interludes; so to see it assembled as a whole made for an interesting, if novel viewing. Like many readers, the first time I finished Watchmen I immediately went back to try and read this story separately to see if it held up on it's own (it does, but has plenty of breathing room between panels). And in viewing this it's hard not to feel an odd sense of distraction; like the main plot of Watchmen nagging at me like a phantom limb, as if it's needed to put this into context.

With the absence of the main story it's no longer a metaphor for the fast approaching nuclear apocalypse it's just a straight forward pirate story, and as such it does seem to lose it's extra edge.

The script adaptation is pretty close, and uses almost all of Moore's script line-for-line, which offers some small delights when spoken aloud: "Adrift, my darkest imaginings welled up unchecked, spilling from brain to heart like black ink impossible to remove".

To fill out this slim piece, Ridley (one of the ship hands, mentioned briefly in the original text) is promoted to nightmare companion to the Captain on his fevered voyage. It's a pretty clear plot lift from the Tom Hank's film 'Castaway' (he even ends up with Ridley's Wilson-like head to spell it out for you), but it works well enough here.

The anime animation here is polished, perhaps too much so. It's flashy nightmare sequences seem out of place with the tone of the story, hoping to wow us with it's effects rather than service the material appropriately. It also doesn't resemble Gibbon's art, but since he was imitating Joe Orlando it can be forgiven for taking some liberties and going for a more ghoulish approach.

Overall it accomplishes what it sets out to do: tell a short nasty Pirate story; but at a slim 30 minutes, this single 'tale' is really to brief to get under your skin the way it should. It would have been more interesting if they had spent a little more and adapted some of the other pirate stories referenced in the back-matter of Chapter 5, to really make this an honest 'Tales' collection. Now that would be an event worth selling separately.

There's only one heavy handed reference to the main Watchmen movie: the Captain finds a sheet wrapped around Ridley's body to use as a sail (the bloody patch left on the sail mirroring Rorschach's ink blots). Director Zack Snyder's credit as co-writer suggests he's worked on it with an eye to disassembling it to be cut back into the longer final 'Watchmen' film edit.

I find it almost impossible to imagine this anime style working well alongside the live action footage, but he seems pretty intend on trying it anyway (the making of doco hints at footage of the newsstand sequences filmed to help integrate it). 'The Black Freighter' is an interesting novelty, but a novelty none the less.

'Under the Hood' filmed as a live action doco featuring the well cast Minutemen of the film promised to be the far more promising feature, which of coarse meant it was bound to disappoint (as too much of a good thing usually does).

Presented as an episode of 'The Culpeper Minute' (but it's 30mins..?), a 1980's Sixty Minutes knock-off revisiting it's 1975 interview with Hollis Mason on his auto-biography. It features Mason, Sally Jupiter, Moloch and a host of other supporting characters from the book.

For all it's disputed failings, it's hard to argue with the level of care Snyder and his team brought to the Minutemen department of the production. From the authentic archive film footage down to the props like Mason's Nite Owl statue, it's all beautifully realised here. In this respect it's great to see all that effort getting it's worthy amount of screen-time, as it's brushed over all to quickly in the main feature.

The casting is also spot on. Stephen McHattie brings a wry humanity to Hollis Mason; his performance is very natural and assured, giving the role a believable depth of character. With knowing glances and warm chuckles at his recollections, his presence is so engaging that it's almost a pity to cut away to other minor parts, as he could have easily carried most of this show on his own.

Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter also gets some much deserved extra screen-time here.

In one of the few cosmetic changes from the book, Gugino gives Silk Spectre a much more overtly sexual presence in the film; one that I felt matched her representation in the book a little better than Gibbon's depiction (more film starlet than female athlete). Her back-story with the Minutemen and her relationship with her agent Larry Schexnayder gets it's due here, supported by some great photo recreations from her crime-fighting heyday.

It's also fun to see some of the other supporting characters here who didn't get much face-time in the theatrical cut. Unfortunately all these nice touches are let down by a frustratingly uneven and probably rushed script.

Alan Moore's text pieces left more than enough material to use here, but the adaptation is oddly scatter-shot. Most of Mason's dialogue is faithfully retained, while other details are changed as if out of ignorance: Dollar Bill now works for a department store instead of a bank (his name wasn't a enough of a hint?), but the small details of his Kansas upbringing remain the same.

If those changes to the script weren't bad enough, the new additions for foreshadowing are just painfully ham-fisted. For example, after delivering a very shallow examination of the psychology behind vigilantes, Dr Malcolm Jones gazes off into the foreground to wonder aloud "...one day I'd like to psychoanalyse one of those vigilantes...that would really be something...". It's at that point I wanted to scream and throw something at the television; if you're going to add anything like foreshadowing, at least give it some dignity and spend more than five minutes writing it (did nobody learn anything from Starwars Episodes 1-3?). Just plain BAD. It's a pity because it was going so well up until that point.

The direction was also a little underwhelming. They should really have hired an actual documentary maker to film it rather than a film director pretending to be one (the constant push-ins for dramatic effect got boring real fast).

'Under the Hood' captures a lot of great B-role material, it's just a pity they couldn't spend a little more time on the really important elements (the script and direction) rather than fussing over the art direction.

So much like the main feature it's a mix of delights and frustration.

As extras to the eventual Watchmen Ultimate Edition DVD, both these short pieces make great side shows, they just don't stand-up as a main attraction on their own.

-AK!