Favorite August 11-16

[bobtheenchantedone]

The Watchman: The Movie (Also, Alan Moore is Weird)

Scenarios for the Car in the Credits of That 70's Show

Claudio Hates Hawaiian Haystacks

We Like New Reader Girls and Boys!

Why Everyone Loves Pirates ('Cause They're Awesome!)

Dragon Lady's Peanut Story

Azriel and Claudio Argue About a Song

A Long Recitation of Favorite Poems

[Giovanni Schwartz]

My favorite poems go:

There once was a man from Peru,
Whose limericks stopped at line two

And:

There once was a man from Verdun

[Humble Master]

Alan Moore gave an interview recently, and he had this to say about the Watchmen movie:

"Will the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come."

[Humble Master]

And this:

I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying,” Moore tells Geoff Boucher. “It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The Watchmen film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I, for one, am sick of worms. Can’t we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change.”

[Nanti-SARRMM]

Alan Moore gave an interview recently, and he had this to say about the Watchmen movie:

"Will the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come."

What are the legal problems?

[Humble Master]

At some point in the late 1980s FOX had the rights to make a Watchmen movie. Now, after Warner Bros. has spent millions filming a Watchmen film, FOX is claiming they never lost those rights (several other studios started developing an adaptation at various points, and FOX never cried foul to them). Warner Bros. bought DC Comics a decade or so ago, and holds the rights to most DC Comics properties.

Now FOX is trying to prevent the film's release. The first round in court went FOX's way, as a judge refused WB's effort to have the case dismissed because the judge felt FOX may have some claim to the film rights. I'm guessing there'll be some more discussion in court about it, but eventually Warner Bros. will pay FOX an out-of-court settlement and the movie will still come out early next year.

I have no idea how Warner Bros. lawyers missed this as the film went into development, but it's also petty of FOX to wait until the filming is completed and the advertising has begun to file the law suit.

[Nanti-SARRMM]

At some point in the late 1980s FOX had the rights to make a Watchmen movie. Now, after Warner Bros. has spent millions filming a Watchmen film, FOX is claiming they never lost those rights (several other studios started developing an adaptation at various points, and FOX never cried foul to them). Warner Bros. bought DC Comics a decade or so ago, and holds the rights to most DC Comics properties.

Now FOX is trying to prevent the film's release. The first round in court went FOX's way, as a judge refused WB's effort to have the case dismissed because the judge felt FOX may have some claim to the film rights. I'm guessing there'll be some more discussion in court about it, but eventually Warner Bros. will pay FOX an out-of-court settlement and the movie will still come out early next year.

I have no idea how Warner Bros. lawyers missed this as the film went into development, but it's also petty of FOX to wait until the filming is completed and the advertising has begun to file the law suit.

Or they are being crafty and want money for it most likely?

[Humble Master]

The most up-to-date information about the legal situation with Watchmen (this is really funny to me, please read it):

So, how are the "Watchmen" movie legal shenanigans going to shake themselves out? Let Lying In The Gutters give you the exclusive.

Currently the situation has Fox filing suit against Warners and other connected companies over the rights to produce and distribute the upcoming "Watchmen" movie, based on contracts signed a considerable while ago. And it appears that they have a very good case indeed.

But do Fox really want to make a “Watchmen” film of their own? Do they want the money from the Warners “Watchmen” film? Do they want a cut? A payoff? Or just holding up a rival?

None of the above. Sources tell me that Fox want the 1960s Batman TV series. Currently Fox own the TV footage, but Warner Bros own the characters and trademarks, via their ownership of DC Comics. The rights to a DVD release have been held up for a long time now, and this case looks like it may be the instrument to release them.

Oh, Fox will get a wodge of cash as well - many millions of dollars it seems. But it seems they also want the rights to release the Adam West-starring Batman on DVD, something long denied fans of the series. And Warners will get the “Watchmen” film, to release as planned.

There were comic fans who threatened Fox boycotts over what they saw as their scuppering of the Watchmen movie. Looks like they may soon have cause to thank Fox for this action.