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Watchmen: Midnight (Updated version!)

Flix Capacitor

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Note: In March 2014 a revised version was released. See this post for more details.

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WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT

FanEdit Details:

Original film name: WATCHMEN
Film studio name: Warner Bros.
Edit crew name: Flixcapacitor
Original Release Date: March 6, 2009
Original Runtime: 162 min
Edit Release Date: October 16, 2011
New Runtime: 192 min
Amount of time Cut/Added : 30 min

Intention:

My intention for WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT has been to work with available materials to make this film adaptation more closely resemble the structure and spirit of the original comic. Keeping in mind that the film can never be a perfect 1:1 of the comic, I've tried to make this a better version of WATCHMEN for the screen.

Overview:

Available in three "official" DVD versions, WATCHMEN is a pretty good adaptation of an excellent comic book, but even in its most extended official version (the "Ultimate Cut") it lacks the character depth of the original material. My version, WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT, is an attempt to recapture some of the spirit of the original comic and remove much of the silly or over-the-top parts of WATCHMEN. Scenes have been reorganized to better match the narrative structure of the comic book and segments from the "Under the Hood" TV-style documentary from the DVD have been incorporated to fill in the backstory, much like the extra material at the end of each issue in the comic. Several instances of music have been changed, as well.

General Editing Notes:

All "Tales of the Black Freighter" animated segments have been removed. The animation style is inconsistent with the comic book and I chose to use the screen time on character development. Furthermore, "Tales of the Black Freighter" is interesting but not as relevant to the movie version's plot because the "squid" was modified for the film adaptation and therefore the subplot of missing artists (including Black Freighter writer Max Shea) were not included in Veidt's plan. In that case, it's odd that Bubastis was included in the film because the genetic engineering aspect was missing from the film.

Some of the scenes at the newspaper stand with the two Bernies remain in the film in order to give more context in the New York setting -- young Bernie is shown reading "Tales of the Black Freighter" and this is intentional as a callback to the original Watchmen comic. I think it's important to have some on-screen reference to comic books in this movie since it is based on one and Hollis Mason mentions Superman comics in Under the Hood -- additionally, an issue of "Batman" appears in the opening credits and an issue "Action Comics" appears in an Under the Hood segment.

The "Under the Hood" segments are presented as if they are being viewed on a VHS tape by Hollis Mason at his home, and they provide a good deal of character backstory and plot context, themes, etc. Like the Under the Hood excerpts and other supplemental matter at the end of each issue of the original comic, they draw parallels between the past and present characters and setting, and act as meditations on the larger themes of Watchmen. Also, the main feature includes several shots of TV screens, so these segments seem to fit the aesthetic. There are no phony commercials because they are mostly distracting and waste screen time, and over the top portions have been removed from Under the Hood.

This is a long film, so I've added a traditional intermission. The break comes at a thematic shift in the narrative -- at the end of the Under the Hood segments and when all the main characters have been given their backstory. After the intermission, the plot advances to the climax with no interruptions other than chapter breaks and quotations.

Narrative "chapters" are organized like the original comic, each starting with a title and ending with a quotation. Without enough material to make two distinct chapters, I've combined "Fearful Symmetry" and "The Abyss Gazes Also."

Additional music comes from the "Naqoyqatsi" film score by Philip Glass. Many of the pop songs have been replaced in order to maintain a tone for the film, except for a few songs that are appropriate for scenes and respective historical periods, such as "99 Luftballoons" for the 1980s and "I'm Your Boogie Man" for the 1970s.

In general, excessive violence or unnecessary "super human" feats by normal people have been trimmed. For example, I've removed Rorschach's gratuitous head chopping scene and Ozy's throwing Rorschach across the room.

Instances where the crime fighters are actually referred to as the "Watchmen" have been removed.


CUT LIST:

I've made an annotated cut list with some explanations of some of my cuts.

TC = Theatrical Cut
DC = Director's Cut
UC = Ultimate Cut
MC = Motion Comic
UTH = Under the Hood


Chapter 1: At Midnight, All the Agents...

Changed company logos from black-on-yellow to yellow-on-black in order to fade from black into the opening credits. Restored 1980s-era DC logo and rotated it so the stars are N-S-E-W as on the covers of the Watchmen comics.

Removed attack at Blake's apartment.

Removed Gerald Butler from opening credits. Credits segue into vertical pull-back shot from smiley pin on the street to Comedian's apartment.

Flashbacks to attacker kicking in the door and throwing Comedian out the window are intercut with police detectives' speculations. This scene is significantly shorter in all filmed versions than in the comic, so not as many flashbacks were possible.

MC: Added Chapter 1 title card: "Tonight, all the agents…" when Rorschach enters Blake's apartment.

Removed Rorschach's fight with police, so there is no awkward scene of cop shooting and missing Rorschach.

Removed mention of Rorschach when Dan visits Hollis Mason. No Rorschach on television.

Removed mention of Rorschach on television during scene in Dan's kitchen.

Removed Dan and Rorschach dialogue: "Watchmen are over" / "Says tricky Dick" / "Says me." This removes and instance where the group is actually called "The Watchmen." Now Rorschach suggests fighting back against the mask killer but Dan silently rebukes Rorschach before reminding him that he could retire with anonymity.

Trimmed first part of Dan visiting Veidt -- fade to black from Rorschach walking on street with narration about "so little time…" and fade in to close up of newspaper headline "Doomsday" and "Midnight" etc. Used second half of the scene between Dan and Veidt, thereby removing an awkward scene with journalists and several mentions of "the Watchmen."

MC: Added Chapter 1 end-quote after Dan says, "The Comedian is dead."

UTH: Added first segment, which makes a thematic bridge from optimism of the 1940s Minutemen to the somber aftermath at Blake's funeral in the 1980s.


Chapter 2: Absent Friends

Replaced Simon and Garfunkel song at Blake's funeral with Philip Glass song: "New World" because the S & G song is distractingly reminiscent of The Graduate. The new Philip Glass song also introduces some of the musical themes that will play at the end of the film, after Ozy's plot has succeeded -- in a way the death of the Comedian is the first step in orchestrating Ozy's "new world."

MC: Added Chapter 2 title card: "Absent friends." when Sally touches old Minutemen photo.

Replaced Wagner "Ride of the Valkyries" song with excerpts from Tyler Bates songs: "Who Murdered Hollis Mason?" and "Dan's Apocalyptic Dream" from the Watchmen score because the Wagner track is a distracting homage to Apocalypse Now. The twisted glee of the Wagner might work if the scene were the Comedian's memory, but this scene was Dr. Manhattan's reminiscence. The use of the Wagner track in the original version added misplaced humor to what should be a horrifying scene -- audiences are reminded of the Looney Toons opera "Kill the Wabbit" segment and they were laughing when I saw this WATCHMEN in the theater. The Wagner song worked in Apocalypse now, but not here.

Removed Comedian's over-the-top line: "Medic!!" from flashback.

Removed Comedian's line that references Watchmen group name in Ozy's flashback.

MC: Added Chapter 2 end-quote after flashback of Blake falling and Rorschach voice-over.

UTH: Added second segment which ends with Culpepper asking rhetorical question about whether Mason had the right to take law in to his own hands. This creates a seque into the question of Dr. Manhattan's responsibilities in the following chapter.


Chapter 3: The Judge of All the Earth

MC: Added Chapter 3 title card: "The Judge of All the Earth."

Trimmed gore and cartoony violence/stunts during Dan and Laurie's fight with the Knot-Top gang.

Removed Laurie's line, "It's a tough world out there," after fighting with knot-tops to smooth out transition to the following scene where Dan visits Hollis Mason -- Mason mentions Dr. Manahattan losing it on live television -- cut to: scene on street corner of man complaining about Dr. Manhattan leaving. Sequence continues to the scene with Laurie arguing with scientists about Dr. Manhattan, includes her flashback to first New Minutemen meeting. This sequence concludes with Nixon's first appearance since he was cut when the prologue attack scene was removed.

MC: Added Chapter 3 end-quote after Nixon says things are in the hands of a higher power.

UTH: Added third segment which ends with Sally saying it was important to know when to retire/move on/etc… This seques into the next chapter dealing with Dr. Manhattan choosing to retire and leave Earth.


Chapter 4: Watchmaker

Begins with Dr. Manhattan landing on Mars.

MC: Added Chapter 4 title card: "Watchmaker" when Dr. Manhattan starts to remember his past.

Trimmed gratuitous gore in mobster restaurant when Dr. Manhattan blows a person up.

MC: Added Chapter 4 end-title after Dr. Manhattan says, "Too late."

UTH: Added fourth UTH segment which ends with the Psychiatrist discussing the dangerous vigilantes who actually thing they are doing good for the world, as well as his desire to psycho-analyze one of them. This leads to the Ozy's meeting with the captains of industry and the failed "assassination" attempt and later the Psychiatrist's interview with Rorschach.


Chapter 5 / Chapter 6: The Abyss Gazes Also

Removed the gratuitous shot of the secretary's hand exploding like a blood-filled balloon during the assassination attempt on Adrian Veidt.

MC: Added Chapter 6 title card: "The Abyss Gazes Also" after Rorschach dons his costume.

Cut first two scenes of Rorschach in jail -- he is captured and the next scene is his interrogation by the psychiatrist.

Trimmed gratuitous violence during Rorschach's flashback about child killer. Final swing with meat cleaver makes a sound-bridge back to Rorshach in present day.

MC: Added Chapter 5 end-quote after Big Figure taunts Rorschach.

Chapter 5 title: "Fearful Symmetry" is omitted -- not enough filmed source material to constitute both chapters, but "The Abyss Gazes Also" quotation captures the irony of Rorschach being a wanted man and crime fighter.


Intermission

An intermission was used because of the shift in themes in the story -- character exposition is essentially completed with flashbacks and UTH, so the film now moves forward toward the dramatic climax. Also, long movies used to include intermissions and it seemed appropriate for the formal style used in this version of the movie (including segment titles and quotations).

Created "Intermission" title.

Used Philip Glass song: "Definition."


Chapter 7: A Brother to Dragons

MC: Added Chapter 7 title card: "A Brother to Dragons" after Laurie sets off the flame thrower on the Owl ship.

Fade out after first sex scene between Dan and Laurie -- then cut to: Dan's apocalyptic nightmare -- then cut to: Laurie finding Dan naked in basement. No scenes intercut with this segment (more like the comic book).

Cut annoying little girl from burning building rescue scene who says "Jebus" -- Replaced by version of rescue scene from TC.

Fixed repeated action of Laurie falling backward twice in Owl ship after building explosion.

Significantly trimmed down the sex scene in the Owl ship -- After dropping off the rescued people, Dan and Laurie originally shared some redundant dialogue before the smarmy and overlong sex scene. In this version, Dan finally feels sexually confident after they drop off the rescued people, so he puts the ship into auto-pilot and starts kisses Laurie sooner. They undress and begin to embrace, but the scene ends with the ship hovering in the air -- the sex is implied, and it's actually kind of romantic compared to the original version which was like a soft-core. Also, replaced the Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah" song with "We'll Live Longer" from the Watchmen score by Tyler Bates. This piece of music also plays during Dan and Laurie's dinner date in Chapter 1, and serves to round out their romance.

MC: Added Chapter 7 end-title after that scene. The quote from Job mentions "my bones are burned with heat," and I think this makes a nice bridge because the next chapter begins with a shot of prison inmate that Rorshach burned in the cafeteria line.


Chapter 8: Old Ghosts

Segment begins with prisoner flat-lining.

Trimmed establishing shot of prison riot to remove an awkward bit with a stuntman on fire.

MC: Added Chapter 8 title card: "Old Ghosts" during arm severing scene. Trimmed down gratuitous gore in that scene.

Cut Nite Owl II / Silk Spectre fighting prisoners --- the action is over-the-top and the rock music is wrong. The scene in the comic had just one punch, and so in my version Silk Spectre just punches out the overzealous prison guard.

Near the newsstand on the street, the Knot-tops talk about going to get Hollis Mason -- cut to Mason calling Sally and reminiscing.

MC: Added Chapter 8 end-quote after knot-tops kill Mason.


Chapter 9: The Darkness of Mere Being

MC: Added Chapter 9 title card: "The Darkness of Mere Being" after Dr. Manhattan teleports with Laurie out of Dan's hideout.

Edited together all of the Dr. Manhattan/Laurie on Mars scenes so it plays more like the comic book.

MC: Added Chapter 9 end-quote after camera reveal of smiley face on Mars.


Chapter 10: Two Riders Were Approaching

MC: Added Chapter 10 title card: "Two Riders Were Approaching…" after Nite Owl and Rorschach shake hands.

Trimmed gratuitous violence/obvious fake teeth gore close up shot when Dan attacks the Knot Top.

Edited together all of the Dan/Rorschach sleuthing scenes so it's more like the comic book -- this also moves the story forward rather than having and "A" storyline going in one direction while the "B" storyline (Laurie/Manhattan on Mars) still trudges on.

MC: Added Chapter 10 end-quote after Ozy notices Dan and Rorschach approaching his Antarctic compound in the video monitors.


Chapter 11: Look On My Works, Ye Mighty...

MC: Added Chapter 11 title card: "Look on my works, ye mighty…" after Dan and Rorschach break into Ozy's compound.

Trimmed down Ozy's ridiculous superhuman martial arts.

MC: Added Chapter 11 end-quote after attack on NYC.


Chapter 12: A Stronger Loving World...

Cut Nixon/Kissinger scene in War Room because it is redundant -- we know that it was supposedly Dr. Manhattan's energy signature because Ozy already said it was, and eventually Nixon says it again during the television address he makes.

MC: Added Chapter 12 title card: "A stronger loving world" after Dr. Manhattan and Laurie teleport out of New York.

Cut Rorschach's end voice-over so the scene plays more like the comic.

MC: Added Chapter 12 end-quote and "Who watches the watchmen?" Latin quote.

Used end credits from TC (no mention of animated sequences/crew/voice cast).

Replaced My Chemical Romance song during end credits with Philip Glass songs: "Massman" and "New World."

Added credits for the fan editor and additional songs by Philip Glass.


BpYAy.jpg

Mng18.jpg

zLKau.png



Trailer (with Philip Glass and Tyler Bates music cues):

Trailer (alternate version with Zack Hemsey's "Mind Heist"):



This is my first FanEdit and I'm excited to share it with everyone.

Submitted for approval. Available as an NTSC DL DVD on MU. Please PM for links!
 

Flix Capacitor

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That's odd--- I don't know what happened. I'll try to repost.
 

g1orkatsos

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can you repost or something? is this a fanedit of the movie org the motion comic?
 

Flix Capacitor

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FV9gl.jpg


WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT

FanEdit Details:

Original film name: WATCHMEN
Film studio name: Warner Bros.
Edit crew name: Flixcapacitor
Original Release Date: March 6, 2009
Original Runtime : 162 min
Edit Release Date: October 16, 2011
New Runtime : 192 min
Amount of time Cut/Added : 30 min

Intention:

My intention for WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT has been to work with available materials to make this film adaptation more closely resemble the structure and spirit of the original comic. Keeping in mind that the film can never be a perfect 1:1 of the comic, I've tried to make this a better version of WATCHMEN for the screen.

Overview:

Available in three "official" DVD versions, WATCHMEN is a pretty good adaptation of an excellent comic book, but even in its most extended official version (the "Ultimate Cut") it lacks the character depth of the original comic. My version, WATCHMEN: MIDNIGHT, is an attempt to recapture some of the spirit of the original comic and remove much of the silly or over-the-top parts of WATCHMEN. Scenes have been reorganized to better match the narrative structure of the comic book and selected segments from the "Under the Hood" TV show from the DVD have been incorporated to fill in the backstory like the extra material at the end of each issue in the comic. Several instances of music have been changed, as well.

General Editing Notes:


TC = Theatrical Cut
DC = Director's Cut
UC = Ultimate Cut
MC = Motion Comic
UTH = Under the Hood

All "Tales of the Black Freighter" animated segments have been removed. The animation style is inconsistent with the comic book and I chose to use the screen time on character development. Furthermore, "Tales of the Black Freighter" is not as relevant to the plot since the "squid" was modified for the film adaptation and therefore the comic book writer character, Max Shea, is not included in Veidt's plot. In that case, it's strange that Bubastis was included in the film since the genetic engineering aspect of the comic book was left out of the film.

Some of the scenes at the newspaper stand with the two Bernies remain in the film in order to give more context in the New York setting -- young Bernie is shown reading "Tales of the Black Freighter" and this is intentional as a callback to the original Watchmen comic. I think it's important to have some on-screen reference to comic books in this movie since it is based on one and Hollis Mason mentions Superman comics in UTH -- additionally, an issue of "Batman" appears in the opening credits and an issue "Action Comics" appears in an UTH segment.

The "Under the Hood" segments are presented as if they are being viewed on a VHS tape by Hollis Mason at his home, and they provide a good deal of character backstory and plot context, themes, etc. Like the UTH excerpts and other supplemental matter at the end of each issue of the original comic, they draw parallels between the past and present characters and setting, and act as meditations on the larger themes of Watchmen. Also, the main feature includes several shots of TV screens, so these segments seem to fit the aesthetic. There are no phony commercials because they are mostly distracting and waste screen time, and over the top portions have been removed from UTH.

This is a long film, so I've added a traditional intermission. The break comes at a thematic shift in the narrative -- at the end of the UTH segments and when all the main characters have been given their backstory. After the intermission, the plot advances to the climax with no interruptions other than chapter breaks and quotations.

Narrative "chapters" are organized like the original comic, each starting with a title and ending with a quotation. Without enough material to make two distinct chapters, I've combined "Fearful Symmetry" and "The Abyss Gazes Also."

Additional music comes from the "Naqoyqatsi" film score by Philip Glass. Many of the pop songs have been replaced in order to maintain a tone for the film, except for a few songs that are appropriate for scenes and respective historical periods, such as "99 Luftballoons" for the 1980s and "I'm Your Boogie Man" for the 1970s.

In general, excessive violence or unnecessary "super human" feats by normal people have been trimmed. For example, I've removed Rorschach's gratuitous head chopping scene and Ozy's throwing Rorschach across the room.

Instances where the crime fighters are actually referred to as the "Watchmen" have been removed.


CUT LIST:

Chapter 1: At Midnight, All the Agents...

Changed company logos from black-on-yellow to yellow-on-black in order to fade from black into the opening credits. Restored 1980s-era DC logo and rotated it so the stars are N-S-E-W as on the covers of the Watchmen comics.

Removed attack at Blake's apartment.

Removed Gerald Butler from opening credits. Credits segue into vertical pull-back shot from smiley pin on the street to Comedian's apartment.

Flashbacks to attacker kicking in the door and throwing Comedian out the window are intercut with police detectives' speculations. This scene is significantly shorter in all filmed versions than in the comic, so not as many flashbacks were possible.

MC: Added Chapter 1 title card: "Tonight, all the agents…" when Rorschach enters Blake's apartment.

Removed Rorschach's fight with police, so there is no awkward scene of cop shooting and missing Rorschach.

Removed mention of Rorschach when Dan visits Hollis Mason. No Rorschach on television.

Removed mention of Rorschach on television during scene in Dan's kitchen.

Removed Dan and Rorschach dialogue: "Watchmen are over" / "Says tricky Dick" / "Says me." This removes and instance where the group is actually called "The Watchmen." Now Rorschach suggests fighting back against the mask killer but Dan silently rebukes Rorschach before reminding him that he could retire with anonymity.

Trimmed first part of Dan visiting Veidt -- fade to black from Rorschach walking on street with narration about "so little time…" and fade in to close up of newspaper headline "Doomsday" and "Midnight" etc. Used second half of the scene between Dan and Veidt, thereby removing an awkward scene with journalists and several mentions of "the Watchmen."

MC: Added Chapter 1 end-quote after Dan says, "The Comedian is dead."

UTH: Added first segment, which makes a thematic bridge from optimism of the 1940s Minutemen to the somber aftermath at Blake's funeral in the 1980s.

Chapter 2: Absent Friends

Replaced Simon and Garfunkel song at Blake's funeral with Philip Glass song: "New World" because the S & G song is distractingly reminiscent of The Graduate. The new Philip Glass song also introduces some of the musical themes that will play at the end of the film, after Ozy's plot has succeeded -- in a way the death of the Comedian is the first step in orchestrating Ozy's "new world."

MC: Added Chapter 2 title card: "Absent friends." when Sally touches old Minutemen photo.

Replaced Wagner "Ride of the Valkyries" song with excerpts from Tyler Bates songs: "Who Murdered Hollis Mason?" and "Dan's Apocalyptic Dream" from the Watchmen score because the Wagner track is a distracting homage to Apocalypse Now. The twisted glee of the Wagner might work if the scene were the Comedian's memory, but this scene was Dr. Manhattan's reminiscence. The use of the Wagner track in the original version added misplaced humor to what should be an horrifying scene -- audiences are reminded of the Looney Toons opera "Kill the Wabbit" segment. The Wagner song worked in Apocalypse now, but not here.

Removed Comedian's over-the-top line: "Medic!!" from flashback.

Removed Comedian's line that references Watchmen group name in Ozy's flashback.

MC: Added Chapter 2 end-quote after flashback of Blake falling and Rorschach voice-over.

UTH: Added second segment which ends with Culpepper asking rhetorical question about whether Mason had the right to take law in to his own hands. This creates a seque into the question of Dr. Manhattan's responsibilities in the following chapter.

Chapter 3: The Judge of All the Earth

MC: Added Chapter 3 title card: "The Judge of All the Earth."

Trimmed gore and cartoony violence/stunts during Dan and Laurie's fight with the Knot-Top gang.

Removed Laurie's line, "It's a tough world out there," after fighting with knot-tops to smooth out transition to the following scene where Dan visits Hollis Mason -- Mason mentions Dr. Manahattan losing it on live television -- cut to: scene on street corner of man complaining about Dr. Manhattan leaving. Sequence continues to the scene with Laurie arguing with scientists about Dr. Manhattan, includes her flashback to first New Minutemen meeting. This sequence concludes with Nixon's first appearance since he was cut when the prologue attack scene was removed.

MC: Added Chapter 3 end-quote after Nixon says things are in the hands of a higher power.

UTH: Added third segment which ends with Sally saying it was important to know when to retire/move on/etc… This seques into the next chapter dealing with Dr. Manhattan choosing to retire and leave Earth.

Chapter 4: Watchmaker

Begins with Dr. Manhattan landing on Mars.

MC: Added Chapter 4 title card: "Watchmaker" when Dr. Manhattan starts to remember his past.

Trimmed gratuitous gore in mobster restaurant when Dr. Manhattan blows a person up.

MC: Added Chapter 4 end-title after Dr. Manhattan says, "Too late."

UTH: Added fourth UTH segment which ends with the Psychiatrist discussing the dangerous vigilantes who actually thing they are doing good for the world, as well as his desire to psycho-analyze one of them. This leads to the Ozy's meeting with the captains of industry and the failed "assassination" attempt and later the Psychiatrist's interview with Rorschach.

Chapter 5 / Chapter 6: The Abyss Gazes Also

Removed the gratuitous shot of the secretary's hand exploding like a blood-filled balloon during the assassination attempt on Adrian Veidt.

MC: Added Chapter 5 title card: "The Abyss Gazes Also" after Rorschach dons his costume.

Cut first two scenes of Rorschach in jail -- he is captured and the next scene is his interrogation by the psychiatrist.

Trimmed gratuitous violence during Rorschach's flashback about child killer. Final swing with meat cleaver makes a sound-bridge back to Rorshach in present day.

MC: Added Chapter 5 end-quote after Big Figure taunts Rorschach.

Chapter 5 title: "Fearful Symmetry" is omitted -- not enough filmed source material to constitute both chapters, but "The Abyss Gazes Also" quotation captures the irony of Rorschach being a wanted man and crime fighter.

Intermission

An intermission was used because of the shift in themes in the story -- character exposition is essentially completed with flashbacks and UTH, so the film now moves forward toward the dramatic climax. Also, long movies used to include intermissions and it seemed appropriate for the formal style used in this version of the movie (including segment titles and quotations).

Created "Intermission" title.

Used Philip Glass song: "Definition."

Chapter 7: A Brother to Dragons

MC: Added Chapter 7 title card: "A Brother to Dragons" after Laurie sets off the flame thrower on the Owl ship.

Fade out after first sex scene between Dan and Laurie -- then cut to: Dan's apocalyptic nightmare -- then cut to: Laurie finding Dan naked in basement. No scenes intercut with this segment (more like the comic book).

Cut annoying little girl from burning building rescue scene who says "Jebus" -- Replaced by version of rescue scene from TC.

Fixed repeated action of Laurie falling backward twice in Owl ship after building explosion.

Significantly trimmed down the sex scene in the Owl ship -- After dropping off the rescued people, Dan and Laurie originally shared some redundant dialogue before the smarmy and overlong sex scene. In this version, Dan finally feels sexually confident after they drop off the rescued people, so he puts the ship into auto-pilot and starts kisses Laurie sooner. They undress and begin to embrace, but the scene ends with the ship hovering in the air -- the sex is implied, and it's actually kind of romantic compared to the original version which was like a soft-core. Also, replaced the Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah" song with "We'll Live Longer" from the Watchmen score by Tyler Bates. This piece of music also plays during Dan and Laurie's dinner date in Chapter 1, and serves to round out their romance.

MC: Added Chapter 7 end-title after that scene. The quote from Job mentions "my bones are burned with heat," and I think this makes a nice bridge because the next chapter begins with a shot of prison inmate that Rorshach burned in the cafeteria line.

Chapter 8: Old Ghosts

Segment begins with prisoner flat-lining.

Trimmed establishing shot of prison riot to remove an awkward bit with a stuntman on fire.

MC: Added Chapter 8 title card: "Old Ghosts" during arm severing scene. Trimmed down gratuitous gore in that scene.

Cut Nite Owl II / Silk Spectre fighting prisoners --- the action is over-the-top and the rock music is wrong. The scene in the comic had just one punch, and so in my version Silk Spectre just punches out the overzealous prison guard.

Near the newsstand on the street, the Knot-tops talk about going to get Hollis Mason -- cut to Mason calling Sally and reminiscing.

MC: Added Chapter 8 end-quote after knot-tops kill Mason.

Chapter 9: The Darkness of Mere Being

MC: Added Chapter 9 title card: "The Darkness of Mere Being" after Dr. Manhattan teleports with Laurie out of Dan's hideout.

Edited together all of the Dr. Manhattan/Laurie on Mars scenes so it plays more like the comic book.

MC: Added Chapter 9 end-quote after camera reveal of smiley face on Mars.

Chapter 10: Two Riders Were Approaching

MC: Added Chapter 10 title card: "Two Riders Were Approaching…" after Nite Owl and Rorschach shake hands.

Trimmed gratuitous violence/obvious fake teeth gore close up shot when Dan attacks the Knot Top.

Edited together all of the Dan/Rorschach sleuthing scenes so it's more like the comic book -- this also moves the story forward rather than having and "A" storyline going in one direction while the "B" storyline (Laurie/Manhattan on Mars) still trudges on.

MC: Added Chapter 10 end-quote after Ozy notices Dan and Rorschach approaching his Antarctic compound in the video monitors.

Chapter 11: Look On My Works, Ye Mighty...

MC: Added Chapter 11 title card: "Look on my works, ye mighty…" after Dan and Rorschach break into Ozy's compound.

Trimmed down Ozy's ridiculous superhuman martial arts.

MC: Added Chapter 11 end-quote after attack on NYC.

Chapter 12: A Stronger Loving World...

Cut Nixon/Kissinger scene in War Room because it is redundant -- we know that it was supposedly Dr. Manhattan's energy signature because Ozy already said it was, and eventually Nixon says it again during the television address he makes.

MC: Added Chapter 12 title card: "A stronger loving world" after Dr. Manhattan and Laurie teleport out of New York.

Cut Rorschach's end voice-over so the scene plays more like the comic.

MC: Added Chapter 12 end-quote and "Who watches the watchmen?" Latin quote.

Used end credits from TC (no mention of animated sequences/crew/voice cast).

Replaced My Chemical Romance song during end credits with Philip Glass songs: "Massman" and "New World."

Added credits for the fan editor and additional songs by Philip Glass.


BpYAy

Mng18

zLKau


Trailer (with Philip Glass and Tyler Bates music cues):

Trailer (alternate version with Zack Hemsey's "Mind Heist" music):


This is my first FanEdit and I'm excited to share it with everyone.

Submitted for approval. Available as an NTSC DL DVD. Please PM for links!
 

TV's Frink

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Thread should be fixed now. Just wanted to let people know who might have come in and saw nothing the first time :)
 

Kal-El

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I want! :)
Also, the internet really needs a new meme:
"Zack Hemsey's "Mind Heist" goes with everything".
 

TV's Frink

You Catch On Pretty Quick
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Editroid said:
Where do I download this?

Read the OP

Flixcapacitor said:
Submitted for approval. Available as an NTSC DL DVD on MU. Please PM for links!
 

Kal-El

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Editroid:
Flixcapacitor said:
This is my first FanEdit and I'm excited to share it with everyone.
Submitted for approval. Available as an NTSC DL DVD on MU. Please PM for links!

EDIT: Frink beat me to it :)
bart_n_frink.JPG
 

Flix Capacitor

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Kal-El said:
I want! :)
Also, the internet really needs a new meme:
"Zack Hemsey's "Mind Heist" goes with everything".

Haha :) good idea for the new meme.

After I made the first version of the trailer I thought, let's give it the "Inception test" and drop "Mind Heist" in there just for fun. To my surprise, it seemed to work pretty well so I made some adjustments and added a few shots.
 

Omaru1982

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Colour me interested, I like the DC with it's subtle additions and more important ones (Hollis's death being the main addition) it probably won't replace the blu ray for me, but I think it'll make a nice alternative to go to from time to time.
 

Flix Capacitor

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Omaru1982 said:
I like the DC with it's subtle additions and more important ones (Hollis's death being the main addition)

I agree! The death of Hollis Mason was a strong point in the DC, and I've included his death scene in Watchmen: Midnight. One of the reasons for including my Under the Hood segments was to complete Hollis' story arc: His origins, moral philosophy, and relationships with other characters -- including his unrequited love for Sally Jupiter.
 

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Watched this yesterday.

Excellent video and audio quality. Nothing to say there.

Static menu, very simple with "Play" and "Chapter selection" only but at the length of the edit that was a wise choice on the editor's part. I'd rather see quality in the finished edit than a flashy menu.

None of the cuts are jarring; everything fits together neatly. There are now title cards and quotes throughout the movie, which adapts the ones in the comic book. Some of the quotes and title cards flash by a little too quickly for my tastes but maybe I'm just a slow reader.

The biggest change in this edit, in my opinion, is the music; the use of Philip Glass' score drastically changes the overall tone of the movie and it works VERY well. Although those familiar with the "Naqoyqatsi" film score might find that distracting. But for me, it definitely brought new depths to the movie as I found the overuse of 80s music extremely annoying. Great change there.

Overall, this won't be a replacement disc for me but it's definitely a version I will re-visit one day. Much closer to the comic than any of the commercially available cuts out there, I consider it a must-see for any comic book fan. Flixcapacitor managed to capture the essence of its source material and convey it in an extremely efficient way.

8/10


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revel911

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OMG .... Am I excited to download and watch this! Wish it was in 720p, movie looks amazing in HD.
 

veggieguy12

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This sounds AWESOME.
I was sorta waiting for someone to fix the poor choices of music in the theatrical/Director's versions.
 

ShiftyEyes

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Flixcapacitor said:
I agree! The death of Hollis Mason was a strong point in the DC, and I've included his death scene in Watchmen: Midnight. One of the reasons for including my Under the Hood segments was to complete Hollis' story arc: His origins, moral philosophy, and relationships with other characters -- including his unrequited love for Sally Jupiter.
I'm very interested in this edit, but skeptical. I love the comic, but think Snyder's movie is frustratingly wrongheaded. It gets so much of the little things right, but misses the big picture.

I looked at the cut list, but didn't see any changes to Mason's death scene which I actually think is one of the worst offenders. It's a great moment in the comic, but Snyder turns it into a joke with his speed ramping and chop-socky sound effects. Like the other uses of music you've mentioned, the music recalls some great films like Raging Bull. But in Snyder's hands it feels cheap, especially the way it's edited into the scene. I think the scene would be much more effective if it played just with music.

I got to the end of the first trailer you posted and I was reminded how bad Taylor Bates' music is for the film.
 

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I just watched this, I'll be writing a review some time tomorrow (sunday) but for the time being, I thought it was tremendous.A few things here and there bugged me, but overall this is a far far better version of the movie that actually re-incorporates some of the actual substance of the graphic novel, rather than just being a surface level adaptation. Really, really well done edit.

The only thing I wish is that somebody with the time could go through this movie and speed up the insanely irritating slow motion stuff so that it'd play in real time. I really hate Snyder's obnoxious over reliance on slow motion. It's like he thinks everything he's shooting needs to look like something out of a music video.
 

Flix Capacitor

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ShiftyEyes said:
I love the comic, but think Snyder's movie is frustratingly wrongheaded. It gets so much of the little things right, but misses the big picture.

I agree! They claimed to restore the "complete story" by adding the Tales of the Black Freighter segments in the UC but even that version I think the film was missing some elements of the big picture. One of the things I've tried to to in my edit is fill in some of the gaps.

ShiftyEyes said:
I looked at the cut list, but didn't see any changes to Mason's death scene which I actually think is one of the worst offenders. It's a great moment in the comic, but Snyder turns it into a joke with his speed ramping and chop-socky sound effects. Like the other uses of music you've mentioned, the music recalls some great films like Raging Bull. But in Snyder's hands it feels cheap, especially the way it's edited into the scene. I think the scene would be much more effective if it played just with music.

Good point -- I agree that in the official versions of the film Mason's death seemed shoehorned in there. I think the reason for this is Mason was never really given a believable story arc. He appears in the opening credits as Nite Owl, has a few quick scenes with Dan Dreiberg, a couple of mentions by other characters, then dies in a nostalgic fight scene after calling Sally Jupiter on the phone. But there is all this screen time in between his introduction and death where he is missing from the film. We never get to know him very well or care about him enough that his death seems significant, and so the whole scene feels overblown.

In my edit I've tried to give Mason a more complete story so we know where he comes from, what he believes in, and who and what he wanted. We can believe that he's a very nostalgic guy who tends to romanticize things -- from the very beginning of his crime fighting days up to his own death when he has those flashbacks of the old villains and the sentimental sounds of combat. By knowing more about Mason, I think we can believe he would experience things like he does in his death scene.

Thanks for your comments :) I hope you enjoy my edit.
 

revel911

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Waslah said:
The only thing I wish is that somebody with the time could go through this movie and speed up the insanely irritating slow motion stuff so that it'd play in real time. I really hate Snyder's obnoxious over reliance on slow motion. It's like he thinks everything he's shooting needs to look like something out of a music video.

I guess it is a relative opinion as I actually like when he Snyder does it as he is far superior at it than anyone else.
 
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