Hey since you folks know comics so well, what was your take on The Watchmen?" (Directors cut of course).

And yes I too am working at getting caught up with Hellblazer. I never thought a sequel would be hard - in fact I have some pretty good ideas on that one. With many adaptations and considering the vast amount of source material there would bound to be some flack but why not just go original adventure keeping the spirit of Connie?

Didn't watch the director's cut of 'Watchmen'. YET. Give me a few days. Watched only the 'official' version and ... well... I thought it was ok ( the use of "Hallelujah' on the soundtrack made me smile; I think even Alan Moore would have appreciated the joke ;) :D ). But had the feeling that Snyder sort of shot the comics panel-by-panel... okay, except for the alien squid thing. I wanted more. I wanted a touch of director's input, not just a 'to the letter' ecranisation... I'm not a fanboy, and when comics are translated into movie, I expect to be really adapted to the new medium...I want them to be translated, not transplanted ... Am I making any sense ?
Guess I'm just spoiled ;) :D
But that's why I liked 'Constantine' the movie even more after reading the comics. Because it took the essence of the character and the atmosphere and moved them on the screen in a believable and compelling way. Nevermind London becoming LA, nevermind the absence of the Scouse cussing, nevermind that the actor's not blond. Substance vs.form, people and fanboys.
But I digress. As always on this subject ;)

As for a sequel... well, imo it is rather hard to write, because they started with the grittiest and the most 'personal' part of all comics. I mean, the guy's damned and dying. Tries to gamble his way out of it. Fails. And then, the accidental redemption. How can one top that?
There's plenty of material out there and a sequel could be written, but the very ending of the movie sort of closed the loop, rounded the story... they sort of shot themselves in the foot with that.
The comics can afford to expand in 6 or 7 issues series... a movie can't.
But there's plenty of space for a prequel - anyway that seems to be the fashion these days...

And I would really, really, really want to see K 'wearing' this character again. Prequel, sequel, standalone story, as long as it's well written... I'll watch it. Again and again and again. :D

No my idea would not be a prequel - and yes it is so popular these days :(

I don't want to be able to peer inside the box - but I do want to want to peer inside the box, hence the intrigue. Knowing you can never solve a puzzle can be frustrating, but perhaps with age you really find the things that present as never solvable puzzles, people included.

That's why I like Constantine, and that's why I think it is a good fit for him.

My idea would be way out of the park. I like blindsiding in a script. When something comes at you that you never see coming. Or better yet when it suckers you into misjudging a situation.

Take this for example. Connie. Happily married living in England. Nice place. Warm and fuzzy. Wrong right? What if Connie has different information and is there because he has received word that perhaps a gate is located there. What if that said gate could be opening and a new foray is expected soon from a demon army? What if the picture perfect wife isn't really that at all ? What if she is part of the betrayal? Nice setup for beautiful circumstances if you ask me - especially if Connie can persuade some old friends for help.

I am really scared of Comics now. I don't like how things are going. I myself have always preferred Dark Horse over all. But now that Disney bought Marvel already we are seeing the results. Sami Rami quit. (excellent director) Toby Maguire quit. Now they are taking Spiderman back to high school as if the other movies never exsisted at all to fit the Disney Demographic.

You watch all of them will go this way. Disney believes in a very "white bread" approach to all of their productions. I suspect we are in for a lot of "high school musical" watered down nicey nicey stuff.

I like the dark. I like the minor keys. And I like movies with edge and intelligence mixed with soul searching, curiosities, and just not always having the answers.

As I said, just my opinion - me and my army of one.

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Take this for example. Connie. Happily married living in England. Nice place. Warm and fuzzy. Wrong right?

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Hey, I like way out of the park ideas :D
If only Warner would like them too :((

I think your army of one is about to get a new recruit, at least in what concerns comics and their movie adaptations...
But keep in mind that I'm not the 'usual' comics reader/fan ; I discovered comics only due to "Constantine" ; the very first comics magazine I ever picked up, opened and read was... were Ennis' "Dangerous Habits" series.
And that's what I read. Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Garth Ennis, Mike Carey, Neil Gaiman... these are 'my' writers. I'm not familiar with the 'classics' like Superman and Spiderman and all those superheroes.

And don't get me started on Disney. Or on how their "white bread" approach, as you say, is a part of a bigger scheme of 're-educating' the masses, 'cause it would sound paranoid ;) :D

But as long as Karen Berger and her team are still in charge of Vertigo, I guess we'll get our dark, insightful stories ;)

And as far as peering into the box - consider this. Fractals. They are mathematically engineered yet are still incredibly beautiful. Does something that is explained and dissected loose its beauty because the mystery is gone? I suggest that these things are separate issues. Explanation does not detract from the beauty and mystery within. That's why sometimes, for me at least acceptance without understanding (although rare) is something I really do treasure. Exactly like the character of Connie. Even if you think you have him figured out you haven't.

As to my army of one - always interested in new recruits.

Paranoid doesn't mean that someone isn't really out to get you.

The fractals metaphor... now that's food for thought. Thanks ! :)

Later edit : I don't want to dissect, just to observe. So the fractals are safe from me ;)

Besides, most of the people I know which isn't a lot right now, I have to explain what a fractal is. I just think they are so cool.

The mathematics fly high above my head, but I get the fern and cauliflower examples ;) And the 'as within, so without' reference ;)

Can't say I'm that familiar with fractals so as to have a favorite set - never really studied them - but my igoogle theme is orange fractals :D

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Fractals. They are mathematically engineered yet are still incredibly beautiful. Does something that is explained and dissected loose its beauty because the mystery is gone? I suggest that these things are separate issues. Explanation does not detract from the beauty and mystery within. That's why sometimes, for me at least acceptance without understanding (although rare) is something I really do treasure.

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I agree with this as well. Mostly. The way I see it, for the two things to be separate, the explanation has to be really well... presented? Thought out? Thorough? um... What I'm trying to say is that the explanation or dissection can't just run roughshod over the topic. It has to be really there.
Does that make any sense at all? I'm not very good at explaining myself. I know what I mean, I just can't seem to make anyone else understand.

I like the visuals created by fractals though, they're optically fascinating :).

And still... I sort of wanted a bit more from Snyder's movie...
Sheesh, I can be such a spoiled brat sometimes ! XD

For me I am getting jaded and there are so few movies now that give it all - meat and potatoes so to speak. Either the script is insultingly transparent or the charcterizations are vapid and superficial.

So yea I have been very disappointed with many films of late. I am going to see Wolfman with Benicio del Torro next week. Speaking of Luca did you ever catch Pan's Labarynth? What did you think ?

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Either the script is insultingly transparent or the charcterizations are vapid and superficial.

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Yes, I watched 'Pan's Labyrinth'. But while I definitely enjoyed watching it, it's a bit too 'fantasy' for my taste.

You see, I have a bit of a problem with too literal representations of fantastic creatures, worlds and so on. For me at least, when reading a story, all the descriptions in the text are blueprints on which I build my own vision of the depicted place / scene etc. And anyone else reading the same text will probably conjure a different image in their head. Like W.Gibson said, each reader will get a different image of the same described object because that's the way the human mind works. But when the images are already given to you onscreen... they can be both an alternative to your own and an inhibitor of your imagination. Personally, I prefer suggestive images ( like the towers of pods in the Matrix suggesting HD disc towers ) than just fantastic creatures. I prefer images that invite to thought to just simple visual gratification... But then, that's just me ...
You're a graphic artist, so what do you think about this ?

I agree very heartily with what you said. I have though a small place of whimsy in me (probably created by Tim Burton no less) that really enjoys fairy tales. As I said earlier I like the dark and minor keys, so a fairy tale for adults should not be sweet. Pan's Labyrinth is like that for me. I regard it as a separate genre sorta like a decendent of say Edward Scissor Hands. Very dark with a message and a bit of saccarin sweet. I really loved it and for the sad tale it told.

The Matrix to me is still one of if not the highest for it's genre. It is Scifi - done well. Not all questions are answered. No one message, but rather several. The visual imagery is outstanding. Each time I watch it I am amazed at the detail work in the digital paintings. And they truly are paintings. That it probably why you may consider them suggestive images. Just enough that you wants to see more.

I can be enthralled by the visual images of a film. However very few have enough of a story/acting to complete perfection.

Note - I like Avatar, even if it is a bit blunt. Maybe they thought that being that blunt was the only way to get their message across.

I thought this was a Hellblazer thread. On that note, what did you guys think of 'The Fear Machine' story arc? Those of you who have read it, that is. Those of you who haven't probably have no idea what I'm talking about.

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I thought this was a Hellblazer thread.

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What did I think of 'The Fear Machine' ? When I first read it, it seemed to be so 80-ish. But now... it somehow seems actual again.
And I liked Mercury :D
But the story is sort of ... unsettling.

What did you think about it?