Taking Woodstock
Taking Woodstock is the new film from Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee – and it’s a trip!
Based on the memoirs of Elliot Tiber, the comedy stars Demetri Martin as Elliot, who inadvertently played a role in making 1969’s Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the famed happening it was. Featuring a standout ensemble cast, and songs from a score of ’60s musical icons including The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and Country Joe and the Fish – plus a new recording of “Freedom” from Richie Havens – Taking Woodstock is a joyous voyage to a moment in time when everything seemed possible.
Synopsis: Working as an interior designer in Greenwich Village, Elliot feels empowered by the gay rights movement. But he is also still staked to the family business – a dumpy Catskills motel called the El Monaco that is being run into the ground by his overbearing parents, Jake and Sonia Teichberg (Henry Goodman and Imelda Staunton). In the summer of 1969, Elliot has to move back upstate to the El Monaco in order to help save the motel from being taken over by the bank.
Upon hearing that a planned music and arts festival has lost its permit from the neighboring town of Wallkill, NY, Elliot calls producer Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) at Woodstock Ventures to offer his family’s motel to the promoters and generate some much-needed business. Elliot also introduces Lang to his neighbor Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy), who operates a 600-acre dairy farm down the road. Soon the Woodstock staff is moving into the El Monaco – and half a million people are on their way to Yasgur’s farm for “3 days of Peace & Music in White Lake.”
Watchmen Review
From my perspective, Snyder’s Watchmen achieves two goals. It delivers a visually stimulating companion piece for dedicated fans. And it provides a portal for newcomers taking their first tour through Moore and Gibbons’ thought-provoking but pessimistic universe. Their next step should be toward the bookstore, where the definitive version of Watchmen still waits.
It’s somewhat appropriate for director Zack Snyder to accept the challenge of translating Watchmen to film. Like the proud but overmatched Spartans in Snyder’s breakthrough smash, 300, he’s waging a battle that can’t be won. Whatever version he delivers, it will be compared to Moore’s vision — which means it’s likely to disappoint the graphic novel’s uncompromising fan base. Even Moore refuses to endorse any cinematic renditions of his work, believing film, as a medium, can’t do his comic-book story justice…[WorstPreviews]
If you’ve never read WATCHMEN, I’m recommending you wait until after you’ve seen the film. Everyone I’ve spoken to who saw the film as WATCHMEN virgins loved it. And believe me, that was not at all what I was expecting to hear. For all of you first timers, here is a synopsis. Don’t read the spoilers below. WATCHMEN is set in an alternate 1980’s America. Remember the 80’s? Big hair, bad music (no one send me hate mail for that please) and constant fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Well, in the version of the hairspray decade, the tension is still there. But we have a special weapon. Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup). In 1959, scientist Jon Osterman accidentally enters an “Intrinsic Field Subtractor” that disintegrates his body. He is able to rebuild himself with his mind, one cell at a time, as a giant blue (and often naked and well-hung) superman who has incredible abilities and keeps the Soviets at bay. But he’s becoming more and more alien. Nixon is running for a third term and tensions are growing despite Mr. Blue. The streets are getting violent as people wait for the end. The symbolic Doomsday Clock inches closer to midnight and things start to fall apart. But what about our superheroes?… [JOBLO]
No comic book has been the subject of more essays and serious literary discussion than Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen. It has been named one of the 100 greatest novels of the past century by Time Magazine. Released 20 years ago, the 12-issue maxi-series was a groundbreaking achievement for comics. Written “for adults,” Watchmen opened the doors for thought-provoking and intelligent comics in the mainstream. Two decades after its arrival, there is still no greater comic book.
In honor of the 20-year anniversary, DC Comics released a $75 oversized hardcover, Absolute Watchmen. For the first time, the series can be enjoyed at a considerably larger size and with completely re-mastered color. Few would argue the brilliance of Moore’s book, but get this — the Absolute Edition makes this epic tale even better. That’s right, the story lauded by critics and loved by fans is now more powerful than any version you have previously read…[IGN]
Watchmen (Les Gardiens) – Four Clips and International Poster
Four great clips and international poster from the upcoming “Watchmen” film have been released.
It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story – the story of The Watchmen.
The highly anticipated flick is directed by Zack Snyder (of Dawn of the Dead and 300) and is written by David Hayter (The Scorpion King, X-Men, X-Men 2) and Alex Tse. Stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
26 New Watchmen Hi-Res Pics
Warner Bros. Pictures has provided us with a new batch of 24 brand new pics from Zack Snyder’s upcoming adaptation of “Watchmen.”
It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story – the story of The Watchmen.
The highly anticipated flick stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
And One More Watchmen Poster
Here’s a brand new “Watchmen” IMAX poster promoting the release of the movie. It features a shot of all the characters with Dr. Manhattan standing over them.
The highly anticipated movie stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
“Watchmen,” directed by Zack Snyder is currently scheduled to appear in conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6th 2009. For more movie info, trailers, clips, posters and photos go to “Watchmen” FF Movie Page
No More Masks…Watchmen Poster
The final movie poster #2 for Zack Snyder’s upcoming adaptation of “Watchmen” has been released.
The highly anticipated flick stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
“Watchmen” will hits theaters nationwide on March 6. [source: TrailerAddict]
For “Watchmen” trailers, clips, photos, posters and more movie info, go to the “Watchmen” movie Page.
New Watchmen TV Spot, Character Features and Photos
A new TV spot, series of 30-second character features about each of the principal characters and several photos for “Watchmen” hit the Internet
In addition, the “Watchmen” viral site TheNewFrontiersman is now filled with some content. The images there are the first of a series of content exclusives to be released through the site, including correspondence, military documents, newspaper and magazine articles, photographs and video reports.
Adapted from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘ comic book series of the same title, “Watchmen” follows superhero-turned-vigilante Rorschach as he investigates the murder of his former colleague and discovers much more than a simple homicide case. Directed by Zack Snyder using script written by David Hayter and Alex Tse, it features the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman and Patrick Wilson.
Watchmen hits conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6.
Watchmen New Featurette
We are not sure if we’ll see Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” on time or not, but the new featurette for the movie is here. Take a look.
“Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes…
“Watchmen” stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer.
Second Zack Snyder’s Watchmen Trailer!
The new Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” trailer is here. It will also be showing in theaters front of “Quantum of Solace” this weekend.
“Watchmen” is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes…
“Watchmen” stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer, opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on March 6 2009. Continue Reading…
Another New “Watchmen” Poster: This City is Afraid of Me…
Yahoo! Movies has debuted new poster for Zack Snyder’s blockbuster-in-waiting, “Watchmen“
A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the “Doomsday Clock” – which charts the USA’s tension with the Soviet Union – is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion – a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers – Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity…but who is watching the watchmen?
The film is based on the 12-part DC Comics series written by Alan Moore and featuring art by Dave Gibbons.
“Watchmen” stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer, opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on March 6 2009. Continue Reading…
