Watchmen: Which DVD?

[the shutdown man]

Okay, so I've waited this long without buying Watchmen because of all the talk of various different cuts and box sets and so forth. So now there's the original, the director's cut and most recently the Ultimate Cut, which has the Black Freighter spliced into the Director's Cut, and depending on what you read possibily a few extra minutes as well. I don't know if the rumoured box set of all the cuts is happening.

So what I'm asking it has anyone actually seen any of the other cuts, and are they worth shelling out for? The Ultimate sounds interesting, but at the same time, actually putting the Black Freighter in the film might make it too long methinks.

[radiator]

I've been wondering about this too. I was waiting on the ultimate cut thing with the extended film, all the Black Freighter stuff integrated, the Motion Comics and Under the Hood included.

This was supposed to be out for Christmas, but so far I can only see any sign of it on Region 1 DVD and BD...? Anyone know if a UK release has been cancelled? It would be ironic if the ultimate edition got canned because of poor sales of the original cut.... because all the Watchmen fans were holding out for the ultimate edition...

[Colin YNWA]

I've held out for similar reasons. The trouble with doing this is you can end up getting nowt. I did this for 'Kill Bill' rather than buy the films as is, even when ridiculously cheap on offer I waited always assuming they'd be a special edition box set that allowed you different viewing options and even a cut as one film as originally intended etc. In the end I got nowt and have stopped looking. I'm thinking the Ultimate collection sounds about right and I'll wait a couple of months after X-mas to see how the price drops then get it.

[radiator]

Just had a quick look around, and it seems there are no plans to release the Ultimate Cut on Region 2 and I don't have a multi-region DVD player - Bah!

Apparently the Blu-Ray is region-free, but I don't have a BD player or an HDTV, and nor will I for the forseeable future - Bah!

Oh well, that's that crossed off the Christmas list!

[the shutdown man]

Yeah, neither the Directors nor the Ultimate cut seem to be available in region 2, which seems odd.

I'm thinking the Ultimate collection sounds about right and I'll wait a couple of months after X-mas to see how the price drops then get it.

That sounds like a plan alright, I may do the same.

[radiator]

Apparently the Director's Cut is coming out in UK, but only on Blu-Ray. It seems very odd in these days of internet piracy that we're not being offered the chance to actually buy these things!

[COMMANDO FORCES]

This is one of the reasons why I just pirate everything.
I bought Watchmen on Bluray when it came out and yet again it seems as if I've been cheated, as there was no mention on further discs in the future.
It pisses me off to no end. At least with Lord of the Rings they told you that the 4 disc version was coming out a couple of months after the 2 disc versions.
I suppose now that I have the Star Trek Bluray in February there will be a FUCKING directors cut.

Hollywood you are biting the hands that feed you, you bunch of twats

[Mardroid]

This is one of the reasons why I just pirate everything.
I bought Watchmen on Bluray when it came out and yet again it seems as if I've been cheated, as there was no mention on further discs in the future.

To be fair, there was mention right from the beginning of later versions. That being said, I don't think it was as widely publicised as Lord of the Rings, so it's understandable it might have passed you by.

I didn't know they weren't coming out in Region 2 though. If that's true.

[Mattofthespurs]

This is one of the reasons why I just pirate everything.


Hollywood you are biting the hands that feed you

Anyone else see the flaw there?  ???

[COMMANDO FORCES]

I have a massive DVD collection but after constant new versions of the same disc coming out I became disillusioned with buying them.
For instance you buy a film on DVD and within six months it's on Sky movies, no problems with that.
Then they somehow find all this extra material (it's a brand new film for Christ's sake) and release another version and another and another.
I see no reason for all new films to be released in the best way once only! Is that too much to ask for!
Like I said LOTR gave fair warning and I applaud them for that.
Now that I have a Blu-ray player I have a massive 5 films and I tell you if this new Star Trek film that I have just bought gets a new release with extra shit in a few months I will be mighty pissed off.

[Christov]

Buy the comic, bollocks to the DVD.

If you already have the comic, sacrifice a small goat to Alan Moore and you shall be blessed with extraordinary beard growth and a limited degree of psychic powers.

[the shutdown man]

Well, I got the Ultimate cut for crimbo, and it's definitely well worth watching. It adds in a lot of stuff from the comic that was missing from the film, like most of Hollis Mason's scenes, (his final scene is fantastic, I daresay actually better than the book), the two Bernies, and so on. And cutting the Black Freighter into the film doesn't drag it out at all like I thought it might, although it leaves out the one line from Veidt that would really explain the connection between the two stories.

Also, the extras in the set are great; Under The Hood is presented as an interview with Hollis Mason in the mid-70s, it's basically what's in the book, but still worth watching. And you get the Watchmen complete "motion comic" on two discs. Pretty sweet.

[TordelBack]

Aaargh, resolution to ignore existence of Watchmen movie-with-superheroics-and-slo-mo-and-'cool'-costumes wavering...

[Jim_Campbell]

Aaargh, resolution to ignore existence of Watchmen movie-with-superheroics-and-slo-mo-and-'cool'-costumes wavering...

Short version, TB: the film, in its various incarnations, is largely an astonishingly accurate and faithful recreation of scenes from the comic. The plot changes are largely sensible, and logical within the context of the film adaption.

But ... (SPOILERS A-GOGO)

[spoiler]But, Snyder's instinct to ramp the violence up to 11 whenever the opportunity arises seriously compromises the film. Watchmen is one of Moore's emotionally colder works, warmed only by Dan and Laurie. When Snyder cranks up the violence in the alleyway mugging, he turns them into emotionally deficient psychotics. Later in the film, in the scene where they discuss breaking Rorschach out of prison, he changes their motivation, transforming them into emotionally deficient psychotic dilettantes.

In one respect, the film is a succession of lovingly staged set pieces, but with the emotional heart cut out of the film, it's really just an exercise in turning Dave Gibbons' illustrations into moving images, and it's not enough.[/spoiler]

IMO. Obviously.

Cheers!

Jim

[Colin YNWA]

Am I right in thinking you can't get the ultimate cut over here (so to speak yet) and on DVD? I had a nosey for something like this in the sales the other day and could find nowt on DVD only Blu-Ray.