before you watch the watchmen

You probably aren’t as breathlessly in anticipation as I am for Friday’s release of Watchmen. Statistically speaking. Matt and Brock are, I am sure, way more excited than I am, if only because they’ve been waiting a couple decades longer. I only read it last year. I worked on the production for a couple days and had no idea what I was a part of.

The book is, however, brilliantly, brilliantly written and very well illustrated. If you do not read the graphic novel before seeing the movie you will be doing yourself a very grave disservice. Many would argue that you couldn’t possibly see the movie if you’ve only read the graphic novel a few times.

It’s that rich.

It’s dark. It’s apocalyptic. It’s full of love and loss, hope and desperation. Humanity and inhumanity. Metaphor layered on metaphor. These are real people and their lives suck just as much as yours.

It’s not a comic book. It’s not a happy book. It’s an important book.

And I don’t know if there has ever been a movie so carefully watchdogged, so painstakingly faithful to the source material. It had to be.

Read the book. Then meet me at the theatre on Friday for an uncomfortable look at what it means to be human.

proposed definitions

Masterybation:

[1] your conversation with colleagues leaves other party guests behind — and bored.

[2] driven by the insatiable need to excel at single-player video games.

What do you think?