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As we are all waiting in anticipation for the Watchmen Movie,  I thought I’d add this image that came out last year of the Minutemen, the first superhero group organized in 1939.  From left to right we have Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, the original Nite Owl, Captain Metropolis in the back, The Comedian kneeling up front, Silk Spectre and Hooded Justice.

Even notice the Silk Spectre is holding Hooded Justice’s arm. The only thing I don’t see is the crescent moon belt buckle on the Nite Owl, but that might just be the pic itself.

I don’t know… maybe it’s me, but I just can’t take a superhero, who wears shorts, seriously. That is, unless it’s Robin, he’s cool.  But.. the original Nite Owl falls into the “hetero but accidentally gayer than gay,” kind of like when Riley Freeman, Huey’s little gangsta brother on the Boondocks, ends up being ax’dently gay after worshipping his rappa’ artist Gangstalicious. Poor little Riley ended up wearing a skirt, halter top and carrying a purse. Funnier than hell.

• Nite Owl - Hollis Mason, wrote Behind The Hood.  Now runs an auto repair shop.
• Silk Spectre – Sally Juspeczyk (Jupiter) “bloated aging whore, dying in a Californian rest resort.”
• Captain Metropolis – Nelson Gardner,  “Decapitated in a car crash back in ’74.”
• Mothman – Byron Lewis,  in an asylum up in Maine.
• The Silhouette – retired in disgrace, murdered six weeks later by a minor adversary seeking revenge.”
• Dollar Bill – “got shot”
• Hooded Justice – “went missing in ’55.”

 Here’s the deal, as far as I understand it.  The Watchmen comic is owned by DC, which is really WB Warner Bros.  But, some time ago 20th Century Fox had the rights to the movie and GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY WB didn’t figure this crap out when they started making the movie but apparently, the superhero flick is really owned by 20th Century Fox, according to Variety.

So, a federal judge ruled on Christmas Eve that Fox actually owns the distribution rights to Alan Moore’s graphic novel, and these rights extend to the big motion picture that’s to be released in March of ‘09.

Fox filed the law suit in February ‘08, stating that they retain the distribution rights to the Watchmen graphic novel and that the producer Lawrence Gordon’s option to acquire the studio’s remaining interest in “Watchmen” was never exercised which means that Fox still has the rights under the 1994 agreement.

20th Century Fox originally grabbed the rights to the ”Watchmen” movie in the late 1980s and spent more than $1 million developing the damn project, which later went to Universal and then Paramount before landing at Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Jesus, what a bunch of looers.  Kinda like a duck-duck-goose, isn’t it?  They have the rights and sit on it and nothing happens.  Fools.

So far, the federal judge’s ruling has not stopped WB from releasing the Watchment movie on March 6. Stay tuned and we’ll let you know what the deal is as we hear it.

Here’s the lowdown. 

Be sure to catch the Watchmen trailer.  And buy the book before you go see the movie so you know exactly what the heck you’re watching.  You can use discount code “watchmen” to save 12% off your purchase… but ONLY if you’re going to buy the friggin book.  We only have a handful right now, since we can’t keep these things on the shelf to save our lives, but you can get them on sale now… “while supplies last.”

Also, if you want to know a little more about Watchmen… check out this site, the Annotated Watchmen.  More than the most diehard Watchman nut will ever want to know.

You can catch the rest of the photos at DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com. 

About the movie/story:  
Watchmen is a superhero-conspiracy story that depicted the deconstuction of the superhero archetypes.  It is an alternate history of the US where costumed “heroes” are real and the country is inching closer to nuclear war with the Soviet Union (now called Russia).  The time frame closely mirrors the US during the 1980s. The primary difference is the existence of superheroes. 

Their presence in this history has altered the outcomes of real-world events such as the Vietnam War and presidency of Richard Nixon. Although those that comprise the Watchmen are commonly called “superheroes”, the only character in the cast who possesses actual superhuman powers is <b>Doctor Manhattan </b> (however Ozymandias is said to possess “peak human” abilities as seen when he catches a bullet). In the comic, they refer to themselves as “costumed adventurers”, “costumed heroes” or—less frequently—”masked vigilantes.”

Throughout the story, the <b>Doomsday Clock</b> is shown gradually ticking towards 12:00 midnight. Watchmen tells the story of a group of past and present heroes and superheroes and the events surrounding the costumed hero Rorschach (the guy with the changing mask), a vigilante due to most masked heroes having been retired or outlawed.

While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy to eliminate all masked heroes – retired or otherwise. The story depicts it’s “heroes” as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who—with one notable exception—lack anything immediately recognizable as accepted super powers. Allen Moore’s deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has strongly influenced both comics and film.

I cannot wait for this film to hit the screen!  Be sure to buy the book
  

Federal Judge Gary Allen Feess ruled against Warner Bros. on Monday in a lawsuit brought by Fox to stop the release of Warner’s Watchmen film, due out next March.  Feess refused to dismiss the case, and ordered the parties to proceed with discovery and prepare for trial on an expedited schedule.  The tangled case goes back to the late 80s, when Fox obtained an option to produce a film based on the graphic novel. 

Warner Bros. issued a statement commenting on the ruling.  “The court’s ruling simply means that the parties will engage in discovery and proceed with the litigation,” the statement said.  “The judge did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pleading requirements.  We respectfully disagree with Fox’s position and do not believe they have any rights in and to this project.”

Fox also released a statement, specifying its goals.  “We will be asking the Court to enforce Fox’s copyright interests in The Watchmen (sic) and enjoin the release of the Warner Brothers film….”

Some are comparing the case to a dispute over Dukes of Hazzard involving Warner Bros., heard by the same judge, in which Warner ended up paying a major amount of money (variously described as tens of millions of dollars or $17.5 million) in conjunction with the settlement of the rights dispute.