Jan 21 2009This Video May Prove Dr. Manhattan Actually Exists
Watchmen is really upping the quality of these viral marketing schemes. Those Dark Knight viral sites like, the Joker's defaced version of The Gotham Times, The Ha Ha Ha Times, were fun but left lingering questions about why a criminal psychopath would spend so much time on decoupage and scanning. This video about Dr. Manhattan, done in a style that perfectly replicates a '70s network news broadcast, on the other hand, is pretty great--both as marketing and as a companion piece to the film. If this were one of my dementia "bad days", I'd think this was real:
A Dr. Manhattan Superfriends-style cartoon! Brilliant!
Reader Comments
1. Dylan - January 21, 2009 4:53 PM
I came.
2. Dylan - January 21, 2009 4:54 PM
In my pants. That was great.
3. Dylan - January 21, 2009 4:55 PM
That black and white photo of Dr. Manhattan in the suit is creepy as fuck.
4. alphabet - January 21, 2009 5:17 PM
ok that was rad.
but shouldn't the team of 'masked avengers' at 1:40 be the period Minutemen, and not the modern team?
slip-up, IMO...
5. Fizz - January 21, 2009 5:42 PM
Im so excited to see this.
Im scared it wont do well because most American's are pretty freakin stupid and I'll bet this viral video is over their heads.
6. Hal - January 21, 2009 5:49 PM
alphabet - if I were a comic book nerd loser, I'd tell you that you're a complete asshole because you got it SO wrong; he didn't join the Minutemen, he joined the Watchmen team circa 1973! Although really, I'm the asshole - EVERYONE knows that they were never called the Watchmen by name! God I suck...
7. Hal - January 21, 2009 5:49 PM
... SUCK LIKE A FOX!
8. Tyler - January 21, 2009 6:51 PM
This is to alphabet... Dr. Manhattan was never a member of the Minutemen was he? I don't believe so, but I am not looking it up, and could be mistaken. Also, the video does not say that the picture of him with the others was the first group of masked heroes, it doesn't have to be the first generation of heroes.
Otherwise, awesome video. I would totally have watched Dr. Manhattan cartoons on Saturday mornings!
9. Beth - January 21, 2009 7:12 PM
Fizz-
Before you say most "American's" are "pretty freakin stupid" again, you might want to retake your last grammar class. That's right- the word "I'm" is not spelled "Im." Oh, and apostrophes are used in conjunction with the letter s for possessives, not plurals, dear.
That being said- this video is amazing and I want to bear Dr. Manhattan's blue children!
10. Dwight's 2nd Life - January 21, 2009 7:45 PM
Mr. Manhattan and I have the same "birthday". March 11th!!!
11. RandomNigel - January 21, 2009 8:17 PM
This is pretty spectacular marketing, I have to say.
Whoever thought of this deserves a raise.
12. Berzerker - January 21, 2009 8:42 PM
pretty good. i guess.... better blue then red? thats so stupid. plus the cg is way too obvious. neet idea tho
13. forthelulz - January 21, 2009 8:54 PM
the "modern team" is the team from the 70s, is it not?
14. B - January 21, 2009 11:14 PM
"
Fizz-
Before you say most "American's" are "pretty freakin stupid" again, you might want to retake your last grammar class. That's right- the word "I'm" is not spelled "Im." Oh, and apostrophes are used in conjunction with the letter s for possessives, not plurals, dear.
That being said- this video is amazing and I want to bear Dr. Manhattan's blue children!
"
ur a fag, who the fuck gives a shit about perfect spelling on the internet..he is right, most americans are idiots
15. cogezek - January 22, 2009 1:16 AM
Anybody (American or otherwise) that still uses fag as an insult or derogatory term (outside of a humorous/self-aware context) is all or several of the following:
A) pretty fucking stupid
B) not interested in proving they're not a moron
C) as inclined to erroneously generalize as Fizz
D) as inclined to use phrases like "better blue than red" to simplify complex arguments as the dipshit portrayed in the viral
E) B
I'm afraid this movie will really dissapoint, but this viral's a pretty sweet idea with adequately convincing execution. This brings needed (IMO) credibility to Snyder's grasp of Moore's vision and hopefully his understanding of Watchmen's themes. The dialogue of the people being interviewed was somewhat stilted but mainly just the shrewd old guy and the dipshit I compared two of the previous commentators to.
I'd love to know how much of this post is "over your head", Fizz.
16. Schulzy - January 22, 2009 1:17 AM
People who give a shit about perfect spelling on the internet look like highly intelligent people on the internet. People who type piles of pasta sauce like you do tent to look like retards on the internet.
17. StevewithaK - January 22, 2009 4:59 AM
Nah, movie timeline has the Watchmen (So dubbed for clueless people expecting a 'super-team') forming in 1970. So the chronology is correct.
18. Just a Guy - January 22, 2009 11:29 AM
Just finished reading the comics for the first time yesterday. The viral videos are a cool way of presenting some of the tangents from the books without creating a four hour movie. I dig it.
19. rob - January 22, 2009 11:48 AM
mmmmm pasta sauce.
20. Michael "Bishop" Emery - January 22, 2009 1:37 PM
Nice marketing, and I agree with "Just a Guy" in that this will help flesh out the story from the graphic novel, so as not to require four hours to cover it all.
www.alphaunleashed.com
21. or_pitseleh - January 22, 2009 2:26 PM
freaking sweet
22. J - January 22, 2009 6:10 PM
"Better Blue than Red" Has an interesting subtext to it that I think is unsuited to that particular era in the graphic novel. It implies that citizens aren't entirely satisified with Dr. Manhattan, just think of him as "better than the alternative." Wasn't he supposed to be America's sweetheart at the time, though? The "defunct before it really started" team came before general sentiment turned against masked avengers.
Looking back through hazy memories, though, i'm not sure the timing of the team is all that correct. Joker and Doc rampaged through Vietnam while under government contract. I'm remembering that as happening after the backlash against vigilantes.
23. Tom - January 22, 2009 6:35 PM
Really cool. Would like to know how they did the "worn out film" look. The distorted video filters in most editing programs always look like fake distortion. Maybe they really used equipment from the 70's?
Anywho, I really think these viral videos (if they keep coming out like this) will be the translation to all the newspaper clipping and book excerpts from the graphic novel. Quite genius if I do say so myself.
but then again, I ar amareican. i not su smart cuz we all sooo dum. (really now, are we still chidren here? wait, don't answer that. this IS the internet. silly question)
24. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - January 22, 2009 9:05 PM
Okay, you people do realize that "better blue than red" references "red" as meaning communism right?
I've never followed this graphic novel so I realize I'm a noob on the topic of Watchmen, but from the trailers I've seen, this looks pretty bad-ass.
25. Ark - January 22, 2009 10:56 PM
Wow, i'm surprised only one person (Formerly) understood the blue > red deal. everything that's in the movie is going to be based on that time period.
So thank god they got the anti-communist attitude in there.
26. Dr. Long Island - January 23, 2009 12:51 AM
if this were real, i'd change the channel
27. Scott - January 23, 2009 3:15 AM
I love how it even has the scratchy video and audio quality, as if it actually was an old tape clip that someone had copied onto YouTube.
28. dragsnipe - January 23, 2009 11:10 AM
It sucks. When will these people wake?
29. Ange Mass - January 23, 2009 12:39 PM
Im scared now!
30. dr. whollagins - January 23, 2009 1:28 PM
My only problems were that some of the footage was too clear, and some of the graphics were too precise. I don't know why, when trying to emulate old footage, people seem afraid to actually make it look old enough.
31. Hawk - January 24, 2009 12:07 AM
I bet that old guy gives GREAT blow jobs! MMmmmm!!!
:>~~~~
32. bendizle - February 2, 2009 5:40 PM
olivia jumped into a big thing of pie......in a french maid outfit.....it was amazing
33. doughope - February 5, 2009 5:07 AM
I've found the "Better Blue than Red" t-shirts at cafepress
34. Melissa - February 5, 2009 5:41 PM
I can't believe it took 24 comments in for someone to get "better blue than read". Seriously? SERIOUSLY? What were we fighting in the 70s folks? Communism. Worldwide. Especially in Latin America (mmm U.S. interventionist politics gotta love 'em).
Anyways. I'm stoked about this movie. I'm loving this viral campaign.
35. flacahoe - February 6, 2009 3:12 PM
Remember people, most of the commenters are probably under 30. Out of those over that age, some are just plain retart--oops--retarded, or ignorant, or just don't know history. Then you have those who did a lot of drugs back then, so it's all pretty hazy. Chances are though, that last group won't spend much time online...
36. B - February 16, 2009 5:15 PM
I feel for the artistic colaborators of this movie.Finally some people had the balls to attempt to make what was thought to be the most unfilmable graphic novel ever written.And no matter how well the movie turns out to be there will be nothing but negativity spewed all over the internet about how the film didn't live up to the hype.Ironically the hype is generated by the very fans who want to see this movie the most.