Andraste

I am back in Melbourne! With an enormous new television. Well, new to me, anyway.

(When my grandmother moved into the nursing home, she naturally took her TV with her. And since my parents were spending one or two nights a week in her house, dad declared that he could not cope without The 7:30 Report and my parents went out and bought a new one. Now that grandma will never need a TV again, they've brought hers back to the house until they've finished packing up all the stuff - so there was a spare widescreen HD TV just sitting there. Which I have now inherited.)

Almost the first thing I did with it was finally watch my Watchmen ultimate edition DVD. It is a better film at three and a half hours with The Black Freighter included - probably the best screen version that could be done without taking it to television.

I was reminded of how much I love the cover version of Desolation Row that plays over the credits, so: have some cover versions. Because I am a philistine and I almost always like covers of Bob Dylan songs better than the original.

Desolation Row by My Chemical Romance

I saw more than a few horrified YouTube comments on this back when it was first released, but I think it rocks.

I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine by Thea Gilmore

She's done a whole tribute album, but this is off Songs From the Gutter.

Tangled Up in Blue by Indigo Girls

Because clearly this song is better when its about lesbians.

The Times They Are a-Changin' by Eddie Vedder

The original is used on the genius Watchmen opening credits.

All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix

Another one used on the Watchmen soundtrack. Compulsory for a list like this, just in case there is someone out there in internet land who doesn't have this on their mp3 player already.

Other things rewatching Watchmen reminded me of: how sorry I am that they cut the sugar cubes. (Almost everything else that got cut, I see why they cut it. I just miss the sugar.) That they inevitably lost a lot of the background and nuance of the original, but I like the ending of the film version better. That Rorschach in prison will never not be hilarious. (I should probably feel bad about how much the scene in the cell makes me laugh. "Never disposed of sewage with toilet before. Obvious, really.") How amazing Jackie Earle Haley is. And how happy I am that he's credited as just 'Rorschach' when everyone else gets both their code name and their civilian name. It's attention to detail like that that makes it a good adaptation.

I know there are things in Watchmen that have nothing to do with Rorschach, but it's been a couple of years since I've seen this, and he'll always be my favourite part. (I think the thing I love most of all about the film adaptation is how, during the Hand Holding Scene, Dan gently prises Rorschach off. Dawwwww.)

bride_of_lister and I just got back from a midnight screening of Watchmen. Very brief reactions below cut.

( Nothing plot spoilery below cut, but just to be safe. )