Alan Moore Season will include V for Vendetta, The Watchmen and From Hell.
V for Vendetta brings us nicely from the Freedom season with its dystopian view of the future and its revolutionary ideals. Alan Moore is the best graphic novelist of our generation and arguably Great British literature's most genius and incendiary left wing literary mind since George Orwell. He has enjoyed being courted by both Marvel and DC comics and has created some of the most influential and iconic comic book characters the world has ever seen. It was inevitable of course that Moore would be swamped upon by Hollywood and from this has resulted in 4 films both heralded and damned by audiences, critics and Moore himself. The Alan Moore Season brings you the best 3 the 4th being The League of Extraordinary Gentleman which despite being one of his best comic series is the worst of the films despite its all-star cast and is frankly not worth the bother.
V for Vendetta caused a controversy when it came out due it's scenes of 'terrorism' and the blowing up of certain landmark buildings apparently to close to comfort to the 2005 London bombings. Since then the film despite mediocre critical acclaim has now somewhat of a cult following, whether it is from its superb and groundbreaking inspiration in the Graphic novel or the disturbances it stirred in its release and the appearance of Natalie Portman with a skinhead. Thousands now adorn the mask of V as a form of protest, whether against scientology or an identity guard in student protests whether or not he likes the film, Moore must take pleasure in the fact the character of V takes such a part in modern left wing protests against the big brother like establishments we now face and which are fought against in the film.
V for Vendetta caused a controversy when it came out due it's scenes of 'terrorism' and the blowing up of certain landmark buildings apparently to close to comfort to the 2005 London bombings. Since then the film despite mediocre critical acclaim has now somewhat of a cult following, whether it is from its superb and groundbreaking inspiration in the Graphic novel or the disturbances it stirred in its release and the appearance of Natalie Portman with a skinhead. Thousands now adorn the mask of V as a form of protest, whether against scientology or an identity guard in student protests whether or not he likes the film, Moore must take pleasure in the fact the character of V takes such a part in modern left wing protests against the big brother like establishments we now face and which are fought against in the film.
Alan Moore famously said of the film adaptation of his best selling series Watchmen, “I will be spitting venom all over it” but despite Moore's hatred of the hollywood treatment on some of his best comic works watchmen actually came out boosting the franchises fan-base and ignored the lure of casting huge hollywood names to the 6 main oddball characters. The overall look of the film is true to the comic series and Zack Snyder makes a 100% better film than most Watchmen readers expected him to. Comic book adaptations suit sunday nights to a tee and with Watchmen easily sitting pretty amongst the top 5 its well worth a revisit with a pint or two.
As we draw nearer to all hallows eve the Alan Moore season winds down with a nod to England’s most infamous villain and links nicely with our two part Jack the Ripper halloween special sundays.
'From Hell' is the War and Peace of Moore's back catalogue, an epic collection of twists, turns and conspiracy’s surrounding the man, the prince, the butcher, the physician, the monster, the legend that is Jack the Ripper. The serialisation now finds itself together in a doorstop heavy graphic novel.
Without giving too much away Moore's take on the case was that he was heavily involved with a cover up involving the Royal family, a scandalous affair and the free masons. Despite being blighted with a flurry of hollywood names such as Johnny Depp and Heather graham and the familiar splattering of those actors that appear to have to feature in any Hollywood film set in the UK such as Jason Flemyng, Robbie Coltrane and Ian Holm, From Hell paints Whitechapel in all its 19th century squalor.
Its a pint sized compact version of the Moore classic by any means and Moore fans will be disappointed in its skimming of the surface, but nonetheless From Hell still remains as one of the only good films to London’s favourite murderer and its always fun to play spot the location where I once puked up, drank a pint, pulled or bought a ridiculously shit pair of expensive jeans from in All saints on a jolly to the consumerist bourgeois vintage heaven that now is Spitalfields.
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