Comics and movies

As longtime readers of this know, I have a running list of movies and tv adapted from comics that I publish as a book annually (theoretically at least, as I'm still doing the index to 2008's edition).

A couple of things to note this morning:

My buddy Bart Beaty's new book got an excellent review. The book is David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, By Bart Beaty, University of Toronto Press, 138 pages, $16.95. The review is "Good director, bon directeur," BY PIERS HANDLING, Toronto Globe and Mail Update January 8, 2009. Handling says, among other things, "Beaty does a superb job dissecting, interpreting and unpacking all the key moments of the film, revealing the tools a filmmaker, working at the height of his powers, brings to his canvas."

And then there's the Watchmen movie - "Studios Try to Settle ‘Watchmen’ Dispute," By MICHAEL CIEPLY, New York Times January 10, 2009. Cieply writes, "Mr. Karasik, joined by lawyers for Warner, had asked a court clerk on Friday if the judge would conduct a hearing in chambers, because they planned to discuss what he called “settlement issues.” The clerk conferred with Judge Feess, then returned to say that the judge would insist on a session open to the public." Hahahahaha! Good for the judge.