Despite what some box office analysts may tell you, a $55 million opening weekend in early March for an R-rated comic book adaptation is nothing to sneeze at. And while it appears that there was plenty of curiosity by the moviegoing public about the Watchmen movie, it seems that many of Screengrab’s readers didn’t share this enthusiasm. Consider that nearly half the voters in last week’s poll- 43%, to be precise- responded that they “couldn’t care less” about Watchmen. Of the other possible responses, the next highest-ranking choice was “more than a bit anxious,” which probably encompasses most of those who read (and loved) the comic. 14% of voters declared themselves “guardedly optimistic”, while the other 7% of you were downright angry about the movie- which, despite bad early buzz, wasn’t all that bad. And no voters were actually excited for Watchmen, which probably explains why it ended up at $55 million rather than a higher haul. Those who are inclined to watch box-office numbers will have their eye on Watchmen over the next few weeks to see whether it sustains its popularity with audiences.

This week, in conjunction with the DVD release of Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut Synecdoche, New York, we take a look back at his career so far. Acclaimed by many as one of the most original creative minds in Hollywood, Kaufman has made his name with his visionary screenplays, which sometimes manage to upstage the films themselves. So, we ask you- what is your favorite film based on one of Kaufman’s “original” screenplay? I’ve eliminated Confessions of a Dangerous Mind from the running since, no matter your feelings about the film, I think most people would agree that the strange stuff comes largely from its subject. On the other hand, Adaptation., despite what the Academy’s writing branch would have you believe, is all Kaufman. Anyway… which is your favorite?



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