MovieChat Forums > Beneath Still Waters (2005) Discussion > another ripoff of a far superior Alan Mo...

another ripoff of a far superior Alan Moore comic book

posted 17 years ago by thekamisama
11 replies | jump to latest

This film is yet another ripoff of the genius comic book scripting skills of Alan Moore.

The entire premise of this movie is based on an 1980's issue of his Swamp Thing run titled...
"Still Waters".
Could they not even be bothered to change the title enough to seem like they didn't just take it?

It is bad enough that Moore has to fight against a film industry that keeps stripmining his ideas and writings into mediocre films like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell. It seems that some filmakers don't even try to do "legitimate" adaptions of his work and just cut straight to the bone with blatant stealing.

[–] aucarter 17 years ago

Thanks for the info on this story ...

http://darkmark6.tripod.com/swampthingind.html

Saga of the Swamp Thing No. 38
July 1985
Cover: Swamp Thing //Stan Woch / John Totleben
Story: “Still Waters” (23 pages)
Editor: Karen Berger
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciller: Stan Woch
Inker: John Totleben
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Feature Character: Swamp Thing
GS: John Constantine
Supporting Character: Abby Cable (next appears in SWAMP THING (second series) #40)
Intro: Frank North (next appears in SWAMP THING (2nd series) #45), Ronnie, Leon (only appearance for both), Bill, Howie, Nicky Shapiro (dies and becomes a vampire in this story)
Other Character: Deanna French (last appearance in issue #26; next appears in SWAMP THING (second series) #48)
Villains: Stiv Slashers, vampires of Rosewood, Illinois (last appearance for all in issue #3), Charlene (first and only appearance)
Synopsis: After a boy swimming in a stagnant pond in Rosewood, Illinois becomes the victim of underwater vampires, Swamp Thing regenerates his body near the town, where he meets John Constantine. Constantine tells him that some of the vampires he once faced have survived, and that a vampire “mother” has laid a great quantity of eggs...which are hatching.

[–] aucarter 17 years ago

Well, I have to take it back ... Apparently, the movie is based on a novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Still-Waters-Matthew-Costello/dp/0425201082

Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Beneath Still Waters

Fifty years ago, the town of Gouldens Falls was evacuated, flooded, and submerged under two hundred feet of water. Along with its secrets. Just as well it was buried. There was always something not quite right about that town.

Today, on the anniversary of its watery fate, the man-made lake that was once Gouldens Falls is the source of fascination for a visiting journalist. And a cause for alarm. Because something else is down there. Something evil. And on this special anniversary, it's going to surface.

[–] thekamisama 17 years ago

The book also came well after the Swamp Thing issue as well.

[–] vhsiv 17 years ago

I don't know about Moore using the 'drowned city' theme, but Neil Jordan used it - to no useful effect – in 1998's 'In Dreams'. The visuals are stunning, but the story threadbare.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] AntonPhibes13 16 years ago

I still have that issue (and the finale, #39), direct off the rack from my childhood days, and not in the best condition now. One of my favorites, and an effective horror comic overall. I always thought that the SW story felt a bit like Salem's Lot.

As mentioned, the film's based on a novel, but the connection is there. Never read the novel, but apart from a few elements, the film itself is far removed enough from the SW story at least.

[–] brodiebruce_405 11 years ago

Just so everyone knows, the amazing Alan Moore ish of Swamp Thing, and it's second part "Fish Story" are sequels to issue 3 of Saga of the Swamp Thing, which predates Alan Moore's run, where Swampy floods Rosewood to drown the vampires in the first place.

[–] MadRotaryOne_DDCgod 9 years ago

WRONG!! It's based off a book dumb ass. The book predates your comic book.
If anything, Moore probably ripped off the author. It's loosely based off
ol Lovecraft story, so they both probably stole from lovecraft and came up
with a similar plot....

[–] brodiebruce 8 years ago

Stop jabbering. You're wrong. The Alan Moore comic was first, then the book, then the film. It's a plagiarism. One of the joy's of Alan Moore's run on Swampy was the constant invention, every issue bringing some new great horror element.

Lovecraft has nothing to do with this - the closest fit would be 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' and that's hardly close.

[–] MadRotaryOne_DDCgod 8 years ago

Just becuase you want to suck Alan Moore's junk, doesn't mean you're right.

Nothing is original. Everything that has been written has elements from other
works or real events. Every movie or book I have ever seen or read has reminded
me of something else in some way, however small.

Brian Yunza is not the kind of person that would blatantly steal something
from somebody, since he himself has has to deal with these issues. It's
highly possible that whoever wrote the treatment and or screenplay had
read the comic at one time. It doesn't mean that Yunza or the other producers
knew that all or part of any element came from other source materials before
the making of the film.