# A question about The Watchmen (movie) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126 "2011-04-29T04:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/21 "2011-05-03T13:02:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was Archibald a lighter-than-air craft? I had the impression that it used some sort of super-science propulsion/levitation system. Certainly, a large proportion of its volume seems to be usable space, and it seems awfully fast for a dirigible. > > In fact, I think that scene was constructed from one of the famous photos of Kent State. Certainly, there was no doubt at all in my mind when I saw it that that’s what it was referencing. “Archibald?” Methinks you mean Archimedes, named after Merlin’s owl in “The Once and Future King.” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/22 "2011-05-03T13:13:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > In fact, I think that scene was constructed from one of the famous photos of Kent State. Certainly, there was no doubt at all in my mind when I saw it that that’s what it was referencing. It refers to a famous [Bernie Boston](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR2007031701300.html) photo from 1967. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/23 "2011-05-03T13:42:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was Archibald a lighter-than-air craft? I had the impression that it used some sort of super-science propulsion/levitation system. Certainly, a large proportion of its volume seems to be usable space, and it seems awfully fast for a dirigible. > > In fact, I think that scene was constructed from one of the famous photos of Kent State. Certainly, there was no doubt at all in my mind when I saw it that that’s what it was referencing. Huh - I thought he couldn’t have been referring to Kent State in that shot, since even a 5 minute perusal of the wikipedia article would show that it was a totally inaccurate potrayal - the students were around 100 yards away, they were throwing objects, etc. (Not that I am in any way excusing the Nat. Guard firing on them). Of course, Zack Snyder pissed on a decent amount of the comic book as well. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/24 "2011-05-03T13:46:33Z")
The purpose of that scene was to show the alternative timeline. In our reality, the kids at the Pentagon putting flowers in the barrels were unharmed. In the alternative history, the soldiers opened fire. I can’t recall, was this the same event at which there was an effort to make the Pentagon levitate using only the power of peace and love? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/25 "2011-05-03T16:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > “Archibald?” > Methinks you mean Archimedes, named after Merlin’s owl in “The Once and Future King.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/26 "2011-05-03T16:57:21Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > “Archibald?” > Methinks you mean Archimedes, named after Merlin’s owl in “The Once and Future King.” The comic cites _The Sword in the Stone_, actually. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/27 "2011-05-03T17:26:52Z")
Okay, so once removed. _Sword in the Stone_ was based on the first part of The Once and Future King, just as \*Camelot \*was based on the later sections. (Of course, all postdate the time line split, so Dreiberg may have seen a very different film than we are familiar with.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126/28 "2011-05-04T14:38:54Z")
TV Tropes on “Zeppelins From Another World,” a sure sign that you’ve slipped into an alternative universe such as President Nixon’s fifth term: [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld) I don’t remember any of the airships in either the graphic novel or the movie being clearly identified as police. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-watchmen-movie/580126.md?page=1)