Like with the DVD release of the Dark Knight, though this time much earlier to coincide with the theatrical release, DC put together this short documentary as a companion piece cum extra to the "source" of the film, which itself is a take-off on the in-between chapters of the Watchmen book. Hollis Mason, the original Nite Owl in Watchmen, writes an autobiography chronicling the history of the costumed heroes that are a big deal in the 40s, then becoming less of a "fad" in the 1950s and then being outlawed, all with the prose of who was originally a NYC police officer. It's a series of interviews doen in faux 1970 style TV (even includes a few "vintage" commercials, one of the three actually quite funny), with an interviewer who gets the actors playing the characters to improvise (or maybe it's all written, I can see that very well being the case as well) on the subjects posed and raised. It's fun to watch and a little clever, but is mostly a cookie- it's got not much else really substantial out of it unless you have read the book. Certain characters pop up that are not in Snyder's theatrical cut of Watchmen (i.e. Captain Metropolis), and it doesn't run too long to over-stay its welcome. This said, the other little 'goodies' presented by Snyder and company - the other fake news segments on the likes of Dr. Manhattan that appeared online - were better.
Review of Under the Hood
Under the Hood
(2009 Video)
nifty but not very memorable extra/short-doc on Hollis Mason's "Under the Hood"
27 March 2009