I went to the midnight screening of The Watchmen last night. My rock-bottom expectations were surpassed, and I was surprised to be at least occasionally enjoying a mostly competent, dumbed-down, over-stylized adaptation of a great comic.

I’m mentioning it here because of the amusing effect the soundtrack seemed to have on the audience, who were mostly teenagers. With the exception of a terrible cover of “Desolation Row” by My Chemical Romance, the songs in the film were all classics, including tracks by Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix And others of their ilk.

The audience snickered at a lot of these tracks. During The Comedian’s funeral, when “Sounds of Silence” played, the audience nearly erupted. Granted, it was a lunk-headed musical choice, way too obvious, but laughter? Has the musical lexicon of the past several generations finally become a punch-line for the new generation?

Had the whole film been received as tongue-in-cheek and laughably silly (which it is) it wouldn’t have seemed so odd. However, for the most part, the audience appeared engaged on the films terms.

I have no thoughtful explanation or insight on this one. It was just odd.

(For the record, Doctor Manhattan’s penis was greeted with much more laughter, but I don’t think that had anything to do with ironic amusement.)