Byte Size: Comic Eclecticism
Adaptations from page to screen with stylistic verve.
Last week I went to the premiere of the MCU’s latest blockbuster instalment and ahhh… it’s not good, folks. Here’s a preview of my luke-warm takes:
“Eternals is a muddled misfire of cosmic proportions and a welcome reminder that Feige & Co are only human after all.”
As I wrote in my review, much has been made in the press and the film’s questionable marketing of director Chloe Zhao’s high-profile Oscar wins and her eclectic grab-bag of stylistic influences. Yet, for most critics (myself included), the end result was just another middling and formulaic entry in a billion-dollar franchise scraping the bottom of the barrel for more comic-book IP.
So, I thought I’d put together a list of genuinely eclectic comic-book film adaptations that have a real sense of stylistic verve. Enjoy!
The Crow (1994)
Synopsis: “Exactly one year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven – watched over by a hypnotic crow – returns from the grave to exact revenge.”
Director Alex Proyas took creator James O’Barr’s dark vision of a gothic neo-noir world to life with this 1994 cult classic. While the film certainly isn’t perfect, it’s forever immortalised by the final performance of star Brandon Lee, who was killed in an accident during filming with only eight days left on set. Watch the trailer here.
The Mask (1994)
Synopsis: “When timid bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss discovers a magical mask containing the spirit of the Norse god Loki, his entire life changes. While wearing the mask, Ipkiss becomes a supernatural playboy exuding charm and confidence which allows him to catch the eye of local nightclub singer Tina Carlyle. Unfortunately, under the mask’s influence, Ipkiss also robs a bank, which angers junior crime lord Dorian Tyrell, whose goons get blamed for the heist.”
I absolutely adored this film as a kid and I rented it on VHS from the video store so much that my poor mother was forced to ban me from watching it out of sheer annoyance. It’s super fun, bright and hyper-stylised, with a completely unhinged performance from then-star-on-the-rise Jim Carrey alongside Cameron Diaz’s film debut. Watch the trailer here.
Men in Black (1997)
Synopsis: “After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent Kay and new recruit Agent Jay find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.”
I have a vivid memory of watching this film on my own during school holidays one year and I enjoyed the shit out of it. Will Smith is at his wise-cracking best and bouncing of Tommy Lee Jones’ laconic “old man on the outs” performance. Plus, those little cockroach dudes that really like drinking coffee? Superb. Watch the trailer here.
Spawn (1997)
Synopsis: “After being murdered by corrupt colleagues in a covert government agency, Al Simmons makes a pact with the devil to be resurrected to see his beloved wife Wanda. In exchange for his return to Earth, Simmons agrees to lead Hell’s Army in the destruction of mankind.”
Okay, fun story. So, I had no idea what Spawn was when I saw this but I went to go see the film with my father and it was incredibly awkward and amusing watching him try to pay attention to this epic CGI disaster. This is pure hate-watch nightmare fuel masquerading as a late ‘90s film relic. It may be not-so slick trash but the soundtrack slaps. Watch the trailer here.
Blade (1998)
Synopsis: “When Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire during pregnancy, she did not know that she gave her son a special gift while dying—all the good vampire attributes in combination with the best human skills. Blade and his mentor battle an evil vampire rebel who plans to take over the outdated vampire council, capture Blade and resurrect a voracious blood god.”
Four words: Wesley Snipes blood orgy. Need I say anymore? Watch the trailer here.
Hellboy (2004)
Synopsis: “In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before a demon—Hellboy—has already been conjured. Joining the Allied forces, Hellboy eventually grows to adulthood, serving the cause of good rather than evil.”
Director Guillermo del Toro was the perfect choice to bring this particular story to life and his film plays out like a steampunk fever-dream, brimming with mechanical contraptions, secret societies, and larger-than-life characters. Just don’t watch the 2019 reboot by mistake—it’s dreadful. Watch the trailer here.
30 Days Of Night (2007)
Synopsis: “This is the story of an isolated Alaskan town that is plunged into darkness for a month each year when the sun sinks below the horizon. As the last rays of light fade, the town is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires bent on an uninterrupted orgy of destruction. Only the small town’s husband-and-wife Sheriff team stand between the survivors and certain destruction.”
It’s telling that there’re two vampire movies on this list but trust me, director David Slade’s graphic novel adaptation really takes the graphic here at face value. It’s a bleak film with truly terrifying villains and some of the best gore-filled moments of the late ‘00s. Watch the trailer here.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)
Synopsis: “Scott Pilgrim is a 22-year-old radical Canadian wannabe rockstar who falls in love with an American delivery girl, Ramona Flowers, and must defeat her seven evil exes to be able to date her.”
Prior to Marvel/DC dominance, this was considered the gold standard of comic-book film adaptations and, in many ways, it still is. Coming off 2004’s Shaun of the Dead and 2007’s Hot Fuzz, director Edgar Wright understood what made Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original story so appealing: irreverent in-jokes about gaming, indie rock and teenage romance, mixed with an off-the-wall visual style and winking meta-humour that immersed the audience in the film’s surreal fictive dimension. Watch the trailer here.
Follow me over on Letterboxd for more real-time film reviews, lists, and lukewarm takes.