Comic book movies aren't always about spandex and capes and superfluous cleavage. There's a whole subset of four color cinema that's legitimately scary (and I don't just mean Peter Parker's swing dancing in Spider-Man 3). You can look no further than the classic Tales from the Crypt comics to know that comics have deep roots in horror, and Hollywood is all too happy to accommodate with flicks like 30 Days of Night and Blade. I've rounded up the scariest of the lot for the perfect Halloween marathon -- and I've even included drinking games! Of course, we would never condone the imbibing of alcoholic beverages on Halloween, so use the Superman energy drink instead.

Blade II (2002)
This one is easily the best Blade flick, and quite possibly the scariest comic book movie ever made thanks to director Guillermo del Toro's terrifying vampire creations. These super-mutated Reapers are so freaky, they force Blade to team up with other vampires (and you know how he feels about them.) Far more crazed and animal-like than today's teenage vamps, these bloodsuckers wouldn't be caught dead sparkling in the sunlight and pining over their human girlfriends. Take note, Stephenie Meyer.
Drink: Every time Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) delivers a surly quip like, "Better get you some sunscreen, Buttercup."

From Hell (2001)
Though I'd rank From Hell somewhere below Sleepy Hollow (but above The Corpse Bride) on the Johnny Depp Halloween movie spectrum, the Hughes Brothers's underrated 2001 Jack the Ripper tale still works for some real scares. It only slightly resembles Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's massively dense comic, but the cast is stocked with some great British actors, the atmosphere is appropriately moody, and Depp as an opium addict makes for some great unintentional hilarity (all but essential during a horror marathon).
Drink: Any time Heather Graham loses her shaky "cockney" accent.

Continue reading "Ten Creepy Comic Book Movies to Make Your Halloween a Super Scream" »

They say a man's home is his castle. That's doubly true if the man lives underground surrounded by bats. The best lairs reflect a superhero's character and provide a place to keep cool gadgets and vehicles. And they don't have to be some elaborately created Hall of Justice -- some of my favorite hideouts can blend into any suburban neighborhood. Let's take a look at five of the best super-domiciles, and also five that are in serious need of renovation.

5. Skull Cave, The Phantom (1996)
While not the most discreet hideout (nothing says "secret headquarters" less than a structure that resembles your belt logo), I have to give the Skull Cave points for sheer ridiculousness. First of all, The Phantom sits on a throne. That's more than a little awesome. Billy Zane's flick did a pretty decent job of recreating the many features of the Skull Cave, like the Chronicle Chamber where Phantom keeps the journals of past Phantoms, and the Treasure Rooms which house some of the world's greatest artifacts.

4. Aunt May's House, Spider-Man (2002)
Where else can you get flapjacks and hide out from the Green Goblin? It's not the most elaborate lair, but who would suspect that the amazing Spider-Man lives with his elderly aunt in Queens? Peter Parker's dingy apartment with that creepy Mr. Ditkovich in Spider-Man 2 had nothing on May's cozy abode. And for somebody trying to get by on Peter's salary, it offers Spidey by far the most bang for his buck. Manhattan rents are enough to make any hero turn to a life of crime

Continue reading "Home Is Where the Hero Is - The Best and Worst Comic Book Movie Lairs" »

When Disney's $4 billion acquisition of Marvel was announced last month, fans were understandably anxious: Would Wolverine start palling around with Goofy? Would Punisher join the High School Musical kids for some high-spirited kick-lines? Most importantly, will Disney respect the legacy of Marvel's beloved heroes? Well, I'm here to tell you that most of the concerns are unfounded. Aside from Disney's promise to leave Marvel to its own creative devices, when you compare the Disney classics with Marvel's slate of cinematic heroes, the two are more alike than not. Let's take a look at a few things the House of Ideas shares with the House of Mouse.

Orphans
A preponderance of heroes in both Disney's and Marvel's slate share a disturbing trend in parentage -- or lack thereof. Is Bambi -- arguably Disney's most famous orphan -- really all that different from Spider-Man? Bambi's loss gives him the strength to fight off cocky deers and save his beloved Faline, while Peter Parker blames himself for the death of his Uncle Ben and resolves to use his powers for good. ("With great power, comes great responsibility.") Tony Stark, Wolverine, Aladdin, Mowgli -- all orphans, all heroes.

Continue reading "Don't Fret Disney's Marvel Merger - Mickey and Spidey Have Loads in Common" »

Fall is an interesting time for comic book movies. With the big budget superhero spectacles out of the way, Hollywood rolls the dice with non-traditional genre fare. Mysteries, animation, cautionary scifi... anything is possible. Sometimes, the gamble pays off, producing a gem like American Splendor. Other times, we get Samuel L. Jackson in a fur coat in The Spirit. Here's a preview of the comic book movies Hollywood rolls out this season.

Whiteout
The comic: Tough-as-nails federal marshal Carrie Stetko investigates the first murder case in Antarctica, all the while hiding from her troubled past. Two volumes of Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber's gritty crime series have been published, the second of which follows Carrie's pursuit of killer Russian mercenaries. Sharp, take-no-guff Carrie is just one of the many rich female characters Rucka (the current writer of the current Batwoman-centric Detective Comics) has granted the discerning comics reader.

The movie: Though the movie sticks fairly close to the first mini-series, the cold pun-heavy critical slams should give you a sense of its quality. Whiteout on the big screen is a B-movie potboiler with some decent special effects (and a gratuitous shower scene) that lacks both the gritty intensity and realistic feel of the series. Gabriel Macht replaces the more interesting female British special agent -- who in the comic forms a close and possibly romantic bond with Carrie. (Along with The Spirit, Macht is dangerously close to becoming comic book movie poison.)

Continue reading "Surrogates and Sherlock - Previewing Fall's Superhero-Free Comic Book Movies" »

Ah, the arrogant supervillain. Is anyone more in love with the sound of his own voice? Hurling witty bon mots and dastardly threats may not physically harm the hero, but the right line can mean the difference between becoming the next Joker... or the next joke. Here are ten that strike fear in the hearts of heroes.

10. "My name is Freeze. Learn it well, for it is the chilling sound of your doom." (Mr. Freeze, Batman & Robin, 1997)
"Chilling." Get it? Because he's Mr. Freeze! Honestly, any of the many ridiculous ice puns in Akiva Goldsman's "brilliant" screenplay for Batman & Robin could be on this list. But this one is so wonderfully awful it somehow becomes good before going back to awful. And the fact that it's delivered in a barely decipherable Austrian accent is just (forgive me) icing on the cake.

9. "We are the future, Charles. Not them. They no longer matter." (Magneto, X-Men, 2000)
The great Ian McKellen has a way with a words ("You shall not pass!"), making even the most pedestrian comic book movie dialogue sound like Shakespeare. (I'm looking at you, X-Men 3.) More than a cheap threat, the line sums up Magneto's belief in mutant superiority over mankind. When McKellan is on screen, everyone else is extinct.

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• Great Last LinesThe last thing you hear can make or break a film. Don't believe us? Here's proof!
• Supervillain ThreatsHalf of a bad guy's appeal is the way he verbally taunts the good guy.
• '80s Movie Quotes QuizThe rad decade has plenty of catchphrases and quips. Bueller? Bueller?
• Hilarious Quotes in the Movies QuizSometimes the funniest lines are the inappropriate ones. But who said what?
• The Mafia Movie Quotes QuizSometimes words cut as well as guns in The Godfather, Donnie Brasco, and Carlito's Way.
• Your Favorite Movie QuoteWant to share your favorite movie quote of all time? Now's your chance!

Continue reading "The Ten Most Dastardly Supervillain Quotes " »

As we wrap up a seriously ho-hum summer movie season, I find it helpful to look back at the blockbuster summer of 1989. While Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, and Ghostbusters II tore up the box office, one motion picture event towered above them all. Yes, it's been 20 years since Tim Burton's Batman swooped into theaters and changed comic book movies forever. It was the year's biggest hit, grossing over $250 million and inspiring a wave of unparalleled merchandising and hype. Let's stroll back to that fateful summer as I recount its top "Bat-mania" moments.

Prince Teaches Batman How to Dance
Though Tim Burton would later express his unhappiness with having to insert Prince's songs into the movie, The Artist's pop soundtrack was a bona fide hit. While the album is no Purple Rain, it did give us dancing Batmen, Jokers, and Vicki Vales in the 6-minute-and-45-second gem that is the "Batdance" video. Somehow this amalgam of movie audio and Prince beats made it to the top of the charts before eventually getting knocked down by Richard Marx. It was a different time, folks.

Continue reading "Celebrating 20 Years of Bat-Mania (Tim Burton Edition)" »

Comic creators are an odd lot. Take for instance the upcoming biopic about Superman co-creator Joe Shuster's secret life as a fetish artist: It seems the Man of Steel's pop dabbled in S&M superhero tales after his work with Big Blue. But Shuster's hardly alone in his eccentricities. Looking over past depictions of cartoonists on the big screen, one finds plenty of oddballs to keep him company. Here are the best movies about the geeky weirdos who devote their lives to the drawing board.

Monkeybone (2001)
Based on the graphic novel Dark Town, Monkeybone is populated with the sort of eye-popping visuals that made director Henry Selick's A Nightmare Before Christmas a modern classic. And it's no mere visual feast -- the creepy world of "Downtown" that Brendan Fraser's comatose cartoonist finds himself trapped in is meant to represent the artist's repressed id. (Meanwhile, the mischievous Monkeybone is a stand in for his, well, you fill in the blanks.) True, the movie falls apart once Monkeybone enters the real world, but Chris Kattan saves it as a remarkably nimble deceased gymnast.

Continue reading "Five Comic Book Artist Movies Even Freakier Than Superman's Shuster" »

So, you didn't get to go to San Diego Comic-Con. That's OK... no really, it is. "Nerd prom" will always be there next year, fulfilling your fanboy desires with visions of superheroes, CGI and spoilers. But just because you didn't make it to the big show doesn't mean you can't enjoy the fruits of its labors.

Take AMC's forthcoming mini-series, The Prisoner, for example, which is showering San Diego fans with official posters and an exclusive printed edition of The Prisoner Sneak-Peek Comic. The AMC/Marvel comic features the likenesses of Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel, and provides an illustrated first-look at scenes based on the premiere episode, which airs in November.

We're not just telling you about this to torture you. Now you too can get a glimpse by downloading the comic book and poster to your computer. See the things we do for you?

But wait -- there's more! Con gatherers were also treated to The Prisoner Exclusive Preview From Comic-Con featuring nine minutes of footage from the mini-series, which AMC is now pleased to offer online for your streaming pleasure. With all this Prisoner swag at your fingertips, you'll only think you're not at Comic-Con.

Click here to print out the PDF version of The Prisoner Comic-Con comic online.

Click here to download and print out the PDF version of all three official AMC The Prisoner Comic-Con posters.

Click here to watch the AMC The Prisoner Exclusive Preview From Comic-Con video.

As Hollywood gears up for this week's San Diego Comic Con International, it's important to remember how far "nerd prom" has come. Back in the '70s when it was known as the Golden State Comic-Con, a whopping 300 fans descended on the sun-dappled city to actually, you know, buy comics and meet creators. But over the years the heavily attended con has strayed a bit from its namesake to become a showcase for Hollywood's latest blockbusters. Before we're flooded with Iron Man 2 and Chuck news, let's look back at some of the memorable moments of comic cons past.

Stars Wars Gets a Low-Tech Debut, 1976
Now a regular con presence, the Lucasfilm empire tapped into their fanbase early by showing off a slideshow of cast photos and production artwork a year before the movie's release. They also handed out stickers. So quaint! With the Con reaching its biggest attendance to date that year (a now humble 3,000), Lucas and his marketing gurus realized the growing power of fandom and set the template for future word-of-mouth franchises. If only the CGI-happy filmmaker could remember the days when excitement was built with nothing more than an R2-D2 sticker.

Bryan Singer First Tastes Geek Venom, 2000
Despite X-Men's big screen success that summer (which kicked off Marvel's current superhero movie golden age) Singer still caught flack from geeks for what didn't make the cut -- namely, a Danger Room sequence and a cameo from egghead mutant Beast. Singer would later become a nerd whipping boy for abandoning the X-franchise for Superman Returns, but it was at the 2000 Con where he learned that the toughest crowd is one that collectively breathes through its mouth.

Continue reading "Memorable Moments From Comic-Cons Past" »

The 'Nets were aflutter last week when news leaked about Marvel icon Stan Lee's upcoming cameo in Iron Man 2. The creator of properties like Spider-Man, Iron Man and X-Men, Stan Lee's grizzled visage has become as obligatory in Marvel movies as a Danny Elfman theme song. But not all Stan "The Man" pop-ins are created equal. Let's take a look at the highs and lows of Marvel's resident Hitchcock.

Hot Dog Vendor, X-Men (2000)
Prior to Marvel's movie renaissance, Stan's Hollywood dalliances mostly involved providing peppy narration to cartoons like Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. But his appearance on the beach right after a water-logged Senator Kelly emerges from the ocean kicked off a whole new acting career for the comic czar. Stan's appearance here is pretty subtle, but it's a nice nod to fans and director Bryan Singer's way of saying, "Don't worry, we care about these characters and their creator." And if you didn't know who he was, he blends in as just another shocked old dude on the beach.

Continue reading "Excelsior! Stan Lee's Best and Worst Marvel Movie Cameos" »