Robot Bastard
October 24, 2001 4:20 PM   Subscribe

Robot Bastard is the new film by comic book writer/artist Rob Schrab, creator of Scud: The Disposable Assassin and who has worked with Ron Howard and Ben Stiller. His movie, only fifteen minutes long hints at Ed Wood and Flash Gordon... And with From Hell in the theaters and Spiderman coming soon, what's the best comic-book-style movie you've seen?
posted by drezdn (20 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I [heart] comicbooks movies -- it's a shame that most of are closer to this than to that.

The recent Ghost World was pretty good, although only about 3/5s of it was drawn from the titular comic book. And Crumb, of course. As far as swashbuckling/superhereo movies go, nuthin' beats Mask of Zorro.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 4:46 PM on October 24, 2001


all must kneel before zod!
posted by kliuless at 4:53 PM on October 24, 2001


Dick Tracy, The Rocketeer -- underrated, both.
posted by donkeyschlong at 5:14 PM on October 24, 2001 [1 favorite]


Easy, The Eyeball K!d, starring me. (scroll down a bit). [Eddie Campbell, of course, co-authored From Hell.] Oh wait, that was only a movie in my head (sorry, couldn't resist).
posted by eyeballkid at 5:26 PM on October 24, 2001


BTW, Smallville aint so bad.
posted by eyeballkid at 5:28 PM on October 24, 2001


I'm always disappointed by comic book movies. Then I realize, I'm disappointed by most comics. I mean, I think The Watchmen is overrated. But I know comics (and by comics, I mean superhero comics) CAN be good, and occasionally are, but most of them are such crap.
The Batman/Superman cartoons on the WB were pretty good. It seemed like they "got" the characters, which isn't true for most comic book adaptations.
And now, to invalidate everything I've said: I really, really liked Unbreakable. That's a superhero movie, man.
posted by Doug at 6:57 PM on October 24, 2001


The Matrix - sure it wasn't a comic book adaptation, but it was heavily inspired by the culture. The same can be said for the "talking head" movies of Kevin Smith.

The Shadow was interesting...and has everyone forgotten Tim Burton's Batman? I think that's the movie that made superhero movies cool again [post Superman eighties cheesiness]....

The Wolverine...i mean Xmen... movie was kinda half-baked though. They didnt REALLY have to rewrite the history of the characters to make it appealing to the mainstream...
posted by elphTeq at 7:32 PM on October 24, 2001


Well, complaining about how a movie didn't look like the comic book... Get in line, pal: Olbomov aside, when have you ever seen a movie that caught the book? Blade Runner vs Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep come to mind.

You know, You Seen The Movie, Now Read The Book!

The Ten Commandments!

As for Ghost World, I finally saw it...
Man, nothing beats going in on the matinee of the last day--there were only 4 other people in the theater.

As for the story, well, given my tastes, I had no problem with Seymour, his role or his record collection.

Now, at night I lay awake and whimper

Enid...

Enid...
posted by y2karl at 7:59 PM on October 24, 2001


Flash Gordon was incredibly campy, but there were some quality bits, like casting Max von Sydow as Ming, Brian Blessed as Vultan. Admittedly, it came out in 1980 and my criteria for kickass film was only as advanced as any other 8 year old. The soundtrack, however, was and still is amazing.
posted by grabbingsand at 8:00 PM on October 24, 2001 [1 favorite]


Shadowkeeper, you bad mouse!

Why link a review when Ghost World has such a kick ass site?
posted by y2karl at 8:20 PM on October 24, 2001


The Matrix - sure it wasn't a comic book adaptation, but it was heavily inspired by the culture.

In the same vein, there's also Dark City. Alex Proyas says something on the DVD about how at least one reviewer assumed it was based on a comic book, although it's not.
posted by kindall at 8:44 PM on October 24, 2001


I was trying to decide whether anyone ever got into a comic book from watching a movie adaption... I had completely forgot that my friend asked to read "From Hell" after he saw the movie...

Brazil strikes me now as a comic book style movie, though that may because comic book writers are more influenced by Brazil, than Brazil was influenced by comics...

Fifth Element seemed to have a heavy comic book influence...

My favorite movie off something comicy Horton Hears a Who
posted by drezdn at 9:14 PM on October 24, 2001


it sucks, 'cause i'm pretty sure that the comics made by my two favorite guys could never be made into good movies. i love neil gaiman's stuff (sandman, death, and especially books of magic.) but i couldn't imagine a movie that would do it justice... same goes for david mack's kabuki. 3/4 of the coolness is the brilliant work-arounds on the limitations of the typical comic medium to pack as much of a story as possible in there.
posted by lotsofno at 9:23 PM on October 24, 2001


it sucks, 'cause i'm pretty sure that the comics made by my two favorite guys could never be made into good movies.

You'd think that it would be easier to make a comic book into a movie than it is too make a book into a movie. After all, a comic has to supply a visible portion for the dialogue. But I think I agree with you, lotsofno, Sandman would probably be trashed in movie form... Same goes for one of my favorite comics, The Invisibles... Transmetropolitan could probably make a good film, but is so influenced by movies (Where the Buffalo Roam, Bladerunner, Brazil) that
posted by drezdn at 9:56 PM on October 24, 2001


Of course, one of the reasons why a truly great comic book makes truly horrid movies is because how do you fit 100 issues of backstory into 2 hours?
posted by drezdn at 9:57 PM on October 24, 2001


I loved the first two Batman flicks, also the animated Batman & Batman Beyond movies rock! I liked the Shadow. Unbreakable was neat (Yeah I know it's not based on a comic)
posted by riffola at 10:32 PM on October 24, 2001


I loved the Fantastic Four movie...cheesy effects, but the characters were dead-on and really captured the spirit of the book. Very close second: Superman II & I.
posted by byort at 5:55 AM on October 25, 2001


Actually, I thought the best comic book movie I've ever seen was Unbreakable although it is closer to the more realistic hero comics than the traditional super-hero.

Superman and The Rocketeer are underrated, I agree. I also must admit a special fondness for Tim Burton's Batman.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 10:59 AM on October 25, 2001


i'm not ashamed to add superman III, the empire strikes back of the trilogy! (IV needs to be excised from the record, supergirl is strangely compelling :)

i remember seeing waiting for godot as a comic, it was a lot funnier than the movie/play.
posted by kliuless at 11:26 AM on October 25, 2001


Definitely Diabolik, directed by cult favorite Mario Bava and based on the Italian comic of the same name. The Beastie Boys dig that a lot, in fact they based Body Movin video on Diabolik (sometimes translated as Danger:Diabolik)
Bava can kick Tim Burton's ass any day of the week.
Twice on Sundays.
posted by matteo at 12:48 PM on October 28, 2001


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