This is Halloween 3! - A Few Non-Mainstream Comic Horror Movies

Comic books and horror go together like oatmeal and sausage… what? It’s a good meal combo! Anyway, we have gotten quite a few horror movies based on comic properties over the years. The first one I can really think of is Swamp Thing the 1980’s. Of course, DC and Marvel have been over this for years with characters like Swamp Thing, Blade, John Constantine, and others characters hitting live-action. Even Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness tried its hand at horror and succeeded in my opinion. Don’t know if it succeeded at the Multiverse aspect though, but that’s another story.

Today’s post is going to be about some comic movies that don’t have that DC bullet nor the Marvel insignia on it. Marvel and DC are not the only ones that have put out good comics, folks. Diversify that shelf or longbox a bit. First, we got The Crow from 1994 starring Brandon Lee, a movie that I have been wanting to see for years. Next, we got Spawn from 1997, a movie that I kinda had to fill out the list with. I am no Spawn fan, but it has Michael Jai White, so it can’t be too horrible… right? Finally, I got a double watch from my recent COVID sit: Hellboy and Hellboy. Yes, I made that confusing on purpose. First, it’s Hellboy from 2004 with Ron Pearlman. Last, it’s Hellboy from 2019 featuring David Harbour.

 

The Crow

Now, the Crow was created by James O’Barr and debuted in a defunct company called Caliber Press. It made to screen in 1994 and was directed by Alex Proyas, director of Dark City. One thing that definitely pulled me in with this is the late Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee… man, I gotta get back to some kung fu films. In the movie, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée, Shelly, are killed by a gang in their apartment. One year later, a crow resurrects Eric from the dead so he can take revenge on the gang members who killed him. He’s assisted by Daryl Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), a cop who was on duty when Eric and Shelly were killed. While Eric takes his revenge on the gang, their leader, Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) learns about him and tries to figure out his weaknesses.

“I don’t know why it took me almost 20 years to see this dang movie! This was awesome!”

Okay, let me dial it back a bit. This was really good. A lot of things help make this movie work. First, the acting from everyone is good. Brandon Lee… damn. He really knocked it out of the park. He was taken away from us too soon, but you can tell he had a lot going for him here. He brought a lot of charisma to Eric Draven, and all his interactions with everyone were solid. You also get good supporting actors here like Ernie Hudson, Tony Todd, David Patrick Kelly, and others in good roles. I also got a kick out of Michael Wincott as the crazed but funny Top Dollar.

All right, movie. You earned this one. Also, anything with Ernie Hudson is a buy.

While it is a simple story of revenge, it’s done so well. Even though Eric’s back for revenge, he also tries to instill some hope in some of the people from his former life. Everything has got this dreariness to it like Neil Gaiman made a visit or something. With how Draven looks, I wonder if someone also took inspiration from Sandman. While the movie takes place in a dreary Detroit, you get some good dark humor here. The way Eric takes the gang out is pretty poetic. The action is good, but I will say it’s here where the movie does falter a bit. It’s good but not great. Other than that and some small nitpicks, this was really good.

 

Hellboy (2004)

Hellboy was created by comics writer/artist Mike Mignola for Dark Horse Comics and is still kicking around today. Guillermo del Toro directed the movie, so you know this might be good. In the movie, Hellboy (Ron Pearlman) is brought to our world as a pretty hellish baby by Nazis toward the end of World War 2. He’s taken in by Professor Bruttenholm (John Hurt) and ends up becoming a hero of sorts. He works for the BPRD (Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense), a shadowy government organization who protects the world from the paranormal. He works alongside others like the amphibious “Abe Sapien (Doug Jones/David Allen Jones) and Liz (Selma Blair). While Hellboy deals with some family/love issues, he and the BPRD have to stop remnants of the Nazi occult from summoning a dark god to Earth.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I saw this back in 2004. Who knew a preacher’s kid would like someone so hellish? In all seriousness, this was a fun re-watch. The story was solid for the most part. You get introduced to the world of Hellboy in a good way. I didn’t feel too overburdened since this is a character with a layered history. The humor was good. You might’ve had a couple of “eh” jokes in there. I thought the casting was solid all around. Ron Pearlman embodied Hellboy with the voice and that good suit. Other highlights were Doug Jones’s Abe, and Selma Blair’s Liz. Even though the villains weren’t great, I did like Kroenen, the blade guy.

Why is is that the new guy feels out of place with the monsters, agents, and goth lady? Wait, that's usually me!

A lot of the action was pretty solid with the scenes where the team has to take on the Sammael offspring being highlights. A lot of the special effects are pretty good. The practical effects still hold up today. The suits for Hellboy, Abe, Kroenen, and the monsters were pretty solid. The CG was good in places, but there were spots where things didn’t look too good. While I did like the story, I do think Hellboy’s connection with Bruttenholm wasn’t explored much. Also, I thought Rupert Evan’s character, John Myers, was alright. He kinda served as the POV character for the movie and not much else. Also, the villains weren’t that great. Overall, this was good.

Hellboy (2019)

Even though the 2004 movie and its 2008 sequel (I need to watch it again) were successful, no third movie was made. Eventually, a reboot was made with Neil Marshall for the director and David Harbor in the role as Hellboy. In the movie, Hellboy and the BPRD are doing their best to protect the world from any paranormal or supernatural entities. Professor Broom (Ian McShane) sends him to deal with giants, but he gets pulled into the coming threat of Nimue, an immortal witch who’s trying to bring Armageddon on Earth. Even though Hellboy has a motley crew of allies like Alice (Sasha Lane) and Major Daimo (Daniel Dae Kim), it’ll be a tough battle since Nimue tries to make Hellboy accept his birthright as a destroyer.

This was when the new Hellboy found out that Hellboy 3 was shelved. He was gonna enjoy that! 

Even though this movie was lambasted as a failure, it wasn’t that bad. I thought the casting was good for the most part. David Harbour had a tough job as the new Hellboy, and while it all didn’t come together well, he was good in the role. The rest of the cast was also pretty solid like Sasha Lane’s Alice, Daniel Dae Kim’s Daimo, and Ian McShane’s Broom. I did think Hellboy’s part of the story wasn’t too bad. I also thought the sequence involving that Baba Yaga creature was pretty cool. The action overall was fine but not too groundbreaking. The practical effects were good, and the CG was passable at times. Also, if you like gore... you definitely gonna get it. Dang!

The trailers couldn't wait to spoil this. I can't blame them either.

Then, you get to the rest of the movie that is pretty bad. First, the tone and pace are all over the place. I don’t know who wrote this, but they need to go to the corner of shame or something. The editing in the last half of the film was also pretty bad. It made it tough to understand how we end up in this spot or that spot. It also didn’t help that a lot of the more heartfelt moments just got hampered by some out-of-place gore and humor. It’s like someone watched Deadpool and the 2016 Suicide Squad and decided to attempt that vibe. Maybe it works for some but not me. Also, Nimue (Milla Joviacich) left a lot to be desired. Oh yeah, we got no Abe Sapien, but maybe that that was a blessing in disguise. I’m surprised that Neil Marshall (a pretty good horror director) directed this, but I have heard that there were issues on set, so that may be why it’s so off-kilter. In the end, it’s not bad, but it’s below average at best.

 

Spawn

Spawn was created by artist Todd McFarlane for Image Comics and is still around these days. I never was a fan of the character, but I remember seeing this movie float around on TNT from time to time. This movie was also released the same year as Steel and Batman & Robin, so I cannot say it’s paired with the best of the genre. In the movie, mercenary Al Simmons (Michael Jai White) is killed by his former boss, Jason Wynn (Martin Sheen). In Hell, he makes a deal with the Devil in order to see his wife, Wanda (Theresa Randle) again. He’s sent back to Earth but as a mangled man attached to a living hell suit. Along for the ride is an annoying clownish demon called Violator (John Leguizamo). When Jason Wynn (who’s also in league with the Devil) tries to destroy the world, Simmons must choose between leading the Army of Hell or fighting against those forces.

I wonder what Martin Sheen thought he was getting into with this one.

Well, I found the true stinker for this post. I thought I might’ve been missing something with this, but after re-watching it, I wasn’t. This was horrible. Heck, you know you’re getting something bad when this annoying narration starts and the crappy fire effects start to cackle. It doesn’t get any better after that because we then get a pretty confusing story, bland characters, an annoying villain, and possibly the worst CGI of the 1990’s. I don’t even know where to begin, and maybe that’s a good thing. GOOD NIGHT!

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The Violator... apt name for an annoying character.

Well, might as well finish it. This movie doesn’t do Spawn or his world any justice. Things are mangled in a way that makes the story so confusing. Even the Devil’s plan doesn’t make any sense! Spawn gets a Yoda-like character here (I ain’t spelling that dude’s name), and he was just as confusing as anything! The confusing story and crappy dialogue is probably why Martin Sheen (!!!!!) and Michael Jai White look like they ain’t having much fun here. The only one with some life (however horrid) is Leguizamo’s Violator! Yeah, he may have had a couple funny moments, but he overall sucked so much. Don’t get me started on the crappy effects with a Hell that is garish to the eyes, CGI battles with no substance, and a Devil with permanent lockjaw!

While a lot of the CG wasn't good, the CG with Spawn wasn't too bad. His transformation was pretty cool.

So, is there anything good to this? I guess, but it ain’t much. White and Sheen try their best to make something out of this, and I’ll give credit for Michael Jai White for bringing a black superhero to the big screen. The practical effects and suits are actually decent with Spawn and the Violator looking pretty good. The action isn’t too bad at points, but don’t expect current Michael Jai White where he’s going all Black Dynamite on everyone. Theresa Randle, who plays Simmon’s former wife, is fine. I’m kinda surprised that she hasn’t been in much else since the 90’s. Oh yeah, the soundtrack doesn’t sound too bad. Look, I tried to be positive at the end. This movie is definitely a “Point of Sale.”

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In the end, most of these were some fun movies. They’re actually making me curious about the source material. I know I got the original Crow series on a wish list somewhere. I don’t know where to start with Hellboy, but the beginning sounds nice. As for Spawn… hell, the comics have got to be better than this movie. I’ve heard that the HBO animated series is goated, so that may be a good starting point. Anyway, that’s all I got for today. Until then, Peace, God Bless, and stay careful out there.