Comic Book Movies

A Handful of Comic Book Movie Recommendations

Comic book movies are big and getting bigger. Every year, more comic book based films come out. Many of them are crap, but a few gems are out there. Here are some good comic book movies:

Tank Girl

An adaptation of the comic book starring Lori Petty and Malcolm McDowell, not to mention Ice T. Malcolm controls all the water, and Tank Girl gets some with the help of mutant kangaroos known as Rippers. Who says you can't make a good movie from a comic book? 1995. Rated R. 104 minutes.

Crumb

This movie got lots of praise when it first came out, but we chose to ignore it. Crumb is excellent, and all those nice things and top ten listings were right on the money. Robert Crumb is a reclusive comic book artist who was seminal in the underground comic world of the 1960/70s. Even if the name is unfamiliar, you will recognize his work or at least his distinctive pen and ink style. Terry Zwigoff directed and David Lynch produced this brutally honest documentary of Robert's twisted family and home life. You get a sense that Robert Crumb's twisted artwork is really indicative of his world view. This is a very open and apparently accurate film that supports the connection between psychosis and genius. You may catch yourself rethinking Crumb for days afterward. 1994. Rated R. 119 minutes.

Ghost World

If this art film passed your neighborhood by, wait a few weeks and it will be available at your local warehouse Tank Girl - Comic Book Movies store. Enid (Thora Birch) is a loser who has no big plans after high school. For some summer entertainment, she and her girlfriend Rebecca (Scarlett Johansan) decide to contact someone pathetic from the personal ads. Lo and behold, they stumble upon Steve Buscemi, an even bigger loser than either of them . They follow him home and make a hobby of stalking him . Before long Enid takes a liking to him, when she realizes you can actually be an outcast right through middle age. He fills her in on geek success strategies and helps her past the last vestiges of her adolescence. Ghost World is directed by Terry Zwigoff, who also directed Crumb. In keeping with his cartoon theme this film is based loosely on the Daniel Clowe's comic book with the same title. A lot of you gave this film an "Eh, it was okay" review but we collectively feel it is a brilliant piece of work. So if you have not done so, go see it. Look for clips and music from the Hindi classic Gumnaam in the opening scene.