Editorials
Finding the Good in Neil Marshall’s ‘Hellboy’ Reboot [The Silver Lining]
In this edition of The Silver Lining, we’ll be covering Neil Marshall’s ill-fated comic-book adaptation, Hellboy.
From Sin City to Umbrella Academy, Dark Horse Comics has always lived up to its name by betting on oddball titles and unusual creators. While there’s no shortage of iconic characters that were first introduced in the pages of DHC, I’d argue that one of their most recognizable contributions to popular culture would have to be Mike Mignola’s Hellboy. A paranormal investigator that also happens to be a grumpy demon, the horned face of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense became a respected figure in the world of independent comics.
And with Blade and X-Men kicking off a comic-book movie boom back in the late 90s/early 2000s, it makes sense that Hollywood would eventually bring Hellboy to the big screen with a couple of adaptations helmed by Guillermo Del Toro. These movies aren’t exactly accurate representations of their source material, only adapting the broad strokes of Mignola’s stories as they focus on character moments and apocalyptic shenanigans, but they garnered a surprisingly large following due to Del Toro’s unique vision.
However, with the final film in the proposed trilogy becoming stuck in production hell for nearly a decade and comic-book movies turning into a more lucrative business, the studio decided that it was time to bring Hellboy back with a brand-new team. This time around, the project would be based on a script handed in by Mignola himself, with Andrew Cosby and Christopher Golden contributing to the story. The end product borrowed from a handful of pre-existing comic-book arcs involving Hellboy’s royal heritage and the return of the vampire queen Nimue, all in an attempt to please fans of the comic.
This reboot would also be a hard-R action/horror experience more in line with the original stories, so the studio hired celebrated genre filmmaker Neil Marshall to direct the picture due to his experience with hyper-violent creature features like Dog Soldiers and The Descent. Of course, this bold new vision meant that the main roles would have to be recast, so the team chose Stranger Things’ ever-lovable David Harbour as their new hero from hell. Ian McShane took over for the late John Hurt as Hellboy’s surrogate father Trevor Bruttenholm, and horror queen Milla Jovovich joined the cast as our main antagonist.
When the first trailer dropped, boosted by a stunning remix of Billy Idol’s cover of Mony Mony, the internet was abuzz with speculation. While nothing could ever top the endearing humanity behind Del Toro’s films, who could resist an R-rated adaptation that promised to bring Hellboy back to his demonic roots?
SO WHAT WENT WRONG?
Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy movies were never massive hits, but they both managed to at least break even. This wasn’t the case with the 2019 reboot, as the film was both a critical and box office bomb. Raking in a mere $55 million on a $50 million budget (which is actually a loss when you factor in theater cuts and marketing costs) and scoring a measly 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, this obviously wasn’t the return to form that Mignola and the studio had envisioned.
In fact, most media outlets chastised the film as a general waste of talent both in front of and behind the cameras. While comic fans appreciated the nods to Hellboy’s expanded mythology, the majority of critics accused the flick’s disjointed story of failing to reach the heights of Del Toro’s movies. Audiences also just couldn’t connect with Harbour after Perlman’s iconic portrayal of the character despite improved makeup effects and a more comics-accurate performance.
Of course, many of the film’s faults are due to a considerable amount of behind-the-scenes drama, with the script being constantly rewritten during production as well as conflicting interests. There were several spats between Marshall and the producers, with crew members being fired just to remind the director that he was simply a hired pawn and could be replaced at any moment, as well as frequent interruptions during rehearsals – not to mention plenty of post-production tinkering.
Marshall wasn’t even allowed to be involved with the film’s making-of documentary featured in the home video release, and his cut of the film was discarded in favor of the producers’ vision for the reboot. In recent interviews, Marshall has gone on record saying that he considers Hellboy the worst filmmaking experience of his career, claiming that his original goal was to use his genre experience to make a genuine horror movie, but he was instead relegated to studio lackey and not allowed to interfere with the film’s confusing script.
While most of the plot elements were lifted directly from the comics, these stories worked better as a series of short-but-sweet yarns slowly leading up to an epic finale. Putting them all together in a 2-hour movie resulted in an aimless cinematic experience with a lot of heart but no direction. Ultimately, while this Hellboy was a lot closer to the character’s origins, the flick lacked the creative spirit that made Del Toro’s take on the material so endearing.
THE SILVER LINING
As a massive fan of Mignola’s work, I’ve always been torn about Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy adaptations. While I think they’re some of the director’s best work, featuring incredible monster designs and genuinely likable characters, I can understand why Mignola would like to see a more faithful (and scarier) translation of his stories on the big screen. 2019’s Hellboy didn’t quite hit that sweet spot as a satisfying adaptation and entertaining standalone film, but the movie still boasts a lot of individually great elements that I think are worth talking about.
For instance, I’d argue that the reboot’s casting is better than it has any right to be. Perlman remains the definitive live-action Hellboy and Doug Jones’ Abe Sapien is sorely missed, but there’s no denying that Harbour is one of the most charismatic actors in the industry and he’s clearly giving it his all despite absurd amounts of makeup and a script that doesn’t do him any favors. Milla Jovovich as Nimue was also an inspired choice, as her badass persona makes her the perfect fit for a vampiric antagonist. Even Ian McShane is great as his usual scruffy self, though the visual effects behind his ectoplasmic form are not among the film’s highlights.
The flick’s horror elements were also a breath of fresh air when compared to other comic-book movies, with the film boasting genuinely creepy designs like those kaiju-sized demons that invade London in the final act, as well as some surprisingly gory death scenes. Most of the large-scale destruction was achieved through CGI, but Neil Marshall’s eye for convincing practical effects still shines through during a few key moments (especially when Baba Yaga and the Gruagach are involved).
And while referencing the source material doesn’t necessarily make a movie better, fans of the comics are sure to appreciate the film’s plethora of references to Hellboy’s past adventures. From his stay in Mexico to a cameo by Thomas Haden Church as Lobster friggin’ Johnson, I admire the respect for Mignola’s stories even if the end result didn’t exactly reflect the tone of his original work.
At the end of the day, Hellboy is proof that doing things by the book doesn’t guarantee a successful movie, and neither does excessive studio meddling. While I can’t quite claim that this is an unfairly maligned classic, there are enough interesting elements here to make this 2019 reboot worth revisiting.
Watching a bad movie doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad experience. Even the worst films can boast a good idea or two, and that’s why we’re trying to look on the bright side with The Silver Lining, where we shine a light on the best parts of traditionally maligned horror flicks.
Editorials
Before ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Alien Autopsy’ Showed How Real Found Footage Could Feel
The line separating artist from con man is a lot thinner than you might initially believe. While I think we can all agree that lying for the sake of profit is actively malicious behavior, isn’t it also true that the faux documentary aspect of The Blair Witch Project is half the reason why that film became such a cultural phenomenon? After all, if there’s one thing filmmakers have in common with stage magicians, it’s that misleading and misdirecting audiences is simply part of the job.
That’s why I’ve developed a habit of mostly ignoring the moral quandaries behind many of film and television’s biggest “hoaxes” in favor of appreciating the narrative elements that drive productions like Mermaids: The Body Found and even Animal Planet’s highly underrated The Cannibal in the Jungle. However, if there’s a definitive case of a highly publicized broadcast fooling the world into taking it seriously, it has to be Fox’s infamous 1995 TV special Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction.
It’s been over three decades since that eerie footage first haunted television screens right at the peak of the ’90s ufology craze, and in that time, the video has taken on a life of its own. From countless parodies and references in everything from The X-Files to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (as well as John Dower’s recently released tell-all documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, which I’d highly recommend to genre fans everywhere), there’s no denying the legacy of the Alien Autopsy video. However, I rarely see the tape discussed as what it truly is: a highly convincing found footage film directed by a passionate stage magician and brought to life by masterful practical effects work.
That’s why I’d like to invite readers to join me on a deep dive into one of the most infamous broadcasts of all time in an attempt to reevaluate the footage as a fascinating narrative experience rather than a complete hoax.
The TV Special That Convinced Millions It Was Real
Ray Santilli next to Extraterrestrial replica in ‘The Alien Autopsy Scandal’
For starters, regardless of whether or not you believe that there was in fact an extraterrestrial crash in Roswell during the summer of 1947 and that some form of autopsy was performed on the victims, the producers behind the black & white recordings, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield, insist that their video was a “restoration.” Though I’d argue that the proper word is “remake”of genuine footage that was too damaged to air on television. That’s why the duo went on to recruit filmmaker and eccentric magician Spyros Melaris and sculptor/monster designer John Humphreys to bring their version of the autopsy to life and sell it to the highest bidder.
This is where the story of the Alien Autopsy as a narrative experience really begins. Melaris claims that his approach to the faux recording consisted of striving for extreme period accuracy in both shooting equipment and setting while also planting subtle details that would initially seem like mistakes but could later be revealed to actually fit the time period. That being said, the filmmaker was under the impression that the short would be released for free as a PR stunt, with the team later producing and selling an informative documentary chronicling exactly how the footage was faked and commenting on how easy it is to manipulate public perception with a good old-fashioned magic trick.
This obviously isn’t how things went down, and that’s likely the reason why Melaris has since distanced himself from everyone else involved with the project. Yet, no amount of behind-the-scenes drama can undermine the genuine effort that went into making the short as impressive as it is. From the sourcing of real animal organs from a local butcher to make the organic part of the creature more lifelike to the highly detailed sculpt that made use of a hollowed-out underlayer that could be filled with fake blood and assorted viscera, there’s a reason why so many Hollywood specialists are still impressed with the artistry on display here.
Of course, the believability is only half the story, as I think that the best part of the autopsy is how Melaris builds on the existing tension by obscuring certain details and often embracing the chaos of what a real examination of extraterrestrial life could feel like. The camera often goes out of focus at just the right time to make certain effects hit even harder, and we can only speculate as to what the hazmat-suited doctors are gesticulating about during the operation. There’s a real air of mystery to the whole thing that almost makes it feel like a cosmically terrifying, cursed film containing forbidden knowledge that civilians were never meant to see.
So when Fox’s Fact or Fiction brings in the specialists to comment on the film and its otherworldly subject, it’s no surprise that we end up with one of the most memorable mockumentaries of all time – albeit one where the participants are unaware that the footage they’re commenting on is basically a large-scale practical joke. A joke that the network was obviously in on, as many participants claim that the TV special cut out significant portions where guests point out that they believe the footage to be an elaborate hoax.
The Lasting Impact of the Hoax Turned Cultural Event
Regardless, I remember going to bed terrified after watching reruns of the special and thinking about the respected pathologist who claimed that the body was almost certainly inhuman, with even effects maestro Stan Winston commenting on how difficult it would be to recreate some of these visuals through practical puppetry. That’s not even mentioning Jonathan Frakes’ dramatic hyping up of the disturbing imagery as if he was talking about the tape from The Ring, with his spooky demeanor here likely being responsible for his later role as the host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction a few years later.
Personally, I’d argue that the Alien Autopsy phenomenon had just as much of an impact on me as a horror fan as The Blair Witch Project, a film that was almost certainly influenced by the success of this immensely popular hoax (to the point where they even produced their own TV special commenting on Heather’s found footage). Even if Fox didn’t intend to produce a narrative feature about the aftermath of the Roswell crash, the end product still holds up remarkably well as a highly entertaining mockumentary exploring the idea that we may not be alone in the universe.
While neither Santilli nor the rest of the production team has ever commented on this, I also think it’s very likely that the idea of a faux Alien Autopsy could have been influenced by Dean Alioto’s The McPherson Tape/UFO Abduction. I’ve already written about how this granddaddy of found footage was co-opted by rogue ufologists who began selling bootlegs of the tape at conventions as if it were real evidence of a close encounter, so it’s not that much of a stretch to imagine that Santilli and company could have heard about this phenomenon and been inspired to come up with their own highly profitable hoax.
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely that the Alien Autopsy film is recreating any real footage from Roswell, but I can still appreciate the short and the accompanying television event as a standalone horror story that still influences the way we see found footage to this very day.
After all, the possibility that something could be real is often much scarier than finding out for sure – and that’s why I think Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction is still worth revisiting three decades down the line.
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