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.
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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