Movies
The Top 10 Horror Comics Adaptations
The success, both critical and commercial, of Hellboy II: The Golden Army may be a little overshadowed by other more prominent comic book properties like Iron Man and The Dark Knight this summer, but it definitely deserves a place right alongside them. Mike Mignola’s irresistibly funky comic masterpiece has inspired a bona fide motion picture franchise–the second one might be even better than the first, if you ask me. There haven’t been all that many movies over the years that were based on horror-themed comic books (if anyone at DC is reading this, we need a “Demon” movie, pronto!), but The Golden Army is definitely one of the best. Aside from that one, what would be the top ten, in my opinion? Well I’m glad you asked…
Dont forget to also check out:
The Top 10 Worst Horror Director Collapses!
The Top 10 ‘True-Story’ Horror Movies of All-time!
The Top 10 Hottest Vampire Babes of All-Time
The Top 10 Most Unusual Zombie Occupations
The 10 Lamest Days of Horror the World Has Ever Known
The 10 Stupidest Motives In Slasher Movie History!
The Top 10 Most Batsh*t Crazy Horror Movie Doctors
The Top 10 Worst Things That Could’ve Been in Brundle’s Machine… Besides a Fly
The Top 10 Best Horror Remakes of All-Time
Top 10 “Doh” Moments in Horror History
15 Reasons FOR Remaking A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
The Top 10 Reasons Why Bela Lugosi Still Rules
Top 10 Non-Zombies in a Zombie Film
He may be a superhero, but much like HB, he’s a horror-themed superhero. And the movie based on him is without doubt one of the most underrated in the pantheon of comic book cinema. For one thing, John Leguizamo is spot-on as the Violator. While not a classic, this one just doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
While not as solid as its predecessor Tales from the Crypt, this second EC Comics-based flick is still pretty damn good. You’ve got guest appearances by the likes of Tom “Dr. Who” Baker, Denholm “Marcus Brody” Elliott and Dr. Phibes’ Terry-Thomas, so how could it not be entertaining? And no, the name of my blog in no way influenced this choice…
A truly great Swamp Thing movie has yet to be made, but this Wes Craven effort is still appealing in a creepy, quirky sort of way. Though flawed, it definitely beats the hell out of the movie based on that other bog-dwelling behemoth, Man-Thing.
Years before it ever became a hit HBO series, the greatest horror comic of all time inspired this British effort. It features the great Peter Cushing in one of his last horror roles, plus you’ve also got Hellboy II’s very own King Balor, Roy Dotrice. The legendary Sir Ralph Richardson, never above genre work, plays the Crypt Keeper.
A lot of fun, but it divides fans for one simple reason: it’s not terribly faithful to the original DC/Vertigo book Hellblazer on which it’s based. If you can get past that, it’s a pretty decent way to pass a couple of hours.
I’ll never stop being mystified at the pounding this movie took from a lot of fans, but you can count me among those who considered it a fresh and interesting vampire film at a time when fresh and interesting horror movies of any kind are hard to come by. Yes, the Steve Niles comic series was a lot better, but this was still an effectively brooding and visually powerful effort.
The best movie made from the work of brilliant comics writer Alan Moore (although that may change with next year’s Watchmen film.) The only thing that hurts it is the painful performance of the vacuous Heather Graham. Moore may have disapproved of the flick, but he’s kind of a wacko.
Another horror-themed superhero movie, Blade doesn’t get enough credit for truly helping to kick off the comic-book movie craze, a full two years before Bryan Singer’s X-Men. Blade may have been a fairly minor Marvel character created by Marv Wolfman in the `70s, but soon-to-be-prisoner Wesley Snipes’ portrayal of the vampire warrior in this blood-soaked action-fest made him an icon.
In terms of translating a comic book directly to the screen, only Sin City can hold a candle to Guillermo del Toro’s visionary adaptation. No one since Christopher Reeve has literally become the comics character they portrayed like Ron Perlman as big Red. And you can rank Hellboy II right up here with this one, as far as I’m concerned. Here’s hoping we get a third ASAP.
and finally, the number-one horror-comic adaptation….
Novelist/philosopher Umberto Eco has said of Tiziano Sclavi’s Dylan Dog series, on which this zombie classic was based, “I can read the Bible, Homer or Dylan Dog for several days without being bored.” It’s the best-selling Italian comic book of all time, and it inspired the last great Italian zombie movie. Martin Scorsese has called it one of the best movies of the `90s, and it’s definitely one of the best horror movies of that decade. Dark Horse put out English reprints some years back, with none other than Mike Mignola providing the covers (paisans stick together).
For more news and opinions on the world of horror, including how the genre will be represented at the Emmys, a look at the racism of H.P. Lovecraft, and the first part of the history of horror television, check out Brian’s daily blog, The Vault of Horror, at thevaultofhorror.net
Judging from the unprecedented box office success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adaptation, you’ve likely already seen the liminal horror hit that managed to make audiences afraid of empty hallways and bad wallpaper. And now that so many of us have already entered the yellow labyrinth (some of us more than once), the time has come to discuss the spoiler-filled details that make the movie so fascinating in the first place.
And if there’s one element here that makes the Backrooms movie stand out from any previous lore/mythology, it has to be the genius addition of the Still Life entities. Warped recreations of real people that somehow wandered into the Complex, these misremembered creatures are responsible for some of the most disturbing imagery of 2026 – as well as laugh-out-loud memes created by one of the film’s very own concept artists.
However, true to Parsons’ word that the movie would rely heavily on practical effects, each of these distorted monsters was brought to life by real actors under heavy layers of makeup and prosthetics (with the occasional splash of CGI enhancements). While Anora and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Ivy Wolk wasn’t among these performers, despite what Letterboxd might have you believe, the creature cast did benefit from veteran players with plenty of genre experience.
For starters, Alien: Romulus alumni Robert Bobroczkyi (who previously brought that film’s horrific Offspring to life during its most memorable sequence) plays the flick’s main antagonist, the Still Life version of Captain Clark. And though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural 7’7″ frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.
The film’s Texas-Chain-Saw-inspired “dinner” scene also features a freaky collection of less-aggressive Still Life creatures in the form of the Bearded Man, the Red-Headed Woman and, strangest of them all, the cheekily named “Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life” (who earned this title among fans and crewmembers as a reference to his apparent affinity for lamps).
While this was the first major horror outing for both Patrick Baynham (The Bearded Man) and Dana Mahmood (Archibald), Rhiannon Roberts has worked as a stunt performer in everything from Yellowjackets to HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – which is probably why The Red-Headed Woman is the most active out of Clark’s impromptu “family.” That being said, the Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life is my personal favorite of the bunch simply because his anachronistic outfit suggests that the Backrooms phenomenon might be a lot older than the Async Foundation. I also love how hard he tries to be helpful with that little light of his!
That might be it for the Still Life entities, but I think horror fans will also be pleased to hear that the film’s Found Footage prologue stars none other than Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star Avan Jogia as Naren Warne – and American Mary herself Katharine Isabelle also shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at Mary’s house party towards the middle of the story (though I have a feeling that she originally had a bigger part that was likely cut for time).
At the end of the day, Parsons’ Backrooms may have been an auteur-driven project motivated by the young director’s unique take on the classic creepypasta, but film has always been a collective artform, so it’s fun to see just how many talented performers it takes to bring this kind of supernatural nightmare to life in a way that connects with so many people.
You must be logged in to post a comment.