Which comic most deserves a movie conversion?

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

I was thinking that as the hot ticket at the moment seems to be making movies based on comics and comic characters, which ones do you think would be the best candidates for the treatment?

I'm not necessarily talking about which you think would be the most commercial or most popular, just which ones you'd personally like to see- assuming, of course, that they'd make a good job of it.

I've got my own ideas but I'm curious as to other people's views.

GhostofMacbeth · Forum Member Joined: Sep 21, 2001 Posts: 611

This is a hard one but I am thinking something like Powers might work. Something that doesn't solely focus on superhero spandex etc. Maybe Marvels, with the focus on the reporter might work. Keep the universe connected to the real world a bit but still keep the fantastic as part of it.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

Mine.

But failing that, going with Alex Ross, Kingdom Come would make an incredible film, but cost a billion.

They're still talking about filming Watchmen.

Certain comics seem written to be films - ShockRockets is an example I've read recently - but personally, I think I'd have to say... JSA. The original team, set in the Forties, at the dawn of the superhero age.

Written by me, obviously.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

I forgot to say what my own ideas actually were on this.

I'd love to see Watchmen finally done and there are rumours of it again so maybe it'll happen.

But- and this isn't one of the big two- I'd still like to see one of my old faves, Modesty Blaise, treated to a decent big screen workout instead of the shoddy ones it's already had.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

Yeah, I've seen one of those in Blockbuster recently. It's a "Tarantino Presents", so I think it's... what do we call Hong Kong pop cinema? Like Bollywood, but, you know, Chinese.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

Yes, it's quite a peculiar story. There were rumours flying around years ago that Quarantino hisself was going to direct a Modesty Blaise film and that Natasha Henstridge was going to play the eponymous character, but obviously it didn't happen that way.

I haven't seen this particular version to be honest but it got a huge critical and public hammering so that isn't promising. Also, I believe it deals with Modesty's early life before The Network which, as I'm sure you know, is only ever briefly alluded to in the Peter O'Donnell stories, so it's not even an attempt to follow the strips or novels in any way that fans would recognise.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

I'm not overly familiar with the Modesty canon. I can recognise Jim Holdaway's art, and that's about it.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

Jim Holdaway's art is fabulous. It's when you see the amount of detail he put into what could otherwise be very pedestrian scenes that truly dazzles me and I'm not even particularly good at spotting this type of thing.

I've got some of the Modesty strips with Romero art in them and he's pretty good at Modesty too, his style is similar to Holdaway's though he occasionally copied some of Holdaway's work quite blatantly, at least in his early days on the strip.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

My impression is that Romero's inclined to be imitative anyway: I've seen work which I think was his and resembled Frank Bellamy's more stylised drawing.

Some newspaper strips show incredible care and artistry. Some of John M. Burns's work for Europe is very fine and meticulous, and I've become an admirer of Dan Barry's work on Flash Gordon (as a kid I disliked it because it wasn't as punchy as the Marvel UK I was used to).

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

Since I've rediscovered Cinder & Ashe lately I suppose I should say that it already reads so much like a screenplay I really think it should have been done. Actually, probably more suited to TV than film. I suppose it's telling that Gerry Conway has written a lot of TV and screenplays, lately Law & Order. He must have bought that style to Cinder & Ashe.

Casting it might have been tricky, though- I wouldn't like to be the one who had to find an actress who was half black and half Vietnamese with red hair. I'm sure they'd have found a way around it, though.

I may get to see V for Vendetta this weekend, as it turns out. It's received lukewarm reviews I know, but you've got to judge these things for yourself.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

Dye.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

True, but I'd expect them to just leave that element out altogether, with their usual respect for the source material.
They'd probably set it on Mars, too.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

So have you heard Halle Berry's the new Modesty Blaise? With Jessica Alba as Willie.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com

electranaut · Forum Member Joined: Jan 03, 2004 Posts: 91

Oh yes, that'd be right.

palmers · Forum Member Joined: Jun 07, 2002 Posts: 379

Actually, thinking about it, and with my usual superhero bias, I'd like to see Iron Man on film, with Green Lantern - Hal Jordan - as a second choice. But Iron Man I can easily imagine.

IMP.
_________________
RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com