The Man-Thing Movie

This is one of those films that you would miss if you blinked. Released straight to DVD, I was lucky enough to snag a used copy in a bargain bin and have never seen it anywhere else. The Man-Thing is a Marvel Comics character created in the 1970s during one of the company's relatively rare weird horror phases. The Man-Thing and DC's Swamp Thing are characters that, to the untrained eye, appear incredibly similar, but to the trained eye appear incredibly similar. (kinda sorta just kidding--the Man-Thing in the comics has this thing about how people who feel fear burn at his touch, but those who aren't afraid will survive unharmed; this concept doesn't make it into the movie). Anyway, the movie is actually half-way decent, and definitely as good or better than some other comic book projects that did receive mainstream release (like Elektra or Catwoman). The movie Man-Thing has an origin related to industrial pollution in the swamp (which I do remember from the comics) and cliche Native American spirituality (which I don't). It's more or less a standard horror flick, as people idiotic enough to venture into the swamp get killed one-by-one until a Yankee sheriff and his blond girlfriend come to save the day (more or less, after pretty much everybody else has already gotten themselves offed). Anyway, for diehard comic book turned movie collectors like myself, it's a fun addition to the shelves.