Swamp Thing (1982) & The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)

InformationGeek · October 05, 2011, 08:28:47 PM

Last month during DC Comic 52 Relaunch, they released a brand new ongoing Swamp Thing title, which I picked up solely because of the writer involved. It was incredible. One of the best comics I've read in a long time that isn't Vertigo (yes it was a Vertigo title at one point, but now it's not). In spirits of enjoying this particular piece, I wanted to look into some more of Swamp Thing's past and discovered two movies related to it.

Swamp Thing originally came out in 1982 and was written & directed by Wes Craven of all people and the sequel is done by the guy who is mostly recently made Piranhaconda (coming in December in case you actually care to know). Scientist Alec Holland is turned into the creature known as Swamp Thing after a lab sabotage act by evil guy called Anton.

For those of you who have seen the movies, are they any good? I'm curious about these two (well not the sequel because it looks bad) and would like to hear a bit from you guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJf0Sr1Ktmk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuK-A2rEFF4

Also, comic book readers and other fans of Swamp Thing, as your friend, I recommend getting that new comic that came out. It is damn good.

Ed, Ego and Superego · October 06, 2011, 12:12:17 PM

I really liked the first one when it came out, but I last saw it at age 16 and I'm not a fan of the comic.... but I liked it well enough. And I had no clue there was a sequel.
-Ed

akiratubo · October 06, 2011, 01:01:08 PM

The first one is all right, if uneven. It goes from David Hess brutally torturing a man to death with a venomous snake to lighthearted banter between a plucky female and a crusty old river guide. Such tonal shifts happen quite often. Swamp Thing himself doesn't do near enough in the movie, imho.

Swamp Thing 2 is a great bad movie. Good sense of humor, plentiful action, monsters, gunfights, babes, and you just get the sense that everyone involved was having a great time making it.

Jack · October 06, 2011, 01:05:08 PM

I've always enjoyed Swamp Thing. Good cheesy fun with a bit of a weird feel to it. I remember watching some of the sequel and not caring for it, but that was many years ago. I've been meaning to give it another try and see if it appeals to me more now.

Psycho Circus · October 06, 2011, 02:17:51 PM

I love both films. The first one is a bit more serious and seems to possess a little more depth with regards to the titular character, it used to really freak me out as a kid when Dr. Arcane took that serum towards the end! The second one is very enjoyable because of all the weird monsters and all the goofy action. I suggest you check out both films Info

JPickettIII · October 06, 2011, 03:57:47 PM

I liked the first one a lot. I did not know that there was a seconed one. Will have to watch. The first one is worth a watch. Good move for 1982.

I watched the series for a bit. It pretty much went no where.

Give "The Swamp Thing" a watch. You should enjoy it.

Later,

John

WingedSerpent · October 06, 2011, 04:32:27 PM

I'll say the first one was more in tune with the Swamp Thing comics I've read. The second one is pure cheese. They both can be enjoyable, but you'll need to be in a different mind set for one and then another for the other.

RCMerchant · October 06, 2011, 05:14:31 PM

I relly enjoyed BOTH films! I was a big fan of Wrightston and Wein's comic back in the day as well.
Oh-if yer interested-there was a TV series and a cartoon as well!
TV show intro....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=3pl-EinPKzU

Cartoon intro...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lU8vSa5se0.

There was also an anti littering commercial featuring Swampy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyzHtE-u8l0

and a lame video game....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SIx1cWjb8

WingedSerpent · October 06, 2011, 09:30:13 PM

I loved the Swamp thing tv shows. The opening song to the cartoon is freaking hillarious and always brings a smile to my face.

The live action one was pretty good but it did get dark. They wrote off one of the main character' child by having get kidnapped and then sent into child slavery in South America. i remember a couple others seeminly got killed off out of left field.

Hammock Rider · October 07, 2011, 09:50:57 AM

Somehow I've managed to never see the movies or the tv shows. For some reason I've also never read many of the comics. THanks for bringing this up because now I look forward to filling this gaping hole in my knowledge.

Psycho Circus · October 07, 2011, 01:01:00 PM

I forgot about the cartoon. I had all the toys. I liked how they took a lot of adult stuff in the 80s and turned it all into merchandise for kids!

BoyScoutKevin · October 08, 2011, 05:12:39 PM

"There goes the neighborhood."

I'm really not that familiar with "Swamp Thing." Never having read the comic, or seen the sequel, or the two TV series, but I have seen the 1982 film, and I was surprisingly impressed with it.

Wes Craven, as a director, is hit or miss with me, but when he's on target, as he is in this film, he can get reasonablely good performances out of his actors, as he does here (IMHO.)

I think it also helped that unlike alot of swamp films, which are filmed on a stage, this one was apparently filmed in a real swamp, which I think gave the film an air of reality.

I also think this film helped to extend the career of actor Louis Jourdan, who I always enjoy watching.

JaseSF · October 09, 2011, 09:40:08 PM

I enjoyed both Swamp Thing films and the TV series too. Dick Durdock I felt did a good job in the costume. As I understand it, Adrienne Barbeau did a topless scene in the first film, the Euorpean version perhaps?, that got released on DVD and then got pulled from the shelves because it had I think a PG rating. That DVD was selling for huge bucks on ebay at one point..perhaps it still is? Return of Swamp Thing is cheesy but also for me at least a lot of fun. It stars Heather Locklear believe it or not.

Psycho Circus · October 10, 2011, 04:27:15 PM

Quote from: JaseSF on October 09, 2011, 09:40:08 PM
As I understand it, Adrienne Barbeau did a topless scene in the first film, the Euorpean version perhaps?, that got released on DVD and then got pulled from the shelves because it had I think a PG rating.

That's the version I have.

InformationGeek · October 10, 2011, 07:31:38 PM

Quote from: Circus Circus on October 10, 2011, 04:27:15 PM
Quote from: JaseSF on October 09, 2011, 09:40:08 PM
As I understand it, Adrienne Barbeau did a topless scene in the first film, the Euorpean version perhaps?, that got released on DVD and then got pulled from the shelves because it had I think a PG rating.

That's the version I have.

Somehow, I think we all are not surprised.