{"id":40229,"date":"2023-06-30T14:45:26","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T18:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=40229"},"modified":"2023-06-30T14:50:36","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T18:50:36","slug":"my-favorite-pulp-superhero-movies-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/06\/30\/my-favorite-pulp-superhero-movies-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Pulp Superhero Movies of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The 1990\u2019s were weird when it came to superhero movies. Studios weren\u2019t willing to invest in actual movies starring mainstream characters from Marvel or DC Comics. And in 1989 after the success of Tim Burton\u2019s \u201cBatman<\/a>\u201d movie, studios left the financial success with the wrong idea. Rather than opting to take a shot on other big line superhero movies, they chose to instead aim for the pulpy nostalgia that the film brought audiences. So they mined the comic book world and began adaptation pulp superheroes from the 1930\u2019s and 1940\u2019s, all of whom were very popular in their time.<\/p>\n

Only a few them took off, while sadly many failed to translate in to humongous success. That said, the pulp superhero movie era of the 1990\u2019s was a great time for fans like me that just adored pulp superheroes. I don\u2019t care. I loved pretty much all of it, and I still do. In celebration of the upcoming \u201cIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny<\/a>,\u201d I compiled a list of my absolute favorite pulp movies of all time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions:<\/strong> Darkman, Dick Tracy, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Disney\u2019s Tarzan, Barbarella, The Mask of Zorro<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Flash Gordon (1980)
\n<\/strong>True story: As a kid I originally tuned in to \u201cFlash Gordon\u201d assuming I was going to see a movie about DC Comics\u2019 \u201cThe Flash.\u201d I was disappointed for a bit. Then the theme song Queen blew my six year old face off, and I was hooked. This adaptation of the classic movie serial hero is a marvelous action movie adventure filled with flying hawk men, and Max Von Sydow, and seductive gorgeous women, and\u2014the insanely sex Ornella Muti. \u201cFlash Gordon\u201d is a bonafide childhood favorite, and I love to re-visit it whenever I can.<\/p>\n

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
\n<\/strong>Intended as a dedication and tribute to the classic serial movie heroes of the thirties and forties, \u201cRaiders of the Lost Ark\u201d is a wonderful, stellar adventure that introduces us to none other than Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford, fresh off of \u201cStar Wars,\u201d re-invents himself as the cunning, resilient and intelligent archaeologist turned adventurer. With the help of his patented whip he races against time to stop the Nazis from opening the ark of the covenant. \u201cRaiders\u201d is still a bang up action film, and Ford is timeless.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Rocketeer (1991)
\n<\/strong>I love the Rocketeer. I have the comics, I have a statue I proudly display and I even have some of the figures. Joe Johnston\u2019s adaptation of the comic book is meant to be seen on the big screen and still works today as a wonderful action adventure. This is a movie that still doesn\u2019t quite get as much love as it deserves, as Johnston creates a marvelous epic which is surprising considering the special effects limitations. With a cast like Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, the late Alan Arkin and Billy Campbell in the lead, this is a movie that you can watch on repeat and never get bored with.<\/p>\n

The Shadow (1994)
\n<\/strong>In the development process for \u201cBatman,\u201d Alec Baldwin was a strong contender for the role of Bruce Wayne, but he lost out to Michael Keaton. As something of a consolation, Baldwin took the lead role as one of \u201cBatman\u2019s\u201d predecessors, \u201cThe Shadow.\u201d I love this movie, I love the camp, the aesthetic, the direction from Russell Mulcahy, and the performances from Baldwin and folks like Peter Boyle, Ian McKellen and Penelope Anne Miller. I love this movie so much I own a vintage chapel radio with a small collection of The Shadow radio plays on cassette that I bought off Ebay.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Phantom (1996)
\n<\/strong>Billy Zane really was a great choice to play the superhero \u201cThe Phantom,\u201d it\u2019s just sad that the movie wasn\u2019t all that appreciated upon its initial release. The mix of camp and epic action is wonderful and Zane plays wonderfully off the late Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson and Catherine Zeta Jones, respectively. Zane fits the guise if the Phantom very well and I think there was real potential for a sequel. The only real follow up was \u201cThe Phantom 2040\u201d which is a solid animated series in its own right.<\/p>\n