Like many other premium movie channels, STARZ shows more than just movies. One of it's regular programs is Starz Inside which takes a look at many different facets of the movie industry. Topics have included Anime: The Drawing Revolution, The Pixar Story, and Hollywood Goes Gaming. This week, they debuted Comic Books Unbound, which examined the evolution of Hollywood adaptation of comic book characters and adventures.

The show starts with quick clips of a variety of actors, writers, creators, producers, etc. making comments about comics and Hollywood, and while none of the speakers are identified yet, many are recognizable as top talents in the industry. Even the unfamiliar faces are making comments that are definitely coming from an insider's perspective, and show a knowledge of and love for the subject. As the show continues, we see clips from comic movies past and present, and even some behind-the-scenes clips from upcoming films such as Hellboy II and The Incredible Hulk. Now the commentary from the contributors gets a bit longer, and they are identified, and include talent from both the Hollywood side and the comic creator side of the aisle, as well as comic and movie historians. The program gives us a look at why Hollywood has come to embrace comics, why these stories work not only as movies but as fan favorites, and also how comic stories are transformed into movies. They look at both the blockbusters and the busts, and how the industry has changed since Superman first hit the big screen in the 1940s.

The show reminds us that these adaptations are not limited to well-known heroes and villains. Many movie goers are unaware that such movies as History of Violence, 300, Road to Perdition, and the upcoming Wanted were originally graphic novels. Comic book artist Tim Sale, one of the many talented people who appeared in this show, talked about the way that in comics and graphic novels, words and pictures fit together sequentially to tell a story, and that there are many more people in the comics industry that are not telling just super-hero stories that have wonderful imagination. These are some of the stories that are being adapted into movies.

Just a few of the actors who appeared in this documentary include Edward Norton from The Incredible Hulk and Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Robert Downey, Jr. from Iron Man. It would have been very easy for this documentary to have become simply an advertisement for those and other movies, but the actors comments were not about the films as much as they were about what drew them to the works and why they believe comic adaptations are both important and successful today. I applaud the program's creators for having movie clips without looking like commercials.

The documentary then gives viewers a look at the history of comics on the big screen, all the way back to the serials of the 1930s. It was natural for comics to be adapted into serials, as their storytelling style was almost identical, with the story building to a climax and then being continued in the next installment. Early serials included Batman, Superman, and Captain America, and were of course not the main attraction, but the tidbit shown before the primary movie. Of course, today, comic adaptations are not only the main event, but many have become franchises.

Part of the history lesson also included information about the investigations into comics in the 1950s, when political leaders, psychiatrists, and other influential people began to blame comics for violence, homosexuality, and delusional behavior. While contributing in other places in the documentary, comic legend Stan Lee had some particularly insightful comments about this time period, and the state of the industry at that time. Viewers also got a look at how comics have changed through all these time periods through today, and how that has affected their connection with movies and television.

A large portion of the documentary was devoted to the rise and fall of the Superman and Batman movie franchises. This is where I feel like the program slowed down a bit, giving information that many fans already know about these franchises and the problems they encountered. They did discuss the re-imagining of these characters, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more “inside information” if you will about what is coming up for these heroes. This led from looking at the DC properties to the Marvel struggles which later led to Marvel Studios releases, which many now consider to be the industry leader. Again I applaud Starz for taking a look at the failures in the industry as well as the successes. The end of the documentary also examines the success of relative newcomer to on-screen comic adaptations, Dark Horse Comics, whose works include Hellboy and the revolutionary Sin City.

This program could have been a“rah rah”look at comic movies, but overall I think it was a excellent documentary, looking at the real history of comics and their role in Hollywood. If you enjoy comics and movies adapted from them, then I believe you will enjoy this program. The creators brought together a wonderful group of industry insiders, and I believe they have succeeded in teaching their audience from many different angles.

What about the future of comics as movies? Great stories come from great characters, and comic pages are filled with great characters, and they have so much background and life already that they are a natural fit for movies. Producer Michael Uslan, who has worked on a variety of comic-based film projects, said in the documentary that “Comic books today are the most important talent pool for movies.”Personally, I think he is exactly right. It can be wonderful when a talented writer can create a compelling story. For already beloved creations, such as Batman and The X-Men, even when the story on the big screen does not exactly match the printed history, fans still flock to theaters to see what is hopefully a great blend of acting, writing, and directing. Even lesser known comics and characters already have such depth and characterization already created, that it can become easy to pull us into their world. Comics are not just for kids, and certainly in today's Hollywood, a well-executed effort can appeal to a very wide audience. I hope that the movie industry continues to look to comics as a resource. There are so many wonderful stories in those pages or that can be adapted from those pages, just waiting to be brought to life.

(Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound will air several more times this month, including Friday, June 13^th at 1:45 pm eastern time. Check www.starz.com for additional show times. The program is rated TV-14 for adult language. Additionally, I want to alert parents to a segment of the documentary that covers an X-rated cartoon movie, Fritz the Cat. This segment contains cartoon nudity, and may not be appropriate for all viewers.)

Photos:  Wikipedia