65. Conan The Barbarian (John Milius, 1982)
Whereas most 1980s comic book adaptations were box office failures, Conan the Barbarian was one of the few that actually made a profit. Much more charming than the Red Sonja movie or any of its sequels, the fantasy epic is widely regarded as the film that launched the career of its star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Conan is a classic tale of revenge as a young, muscular Barbarian sets out on a quest to defeat the evil snake cult Goddess, Thulsa Doom (Grace Jones, shudder) who was responsible for the death of Arnies parents. Quite why a Barbarian would feel such a need to avenge his loved ones considering hes, yknow, a Barbarian is beyond me but its worth it to see the Austrian Oak knock out a camel - or was that the sequel?
64. Generation X (Jack Sholder, 1996)
Made for TV film based on the Generation X comics series by Marvel. An early version of the X Men, set at Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters who go to war with a demented scientist who believes he can give himself superhuman powers by extracting parts of the young mutants brains. Featuring the characters of Jubilee, Emma Frost and Banshee, Generation X is a genuine cult classic that slipped under the radar of many geeks. One worth seeking out and it goes to prove an X-Men movie can exist without Weapon X.
63. From Hell (Albert and Alan Hughes, 2001)
Another of Alan Moores graphic novels gets a big screen adaptation and succeeds in pissing off its creator once again. The period slasher film is a dark and gruesome account of the investigation into the Jack the Ripper case in Victorian England. Johnny Depp stars as Inspector Abberline, a psychic detective who is drawn into a cat and mouse game of death when he uncovers a conspiracy so big it could topple the royal family. Criticised for changing too much of the comic, including combining several different characters to create a suped-up Abberline, the film was still relatively successful. A great supporting cast including Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane and Heather Graham help keep this comic book movie a thrilling, pseudo-historical romp with a whodunnit murder mystery.
62. Jonah Hex (Jimmy Hayward, 2010)
Jonah Hex is a hideously scarred bounty hunter, created for DC comics by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga. He was a relatively obscure character in the DCU for a number of years before being adapted quite randomly for the big screen with Josh Brolin taking on the role. In typical Western fashion, the films protagonist is an anti-hero with countless bountys on his head. In exchange for his freedom he is made an offer he cannot refuse - save the Earth from absolute destruction. Not too much to ask, eh? Jonah Hex was described as one of the worst films of all time by some critics but we cant help but feel that it's a somewhat, and we do mean somewhat, enjoyable remedy to your conventional superhero movie. It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in late 2010 with zero fan fare and can be picked up cheaply in most bargain bins.
61. Superman 3 (Richard Lester, 1983)
Richard Pryor plays an unemployed computer genius who is roped into the money grabbing schemes of wealthy businessman Ross Webster, in this second sequel to the highly successful Superman movie. When the Man of Steel gets wind of the plot and sticks his big, Kryptonian nose in, Gus is charged with creating a lethal Kryptonite formula to kill him. The Kryptonite fails to kill Supes but does manage to turn him into an evil carnation of himself, which results in Superman doing battle with Clark - perhaps the only people strong enough to kill the other. The addition of Pryor to the cast is a bizarre choice, it has to be said and has led the film to be described as too comedic and even farcical to be a part of the Superman movie franchise. However, the spirit of the movie is very similar to that of the comics of the time and is vastly superior to Bryan Singers recent effort. And it has a Superman vs Superman showdown that makes it all worthwhile.