Some might not be aware that Terry Zwigoff's best and most insanely idiosyncratic film, Ghost World, was actually based on a comic book by Daniel Clowes. Indeed, the signs were all there - the quirky characters, the offbeat references, the sense of self-awareness - but given the fact that Ghost World tells the story of two friends lingering on the edge of society, it's not your usual comic book fare. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson star as duo Edna and Rebecca, whose encounter with the eternally lonely nebbish Seymour (Steve Buscemi) throws things up in the air. Ghost World is unrelenting deadpan, its characters verging on that fine line between endearing and intolerable, but the movie is so charming and likeable, it's hard not to get caught up in their seemingly generic plights. As Seymour, Steve Buscemi puts in one of his most interesting performances - unlike some of the desperate, rat-like characters he's spent much of his career playing, this one has genuine layers. And then there's Johansson, nothing of the blonde bombshell that she is today, whose snarky Rebecca is near on impossible not to love.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
