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When we asked our staff to vote on the best comic book movie adaptations, we were afraid the results would consist only of superhero films. While there are many superhero movies listed below, it is great to see a bulk of non-Hollywood films appearing on the list as well. We set out to compile a list of 50 movies but as it were, we ended up with 5 ties, and so the list consists 55 films instead. Let us know if you think we missed something. Enjoy!

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55. The Adventures of Tintin

Spielberg’s first venture into animation is one of his best. Taking notes from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Spielberg crafted another spirited, thrilling, and always entertaining adventure. The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most pleasurable, family-friendly experiences, that boils down to one grand treasure hunt. There’s much to admire on-screen, but it is the spectacular...

I’ve returned from Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, but the festival keeps on running until the end of the day tomorrow, September 26. And, like any self-respecting festival, there have been awards announced for various films and the people involved in their creation. The only award I can say I had even a slight hand in was the Audience Award–ballots were handed out after each public screening over the first four days of the festival. Sadly, though, I can’t even say that my votes mattered, as the Audience Award winner was a film I sadly didn’t get a chance to see. It’s Jodorowsky’s Dune, a documentary about a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novel directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. Of course, as we all know, that version never came to fruition, as the actual film was directed by David Lynch. But the story...

Frank Pavich’s Jodorowsky’s Dune won the Fantastic Fest audience award and claimed best picture prize in the Documentary Features section.Scroll down for full list of winners

Ari Folman’s The Congress was named best picture and that film’s Robin Wright won the best actress prize in the Fantastic Features strand.

Derek Lee and Clif Prowse’s Afflicted dominated the Horror Features section, winning best picture, screenplay and directors.

In the Next Wave Spotlight competition, Matt Johnson’s The Dirties was named best picture, while Sion Sono’s Why Don’t You Play In Hell? prevailed in the Gutbuster Comedy Features’ best picture contest.

In Fantastic Fest’s inaugural genre co-production market, Fantastic Market | Mercado Fantastic, Cuban filmmaker Alejandro BruguésThe Wrong Place won Gold Prize.

The Wrong Placebeat 15 other submissions at the market, which ran from September 19-21, and will receive a production support package comprising products and services provided by Panavision, Chemistry, Assimilate...

Careful What You Wish For

Once in awhile, as a reviewer, I come across some strange little gems. They won’t win major prizes. The may not even be distributed worldwide. In the end, they may not even be celebrated. But they exist. Trust me. A good example would be this little movie right here: “Chonmage Purin”. A quirky family oriented comedy about a time-travelling samurai who inadvertently lands in front of a present-day Tokyo supermarket.

To his amazement and horror, the unfortunate warrior slowly begins to cope with the fact that he no longer exists in his time period. Scared out of his wits, he is befriended one day by a single-mother, Hiroko Yusa ( Rie Tomosaka ), and her little boy Tomoya ( Fuku Suzuki ). And so, Yasube Kijima ( Ryo Nishikido ), ex-officer to the Shogun, finds himself in quite a pickle: either the place where he has lived all of his...

A Boy And His Samurai (Chonmage purin)

Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura

Screenplay by Yoshihiro Nakamura

2010, Japan

Director Yoshihiro Nakamura really caught the attention of the Sound On Sight staff with his 2009 end-of-the-world punk rock film Fish Story. Last year, he made the equally impressive conspiracy thriller, Golden Slumber. Now he’s back, only this time he takes a radical turn and brings us a quiet, character-driven family film. This is a film about the interconnectedness of all aspects of our existence and finding splendour in the smallest but most rewarding tasks. Nakamura sees the connections that make this world so absurd and so beautiful, and finds equally beautiful ways to dramatize those moments into something more meaningful, in its juxtaposition of the fantastic and the everyday. Samurai may be predictable and formulaic, but in a like-ably off-kilter way.

Based on a popular manga by Gen Araki and scripted by Nakamura,...

A Boy And His Samurai (Chonmage purin)

Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura

Screenplay by Yoshihiro Nakamura

2010, Japan

Director Yoshihiro Nakamura really caught the attention of the Sound On Sight staff with his 2009 end-of-the-world punk rock film Fish Story. Last year, he made the equally impressive conspiracy thriller, Golden Slumber. Now he’s back, only this time he takes a radical turn and brings us a quiet, character-driven family film. This is a film about the interconnectedness of all aspects of our existence and finding splendour in the smallest but most rewarding tasks. Nakamura sees the connections that make this world so absurd and so beautiful, and finds equally beautiful ways to dramatize those moments into something more meaningful, in its juxtaposition of the fantastic and the everyday. Samurai may be predictable and formulaic, but in a like-ably off-kilter way.

Based on a popular manga by Gen Araki and scripted by Nakamura,...

On Thursday it was announced that a movie version of the Ntv drama Yokai Ningen Bem is in the works, tentatively titled Eiga Yokai Ningen Bem.

The original 10-episode drama aired from October - December 2011 and was itself a live-action adaptation of a 1968 animated children’s series. The movie version will bring back the same lead cast: child actor Fuku Suzuki as Belo, fashion model Anne as Bela, and Kat-tun’s Kazuya Kamenashi as Bem.

The new movie will feature a completely original script and will take advantage of the format by making more liberal use of things like special effects makeup, CG effects, and wire stunts than the drama.

The trio will once again play three yokai (monsters) who are feared for their hideous natural appearance, but nevertheless fight against evil for the sake of humanity while desperately wishing to become human themselves someday.

At the end of the drama,...

In 2009, one of the biggest buzzed-about movies at Fantastic Fest was the Japanese Fish Story. In 2010, everyone scrambled to get a ticket for Golden Slumber. In 2011, before the movie even played, Fantastic Fest-goers went wild over A Boy and His Samurai (Chonmage purin) ... why? All three of these movies are directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura. Many attendees were worried A Boy and His Samurai would not live up to the hype or to Nakamura's previous efforts, but it turns out the movie is one of the sweet delights of the fest.

A Boy and His Samurai is set in contemporary Tokyo, where single mom Hiroko (Rie Tomosaka) is trying to raise her son Tomoya (Fuku Suzuki) and keep her demanding yet fulfilling office job. The pair encounter a young man dressed in 19th century samurai garb, and at first dismiss him as a grocery promotion. But it turns out that Yasubei...

A Boy And His Samurai (Chonmage purin)

Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura

Screenplay by Yoshihiro Nakamura

2010, Japan

For three years running, director Yoshihiro Nakamura has captured the hearts of Fantastic Fest attendees. Fish Story (2009) and Golden Slumbers (2010) both took home honorable mentions in the audience award category, and this year’s A Boy and His Samurai straight up won. It’s not hard to understand–in a festival that celebrates cool detachment, stylish action and human centipedes, Nakamura’s earnest playfulness is refreshing. A Boy and His Samurai has some clear problems, but not one diminishes the joy this film skillfully incites.

Unlike Nakamura’s other efforts, Samurai is an out and out family film. The recipe is thus: one unstoppably adorable child, Tomoyo (Fuku Suzuki), is raised by his hard-working single mother, Hiroko (Rie Tomosaka). A literal samurai, Yasube (Ryo Nishikikido) drops into their lives from the late Edo period,...

A Boy And His Samurai (Chonmage purin)

Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura

Screenplay by Yoshihiro Nakamura

2010, Japan

Director Yoshihiro Nakamura really caught the attention of the Sound On Sight staff with his 2009 end-of-the-world punk rock film Fish Story. Last year, he made the equally impressive conspiracy thriller, Golden Slumber. Now he’s back, only this time he takes a radical turn and brings us a quiet, character-driven family film. This is a film about the interconnectedness of all aspects of our existence and finding splendour in the smallest but most rewarding tasks. Nakamura sees the connections that make this world so absurd and so beautiful, and finds equally beautiful ways to dramatize those moments into something more meaningful, in its juxtaposition of the fantastic and the everyday. Samurai may be predictable and formulaic, but in a like-ably off-kilter way.

Based on a popular manga by Gen Araki and scripted by Nakamura,...

Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura Writers: Yoshihiro Nakamura, Gen Araki (novel) Starring: Shiori Kutsuna, Ryô Nishikido, Hitomi Satô, Keisuke Horibe, Jun Inoue, Rie Tomosaka, Yûji Nakamura, Hiroki Konno Yasubei (Ryo Nishikikido) is a 25-year old samurai who finds himself transported from 19th century Edo to modern day Tokyo. The first people Yasubei meets are a single mom, Hiroko (Rie Tomosaka), and her 6-year old son, Tomoya (Fuku Suzuki). Needless to say, everyone is confused, but no one is more so than Yasubei. Hiroko and Tomoya are also a little freaked out by Yasubei's sword and aggression, but they still decide to allow him to move into their household. Yasubei opts to become a single mother's fantasy -- a homemaker who allows Hiroko to excel at her corporate job -- while simultaneously becoming a young boy's ideal father. (What 6-year old Japanese boy does not dream of having a samurai as a father?...

Writer/director Yoshihiro Nakamura is no stranger to cross genre perfection as evidenced by his last two films, Fish Story and Golden Slumber. The former puts the power of a pop song up against the impending end of the world, and the latter places a Beatles tune at the center of an assassination conspiracy. The two share more in common than simply a love of music as both are also absolutely brilliant tales that weave complicated stories into cinematic magic. His latest features a far simpler story, but Nakamura still manages to mash genres into a film that delights in its love of life, family, and companionship. The joys and hardships of a single parent family, the ubiquitous TV baking-battle shows, and a samurai struggling with his own code in an alien environment all blend together seamlessly into a creation that rivals the delicious-looking pastries on screen… which is an incredible feat. A...