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Wes Craven was considered one of our true masters of horror. From his earliest works like “The Hills Have Eyes,” to reinventing the slasher style within the ’90s along with his meta traditional “Scream,” he was unmatched in his craft. However lengthy earlier than Craven gave us an all-timer slasher with “A Nightmare on Elm Avenue,” he dabbled within the DC universe for a comic book book-based creature characteristic within the type of “Swamp Factor.” If that piqued your curiosity, the excellent news is the film is presently streaming at no cost.
Streaming at no cost now on Tubi, 1982’s “Swamp Factor” represents one of many earlier cinematic makes an attempt at a DC Comics adaptation. Occurring simply three years after Christopher Reeve helped make “Superman: The Film” a shock smash hit, this was a decidedly totally different tackle the supply materials from the comics. Craven, as much as that time, had directed largely grotesque and controversial horror footage, together with his characteristic debut “The Final Home on the Left.” He was going to carry at the very least a few of that sensibility to the character created by author Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson in 1971.
The movie facilities on scientist, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Smart), and authorities agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) who’ve developed a secret system that would finish world starvation. Their arch nemesis, Arcane (Louis Jourdan), plots to steal the serum. Upon looting their lab, Arcane douses Holland with chemical substances and leaves him for lifeless within the swamp. He’s then mutated by changing into a half-human/half-plant superhero who should rescue Cable from Arcane’s clutches.
It was a modestly budgeted affair, costing simply $2.5 million. It was additionally a modest success in theaters on the time, with field workplace figures not formally out there. But it surely later grew to become a success on dwelling video in the course of the top of the VHS period, again when video shops dominated the world.
Swamp Factor got here at a weird time for comedian e book motion pictures
United Artists
This film took place at an fascinating time. In 2025, comedian e book motion pictures are nonetheless large enterprise, with “Thunderbolts,” “Superman,” and “The Implausible 4: First Steps” all launched this yr. However in 1982, “Superman: The Film” was largely seen as a singular hit that spawned a singular franchise. That success would not actually be emulated once more till Tim Burton’s “Batman” grew to become a smash hit in 1989. Marvel would expertise mainstream success on the field workplace with “Blade” in 1998.
Hollywood did not take superheroes or comedian books significantly critically presently. So, a man like Craven may take that materials and attempt to do one thing with it, assuming he may achieve this inside sure budgetary constraints. In a 2013 interview with Each day Useless, character co-creator and comedian e book legend Len Wein defined that he wasn’t consulted in any respect on the film. He did go to the set, however he laid out how studios seen individuals reminiscent of himself in these days:
“I spent a pair days watching them shoot and that was primarily it. These have been the times earlier than the individuals they really needed have been the creators. In these days, most movie individuals all the time felt that the creators of the fabric can be too sure to the unique idea to permit them make modifications they wanted to make it work on movie.”
For what it is price, “Swamp Factor” in all fairness effectively regarded, holding a 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. It additionally acquired a sequel, “The Return of Swamp Factor,” in 1989, directed by Jim Wynorski. A TV sequence based mostly on the character additionally aired in 1990 on USA Community, lasting for 3 seasons, with Dick Durock reprising his position because the title monster.
Extra not too long ago, a live-action “Swamp Factor” TV present was canceled after one season in 2019, after being created for the DC Universe. As for the long run, James Mangold (“Logan”) is about to direct a film based mostly on the character for the brand new DC Universe at Warner Bros., however there are not any particulars on the discharge timeline as of this writing.
You can too seize 1982’s “Swamp Factor” on Blu-ray from Amazon.
