Man-Thing

Directed by Brett Leonard, Man-Thing is based on a comic book series of the same name from Marvel Comics. When one of real-estate tycoon F.A. Schist's crewmen is killed while developing a drilling station, it's the local Seminole Indian tribe who are blamed, though they know that the real culprit is the Man-Thing, a vengeful Spirit inhabiting the body of fallen radical shaman, Ted Sallis. The monster resembles a towering mound of algae and plant life, with powers that can command plant life to take out the infringing human greed on its Louisiana swampland (with Australia sitting in for the Southern Bayou). Man-Thing features performances from Rawiri Paratene, Alex O'Lachlan, Rachel Taylor, Jack Thompson, and William Zappa. Long-delayed, the film bounced from home video to theatrical then over to cable as Lionsgate and Marvel debated the format that it'd be most successful. Eventually the film premiered on the Sci Fi Channel, and featured little resemblance to the comic character beside its use of names and basic creature design.