Comments on: Hulk Smash Puny Internet Rumors

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:33:15 +0000

Perhaps, but I don’t care to know those things in advance. I don’t wan’t to be sitting there watching the movie wondering what Norton and Marvel were arguing about.

It’s not that production problems don’t have an impact on the film, it’s that I want experience the film in a kind of vacuum.

As it stands I knew there was controversy of some kind, but I didn’t know the nature or extent of it until I saw the movie and decided to look into it more deeply.

By: alynch

alynch — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:15:11 +0000

Pretty good article, but I gotta disagree when you say that the film’s flaws have nothing to do with the reported disputes. According to your review, the basic flaw is that there’s almost no character development or human emotion. Aren’t those the things that Norton’s disagreement over final cut with Marvel were about?

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:59:36 +0000

I think the crust might be my favorite part.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:49:52 +0000

Great feature article here, again inspired by this weekend’s hot super-hero!!

Hostess pies are rarely seen in stores on the east coast anymore, now replaced by those Drakes’ pies that are little filling and all crust.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 07:39:55 +0000

It was 28% funnier than any of the lame in-jokes in the movie.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a hostess fruit pie to eat.

By: christian

christian — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 07:28:32 +0000

Not to be a green meanie, but I thought that Kimmel segment was terribly unfunny and obvious. I mean, isn’t the template for every single one of these comedy bits to have the actor reacting to some extreme situation in the same feigned outraged way? Christian Smash!

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:13:27 +0000

I’m all for post-mortem analysis of what went right and what went wrong, but I take issue with the before-the-fact hand wringing about things that may or may not be accurate and may or may not actually have an impact on the final product.

By: joel

joel — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:23:55 +0000

Yeah, it would be awesome if we could keep the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and production stories to a minimum until after the movie screens, but there’s so much money and interest in gossiping about movies BEFORE they come out that it’s not going to change any time soon. Of course, I’d definitely argue that those stories and production histories do have value, as sometimes they can as illuminating as the films themselves. The history of Orson Wells’ or Terry Gilliam’s careers say almost as much about those artists as their films do.

Let’s add this to the list along with the media allowing politicians to actually run a campaign rather than pondering pointless questions like the veracity of flag pins or what drugs a candidate may have done 15 years ago during college.

It’s an excellent argument for letting the work speak for itself, Craig.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 05:02:33 +0000

I’m going to cash in whatever nerd chips I have left and say right now I liked the Lee Hulk better than the new one and that Speed Racer owns it and Iron Man in any category that means anything.

There it is. Suck on it, haters.

Hahahah…Tila Tequila. Truth be told, Amazing Race is the only Bruckheimer I allow in my house. I also like The Mole and Hell’s Kitchen. You can keep the rest though.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:13:00 +0000

Agree Ryan – HULK does fare well alongside IRON MAN. I would say that the casting/acting/character is better in IRON MAN (Robert Downey Jr. Is a showstopper, plain and simple), but that HULK has a better script (IRON MAN seemed to meander quite a bit, whereas HULK is straight forward and crystal clear in its pacing).

And come on Craig… we all know that you watch “A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila” and “Flavor of Love” whenever you get a chance and you don’t think anyone is watching.

By: Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 02:27:39 +0000

Saw it last night and The Incredible Hulk stands shoulder to shoulder with Iron Man. If the mad scientists of Hollywood are experimenting on us with different formulas in this summer’s tentpoles, I think they’ve proven this hypothesis:

Action Adventure Fantasies work better for audiences of all ages when the script encourages kids to feel grown up instead of making adults feel childish.

Slick is a shallow substitute for sophisticated. Depth of characterization, sincerity of emotional involvement, intelligence of the dialogue — these are the elements that help sell any outlandishness of premise and plot.

As for the comic-strip ad that tops your superb analysis, Craig, the Hulk accepts Billy and Cindy’s nutritional advice.

DAYS SINCE LAST SOLID BOWEL MOVEMENT INCIDENT: 0

By: Miranda Wilding

Miranda Wilding — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:15:36 +0000

Oh, people haven’t lived until they can spoil your fun…

SANCTUARY!!!!

Anyway…

“thanks to the stiff and involuntary rogering they got…”

Um, that is wickedly vivid imagery.

Couldn’t agree more. Cool, analytical and precise article as always, my little crabcake…

By: W.J.

W.J. — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:46:59 +0000

I don’t think you were dissing interest in the technical side of filmmaking, but I love to find out how the magician (or filmmaker) performs his trick. This, of course, comes after I’ve seen it performed at least once. There’s nothing wrong with finding out the answer to “how’d they do that?” (It’s a little disappointing these days, though, when the answer is invariably: CGI.)

I agree about the obsession with box office and imagined on-set politics. Film is a business, but can’t we at least try to forget that every once in awhile?

By: Alexander Coleman

Alexander Coleman — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:08:36 +0000

Great article, Craig. The whole backstory involving Norton is silly.

That video with Kimmell is funny.

Eh, maybe I’ll check this one out after all, since it’s at the massive Corte Madera Cinema, knocking Kung Fu Panda out… It’s got to be better than The Crappening.

By: christian

christian — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:06:01 +0000

Those fruit pies still scare me.

What a great ad too. Hulk lay in a smoldering wounded heap on the ground after getting his green ass kicked and the only thing that heals him is a Hostess Fruit Pie!

By: frankbooth

frankbooth — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:43:00 +0000

Hey, I remember that fruit pie ad!

I mean, no I don’t.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:00:43 +0000

Maybe we’re just old-fashioned Alison. But that’s ok. I kind of have a lot of nerver crying about the Internet since I’m writing in it, huh?

By: Alison Flynn

Alison Flynn — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:33:16 +0000

I’m not going to call Roger Friedman a liar, but he’s certainly a guy who seems to know a thing or two about the opposite of the truth.

Hahaha.

Well-written article, Craig. I agree that there is too much parsing of the construction of movies. Audiences have lost their sense of the wonder and magic of movies. Add to that the obsession with box office predictions and results. Sad.