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Movie News
AICN EXCLUSIVE! Moriarty Visits The Editing Room For THE INCREDIBLE HULK!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here.
Okay... so the other day, three clips showed up online for THE INCREDIBLE HULK, which is not a sequel and not a remake but which is more a case of Universal and Marvel hitting the reset button by mutual agreement. Everyone looked at the Ang Lee film and just... decided to do something else this time. It's that simple. We knew that as soon as they started work on this one. Not a sequel. Don't even bother calling it a reboot. It's just different.
I went to the Universal lot last Wednesday to look at a chunk of footage. Those three clips that Harry introduced were from the footage I saw, but I saw a big chunk of the movie beyond that. Enough that I can say with all confidence that this looks like another example of Marvel done right. I think it will belong next to IRON MAN on a DVD shelf as the fun and crazy introduction of the character who shows up in THE AVENGERS. Maybe that's the next place we'll see him. Maybe he'll show up in someone else's film like IRON MAN 2. Who knows? I'm guessing audiences will welcome this HULK with open arms...
... if they go. And that's the question, isn't it?
I will. I'm excited. And speaking as a parent for a moment, I actually want to thank Universal for putting out the clip of the Abomination versus Hulk online. It's an excellent test of a young comic book fan's threshold. Show them that clip. If that looks like fun to them, I think you're okay. If that clip is too scary, then let the little one sit this film out. I think that clip is pretty crazy and wild, something we've never really seen in a superhero fight before. Two giant crazy supermonsters using every inch of a city to beat the holy hell out of one another. For a long, long, long time. I think this is going to make the fight in THEY LIVE look like a bitchslap. Every bit of it I saw made me laugh in the right way. Like, "Oh, my god, they're crazy. There are two monsters destroying Toronto. And it's AWESOME." You have to decide if your younger viewer's going to be able to enjoy that, or if it'll turn into a bad experience before the movie's over. It's action movie overload, like a cake on a pie with ice cream and a brownie.
A big part of that is Louis Leterrier. Never met him until last week, and right away, he's a guy you can tell enjoys his job. He knows full well that Hulk is an action movie star. You don't go to this movie to see Hulk win a debate. You want to see Hulk smash, right? He's the goddamn Hulk. And in this movie, they've given him a villain that's worthy of him and his power. They've given him someone to punch. Finally... and in a huge way... Hulk will DEFINITELY smash.
And don't get me wrong. I liked Ang Lee's HULK. I thought it was beautiful and strange and experimental and sort of affecting. But in that movie, the Hulk doesn't fight a villain. There's no suitable focus for his rage. At the end of the film, he doesn't fight a bad guy. He wrestles a metaphor. Onscreen. A metaphor that was created by ILM and Nick Nolte in one of his finest batshit hours, but still... a metaphor. It's one of the weirdest endings I've ever seen the Marvel movies try, and I love looking at it. But there's no question that the movie is a commercial nightmare. A total miss. It was never going to make a dime for the studio, and even liking the film, I totally admit that.
I read Zak Penn's pass on the new HULK, and I thought it was pretty much a bull's-eye. Like any script, it was bound to change somewhat by production, but it was the blueprint for a successful relaunch of HULK, a new issue one. And that's a tradition that Marvel Comics has long been part of... deciding to start a flagship character over from issue zero because of marketing and sales and whatever other whims of fate. And Marvel fans have long since accepted that as part of how things are done. Sometimes... you just start over. Penn's script seemed to get that.
Anyway... when I arrived at Universal, I was met by Kevin Feige and Louis Leterrier, as well as Lindsey from Universal. Gale Anne Hurd joined us a moment later, and we headed into one of the screening rooms at the front of the lot. They said it wasn't an ideal screen to use, but because of other screenings scheduled on the lot at the same time, part of an international junket, the best rooms weren't available. As we settled in, Kevin Feige apologized for not being able to show the whole film. "It's just not quite together on film. As of last night, though, the film is done..." He looked over at Louis, who just smiled. "... isn't it?"
Louis said, "What is it you told me? The George Lucas line?"
"Oh. Films aren't finished. They're abandoned."
"Right. I abandoned my movie last night."
We talked about the comparison shots that Alex Billington over at FirstShowing.net published a few weeks ago, a dramatic example of how far the rendering has come on the movie in a short amount of time. Louis said the post was very tight overall, but everyone put in the sleepless nights.
They told me that they wanted to walk me over to the dub stage after the presentation to hear some of the final mix in the film, but first, they were going to show me a series of extended clips, stopping between each to talk about what I'd be seeing.
First up was the opening title sequence, which had just been handed in days earlier by the great Kyle Cooper, still most famous for that genius opening to Fincher's SE7EN. "He's worked with us a lot... he did the openings to the SPIDER-MAN movies, and he just did that great montage for the Apogee Awards presentation on Stark Industries in IRON MAN. This is an attempt to bring people up to date with what version of the Hulk this is. Stuff most people know, but laid out very simply. Bruce loved Betty. They worked in a lab. There was an accident and he became the Hulk. She got hurt. Her father's a general, and now he's chasing. Bruce is on the run, looking for a cure. It's been years now, and that's where our film starts."
Louis explained that all of the footage of the accident and the origin was originally presented in the film as flashbacks, but they wrestled with it, and finally decided to try handing it over to Cooper to make sense of as an opening. There were several versions that they worked on, various edits, before they finally locked this one down.
It's a very cool, very smart way of getting a lot of information across very quickly, and it's comic book but it's not as self-conscious about it as what Ang Lee did with the panel frames and the editing. This just has the right energy, the right kinetic sense, and it paints in big broad strokes.
You'll catch a reference to Stark Industries in the opening, something I love since it starts the big push to tie the whole Marvel Universe together on film. I'm going to unabashedly enjoy watching them lay each brick on the way to THE AVENGERS. I've always wanted to see a company try this on film. Not just one sequel or a series of sequels, but a larger interconnected world where you can tell any story under this one giant umbrella. The accident in the lab that first transforms Bruce into the Hulk is played as scary, and both Betty and her father are hurt in the aftermath. Ross doesn't just hate the Hulk because he hurt Betty; he hates the Hulk because he made him feel weak. And they don't have to say it... it's in the way Hurt plays that moment, looking up at that monster, all of his military training useless in the face of that thing. And the Hulk is played as a monster. Not just as a big green giant. When you see how big the standees are that are in theaters right now… when you actually stand next to that thing and see how it would look in real life... it's right to be a little bit afraid of Hulk. The rest of the opening lays out what Bruce's life has been like since. Running. Afraid. Out of control.
And then Bruce wakes up, and the film begins. My first comment to them was how nice it is to see them reference the TV show without directly doing a remake of it. There are visual cues, and a sort of thematic similarity to the way it's played.
Kevin said, "The first act of this film is pretty much an episode of the show. And then the second act takes us onto the much larger stage that the comic occupies. With Betty. And General Ross."
Louis talked about how the most important thing to him was the idea that each of the major Hulk fights in the film had to be different. Each one had to have a rhythm of its own. Each one was against different enemies. He talked about premiering the first clip at the New York Comic-Con, where they had to face "3000 scared fans, with no idea what to expect." They were well aware of how fandom was reacting to the lack of footage all the way up until about two months ago. They just didn't have a Hulk ready to show yet, though, so that New York crowd was the first place they could go to have a big group of comic and movie fans together where they could unveil their approach.
Gale and Kevin talked about how they had to stand in the back, waiting to start the HULK panel, watching Guillermo do his presentation on HELLBOY 2. If you've never seen Guillermo in front of a crowd, you have no idea how intimidating he can be. He's hilarious, and he really works a room. And he had all of the actual physically created monsters from the film on the panel with him, so the crowd was having a blast.
So they thought it was going to be really hard to walk up there and reintroduce the Hulk. And instead, when they showed the clip that they showed me second, the response was immediate and enormous. Louis said he almost felt like a rock star for a moment in the afterglow of this explosive demonstration, this collective "HOLY SHIT THAT LOOKED GOOD!" that filled the place.
Kevin set the stage: "At this point, Blonsky's already encountered the Hulk one time, and he didn't like the way that encounter ended. He sees the Hulk and he becomes obsessed with this thing. He knows that Ross knows what this thing is, and so he really corners him on it. He learns that there was this certain super-soldier program during WWII, and Ross revived that program and is trying to use it to come up with a solution to the Hulk problem."
Again... I'm loving this. The idea that they're going to tie Hulk's origin to Captain America's backstory when Cap finally shows up... that's fun. That's the sort of thing that's going to get mainstream audiences really invested as they see all of these puzzle pieces snapping into place. Comic geeks may have decades of continuity bouncing around in their heads, but for general audiences, this is ground zero. They're just getting their first taste for how all of this works, and I hope it works.
"So now Blonsky's been injected with the serum, and he's outwardly unchanged, but he's feeling the effects, and you'll see that in this scene," Kevin said as the lights went down. The scene began with Bruce trapped in a walkway between two buildings. Ross orders his men to shoot gas into the enclosed walkway, and as they do, Betty breaks free and runs towards him. Bruce is freaked out and afraid, but it's not until he sees the soldiers below handle Betty roughly that the change begins.
I noticed that they don't show the full transformation here. You get the shirt shredding in close up. A hand swelling and growing while clenched in a fist. A huge shape rising up in the cloud of tear gas.
And then it's go-time. The Hulk comes busting out and starts distributing some serious mayhem.
Which actually seems to please Ross. "Now she'll see," he says, as Betty watches the Hulk tear through several teams of soldiers. This isn't just a few quick shots of Hulk, either. This is a major head-to-head broad daylight battle sequence, with the Hulk thinking as much as smashing. He uses his environment, uses anything he can get his hands on, and he takes the soldiers apart. It's pretty great stuff.
Once Hulk's wreaked enough havoc, Ross tells Blonsky to go for it, and Blonsky goes in, up close and personal, and actually fights the Hulk. That's what this clip was taken from. Right after that quick bit and Ross's amazed "He's really doing it," Blonsky scrambles to his feet and takes off running. Fast enough that the Hulk can't keep up. He leads the Hulk towards a pair of giant sonic cannons, and as soon as Roth is past, they open up on the Hulk. It's punishment on a massive scale, and for a moment, it looks like they've got him. Imagine what it would take to seriously hurt the Hulk. They manage to pin him to the ground for a moment, but the Hulk figures a way out. I laughed out loud several times during the sequence, pleased at how big they were going. There's another clip online, courtesy of MTV, from a little later in the sequence, but you really can't get a sense of just how big the scene is until you see it all in context. It's awesome. There are two things about the footage that must have made the visual effects guys absolutely mental: a lot of this stuff is handheld, and the film was shot anamorphic widescreen scope, a full 2.35:1. It's not Super Panavision or even 1.85, which is what they prefer, and it makes for extra work for them. But it pays off, because there's a very real and captured feeling to the battle footage, and the scope frame makes it all feel epic. At the end of the scene, Hulk walks away with an injured Betty, leading into the next scene they were going to show, and Kevin Feige explained that the scene was a reference to one book which, more than any other, inspired the visual approach to this film.
Louis went on to explain that when he first met with Marvel about making this movie, he wanted to do some homework, and he picked up everything he could get his hands on about the character. In the process, he found one book in particular, called HULK: GRAY.
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have done some strong, iconic work together on many comic legends. This collaborative interpretation of the Hulk is very stylized, very emotional. And there's a scene in a grotto that definitely inspired the sequence Louis put on next. This is where I think the Universal Monsters vibe comes through the clearest in the stuff I saw. This is Hulk trying to connect to Betty, huge and terrifying but tender with her as well. It's raining, and he wants to get her someplace sheltered. Someplace safe. He bashes his head on the low-hanging rock as he does. He panics at nearby thunder and rages at the storm overhead. He's primal and raw, but she finally manages to talk him into sitting. Quietly. So they can just watch the storm in peace. It's a lovely moment, and considering the propulsive energy to most of what they showed me, this one quiet beat is a strong indicator that Louis can handle the heart of this film just as well as he can handle the action.
We talked about how they used MOVA technology to allow Ed Norton to actually "perform" the Hulk facially. This goes beyond the simple mo-cap phase and allows for far more nuanced expression and personality in a captured performance. Now you'll really see Hulk and Abomination played by Norton and Roth, and it will allow them to bring real character to these giant creatures. The scene with Betty is a perfect example of how that pays off in subtle, realistic work.
Then we talked a little about Lou Ferrigno. Anyone who was a fan of the show in the '70s has a soft spot for Lou, and it's very shrewd of Marvel to reach out to him. They originally just offered him a cameo in the film, and the clip where he appears is a nice one, a passing-of-the-torch between Ferrigno and Norton. Lou looks great, by the way. But onstage at the New York Comic-Con, they actually offered Lou a chance to voice the Hulk in a few scenes, and he rose to the occasion. Turns out, he's been working on his version of a Hulk voice for a while, and since he never got to speak on the TV show, it's something he's been itching to do. In the final film, Lou's work is combined with the work of Dave Farmer, who did the vocalizations for Peter Jackson's KING KONG. He doesn't say much, but the few lines he delivers really pay off. Louis talks about how many Easter eggs there are in the film this time, how they've layered in references to the show, and the comics, and how some of them are only for the most hardcore obsessive fans.
At that point, Kevin warned me that the Stan Lee cameo in this film is the strangest one they've done yet for any of the Marvel films. "Be prepared. It's... it's really weird." As Louis laughed, Kevin explained that it's actually one of the most important cameos that Lee's done "because it directly affects the plot," but that it's very strange. The more he called it "weird," the harder Louis laughed, so I can't wait to see it.
The next clip they showed is the big transformation scene in the film. As with the action scenes, the transformations build gradually over the running time. The first major sequence with the Hulk, when Blonsky's team tries to capture Banner in Rio, culminates in a factory where Hulk goes apeshit. We only see part of his change there. Same thing in the scenes I described above. And that's because Leterrier wanted to build to a transformation that would take place under the harsh unforgiving lights of Tim Blake Nelson's laboratory. "One of my favorite films is AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON," Louis explained, automatically making him one step cooler in my book, "and I really wanted to create a scene like that... where we can feel what it's like for Banner, and where we see very step of that change."
Indeed we do.
You get a quick glimpse of the sequence in one of the trailers, but what I loved most about the change is the sound. You can hear bones breaking and muscles knitting. You get the feeling that this is an intensely physical process and not just swelling up like a green balloon. It looks like it hurts like shit, and Norton totally sells the change. They force him to transform in the lab so that they can try to apply a cure, and things get out of hand. One of the things I noticed in this scene that I like a lot is the low-tech approach to the labs and the science in the film. It's the opposite of IRON MAN, where Tony Stark had the absolute cutting-edge of everything. Here, Bruce is forced to work on the fringe, so everything feels jerry-rigged and barely held together. This particular transformation is probably the best Hulk moment in either film so far because of the way it personalizes Banner's reasons for wanting to be rid of this curse.
Finally, they showed me a piece of the Abomination/Hulk fight from the end of the film. You've seen the trailer where they run towards each other and jump up together and BOOM! But the clip they showed me starts before that and ends well after that, to give a sense of just what happens when the immovable object and the irresistible force finally meet. I love the moment where Bruce throws himself out of the helicopter. On the way down, he does that iconic Banner/Hulk thing where he closes his eyes as the transformation starts, then opens them suddenly to reveal the green irises. Only... this time, there's no green iris, and we just get a quick "Oh, shit!" before he hits the ground. By now, you've probably seen part of this fight, and I haven't seen much beyond where that clip ends. This is an epic rumble, though, that takes up much of the final act of the film, and if they pull off what it looks like they're aiming for, this might be the new gold standard for superhero battles. I remember as a kid seeing SUPERMAN II and thinking that the fight in Times Square was amazing. Looking at it now, it's all sort of slow-motion and awkward wire work and it doesn't have much weight to it. I like the idea... but the execution just wasn't possible at that time. Now, finally, a fight like this can have the right kinetic energy, the right scale. It's exciting, and I think Leterrier is well aware of just how lucky he is to be able to stage something like this.
This was the last of the clips they showed me in that room, but since we still had a few minutes, they asked me to walk over to the dubbing stage with them to see a piece of the film with the right sound mix. This is where I saw pretty much the entire factory scene from the first act of the film, and it's an awesome sequence. The Hulk is like a great white shark, picking off Emil Blonsky's men one by one, lunging out of the shadows, then vanishing again. There are so many little touches that work, so many smart action beats... I like that Leterrier doesn't just throw sound and chaos at you and assume that is the same thing as action. Instead, he builds his sequences, uses set-ups and pay-offs to keep turning up the intensity. He understands that each sequence is a mini-movie that has to have its own shape and structure, and the result is some of the most ingenious and entertaining superhero action yet from any Marvel movie.
I want to thank Gale Anne Hurd, Kevin Feige, and Louis Leterrier for taking the time last Wednesday, and Universal for putting it together. I wish I was going to be in Austin for whatever Harry's cooking up for his screening, since I'm sure it'll be awesome, but for now, I'm just looking forward to my own first viewing of the finished film. Considering my apathy towards the film as recently as four months ago, it's nice to be this excited and this confident that the final product is going to be worth that excitement.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
Readers Talkbackcomments powered by Disqus
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May 26, 2008, 5:57 p.m. CST
love the hulk
by msi_urine15
i hate when people post first
May 26, 2008, 5:59 p.m. CST
by rben
yea, i had to do it. now i'm somebody now! (cue Steve Martin running around with the phone book)
May 26, 2008, 6 p.m. CST
by jawsfan
Looking forward to this.
May 26, 2008, 6 p.m. CST
by jawsfan
May 26, 2008, 6:01 p.m. CST
damn i wasn't first.....
by rben
blasted lag time on this crappy slow moving computer of mine. (i really need to buy some more memory)
May 26, 2008, 6:05 p.m. CST
by Mindworm22
...is mine!
May 26, 2008, 6:05 p.m. CST
...errr, make that 7th.
by Mindworm22
With a bullet!
May 26, 2008, 6:06 p.m. CST
This movie will BOMB
by polyh3dron
No matter how good it is it will bomb because of the bad taste the first Hulk movie left in peoples' mouths. Batman Begins kind of suffered from that as well, but the trailers looked awesome and there was a bit more time between Batman & Robin and Batman Begins. Plus Batman Begins had WAY more fanboy buzz before it came out. But for this new Hulk movie to have the underwhelming trailers and a relatively short time window between Ang Lee's film and this, it just has box office bomb written all over it.
May 26, 2008, 6:06 p.m. CST
And I'm hoping...
by Mindworm22
...this film is on par with Ironman, which knocked me on my butt with how much fun it really was.
May 26, 2008, 6:07 p.m. CST
Cant Wait
by Captain RawBeard
I enjoyed the first film but glad this one is more action packed
May 26, 2008, 6:07 p.m. CST
Too bad they irreparably fucked up the character...
by Keeper Of Chimps
forever. The last movie was so bad that the Hulk was Captain America'ed.
May 26, 2008, 6:10 p.m. CST
sounds great but the marketing for this sucks
by JackGraham
i dnt see it doing record breaking business like spidey or iron man, but perhaps strong word of mouth will keep it afloat. the problem with the hulk is that the main attraction is a cgi effect, and the effects had better be fantastic for an audience to belive in him. and pls, no soul searching, split screens and jumping across deserts like a floating booger.
May 26, 2008, 6:10 p.m. CST
Kyle Cooper is awesome.
by Knuckleduster
That little montage he did for Iron Man is absolutely ace.
May 26, 2008, 6:11 p.m. CST
what about the marvel hack job?
by vadakinX
Just read through the whole article..no mention of it though. Did you at least ask Feige why Marvel were fucking with the film and cutting 40 minutes of story out of it?
May 26, 2008, 6:11 p.m. CST
thanks Mori
by memflix
Great job giving us all a visual of your trip. Felt like I was in the room. Well done.
May 26, 2008, 6:18 p.m. CST
Was there a sign on the Editing Room door that said...
by Chishu_Ryu
..."Do Not Enter If Your Name Is Edward Norton"?
May 26, 2008, 6:19 p.m. CST
by Gd00
Way, to go Louis! Thanks M for the report, I really can't wait to see this! Btw, you reallt nailed my feelings towards Ang Lee's Hulk. And I'm dying to see what connections will be set here!
May 26, 2008, 6:21 p.m. CST
I knew it would rock.
by stardogg
Oh am I first? Swore I'd never play this game.
May 26, 2008, 6:22 p.m. CST
Well guess I wasn't.
by stardogg
May 26, 2008, 6:24 p.m. CST
Thanks Mori,
by Mistahtibbs
This sounds like the kind of Hulk film that the first one should have been.
May 26, 2008, 6:32 p.m. CST
by BurgerTime
I'd just love to see a Marvel or DC movie end with an epic battle the likes of Supes 2. The LENGTH of that sequence just gives me chills. You know what I like about that sequence? It lets you breathe. You FEEL like it's taking how much time it would actually take in the real world. Problem today is everything's gotta be hyperkinetic. <p> If I were blocking a sequence like that today, I'd sit down and think about what watching a fight like that would feel like. Just a Joe on the street. It wouldn't happen lightning fast. <p> Sounds like Leterrier understands that and will pace the third act along those lines. If that's true, I'm looking forward to seeing it.
May 26, 2008, 6:33 p.m. CST
not a reboot, not a sequel....
by GavinVanDraven
so if this works.... like batman begins works.... is spider-man 4 next? just call it the amazing spider-man and re-cast it. have james cameron do it instead of raimi.
May 26, 2008, 6:35 p.m. CST
by drew mcweeny
... you probably shouldn't believe everything you read online. There is not 40 minutes cut out of this film. The film's really, really close to the script I read. There are no giant subplots or huge character arcs left on the floor. Once again, fanboy nonsense somehow becomes fact.
May 26, 2008, 6:37 p.m. CST
by BurgerTime
I just clicked on that Tom Cruise banner and was almost hypnotized by flashing lights and a message from Xenu. Jesus that was close.
May 26, 2008, 6:40 p.m. CST
Just beautiful
by Silverglade
Fantastic article, Mori. I read that entire thing twice.
May 26, 2008, 6:40 p.m. CST
Nice. It's exciting what Marvel is doing.
by fiester
I'm with you, Mori. The interconnectiveness is so utterly cool, and such a no-brainer: how could it have not been done before? Someone just needed the will to do it.<p> Let's hope this film washes away the taste of the true abomination that was Ang Lee's Hulk.
May 26, 2008, 6:42 p.m. CST
How about some honesty, or am I asking too much?
by genro
May 26, 2008, 6:46 p.m. CST
This will not bomb.
by Luscious.868
It will not have a huge opening weekend because of the first, but when people hear it's good and word get's out, it will do well.
May 26, 2008, 6:54 p.m. CST
Glad to hear the action sequences are meaty.
by CreasyBear
Because judging from the trailer, you have a military fight, an Abomination fight at the end, and apparently nothing too exhilirating for the rest of the running time. Character moments and exposition are important, but in fun superhero movies like X2, Iron Man and Spidey 2, the filmmakers pepper in some action throughout, even if it's just for a short time here and there. No wristwatch-checking. (Or maybe I just have undiagnosed ADD.)
May 26, 2008, 6:58 p.m. CST
By All Means...
by drew mcweeny
... genro, you bitter scumbag, please enlighten me. What was I not "honest" about? I mean, I know you've spent years now trying to attack me, but please... be specific. What line or word of this article was not my honest opinion or a direct account of what I did last Wednesday? I'm curious.
May 26, 2008, 6:59 p.m. CST
This is awesome
by npjs55
polyh3dron does not have a clue. Get a life loser. if you knew what films were mwant to be you may have got excitied. Batman begins was a sucess on all levels. Go see speed racer you loser.
May 26, 2008, 7:04 p.m. CST
How about some honesty, or am I asking too much?
by genro
<p>If this shit is so good, why filter everything through Mori? Why not go directly to the people? You would think Mori and Fiege would realize that this approach doesn't work out for either side. It sets the expectation higher because you're trading on Mori's credibility. And if it doesn't meet, he looks like a pimp and people lose trust in Marvel promotions. If you think I'm wrong, go ask Arad how the continual stream of BS starting that finally turned more people off than on.</p><p>Critics are going to make or break this movie, not fanboys. Geeks dollars do not account like they did eight years ago. Show some fucking confidence in your picture and you'll get a fair shake. But blather like "unfinished CGI" doesn't wash when you could have pumped out a few still frames of the finished Hulk look with concept art just to shut people up. But by all means, keep raisng the bar. That worked so well for Daredevil.</p>
May 26, 2008, 7:08 p.m. CST
by topaz4206
WTF is the dude above me babbling about?<br><br>I'll be there, paying for either this or The Happening, and sneaking into the other :)<br><br>Thanks for the write-up, Mr. Moriarty
May 26, 2008, 7:08 p.m. CST
attention TIH marketers
by Silverglade
Put the Tony Stark scene in a new TV clip for people to see when doing that final advertising/TV clip routine. That simple move alone will guarantee you extra tickets. Because the casual fan will realize, hey these two things are somehow related? !!!!! I just saw Iron Man. Cross-pollenation! Fat kids will be bumping chests in the aisles.
May 26, 2008, 7:11 p.m. CST
What happens when you hit the reset button?
by TheRealRatigan
A reboot. That's what happens. That's the word, we're all using it, there's no shame in it. It is what it is, and what it is, is a reboot.
May 26, 2008, 7:12 p.m. CST
"If people see it" is right
by Charlie Murphy
After HULK, i'm really worried people are going to be immediately turned off by this movie. Which is a shame, because I'm really looking forward to it. Great article.
May 26, 2008, 7:25 p.m. CST
release it and they will come
by j2talk
release the move and people will come......look indy 4 made 151 over the weekend....Good or Bad people will flock to see the film opening weekend...If it's GOOD word of mouth will bring in $$$$$ if not.....well ..SpeedRacer ring any bells.......
May 26, 2008, 7:26 p.m. CST
Wonder if they tried the bat ears on Abomination.
by fiester
I guess they just didn't think it looked good or else there was some other, perhaps technical reason, why they were omitted. Be a nice question to ask someone if you get another crack at the director, Mori. Inquiring heeks want to know....
May 26, 2008, 7:28 p.m. CST
by BurgerTime
Just had to say it. Sorry. I'll go away now.
May 26, 2008, 7:29 p.m. CST
Avengers vs. Skrulls?
by fiester
I want to know how it's all going to come together. Skrulls would be cool, but so would super-villains.
May 26, 2008, 7:30 p.m. CST
Really starting to look forward to this now.
by raw_bean
I think Marvel are doing everything right these days and if it keeps up I might just explode with anticipation of the Avengers movie. :^)
May 26, 2008, 7:32 p.m. CST
I Liked Ang Lee's HULK, But This Looks MUCH Better
by LaserPants
Because it gives you what you want -- HULK SMASH! The Hulk is a tragic figure, sure, but he's mostly known for his smashing abilities, not his emo self-loathing. Ya gotta strike a balance between the two. And, better to err on the side of too much SMASH! than not enough...
May 26, 2008, 7:39 p.m. CST
by JimmyJoe RedSky
how many editing rooms have you visited, shmoozed with the director, then given a thumbs down - i think fights are cool and all - but hulk's about lot more than smashing shit up
May 26, 2008, 7:40 p.m. CST
I just want to see Hulk done right
by jingle_balls
And I am hoping we dont get another British reporter on a New York News channel talking us through the final fight between Abomination and Hulk!!! I have gone from not caring at all to "it could be good". I am still not sold but Tim ROth is rarely bad in anything.
May 26, 2008, 7:43 p.m. CST
It Wasn't CHIM CHIM's Fault That SPEED RACER Failed
by LaserPants
It was the fault of mass audiences who weren't all that interested in it to begin with. They just didn't care. It wasn't like people saw it and hated, they didn't bother going at all. Personally, I straight up loved SPEED RACER, and so did everyone I know who actually saw; especially those of my friends who loved the series. Unfortunately that doesn't represent the tastes of mass audiences; it represents the taste of a relatively small cult audience. SPEED RACER is a cult idea, a cult film, made on a blockbuster budget. I'm not surprised that it failed, actually, but am pretty sure its going to experience a second life as a cult film when it hits dvd / blu-ray. Suddenly geekdom will realize they missed their chance to see it on IMAX and kick themselves for their lack of imagination.
May 26, 2008, 7:44 p.m. CST
Fanboy nonsense? EW's story seemed to speak for itself.
by TheRealRatigan
I don't know where word of forty minutes cut came from, but whatever the reason and for whatever it's worth, Edward Norton has as good as abandoned the movie by passing on all media and publicity, except for the pointlessly minced words of his press release -- which reads like it was made to appease mighty Marvel.
May 26, 2008, 7:48 p.m. CST
Done right
by Powerring
I agree. Honestly, I was nonplussed when they announced an Iron man movie. I was highly skeptical that it wouldn't be another half-assed attempt like FF. As time went on, I got enough glimpses of the suit and information that I really began looking forward to the movie. The last clips in the theater prior to the release of the film sold me. I became officially psyched. I am lukewarm about Hulk, I want to like it. I am highly optimistic because: 1. No Ang Lee 2. Ed Norton 3. John Hurt 4. The Hulk is a Buscema Hulk of the right proportion, not a "big dumb kid" that's 20 feet tall. 5. They look like they are taking the material seriously, and getting to the point. No convoluted subplot, Gamma-dogs, or lack of a contest (villain). I am about 75% sure on this movie at this point. Maybe 25% of that is hope. Hoping for maximum thrash property damage that is!
May 26, 2008, 7:48 p.m. CST
by Sandman1375
So I have to ask... How is the CGI? It looks ok in the trailers and sketchy in the mini clips shown recently.
May 26, 2008, 7:50 p.m. CST
Sydney Pollack, Film Director, Is Dead at 73
by lavatory love machine
May 26, 2008, 7:52 p.m. CST
by alice 13
dont make abomination laugh. you wouldnt like it when he laughs.
May 26, 2008, 7:55 p.m. CST
I'm looking forward to HULK
by Mullah Omar
A few weeks ago I didn't even know it was coming out this summer and after checking out the new clips over the past few days, I'm pleasantly surprised - this looks like it will be worth seeing.
May 26, 2008, 7:56 p.m. CST
I have to admit...
by edge54752
I've been very fearful for this movie for a while now. Especially after how good Iron Man turned out to be. Irrational fear naturally. But I'm so sick and tired of seeing crap Marvel movies like all 3 Spiderman films, or both Fantastic Four movies, that I wish they'd leave this character alone instead of mucking it up more. But, despite all this, I have to admit, the more I see and read about this movie, the more excited I am getting. Let's hope Marvel knocks #2 out of the park. Boy what a summer this will turn out to be if they do :)
May 26, 2008, 7:57 p.m. CST
I knew that would happen
by genro
<p>An errant hit of the Enter key, Mori. Calm down. As my full post shows, I wasn't saying your review wasn't honest.</p><p>Whether you want to admit it or not, there's a full-court press to change word of mouth, and projects with confidence aren't doing sit-downs with you to try and explain intentions behind scenes or rendering issues. The most goddamn ridiculous thing is that I was hoping this version worked but the more they talk, the less confident I become. And while I trust your reviews because you see things from a narrative perspective, I do not look upon editing bay visits or Alamo suck-offs as anything but controlled public relations.</p><p>And if I was bitter as you pray I am, I would've come at you for reading Penn's and Norton's drafts, but not offering insight into the changes. But I didn't, because as I've said before, it's apparent your outlook on development has changed since you went through the looking-fucking-glass.</p>
May 26, 2008, 7:58 p.m. CST
I assume...
by ckane123
Mori you did not hear any of the score for the film? I think the music is going to be a HUGE part of this movie... Hopefully the action beats will be well represented with the appropriate bombast and the "Lonely man" theme will be appropriately played...
May 26, 2008, 8:06 p.m. CST
Wow, Drew McWeeny is one angry man
by The Gospel According to Bastardface
"Bitter scumbag," is a bit harsh.
May 26, 2008, 8:06 p.m. CST
Hey genro
by Pr_Frink
You sound like a screenwriter who's never sold his stuff. Or a douchebag who reads into movie marketing strategies way too much. Why not just wait for the movie and judge it then? Because until you do, just like all of us, you have no idea what the movie is like. Regardless of how you read into a studio doing something like this with Moriarty.
May 26, 2008, 8:08 p.m. CST
by genro
Go read the visit again. Everything Mori reported on could have been done in podcasts from the actual people and posted on the Hulk site or its Myspace page. The influences, the rendering issues...all of it. if I was Feige, I would have had someone from The Orphange do a podcast explaining the final CGI stages at work once word went south. But they don't and that says something.
May 26, 2008, 8:10 p.m. CST
So the Hulk actually kills soldiers this time?
by Raymar
It was like G.I. Joe last time, there was always a parachute or something!
May 26, 2008, 8:12 p.m. CST
Nice Times article on the filming of "The Road".
by fiester
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/movies/27road.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin Looks good. And RIP Pollock.
May 26, 2008, 8:12 p.m. CST
Integrity of reviews when studios reach out...
by GiggityGoo
...to writers and critics. I was having a discussion the other night with a friend of mine, and he started slagging "Hulk", hoping it wouldn't succeed because he hated the trailers. I told him that a couple of online writers had been let into the editing room to see some shots, and they were reporting very positive things. (This was before your article hit today, Moriarty.) I told my friend that these writers were known for being very frank with their likes and dislikes, so for them to praise what they saw of "The Incredible Hulk" meant to me that it sounds good.<p>My friend was *appalled* that I could consider those editing room reviews as unbiased journalism. He told me that I was naive to believe that the writers would scribble down anything *but* praise, as they'd basically been bribed by the studios with their "open arms" invitation.<p>I have to say, the strength of his argument really threw me for a loop. I hadn't ever considered that my favorite writers from my favorite movie-related websites would ever kowtow to a studio's sweet bribes.<p>Moriarty, I've been reading you for a decade now, so I wanted to put this question to you: do you believe that you can maintain an unbiased, unswayed critical eye when you make these incursions into the bowels of the studios? (And please, let me be clear in saying that this isn't an attack... I'm just really curious as to your viewpoint.)
May 26, 2008, 8:13 p.m. CST
Hulk CGI and Sydney Pollack
by PackyMcCracken
Hey Mori, was great to hear more about what this movie is shaping up like. I'm curious as to whether or not you asked about the look of the CGI Hulk. For me, it's almost over-rendered. Too sinewy and too glossy. I like the clips they posted last week, but I still feel like there is something missing in the CGI. But I haven't seen it on a big screen and maybe it all looks more even. Also wondering why they went with a gray-green rather than a bolder green (though not quite Ang Lee green). Did you discuss any of these visual aspects? I can't find anything in the news about Sydney Pollack dying, but that is a great loss if he has. He was a tremendous talent as a director/producer and I loved his character work as well.
May 26, 2008, 8:14 p.m. CST
I wonder if they'll be a reference to Cap America &...
by kirttrik
the super-soldier serum, with the nazis and all that. That would freak'n rock! Also it would be a great set-up for the Avengers. Which will hopefully follow "The Ultimates" source material.
May 26, 2008, 8:15 p.m. CST
If this movie works, can they redo the FANTASTIC FOUR films...
by kirttrik
...especially the GALACTUS storyline. I mean those films are terrible!
May 26, 2008, 8:16 p.m. CST
by genro
Are you really this stupid or did you write that out of hopes Mori would pat you on the back? You're telling me to wait for the movie and judge it afterwards when Mori's whole column is a pre-judging that the movie is good - when he hasn't even seen a finished film. I wasn't even talking about the film itself but how badly it's been handled.
May 26, 2008, 8:19 p.m. CST
Next is to see how the new PUNISHER measures up...
by kirttrik
...I obviously mean to the sewer dwelling Lundgren incarnation of the character. Lundgren's strongest role to date.
May 26, 2008, 8:22 p.m. CST
If I insult Mori, will he talk back to me on the TALKBACKS.
by kirttrik
I'm here, man. I exist...why...WHY...can't you see that!
May 26, 2008, 8:23 p.m. CST
Marvel Movies
by Powerring
I enjoyed Spider man 1, and 2. 1 was flawed because the effects weren't there yet, and the villain sucked. But it was a fun movie. Spier-man 2 nailed it all the way! Spider-man 3 was lackluster, and I *hated* the dance scene. I enjoyed: Spiderman 1, 2 Ghost Rider (on it's own level) Blade 1/2 x-men 1/2/3 Iron Man (tied with spider-man for best overall) I HATED Daredevil Blade 3 Had to have beer to watch: Fantastic Four 1/2... they were like a notch over the Roger Corman movie. Rule #1: go to a movie cold, without watching umpteen previews, reviews and analysis. Do not let other hype bias you. Rule #2: Go to the movie because it interests you and to enjoy, not hate it. Rule #3: Never, ever bitch about a movie that isn't complete yet, especially if you have not seen it. hate is too easy.
May 26, 2008, 8:30 p.m. CST
Just watched Michael Clayton. I think the only roles
by CreasyBear
I remember Pollack in cast him as the cynical CEO bossman type, like in The Interpreter and Eyes Wide Shut. Gotta say, he always sold that type of character.
May 26, 2008, 8:32 p.m. CST
(And yes, I realize he was first and foremost a director.)
by CreasyBear
May 26, 2008, 8:32 p.m. CST
by CarmillaVonDoom
did you see the director's cut of Daredevil?? It wasn't bad! It mainly was the miscasting that hobbled it (esp. J. Garner)
May 26, 2008, 8:34 p.m. CST
so another hulk reboot after this?
by Bouncy X
if things between ed norton and the movie is as bad as they say, this probably means that no matter how well it does, he wont be coming back for another. unless they were smart enough to make him sign a multiple movie contract but yeah. i hope this doesnt turn into batman with 6 movies and 4 actors. lol
May 26, 2008, 8:37 p.m. CST
Whoah! They're Making A Movie Of "THE ROAD"?
by LaserPants
Best new novel I've read in ages. Absolutely terrifying, heartbreaking, beautiful novel I've read in ages. I hope the entire film is almost dead silent, some faint ambient music perhaps, and shot through a faded kinda grey filter. It could be a new masterpiece if done well. Oh please, be done well. Oh yeah, and R.I.P. Sydney Pollack...
May 26, 2008, 8:41 p.m. CST
Looks like trash next to Ang's
by dr sauch
It's true. This looks like fucking nonsense. WTF is Ed Norton doing associated with this? Bring back Bana, Connely, Elliot, Nolte, and Ang fucking Lee.
May 26, 2008, 8:44 p.m. CST
by Powerring
No, actually, I had not. The biggest thing about DD that bothered me was that he wasn't very much of a "super hero". And of course, Elektra cleaned his clock. I think my disdain was mostly for the character. I have never been a real Batman or DD fan. I was hoping (IIRC) that DD would be as Dynamic as the batman movies, especially Batman Begins. I guess I am more of the Hulk type reader (from way way back) because of the potential property destruction. I like iron man because he wasn't one of those guys that hit the bad guy, just to have the bad guy get up again. Iron man KILLED folks. He has strength that is clearly far beyond human. In the suit, he wasn't someone that could be taken out by a martial artist. Maybe I will give the directors cut of DD a chance.
May 26, 2008, 8:45 p.m. CST
I'll give it a shot
by br1947
Unfortunately I think the first one torpedoed any chance of it getting a great opening weekend. But this one already has the most important thing Lee's Hulk didn't: a clearly defined bad guy. Not some kooky "Hulk fight Lightning" battle in the sky or "Hulk fight inner battle with repressed Daddy issues". The best parts of the first film were Hulk vs Tank and Hulk vs Rock Monster, the rest of the film was pretty boring.<br><br> After Iron Man, Marvel Studios has given me hope of seeing some great superhero flicks. I like the idea of just coming out and saying "We screwed up, it's not a sequel, not really a reboot, we're just moving on". I'm hoping they do that with X-Men & Spiderman, b/c the last one of each really, really, REALLY sucked.
May 26, 2008, 9 p.m. CST
BraneRobot do you get any JOY from ANYTHING?!?
by CarmillaVonDoom
Not saying you can't keep it up, but have you ever thought of using the talkbacks for something other than vicious rounds of bile-spewing?
May 26, 2008, 9 p.m. CST
by fiester
I didn't know either until I checked the NY Times website to verify Pollack had really died, but yeah they are finished with shooting on the film adaption of "The Road". Viggio Mortenson is the lead and folks like Robert Duval have minor roles in it. Be nice to read stuff like that on this web site instead of several dozen Speed Racer plugs, but whatever... <p> And I really cannot fathom the weird subculture of people who seem to have developed some kind of emotional attachment to that terrible Ang Lee adaption of The Hulk. If you like Lee's work, that's fine. I'm not attacking him as a director or his entire body of work. But that movie was absolute shit.<p> Moriaty's euphemistic ellipse above is simply a nice way of putting it. The movie failed on all counts. Failed the fans. Failed the character. Failed the box office. Failed utterly. It belongs in the "Shit" category of superhero film adaptions along with Daredevil and the Fantastic Four movies and Superman Returns, Superman IV, Batman and Robin, Catwoman, etc.<p> NO ONE who is a fan of the Hulk comics or superhero movies in general that are done well (such as Spiderman 1&2, Batman Begins, Iron Man, Superman 1&2) can possibly like that Ang Lee travesty. It's not even a comic book movie! Moriarty is right. It's a weird dream sequence of bungled metaphor. <p> And, cripes: It's just friggin' boring. I'm sorry but it is. It's slow and mopey and seems to abandon any sense of its own internal logic early on (like a dream) and throws away everything so Lee can work out some father-son issues. <p> Look: Great directors make shitty films, okay. It happens. I'm sure if you had Fellini do an American version of "Green Lantern" you would have gotten a similar mess. But please, stop crucifying yourself for the cautionary tale that is Ang Lee's Hulk and hope for the best with this reboot.
May 26, 2008, 9 p.m. CST
by tygrus2000
I want to beleive...they get it right this time. Although Ang Lee's version wasn't as bad as some thought. I for one liked the ending when Hulk lets out all his anger and rage and absorbing dude can't even fathom it.
May 26, 2008, 9:05 p.m. CST
Jennifer Connolly the only good thing in Ang's Hulk
by CarmillaVonDoom
Sam Elliot too. And Eric Bana. Shit, I liked the cast a lot. But the script, direction, just abyssmal.
May 26, 2008, 9:07 p.m. CST
Sounds awesome.
by themanwhojaped
I like where they are going with this. I'm so glad they went with a CGI Hulk too. A man in a suit would look stupid.
May 26, 2008, 9:14 p.m. CST
I agree Carmilla, the cast was great
by br1947
Another reason I was so let down by Hulk, the cast had nothing to work with. Sam Elliot is awesome at everything he does, I think he's one of the most underrated actors out there. I've always wondered how he'd do as an aging, near retirement Nick Fury. He's got that hard-as-nails, I-don't-give-a-damn, John Wayne-ish style down perfect.
May 26, 2008, 9:16 p.m. CST
Thank you.
by cuthbert84
I REALLY want this movie to be good. The Incredible Hulk was my favorite TV show when I was young, but Ang Lee's Hulk didn't do it for me. I was resigning myself to diappointment with the upcoming movie until I saw those wonderful clips that were recently put online. That coupled with the first half of this article (I skipped the second to avoid spoilers), once again makes me incredibly excited. (And I love that he brought up "American Werewolf..." One of my favorites as well.) Thanks very much. -Jon
May 26, 2008, 9:18 p.m. CST
Fiester thanks for The Road link
by IndustryKiller!
Read it on a friends recommendation and was absolutely blown away by the world it created. The one thing I hope the film captures most besides the stark feeling of existence is the sublime sense of almost invisible hope that others I know who've read the book just don't give it enough credit for. And man that basement scene is going to be absolutely terrifying if they go all out with it.
May 26, 2008, 9:22 p.m. CST
mori how come you didn't ask about Norton?
by IndustryKiller!
and it's not a criticism, but like it or not, it is a big part of the story with this film. Were you told up front that the subject is taboo? Has he really abandoned the project over 15 minutes in the final cut? I'm itching to know more because he's about the only reason I'm going to end up paying for this film and if he doesn't believe in it then I might just skip it.
May 26, 2008, 9:24 p.m. CST
No prob, IndustryKiller!
by fiester
Sounds like a promising adaption with a lot of talent involved. I'm hoping it lives up to the book. I'm a fan of McCarthy's work and would love love love to see a hardcore film version of "Blood Meridian" some day make it to the screen (I think Tommy Lee Jones owns the rights). To anyone who liked "The Road" do yourself a favor and pick up "Blood Meridian" by the same author. It's astonishingly good.
May 26, 2008, 9:25 p.m. CST
What's to know about Norton?
by CarmillaVonDoom
Isn't he a GIGANTIC CRYBABY during post on almost every movie he's ever been involved in. He needs to take a WAHHBULANCE. Personally, I think he is a GREAT ACTOR, but what a super-inflated sense of self-importance!
May 26, 2008, 9:30 p.m. CST
by LaserPants
I actually liked Ang Lee's HULK, but I think this looks much better, At the very least, much more satisfyingly smashtastic. And ultimately, for whatever emotional depth Hulk does have being a tragic monster kinda feller, the character really lives or dies on the quality of his smashings. You can do the angst stuff of course, but ya gotta make with the epic smashings. HULK SMASH! aint a catch phrase for nuthin'. Its what people want to see.
May 26, 2008, 9:32 p.m. CST
p.s. fiester
by LaserPants
I actually totally loved SPEED RACER. I plug it often just because I honestly thought it was great, and think it should have made better money. But it was always gonna be a long shot cult thing. They shoulda aimed more in that direction, then in the direction of blockbuster. Regardless, I totally loved it. Its my fave of the summer thus far, even though I really dug Iron Man too.
May 26, 2008, 9:38 p.m. CST
Great thing about the Hulk?
by MrD
He's super easy to reboot. We've had grey Hulks, green Hulks and red Hulks. Angry Hulks, childlike Hulks, mindless Hulks, cunning Hulks, brilliant Hulks, and evil Hulks. We've had mute Hulks and eloquent Hulks and Hulks that speak like Bob Dole. Hulks that are heroes, Hulks that are villains, and Hulks that want to be left alone. Army fighting Hulks, superhero Hulks, loner Hulks, warrior Hulks, emporer Hulks, introspective Hulks, and existential Hulks. Hulks that transform from anger, from moonlight, or don't transform at all. In the end, the character is supremely mutable and adaptable, and always easy to return back to ground zero when a new artist is given the reins. So those of you who think that Ang Lee ruined the Hulk, have no fear. Nothing can beat the Hulk.
May 26, 2008, 9:40 p.m. CST
Get Moriarty to hype our movie or no Hulk 3
by pipergates
Private showing just for Moriarty? They must be desperate to spread some positive word and not loose all their $...good thing we know him good enough not to sell out completely...the film got to be decent now,or bye bye all the hard- earned credibility.
May 26, 2008, 9:41 p.m. CST
Gray Hulk!
by fiester
The Gray Hulk is the best. Be so great to see Joe Fixit get a movie, make it a gangster flick set in Las Vegas and have Scorsese direct it. How weird would that be? No more weird than Ang Lee's. Heh.
May 26, 2008, 9:42 p.m. CST
And I loved Ang Lee's Hulk
by MrD
I can see why it's not everyone's cuppa, as it wasn't classic Hulk Smash! Hulk. This borrowed more heavily from the weird, introspective stories that popped up in various periods, and that final battle, with Hulk beating his father by unleashing all his pent up anger? How can anyone NOT see Lee and Kirby doing something that trippy in the old days?
May 26, 2008, 9:42 p.m. CST
but no Norton-mention is odd. very odd.
by pipergates
what's up with that?
May 26, 2008, 9:45 p.m. CST
Hulk Begins
by Lerkst
Everything about this film looks good....and it's just getting better. I honestly think this is a stepping stone film. It could be Marvel's Batman Begins...reviving a franchise. If the legends are true about the fight at the end of the film, this WILL work and succeed.
May 26, 2008, 9:51 p.m. CST
Awesome article
by Aethyrr
Thanks Moriarty!
May 26, 2008, 9:56 p.m. CST
i'm a bitter scumbag therefore i exist
by pipergates
what a bunch of bitter empty arguments some people come up with...just to get some sort of recognition?
May 26, 2008, 10:01 p.m. CST
Hey Mori, can I be bitter about this...
by genro
<p>That Zach Snyder swiped my approached to Watchmen from the TB's?</p><p>http://tinyurl.com/6ya2mf</p><p>http://tinyurl.com/3kq92s</p>
May 26, 2008, 10:05 p.m. CST
Ang Lee's Hulk made money
by Osmosis Jones
Yeah, audiences dropped the film like a hot potato after the opening weekend, but it STILL grossed over $130 million in the U.S. alone. HARDLY a flop.
May 26, 2008, 10:08 p.m. CST
Ed Norton is not a great actor
by criticalbliss
People, be honest with yourselves. When was his last tolerable performance? 1999? He has the same smarmy, smug persona in every film. That said, I'm rooting for The Hulk. I want to love this film, but I have a feeling that Norton's ego is going to overwhelm the cinematic experience. And a damned shame that is.
May 26, 2008, 10:09 p.m. CST
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Nice catch on that THE ROAD article. Have we talked about that in Talkback before?
May 26, 2008, 10:11 p.m. CST
As much as I like mori, his POV on comic films is shaky
by IndustryKiller!
He also loved Daedevil and The Punisher. Terrible movies not just for the characters they are based on, but in general. Oddly enough he seems to have such a soft spot for genre filmmaking in general that he often goes easy on it.
May 26, 2008, 10:12 p.m. CST
Hey Mori - My Final Comment...
by genro
<p>Demand me nothing. What you know, you know.</p> <p>From this time forth I never will speak word</p>
May 26, 2008, 10:14 p.m. CST
by fiester
Love to see a reboot of that one next. Daredevil is a beloved character to legions of comicheads. He deserved better. It's more difficult to pinpoint the reasons for why Daredevil was so unsatisfactory, but I would pout forth that CASTING should be near or at the very top of the list.
May 26, 2008, 10:19 p.m. CST
Speed Racer
by fiester
Have not seen it. I was a fan of the cartoon when I was a little kid, but no one I talked to under 30 even knew what it was.<p> Best thing about it might be Ricci--but I would suggest you just watch "Black Snoke Moan" as she's such a little naked fuckslut in it throughout. Even if the movie itself is unintentionally hilarious most of the time--it's worthwhile for lots and lots of naked, slutty Ricci.
May 26, 2008, 10:22 p.m. CST
Something doesn't seem right about Norton being...
by GQtaste
.... no where to be found. Is he pulling that same old diva bullshit? Just like he's done before? I"m getting a bad vibe from his absence.
May 26, 2008, 10:28 p.m. CST
26 minute fight scene
by DrBanner
I'm super psyched to see that unfold. A fight scene that takes up almost the entire 3rd act of the movie is pretty ballsy. Just hope that it indeed makes the "They Live" fight look like a bitch slap.
May 26, 2008, 10:34 p.m. CST
Interconnected Films- It has already been done
by RenoNevada2000
Marvel aren't the first folks to interconnect their films. Kevin Smith is famous for his View Askewniverse comedies and Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION are connected via the Vega Brothers. But I will give Marvel this, they are the first company to have such a forward looking plan.
May 26, 2008, 10:35 p.m. CST
by Redfive!
BUT HE STILL WANTS TO KICK SOME ASS!!! I hope this film is as fun as Iron Man.Im crossing my fingers that it is.
May 26, 2008, 10:37 p.m. CST
This movie will bomb!
by THENIPPLESOFGOD
Crappy CGI, the star has all but abandoned it, bad taste in everybody's mouth from the last one, just has fail written all over it
May 26, 2008, 10:38 p.m. CST
Just saw an American Gladiators promo...
by br1947
they are doing a HULK promotion next week, and they painted a Gladiator green... LOL! May have to catch that...
May 26, 2008, 10:40 p.m. CST
by DrBanner
While interconnected films have already been done, movies based on comic book characters haven't done it yet. And the fact that Marvel is doing it is a big deal because now we'll be able to see these characters co-exist on screen the same way we've seen them mingle in the books. The very thought of all of these Marvel characters in the same movie should be every geek's wet dream.
May 26, 2008, 10:44 p.m. CST
by fiester
I guess I will give you those two examples--however I think this is a much different innovation. In those instances you have two writer/directors doing their own stuff; in this instance you have multiple writers and directors working on multiple projects that all seek to collaborate on a collective universe. That, to me, is bigger and more exciting than anything Kevin Smith or Tarentino has done in the past.
May 26, 2008, 10:47 p.m. CST
Moriarty, how did you feel about...
by Greenleaf1
...the trailers for this film thus far? I'm wondering if you liked them and this set only reinforced that position, or if you were a skeptic but now are more confident that the movie will turn out ok. Personally I thought the trailers were sub par, and I'm going to see the movie but am pretty unexcited for it, just wondering how you felt.
May 26, 2008, 10:48 p.m. CST
Thanks Moriarty...
by ED2D2
You've made me excited to see this movie for the first time. The trailers never quite clicked. Somehow I just couldn't get the taste of the first Hulk movie out of my mouth. But you've managed to get me excited about this new take on the big green galoot.
May 26, 2008, 10:50 p.m. CST
Spider-Man 3
by fiester
Not Raimi's fault. He was forced to use Venom, a character he loathed, and had to scramble to find a script to add him. Turned into a movie-by-committee situation and those nearly always turn to shit.
May 26, 2008, 10:52 p.m. CST
As far as Edward Norton's writing credit on Hulk goes...
by Zeke25:17
he's listed on the poster, after Zak Penn, as Edward Harrison (that being his middle name). And far as I'm concerned, his work in Fight Club gives him a lifetime cool pass. Good to see that now, finally, folks are getting excited about this film! All we need now is a Superman film where Supes does more than lift heavy objects!
May 26, 2008, 11 p.m. CST
"It looks so fake!"
by fiester
"His pants would never stay on!" <p> ...looks a hellova lot more real than Chiklas in The Thing suit. I always thought of The Thing as comparable in size to The Hulk, not a strapping 5'5" looking up at Jessica Alba.
May 26, 2008, 11:06 p.m. CST
the cgi bothers me because...
by bernard
the hulk's face looks nothing like edward norton's face. Ed norton has a long slender nose and barely a chin, and to me it really doesn't look like there's a trace of ed norton's face in the big green guy we see in the trailer. <p> as far as the history of cgi characters go, i think that gollum worked the best thus far because he is an exaggeration of a real human being...andy serkis...and without andy serkis there is no gollum. i was really hoping the hulk would be a mutated version of ed norton's face, but it just looks like the comic book hulk more than anything. maybe the transformation scene will sell it, i dunno.
May 26, 2008, 11:24 p.m. CST
just saw Unleashed 10 min ago
by T 1000 xp professional
for the first time...verryyy excited for this movie..Suprisingly unleashed was a very enjoyable action movie, with guess what, great action..script's good, action's good, the cast is good, the Hulk WILL be good
May 26, 2008, 11:34 p.m. CST
Kyle Cooper is not with Imaginary Forces anymore..
by mistergreen
He hasn't done anything interesting since SE7EN
May 26, 2008, 11:47 p.m. CST
by Phategod1
Thats all carry on.
May 27, 2008, 12:01 a.m. CST
One thing I noticed...
by andrew coleman
Is that they are selling Hulk hands again like they did for the first one. Anyway, I don't think this movie will make Iron Man type of money but I think it could land around 130 million. I mean it's competition for action movies will be limited it's all comedies in June. And that weekend the Happening comes out which is R rated. So all 13-16 year old boys and older will see it. Hulk will be fine. Even though I can see Variety headlines "Hulk got smahed at box office". Even though it could also easily be "Hulk smashes box office" so will see.
May 27, 2008, 12:07 a.m. CST
New clip
by DrBanner
Over at superherohype. It's the scene of the transformation in that walkway. Nothing that hasn't been shown yet, but still pretty cool.
May 27, 2008, 12:12 a.m. CST
"An hour and 20 minutes of kissing Liv Tyler?"
by Osmosis Jones
I'd pay to see THAT film.
May 27, 2008, 12:31 a.m. CST
Mistergreen you're on crack! ;)
by half vader
Nothing even remotely interesting? How many have you seen? More often than not his titles are better than the films they're in! Anyway, you're right no he's not with Imaginary Forces any more he's with Prologue. <p> BTW those who think Prologue only did the awards montage for Iron Man are mistaken. He/they also did the end credits sequence and some VFX throughout the film.
May 27, 2008, 12:36 a.m. CST
Well Mori Norton sure as shit didn't do perf capture
by half vader
for the bloody trailer/roaring shot that's in all the promos & ads. <p> It's just plain bad acting and reeks of some idiot from marketing saying "we need to see his eyes!". He's flat our roaring and there's no real compression and strain around the eyes- they should be almost closed with exertion. Either that or Norton was just fucking bored out of his skull that day.
May 27, 2008, 12:42 a.m. CST
"...see Hulk win a debate."
by The Dum Guy
I hope thats in one of the sequels when he becomes gray Hulk... that and he writes a book, maybe even if its just a cook-book.
May 27, 2008, 12:46 a.m. CST
Oh, pul-EEZE!
by BruceVain
Have certain parties forgotten that the footage that slayed the Comic-Con crowd was the exact same footage that, when posted here a few weeks later, had everybody commenting(correctly)on how cheap-ass this picture looks? Hmmm, sounds like the same phenomenon is driving Mori's writeup -- which is that being in the mere PRESENCE of people who make shitty films sufficiently cows some observers into thinking those films are not shit. But the facts here are irrefutable: The CGI Hulk is unpersuasive in hard-wired ways that cannot be fixed on the back end, no matter how much effort is expended; the movie was seriously trimmed at the 11th hour, always this sign of a desperate salvage job designed to goose the spill-and-fill of a certain bomb; and its star/co-producer/co-writer has essentially and demonstrably abandoned the thing, obviously smelling a catastrophe of epic proportions. It's time for some of us to stop playing the shill and do the dirty work of admitting that movies sometimes look as if they're going to suck for one simple reason: They're going to suck.
May 27, 2008, 12:49 a.m. CST
And another thing ...
by BruceVain
A director admits that he had to relegate already-shot flashback footage to his opening credits because he couldn't make it work anywhere else, and you don't recognize this as one of the Four Horsemen of the Golden Turkey Apocalypse? Geez, you'd think some people had never gone to a bad movie before ...
May 27, 2008, 12:52 a.m. CST
Thanks, Joe
by BruceVain
Cool screenname, by the way.
May 27, 2008, 1:32 a.m. CST
Face on HK = Flames on Optimus!!!
by Motoko Kusanagi
Damn you, George Lucas! Damn you to hell!
May 27, 2008, 1:57 a.m. CST
Don't make me ang lee. You wouldn't like me when im ang lee.
by Cotton McKnight
Man that movie was terrible. This is the movie that should have been made instead of that one. I will admit it- when I saw the trailer, I ALMOST cried at the end when I heard the familiar Hulk TV theme. I love that they are paying homage to it.
May 27, 2008, 1:57 a.m. CST
by lex romero
how does putting the flashback footage into teh opening credits point to a turkey? It sounds reasonable to me, they needed to explain/retcon the origins that are dfifferent from ang lee's version. It was in flashbacks at first, but i'm guessing it just seemed too clumsy and jarring, unecessarily sidetracking the film. <br><br> So why not put it in the opening credits? I mean, jeez, this is one of the first superhero films where we're gonna see the origins of teh character in a 4/5 minute opening clip and then straight into the films plot. Rather than the origin taking up half the film.
May 27, 2008, 2:08 a.m. CST
BruceVain will still see this movie so its okay :)
by Mike_D
May 27, 2008, 2:09 a.m. CST
Personally I think this will be a "sleeper hit" like "Blade" was
by Mike_D
mark my words.
May 27, 2008, 2:29 a.m. CST
"They've given him someone to punch"
by Player 1
Well Moriarty, you're 'They've given him someone to punch' and subsequent paragraph kind of illustrates what's wrong with these kind of stories at the moment, and a sad inditement of USA. You think the audience wants a focus of the rage, to dumb it down so that there's just one hero against one enemy. I liked Ang Lee's version because it didn't dumb down the story to that cliche. I thought Ironman lost it when he fought against Stane at the end... typical cliche. Look at what's happening around the world at the moment... 'war on terror' is simplifying your enemies down, while not really seeing issues as being complex as they are. Im sick of seeing this kind of thing in movies as well. Hoorah for complex resolutions and messy endings.
May 27, 2008, 5:45 a.m. CST
In A wAY I feel a bit Sorry...
by FILMFUNK
For you guys seeing so many full chunks of a movie before the release!<P>Like trailers ANYTHING can look good out of context. I just hope the whole HULK experience is as good as IronMan was and not studded with nuggets of shit like Indy4.
May 27, 2008, 6:16 a.m. CST
Is it true?
by kwisatzhaderach
That Norton has walked from the film?
May 27, 2008, 7:03 a.m. CST
Norton obviously had a hissy...doesnt mean f shit
by quantize
http://tinyurl.com/47mf9v It's the guy's usual modus operandi..it doesnt mean fucking shit one way or the other..People have been whipping this up as though it means something..which is flat out retarded..they guys been proudly attached to films which audiences didnt think were so great..he obviously had a point of view, it doesn't mean shit.
May 27, 2008, 7:06 a.m. CST
Norton DID NOT WALK from this film.
by Mike_D
its just an internet rumor. he adressed that already.
May 27, 2008, 7:21 a.m. CST
like i said... http://tinyurl.com/47mf9v
by quantize
May 27, 2008, 7:52 a.m. CST
why hasn't the fact...
by foree forehead
..that the director admits that a half (or more) of this movie is "like an episode of the t.v. show" bothered any hulk fans on this TB?? and you give ang lee crap for his wild effort
May 27, 2008, 7:54 a.m. CST
by foree forehead
i think it was you anyway who recommended 'blood meridian' if new mccarthy readers liked 'the road'. i'd probably point them to 'no country for old men' first before they delved into the denser stuff of the past.
May 27, 2008, 8:39 a.m. CST
Giving him something to punch
by Powerring
is definitely NOT a cliche' It's providing Hulk with a threat that rivals his power and could beat him. That is what hurt Superman Returns (among other things). There was no doomsday, nothing for him to go after at his level. Hulk needs to have a conflict that will result in massive property damage and captures a classic comic line. Not just roaming around and beating up soldiers. The sense of threat must be there. That's an element of what made spiderman 2 so good: classic villain that goes toe to toe. And for once, he wasn't OOT like the goblin. This movie is a shoe-in to stand head and shoulders above Ang Lee's half-baked wet dream. While Liv Tyler is nothing compared to Jennifer Connoley (for me anyway) I will nont pre-judge what I haven't seen.
May 27, 2008, 8:56 a.m. CST
Well norton is a tad hissy, considering
by greentealite
He had the right to rewrite the script and treat it how he wanted. But you know, I think he's an intelligent guy and in that case, why not bring some actual brevity to a comic book character, you know?
May 27, 2008, 9:39 a.m. CST
by BruceVain
The point isn't that flashback footage doesn't belong in a credits sequence; the point is that Letterier went into the movie with a script that had that footage elsewhere in the story and decided at the 10th hour that it didn't work -- so he crammed it into the credits out of a lack of ideas for anything else to do with it. Surely you have seen enough movies to know that this sort of "choice" almost always plays as inept and desperate on the screen; it's like the evil twin of making stuff flashbacks in the firstplace because you can't integrate it into the story proper (or because the studio demanded a last-minute hack-and-slash-job to facilitate some extra plays per day, which sure sounds like the operating philosophy that's overtaken this picture). And MikeD: Yeah, I may go see Hulk anyway, but just out of curiosity and because I'm a comic-book guy. If the reviews are truly terrible, I may wait for second-run or DVD. Either way, how does that negate or compromise any of my comments? Unless you think the only arbiter of artistic "success" is who gets whose money ... in which case, nice value system, dipshit.
May 27, 2008, 10:11 a.m. CST
Can we gamma-irradiate...
by Kid Z
...the Busted Tees girl so she can She-Hulk out and rip out of that t-shirt? I'd pay to see that!
May 27, 2008, 10:23 a.m. CST
Good read
by DecimatorDan
I was at NYCC, and it's true about del Toro. He was such a hard act to follow because of how personable and kick ass he is. Still, Letterier, Fiege, and Hurd managed to captivate everyone in the audience with the clips they showed, we all enjoyed a geek-gasam when Letterier brought Ferrigno on stage and asked him if he wanted to help do the voice of the Hulk, and we also got to see that clip with the Tony Stark cameo at the very end of the presentation. I can't wait for this movie, I just hope it does well at the box office.
May 27, 2008, 11:35 a.m. CST
Maybe I am wrong but I heard that
by emeraldboy
Norton binned Penns Script. and demanded the script be re-written and by him. Penn, i have heard hit the roof and left the project. or some such.
May 27, 2008, 11:36 a.m. CST
and is the stuff about the war between Universal and Marvel
by emeraldboy
True. I think there should be some clarification.
May 27, 2008, 11:40 a.m. CST
or maybe Universal have realised that they have
by emeraldboy
a massive movie stink bomb on thier hands. who knows? and that norton is to blame. Or worse still maybe norton knows that the movie is absolute dog. and is avoiding(or trying) to avoid the career meltdown which is headed his way.
May 27, 2008, 11:57 a.m. CST
by Abominable Snowcone
I saw the helicopter in the movie trailer, and my only thought was, there's no way a copter can stay in the air with both Hulk and Abom clinging to the struts
May 27, 2008, 12:05 p.m. CST
Yeah but did they use the TV show music??
by picardsucks
Best TV soundtrack ever!!!! Especially the Hulk Anger music and the sad piano at the end where he hitchhikes his way to the next town.
May 27, 2008, 1:53 p.m. CST
the deal with norton
by brassai2003
I had a long conversation with someone who is close to this project. The deal was that hewanted to add something more intellectual to the film, and marvel wanted to keep it along the lines of Iron man. witty, not TOO heavy but a still a comic book movie that moves along intelligantly. I have to agree with Marvel in this case. I mean, I'm not Ang LEe hater, but that WASN'T a Hulk movie. Marvel knows their stuff (finally) . I hope this trend continues. But the Norton thing is way over blown according to my source. After seeing Iron Man, and the fact that they want to keep Cap in WWII and have plans for an Avengers film, I'm willing ot give the MMMS the benefit of the doubt. Oh yeah, the music from the show is in the movie.
May 27, 2008, 2:06 p.m. CST
by DECKERS
..I was have a geek daydream about the Cap movie: I feel that it could either be amazing or if handled wrongly embarassing shit (helmet with wings+shit actor=crap). I want a indiana jones meets saving private ryan meets spiderman (not 3) type of deal. I would love to see a WW2 flick regarding a normal grunt given the super soldier serum, they turned into a kick ass one-man platoon. The top brass though see him more a valuable morale-boosting poster boy so they design the costume we all know and they get him to show up in safe zones and do a speech. Then, at one of these safe zones (maybe in France) all hell breaks loose and we are treated to the Cap kicking the shit out of the Nazis!!! Of course ending with the Cap waking up from a hiberation to be greeted by Fury & Stark!!! Anyone agree?
May 27, 2008, 2:07 p.m. CST
sounds exceptionally cool
by kungfuhustler84
Hulk will indeed smash. The super-soldier versus Hulk fight is such a cool fucking idea. but a Hulk versus Abomination Hulk fight is gonna be the cat's pajamas
May 27, 2008, 2:24 p.m. CST
Good God...
by drew mcweeny
... it was my FUCKING BIRTHDAY last night. That's why I haven't responded. I'm not dodging your stupid questions, BraneRobot. First of all, I said exactly what I meant to say about the script IN MY ARTICLE. You see how I referred to Zak Penn as the writer? You see the final poster where Zak Penn is the only credited writer? There you go. Zak Penn wrote the film. Zak's script IS the film. That's really all that needs to be said. <P>Ed Norton will be doing publicity for the film. He's not "off the movie." The press loves a rumble, and they love to play it up, but every movie has creative struggles behind the scenes, and nine times out of ten, they're resolved between the professional adults involved without the press trying to turn it into a big deal. I chose not to be a sensationalist asshole like a Nikki Fink because the story's been blown WAY out of proportion. Ed Norton is not off the film. There's nothing more to say than that. <P>Pardon the fuck out of me for going last night to enjoy hanging out with my friends instead of hovering here for every little question or to respond each and every time one of you feels the need to attack my fucking integrity. <P>Regarding set visits: of course I've seen films where the final movie was a mess after seeing sequences out of context that worked. This is not a review of a final film. This is me passing along impressions of the footage I was shown. No more. No less. If that bothers you, don't read set visits. Wait for the final review. Beyond that, I don't know what to tell you.
May 27, 2008, 2:25 p.m. CST
moriarty fan boy blinded
by awepittance
its funny to me when reviewers or people like him get back stage or behind the scenes acess to something, because i mean seriously how often is someone with that privelage going to come back and say all bad shit about it? not very often, they want access again and to stay on the good side of the people who brought them into their secret world. I just find it hilarious how fakey gushy this is. Its almost as if he wrote it with the Hulk production team looking over his shoulder correcting his sentence structure.
May 27, 2008, 2:27 p.m. CST
Avernges is gonna RULE...
by joevfx
it loosk like they are setting up the avengers movie to take care of the Hulk as a threat to NYC. I think this because of the final scene after the credits of the hulk with Tony stark talkign to general ross in a bar telling him "I think I have a solution to your problem" Eitehr that or they are tryign to get him to join the Avenges, which could and could not work ont eh big screen. If its not that I hope they fight Ultron :)
May 27, 2008, 2:31 p.m. CST
by Mr. Nice Gaius
I hope you were able to celebrate with some classy cocktails. Do you have a spirit of choice?<P>Cheers!
May 27, 2008, 2:47 p.m. CST
No, I Haven't....
by drew mcweeny
... I've never "gone on and on" about the Norton drafts. That's bullshit.
May 27, 2008, 2:48 p.m. CST
Happy Birthday Dude
by jamestewart007
Man, that BraneRobot really gets under your skin doesn't he? Anyway, decent review. I'm starting to get pumped to see this one.
May 27, 2008, 2:49 p.m. CST
In Fact...
by drew mcweeny
... find one place where I even talked about the Norton draft specifically, or where I praised his work as a screenwriter on this film. I've met Ed a few times. Seems like a decent guy. But since the first time he sat onstage and said he "wrote the entire thing," I've been patiently waiting for the WGA ruling that was obviously going to award Penn sole credit. <P>You're absolutely, 100% wrong about what I've said about this, BraneRobot, and that's why your comments are fucking moronic. You're projecting an agenda onto me that doesn't exist. I should be used to it by now, but it still pisses me off.
May 27, 2008, 3:02 p.m. CST
My My
by 2LeggedFreak
Mori, calm the hell down.
May 27, 2008, 3:07 p.m. CST
Tell You What...
by drew mcweeny
... you let a couple of these morons come to your work and follow you around and not only bald-faced lie about what you have or haven't done all day, but also project their own miserable bitter agendas onto you. All day. For twelve years. I'm tired of having someone completely misrepresent what I've written and create these elaborate backstories of bullshit for my actions. BraneRobot... genro... these aren't one-time posters. These are ongoing, persistent trolls. I am perfectly calm, but I'm not going to tolerate this sort of horseshit or allow them to post their lies unchecked.
May 27, 2008, 3:14 p.m. CST
12 years?
by jamestewart007
wow. talk about some people needing to get a life. Brane and Genro, go get laid. Leave poor Mori alone. And why not remove them from the site? I know this is about free speach and all that, but its also about telling the truth. So if people are coming up with bs stories, just kick em off.
May 27, 2008, 3:15 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Give me a black box. I'll fuck him up for you.
May 27, 2008, 3:17 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Did you have cake?
May 27, 2008, 3:17 p.m. CST
by chrth
Stop harassing Drew, ok? He's works hard and he doesn't need to hear it from you trolls, ok, so leave Mori alone!<p> BTW, Drew, how're the kids doing?
May 27, 2008, 3:20 p.m. CST
Oh, and Happy Birthday!
by chrth
And let me just say, as a reader of this site for at least 10 years, thank you for never posting a picture of your insides. We appreciate it. Trust me.
May 27, 2008, 3:22 p.m. CST
It's No Win, JS007...
by drew mcweeny
... if I do that, then people cry about censorship. If I leave them here and respond, then I'm a big bully hothead. Either way, I'm the one that has to somehow deal with it. <P>After spending over a decade doing this, I think my likes and dislikes are (A) consistent and (B) transparent. Yet some people insist on seeing hidden agendas in everything I say or do. "Oh, you're just saying it's good because someone can hire you for a job!" <P>Whatever. I have more jobs right now than I can handle, and the last thing I want is more work on my plate. I'm making a feature film this year without any studio interference directed by one of my heroes. Why would I be trolling for work? I've been a constantly employed member of the WGA since before there was an Ain't It Cool, so what sort of "stepping stone" do these people think I'm looking for? <P>The truth is, as it always has been, I am boundlessly enthusiastic about film. I love big films, small films, foreign films, old films, new films... and all the work I've ever done here has been about trying to communicate that enthusiasm with the AICN audience and, hopefully, engaging other film fans in real conversation. <P>And yet it always seems to come back to the same few whiny children who see the worst in others because that's all they can imagine. As Harry once told me, "You know that the people who accuse you of things like taking money to have a certain opinion only say that because that's what they would do, right?" I should heed his advice and ignore the assholes completely, but I have this bizarre and insane need to explain the truth when someone prints a lie that's attached to something I wrote.
May 27, 2008, 3:24 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
You don't ask any other kind, you ultimate tool.
May 27, 2008, 3:26 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Censorship is my middle name! Black box me man!!!
May 27, 2008, 3:27 p.m. CST
by DECKERS
Mori, ignore those assholes. Out of all the reviewers on AICN, you're the one I would LEAST expect to toady to the filmmakers-don't take any bullshit-those guys just hate everything.
May 27, 2008, 3:27 p.m. CST
Calm down?
by Darth Macchio
Ok..I know it's half in jest and that's kewl of course...but I was wondering if any of you...like me...get pretty much irate whenever someone I don't know tells me to 'calm down'. Every time I hear those words given out in the customary "order" fashion, I feel like kicking Mr. Pocket Dictator in the balls. If I go fucking berserk in a grocery store...by all means...tackle me....but if I'm a little irate about something...mind your business cause unless I'm unique...some asshat just telling me to "calm down" in even a remotely condescending manner...just pours gas onto that fire. And I'm a mushroom cloud laying motherfucker, Motherfucker! Every time these ears hear 'Calm down!' I'm super-fly TNT...I'm the guns of the Navarone! (sorry...just a little random Sam felt needed on that last).
May 27, 2008, 3:28 p.m. CST
Mori, don't let them get you down!
by Goonie
These trolls represent about 5% of the AICN audience. The vast majority of AICN readers love your reviews and admire your writing. Don't let a few pricks get you down.
May 27, 2008, 3:28 p.m. CST
Macchio: I think you need to calm down a bit
by chrth
May 27, 2008, 3:30 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Because if you don't, Brane thinks you're not entitled to your Constitutional right to vote. Give me a black box, man.
May 27, 2008, 3:31 p.m. CST
DD: Yeah, but he could afford a PS3 in the first place
by chrth
That's sketchy<p> (jk Drew)
May 27, 2008, 3:32 p.m. CST
Yes, Moriarty. When it comes to BraneRobot...
by Mr. Nice Gaius
...(aka AnimalStructure & Thunderballs), we know him well. (Have you seen the political TBs lately?) He's the kind of guy that watches the .50 caliber scene in MIAMI VICE on an endless repeated loop.<P>Personally, I think you should take these same few whiny children to task every single chance you get. Take them down. Take them down to Chinatown.
May 27, 2008, 3:33 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
My bride hates to be told to "calm down", which of course prompts me to use it more, and many variations thereof (relax, chill, calm the fuck down, chillax, etc.)
May 27, 2008, 3:41 p.m. CST
I think the very fact that trolls like BraneBot
by toadkillerdog
Are allowed to post to this site -speaks for itself. But just in case some of the more synaptically challenged fail to understand that point, here it is: Those of you who whine and moan and bitch and scream about perceived slights and injustices inflicted upon you by the 'liberals' on this site, who you deem un-patriotic, or in the pay sponsors, or who have hidden agendas because they want to promote their careers, need to look around and realize that they are free to say all of that - and they have not been banned or censored. <p> Only in America can the so-called oppressed on both sides, have the freedom of expression while lamenting their so-called condition.
May 27, 2008, 3:49 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Wait, he has none. Never mind.
May 27, 2008, 3:51 p.m. CST
Mori, did you see anything that might be a covert
by chrth
NextWave project? I mean, Marvel wouldn't be foolishly doing all these movies without doing NextWave, would they?
May 27, 2008, 4:01 p.m. CST
Mori, question about Norton's future?
by Gordon Bombay
Don't know how much you know about the situation. But, would anything that happened in this whole thing possibly stop Norton from coming back for a sequel and/or The Avengers movie?
May 27, 2008, 4:07 p.m. CST
by 2LeggedFreak
This is the kind of person putting your blood pressure up : http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/9864/drukjebrilki8.jpg
May 27, 2008, 4:08 p.m. CST
suspect preview
by foree forehead
so he saw nothing bad in all that footage?? everything was jolly by the sounds of it! i look at the cliched, hyper-kinectic green vomit sloshing around in those clips and that's primarily what i see. this all sounds like a loada bollocks.
May 27, 2008, 4:12 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
That'll ID Brane for us.
May 27, 2008, 4:21 p.m. CST
Branerobot is ....
by chrth
Harry Knowles! Think about it: he promotes a right-wing agenda to gain left-wing sympathies, and he attacks Mori so that Mori will gain support. It's genius!<p> Knowles, you tricksy bastard, you!
May 27, 2008, 4:22 p.m. CST
Yeah, Right...
by drew mcweeny
... that's a preposterous claim. Sure, BraneRobot. You know me. You "stand next to me." Riiiiight. I don't believe that for one second. Easy to say when you hide behind absolute troll anonymity. You haven't been banned. You haven't been silenced. But now you'll run away to an even more removed shield of anonymity. <P>Enjoy the bitter. Enjoy your own bile and misery. Seems to be all you've got.
May 27, 2008, 4:23 p.m. CST
by Mr. Nice Gaius
Make no mistake - you are a coward of the highest order. It's so plain, simple, and easy to see. Thanks for serving it up on a silver platter.<P>WOW.
May 27, 2008, 4:25 p.m. CST
by jamestewart007
What alooney bin this site is! I love it. Branerobot is like "The Leader" and Mori is the "Hulk". Gotta love arch enemies. Love to hate them that is. If it is harry, or any of the other people from here, i would laugh my ass off!
May 27, 2008, 4:26 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
That was a low blow, even for him. That was beyond personal, that was creepy.
May 27, 2008, 4:37 p.m. CST
by eggart
Wowza. Creepy stuff.
May 27, 2008, 4:43 p.m. CST
"To stand next to Brane's mother..."
by mooli_mooli
...is to smell brane's stale, crusty spunk.
May 27, 2008, 4:52 p.m. CST
throw Daredevil into that too!
by jamestewart007
The director's cut was much better than the theatrical release, but I would still love to see a "truer" version yet. Maybe cast someone I already think of as "the ass man" and we'd be good. Oh and while where making huge request, why not cut everything from the Elektra movie except for its opening which was pretty bad ass. The rest of it should have been with her killing a bunch of guys in suits and dodging a crap load of bullets and wearing nothing but that skimpy red outfit.
May 27, 2008, 4:54 p.m. CST
This made me make a username
by Gwlush
I have been reading this site for at least six years and this is the first time I wanted to sign up. Branerobot is probably one of the craziest talkbackers ever. People like him are why I left the Republican party. It has become a stockpile of retarded cowardly assholes. I can't wait for his new account. I am sure he won't be a Timothy McVeigh clone with a sadness hard on for actual screenwriters. I am sure he felt left down when his screenplay entitled "Liberal Scum is are dumb" didn't greenlit.
May 27, 2008, 4:57 p.m. CST
Oh holy shit
by mooli_mooli
Daredevil was a complete load of ass. Of all the bad superhero adaptations, that's got to be one of the worst.<br> Poor acting, incoherent direction, boring plot, dismal action sequences. It's the AVP of comic book films.
May 27, 2008, 5:04 p.m. CST
AVP of comicbooks is actually..
by jamestewart007
X-men 3. Forget Spider-man 3 or daredevil or Elktra, or Ang Lee's Hulk. X-Men 3 should be 100% revoked from movie history and permanetly washed from our memories as well. I don't follow writers that much, but who ever thought of having Logan kill Phoenix was the biggest retard ever. The one chance Scott Summers has of actually doing SOMETHING in a movie, and he is killed in the first act. LAME. Professor X is killed too (sort of) which is really really lame balls. And then to have the most powerful creature in all of the universe make a waterfall for a big finally was the last straw. They destroyed that gay bridge, why couldn't she have ripped France off the face of the planet? Followed by Quebec? That would have been cool. Seeing Toronto get pulverized in this film should be pretty sweet to watch.
May 27, 2008, 5:07 p.m. CST
Sweet Fancy Moses
by Shia LaBeoufs Uncle
That was some of the creepiest shit I've ever witnessed. And I was at the premiere of "Disturbia" with little ShiShi.
May 27, 2008, 5:27 p.m. CST
moriarty answered my question, i believe him
by JimmyJoe RedSky
he liked what he saw - isolated scenes - that's not to say the finished film in its entirety will be a masterpiece - and id like to think that if he doesnt like the finished film he would admit as much - i would, no matter how many set visits and avid room visits i was granted
May 27, 2008, 5:32 p.m. CST
by drew mcweeny
... I have in the past. And in some cases, it's cost me access on further projects. I'm always happy to look at whatever someone wants to show me, even if they're not always happy to hear what I have to say. In this case, what I saw looks like a lot of fun, and exactly what I'd want from a new HULK. There are still giant chunks of the film I haven't seen, and I hope they're equally good. We'll see next week.
May 27, 2008, 5:37 p.m. CST
I thought Tony Stark was in this, not Nick Fury?
by The Dum Guy
...wasn't there talk of RDJ having a scene with Hurt?
May 27, 2008, 5:42 p.m. CST
Some people need to chill
by DecimatorDan
It's ridiculous how some have attacked Mori for his take on ISOLATED FOOTAGE. Insulting the man on a site he helps run. I don't post in the TBs often, but I never knew they were this crazy. I saw some of the same footage Mori saw, and I couldn't be happier with it. I have a feeling this movie could really surprise people this summer. I just hope it does well, it seems to me that the advertising for it hasn't been too great.
May 27, 2008, 5:45 p.m. CST
ILM's hulk vs R&H's hulk
by JimmyJoe RedSky
i watched lee's hulk again yesterday with my brother - i still love it - this new movie might be good, i hope it is, im looking forward to seeing it... but me and my brother agree that ILM's hulk model/character looks more hulk-like than the new R&H hulk - the new one looks cool from what ive seen, but lee's looks more like the hulk of my mind's eye - kirby/buscema hulk - he isnt as ripped as norton-hulk, but he is more of a "hulk" (by definition)... imo
May 27, 2008, 5:52 p.m. CST
Bring on The Dark Knight!
by pleasebanme
Sorry, Hulk, but you ain't what the public cares about right now. And The Transporter movies were shit.
May 27, 2008, 7:10 p.m. CST
Wow, what a pile-up on Mori
by GiggityGoo
Jeez, Mori, I'm really sorry that I added to the cage match that's raging against you in this TalkBack. If it helps at all, my question above was asked in all sincerity, as my friend pretty much savaged me when I defended the honor of online journalists who visit a studio/set/edit bay and come back with favorable comments. I was wondering how someone keeps their professional detachment in a situation like that, as I would probably find myself "starstruck" the first few times.<p>Anyway, happy belated birthday. I just celebrated mine a couple of weeks ago, so I hope you had as good a time as I did.<p>Oh, and BraneRobot's farewell post was almost "Hollow Man" creepy. "Smell the man"?!?!?
May 27, 2008, 7:16 p.m. CST
Lay off Mori...he did a great job!
by Powerring
I don't know what folks are expecting. Do we want some kind of touchy-feely Bruce goes to anger management? What about a British Shakespeare company performing the lines in old English or esperanto? Why do non comic book movie folks care or even mention it? Why go to a movie you are not into and complain about it? The Hulk needs to reach it's core (like Iron man.) Bruce has an accident, becomes enraged and chaos ensues with much real-estate damage and carnage. And of course, the Hulk is able to discern right from wrong, good from bad on a primitive level in order to be the hero. Why try to make this movie into something that would not work anyway? As was stated...the cerebral approach might work for a deep space silver surfer movie, but the Hulk is an actioner.
May 27, 2008, 7:25 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
I bet you smell just dandy.
May 27, 2008, 7:35 p.m. CST
I Will be there opening weekend
by FlyingToupee
May 27, 2008, 7:57 p.m. CST
IGOR looks awful.
by christian66
Like SHREK minus Mike Myers.
May 27, 2008, 9:13 p.m. CST
by JimmyJoe RedSky
10 bucks or less at most stores and amazon - i got it a while ago for 10 bucks at best buy - the dvd's biggest drawback (and its a big one for me) is that it's designed so that you cant skip the trailers that start playing as soon as you put in the disc - in order to get to the main menu you have to hit fast forward - hitting the menu button doesnt do it - very lame and annoying
Having integrity is exactly what gets Mori invited behind the scenes. I think being from AICN is what may at first got him invited, but the credibility he has earned is what keeps the invitations flowing.
May 27, 2008, 10:59 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Xiphos. You NEED to enter the Recount talkback right the fuck now and read up. <p> Sidenote: And best of luck to you - come back safe.
May 27, 2008, 11:08 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
But the jury is out. Brane is guilty on all counts of Intentional Man Sniffing. <p> "Kudos for not banning me. I shall continue as BraneRobot." <p> Mori. Black box me. I'll rectified this shit real fast.
May 27, 2008, 11:13 p.m. CST
Worst casting in a comic book movie
by DrBanner
My vote, hands down, has to go to that douche from Nip/Tuck as Doc Doom. One of the coolest villians in the Marvel Universe being portrayed by a guy who's just one rung above Hayden Christiansen in terms of on-screen menace. I guess that's what you get for trusting the franchise to the guy who made Barbershop.
May 27, 2008, 11:17 p.m. CST
"I shall continue as BraneRobot."
by Mr. Nice Gaius
And you shall continue to get your ass beat on a routine basis.<P>Fucking spineless coward.
May 27, 2008, 11:42 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
To be fair, the Recount TB has moved on from politics to the subject of MorbidObesity's auto-fellatio. He's just opening up himself in all sorts of amusing ways.
May 28, 2008, 12:05 a.m. CST
Why do you all hate my bastard child Brane Robot?
by YouAreAllMyBastardChildren
Why can you not accept him as your brother?
May 28, 2008, 12:18 a.m. CST
by criticalbliss
Damn, I thought my comment about Ed Norton not being a great actor would cause a stir. Thanks, BraneDeadRobot, for taking the heat. Good work. [p] By the way, Mori. I, for one, feel your reviews are some of the most reasoned and insightful on the web. Best of luck with your screenwriting or other pursuits--and happy birthday.
May 28, 2008, 1:34 a.m. CST
We've seen this movie before ;P
by ricardomontalkhan
Am I the only one who is not excited about a movie that was already made a few years ago. hey superhero fans.. check out this great new blog on blogspot. it's called thebitterproducer
May 28, 2008, 1:43 a.m. CST
ATTN::: BRANE ROBOT = Stan Lee!!!
by The Dum Guy
You know this is what {--------} could be true?
May 28, 2008, 2:48 a.m. CST
Never had much hope for this film...
by m_reporter
... but this article by Mori got me pretty excited! So kudos on that, and lets hope we get a good flick next week.
May 28, 2008, 3:30 a.m. CST
Fucking hell
by Lost Jarv
Black Box me- Seriously I'm in a different time zone to you lot and can hand out the beatings to the imbecile overnight for you. He tends to post at inconvenient times for Americans, but not for me. <P>What a cunt. He's like a fat paedo that hangs around the school playground clutching a pack of sweets in his sweaty paw with a grotesque leer plastered across his face: "Come here little kiddy, I only want to smell yooooooooooouuuuuuu" Ugh.
May 28, 2008, 5:12 a.m. CST
gob-jobbing each other aside..
by foree forehead
..i find it very suspect that there was nothing negative from the clips he saw. nothing, at all! how is that possible. it only lends his review the ammunition his detractors desire.
May 28, 2008, 7:53 a.m. CST
by Series7
If you are still tolerrating this TB. A couple of weeks ago on the Jonah Hill 21 jump street rumor TB, Vern got into it with Gotham_night and the idea of some sort of weekly feature of some sort interviewing certain TB's came up. I think this would be awesome, shit it would be awesome just to get a little more basic info on the big brothers of this site. Like we know you are all busy but we never know what you've done. I say that certain TBers get interviewed so we can see the man/women (not likely) behind the name. But whatever your'll probably to busy to deal with lowlife TBers. <P> Anyways did Louis Leterrier mention anything about Transporter 3? Or is he totally not involved? Or anything about coming from the Luc Besson factory of film making? I would like to see Luc take on a comic book movie.
May 28, 2008, 8:24 a.m. CST
From the man who brought you...
by DocPazuzu
...such hits as: <p> "If you want to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs" (regarding the massacre at Srebrenica) <p> "There is no such thing as a right-wing dictatorship" <p> "George W Bush is a liberal" <p> "I have it on good authority that George Clooney is gay" <p> "Milosevic got a bad rap. All he was trying to do was save his country from Muslim invaders" <p> "No property, no vote!" <p> ...comes the latest smash: "To stand next to the man, is to smell the man." <p> Brany-poo is like the chairman of Engulf & Devour in Mel Brooks' Silent Movie: He starts out all combed and gussied up, acting civilized, but once you start scratching on the surface, the loony, frothing, manic, crypto-fascist homunculus emerges. Not only has he been outed as a hideously cold-hearted and truly evil bastard, we have now also learned that, yes, Brany is... <p> ...a man-smeller.
May 28, 2008, 8:27 a.m. CST
Hola Doc
by toadkillerdog
He did not stay gone for long. Ended his exile six hours in.
May 28, 2008, 8:36 a.m. CST
Howdy TKD
by DocPazuzu
That guy won't stop until after he goes on a shooting spree and then blows his own head off. <p> Still, it warms the cockles of my heart to see how compact the hatred and/or aversion for that miserable fucker has become here on AICN. He is exceedingly repellent. A true waste of food and breathable air.
May 28, 2008, 8:40 a.m. CST
Over on the Recount TB the LibWarrior just slaughtered him
by toadkillerdog
And his buddy Morbid. <p> Some truly funny stuff. <p> Brane and his kind will always crawl back for more beatings, he admitted it himself. He is hooked. <p> A truly evil, sado-masochist.
May 28, 2008, 8:42 a.m. CST
This sums up Brane - courtesy of the Libwarrior
by toadkillerdog
"You are nothing but a scared, quivering piece of radioactive coyote shit brought to life by Morbid beating off on top of you while dreaming of a crack addicts toilet seat!"
May 28, 2008, 9:19 a.m. CST
by DocPazuzu
Is there not one single alarm that goes off in that pointy cranium of yours when you realize that you've labeled EVERY single one of your detractors as "left-wing filth"? See, a normal person would become uneasy at the notion that they've backed so far into a corner that there is no nuance left on both sides of their position. <p> By the way, if you think the humor you hear at the expense of geeks once they leave the room is brutal, you should hear what your colleagues say about you. <p> Especially the women.
May 28, 2008, 11:34 a.m. CST
you are fucking insane
by just pillow talk
Seek help Braneballs. Really.
May 28, 2008, 11:35 a.m. CST
Wow. People are still talking about the Film Threat thing?
by rev_skarekroe
Wasn't that like a decade ago? AICN has a tendency to survive silly people easily.
May 28, 2008, 11:37 a.m. CST
"greatest hits"
by DocPazuzu
My pleasure, Brany. My small contribution to making you the most radioactive talkbacker on AICN is an endless source of joy to me. You're exceptionally rewarding to pound because you're so utterly oblivious to how offensive and repulsive you are to virtually everyone, regardless of political affiliation. <p> I know, I know, they're all "leftist scum", right? <p> Keep on sniffin', slick.
May 28, 2008, 2:13 p.m. CST
For The Record, Brane...
by drew mcweeny
... it was a solo visit. No one else. I would have mentioned if I was joined by anyone from other outlets on the visit. It's not a secret, and I'm not trying to fool anyone.
May 28, 2008, 3:18 p.m. CST
RE: Mori
by TheLastCleric
Even though I've had occasion to disagree with Mori, he has never struck me as a whore. He speaks his mind and his opinions seem genuine so I really can't fathom the detractors in here claiming otherwise. As to his talent, I enjoyed both of his Masters of Horror episodes and based on those films I am eager to see his first feature. Some people really should climb out of that cynic's hole before the bleak negativity of their own lives consumes them like a cancer.
May 28, 2008, 3:24 p.m. CST
Yeah BraneRobot, you're real hardcore.
by TheLastCleric
I'm sure you bench 300 plus, run six miles a day, and get your knob polished by Kera Knightly. Or you're just another shit-talking pussyfart who adds inches to his pecker by acting like a tough guy online. I gotta admit, I'm leaning towards the latter.
May 28, 2008, 4:09 p.m. CST
by DECKERS
..you are now freaking me out.. you sound like the fucking serial killer in seven! I can just see you gently smirking at your Dell while you type in your excrement *SHUDDER* I wish you would reveal your identity so Mori could pay you a visit (pref with a baseball bat). Seriously, you've burnt your bridges at AICN, just try to be a man for once and sign off completely.
May 28, 2008, 4:11 p.m. CST
by antonphd
I know you are too much of a pussy to put your name and reputation behind public accusations that you are making against Moriarty. We all know who Harry and Moriarty are. The least you could do is name yourself when you attack someone publicaly. But really, you just need to stop making Libal statements.
May 28, 2008, 4:24 p.m. CST
Nice read, Moriarty. --I couldn't resist, despite spoilers.
by JDanielP
I just wanted mention that I love the super-soldier/Captain America connection and this... expanding foundation of the Marvel Universe (in motion pictures). Personally, I wish we could get these big budget superhero flicks with the regularity of a monthly comic book. But we all know that an industry can only support so much. And I'm sure as the years go by and the cost of computer effects come down, we will get more regularity of superhero movies. --And by the way, I'm still saying that the AVENGERS flick could be as huge as "STAR WARS" in 1977. And my feelings are that... this... interconnecting... of these Marvel movies... is leading up to do EXACTLY that.
May 28, 2008, 4:39 p.m. CST
This is the greatest talkback ever.
by Fawst
Simply because I get to read more of Mori's stuff, even if it is (sadly neccessary) internet defense mode write-ups. Fuck the douches, Mori. Besides, everyone knows the Zone is where the comments that actually matter are.<br><br>ZINGAAAAAAAA!!!
May 28, 2008, 4:40 p.m. CST
RE: "just try to be a man for once"
by Mr. Nice Gaius
That's something Braneless can't do. He's a coward. He's simply a pussy who hides behind his online anonymity while he vomits creepy libelous bile. Oh, he may claim to not "slink away" or back off from "taking people on". But what we have in this Talkback is someone who thought he was getting banned (again) and decided he would go out in a desperately lame blaze of glory. Instead, he spontaneously combusted.<P>If you've ever wanted to see a Talkbacker impale themself upon his/her own ego-trip and stupidity, look no further than this thread. This TB should be bronzed so that we may continue to beat Braneless over the head with it.
May 28, 2008, 5:05 p.m. CST
Branerobot is an example...
by DoctorWho?
of some the mindless, loudmouth tolls that keep me away from this site for stretches at a time...but Moriarty's writing not to mention some potential great superhero movies in the works...keep me coming back! Branerobot's writing is great indication of what a miserable, angry, little life he leads. I pity the fuck.
May 28, 2008, 5:07 p.m. CST
*ahem* shoul read 'Trolls'
by DoctorWho?
May 28, 2008, 5:22 p.m. CST
I am quite amazed...
by DoctorWho?
...that somebody finally realizes how lucrative it can be to tie-in all of these heroes...to render a cohesive universe in which they all inhabit. I NEVER thought they would actually think with this kind of long term vision. No more killing off villians in the first movie. And how about some memorable scores for a change!! If each of these franchise heroes can have their own signature theme...by the time we get to an AVENGERS film we can have these various themes (and variations) intertwining and creating an audio patchwork as well as a visual one. I can only hope. This will play out over the next few years and if done right, will climax into one hell of an anticipated AVENGERS flick. I'm still damn curious how they plan on fitting THOR and CAP into the picture tone wise. I'd like to hear you thoughts MORIARTY.
May 28, 2008, 6:47 p.m. CST
You said it, MNG.
by DocPazuzu
Brany-poo's blaze of "glory" and big exit is the equivalent of telling everyone in the room what fucking losers they are, opening the door, and then storming off, only walking into a closet rather than out the front door. <p> Sweet.
May 28, 2008, 7:36 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Fuck you in the eyeeeeee!!!!!! you man smelling FREEEK!!! I fear for your neighbors and their male children you fucking lunatic!!!! <p> In other news, Scott McClellan has a new book out on the Beelzebub Administration. <p> Black box me, Mori. I can take care of these kids.
May 28, 2008, 7:41 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
May 28, 2008, 7:51 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
Today we find out he's a self-proclaimed civil rights leader. But only for blacks who own property.
May 28, 2008, 8:42 p.m. CST
No Decker Brane is too spineless and out of his gourd
by half vader
He's blatantly outed himself by saying he's met Mori and all the B.O. business (and chickenshit assertions that he'll take on all comers) but was obviously too much of a pussy every one of those times to even utter a few words like "take a shower dude". Nope, slinks back to the keyboard and hurls flaccid comments from a safe, anonymous distance. <p> Oh & nice posts SK (that Indy thread is too daunting now). And DocPaz. BSB, I'm getting a cross-TWBB/Dune vibe. Don't you think Baron Harkonnen would drink that sweat through a straw, drink it up (while cackling)?!
May 28, 2008, 8:53 p.m. CST
by Dr. Egon Spengler
I'm not going to pretend I'm the only one who thinks this or has already said this, but I have to agree; I really think Marvel Studios is FINALLY getting it right when it comes to comic book movies. Iron Man was the first superhero movie I came out of the theater with a big smile on my face (Batman Begins took a few viewings to really appreciate). I hope Marvel Studios knocks The Incredible Hulk out of the park as well and only get better with Thor and Cap in the near future. Why root against any of these films or Marvel Studios? It's a great fucking time to be a geek, and I'm eating all of it up and not afraid to admit that.
May 28, 2008, 10:07 p.m. CST
by BringingSexyBack
I have no doubt that sniffing is just the tip of Brane's deviant iceberg. Tomorrow he'll tell us how he was able to sneak a pair of Harry's used underwear and jack off into it.
May 28, 2008, 10:21 p.m. CST
Why can't we just all get along with each other????
by weaponmentalarion
I am here, finnally, do you guys know how hard it was for me to get my account up at AICN????????!!?!?!? WEelll,l finnally I get to talk about my favorite movies!!!!!! Mori, its all good. People that are that envious, or negative toward you, that spends that much energy to defame your name. They officially prove they are not worthy of getting your attention in the manner where they could touch your nerves like that. You could easilly rise above it.
May 28, 2008, 11:31 p.m. CST
Looking forward to this one more and more.
by samsquanch
Is Iron Man in it though? Should I wait to be surprised and/or disappointed?
May 28, 2008, 11:56 p.m. CST
Um, holy shit.
by samsquanch
I just scanned most of this talkback. I thought the Recount TB was nuts. <p> So this is where Brane wound up after I gave him a thrashing.
May 28, 2008, 11:57 p.m. CST
hey, XIPHOS
by samsquanch
Are you being re-deployed? What the fuck? I thought you were convalescing.
May 29, 2008, 3:01 a.m. CST
Stay safe over there, Xiphos!
by DocPazuzu
And good luck. We'll keep the home fires burning for you.
May 29, 2008, 3:45 a.m. CST
Best of luck Xi,
by Lost Jarv
this TB is hilarious. <P> oh deary, deary me BraneCell, <P>*shakes head and leaves room*
May 29, 2008, 4:19 a.m. CST
Ack! BSB Why'd you have to put that visual in my head?!
by half vader
Harry's pants would keep him busy for a while though... inhaling that shit (uh...) like Dennis Hopper! DON'T LOOK AT MEEEE!
May 29, 2008, 10:57 a.m. CST
Hey Moriarty.. Norton is credited as a writer
by alansmitheepodcast
Edward Harrison = Edward Norton
May 29, 2008, 11:39 a.m. CST
Marvel is getting it right
by strosmer
We are witnessing the evolution of comic books into films, and now we are beginning to see true crossover taking place. That's just plain awesome. "Reboot" is already something of a misnomor in this genre, IMO, as new directors/writers are much like a new artist or writer who takes over a particular title for a period of time, providing a new look and direction for the character(s). Definitely a good time to be a geek. I've wanted to see some big superhero crossover event happen in movies for who knows how long, and now it's actually happening. Kudos to Marvel for finally taking this step. When is DC going to get it in gear?
May 29, 2008, 1:36 p.m. CST
by samsquanch
Good luck.
May 29, 2008, 2:43 p.m. CST
Not Anymore...
by drew mcweeny
... he was only listed in the pre-arbitration ads. Since then, they've even dropped the Harrison pseudonym.
May 29, 2008, 9:05 p.m. CST
Hey Mori, speaking of arbitration...
by TheRealRatigan
...when do you hope to have your postmortem on David Koepp's IJatKotCS finished? I for one am waiting to read that like I have nothing else, save perhaps that gestating WATCHMEN report...
May 29, 2008, 9:31 p.m. CST
Credits-the Films Novelization lists
by j2talk
the novelization by Peter David says that its based on the Screenplay by Edward Norton and Zak Penn.........
May 30, 2008, 4:07 a.m. CST
by drew mcweeny
.. that's because novelizations are sent to print months before the film is released, and before the arbitration is complete.
May 30, 2008, 6:40 a.m. CST
by j2talk
however the fact is that its out there listing him as the screenplay writer,,,,,,not that anybody really gives a s*** about who the credited writer is- outside of other writers ....Flip side of course is that people will see it on the book and as the saying goes "they wouldnt print it if it isnt true"....so in people mind it becomes norton co-wrote Hulk....
May 30, 2008, 6:44 p.m. CST
If ThunderAnimalBrane was honest in other talkbacks...
by Lenny Nero
...I know where he works, so that's one step closer to identifying the individual and just seeing for ourselves the person we're dealing with -- not online, not through anonymity, but a real person. Because I personally think there is something very wrong in his brain, so of course no matter what we do, try or say, he will never try to become a better person. He is clearly incapable of true human empathy. <p>But some of this is speculation, which is why I think he should actually step away from the computer and actually stand up like a man for his beliefs, radical as they may be.
May 31, 2008, 3:56 p.m. CST
will the real betty ross please join the cast?
by skullduster
ok enough about how much this is going to suck or whatever it is that you guys are whining about...how about something worth griping over....why in the name of all that's green and holy did they have to re-cast Betty??????? JENNIFER CONNELLY IS BETTY ROSS. Not livPUKEtyler. WTFxmillion? who's with me on this one? Ok, i got it off my chest. I can't wait to see this movie, but I will be thinking of Jennifer when I do. And for the record, I thoroughly enjoyed Ang's vision of the mighty green one. I said it.
June 1, 2008, 6:28 a.m. CST
Who's doing the SFX?
by goonies
Mori, the film could have a GREAT story but if the SFX sucks...well, let's wait and see.
Nov. 3, 2008, 10:11 a.m. CST
Fuck Brane's posts are gone from that TB.....
by DANNYGLOVERS_DICKBLOOD
with Moriarty. This is the one where he said his "TO KNOW THE MAN IS TO SMELL THE MAN..." line. <p> Here are some of Mori's responses....<p> by TheRealMoriarty<p> May 27th, 2008 02:24:48 PM ... <p> it was my FUCKING BIRTHDAY last night. That's why I haven't responded. I'm not dodging your stupid questions, BraneRobot. First of all, I said exactly what I meant to say about the script IN MY ARTICLE. You see how I referred to Zak Penn as the writer? You see the final poster where Zak Penn is the only credited writer? There you go. Zak Penn wrote the film. Zak's script IS the film. That's really all that needs to be said. <p> Pardon the fuck out of me for going last night to enjoy hanging out with my friends instead of hovering here for every little question or to respond each and every time one of you feels the need to attack my fucking integrity. <p> Regarding set visits: of course I've seen films where the final movie was a mess after seeing sequences out of context that worked. This is not a review of a final film. This is me passing along impressions of the footage I was shown. No more. No less. If that bothers you, don't read set visits. Wait for the final review. Beyond that, I don't know what to tell you.<p> <p> Tell You What... <p> by TheRealMoriarty <p> May 27th, 2008 03:07:08 PM ... <p> you let a couple of these morons come to your work and follow you around and not only bald-faced lie about what you have or haven't done all day, but also project their own miserable bitter agendas onto you. All day. For twelve years. I'm tired of having someone completely misrepresent what I've written and create these elaborate backstories of bullshit for my actions. BraneRobot... genro... these aren't one-time posters. These are ongoing, persistent trolls. I am perfectly calm, but I'm not going to tolerate this sort of horseshit or allow them to post their lies unchecked. <p> Yeah, Right...<p> by TheRealMoriarty <p>May 27th, 2008 04:22:20 PM ... <p>that's a preposterous claim. Sure, BraneRobot. You know me. You "stand next to me." Riiiiight. I don't believe that for one second. Easy to say when you hide behind absolute troll anonymity. You haven't been banned. You haven't been silenced. But now you'll run away to an even more removed shield of anonymity. <p>Enjoy the bitter. Enjoy your own bile and misery. Seems to be all you've got.
Nov. 5, 2008, 11:53 a.m. CST
by orcus
What did Orcus miss?
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