Movies to Watch before June 13

[Obi-Ron]

This has been percolating in my brain since Comic Con... Here are my picks for essential viewing before The Incredible Hulk drops on June 13:

Building the Gamma Bomb: Inspirations for the creation of the Hulk

These movies seem to be the original inspiration for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when they were trying to come up for their next funnybook concept:

• Frankenstein (1931) The classic about "A Monster Science Created - But Could Not Destroy!" Stan has openly called this story of a misunderstood monster half of his inspiration for the Hulk. I suspect the Hulk's grey skin in issue #1 was an attempt to duplicate the look of Boris Karloff's black & white Monster.
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - This Oscar winner from the same year as Frankenstein is the "other half" of Hulk's creation. A scientist lets his dark side run wild and must face the consequences.
• The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) - The classic comic book Gamma-bomb origin is straight out of the "atomic horror" movies of the 1950's, and this Cold War gem from 6 years prior to The Incredible Hulk #1 has a strangely familiar "saving a stranger from an atomic test" beginning...

Cast and Crew

My favorites from the people we'll be giving our cash to in June...

• Edward Norton: I can't talk about Fight Club, but I can tell you that Norton's performance in this proves he is perfect for Banner. Highly recommended.
• Louis Leterrier : Best known for directing the "Transporter" series, M Leterrier also helmed the Jet Li pic Unleashed (AKA Danny the Dog), combining action with a thought-provoking story.
• Tim Roth Best known for Reservoir Dogs, but the Planet of the Apes remake shows him strut his stuff in an effects-heavy blockbuster.
• William Hurt : Altered States - the future General Ross learns a few things about transformations in this unsettling film. Also shines in Dark City, which just so happens to co-star the previous Betty Ross, Jennifer Connelly. And Riffraff from Rocky Horror!
• Liv Tyler : Gets her geek cred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I also must mention the mediocre One Night At McCool's, simply because she was smoking hot in it.
• Tim Blake Nelson : Na na na na na na na na Leader! Na na na na na na na na Leader! O Brother! Where Art Thou? is all I've seen him in so far.
• Rhythm & Hues : The effects company received awards for their work on The Golden Compass. Easily the best CG polar bear deathmatch to date.

Hulkamania Running Wild

Mean, green, and on the screen! Where old Jade-Jaws has been seen before...

• The Incredible Hulk TV show: 1970's live-action show that made Lou Ferrigno a household name. Show runs in syndication, and is available on DVD. The new movie is said to draw inspiration from this classic series. My favorite episodes are the Pilot (IMO a much better written origin story than the comic) and The First (Hulk battles a similar gamma monster)
• Death of the Incredible Hulk: One of a few TV movies reuniting the cast of the TV show, this one stands out for featuring our first (and so far only) live-action Thor. Odin's beard, I hope the next version is better!
• Ultimate Avengers: DTV animated feature. Hulk mops the floor with his fellow Avengers in one of the greatest brawls in animation history.
• Hulk: Ang Lee's 2003 attempt to make the Hulk into a "Greek tragedy," whether you loved it or hated it there's no denying that the new movie will be heavily compared to this older one.

Make Mine Marvel

Marvel's other super heroes that have made it big (Generally I avoided sequels in this list, but often they are better than their predecessors)...

• Iron Man: Proved Marvel can make a successful movie. Set before the events of The Incredible Hulk, this one is a no-brainer must-see.
• Spider-Man: The first in the series raised the bar for superhero movies, and their use of organic web-shooters lit the Hype on fire like nothing else before or since. I am not such a big fan of the sequels, mainly due to Tobey Macguire's insistance that Spidey take off his mask in every scene.
• Fantastic Four: This series had its mistakes doom but was enjoyable nonetheless. How cool would a live-action Hulk/Thing brawl be?
• X-Men: The first one was brilliant, the second was a geekasm right from Nightcrawler's attack on the White House at the beginning, and they also made a third.
• Daredevil: Some cheesiness but I liked it overall. It gets on this list based on the number of Easter eggs and nods to the comic. I'm a sucker for that stuff. Also, like the previous three on this list, DD features a Marvel character in action in New York City.
  

So......thoughts?

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

This has been percolating in my brain since Comic Con... Here are my picks for essential viewing before The Incredible Hulk drops on June 13:

Building the Gamma Bomb: Inspirations for the creation of the Hulk

These movies seem to be the original inspiration for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when they were trying to come up for their next funnybook concept:

• Frankenstein (1931) The classic about "A Monster Science Created - But Could Not Destroy!" Stan has openly called this story of a misunderstood monster half of his inspiration for the Hulk. I suspect the Hulk's grey skin in issue #1 was an attempt to duplicate the look of Boris Karloff's black & white Monster.
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - This Oscar winner from the same year as Frankenstein is the "other half" of Hulk's creation. A scientist lets his dark side run wild and must face the consequences.
• The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) - The classic comic book Gamma-bomb origin is straight out of the "atomic horror" movies of the 1950's, and this Cold War gem from 6 years prior to The Incredible Hulk #1 has a strangely familiar "saving a stranger from an atomic test" beginning...

Cast and Crew

My favorites from the people we'll be giving our cash to in June...

• Edward Norton: I can't talk about Fight Club, but I can tell you that Norton's performance in this proves he is perfect for Banner. Highly recommended.
• Louis Leterrier : Best known for directing the "Transporter" series, M Leterrier also helmed the Jet Li pic Unleashed (AKA Danny the Dog), combining action with a thought-provoking story.
• Tim Roth Best known for Reservoir Dogs, but the Planet of the Apes remake shows him strut his stuff in an effects-heavy blockbuster.
• William Hurt : Altered States - the future General Ross learns a few things about transformations in this unsettling film. Also shines in Dark City, which just so happens to co-star the previous Betty Ross, Jennifer Connelly. And Riffraff from Rocky Horror!
• Liv Tyler : Gets her geek cred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I also must mention the mediocre One Night At McCool's, simply because she was smoking hot in it.
• Tim Blake Nelson : Na na na na na na na na Leader! Na na na na na na na na Leader! O Brother! Where Art Thou? is all I've seen him in so far.
• Rhythm & Hues : The effects company received awards for their work on The Golden Compass. Easily the best CG polar bear deathmatch to date.

Hulkamania Running Wild

Mean, green, and on the screen! Where old Jade-Jaws has been seen before...

• The Incredible Hulk TV show: 1970's live-action show that made Lou Ferrigno a household name. Show runs in syndication, and is available on DVD. The new movie is said to draw inspiration from this classic series. My favorite episodes are the Pilot (IMO a much better written origin story than the comic) and The First (Hulk battles a similar gamma monster)
• Death of the Incredible Hulk: One of a few TV movies reuniting the cast of the TV show, this one stands out for featuring our first (and so far only) live-action Thor. Odin's beard, I hope the next version is better!
• Ultimate Avengers: DTV animated feature. Hulk mops the floor with his fellow Avengers in one of the greatest brawls in animation history.
• Hulk: Ang Lee's 2003 attempt to make the Hulk into a "Greek tragedy," whether you loved it or hated it there's no denying that the new movie will be heavily compared to this older one.

Make Mine Marvel

Marvel's other super heroes that have made it big (Generally I avoided sequels in this list, but often they are better than their predecessors)...

• Iron Man: Proved Marvel can make a successful movie. Set before the events of The Incredible Hulk, this one is a no-brainer must-see.
• Spider-Man: The first in the series raised the bar for superhero movies, and their use of organic web-shooters lit the Hype on fire like nothing else before or since. I am not such a big fan of the sequels, mainly due to Tobey Macguire's insistance that Spidey take off his mask in every scene.
• Fantastic Four: This series had its mistakes doom but was enjoyable nonetheless. How cool would a live-action Hulk/Thing brawl be?
• X-Men: The first one was brilliant, the second was a geekasm right from Nightcrawler's attack on the White House at the beginning, and they also made a third.
• Daredevil: Some cheesiness but I liked it overall. It gets on this list based on the number of Easter eggs and nods to the comic. I'm a sucker for that stuff. Also, like the previous three on this list, DD features a Marvel character in action in New York City.
  

So......thoughts?

Good suggestions, Obi.

 

[Agent 194]

quoting Obi Ron # X-Men: The first one was brilliant, the second was a geekasm right from Nightcrawler's attack on the White House at the beginning, and they also made a third.

That's very funny. Yeah,...it took me a long while to get over X-3. I described it at the time as all the right ingredients for a great meal and the wrong chef in the kitchen who didn't quite know the recipe.

 

[co2]

wow Obi, you invested a lot of work in that.

As the week prior to the release of TIH arrives, I intend to commence my preparatory viewing. I'll be watching the DVD of the Pilot Episode of the TV show as well as the '03 Hulk. I haven't seen either of them in a couple of years. Once I heard the new movie was in production, I knew I would want to save watching those again for immediately before the film was released, and that time is almost upon us.

I have Frankenstein on DVD and already dig it out almost every Halloween. I watched Fight Club recently after not having seen it in a while. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and cemented Norton as one of my favorite actors.

 

[Doc Samson]

wow Obi, you invested a lot of work in that.

As the week prior to the release of TIH arrives, I intend to commence my preparatory viewing. I'll be watching the DVD of the Pilot Episode of the TV show as well as the '03 Hulk. I haven't seen either of them in a couple of years. Once I heard the new movie was in production, I knew I would want to save watching those again for immediately before the film was released, and that time is almost upon us.

I have Frankenstein on DVD and already dig it out almost every Halloween. I watched Fight Club recently after not having seen it in a while. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and cemented Norton as one of my favorite actors.

Great suggestions guys, I would also toss in the Married Episode of the TV Show, that, along with the Pilot, are the best of the whole series IMO, and truly delved into the psyche of Banner's inner conflict.

 

[co2]

Great suggestions guys, I would also toss in the Married Episode of the TV Show, that, along with the Pilot, are the best of the whole series IMO, and truly delved into the psyche of Banner's inner conflict.

I feel the same way. My two favorites. I'll be watching it also as it is on the same disc as the Pilot.

 

[HULKFish]

Great stuff guys...

Iron Man - A definite (Avengers Origins:Phase I)
First Blood - Fantastic action movie with awesome acting and many corallations... Lonely Man (check) Just wanted to be left alone (check) Wreaked havok upon the ones who couldn't leave well enough alone (check) Just watched it tonight on Spike!

TIH, the game - I know it really isn't a movie but that will definitely pump me up more for the movie!

 

[Green eyed Hulk]

Love the thread, got a week off work, just wish I was free till June 13th

 

[El Payaso]

This has been percolating in my brain since Comic Con... Here are my picks for essential viewing before The Incredible Hulk drops on June 13:

Building the Gamma Bomb: Inspirations for the creation of the Hulk

These movies seem to be the original inspiration for Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when they were trying to come up for their next funnybook concept:

• Frankenstein (1931) The classic about "A Monster Science Created - But Could Not Destroy!" Stan has openly called this story of a misunderstood monster half of his inspiration for the Hulk. I suspect the Hulk's grey skin in issue #1 was an attempt to duplicate the look of Boris Karloff's black & white Monster.
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - This Oscar winner from the same year as Frankenstein is the "other half" of Hulk's creation. A scientist lets his dark side run wild and must face the consequences.
• The Amazing Colossal Man (1957) - The classic comic book Gamma-bomb origin is straight out of the "atomic horror" movies of the 1950's, and this Cold War gem from 6 years prior to The Incredible Hulk #1 has a strangely familiar "saving a stranger from an atomic test" beginning...

Cast and Crew

My favorites from the people we'll be giving our cash to in June...

• Edward Norton: I can't talk about Fight Club, but I can tell you that Norton's performance in this proves he is perfect for Banner. Highly recommended.
• Louis Leterrier : Best known for directing the "Transporter" series, M Leterrier also helmed the Jet Li pic Unleashed (AKA Danny the Dog), combining action with a thought-provoking story.
• Tim Roth Best known for Reservoir Dogs, but the Planet of the Apes remake shows him strut his stuff in an effects-heavy blockbuster.
• William Hurt : Altered States - the future General Ross learns a few things about transformations in this unsettling film. Also shines in Dark City, which just so happens to co-star the previous Betty Ross, Jennifer Connelly. And Riffraff from Rocky Horror!
• Liv Tyler : Gets her geek cred in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but I also must mention the mediocre One Night At McCool's, simply because she was smoking hot in it.
• Tim Blake Nelson : Na na na na na na na na Leader! Na na na na na na na na Leader! O Brother! Where Art Thou? is all I've seen him in so far.
• Rhythm & Hues : The effects company received awards for their work on The Golden Compass. Easily the best CG polar bear deathmatch to date.

Hulkamania Running Wild

Mean, green, and on the screen! Where old Jade-Jaws has been seen before...

• The Incredible Hulk TV show: 1970's live-action show that made Lou Ferrigno a household name. Show runs in syndication, and is available on DVD. The new movie is said to draw inspiration from this classic series. My favorite episodes are the Pilot (IMO a much better written origin story than the comic) and The First (Hulk battles a similar gamma monster)
• Death of the Incredible Hulk: One of a few TV movies reuniting the cast of the TV show, this one stands out for featuring our first (and so far only) live-action Thor. Odin's beard, I hope the next version is better!
• Ultimate Avengers: DTV animated feature. Hulk mops the floor with his fellow Avengers in one of the greatest brawls in animation history.
• Hulk: Ang Lee's 2003 attempt to make the Hulk into a "Greek tragedy," whether you loved it or hated it there's no denying that the new movie will be heavily compared to this older one.

Make Mine Marvel

Marvel's other super heroes that have made it big (Generally I avoided sequels in this list, but often they are better than their predecessors)...

• Iron Man: Proved Marvel can make a successful movie. Set before the events of The Incredible Hulk, this one is a no-brainer must-see.
• Spider-Man: The first in the series raised the bar for superhero movies, and their use of organic web-shooters lit the Hype on fire like nothing else before or since. I am not such a big fan of the sequels, mainly due to Tobey Macguire's insistance that Spidey take off his mask in every scene.
• Fantastic Four: This series had its mistakes doom but was enjoyable nonetheless. How cool would a live-action Hulk/Thing brawl be?
• X-Men: The first one was brilliant, the second was a geekasm right from Nightcrawler's attack on the White House at the beginning, and they also made a third.
• Daredevil: Some cheesiness but I liked it overall. It gets on this list based on the number of Easter eggs and nods to the comic. I'm a sucker for that stuff. Also, like the previous three on this list, DD features a Marvel character in action in New York City.

So......thoughts?

Great selection, sir.

I strongly believe the TV pilotn will always be my definitive Hulk movie, and this is saying nothing against Leterrier's Hulk. But the pilot, simple and character focused was brilliant in every aspect for me, from the acting to the serious tone and strongly believable.

Then again, on the same line, I must add the episode "Prometheus" also directed by Kenneth Johnson, where the Hulk finally fights the army. Top notch material.

 

[Rikxiepoo]

I would add Kingdom of Heaven for the scenes involving King Baldwin (played by Norton) just to see how great an actor Norton really is. His acting was really perfect there, and it was universally critically praised.

 

[Spider-Vader]

I'll probably watch the cartoon series when Toon Disney airs it.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I'll probably watch the cartoon series when Toon Disney airs it.

Oh, is that coming back? When is it supposed to air?

 

[OneKnight]

Daredevil is one of the worst films ever made. Ben Affleck is just awful. Fantastic Four might even be worse.

 

[Spider-Vader]

Oh, is that coming back? When is it supposed to air?

This weekend I think. TD is airing the Marvel toons that have movies out. So I wouldn't be surprised if X-Men came back next year.

 

[Obi-Ron]

wow Obi, you invested a lot of work in that.

Yeah, I wrote it all down as something to do on a bus trip home from New York, then forgot about it until earlier today when someone else's post reminded me of it.

 

[Spade]

I just saw the pilot for the TV show today on Hulu; I'll watch "The First" tomorrow. I have The Death of the Incredible Hulk on VHS, so I guess that'll come right after that (I'm embarassed to say that it's been so long that all I remember is the lame way Hulk dies). I'm still missing out on those 3 "inspiration films," but my dad has Frankenstein so that's one down.

It's always refreshing to see how all these things shape the Hulk that we know today. Hulk has quite the rich mythos to appreciate.

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I recommend skipping Death of the Incredible Hulk. I saw it years ago and I hated it because of what they did to the Hulk in the end.

 

[Spade]

I thought it was lame as a kid, watching it for the first time. I would've been more satisfied with an explosion that "supposedly" killed him or a rain of AK-47 bullets or a well-timed grenade. The whole airplane bit was just...weak. I've read that they wanted to do a "Rebirth of" storyline, but Bixby was dead by then. Still, they still should've found a satisfying ending in "Death of," if you ask me.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

quoting Obi Ron # X-Men: The first one was brilliant, the second was a geekasm right from Nightcrawler's attack on the White House at the beginning, and they also made a third.

That's very funny. Yeah,...it took me a long while to get over X-3. I described it at the time as all the right ingredients for a great meal and the wrong chef in the kitchen who didn't quite know the recipe.

X3 is the type of comic book movie I NEVER want to see again, it was such garbage when it should have been the benchmark for all other CB movies to follow. Thank God X-Men was good and X2 was amazing though.

 

[Knightsaber Priss]

I thought it was lame as a kid, watching it for the first time. I would've been more satisfied with an explosion that "supposedly" killed him or a rain of AK-47 bullets or a well-timed grenade. The whole airplane bit was just...weak. I've read that they wanted to do a "Rebirth of" storyline, but Bixby was dead by then. Still, they still should've found a satisfying ending in "Death of," if you ask me.

Well, they could have still done Rebirth of the Incredible Hulk, but as a One Shot comic book. That way Bixby could have lived on in print.

 

[Marvel Spider]

Oh, is that coming back? When is it supposed to air?

It's supposed to air on June 6 (it's a marathon), but they might start airing episodes before June 6.

 

[Obi-Ron]

I'll have to record it.

 

[OneKnight]

I just saw the pilot for the TV show today on Hulu; I'll watch "The First" tomorrow.

Where did you get The First? Is it available on DVD?

 

[Spade]

I found it on YouTube after realizing that Hulu doesn't carry it. If you want to see others, though, Hulu has the first season.

 

[OneKnight]

I see.

I have a VHS copy that I taped off of The Sci-Fi Channel some years back. It's in good shape, but the problem is that it's edited so that they can run more commercials.