It would make Bill happy…
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naillon-2 — 18 years ago(March 01, 2008 07:56 AM)
As good as Edward Norton is, my opinion is that nobody will ever be able to touch Bill Bixby in that role. Bill so often played calm, easy-going characters, the kind you can't imagine ever losing it. That's what made his performance as David Banner so effective. His famous role of Tom Corbett in "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" was a role he described as "playing myself". Then he was cast as a scientist with, shall we say, an anger management problem. The transformation of the even-tempered David Banner into the large green monster was all the more profound due to the way Bill was viewed by the public (which was probably an accurate view, from the interviews I've seen of him).
Edward Norton, on the other hand, is noted for playing edgy roles, so having him as Banner just won't have the same impact. I don't doubt that he'll do a good job, but it can never be the same as it was when Bill was playing the role. -
mommy4thomas2002 — 17 years ago(June 13, 2008 08:48 PM)
Ang Lee's version was not all based on the comics. The new movie draws more from the comics than Ang Lee's version did. Lee's version was much too heavy on the CG and came across as unbelievable. The new movie does have alot of CG, but it looks much better and more like the comics and more believable. I do not know exactly what the storyline will be, but from the commercials, it looks like it will be a good film. Lee's movie disappointed me and many other fans. This is the reason why they did another Hulk fim and took it in another direcion.
On a side note, I loved the T.V. show and Bill Bixby will always be in my mind as Dr. Banner and Lou Ferrigno will always be close to my heart as the Hulk. It was a decent show, very enjoyable. However The show was reworked for T.V. Meaning, it was not exactly like the comic either. I guess we will never see a show or film exactly as Banner and the Hulk are in the comics. -
ThunderDonkey — 17 years ago(June 14, 2008 11:32 AM)
Hey all! Totally agree that Bill Bixby was the ultimate Banner. If you remember David's full name in the Hulk series was "David Bruce Banner" Usually the character of Bruce Banner, especially in the comics was a character whose only reason to exist was for him to become the Hulk. Banner was nothing in the comic books, a null and void personality, he didn't need to be anything or do anything but become the Hulk.
Bill Bixby changed all that, his Banner wasn't only just a scientist and doctor but was a brilliant man and a decent man. For God's sake he even knew when a needle was being inserted the wrong way! The Banner Bill Bixby portrayed in the series, was that of a gifted and brilliant man who cared about people and who tried to right the wrongs he came across. He used his knowledge for the benefit of others, he was the epitome of what you would call a good doctor.
While I can't say the Hulk was Mr. Hyde to Banners Jeckell, simply because that wouldn't be a fair comparison. Remember the Hulk wasn't inherently evil. The Hulk would never kill because he WAS really a reflection of the man his human counterpart was. The apple really didn't fall far from the tree in the Hulks case. All that time David worried in the series what the Hulk would do or who he would hurt, turns out he never had to worry because David himself was a good human being, all the Hulk was, was a angrier, stronger and granted more primitive part of Banner. BUT it wasn't evil and it wouldn't really do anything the man himself wouldn't have done. The Hulk wouldn't have truly crossed any of the thresholds the man he was part of wouldn't have crossed.
Lots of people tend to forget that, and when you forget that then you lose a lot of what made Bill the ultimate Banner and the Incredible Hulk series on tv really noteworthy.
I heard that he has a "cameo" in the new "Incredible Hulk Movie" how they accomplished this is what I would like to know. His name doesn't appear in the cast credits for the new movie. Anyone know? -
chubbly1 — 17 years ago(June 15, 2008 04:28 AM)
At the beginning of the new Hulk, Norton is flipping through channels on TV and he stops for minute on a scene of "The Courtship of Eddie's Father".
Also later as he's walking in a town in Mexico, the music is the same as the end of each episode. I don't know the name, but Stewie Griffen once called it "that sad walking away song from the hulk" so that's how I always think of it.
And of course Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno(sp?) were also in the movie. -
madmravyn — 17 years ago(June 16, 2008 10:45 AM)
The film footage of Bill in the new Hulk movie made me squee like a total fan-girl. They really did great giving major props to the TV series:
The Bixby footage
Lou Ferrigno getting some actual lines besides being a passing figure like in the Ang Lee version.
The college reporter named Jack McGee.
And yes, the similar setup when he got the gamma radiation exposure.
And yes, the Lonely Man theme.
A most excellent movie that did well giving the nod to the TV series. Go see it. Loved it, loved it, loved it! -
treeskier802 — 17 years ago(June 15, 2008 07:52 PM)
Thanks for the nice synopsis Naillon. Bill Bixby was great. The Sci-Fi Channel has been playing old Hulk episodes and I dare say it might be one of the best shows of the era. Bill Bixby truly was a great actor too. He must have enjoyed television work because I think he could have easily been a great film actor too.
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d_henderson1810 — 13 years ago(April 25, 2012 01:22 AM)
How you say that no-one could touch Bill Bixby in the role of Banner, I heard a story that producer Kenneth Johnson wanted Bill Bixby for the role of Dr David Banner so much, that if Bixby had turned down the role, Johnson wasn't going to make the show at all, as he felt that no other actor would "capture" the role the same way.
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Muggle72 — 17 years ago(June 14, 2008 09:31 PM)
I used to watch this when I was a kid too and I'm 25. I remember liking the show although I was scared when he transformed b/c the Hulk was definitely scary. This new movie with Edward Norton was definitely good
"Give her hell from us, Peeves!" -
ThunderDonkey — 17 years ago(July 03, 2008 05:42 PM)
Re: It would make Bill happy
by - Keobasa on Sun Jun 15 2008 20:40:34
mommy4thomas2002, Bruce's father in the comics was abusive toward him and harmed him in the comics.this was central to Lee's film.
Keobasa
No, you are incorrect. What happened as is so often in these cases a pair of writers did a new adaption of Banners personal history sometime in the past 20 years or so and they decided to put that spin on his character. The Hulk when it debuted and ever after had no such story with his father. It was added in not too too l2000ong ago by some fools who took liberties with the story so that Keobasa is incorrect. -
Nation_of_one — 17 years ago(June 16, 2008 04:04 AM)
While "The Hulk" may have not been great it hardly deserves that kind of lashing. It was a well written movie that just had a bad story. It was also very well directed and very well acted. The thing that killed it was lack of a real good bad guy. Nick Nolte and the mutant dogs just didn't cut it. Also the CG wasn't the greatest. This new movie is very good and I do consider it overall to be better than "The Hulk", but Zak Penn's terrible writing and Liv Tylers terrible acting did not do the movie service.
Who brought me here Forsaken depraved and wrought with fear
Who turned it off -
herbhead76 — 17 years ago(November 21, 2008 02:48 AM)
"I only wish they could work him into the new hulk movie. Maybe a different Bixby show on some television screen in the background,"
Watch the Tv in the backgroudn when Banner is in peru, also look for the bulky friendly security guard AKA the man in green paint we all grew up watching. -
TheCrowningHalo — 17 years ago(November 30, 2008 02:19 AM)
I don't think they'll ever be able to match Bixby's Dr. Banner. Norton did a good job, but Bixby had this aura around him that made you believe he truly was a tortured soul. He always looked like he was lost forever in a perpetual sadness for his curse. He was a very tragic hero.
The way they finally ended his curse was also very sad, with his final words being, "I am free."