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The Incredible Hulk, a review by Jon

The Incredible Hulk
3 out of 5

Ok, I know a lot didn't like Ang Lee's The Hulk, but I thought it was one of the bravest and best comic adaptations so far. It just needed more mindless action. Well, we get that here in spades. Especially the mindless part.

It was a shame they seemed to quietly disregard the first film, as it was an excellent basis to start from. While the action with The Hulk is suitably relentless and rage-filled, the action with Bruce Banner on the run is too over the top, both thanks to Transporter director Letterier. For instance, the first act was a nice plot with Banner trying to keep his cool while falling for the local girl and fighting the local thugs. It made perfect sense for that to be reason enough to Hulk-out and cause a depressed Banner to go back on the run, after demolishing the town, but no; We have to have the stupid drop-of-blood coincidence bullshit, leading to all out fucking war. Nice cameo from Stan Lee, otherwise, too noisy and muddled. Good idea, screwed up.

In the cast, they had great actors capable of pulling off the balance between drama and action, but instead they drowned them in noise. Norton was especially good at showing Banner as scared by his own memories.

The effects were very good (again, nothing wrong with the "don't make me Ang Lee" version) and the middle action sequence particularly Incredible (nice documentary style camera work) and the final battle are great fun, with cute Hulk-isms (police car boxing gloves! Thunderclap! It speaks!), but this story deserves better. It is at heart, such a sad character and is capable of Frankenstein style empathy, but a brief musical interlude and funny cameo from Lou Ferrigno is the closest I think we will ever get to the charm of the TV series, or comic for that matter. Bruce Banner may soon be lost to a complicated multi-film arc and the chance to make a really good stand-alone version has passed.

It needed bigger, greener balls, but The Hulk was a far better film.

(From Jon's Random Reviews on June 1st, 2009)

Rear Window, a review by Dragonfire

Rear Window None of Hitchcock's films has ever given a clearer view of his genius for suspense than Rear Window. When professional photographer J.B "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his glamorous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events...Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history. My Thoughts I think I have seen this one more than any other Hitchcock movie.  I love this movie.  I think everything about it works very well and it is a highly entertaining movie.  It has held up very well and is definitely worth seeing.  The plot isn't that complicated, but it works.  It makes sense for Jeffries to watch what his various neighbors are up to while he's stuck in the cast.  That is something that most people have done - watched what a neighbor was doing in some situation - and the movie just expands on that.  People can relate to doing that.  I also think it makes sense that Jeffires gets wrapped up in trying to figure out if a murder has happened. This is one of the Hitchcock movies with limited locations.  Jeffries is stuck in his small apartment for the entire movie.  He's confined even more since he is in a wheelchair thanks to his broken leg.  He spends most of his time looking out his windows, watching what the neighbors are doing.  Everyone has their windows open since they are in the middle of a heat wave..this was before air conditioning was that common.  All sorts of things are going on in the other apartments, though usually only parts of situations are seen.  That does help to make the mystery stronger and make the movie more interesting.  Some of what happens does progress slower since a lot of it involves Jeffries watching the neighbors, but there are some very suspenseful scenes in the movie.  When Lisa decides to go investigate, it is very suspenseful, as is another scene later in the movie.  The suspense is done wonderfully well. Lisa and Jeffries have been seeing each other when the movie begins and he is a bit upset because she is hoping for marriage while he claims he isn't ready.  At one point, he is deliberately looking for reasons why a marriage between them wouldn't work.  There's nothing too explicit shared about their relationship, though things are hinted at.  I do think the relationship adds to the movie and Lisa's presence helps to keep things interesting. Many of the characters shown are the neighbors and they aren't developed.  The audience is restricted to seeing only what Jeffries sees, and they only know superficial things about them.  That works perfectly for the plot.  Jeffries is a good main character and likable overall even though he does show a few flaws every so often.  I really like Jimmy Stewart in the part.  Lisa is a beautiful, elegant woman and there is contrast between her and Jeffries.  I do think the relationship works even with the contrast.  I think Grace Kelly is wonderful in the part.  She has some wonderful moments in the movie, including the first moment she is shown.  She is just perfect in the part.  Stella is a nurse who stops in to check on Jeffries each day.  She is very vocal in her opinions about some things and she gets pulled into certain things as well.  Thelma Ritter is wonderful in the part. I didn't watch the extras this time, but I remember them being very interesting.  There is one focused on the restoration of the movie and how the one kiss scene was almost lost because of how bad the original film was.  That scene looks good on the DVD, though there is a difference in the quality.  I do wonder if it could be made to look better on Blu-ray.  Once this is out on Blu - I'm sure it will be eventually - I am almost certain that I will be making another trip to double dip city. This movie is wonderful and I still really enjoy it when I watch it. I did get a review posted on Epinions back in 2008. Rear Window

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on June 30th, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Blackadder 2 (1984/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia BBC Worldwide (United Kingdom) Length: 175 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: English

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Plot:
The Historic Second Series

England 1558-1603. The filthy genes of the Blackadder dynasty bubble back to the surface of the melting pot of history as Lord Edmund, arrogant peer-about-town, swaggers back with a big head and small beard in search of grace and favour from stark raving mad Queen Bess. Accompanied by a small rabble of be-ruffed riff-raff - bottom-breath Baldrick and pea-brained Percy - the serpentine Lord Blackadder lower the whole tone of England's Golden Age.

Black Adder
2.01 Bells
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Ben Elton (Writer)
Director: Mandie Fletcher
Cast: Rowan Atkinson (Edmund Blackadder), Tim McInnerny (Lord Percy), Tony Robinson (Baldrick), Miranda Richardson (Queen Elizabeth I), Stephen Fry (Lord Melchett), Patsy Byrne (Nursie), Gabrielle Glaister (Kate), Rik Mayall (Flashheart), John Grillo (Dr. Leech), Edward Jewesbury (Kate's Father), Barbara Miller (Wisewoman), Sadie Shimmin (Young Crone)

At hasn't been that long ago that I have watched this episode, so I am just writing up a review now. With the second series, Blackadder got really great. I just love Queenie. And Blackadder is now really a fun character.
I also really like this first episode. Blackadder falling for "Bob" has some really great scenes.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on March 29th, 2011)