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Monday, October 02, 2006
"Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." Truer pop culture words have never been spoken.
At long last, there is a DVD boxed set release for this TV classic. Oh boy, they just don't make TV programs like this anymore. Network TV has become repetitive with the same old, same old sitcoms and dramas that are so micromanaged by the higher ups that all uniqueness and creativity has been squeezed out of them. Reality TV can be mildly interesting, but it exists as another form of low cost programming as networks have far too much cable TV competition to squander money on runaway budgets. Oh, and what about cable TV? Yes, there is some incredible material there, but the programming has a tendency to be either kid oriented or adult oriented with a serious gap in the middle ground of family programming where adults and kids could get together and watch some prime time programming.THE INCREDIBLE HULK was such a show. There was enough action and Hulk smashing to keep kids enthralled while also offering intelligent storylines powered by great writing and acting to keep the adults entertained. The Hulk ran for five seasons and was cancelled while it was still doing good ratings. (The show's budget was the primary reason although it was still foolish to kill a show people were still watching as well as one that had a lucrative syndication future) Even still, The Hulk was far more successful on TV as other network sci-fi outings such as VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, LOST IN SPACE, and THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN where during their initial runs. Yes, the old school TV cliches that we all love (and miss) are pretty pronounced here. Obvious stunt doubles, blue screens, stock footage, mafia plots, simplistic views of the world, car chases and, yes, even the venerable Guy In A Gorilla Suit is present and accounted for and they are cool to watch in excellent quality DVD picture and sound.
The pilot episode is present and it introduced the world to David Banner and The Hulk who are played by Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno in such an amazing way it would be impossible to picture anyone else in the role. (Although Richard Kiel of James Bond fame was originally hired to be the Hulk and shot one scene. He briefly appears as the Hulk in an overhead shot, but the rest of the Kiel footage was, sadly, destroyed) While this was Ferigno's first acting role, Bixby had appeared in the landmark sitcom THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER, the underrated and short lived THE MAGICIAN, and in the mini-series classic RICH MAN, POOR MAN. His understated acting and ability to evoke sympathy truly made David Banner an intriguing and tragic character.While an excellent pilot, it was a bit too dark and grim so the series was lightened up in the sequel film THE RETURN OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK, an inferior and by the numbers TV movie that is forgettable.
The remaining episodes from season one are pretty good, albeit there are a few uneven episodes as well. First seasons are usually where a series will stumble a bit before finally finding its groove and such was the case with THE INCREDIBLE HULK.Notable stories present include THE HULK BREAKS LAS VEGAS, the very creepy OF GUILT MODELS AND MURDER (ah, forget one more 1970's TV cliche – KARATE FIGHTERS!), 747 (another cliche that I missed: a Golden Pharaoh Statue targeted by thieves. This was last seen on the SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN in 1975. This episode is GREAT and features Eddie from COURTSHIP OF... in a minor role), TERROR IN TIMES SQUARE (dumb, but a fun dumb) NEVER GIVE A TRUCKER AND EVEN BREAK (an awful episode that features the trucker craze cliche of the 1970's!), and several other episodes from the first season.
This DVD Boxed set is pleasantly nostalgic and you'll never see another show like THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Really THE INCREDIBLE HULK was about loneliness and alienation. While there are innumerable comparisons to THE FUGITIVE in terms of how it is structured (A structure reused in tons of other TV programs such as QUANTUM LEAP and HOT PURSUIT), there are other underlying influences to the program. As much as THE INCREDIBLE HULK owes a nod of thanks to THE FUGITIVE, the show also should credit TAXI DRIVER as well. In a way, David Banner is no different than Travis Bickle. The difference here is that while Travis Bickle's loneliness drove him to become a sociopath, Banner's loneliness drives him to help people. In a way, he takes care of those whom he comes across for he sees them as a surrogate family. Unfortunately, he is too weak and inadequate to be a protector so he yields to another dominant personality (yielding both mentally and physically) Instead of maniacal violent behavior, the Hulk's prefers harmless, exaggerated TV fight scene violence right out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Instead of the adult nightmare of TAXI DRIVER, we gets a kid's dream of fighting the bullies with The Hulk symbolizing the "Charles Atlas" syndrome most kids and teenagers who watched the program. Perhaps it is this underlying theme that is what fueled the success of the program for so many years in prime time and then for decades on syndication and now into the realm of DVD home releases. Hopefully, Season Two will be released soon as its 1978-1979 episodes were among the best of the series.
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