Joe Harnell (!) "Returning" in THE INCREDIBLE HULK

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AndyDursin · #1 Post by **AndyDursin** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:51 am

There's a 3-part interview with Kenneth Johnson over at AICN where he talks about the return (again) of V, plus discusses the new HULK movie -- which sounds more like the series in concept, as well as in music...because they licensed Joe Harnell's classic theme!

A nice tribute IMO and it's going to be instantly better than Danny Elfman's wailing from the Ang Lee film, even though I don't think they've signed a composer yet!

"As far as the new one…and I’ve heard this from just about everybody though who’s been involved with it…including Louie Ferrigno who’s had something to do with it…and several of my production friends…they’ve said that they were going back to a feel much more like the original series. Gee what a concept you know?

In fact, I saw something on-line the other day that the French Director (Louis Leterrier) had been a big fan of the original show...and that they even licensed Joe Harnell’s music so they could use that Lonely Man’s theme.

And, recently, someone sent me a photo that was floating around the web - I thought it was from my pilot with Bill Bixby sitting in that big medical chair when he first got his Gamma Ray overdose. But as I looked closer, I realized it wasn’t Bix, but it was Edward Norton! And I said “Holy ****, that looks exactly like mine!”

So that was encouraging, and I have a great deal of respect for Ed not only as an actor, but also as a writer - and I understand he had a big strong hand in the script, and I think that will help bring a certain level of humanism and humanity back to it…

I felt they really missed the boat with the first movie. And, obviously, I wasn’t alone; the audience seemed to feel that way too.

But I have hopes with this new one that they’ll come closer to the level of humanity that we tried to present through the Banner character in the TV series."

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35638

DavidBanner · #2 Post by **DavidBanner** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:20 pm

Two things:

1. I sincerely hope that Joe Harnell's estate continues to release his scores from THE INCREDIBLE HULK. I would be delighted if they put out the scores for "Prometheus" and "The First" at some point this year, as there was some great stuff in there. For the real Harnell die hard fans, I note that the score for "The First" sounds suspiciously familiar in spots to Harnell's score for the BIONIC WOMAN episode "Tomorrow is Doomsday".

2. The Hulkout link I posted below is to a page on Kenneth Johnson's website. Kenny posted it there, and then it got quoted on a bunch of blogs, and the fun began...

Eric W. · #3 Post by **Eric W.** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:27 pm

Excellent. This immediately tells us that they're really trying to get back to the heart of this thing. Good news!

DavidM · #4 Post by **DavidM** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:24 pm

This really is good news... though I did hear Craig Armstrong is doing the score.

AndyDursin · #5 Post by **AndyDursin** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:27 am

Craig Armstrong?? ugh...ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE was horrid!

mkaroly · #6 Post by **mkaroly** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:35 pm

AndyDursin wrote:Craig Armstrong?? ugh...ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE was horrid!

AMEN! Thank you Andy- that was the first comment I made to my friend when we walked out of the theater...."Oh my GOSH did that score SUCK!!!"

Eric W. · #7 Post by **Eric W.** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:19 pm

DavidM wrote:This really is good news... though I did hear Craig Armstrong is doing the score.

That's very bad news.

AndyDursin · #8 Post by **AndyDursin** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:12 pm

Eric W. wrote:
DavidM wrote:This really is good news... though I did hear Craig Armstrong is doing the score.
That's very bad news.

It's bad. But really, is it any worse than other options out there -- including Elfman?

Eric W. · #9 Post by **Eric W.** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:55 pm

AndyDursin wrote:
Eric W. wrote:
DavidM wrote:This really is good news... though I did hear Craig Armstrong is doing the score.
That's very bad news.
It's bad. But really, is it any worse than other options out there -- including Elfman?

Dang, we're putting Elfman down that low now huh? I thought he had some decent moments in that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory score, but he certainly doesn't "do it" like he used to. Elfman used to be amazing.

AndyDursin · #10 Post by **AndyDursin** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:14 pm

Dang, we're putting Elfman down that low now huh? I thought he had some decent moments in that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory score, but he certainly doesn't "do it" like he used to. Elfman used to be amazing.

Yeah agreed. And I'm not putting Elfman on the bottom rung in general -- but I am when it comes to super-hero genre scores. He's worn out his welcome whether it's Spidey or the Hulk, he's been writing the same score basically for years with minor variations and it's tired...really tired.

Monterey Jack · #11 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:30 am

Yeah, let's cut his head off, like in that idiotic Family Guy gag.

Yeah, his superhero scores have been on autopilot for a while, but Elfman is one of the few great composers we have left.

AndyDursin · #12 Post by **AndyDursin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:13 am

Monterey Jack wrote:Yeah, let's cut his head off, like in that idiotic Family Guy gag.

No surprise there -- I found it funny myself, but we all know your hatred for the funniest show on TV.

But different strokes for different folks as they say.

Besides, the comparison between Williams and Elfman was an apt one. Because there really is no comparison.

Yeah, his superhero scores have been on autopilot for a while, but Elfman is one of the few great composers we have left.

Sadly I wouldn't go that far. Elfman had a "prime", 10 year period for me in the mid-late '80s through the early-mid '90s, where I built up a huge assortment of Elfman titles, but I think the majority of his scores have been less than memorable, shall we say. There are exceptions (his work with Burton most in particular; "Sleepy Hollow" and "Charlie," less so with "Big Fish"), and I'd still take him over the younger crowd any day....but if you are talking "elite" composers, I can't put him anywhere near the same league with Williams or even Horner.

I'd call his overall body of work highly uneven with some great scores mixed in, especially during the first half of his career. Overall though I'd hesitate to call him a "great composer," as Williams, Goldsmith, etc. never went through the dry spell that he has this last decade, really (THE HULK? CHARLOTTE'S WEB? THE KINGDOM? that horrid RED DRAGON score? PROOF OF LIFE? his weak SPIDER-MAN scores? NACHO LIBRE? MEN IN BLACK 2? THE FAMILY MAN? INSTINCT? Be fair, it's been a difficult creative time for him, no question).

Monterey Jack · #13 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:41 pm

AndyDursin wrote:No surprise there -- I found it funny myself, but we all know your hatred for the funniest show on TV. But different strokes for different folks as they say.

Andy, Andy...I respect your opinions generally, and you're a great writer...but Family Guy is the biggest pile of festering dung that that ever made it past 100+ episodes. That you apparently prefer it to Futurama breaks my heart.

AndyDursin · #14 Post by **AndyDursin** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:13 pm

Andy, Andy...I respect your opinions generally, and you're a great writer...but Family Guy is the biggest pile of festering dung that that ever made it past 100+ episodes. That you apparently prefer it to Futurama breaks my heart.

Well I think you are in a minority there MJ, but to each his own. I find FG about 100 times funnier than any episode of Futurama I've ever watched, and for all the people who endlessly moan about the lack of character development, I watch FAMILY GUY for one thing -- to laugh. And no show makes me laugh as consistently both for its insanely obscure references AND the fact the timing of the jokes and characterizations is simply hysterical. It just gibes with my sense of humor more than The Simpsons or Futurama or any other animated show of my generation at least.

It's basically the only thing Lukas K. and I agree on in terms of modern TV as well, so in that regard it's brought us closer together (awww....)

Monterey Jack · #15 Post by **Monterey Jack** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:03 am

"POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser! POW! Right in the kisser!"

Yeah, brilliant sense of comic timing right there...just mindlessly repeating a line OCD-style until I want to kick my TV screen in.

Family Guy has the worst timing of any show I have ever seen.