Miqque

It took four years for the comic book follow-up to Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's "The Ultimates" and "Ultimates 2" to see print. It took less time for this 6-episode (66 minute) mini-series to be produced, then gathered with a brief interview to see life on DVD. Most of the art by Leinil Francis Yu comes from the original pencil work and then animated, This does give a bit of a jerky, stylized feel to the visuals, but Yu is so good one quickly adapts; enjoying the fairly static drawings with minimal movement. This is ameliorated by the more subtle facial expressions and solid voice acting throughout. In terms of story, "Marvel Knights: Ultimate Wolverine versus Hulk" launches from the pages of "The Ultimates" rather than the current film cycle by Marvel; although both are based on the same material. Daniel Lindelof uses a non-linear storytelling method, frequently jumping back and forth in time. (It is not hard to follow.) In it Nick Fury sends Wolverine to flat-out kill Bruce Banner - the Hulk. In Ultimates, Hulk's rage kills 815 people in New York City. For this he is tried and condemned to death, which does not work. This (quite violent) film opens with Hulk literally ripping Wolverine in half. How this came to be and how it resolves is the meat of the story. Along the way we meet a new She-Hulk and see Iron Man and Captain America, and many cameos. This may be the closest translation from comics to animated action yet; and if you enjoyed the comic, you will enjoy this film.

Know that, as of yet, I have not seen this documentary. So why might I be arrogant enough to comment? My father, Jack Loveland, was General Manager of Chasen's 1949-1966. He passed in 1967. I grew up in the bowels of Chasen's; knowing Dave Chasen (and to a very limited extent, a few contacts with Maude Chasen) and brother Phil. I knew more about the wine cellars, the pantry (and pantry chef Joe), the freezers, meat preparation areas, and unseen corridors than just about anyone. As a wee boy I rolled butter into balls to placed into iced silver bowls, vacuumed the dining room floors, took inventory in the deep freeze. I knew where they kept the massive barrels of MSG and spent hundreds of hours doing child-drawings on the backs of unused menus (brought home by my dad). I heard stories of how Peter Lorre spent massive amounts of time in those wine cellars with my dad pouring his movie salaries down his throat in the form of rare bottles and vintages. Bob Hope gave me a toy wind-up tank when I was five or so. Every once in a while we would get a case of chili or a cake or a Per Al's cheesecake as gifts. Oh, yeah - I never ate in the dining room. Ever.

So just finding out about this DVD from Wikipedia and our noble host, IMDb, I look forward to viewing this video with a very prejudiced eye. From the comments, should hope for an accurate presentation of the hard-working staff. I note Tommy Gallagher is cited, and I remember him well. With any restaurant, presentation - by waiters and bartenders and maitre-d's - as well as the celebrity owners and customers is they typical fodder for the most amicable of filmmakers. Here, as with others, however, they had best beware. Some of us know far more than you do, and it had better be a fair and balanced presentation! Yea, I have a voice on the web (albeit minor) and a history of reviewing film. One so close to my heart and dear to my memory will indeed undergo the harshest of scrutiny, and this small piece will indeed lead to a review of microscopic detail. (One day, soon, to show up under IMDb's Miscellaneous links.) Should anyone care to send me a review copy, I'd be delighted. As is, I am grateful for a tribute of any sort to a Hollywood / Beverly Hills landmark, an important meeting place and watering hole for many celebrities; provided by a group of very fine people who worked hard for a living.

Having followed the entire production from green-light, I was entirely pleased with Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King. However, I did prefer the extended versions on DVD, with the voice-over commentaries and all. The shorter theatrical version of THE TWO TOWERS holds a very special place as perhaps the most exciting film ever made. True, it is not 100% accurate to the novel. It stands on its own. Theoden's speeches, the lighting used, the great Warg battle, and of course Gollum working as well as he did all contributed to an eminently satisfying experience. Every actor has taken their role and made it completely their own. The spectacular sets, particularly those of Isengard, blend so well with the natural beauty of New Zealand to provide both eye candy and attention to the fine details of model-making. The dramatic changes of scene to the approach to Mordor are dynamic. And Brad Dourif gives yet another creepy performance, being one of the finest living actors who has carved out his own niche. Perhaps this is a bit violent for younger children, but once they turn ten or so they will likely eat this up with a spoon. Never does the gore overwhelm, nor do the spectacular effects dominate the intricate story. Great stuff!