Had it really been nearly 20 years since Superman was last seen on movie screens everywhere? During that time, so much had changed both in the Man of Steel's world and in our own. Superman died in battle, was reborn, finally got married to Lois Lane after a 60-year courtship, and experienced numerous revamps and restarts in the comics and television fields. Several different incarnations, both live-action and animated, came and went. Its most recognizable portrayer faced his greatest battle ever which ultimately claimed his life, but not without becoming a real-life hero in the process. And then there was the Internet, which spawned many fan web sites across the world. Still, one question remained: when would we see Superman return to the big screen? So many attempts both low-budget and big-budget tried and failed without getting anywhere, to the delight of some fans (like me) and concern of others.
Enter Bryan Singer. The director of the critically acclaimed "The Usual Suspects" and the hugely popular "X-Men" and "X2: X-Men United" had wanted to see a new version of Superman brought to the screen, one that was faithful in sprit to both the comics and to Richard Donner's classic first film. It took three years and an epic budget of almost titanic proportions, but when "Superman Returns" arrived in June of last year, the anticipation was more than well worth it.
I have to admit my biases here, seeing "Superman Returns" through 40-year-old eyes is a whole lot different than seeing the first "Superman" film through 12-year-old eyes. Back in 1978, it became THE film that made its indelible mark on me. While Kirk Alyn and George Reeves came before me, nobody it seemed would ever replace Christopher Reeve in my eyes as the definitive Man of Steel. Of course, as with Tarzan, Flash Gordon, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Batman, each generation would have its own interpretation of Superman both successful and failed. Quite simply, Donner and Reeve set the bar extremely high as to how Superman should be presented, and prior to Singer's interpretation only one version ("Smallville") seemed to come close. So I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying "Superman Returns" more than I thought I would.
Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris kept the film on track with what had been established in Donner's work on the first two "Superman" films (sending the failed third and fourth entries into an alternate universe of their own), remaining truthful yet taking things in different directions. Five years had passed since Superman's disappearance from Earth. The world had changed and moved forward without him. So did Lois Lane (now portrayed by Kate Bosworth), who is now a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with a fiance' in Richard White (James Marsden) and a young son named Jason. So did Lex Luthor (perfectly played by Kevin Spacey), who went through five years of his own personal hell in seeking vengeance against Superman and, now a free man, seeks to renew his stake of the world's real estate for his own personal agenda.
Of course, all that changed with Superman's return to Earth. Now portrayed by Brandon Routh, Superman and Clark Kent both came back to Metropolis to find a world in need of a hero. And what better way to re-emerge in spectacular fashion than a daring airborne rescue of NASA's latest space shuttle and a 767 jetliner? From there things continue to escalate, as Luthor seeks to use the one thing closest to Superman as the very weapon against him in his continuing vendetta against the Man of Steel. Not to mention a number of interesting twists and surprises that Singer and company bring to the table.
Visually, this is the most stunning Superman project ever, even more stunning than Donner's own film, which was done before the advent of CGI. The effects are simply breathtaking, and the flying is more believable than ever. The music from composer John Ottman (who also edited the film) is true to the spirit of the original John Williams score and not a rehash of the same music over and over (as Ken Thorne and Alexander Courage did before him); though Ottman reuses some of the essential Superman fanfares from three decades prior, he imbues the score with its own newness of direction and original themes for Superman, Lois, and Luthor. And there are signature moments right out of the Superman comics themselves. It's really hard to pigeonhole this film into one particular era, there are so many elements from different decades that make it work. It's part art deco, part futuristic, and altogether wonderful for the most part.
Everyone is almost perfectly cast in this film - notice I said almost, which I'll get to in a moment. The most perfect bit of casting in this film is with Spacey. Ten years prior, when Tim Burton had been in the running to direct a new Superman film, rumors went left and right that Space would take on Lex Luthor. Had that film come to fruition, Spacey's involvement would have been the only thing good about it - everything else would have been pure crap. (And to think we almost had Nicolas Cage and Courteney Cox as Superman and Lois!) Here, he holds his own weight against Routh. Parker Posey gives her character of Kitty Kowalski a run for Miss Teschmacher's money. Veteran character actor Frank Langella brings a confident presence in his portrayal of Perry White, and young Sam Huntington gives Jimmy Olsen a new wrinkle or two. Of course, no Superman project would be complete without appearances from past stars, as Jack Larson and Noel Neill return once again in a pair of interesting cameos. We even see a return from the late Marlon Brando as Jor-El, in footage taken from 30-year-old outtakes. Of course, I was a bit hesitant about Kate Bosworth as Lois at first, but her maturity as an actress qualifies her portrayal as a very effective one.
The reason I said the casting was almost perfect was for two reasons. One, Brandon Routh has to have more time to develop Superman and Clark Kent into his own portrayal. At times it seems he's borrowing from Reeve's portrayal to make it work. At other times we see Routh's own personality emerge. It's this latter quality that I would like to see Routh bring forth in full blossom in future film entries. Two, and this is where I have a real problem with the film - what in the hell is Kal Penn doing slumming around in this film (or any film, for that matter)? Couldn't we have done without this guy to begin with? He brings absolutely nothing to the table as one of Luthor's minions, and when his demise occurs toward the film's climax we couldn't care at all. Hey Kumar, it's back to the White Castle for you! Why this guy continues to get work is beyond me.
Warner Home Video's DVD release of "Superman Returns" is quite an attractive presentation. The film itself is presented on Disc 10 in the Ultimate Collector's Edition, in anamorphic widescreen format in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. There is some slight image artifacting that occurs, but nothing overall that detracts from the presentation. The colors are vibrant, at times subdues, and the blacks are rich and deep. In terms of extras, there is only a sole Easter egg feature of a hidden code that will allow you to unlock a bonus level of EA's "Superman Returns" video game - it's nice if you have a gaming system, pointless if you don't. (The film is also available in separate full-screen, widescreen, and 2-disc special editions, as well as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray versions, the latter two of which were unavailable for review.)
It's on the second disc (Disc 11 of the UCE) that things begin to come forth. First of all, we have a collection of 10 deleted scenes and one extended scene, all presented in anamorphic widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. Most of these cut scenes add wonderful character quality to Clark's return in Smallville, and we see some glimpses of moments that made it into the preview trailers, TV spots, and TV documentaries but not the final film. One extended scene of the teenage Clark Kent (Stephan Bender) is obviously in unfinished form, but we get the essence of the moment. Some of the other extended clips are a waste of time and contribute nothing to the story.
Next up we have a brief music video-style feature called "The Resurrection of Jor-El", showing how the 30-year-old Brando footage was re-edited and used for "Superman Returns" through the use of CGI digital effects. While this is a great visual narrative, I for one would have preferred a narrative commentary to accompany the video.
We also have a collection of different preview trailers, including the teaser and second theatrical trailer for the film, along with two EA Games previews for the "Superman Returns" and "Justice League" game releases, and a trailer for the Christopher Reeve "Superman" Collection and "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut". Why the first theatrical trailer or the different TV spots were not included in this set is beyond me. There's also a little Easter egg on this disc of outtakes from the film featuring Kevin Spacey.
But the most important extra is the documentary "Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns". This three-hour piece, directed by Robert Meyer Burnett ("Free Enterprise") and divided into seven chapters, is where the real meat can be found. Here we go behind the scenes for a real in-depth look at the making of the film. Unlike a lot of behind-the-scenes features, many of which is interview fluff, this has actual substantial material to it. We see how serious Bryan Singer is in honoring Donner's film by intending a similar opening prologue to his film. We see the origins of the film, with Singer's proposal and treatment before approaching Warner Bros. executives about it. We get a seat at the production table with Singer and his crew, which sometimes gets a little heated. We see how Brandon Routh was chosen for the fole in a very funny runabout way. We have set construction and rehearsals, discussions with the cast and crew about what to bring to the film, scenes of Routh in physical and stunt training for the role, dress rehearsals with the cast - the list goes on and on. We even have another cut scene that didn't make the film, of a conversation between Superman and Perry White, and some really funny bloopers from the film's production. This is one of the best making-of documentaries produced for DVD that's come down the pike in quite a while.
Granted, there's some requisite stuff that's been left off this DVD set, including director and cast audio commentaries, as well as a major deleted scene from the film's opening, of Superman's return to Krypton, that's been well documented in other sources. There's also all of Bryan Singer's video blogs, which was included on Disc 14 of the UCE - this disc should have been utilized as the proper third disc for the set (I'll comment on the video blogs next time). Furthermore, different stores have featured different bonus extras with their individual releases. Best Buy included a booklet on the comprehensive guide to Superman; Circuit City featured a bonus National Geographic special entitled "The Science of Superman"; Target had a couple of vintage radio shows from the 1940's; and Wal-Mart offered buyers a $2 download of the film with the purchase of the separate DVD. These incentives really baffle me - I mean, who would want to buy a download of the film for their computer when they already have the DVD to begin with? For that matter, why track everything down to have all of the store-exclusive bonuses? That doesn't make any sense at all.
Still, this is a good DVD release with a wonderful documentary feature. Don't be surprised if Warner Bros. double-dips this title down the road in an expanded version in anticipation of the forthcoming sequel.
Next time I'll conclude my analysis with looks at the remaining extras of the UCE. See you then!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition - Part V
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since the release of "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace", the fourth cinematic installment in the Superman franchise and the final installment featuring the late Christopher Reeve in the title role. Of course, we are all aware of the turbulent production history this film had, the brutal sabotage and butchering of 45 minutes of footage from the film prior to its theatrical release, and the endless debates over the remaining footage, all of the archival production footage, and the many different theatrical trailers and TV spots containing numerous additional clips not shown in the final 89-minute U.S. theatrical version or the 93-minute European release. And yet, for what it's worth, with all of its bumps, bruises, and scabs along the way, "Superman IV" has generated a following of its own because of the film's sincere, if awkward and cheapjack, attempt to return to the spirit of the first film and because of its huge gaps in logic, storytelling, and, most importantly, footage.
The film's plot is simple and straightforward: Superman chooses to get involved in worldwide nuclear disarmament and manages to rid the world of its nuclear weapons. But his nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has come up with a way that he believes will not only eliminate the Man of Steel but also keep the nuclear threat alive and profitable. Had this been handled by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, who were initially approached to consider bringing the franchise back on track after the critically drummed "Superman III", this film probably would have been successful. (Donner, of course, would go on to direct the first installment of the "Lethal Weapon" series, while Mankiewicz would helm a big-screen comic version of the long-running TV staple "Dragnet".) Instead, the film's story - conceived by Reeve and co-writers Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal ("The Jewel of the Nile" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"), directed by Sidney J. Furie ("The Ipcress File" and "Iron Eagle"), and produced by Menahem Golem and Yoran Globus of Cannon Films (who purchased the rights from Alexander and Ilya Salkind) - was produced as cheaply as you can get on a shoestring budget. The film's budget was slashed all across the board, including the all-important visual effects that netted the first "Superman" film the coveted Oscar. It further had very little promotion in the media. And after the disastrous sneak preview screening prior to the film's release, the film itself was butchered, the remaining 89 (or 93, depending on which side of the Atlantic you lived) minutes slapped together, and the remaining footage shelved or quite possibly destroyed. The eventual result was an awkward, haphazard mess that drew viewers out of the story all too much, resulting in little to no character motivation or development at all. If the first three films were cinematic marvels, IV looked like the equivalent of a TV movie of the week. Despite its sincere attempt, "Superman IV" failed critically and commercially at the box office.
Yet there were some good elements about the film: Reeve back in the role, the interaction between Reeve and Hackman, Margot Kidder's return as Lois Lane, a new love interest for Clark Kent in Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway), an interesting double-date scenario, and the musical score adapted by Alexander Courage from John Williams' original themes. Had this film been given a chance, and with the right amount of promotion and production values, it could have done well. But in the hands of a failing B-film studio who had too many irons in the fire at one time, "Superman IV" was never given top priority over any of Cannon's other projects, despite Reeve's attempt to keep everyone's morale alive.
Since that time many people, including Reeve, Furie, and Bryan Singer, among others, have relegated "Superman IV" to an alternate cinematic history (especially in the light of "Superman Returns", which also disavowed III in the process). Furie has refused to comment on it since then, even two decades after the fact. I know this for a fact; I tried to personally contact the man myself and never got a response. Reeve, in his later years, would admit to the problems with IV from storytelling, financial, and personal standpoints and refuse watching the 93-minute European cut of the film. But fans would not give up on it, nor would they give up on the whereabouts of the remainder of the film's footage. In 2005 hopes were elevated when it was discovered that the film's original camera negatives were in storage at Deluxe Film Labs in Denham, Middlesex, England. (Road trip!) Now with the release of the Deluxe Edition of "Superman IV" on DVD, issued as Disc 9 in the Ultimate Collector's Edition, Warner Home Video has opened up a huge door for the fans, giving them a glimpse into what might have been. However, like the final released product itself, this new DVD release lends very little support to the designated "Deluxe Edition" label and falls far short of fan expectations.
The film's transfer is identical to the previous 2001 DVD release, presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format and your choice of English or French Dolby 2.0 sond. The picture itself is generally crisp and clean - almost too crisp, if you ask me, because of all the obvious scabs and wonds given to the final treatment of the film. In other words, too many matte lines covering (or not covering) lots of wires, wires, and still more wires all over the place. It's absolutely horrendous, and it doesn't make you believe anyone can fly. At times the visual effects cause the film's image to be washed out - this is not the fault of the film's DVD transfer but the film assembly itself. A whole lot of CGI love could be given to this film to at least make it look a little more believable.
In terms of supplements, there are very few supplements overall, but what we have here really does shed a light onto what might have been. First off, the film's U.S. theatrical trailer is recycled from the previous DVD release, with finished versions of two additional scenes not featured in the theatrical cut (which I'll discuss in further detail later).
One of the two major new supplements to this disc is a new running audio commentary with Mark Rosenthal, who discusses many of the film's production problems and story elements. Rosenthal is honest and to the point about the many issues Cannon Films and Warner Bros. had to face during its production, including the poor planning of many of the film's shot and confirming that Reeve unjustly bore the brunt of the negative backlash the film received and the problems that led to the cutting of 45 minutes of footage from the fiml's original 134-minute running time (which he confirms several times throughout the commentary). Rosenthal also points out interesting story elements that come into play throughout the film, including homages to "Dr. Strangelove", the then-current Cold War between the U.S. and Russia, and even a possible AIDS allusion to the film. (Of course, there's one thing that Reeve, Rosenthal, and Konner may have overlooked, and that's the fact that Lacy Warfield's obvious seduction of Clark Kent, despite its Cary Grant-like comic overtones, at times borders on workplace sexual harrassment, which upon recently viewing the film I finally picked up on - has anyone else noticed this element at all?) Rosenthal further posits an interesting question: in the post-9/11 world, would Superman have gotten involved in protecting Metropolis/New York City from terrorist attacks? And there's also an interesting point about who was initially considered for the part of the Nuclear Man, but I guess they thought fans wouldn't have wanted to see Christopher Reeve in a good Superman/bad Superman confrontation once again. Unfortunately, there are gaps at times in Rosenthal's commentary which could have been filled with more information about the film's production. Still, I have to give Rosenthal credit for delivering a decent commentary that sheds some interesting light.
The other major new supplement is the inclusion of some 30 minutes of deleted scenes from the film, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. These cut scenes can be viewed either individually or in one continuous "play all" feature. All of these cut scenes were taken from a workprint version of the film, complete with temporary music and, in many places, incomplete visual effects, so the film's quality is obviously not as good as the remainder of the film. In these deleted scenes we get more footage of Reeve as Superman, which is always a good thing. We have more footage of Hackman, who at times is comic brilliant, at other times very shrewd and serious about his intention in playing the U.S. and Russian governments against each other - this significant scene could have beefed up the dramatic, yet ironically comic, element of the film.
A huge chunk of the film's most important scenes, which could have added about 15 minutes back into the film, are moments that flesh out some of the film's supporting characters, including Jeremy (Damien Maclawhorn) and Lacy, particularly in her growing attraction toward Clark. Two of the most important deleted scenes featured in this block involve Luthor's creation of the prototype Nuclear Man Mark I (played in these scenes by Clive Mantle). Portions of this sequence included in the U.S. theatrical trailer and one of the TV spots are obviously of finished quality, leads me to conclude that the scenes were cut after completion. While the first of Mantle's scenes is a very welcome addition, I for one have to admit that this scene was rightfully cut from the film. Given Mantle's "Bizarro"-like campy performance, not to mention the worst-looking codpiece in the history of cinema this side of Sting's metal thong in "Dune", this scene alone would have probably caused the film to be laughed off the screen right then and there. Had it been played with more seriousness, it could have been a big plus but instead winds up a big waste. This scene's deletion also affected the cutting of the second of Mantle's scenes, involving Superman's confrontation with Nuclear Man Mark I outside the Metro Club. Reports gave the budget for this battle at over six million dollars alone, which if handled properly could have been a big winner for the film. Of course, we go back to the problem once again of wires, wires, and more wires, and in one clip we can clearly see Reeve's stunt double being tossed through the sky in a poorly executed shot reminiscent of those not-so-hidden stunt doubles in the original "Star Trek" series. For some reason Warner Home Video chose to include the second portion of this sequence while omitting the humorous and romantic set-up involving Clark and Lacy's date at the Metro Club - I for one wish they could have included the rest of this sequence in its entirety. These deletions also affected the cutting of another scene involving Luthor afterwards.
Another major subplot involving the second Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) attempting to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia, and Superman's successful diversion, is included. Again this is another scene that upon viewing was obviously near completion, as many of the visual effects and flying shots are of finished quality. With a little more love given to the visual effects, and a few more insert shots, this five-minutes scene could have remained in the final film and been a winner. (Portions of this scene were included in the Australian theatrical trailer for the film.) In addition, the film's final optimistic scene of Superman and Jeremy flying over the skies of the Earth could have remained in the film, giving the appropriate coda this film so badly deserved.
Furthermore, we have workprint versions of two scenes familiar to American viewers since 1990: Superman averting a tornado in the Midwest (identified on the DVD as "Smallville") and saving Russia from a potential nuclear disaster. Both of these scenes were first shown in syndication courtesy of Viacom, which sourced the original 1988 VHS release of the film and the two cut scenes for the basis of the broadcast. These cut scenes were also included in Tohokushinsha Home Video's Japanese laserdisc of the 93-minute European theatrical cut issued by Cannon Films. Yet all we get on this DVD are their incomplete workprint counterparts - why is that? Everyone knows fully well that the finished versions of these scenes exist in one form or another, and on the Japanese laserdisc the Dolby audio and widescreen video quality is far superior to their workprint counterparts. At the very least Warner Home Video could have sourced the European version for these scenes and restored them into the context of the film.
For that matter, completed versions of other snippets from cut scenes have appeared in different trailers and TV spots for the film but were not included on the DVD. For example, in both the Australian trailer and one of the U.S. TV spots, there is a prominent clip of Luthor asking Superman, "Isn't that (the second Nuclear Man) adorable?" This leads to the question of the existence of the master camera negatives for all of the cut footage included on the DVD as well as the remaining cut scenes that have yet to see the light of day. It's just baffling. I have to give Warner Home Video credit for releasing a lot of the cut scenes to begin with, though the quality and quantity could have been a lot more than what we received. And why only 30 minutes of cut scenes, why not all 45 minutes? In addition, Warner really took a huge step back in not featuring all of the different domestic and international trailers and TV spots on the new DVD, though we know for a fact that a number of them exist.
In addition, any and all production footage filmed in 1986-87, which exists in various sources and forms, could have formed the basis for a production documentary on the making of the film, complete with interviews with cast and production team members, which this DVD sorely needed. (Attempts were made to contact Mark Pillow for his participation in the "You Will Believe" documentary, which were unsuccessful. Whatever happened to him, by the way?) Not to mention that the international version of this release reportedly contained a joint audio commentary with Konner and Rosenthal, as well as a featurette on what the film could have been like had the 134-minute version been given a chance - as of this writing, nothing has been confirmed on either of these features.
To call this new version of "Superman IV" a Deluxe Edition isn't warranted here. To be honest, this is no more deluxe than any single-disc release of a typical DVD title with just a couple of extras thrown in, especially when we know of the wealth of material that's out there pertaining to this film. With the first two films, "Superman Returns", and the Richard Donner Cut of "Superman II" receiving great DVD treatment, this new version of IV is a major missed attempt at giving the fans what they have longed for over the past 20 years, a more complete picture. There's still a number of missing pieces to the puzzle, most notably the lost 15 minutes of footage, the master camera negatives to all of these scenes, and, sadly, Christopher Reeve himself. And my opinion of this DVD is the same as my first opinion when I first saw the film on that hot summer day in July 1987: that's it? I can only hope that down the road someone - whether Michael Thau, Mike Matessino, Robert Harris, WETA Digital, Digital Domain, or whomever - will give this film the proper love and treatment it rightfully deserves and writes the final fitting chapter to this troubled film. Superman and Christopher Reeve fans everywhere really deserve that release and not this one.
Next time around: Bryan Singer brings the Man of Steel back after a 19-year hiatus, with my thoughts on "Superman Returns" on Discs 10 and 11. See you then!
The film's plot is simple and straightforward: Superman chooses to get involved in worldwide nuclear disarmament and manages to rid the world of its nuclear weapons. But his nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) has come up with a way that he believes will not only eliminate the Man of Steel but also keep the nuclear threat alive and profitable. Had this been handled by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, who were initially approached to consider bringing the franchise back on track after the critically drummed "Superman III", this film probably would have been successful. (Donner, of course, would go on to direct the first installment of the "Lethal Weapon" series, while Mankiewicz would helm a big-screen comic version of the long-running TV staple "Dragnet".) Instead, the film's story - conceived by Reeve and co-writers Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal ("The Jewel of the Nile" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"), directed by Sidney J. Furie ("The Ipcress File" and "Iron Eagle"), and produced by Menahem Golem and Yoran Globus of Cannon Films (who purchased the rights from Alexander and Ilya Salkind) - was produced as cheaply as you can get on a shoestring budget. The film's budget was slashed all across the board, including the all-important visual effects that netted the first "Superman" film the coveted Oscar. It further had very little promotion in the media. And after the disastrous sneak preview screening prior to the film's release, the film itself was butchered, the remaining 89 (or 93, depending on which side of the Atlantic you lived) minutes slapped together, and the remaining footage shelved or quite possibly destroyed. The eventual result was an awkward, haphazard mess that drew viewers out of the story all too much, resulting in little to no character motivation or development at all. If the first three films were cinematic marvels, IV looked like the equivalent of a TV movie of the week. Despite its sincere attempt, "Superman IV" failed critically and commercially at the box office.
Yet there were some good elements about the film: Reeve back in the role, the interaction between Reeve and Hackman, Margot Kidder's return as Lois Lane, a new love interest for Clark Kent in Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway), an interesting double-date scenario, and the musical score adapted by Alexander Courage from John Williams' original themes. Had this film been given a chance, and with the right amount of promotion and production values, it could have done well. But in the hands of a failing B-film studio who had too many irons in the fire at one time, "Superman IV" was never given top priority over any of Cannon's other projects, despite Reeve's attempt to keep everyone's morale alive.
Since that time many people, including Reeve, Furie, and Bryan Singer, among others, have relegated "Superman IV" to an alternate cinematic history (especially in the light of "Superman Returns", which also disavowed III in the process). Furie has refused to comment on it since then, even two decades after the fact. I know this for a fact; I tried to personally contact the man myself and never got a response. Reeve, in his later years, would admit to the problems with IV from storytelling, financial, and personal standpoints and refuse watching the 93-minute European cut of the film. But fans would not give up on it, nor would they give up on the whereabouts of the remainder of the film's footage. In 2005 hopes were elevated when it was discovered that the film's original camera negatives were in storage at Deluxe Film Labs in Denham, Middlesex, England. (Road trip!) Now with the release of the Deluxe Edition of "Superman IV" on DVD, issued as Disc 9 in the Ultimate Collector's Edition, Warner Home Video has opened up a huge door for the fans, giving them a glimpse into what might have been. However, like the final released product itself, this new DVD release lends very little support to the designated "Deluxe Edition" label and falls far short of fan expectations.
The film's transfer is identical to the previous 2001 DVD release, presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format and your choice of English or French Dolby 2.0 sond. The picture itself is generally crisp and clean - almost too crisp, if you ask me, because of all the obvious scabs and wonds given to the final treatment of the film. In other words, too many matte lines covering (or not covering) lots of wires, wires, and still more wires all over the place. It's absolutely horrendous, and it doesn't make you believe anyone can fly. At times the visual effects cause the film's image to be washed out - this is not the fault of the film's DVD transfer but the film assembly itself. A whole lot of CGI love could be given to this film to at least make it look a little more believable.
In terms of supplements, there are very few supplements overall, but what we have here really does shed a light onto what might have been. First off, the film's U.S. theatrical trailer is recycled from the previous DVD release, with finished versions of two additional scenes not featured in the theatrical cut (which I'll discuss in further detail later).
One of the two major new supplements to this disc is a new running audio commentary with Mark Rosenthal, who discusses many of the film's production problems and story elements. Rosenthal is honest and to the point about the many issues Cannon Films and Warner Bros. had to face during its production, including the poor planning of many of the film's shot and confirming that Reeve unjustly bore the brunt of the negative backlash the film received and the problems that led to the cutting of 45 minutes of footage from the fiml's original 134-minute running time (which he confirms several times throughout the commentary). Rosenthal also points out interesting story elements that come into play throughout the film, including homages to "Dr. Strangelove", the then-current Cold War between the U.S. and Russia, and even a possible AIDS allusion to the film. (Of course, there's one thing that Reeve, Rosenthal, and Konner may have overlooked, and that's the fact that Lacy Warfield's obvious seduction of Clark Kent, despite its Cary Grant-like comic overtones, at times borders on workplace sexual harrassment, which upon recently viewing the film I finally picked up on - has anyone else noticed this element at all?) Rosenthal further posits an interesting question: in the post-9/11 world, would Superman have gotten involved in protecting Metropolis/New York City from terrorist attacks? And there's also an interesting point about who was initially considered for the part of the Nuclear Man, but I guess they thought fans wouldn't have wanted to see Christopher Reeve in a good Superman/bad Superman confrontation once again. Unfortunately, there are gaps at times in Rosenthal's commentary which could have been filled with more information about the film's production. Still, I have to give Rosenthal credit for delivering a decent commentary that sheds some interesting light.
The other major new supplement is the inclusion of some 30 minutes of deleted scenes from the film, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. These cut scenes can be viewed either individually or in one continuous "play all" feature. All of these cut scenes were taken from a workprint version of the film, complete with temporary music and, in many places, incomplete visual effects, so the film's quality is obviously not as good as the remainder of the film. In these deleted scenes we get more footage of Reeve as Superman, which is always a good thing. We have more footage of Hackman, who at times is comic brilliant, at other times very shrewd and serious about his intention in playing the U.S. and Russian governments against each other - this significant scene could have beefed up the dramatic, yet ironically comic, element of the film.
A huge chunk of the film's most important scenes, which could have added about 15 minutes back into the film, are moments that flesh out some of the film's supporting characters, including Jeremy (Damien Maclawhorn) and Lacy, particularly in her growing attraction toward Clark. Two of the most important deleted scenes featured in this block involve Luthor's creation of the prototype Nuclear Man Mark I (played in these scenes by Clive Mantle). Portions of this sequence included in the U.S. theatrical trailer and one of the TV spots are obviously of finished quality, leads me to conclude that the scenes were cut after completion. While the first of Mantle's scenes is a very welcome addition, I for one have to admit that this scene was rightfully cut from the film. Given Mantle's "Bizarro"-like campy performance, not to mention the worst-looking codpiece in the history of cinema this side of Sting's metal thong in "Dune", this scene alone would have probably caused the film to be laughed off the screen right then and there. Had it been played with more seriousness, it could have been a big plus but instead winds up a big waste. This scene's deletion also affected the cutting of the second of Mantle's scenes, involving Superman's confrontation with Nuclear Man Mark I outside the Metro Club. Reports gave the budget for this battle at over six million dollars alone, which if handled properly could have been a big winner for the film. Of course, we go back to the problem once again of wires, wires, and more wires, and in one clip we can clearly see Reeve's stunt double being tossed through the sky in a poorly executed shot reminiscent of those not-so-hidden stunt doubles in the original "Star Trek" series. For some reason Warner Home Video chose to include the second portion of this sequence while omitting the humorous and romantic set-up involving Clark and Lacy's date at the Metro Club - I for one wish they could have included the rest of this sequence in its entirety. These deletions also affected the cutting of another scene involving Luthor afterwards.
Another major subplot involving the second Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) attempting to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia, and Superman's successful diversion, is included. Again this is another scene that upon viewing was obviously near completion, as many of the visual effects and flying shots are of finished quality. With a little more love given to the visual effects, and a few more insert shots, this five-minutes scene could have remained in the final film and been a winner. (Portions of this scene were included in the Australian theatrical trailer for the film.) In addition, the film's final optimistic scene of Superman and Jeremy flying over the skies of the Earth could have remained in the film, giving the appropriate coda this film so badly deserved.
Furthermore, we have workprint versions of two scenes familiar to American viewers since 1990: Superman averting a tornado in the Midwest (identified on the DVD as "Smallville") and saving Russia from a potential nuclear disaster. Both of these scenes were first shown in syndication courtesy of Viacom, which sourced the original 1988 VHS release of the film and the two cut scenes for the basis of the broadcast. These cut scenes were also included in Tohokushinsha Home Video's Japanese laserdisc of the 93-minute European theatrical cut issued by Cannon Films. Yet all we get on this DVD are their incomplete workprint counterparts - why is that? Everyone knows fully well that the finished versions of these scenes exist in one form or another, and on the Japanese laserdisc the Dolby audio and widescreen video quality is far superior to their workprint counterparts. At the very least Warner Home Video could have sourced the European version for these scenes and restored them into the context of the film.
For that matter, completed versions of other snippets from cut scenes have appeared in different trailers and TV spots for the film but were not included on the DVD. For example, in both the Australian trailer and one of the U.S. TV spots, there is a prominent clip of Luthor asking Superman, "Isn't that (the second Nuclear Man) adorable?" This leads to the question of the existence of the master camera negatives for all of the cut footage included on the DVD as well as the remaining cut scenes that have yet to see the light of day. It's just baffling. I have to give Warner Home Video credit for releasing a lot of the cut scenes to begin with, though the quality and quantity could have been a lot more than what we received. And why only 30 minutes of cut scenes, why not all 45 minutes? In addition, Warner really took a huge step back in not featuring all of the different domestic and international trailers and TV spots on the new DVD, though we know for a fact that a number of them exist.
In addition, any and all production footage filmed in 1986-87, which exists in various sources and forms, could have formed the basis for a production documentary on the making of the film, complete with interviews with cast and production team members, which this DVD sorely needed. (Attempts were made to contact Mark Pillow for his participation in the "You Will Believe" documentary, which were unsuccessful. Whatever happened to him, by the way?) Not to mention that the international version of this release reportedly contained a joint audio commentary with Konner and Rosenthal, as well as a featurette on what the film could have been like had the 134-minute version been given a chance - as of this writing, nothing has been confirmed on either of these features.
To call this new version of "Superman IV" a Deluxe Edition isn't warranted here. To be honest, this is no more deluxe than any single-disc release of a typical DVD title with just a couple of extras thrown in, especially when we know of the wealth of material that's out there pertaining to this film. With the first two films, "Superman Returns", and the Richard Donner Cut of "Superman II" receiving great DVD treatment, this new version of IV is a major missed attempt at giving the fans what they have longed for over the past 20 years, a more complete picture. There's still a number of missing pieces to the puzzle, most notably the lost 15 minutes of footage, the master camera negatives to all of these scenes, and, sadly, Christopher Reeve himself. And my opinion of this DVD is the same as my first opinion when I first saw the film on that hot summer day in July 1987: that's it? I can only hope that down the road someone - whether Michael Thau, Mike Matessino, Robert Harris, WETA Digital, Digital Domain, or whomever - will give this film the proper love and treatment it rightfully deserves and writes the final fitting chapter to this troubled film. Superman and Christopher Reeve fans everywhere really deserve that release and not this one.
Next time around: Bryan Singer brings the Man of Steel back after a 19-year hiatus, with my thoughts on "Superman Returns" on Discs 10 and 11. See you then!
Friday, June 15, 2007
The New Adventures of Superman
Okay, I know that in my last installment I said I would continue my analysis on the "Superman" Ultimate Collector's Edition with a look at the deluxe version of "Superman IV". But today I have to steer off track a bit, because what happened to arrive in my mailbox yesterday but Warner's DVD release of "The New Adventures of Superman" (MSRP $26.99), slated for release June 26!
September 1966 was a pretty good time, if you ask me. The original "Star Trek" premiered on NBC, and toward the end of the month I was born (that's showing my age right there!). The Beatles had just completed its last live concert tour and went into the studio to begin work on an unprecedented project that would come to be known as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". America was caught up in the outrage over the Vietnam War. And on the airwaves America was just getting into the campy but enjoyable new series of the time, "Batman". But in September 1966 there was another new series that hit the air with almost little fanfare, a new half-hour Saturday morning animated series called "The New Adventures of Superman".
After nearly 30 years in the comic book industry, with an equal amount of success in the newspapers with a long-running comic strip, 17 animated installments produced in the 1940's, a successful radio show, two theatrical serials, and a long-running television series in the 1950's, Superman seemed almost passe' during the 1960's. By that time the comic strip was winding down, its most notable portrayer George Reeves had been tragically killed, and Broadway had tried to put its own mark on the character with a musical adaptation. That just left the comic books as the sole domain at the time for the Man of Steel. But Filmation Studios, which would produce many seminal cartoon series of the 60's and 70's with "Scooby Doo", "The Flintstones", "The Jetsons", and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", among others, took its own spin on the last son of Krypton and scored a major hit with Superman fans and young viewers everywhere.
What made "The New Adventures of Superman" a success was that producer Lou Scheimer and director Hal Sutherland treated the Superman material with respect, going back to the original comic book source to produce each animated installment, which ran 6-7 minutes apiece, in the style of the Curt Swan look of the character at the time. That's not a lot of room for character development, but for Saturday morning not a lot of depth was needed, just a straightforward simplicity and respect for the comics themselves. Still, they could pack in two segments (along with a Superboy segment) in each half-hour and keep things interesting. Even more so, Scheimer and Sutherland recruited two veteran Superman actors to help bring the series to life - Clayton "Bud" Collyer and Joan Alexander, who voiced the characters of Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, in the Fleischer cartoons and the radio series.
In each of these segments Superman would routinely encounter villains familiar to long-time readers: Lex Luthor, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Brainiac, the Toyman, and the Parasite were among the villains who would give the Man of Steel his fair share of trouble. Another running thread throughout the series was Superman's encounter with gorillas in several installments, as well as battles against time-traveling magicians, an aquatic race of mermen living in the Earth's core, and energy-controlling aliens, among others. In addition, long-time supporting character Jimmy Olsen made his animated debut in this series. To keep the series fresh and running for young viewers, the series would feature two Superman segments and one Superboy segment per each half-hour. In all, a total of 36 animated Superman segments and 18 Superboy segments were produced in 1966. By the fall of 1967, Superman would later be featured as part of Filmaton's "The Superman/Aquaman Hour", which would also bring the Justice League of America to animation for the first time. All of these cartoons, along with a 1960's "Batman" animated series (which has yet to be released on DVD) and the 1970's "The New Adventures of Batman" (releasing on DVD at the same time as the "Superman" set), would later be recycled into daily syndication through the 1980's as part of a DC Comics-themed animated series.
Through it all, "The New Adventures of Superman" continued to thrill fans. I remember routinely catching these segments during the 70's and 80's, always remembering how goofy and fun these cartoons were. Previously Warner Home Video had issued 60-minute compilations of several of the Superman and Superboy segments in respective individual VHS releases in 1988 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Superman character. Last year we got our first hint at a possible DVD release, thanks to clips surfacing in Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns' documentary "Look! Up in the Sky - The Amazing Story of Superman". Now Warner Home Video has brought "The New Adventures of Superman" to DVD in a new two-disc set, and I've got to admit, it's like stepping back in time!
Each of the 36 segments are spread across two discs, 18 episodes per disc, reproduced in their original full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, with optional closed captions. For some reason the packaging indicates a 5.1 track for this set, but as simple as this series is, you don't really need to go any further than a 2.0 track. While these segments are arranged in production order, for some reason Superman's first encounter with Brainiac, the 33rd segment "Superman Meets Brainiac" appears after the 12th segment, "The Return of Brainiac". This makes it a little confusing continuity-wise, but aside from this misstep it's nonethless a nice arrangement.
The only extras on this set can be found on Disc 2, limited to just one featurette and a trailer gallery. The sole featurette on the set, "Superman in '66", is a 15-minute look at how the Man of Steel was brought to life in animated form for the first time since the 1940's. Interviews with DC Comics writers and artists look back at the 1960's and how the era influenced the look of this latest Superman series, leading to his debut in animated form from Filmation.
The trailer gallery includes preview trailers for the season sets of "Justice League Unlimited", "Batman Beyond", "Teen Titans", and "The Batman"; and the upcoming DVD releases of 60 vintage "Popeye the Sailor" cartoons produced by the Fleischer Studios in the 1930's (now this ought to be a treat indeed!), as well as the complete DVD collections of "Space Ghost", "Birdman", and Tex Avery's "Droopy" (Now let's not get nosy, bub!) Also on Disc 2, while unadvertised, is a teaser for the upcoming direct-to-DVD release of "Superman: Doomsday", adapted from the phenomenal 1992-93 "Death of Superman" comics trilogy and the first of the new DC Universe-themed original animated film series. Now this I have got to see!
If there is one significant caveat about this new DVD release, it's that all of the Superboy segments have been left off the set, despite the fact that the end credits sequences retain the Superboy voice credit on screen. This loss is due to the continuing legal issues between DC Comics and the heirs of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster over the legal rights to the Superboy character. This continuing legal problem has kept the Superboy segments, the 1961 Superboy pilot with John Rockwell, and (along with poor DVD sales) the remaining seasons of "The Adventures of Superboy" from 1989-92 with Gerard Christopher, from appearing on DVD in an official format. This is really a shame, if you ask me. I hope that one day soon these issues are cleared up and the Superboy character is given the love he rightfully deserves.
Watching "The New Adventures of Superman" on DVD is like stepping into a time capsule back to my youth. And just a few days ago, my daughter, who's 2 1/2, can now identify Superman and Batman by name just by looking at them - what can I say? She takes after Daddy! This is a fun and enjoyable addition to the Superman canon. I hope Warner steps up to the plate and issues the 1988 Ruby-Spears Superman animated series, as well as all of the unreleased Superboy material, on DVD down the road soon.
Okay, as promised, next time I'll be back with my thoughts on "Superman IV". See you then! :)
September 1966 was a pretty good time, if you ask me. The original "Star Trek" premiered on NBC, and toward the end of the month I was born (that's showing my age right there!). The Beatles had just completed its last live concert tour and went into the studio to begin work on an unprecedented project that would come to be known as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". America was caught up in the outrage over the Vietnam War. And on the airwaves America was just getting into the campy but enjoyable new series of the time, "Batman". But in September 1966 there was another new series that hit the air with almost little fanfare, a new half-hour Saturday morning animated series called "The New Adventures of Superman".
After nearly 30 years in the comic book industry, with an equal amount of success in the newspapers with a long-running comic strip, 17 animated installments produced in the 1940's, a successful radio show, two theatrical serials, and a long-running television series in the 1950's, Superman seemed almost passe' during the 1960's. By that time the comic strip was winding down, its most notable portrayer George Reeves had been tragically killed, and Broadway had tried to put its own mark on the character with a musical adaptation. That just left the comic books as the sole domain at the time for the Man of Steel. But Filmation Studios, which would produce many seminal cartoon series of the 60's and 70's with "Scooby Doo", "The Flintstones", "The Jetsons", and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", among others, took its own spin on the last son of Krypton and scored a major hit with Superman fans and young viewers everywhere.
What made "The New Adventures of Superman" a success was that producer Lou Scheimer and director Hal Sutherland treated the Superman material with respect, going back to the original comic book source to produce each animated installment, which ran 6-7 minutes apiece, in the style of the Curt Swan look of the character at the time. That's not a lot of room for character development, but for Saturday morning not a lot of depth was needed, just a straightforward simplicity and respect for the comics themselves. Still, they could pack in two segments (along with a Superboy segment) in each half-hour and keep things interesting. Even more so, Scheimer and Sutherland recruited two veteran Superman actors to help bring the series to life - Clayton "Bud" Collyer and Joan Alexander, who voiced the characters of Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, in the Fleischer cartoons and the radio series.
In each of these segments Superman would routinely encounter villains familiar to long-time readers: Lex Luthor, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Brainiac, the Toyman, and the Parasite were among the villains who would give the Man of Steel his fair share of trouble. Another running thread throughout the series was Superman's encounter with gorillas in several installments, as well as battles against time-traveling magicians, an aquatic race of mermen living in the Earth's core, and energy-controlling aliens, among others. In addition, long-time supporting character Jimmy Olsen made his animated debut in this series. To keep the series fresh and running for young viewers, the series would feature two Superman segments and one Superboy segment per each half-hour. In all, a total of 36 animated Superman segments and 18 Superboy segments were produced in 1966. By the fall of 1967, Superman would later be featured as part of Filmaton's "The Superman/Aquaman Hour", which would also bring the Justice League of America to animation for the first time. All of these cartoons, along with a 1960's "Batman" animated series (which has yet to be released on DVD) and the 1970's "The New Adventures of Batman" (releasing on DVD at the same time as the "Superman" set), would later be recycled into daily syndication through the 1980's as part of a DC Comics-themed animated series.
Through it all, "The New Adventures of Superman" continued to thrill fans. I remember routinely catching these segments during the 70's and 80's, always remembering how goofy and fun these cartoons were. Previously Warner Home Video had issued 60-minute compilations of several of the Superman and Superboy segments in respective individual VHS releases in 1988 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Superman character. Last year we got our first hint at a possible DVD release, thanks to clips surfacing in Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns' documentary "Look! Up in the Sky - The Amazing Story of Superman". Now Warner Home Video has brought "The New Adventures of Superman" to DVD in a new two-disc set, and I've got to admit, it's like stepping back in time!
Each of the 36 segments are spread across two discs, 18 episodes per disc, reproduced in their original full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, with optional closed captions. For some reason the packaging indicates a 5.1 track for this set, but as simple as this series is, you don't really need to go any further than a 2.0 track. While these segments are arranged in production order, for some reason Superman's first encounter with Brainiac, the 33rd segment "Superman Meets Brainiac" appears after the 12th segment, "The Return of Brainiac". This makes it a little confusing continuity-wise, but aside from this misstep it's nonethless a nice arrangement.
The only extras on this set can be found on Disc 2, limited to just one featurette and a trailer gallery. The sole featurette on the set, "Superman in '66", is a 15-minute look at how the Man of Steel was brought to life in animated form for the first time since the 1940's. Interviews with DC Comics writers and artists look back at the 1960's and how the era influenced the look of this latest Superman series, leading to his debut in animated form from Filmation.
The trailer gallery includes preview trailers for the season sets of "Justice League Unlimited", "Batman Beyond", "Teen Titans", and "The Batman"; and the upcoming DVD releases of 60 vintage "Popeye the Sailor" cartoons produced by the Fleischer Studios in the 1930's (now this ought to be a treat indeed!), as well as the complete DVD collections of "Space Ghost", "Birdman", and Tex Avery's "Droopy" (Now let's not get nosy, bub!) Also on Disc 2, while unadvertised, is a teaser for the upcoming direct-to-DVD release of "Superman: Doomsday", adapted from the phenomenal 1992-93 "Death of Superman" comics trilogy and the first of the new DC Universe-themed original animated film series. Now this I have got to see!
If there is one significant caveat about this new DVD release, it's that all of the Superboy segments have been left off the set, despite the fact that the end credits sequences retain the Superboy voice credit on screen. This loss is due to the continuing legal issues between DC Comics and the heirs of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster over the legal rights to the Superboy character. This continuing legal problem has kept the Superboy segments, the 1961 Superboy pilot with John Rockwell, and (along with poor DVD sales) the remaining seasons of "The Adventures of Superboy" from 1989-92 with Gerard Christopher, from appearing on DVD in an official format. This is really a shame, if you ask me. I hope that one day soon these issues are cleared up and the Superboy character is given the love he rightfully deserves.
Watching "The New Adventures of Superman" on DVD is like stepping into a time capsule back to my youth. And just a few days ago, my daughter, who's 2 1/2, can now identify Superman and Batman by name just by looking at them - what can I say? She takes after Daddy! This is a fun and enjoyable addition to the Superman canon. I hope Warner steps up to the plate and issues the 1988 Ruby-Spears Superman animated series, as well as all of the unreleased Superboy material, on DVD down the road soon.
Okay, as promised, next time I'll be back with my thoughts on "Superman IV". See you then! :)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition - Part IV
After the critical and commercial successes of the first two "Superman" films, it seemed nothing could possibly go wrong with Warner Bros.' successful film franchise. But after the troubling debacle that ensued during the production of the first two films and affected the eventual development of "Superman II", producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind were determined to steer the franchise back on course (read: in their own direction). Their intention: to produce "Superman III" with elements that then-contemporary audiences could relate to. Working with writers David and Leslie Newman, they conceived the elements of hostile corporate businessmen and computers gone haywire. In today's times, these threats are all too commonplace. Back in the early 1980's not many people thought this was possible.
The Salkinds also wanted more emphasis on comedy and humor to steer the third film to the big screen and bring in a larger audience, but who would fill that role? Enter the late Richard Pryor, at that time the hottest comedian in America. Pryor had just emerged from a near-death experience and sought diverse, interesting roles that stretched him as an actor - in other words, something safe and not so risky as the work he produced in the 1970's that brought him recognition and popularity. Pryor's role of the bumbling Gus Gorman, a down and out computer genuis, took center stage away from the Superman character, a sign that things were in trouble for the Man of Steel. (This blend of comedy and adventure seemed to threaten other film franchises, most notably in 1985-86 when at one point Eddie Murphy was considered for a supporting role in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", which to the delight of Trek fans everywhere didn't come to light.)
Despite a fairly respectable $65 million domestic gross, "Superman III" premiered in the summer of 1983 but was hampered from the start with a weak script, recycled elements from the first two films that never made it to the screen, and too much comic emphasis on Pryor's mugging and director Richard Lester's flair for camp comedy that made his films of the 1960's successful. Add to it the fact that Christopher Reeve had begun to grow tired of the Superman role and vowed never to return, and you have a recipe for certain disaster.
Over the years I had viewed "Superman III" as an uneven mesh of elements both good and bad, and my thoughts hold true now as they have in the past. In some cases the good really comes forth. Reeve brought a needed maturity to Clark Kent that was severely lacking in the first two films; he no longer needed to put on an act, especially back home in Smallville. While Margot Kidder's part of Lois Lane was reduced to a mere two-scene quickie, no thanks to the Salkinds, Annette O'Toole brought quite a pleasing counterbalance as the now-adult Lana Lang, a divorcee and single mom who brings out Clark's heart of gold in a bittersweet romance that never fully develops. And while the action this time around is more pedestrian in presentation than epic in quality, the showdown between Clark and the evil Superman is an interesting study of man wrestling with his dual nature that comes right out of the Superman comics. However, the bad elements threaten to outweigh the good more often than not. With Pryor, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, and Pamela Stephenson as the film's villains du jour, their actions take center stage through much of the film, unfortunately shepherding Reeve to the middle of the group as a featured player instead of a leading man. In any James Bond film the main character is Bond himself, not the villain. The same is expected in a Superman film. Not so with this weak effort.
Now we come to the Deluxe Edition of "Superman III" from Warner Home Video, issued as Disc 8 of the 14-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition and also in a separate release. Right away I can tell you that compared to the previous DVD release, this new version is better in terms of some of its content and presentation, though overall the release itself needed quite a bit more effort put into it in some areas. (More on this later.)
The film itself is presented in a crisp anamorphic widescreen transfer conforming to the fiml's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with your choice of English or French Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. This transfer is the same as on the previous DVD release from 2001. Colors and blacks are solid, and the image quality is quite good - a little too good, if you ask me. That's because as with the previous DVD, some of the elements that hid the illusion of a man flying are gone - in other words, lots of wires, wires, and more wires. No wonder Ilya Salkind was upset about this alteration from the original film masters. Compare this DVD to your old laserdisc or VHS copies of the film, and you'll see what I mean. If anything, Warner Home Video should have fixed the wire problem for this release (and for that matter with all of the Reeve Superman films) with a little CGI love that would have preserved the effect. The serious presence of wires all over the place simply draws me out of the film - where's the verisimilitude that Richard Donner worked so hard to maintain in the first two films? Gone with that little "You're fired!" telegram the Salkinds sent to him back in 1979.
Where this new DVD release shines is with the inclusion of a number of fairly decent supplements. First off, Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler provide an optional audio commentary for the film, as they did with the first two films. Here they discuss their insights into bringing "Superman III" to life, working with Pryor, Lester's comic touches, and so forth. It's a decent commentary from start to finish, though I still have trouble with some of their spin statements. In addition, the film's theatrical trailer (with the spoiler-filled ending, no less!) is recycled from the previous DVD and laserdisc releases, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. You know it's an ominous feeling for a film's box office release when its ending is heavily spoiled in the preview trailer(s).
New to this DVD release is the vintage TV special "The Making of Superman III", narrated by Al Matthews (who portrayed the fire chief in the film). This 48-minute documentary pulls the curtain back on some of the production elements in making this third film come to life, including the construction of Ross Webster's elaborate skyscraper ski slope, the construction and destruction of the ultimate computer, shooting the elaborate opening sequence of comic mishaps, the junkyard fight, and other scenes throughout the film. Reeve, Lester, and O'Toole, among others, offer their thoughts on this latest installment, and it turns out that the biggest Superman junkie on the block this time around is not Reeve, Pryor, or Lester, but O'Toole! I had never known this program had aired on ABC during the 1980's, though I had suspected it so, and it's only been in the last few years that I found out it indeed aired on ABC. How I missed it, I have no idea. It's presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, and the image quality is fairly good for a 20-year-old documentary. While it's far less technical than the other documentaries on the Superman DVDs, there are some nice little technical nuggets to glean here.
We also have a series of deleted and extended scenes, pulled from the film's extended TV broadcasts. All of these added scenes are presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound. Unfortunately, all of these cut scenes, along with those that didn't make this DVD release, add no story value at all to the film are not relevant to or missed in the final theatrical version. They still don't. Except for the brief snippets involving Reeve, I wouldn't have missed them at all. Furthermore, the selected clips included on this DVD are taken from a filthy-looking print with lots of dirt throughout the footage. That's really careless if you ask me. It's possible that the full frame print may be the only source in existence in referencing these cut scenes, and if that's the case, then that's one thing. Obviously the Salkinds had to reference a widescreen print of the film and its cut scenes to prepare it for broadcast (as with the first two films), didn't they? So where are the widescreen versions of these clips? Somebody fumbled the ball in a big way, if you ask me.
Furthermore, to call this DVD release a "Deluxe Version" is a misnomer. Seriously, a single-disc DVD release like this is far from earning the title deluxe anything. Had this been a true deluxe edition, Warner would have gone all out and included vintage interviews with Reeve and Pryor, a commentary with Lester (though every effort was made to obtain his participation in the creation of the new DVD releases), additional production features, TV spots for the film (including at least one with some alternate footage that never made it into the film), and the extended version in its entirety, all spread out over a two-disc set. This DVD is no more deluxe than a single-disc release of a standard DVD with the film, a trailer, and a few extras.
In preparing the Ultimate Collector's Edition, initial pressings of the set erroneously included the 2001 DVD pressing of the film sans extras. This turned out to be an honest production error that affected only the 14-disc set. Thankfully, Warner stepped up to the plate and corrected that problem, and while the recent reissue of the 14-disc set contains the corrected disc, fans who purchased the set back in November can still send in the original disc for a replacement. At least that's one good point in Warner's favor for this film.
"Superman III" is a disappointing film from start to finish. As a so-called "Deluxe Edition" DVD, it's still disappointing. But the documentary and Reeve's presence are probably the sole things that keep me from forgetting about this release altogether. As with IV (which I will review next time), Warner dropped the ball in a number of areas with this one. Unless a proper two-disc special edition comes along (something I honestly don't see happening), this is probably all we're going to get. And with Bryan Singer's 2006 revamp of the Superman franchise many have cast off III (and IV) into alternate universe continuity. I can't say that I blame them. Otherwise, this one's really for the hardcore Superman fans.
Next time around, it's Disc 9, "Superman IV" and the quest for the complete picture. See you then!
(Oh, lest I forget, happy 25th anniversary, "Star Trek II!" They don't make 'em like that anymore!)
The Salkinds also wanted more emphasis on comedy and humor to steer the third film to the big screen and bring in a larger audience, but who would fill that role? Enter the late Richard Pryor, at that time the hottest comedian in America. Pryor had just emerged from a near-death experience and sought diverse, interesting roles that stretched him as an actor - in other words, something safe and not so risky as the work he produced in the 1970's that brought him recognition and popularity. Pryor's role of the bumbling Gus Gorman, a down and out computer genuis, took center stage away from the Superman character, a sign that things were in trouble for the Man of Steel. (This blend of comedy and adventure seemed to threaten other film franchises, most notably in 1985-86 when at one point Eddie Murphy was considered for a supporting role in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", which to the delight of Trek fans everywhere didn't come to light.)
Despite a fairly respectable $65 million domestic gross, "Superman III" premiered in the summer of 1983 but was hampered from the start with a weak script, recycled elements from the first two films that never made it to the screen, and too much comic emphasis on Pryor's mugging and director Richard Lester's flair for camp comedy that made his films of the 1960's successful. Add to it the fact that Christopher Reeve had begun to grow tired of the Superman role and vowed never to return, and you have a recipe for certain disaster.
Over the years I had viewed "Superman III" as an uneven mesh of elements both good and bad, and my thoughts hold true now as they have in the past. In some cases the good really comes forth. Reeve brought a needed maturity to Clark Kent that was severely lacking in the first two films; he no longer needed to put on an act, especially back home in Smallville. While Margot Kidder's part of Lois Lane was reduced to a mere two-scene quickie, no thanks to the Salkinds, Annette O'Toole brought quite a pleasing counterbalance as the now-adult Lana Lang, a divorcee and single mom who brings out Clark's heart of gold in a bittersweet romance that never fully develops. And while the action this time around is more pedestrian in presentation than epic in quality, the showdown between Clark and the evil Superman is an interesting study of man wrestling with his dual nature that comes right out of the Superman comics. However, the bad elements threaten to outweigh the good more often than not. With Pryor, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, and Pamela Stephenson as the film's villains du jour, their actions take center stage through much of the film, unfortunately shepherding Reeve to the middle of the group as a featured player instead of a leading man. In any James Bond film the main character is Bond himself, not the villain. The same is expected in a Superman film. Not so with this weak effort.
Now we come to the Deluxe Edition of "Superman III" from Warner Home Video, issued as Disc 8 of the 14-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition and also in a separate release. Right away I can tell you that compared to the previous DVD release, this new version is better in terms of some of its content and presentation, though overall the release itself needed quite a bit more effort put into it in some areas. (More on this later.)
The film itself is presented in a crisp anamorphic widescreen transfer conforming to the fiml's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with your choice of English or French Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. This transfer is the same as on the previous DVD release from 2001. Colors and blacks are solid, and the image quality is quite good - a little too good, if you ask me. That's because as with the previous DVD, some of the elements that hid the illusion of a man flying are gone - in other words, lots of wires, wires, and more wires. No wonder Ilya Salkind was upset about this alteration from the original film masters. Compare this DVD to your old laserdisc or VHS copies of the film, and you'll see what I mean. If anything, Warner Home Video should have fixed the wire problem for this release (and for that matter with all of the Reeve Superman films) with a little CGI love that would have preserved the effect. The serious presence of wires all over the place simply draws me out of the film - where's the verisimilitude that Richard Donner worked so hard to maintain in the first two films? Gone with that little "You're fired!" telegram the Salkinds sent to him back in 1979.
Where this new DVD release shines is with the inclusion of a number of fairly decent supplements. First off, Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler provide an optional audio commentary for the film, as they did with the first two films. Here they discuss their insights into bringing "Superman III" to life, working with Pryor, Lester's comic touches, and so forth. It's a decent commentary from start to finish, though I still have trouble with some of their spin statements. In addition, the film's theatrical trailer (with the spoiler-filled ending, no less!) is recycled from the previous DVD and laserdisc releases, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. You know it's an ominous feeling for a film's box office release when its ending is heavily spoiled in the preview trailer(s).
New to this DVD release is the vintage TV special "The Making of Superman III", narrated by Al Matthews (who portrayed the fire chief in the film). This 48-minute documentary pulls the curtain back on some of the production elements in making this third film come to life, including the construction of Ross Webster's elaborate skyscraper ski slope, the construction and destruction of the ultimate computer, shooting the elaborate opening sequence of comic mishaps, the junkyard fight, and other scenes throughout the film. Reeve, Lester, and O'Toole, among others, offer their thoughts on this latest installment, and it turns out that the biggest Superman junkie on the block this time around is not Reeve, Pryor, or Lester, but O'Toole! I had never known this program had aired on ABC during the 1980's, though I had suspected it so, and it's only been in the last few years that I found out it indeed aired on ABC. How I missed it, I have no idea. It's presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, and the image quality is fairly good for a 20-year-old documentary. While it's far less technical than the other documentaries on the Superman DVDs, there are some nice little technical nuggets to glean here.
We also have a series of deleted and extended scenes, pulled from the film's extended TV broadcasts. All of these added scenes are presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound. Unfortunately, all of these cut scenes, along with those that didn't make this DVD release, add no story value at all to the film are not relevant to or missed in the final theatrical version. They still don't. Except for the brief snippets involving Reeve, I wouldn't have missed them at all. Furthermore, the selected clips included on this DVD are taken from a filthy-looking print with lots of dirt throughout the footage. That's really careless if you ask me. It's possible that the full frame print may be the only source in existence in referencing these cut scenes, and if that's the case, then that's one thing. Obviously the Salkinds had to reference a widescreen print of the film and its cut scenes to prepare it for broadcast (as with the first two films), didn't they? So where are the widescreen versions of these clips? Somebody fumbled the ball in a big way, if you ask me.
Furthermore, to call this DVD release a "Deluxe Version" is a misnomer. Seriously, a single-disc DVD release like this is far from earning the title deluxe anything. Had this been a true deluxe edition, Warner would have gone all out and included vintage interviews with Reeve and Pryor, a commentary with Lester (though every effort was made to obtain his participation in the creation of the new DVD releases), additional production features, TV spots for the film (including at least one with some alternate footage that never made it into the film), and the extended version in its entirety, all spread out over a two-disc set. This DVD is no more deluxe than a single-disc release of a standard DVD with the film, a trailer, and a few extras.
In preparing the Ultimate Collector's Edition, initial pressings of the set erroneously included the 2001 DVD pressing of the film sans extras. This turned out to be an honest production error that affected only the 14-disc set. Thankfully, Warner stepped up to the plate and corrected that problem, and while the recent reissue of the 14-disc set contains the corrected disc, fans who purchased the set back in November can still send in the original disc for a replacement. At least that's one good point in Warner's favor for this film.
"Superman III" is a disappointing film from start to finish. As a so-called "Deluxe Edition" DVD, it's still disappointing. But the documentary and Reeve's presence are probably the sole things that keep me from forgetting about this release altogether. As with IV (which I will review next time), Warner dropped the ball in a number of areas with this one. Unless a proper two-disc special edition comes along (something I honestly don't see happening), this is probably all we're going to get. And with Bryan Singer's 2006 revamp of the Superman franchise many have cast off III (and IV) into alternate universe continuity. I can't say that I blame them. Otherwise, this one's really for the hardcore Superman fans.
Next time around, it's Disc 9, "Superman IV" and the quest for the complete picture. See you then!
(Oh, lest I forget, happy 25th anniversary, "Star Trek II!" They don't make 'em like that anymore!)
Friday, June 8, 2007
Miscellaneous musings at the end of the week...
About a week ago I managed to find the HBO Video 2002 DVD release of "Above Suspicion", with the late Christopher Reeve, at a discount store for all of three bucks! It's really hard watching this film now, knowing that this was shown at the same time as Chris' tragic accident. Still, finding this for only three dollars is a deal indeed! I hope I'm as lucky in finding the rest of Chris' films on DVD (or VHS) down the road.
Which reminds me... Question to Warner Home Video: When's "In the Gloaming" coming out? This is the second year in a row that The Digital Bits has announced it, yet it's not on DVD. It's been 10 years since this excellent film, which marked Chris' directorial debut, premiered on HBO. Somebody needs to get on the stick about it.
The guys at TVShowsonDVD.com confirmed some time back the release of "Young Indiana Jones" on DVD by the end of this year, in time for Christmas and several months before the release of the fourth film with Harrison Ford. While that's good news for many, it still bums me out because these will be the 22 re-edited movie versions with additional footage, completely neglecting the original TV broadcast versions of many of these episodes featuring actor George Hall as an elderly Indy in the opening and closing bookend segments. That includes the first telecast from 1992, "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal", with three incarnations of Indy; the original broadcast version of "Travels with Father" (with the Sean Patrick Flanery footage ported over to the second half of the re-edited "Winds of Change"); and numerous other changes throughout the series. (And for those of you keeping track, the second half of "Passion for Life" chronologically occurs in 1908, before the first half, set in 1909, though George Lucas reversed the order for the re-edited version.) And yet, IndianaJones.com (the official Lucasfilm web site for Indy) references all of the original adventures! For that matter, there's no word on whether or not Flanery's screen test (which was included on one of the 1999 VHS releases) will be included in its entirety on the DVD set. Luca$ apparently has no respect for our memories. Better hold onto those original TV broadcasts, because they won't be on the big DVD set apparently. And while you're at it, let Luca$ know your thoughts about it.
I'm kind of wondering about that big "Star Trek: The Next Generation" complete box set coming out in September just in time for the series' 20th anniversary. Like the MASH "Martinis and Medicine" box set, will it have some exclusive extras to it - maybe, perhaps, the bonus DVD features that were included on the Best Buy bonus discs for seasons 4-7? Maybe the text commentaries from the different "Fan Collective" sets? "From Here to Infinity: The Ultimate Voyage", on the Jean-Luc Picard Collection a few years back? Maybe even some new features, like hidden Easter eggs, deleted scenes (yes, there are some out there for TNG!), more outtakes, the Patrick Stewart A&E Biography, the "Journey's End" special from 1994 (which has never been issued on DVD), episode trailers? Who knows? Maybe like the MASH box set, they'll throw in the four TNG feature films (hopefully with all of the bonus features). In any event, this is one set worth keeping an eye on, not to mention getting as an early birthday present! (Hint hint out there!)
For that matter, will Paramount do likewise for the other "Star Trek" series - issue them in new complete series box set with all-new extras? More documentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes, bloopers, episode trailers, etc.? Time will only tell. Maybe by then we can see the recent remastered versions of "Trek" classic (with all those neat new CGI effects) on DVD as well. Hey, some of us (like me) don't have cable or TiVo!
And that's a wrap for this week! Next time I'll get back to continuing my commentary on the "Superman" Ultimate Collector's Edition with a look at the "Superman III" Deluxe Edition. See you then!
Which reminds me... Question to Warner Home Video: When's "In the Gloaming" coming out? This is the second year in a row that The Digital Bits has announced it, yet it's not on DVD. It's been 10 years since this excellent film, which marked Chris' directorial debut, premiered on HBO. Somebody needs to get on the stick about it.
The guys at TVShowsonDVD.com confirmed some time back the release of "Young Indiana Jones" on DVD by the end of this year, in time for Christmas and several months before the release of the fourth film with Harrison Ford. While that's good news for many, it still bums me out because these will be the 22 re-edited movie versions with additional footage, completely neglecting the original TV broadcast versions of many of these episodes featuring actor George Hall as an elderly Indy in the opening and closing bookend segments. That includes the first telecast from 1992, "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal", with three incarnations of Indy; the original broadcast version of "Travels with Father" (with the Sean Patrick Flanery footage ported over to the second half of the re-edited "Winds of Change"); and numerous other changes throughout the series. (And for those of you keeping track, the second half of "Passion for Life" chronologically occurs in 1908, before the first half, set in 1909, though George Lucas reversed the order for the re-edited version.) And yet, IndianaJones.com (the official Lucasfilm web site for Indy) references all of the original adventures! For that matter, there's no word on whether or not Flanery's screen test (which was included on one of the 1999 VHS releases) will be included in its entirety on the DVD set. Luca$ apparently has no respect for our memories. Better hold onto those original TV broadcasts, because they won't be on the big DVD set apparently. And while you're at it, let Luca$ know your thoughts about it.
I'm kind of wondering about that big "Star Trek: The Next Generation" complete box set coming out in September just in time for the series' 20th anniversary. Like the MASH "Martinis and Medicine" box set, will it have some exclusive extras to it - maybe, perhaps, the bonus DVD features that were included on the Best Buy bonus discs for seasons 4-7? Maybe the text commentaries from the different "Fan Collective" sets? "From Here to Infinity: The Ultimate Voyage", on the Jean-Luc Picard Collection a few years back? Maybe even some new features, like hidden Easter eggs, deleted scenes (yes, there are some out there for TNG!), more outtakes, the Patrick Stewart A&E Biography, the "Journey's End" special from 1994 (which has never been issued on DVD), episode trailers? Who knows? Maybe like the MASH box set, they'll throw in the four TNG feature films (hopefully with all of the bonus features). In any event, this is one set worth keeping an eye on, not to mention getting as an early birthday present! (Hint hint out there!)
For that matter, will Paramount do likewise for the other "Star Trek" series - issue them in new complete series box set with all-new extras? More documentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes, bloopers, episode trailers, etc.? Time will only tell. Maybe by then we can see the recent remastered versions of "Trek" classic (with all those neat new CGI effects) on DVD as well. Hey, some of us (like me) don't have cable or TiVo!
And that's a wrap for this week! Next time I'll get back to continuing my commentary on the "Superman" Ultimate Collector's Edition with a look at the "Superman III" Deluxe Edition. See you then!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition - Part 3
It's extremely difficult to comment on "Superman II" without having to divide it into two camps, the original theatrical version credited to Richard Lester and the original version helmed by Richard Donner (the latter of which finally saw the light of day in 2006). Of course, there's the many different versions of the extended telecasts, most notably represented by the fan-created Restored International Cut - but that's a different story for another time.
In the Ultimate Collector's Edition, the "Superman II: Richard Donner Cut" is presented as Disc 6. To read my original review on that release, click here. To borrow from the excellent graphic novel "Kingdom Come" (now why doesn't Warner Bros. turn that into a movie? That would absolutely rock!), now it's time for the democratic response, and to that I have to go back in time to the film's release.
I remember the summer of 1981 like the back of my hand. I had attended a YMCA youth camp in North Carolina when the bus I rode in passed by a movie theater. There, in large letters on the marquee sign, read the announcement "Now Showing: Superman - Part II". Little did I know at the time that whoever put that information on the marquee actually got it right.
"Superman II" was originally intended to continue the story begun in the first film and wound up one of those rare sequels that exceeded the first film's tradition and spirit. This time, however, there would be no slow build-up, no lengthy backstory to preface the events; things would start off with a bang - literally. From the freeing of the Phantom Zone villains to Lois Lane's attempts to expose Clark Kent's secret identity of Superman, to the battles in Metropolis and the Fortress of Solitude, "Superman II" offered plenty of action. Of course, I had read in David Michael Petrou's book "The Making of Superman: The Movie" that Donner had filmed most of II simultaneously with the first film and that the footage was already in the can. Even the final credit at the end of the first film touted that II would be here "next year". So what took so long?
Unknown to me, a lot of movie politics and conspiracies changed the look and tone of "Superman II". Over the next 25 years I, like many others, analyzed everything that took place during the production of both films, chief among them the many conflicts involving Donner, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler, which resulted in Lester coming aboard as an uncredited associate producer (read: go-between to Donner and the Salkinds). With the first "Superman" a success, one of the great injustices in the history of cinema occurred, as Donner was fired from the project in the summer of 1979, and Lester (along with George Macdonald Fraser) was brought in to do an uncredited rewrite on the shooting script and to reshoot many key sequences, thereby earning him sole directorial credit on II. Along the way I glimpsed scenes from Donner's version in the final theatrical version and the extended TV broadcasts throughout the 1980's. Sometimes the scenes were as sincere and believable as the footage in the first film; at other times it was more comical and disjointed. Even the father-son relationship that set up the first film was gone, as all of Marlon Brando's scenes were jettisoned in favor of Susannah York as Lara, thereby setting up an awkward (though certainly plausible) mother-son dynamic.
"Superman II" wound up one of the big hits in the summer of 1981, earning a respectable $110 million at the box office (which in today's terms rounds off to an estimated $225 million) and coming in second behind the surprise hit of the year, "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Above the surface, you couldn't tell what was going on. Beneath the scabs that permeated the final film, however, the firing of Donner, the lawsuits forced onto the Salkinds by Brando from the cutting of his scenes from II and his profits from both films, the lawsuits by Margot Kidder over delinquent salary promises (note to Pierre: you can't refute what is publicly established in print! Liar liar, pants on fire!), and the chunking of most of Donner's footage took its toll on everyone. While "Superman III" was certainly a guarantee at the time, no one knew that the franchise would soon be steered into shaky waters. Over the years "Superman II" has become a study of what can go right and wrong during a film production, and like the Donner Cut it is not, and never will be, a perfect film. Still, in all fairness to Donner, some of Lester's footage is actually quite good and has held up fairly well over time.
Now we have the "Superman II" Special Edition, issued as Discs 5 and 7 in the Ultimate Collector's Edition and individually as a 2-disc set. I wish I could say that Warner pulled out all the stops in giving much care and consideration to "Superman II", but after looking at this film I have my doubts.
First off, the film itself is presented on Disc 5 in anamorphic widescreen format and your choice of English Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 sound, or French 2.0 mono sound with optional English, Spanish, or French subtitles. This is a fairly decent step up from the previous DVD release, which offered the film only in 2.0. The sound balance is much better this time, though there's still one thing that bothers me: even in 5.1, the sound is still tinny at times. This is not Warner's fault, which did the best job it could in reproducing the sound in 5.1 from the original source material. The problem is the source material itself. Except for the extended TV broadcasts, "Superman II" has always sounded tinny, particularly in the music. This is because of the usage of one of two prints for every home video release from the initial VHS tapes of the 1980's to today. (The other version, with slightly different end credits and a richer sound to the music, especially in the main title credits, remains unreleased in any home video format beyond the extended TV broadcasts. I know this for a fact because when I saw the film in 1981, I remember this version being shown in my local theater - the key is the Howard R. Schuster and Zoptic logo title cards, which were not in the initial release but were in later releases; neither of these title cards are in the end credits in the extended versions.) A film like "Superman" is supposed to sound broad and bombastic, not tinny and almost rinky-dink. The Donner Cut got the sound right, with a richer, fuller remixed sound all the way through.
The visual print, however, is another story. It's still the same source print for the 2001 DVD release, and the visuals look almost horrible at times. There's quite a bit of color bleed-out in many places, particularly in the opening prologue and main title credits, and at times the film looks almost hazy. Add to it the fact that the visual scabs are all over the place - from the poor airbrushing of Brando out of the borrowed STM shot in the prologue, to the wires clearly evident not only throughout a good portion of the Lester footage but also in the Donner clips as well! (Check out the scene of the Russian cosmonaut just before Zod pulls him away, and you'll clearly see the wires in the film print.) So much for verisimilitude, if you ask me. In this day and age, when so many films from the past get top-notch digital restoration treatment, there's clearly been no love given to the theatrical cut of "Superman II". Warner should know better than this.
Also on Disc 5 we have a new audio commentary with Salkind and Spengler. Like their commentary on the first "Superman" film, and in juxtaposition with the Donner-Tom Mankiewicz commentary on the Donner Cut, Salkind and Spengler discuss their views on Donner's dismissal; Lester's completion of the film; the replacement of John Williams (who refused to score II without Donner there) with Ken Thorne (who at the Salkinds' request restructured all of Williams' themes for II); the many production problems and logistics in completing the film; and the reverse release scheduling of the film for the foreign markets first and the U.S. market last. Some of the thoughts Salkind and Spengler offer in this commentary are fairly valid and spot-on with established documentation; however, other comments sound nothing more like spin, basically boiling down to a "we said, he said" argument over Donner's firing, which is contrary to the facts. At times I couldn't help but laugh at their spin stories and wanted to say, "Get your facts right!" Granted, with the passage of time people's memories do become hazy, and we sometimes forget some things, and that's a given, but when a film the caliber of "Superman II" has this much documentation, sometimes it's best to get every fact straight, which is what Salkind and Spengler should have done in the first place.
In addition, on Disc 5 we have the film's second theatrical trailer, recycled from the previous DVD and laserdisc releases, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. Why the first teaser trailer, which remains unreleased on DVD, was not included is beyond me (go to CapedWonder.com to view that teaser trailer and other trailers not included on the DVD releases). Furthermore, we are given one lone deleted scene from the Lester footage, an almost sexually suggestive scene of Superman and Lois talking about it being his first time... cooking a souffle'! This scene, one of many included in the extended TV broadcasts, is presented here in anamorphic widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound, sourced from a widescreen print of the extended version (I wonder why the extended Salkind cuts have yet to appear on DVD?) and complete with visual effects and music. At least it looks and sounds good on DVD. I only wish more Lester outtakes were included on this DVD (though another outtake is included elsewhere in the Ultimate Collector's Edition) - then again, having one outtake (or two) may be enough; all you have to do is compare this DVD and the Donner Cut to your VHS copies of the extended TV broadcasts, and you'll see just how many campy and unnecessary outtakes there are! Sometimes less is enough, and in some cases it's more than enough.
Moving onto Disc 7 we have the vintage TV documentary "The Making of Superman II", which originally aired in 1983 and was hosted by Christopher Reeve and narrated by Ernie Anderson. This program, presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, focuses primarily on Lester's direction for the film, the staging of a number of visual effects and stunts, and interviews with the cast and crew, though there are some production clips from the Donner era included - like the final film Donner was never mentioned by name in the documentary, obviously, to keep any production problems hidden from the viewers, though serious film fans know better. As good as the documentary is content-wise, there is one very glaring problem with it: the documentary's transfer is sourced from NTSC into PAL and slowed down to compensate for the PAL speed increase (go to http://www.supermancinema.co.uk/daily_planet/dvd2006/2006_disc_issues_qa.asp for more detailed explanations). The final result looks and sounds slower and blurrier than normal. That's not good, and Warner should definitely know better than that. It's also unfortunate that while corrected pressings of the original "Superman" cut with the corrected 1978 sound mix and the Deluxe Version of "Superman III" (which I'll discuss next time) were issued, there are no plans to reissue the "Superman II" DVD with a corrected NTSC transfer of the documentary. Why isn't everything run by QA prior to release?
Also on Disc 7 is another TV special, "Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel", produced by Lorne Michaels of "Saturday Night Live" fame. This strange piece, hosted by Dana Carvey and featuring clips from different incarnations of the franchise and a plethora of comedians, plays up Superman's 50th birthday in 1988 mostly for laughs, though there are some truly sincere segments with Reeve, Jack Larson (remembering George Reeves' work on "The Adventures of Superman"), and writer/artist John Byrne (who spearheaded the revamp of the Superman comics line in 1986).
But the real treasure of this set is the final eight segments of the animated Superman series produced in 1942-43. By this time Famous Studios had taken over the production reigns from Max and Dave Fleischer, but they nonetheless handled these cartoons with lots of action and excitement, with some segments featuring Superman battling the Nazis and Japanese during World War II. Pulled from mint 35-millimeter prints, these transfers look and sound absoultely sparkling for 65-year-old cartoons! Now this is a treat indeed! We even get a 13-minute feature entitled "First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series", which features interviews with film and comic historians and the late Richard Fleischer on the creation of these segments. You get to see some of the extremely rare production sketches for the series, explanations for the film noir-like visual flair for the segments (inspired by "Citizen Kane"), and a few clips of even more rare animation from cinema's early days. Simply put, short of a HD or Blu-Ray release, this is the best these cartoons have ever looked!
If I have a few concerns with this DVD release, it's that I would have wanted to see more outtakes from Lester's production, as well as Lester's involvement on the DVD in a commentary or interview format (as it turns out, Lester was invited to contribute to the new DVD releases, though why he didn't participate is a mystery) and any other publicity materials or production footage for the film. Still, this is a fairly nice complement to the "Superman" Special Edition and the Donner Cut just for the animated segments and commentaries alone, as well as for comparing both versions of II, and like the Donner Cut it makes for a good study of problematic filmmaking at its best and worst.
While both versions of II are included together in the Ultimate Collector's Edition and overseas in a complete 3-disc set, for some reason they were issued separately in the U.S., and I think this had to do with marketing. Like Warner's dual versions of the "Exorcist" prequel from Renny Harlin (the released theatrical version) and Paul Schraeder (his original cut), both versions of "Superman II" were issued individually in the U.S. for home viewing and analysis. Is this the last word on the film(s)? For that matter, which version is considerably better? Pick your poison wisely before going to the debates!
Next time I'll look at Disc 8 of the set, "Superman III", where the problems just keep on rolling. See you next time!
In the Ultimate Collector's Edition, the "Superman II: Richard Donner Cut" is presented as Disc 6. To read my original review on that release, click here. To borrow from the excellent graphic novel "Kingdom Come" (now why doesn't Warner Bros. turn that into a movie? That would absolutely rock!), now it's time for the democratic response, and to that I have to go back in time to the film's release.
I remember the summer of 1981 like the back of my hand. I had attended a YMCA youth camp in North Carolina when the bus I rode in passed by a movie theater. There, in large letters on the marquee sign, read the announcement "Now Showing: Superman - Part II". Little did I know at the time that whoever put that information on the marquee actually got it right.
"Superman II" was originally intended to continue the story begun in the first film and wound up one of those rare sequels that exceeded the first film's tradition and spirit. This time, however, there would be no slow build-up, no lengthy backstory to preface the events; things would start off with a bang - literally. From the freeing of the Phantom Zone villains to Lois Lane's attempts to expose Clark Kent's secret identity of Superman, to the battles in Metropolis and the Fortress of Solitude, "Superman II" offered plenty of action. Of course, I had read in David Michael Petrou's book "The Making of Superman: The Movie" that Donner had filmed most of II simultaneously with the first film and that the footage was already in the can. Even the final credit at the end of the first film touted that II would be here "next year". So what took so long?
Unknown to me, a lot of movie politics and conspiracies changed the look and tone of "Superman II". Over the next 25 years I, like many others, analyzed everything that took place during the production of both films, chief among them the many conflicts involving Donner, Alexander and Ilya Salkind, and Pierre Spengler, which resulted in Lester coming aboard as an uncredited associate producer (read: go-between to Donner and the Salkinds). With the first "Superman" a success, one of the great injustices in the history of cinema occurred, as Donner was fired from the project in the summer of 1979, and Lester (along with George Macdonald Fraser) was brought in to do an uncredited rewrite on the shooting script and to reshoot many key sequences, thereby earning him sole directorial credit on II. Along the way I glimpsed scenes from Donner's version in the final theatrical version and the extended TV broadcasts throughout the 1980's. Sometimes the scenes were as sincere and believable as the footage in the first film; at other times it was more comical and disjointed. Even the father-son relationship that set up the first film was gone, as all of Marlon Brando's scenes were jettisoned in favor of Susannah York as Lara, thereby setting up an awkward (though certainly plausible) mother-son dynamic.
"Superman II" wound up one of the big hits in the summer of 1981, earning a respectable $110 million at the box office (which in today's terms rounds off to an estimated $225 million) and coming in second behind the surprise hit of the year, "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Above the surface, you couldn't tell what was going on. Beneath the scabs that permeated the final film, however, the firing of Donner, the lawsuits forced onto the Salkinds by Brando from the cutting of his scenes from II and his profits from both films, the lawsuits by Margot Kidder over delinquent salary promises (note to Pierre: you can't refute what is publicly established in print! Liar liar, pants on fire!), and the chunking of most of Donner's footage took its toll on everyone. While "Superman III" was certainly a guarantee at the time, no one knew that the franchise would soon be steered into shaky waters. Over the years "Superman II" has become a study of what can go right and wrong during a film production, and like the Donner Cut it is not, and never will be, a perfect film. Still, in all fairness to Donner, some of Lester's footage is actually quite good and has held up fairly well over time.
Now we have the "Superman II" Special Edition, issued as Discs 5 and 7 in the Ultimate Collector's Edition and individually as a 2-disc set. I wish I could say that Warner pulled out all the stops in giving much care and consideration to "Superman II", but after looking at this film I have my doubts.
First off, the film itself is presented on Disc 5 in anamorphic widescreen format and your choice of English Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0 sound, or French 2.0 mono sound with optional English, Spanish, or French subtitles. This is a fairly decent step up from the previous DVD release, which offered the film only in 2.0. The sound balance is much better this time, though there's still one thing that bothers me: even in 5.1, the sound is still tinny at times. This is not Warner's fault, which did the best job it could in reproducing the sound in 5.1 from the original source material. The problem is the source material itself. Except for the extended TV broadcasts, "Superman II" has always sounded tinny, particularly in the music. This is because of the usage of one of two prints for every home video release from the initial VHS tapes of the 1980's to today. (The other version, with slightly different end credits and a richer sound to the music, especially in the main title credits, remains unreleased in any home video format beyond the extended TV broadcasts. I know this for a fact because when I saw the film in 1981, I remember this version being shown in my local theater - the key is the Howard R. Schuster and Zoptic logo title cards, which were not in the initial release but were in later releases; neither of these title cards are in the end credits in the extended versions.) A film like "Superman" is supposed to sound broad and bombastic, not tinny and almost rinky-dink. The Donner Cut got the sound right, with a richer, fuller remixed sound all the way through.
The visual print, however, is another story. It's still the same source print for the 2001 DVD release, and the visuals look almost horrible at times. There's quite a bit of color bleed-out in many places, particularly in the opening prologue and main title credits, and at times the film looks almost hazy. Add to it the fact that the visual scabs are all over the place - from the poor airbrushing of Brando out of the borrowed STM shot in the prologue, to the wires clearly evident not only throughout a good portion of the Lester footage but also in the Donner clips as well! (Check out the scene of the Russian cosmonaut just before Zod pulls him away, and you'll clearly see the wires in the film print.) So much for verisimilitude, if you ask me. In this day and age, when so many films from the past get top-notch digital restoration treatment, there's clearly been no love given to the theatrical cut of "Superman II". Warner should know better than this.
Also on Disc 5 we have a new audio commentary with Salkind and Spengler. Like their commentary on the first "Superman" film, and in juxtaposition with the Donner-Tom Mankiewicz commentary on the Donner Cut, Salkind and Spengler discuss their views on Donner's dismissal; Lester's completion of the film; the replacement of John Williams (who refused to score II without Donner there) with Ken Thorne (who at the Salkinds' request restructured all of Williams' themes for II); the many production problems and logistics in completing the film; and the reverse release scheduling of the film for the foreign markets first and the U.S. market last. Some of the thoughts Salkind and Spengler offer in this commentary are fairly valid and spot-on with established documentation; however, other comments sound nothing more like spin, basically boiling down to a "we said, he said" argument over Donner's firing, which is contrary to the facts. At times I couldn't help but laugh at their spin stories and wanted to say, "Get your facts right!" Granted, with the passage of time people's memories do become hazy, and we sometimes forget some things, and that's a given, but when a film the caliber of "Superman II" has this much documentation, sometimes it's best to get every fact straight, which is what Salkind and Spengler should have done in the first place.
In addition, on Disc 5 we have the film's second theatrical trailer, recycled from the previous DVD and laserdisc releases, presented in widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound. Why the first teaser trailer, which remains unreleased on DVD, was not included is beyond me (go to CapedWonder.com to view that teaser trailer and other trailers not included on the DVD releases). Furthermore, we are given one lone deleted scene from the Lester footage, an almost sexually suggestive scene of Superman and Lois talking about it being his first time... cooking a souffle'! This scene, one of many included in the extended TV broadcasts, is presented here in anamorphic widescreen format and Dolby 2.0 sound, sourced from a widescreen print of the extended version (I wonder why the extended Salkind cuts have yet to appear on DVD?) and complete with visual effects and music. At least it looks and sounds good on DVD. I only wish more Lester outtakes were included on this DVD (though another outtake is included elsewhere in the Ultimate Collector's Edition) - then again, having one outtake (or two) may be enough; all you have to do is compare this DVD and the Donner Cut to your VHS copies of the extended TV broadcasts, and you'll see just how many campy and unnecessary outtakes there are! Sometimes less is enough, and in some cases it's more than enough.
Moving onto Disc 7 we have the vintage TV documentary "The Making of Superman II", which originally aired in 1983 and was hosted by Christopher Reeve and narrated by Ernie Anderson. This program, presented in full frame format and Dolby 2.0 sound, focuses primarily on Lester's direction for the film, the staging of a number of visual effects and stunts, and interviews with the cast and crew, though there are some production clips from the Donner era included - like the final film Donner was never mentioned by name in the documentary, obviously, to keep any production problems hidden from the viewers, though serious film fans know better. As good as the documentary is content-wise, there is one very glaring problem with it: the documentary's transfer is sourced from NTSC into PAL and slowed down to compensate for the PAL speed increase (go to http://www.supermancinema.co.uk/daily_planet/dvd2006/2006_disc_issues_qa.asp for more detailed explanations). The final result looks and sounds slower and blurrier than normal. That's not good, and Warner should definitely know better than that. It's also unfortunate that while corrected pressings of the original "Superman" cut with the corrected 1978 sound mix and the Deluxe Version of "Superman III" (which I'll discuss next time) were issued, there are no plans to reissue the "Superman II" DVD with a corrected NTSC transfer of the documentary. Why isn't everything run by QA prior to release?
Also on Disc 7 is another TV special, "Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel", produced by Lorne Michaels of "Saturday Night Live" fame. This strange piece, hosted by Dana Carvey and featuring clips from different incarnations of the franchise and a plethora of comedians, plays up Superman's 50th birthday in 1988 mostly for laughs, though there are some truly sincere segments with Reeve, Jack Larson (remembering George Reeves' work on "The Adventures of Superman"), and writer/artist John Byrne (who spearheaded the revamp of the Superman comics line in 1986).
But the real treasure of this set is the final eight segments of the animated Superman series produced in 1942-43. By this time Famous Studios had taken over the production reigns from Max and Dave Fleischer, but they nonetheless handled these cartoons with lots of action and excitement, with some segments featuring Superman battling the Nazis and Japanese during World War II. Pulled from mint 35-millimeter prints, these transfers look and sound absoultely sparkling for 65-year-old cartoons! Now this is a treat indeed! We even get a 13-minute feature entitled "First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series", which features interviews with film and comic historians and the late Richard Fleischer on the creation of these segments. You get to see some of the extremely rare production sketches for the series, explanations for the film noir-like visual flair for the segments (inspired by "Citizen Kane"), and a few clips of even more rare animation from cinema's early days. Simply put, short of a HD or Blu-Ray release, this is the best these cartoons have ever looked!
If I have a few concerns with this DVD release, it's that I would have wanted to see more outtakes from Lester's production, as well as Lester's involvement on the DVD in a commentary or interview format (as it turns out, Lester was invited to contribute to the new DVD releases, though why he didn't participate is a mystery) and any other publicity materials or production footage for the film. Still, this is a fairly nice complement to the "Superman" Special Edition and the Donner Cut just for the animated segments and commentaries alone, as well as for comparing both versions of II, and like the Donner Cut it makes for a good study of problematic filmmaking at its best and worst.
While both versions of II are included together in the Ultimate Collector's Edition and overseas in a complete 3-disc set, for some reason they were issued separately in the U.S., and I think this had to do with marketing. Like Warner's dual versions of the "Exorcist" prequel from Renny Harlin (the released theatrical version) and Paul Schraeder (his original cut), both versions of "Superman II" were issued individually in the U.S. for home viewing and analysis. Is this the last word on the film(s)? For that matter, which version is considerably better? Pick your poison wisely before going to the debates!
Next time I'll look at Disc 8 of the set, "Superman III", where the problems just keep on rolling. See you next time!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition - Part 2
Now that the 14-disc "Superman" Ultimate Collector's Edition set has hit the stores with the corrected "Superman" and "Superman III" discs, it's time to go back nearly 30 years to where the entire film franchise began...
Of course, it all started with Richard Donner's classic 1978 adaptation. Everything seemed to click together into place when the film went into production in the spring of 1977 and upon its release on December 15, 1978. (Little would we know otherwise.) For me, like so many other kids across America, this became of the defining films of my generation (alongside a little $10 million outer space project released the following year, something called "Star Wars", I think). Each of us has that one particular film that we latch onto more than any other, making it THE iconic film not only of our youth but also of our lives. For me, that film was "Superman". (I'm sure Bill Hunt and Jim Bowers would definitely agree with that sentiment!)
Every note just struck properly from start to finish, from the now-classic John Williams fanfare (I must have had at least a dozen copies of the soundtrack on LP, cassette, and CD over the years!) to the compelling visuals from cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth, to the fast-paced action from the pen of "creative consultant" (re: the one true screenwriter) Tom Mankiewicz, to the heartfelt portrayal of a most human Man of Steel in a then-little known actor named Christopher Reeve. Over the years, through home video and numerous TV broadcasts, the first "Superman" film took on a larger-than-life status of its own, becoming more and more popular with each generation. With a $134 million gross (adjusted to over $350 million in today's box office budgeting), the first film seemed like the perfect launching pad for a then-seemingly endless string of films. At one point executive producer Ilya Salkind had hinted that as many as seven to ten "Superman" films with Reeve were possible, a la the James Bond series. No one in 1977-78 knew of the real troubles that would befall the Man of Steel over the next ten years, as the proposed 7-10 films would dwindle down to four by 1987 and stall the franchise for another 19 years.
When Reeve suffered his tragic accident in 1995, I found it extremely difficult for quite some time to go back and watch any of the "Superman" films. In his portrayal of the Man of Steel, Reeve became a childhood hero to me. But just like his fictional counterpart, Reeve would become a real-life hero to us all, once again cementing the magic and sincerity he brought to the role for a whole new generation of youth.
Even the development of the Internet brought a whole new layer of exploration and excitement for "Superman", as numerous web sites (my favorites in particular: CapedWonder.com, Superman Cinema and Superman Homepage) thoroughly examined the challenges and problems inherent with the film, along with information on the different theatrical, home video, and extended versions of the film. In an era when many classic films saw restoration and preservation for future generations of home theater buffs, fans rallied for a restored an extended version of "Superman" and its sequels.
In 2001 Warner Home Video blessed the fans with a 151-minute expanded version of the film on DVD, with a remastered and newly mixed soundtrack. Now Warner has taken it one step further, with its latest incarnation of "Superman" on DVD as a four-disc special edition. (It's also been issued on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD as well, though in a seriously stripped-down form.) Right way I can tell you that nearly all of the content presented in the previous DVD release has been carried over into this new set (with the exceptions of the "Superman: The Legacy" text commentary and the DVD-ROM link to the film's storyboards), so if you're mainly interested in the DVD itself, you can safely upgrade to this new release. With this new DVD, Warner has given the film a comprehensive "Lord of the Rings" feel with its expanded availability in content and presentation, giving "Superman" a bit more room to breathe and come alive.
New to this release is something fans had long requested: the original 143-minute theatrical release from 1978, which is presented on Disc 1 of this set in anamorphic widescreen format. There are actually five different ways you can view this film. First off, the film is presented with its original 1978 audio track in your choice of English or French Dolby 2.0 sound, though there was a problem (which I'll discuss later in further detail). Having the original 1978 audio track is a plus, because that's how we remember the film over the years. Of course, the film is also presented in its remized 2000-01 soundtrack in your choice of English or French Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Originally, the theatrical cut with the 5.1 mix was intended for inclusion on the previous DVD release but was left off (it would later be shown on Turner Classic Movies, along with the restoration credits from the 2001 DVD release). And for you purists out there, yes, the "Coming Soon: Superman II" final tag is preserved here as originally seen in 1978.
Also included on Disc 1 is a brand-new feature-length audio commentary with executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler. Both Salkind and Spengler provide a wealth of information on the challenges they and Ilya's father Alexander Salkind had in bringing "Superman" to life, discussing the many financial and casting challenges for the film, the problems in making Superman fly convincingly, problems with Richard Donner, and so forth. I'd like to say that I enjoyed this commentary, but given their penchant for spin statements over the years, not to mention the injustice they'd done to Donner, it becomes debatable as to how much of their thoughts are factual and how much are just plain bull. But that's not all. Also on Disc 1 are the original 1977 preview teaser trailer, the 1978 theatrical trailer, and a vintage 1978 TV spot for the film, all carried over from the previous DVD.
Disc 2 ports over the 151-minute remastered and expanded Special Edition from the previous DVD, with the eight additional minutes of footage restored into the film by Richard Donner and film restoration producer Michael Thau. Some fans felt that the restored version was almost sacrilege to what they remembered seeing and hearing over the years, and I have to admit it took me a while to get adjusted to this new version. But whatever your taste, you can now pick your poison wisely and decide for yourself which version is better. I myself like the restored version.
If I have one caveat at this point, it's that the color balance between this release and the previous 2001 DVD is a bit different. In all actuality, it's not as good. After watching several sequences between both discs it appears that the color balance is off at times in the 2006 release. From what I understand, it was to give a richer visual quality to the HD and Blu-Ray versions (I have not seen either of these versions, so I cannot comment on their quality), but I can honestly say that the colors and blacks on the previous DVD are a bit more vibrant. This is one of those rare occasions where the reiusse doesn't look as good as the previous issue - Warner Home Video, which has prided itself with such high-quality DVDs in the past with its fully loaded editions of "Gone With the Wind", "The Wizard of Oz", "Citizen Kane", "The Adventures of Robin Hood", and "The Searchers", knows fully well that they've set the bar very high in its DVD production standards, and this is a bit of a step down. It's not a bad step, but it would have made it a little easier had they used the same pressing for this new DVD release.
Also ported over from the previous DVD release on Disc 2 is the feature-length audio commentary with Donner and Tom Mankiewicz. This is a fun and enjoyable listen from start to finish! All you need now is some pizza, popcorn, and a cold Coke, and it's like getting together with old friends. From the word go you can tell that these two men love and respect each other even 30 years later, their humor and shorthand dialog prevails throughout the audio commentary. From their very first thoughts ("1938 - did we really start filming back then?") to their comments on Marlon Brando ("The kid's diapers he's reading from are worth a fortune") to their love and appreciation for Christopher Reeve and the entire cast, even down to Donner's cameo with Reeve ("Look at that good-looking guy next to Chris... he's a natural, I wonder what became of him?"), the commentary is enjoyable from start to finish.
In addition, on Disc 2 you have the isolated audio track of the breathtaking John Williams score, ported from the previous DVD. All in all, some 97 minutes of music is presented throughout the 2001 cut in Dolby Digital 5.0 sound and reproduced from the original master tapes. It's not often that we get a good audio score track on a DVD, let alone a John Williams audio track on DVD. Listen to the first six minutes of the film alone with just the isolated score track, and you'll hear how well it all holds up.
Moving to Disc 3, we now have the first disc of supplemental features, all of which were included on the B-side of the previous DVD release. All three of the 2001 documentaries - "Taking Flight: The Development of Superman", "Making Superman: Filming the Legend" (both narrated by Marc McClure), and "The Magic Behind the Cape" (narrated by visual effects supervisor Roy Field) - are carried over onto this new release. The fun in these documentaries is seeing the vintage production footage, blue screen tests, and interviews with Donner, Mankiewicz, Reeve, Stuart Baird, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder, among others. At the time it seemed that the documentaries presented only one point of view in favor of Donner while neglecting the Salkinds - thankfully, that's been rectified (which I'll discuss in covering Disc 13 later). Also included are all of the added scenes restored into the 2001 cut; the two additional deleted scenes from the master print (which were prominently featured in the various extended versions of the film); the screen tests for Reeve, the various actresses trying out for Lois Lane, and the various actresses for Ursa, narrated by casting director Lynn Stalmaster (with optional audio commentary on the Lois Lane screen tests); and the additional audio tracks from the master session tapes of John Williams' score (also presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 sound).
The fun continues on Disc 4. First off, we have the vintage 1980 TV special "The Making of Superman", hosted by Christopher Reeve and narrated by Ernie Anderson. This 50-minute special which aired on ABC served as basically a fluff piece to meet the different actors and production crew involved in the making of the film, though there are some interesting behind-the-scenes production segments from the filming of both "Superman" and "Superman II", as well as vintage interview clips with Brando and production designer John Barry. Of course, at the time, as Reeve narrates, the intention was to show only some of the things that went into filming "Superman" without revealing everything, most importantly how they made him fly. It's a great documentary, and thanks to Ilya Salkind we now have it officially on DVD where it belongs.
Disc 4 also contains the 1951 feature film "Superman and the Mole Men" starring George Reeves and Phyllis Coates, which served as the 60-minute pilot film for the long-running "Adventures of Superman" series in the 1950's. This had been previously released on DVD in the first season AOS set, so why it was included here is a mystery to me.
But the most fun part about Disc 4 is the inclusion of the first nine "Superman" animated segments from 1941 and 1942, produced by Max and Dave Fleischer. These vintage cartoons have appeared over the years on one video label after another due to its then-public domain status, in one varying form of quality or another, some good and some not so good. The only previous Warner release of the Fleischer cartoons had been only four selected segments included with its four-tape VHS set of "TV's Best Adventures of Superman" in 1988. If you think the animation looked good then, wait until you see it now - it's stunningly beautiful! For animated films over 65 years old, these look absolutely fantastic! Kudos to Warner for a spectacular mastering job!
With all of this content on the four-disc set, would there be anything left out? Absolutely. For starters, there are a wealth of additional promotional trailers and TV spots for both the 1978 theatrical release and the 2001 re-release (the lattter of which was produced to promote the San Antonio screening and intended for a proposed theatrical reissue that never materialzed) that were not included. It would have been nice to see all of the different promotional ideas for the film. Also, as I previously mentioned, the DVD-ROM web link to the film's storyboards is omitted from the previous release. In addition, script access to the various versions of the screenplay, from the original Mario Puzo draft to the 1976 rewrite from David and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton, to the final Tom Mankiewicz script, in some sort of form - either step-page format a la "The Abyss", "Terminator 2", and "Titanic", or a DVD-ROM link - would have been nice additions. (If you look carefully online, all of this is available on different web sites.)
Furthermore, even with the restored scenes and additional cut scenes included on the DVD, there are still some 30 minutes of additional footage from the various TV broadcasts not issued on DVD in an official capacity. This footage includes the much-debated sequence of Superman outracing the Concorde (which was shepherded to the extended TV broadcasts of "Superman II"), extended clips during the missile chase and the ensuing earthquake, more footage of Reeve as Superman, more mugging with Lex Luthor and his partners in crime, and an even more intense expanded version of the destruction of Krypton, among others. Some of this cut footage serves merely as exposition and/or filler, obviously, but some contributes to the overall story. Finally, I would have loved to see any production outtakes featuring Reeve, some of which were featured on British television but were not seen in the United States or in any version of the film. Little things like these only serve to complement the entire picture.
Yet there's a caveat that has to be addressed. In its initial pressing, Disc 1 had erroneously omitted the original English-language Dolby 2.0 mix of the original 1978 sound mix of the film, which was clearly promoted in all marketing materials for the DVD. This production error not only affected Disc 1 of the 14-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, but also Disc 1 of the four-disc "Superman" Special Edition set and Disc 1 of the eight-disc Christopher Reeve "Superman" Collection. Thankfully, Warner Home Video stepped up to the plate and offered a replacement program whereby fans could (and still can) send in the defective disc for a corrected one. Upon viewing this disc the sound mix is correct, and that's good on Warner's part. The corrected Disc 1 (as well as the corrected Disc 8, featuring the deluxe edition of "Superman III", which I'll discuss later) appears in the new reissue of the 14-disc set.
However, there have been reports from Scott Bosco (who contributed to the audio commentary on the "Supergirl" DVD release) claiming on this web link - http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/palace/3454/superblunder.html - that the English 2.0 sound mix on Disc 1 is still in error. This comment prompted a response from none other than Michael Thau, who clearly stated that the English 2.0 sound mix on Disc 1 is indeed correct. Thau's statement is as follows:
"If you've seen the squabbling on the net about Superman The Movie’s original sound mix being messed up on the DVD's--they're completely wrong.
"The dialog being "draped" across the front three speakers and the reverb into the surrounds was the way it was mixed in 1978. This was one of the factors that led us to decide to re-mix the film. Back in 2000, as always, we brought Dolby to the studio to verify the set up, because we were working with mixes that were recorded over 20 year before.
"This has nothing to do with a messed up transfer to video in the 80’s. This can be verified by playing a VHS or laserdisc (both have the original 2 track mix) through a correctly set up Dolby Pro-Logic sound system. Or if someone really wants to be thorough go to a theater that shows one of the old prints of the original cut, as long as the theater’s sound is set up correctly."
Bosco still argues otherwise. His response: "Michael is wrong. Dolby has certain standards and originally set up the process of Dolby Surround to create in a constant way how a film would sound. Only earlier films not in the Dolby Surround process – done in, and listed as Dolby System had only Dolby noise reductions via compression, were different.
"Once Dolby Surround came into being in the mid-70’s the standard of 4.0 tracks, where were encoded into 2.0 as a compressed format to fit onto 35mm film, then decoded in the theatre back into 4.0. This matrix is comprised of Front Left, Front Center, Front Right and a MONO rear, or Surround track.The laserdisc DID NOT sound the way Mr. Thau is states. He is also very wrong about the original film sound this way. It is against what Dolby Labs ever intended.
"Going by the way WB has avoided calls and the way a previous thread was deleted [HTF?] I dare say someone is being a mouth piece to cover up shoddy work. My info is not via some 'fan' but rather the company who invented the sound format, and what I’ve heard in the past.
"BTW – need I mention how slanted the archival footage for the 2001 SUPERMAN is? It was nothing short of revivalist history as per the director. I am old enough not only to have experienced the original SUPERMAN in the cinema, but have followed the progression and evolution of cinema sound as we know it today from Dolby Labs. I’ve have also been a consultant to a great many more films as a professional, not just because I was 'fan'."
If you ask me, this bickering is pointless, to quote the late great Peter Cushing in "Star Wars". The sound mix is correct, and if Bosco has a problem with it, he needs to chill and let us enjoy the film for what it is.
All nitpicks aside, this is nonetheless an excellent upgrade to the first "Superman" film, one that definitely merits inclusion in any film fan's library. And this is just for starters! Next time I will look at both versions of "Superman II", where the real excitement, trouble, and debates begin.
See you then!
Of course, it all started with Richard Donner's classic 1978 adaptation. Everything seemed to click together into place when the film went into production in the spring of 1977 and upon its release on December 15, 1978. (Little would we know otherwise.) For me, like so many other kids across America, this became of the defining films of my generation (alongside a little $10 million outer space project released the following year, something called "Star Wars", I think). Each of us has that one particular film that we latch onto more than any other, making it THE iconic film not only of our youth but also of our lives. For me, that film was "Superman". (I'm sure Bill Hunt and Jim Bowers would definitely agree with that sentiment!)
Every note just struck properly from start to finish, from the now-classic John Williams fanfare (I must have had at least a dozen copies of the soundtrack on LP, cassette, and CD over the years!) to the compelling visuals from cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth, to the fast-paced action from the pen of "creative consultant" (re: the one true screenwriter) Tom Mankiewicz, to the heartfelt portrayal of a most human Man of Steel in a then-little known actor named Christopher Reeve. Over the years, through home video and numerous TV broadcasts, the first "Superman" film took on a larger-than-life status of its own, becoming more and more popular with each generation. With a $134 million gross (adjusted to over $350 million in today's box office budgeting), the first film seemed like the perfect launching pad for a then-seemingly endless string of films. At one point executive producer Ilya Salkind had hinted that as many as seven to ten "Superman" films with Reeve were possible, a la the James Bond series. No one in 1977-78 knew of the real troubles that would befall the Man of Steel over the next ten years, as the proposed 7-10 films would dwindle down to four by 1987 and stall the franchise for another 19 years.
When Reeve suffered his tragic accident in 1995, I found it extremely difficult for quite some time to go back and watch any of the "Superman" films. In his portrayal of the Man of Steel, Reeve became a childhood hero to me. But just like his fictional counterpart, Reeve would become a real-life hero to us all, once again cementing the magic and sincerity he brought to the role for a whole new generation of youth.
Even the development of the Internet brought a whole new layer of exploration and excitement for "Superman", as numerous web sites (my favorites in particular: CapedWonder.com, Superman Cinema and Superman Homepage) thoroughly examined the challenges and problems inherent with the film, along with information on the different theatrical, home video, and extended versions of the film. In an era when many classic films saw restoration and preservation for future generations of home theater buffs, fans rallied for a restored an extended version of "Superman" and its sequels.
In 2001 Warner Home Video blessed the fans with a 151-minute expanded version of the film on DVD, with a remastered and newly mixed soundtrack. Now Warner has taken it one step further, with its latest incarnation of "Superman" on DVD as a four-disc special edition. (It's also been issued on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD as well, though in a seriously stripped-down form.) Right way I can tell you that nearly all of the content presented in the previous DVD release has been carried over into this new set (with the exceptions of the "Superman: The Legacy" text commentary and the DVD-ROM link to the film's storyboards), so if you're mainly interested in the DVD itself, you can safely upgrade to this new release. With this new DVD, Warner has given the film a comprehensive "Lord of the Rings" feel with its expanded availability in content and presentation, giving "Superman" a bit more room to breathe and come alive.
New to this release is something fans had long requested: the original 143-minute theatrical release from 1978, which is presented on Disc 1 of this set in anamorphic widescreen format. There are actually five different ways you can view this film. First off, the film is presented with its original 1978 audio track in your choice of English or French Dolby 2.0 sound, though there was a problem (which I'll discuss later in further detail). Having the original 1978 audio track is a plus, because that's how we remember the film over the years. Of course, the film is also presented in its remized 2000-01 soundtrack in your choice of English or French Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Originally, the theatrical cut with the 5.1 mix was intended for inclusion on the previous DVD release but was left off (it would later be shown on Turner Classic Movies, along with the restoration credits from the 2001 DVD release). And for you purists out there, yes, the "Coming Soon: Superman II" final tag is preserved here as originally seen in 1978.
Also included on Disc 1 is a brand-new feature-length audio commentary with executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler. Both Salkind and Spengler provide a wealth of information on the challenges they and Ilya's father Alexander Salkind had in bringing "Superman" to life, discussing the many financial and casting challenges for the film, the problems in making Superman fly convincingly, problems with Richard Donner, and so forth. I'd like to say that I enjoyed this commentary, but given their penchant for spin statements over the years, not to mention the injustice they'd done to Donner, it becomes debatable as to how much of their thoughts are factual and how much are just plain bull. But that's not all. Also on Disc 1 are the original 1977 preview teaser trailer, the 1978 theatrical trailer, and a vintage 1978 TV spot for the film, all carried over from the previous DVD.
Disc 2 ports over the 151-minute remastered and expanded Special Edition from the previous DVD, with the eight additional minutes of footage restored into the film by Richard Donner and film restoration producer Michael Thau. Some fans felt that the restored version was almost sacrilege to what they remembered seeing and hearing over the years, and I have to admit it took me a while to get adjusted to this new version. But whatever your taste, you can now pick your poison wisely and decide for yourself which version is better. I myself like the restored version.
If I have one caveat at this point, it's that the color balance between this release and the previous 2001 DVD is a bit different. In all actuality, it's not as good. After watching several sequences between both discs it appears that the color balance is off at times in the 2006 release. From what I understand, it was to give a richer visual quality to the HD and Blu-Ray versions (I have not seen either of these versions, so I cannot comment on their quality), but I can honestly say that the colors and blacks on the previous DVD are a bit more vibrant. This is one of those rare occasions where the reiusse doesn't look as good as the previous issue - Warner Home Video, which has prided itself with such high-quality DVDs in the past with its fully loaded editions of "Gone With the Wind", "The Wizard of Oz", "Citizen Kane", "The Adventures of Robin Hood", and "The Searchers", knows fully well that they've set the bar very high in its DVD production standards, and this is a bit of a step down. It's not a bad step, but it would have made it a little easier had they used the same pressing for this new DVD release.
Also ported over from the previous DVD release on Disc 2 is the feature-length audio commentary with Donner and Tom Mankiewicz. This is a fun and enjoyable listen from start to finish! All you need now is some pizza, popcorn, and a cold Coke, and it's like getting together with old friends. From the word go you can tell that these two men love and respect each other even 30 years later, their humor and shorthand dialog prevails throughout the audio commentary. From their very first thoughts ("1938 - did we really start filming back then?") to their comments on Marlon Brando ("The kid's diapers he's reading from are worth a fortune") to their love and appreciation for Christopher Reeve and the entire cast, even down to Donner's cameo with Reeve ("Look at that good-looking guy next to Chris... he's a natural, I wonder what became of him?"), the commentary is enjoyable from start to finish.
In addition, on Disc 2 you have the isolated audio track of the breathtaking John Williams score, ported from the previous DVD. All in all, some 97 minutes of music is presented throughout the 2001 cut in Dolby Digital 5.0 sound and reproduced from the original master tapes. It's not often that we get a good audio score track on a DVD, let alone a John Williams audio track on DVD. Listen to the first six minutes of the film alone with just the isolated score track, and you'll hear how well it all holds up.
Moving to Disc 3, we now have the first disc of supplemental features, all of which were included on the B-side of the previous DVD release. All three of the 2001 documentaries - "Taking Flight: The Development of Superman", "Making Superman: Filming the Legend" (both narrated by Marc McClure), and "The Magic Behind the Cape" (narrated by visual effects supervisor Roy Field) - are carried over onto this new release. The fun in these documentaries is seeing the vintage production footage, blue screen tests, and interviews with Donner, Mankiewicz, Reeve, Stuart Baird, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder, among others. At the time it seemed that the documentaries presented only one point of view in favor of Donner while neglecting the Salkinds - thankfully, that's been rectified (which I'll discuss in covering Disc 13 later). Also included are all of the added scenes restored into the 2001 cut; the two additional deleted scenes from the master print (which were prominently featured in the various extended versions of the film); the screen tests for Reeve, the various actresses trying out for Lois Lane, and the various actresses for Ursa, narrated by casting director Lynn Stalmaster (with optional audio commentary on the Lois Lane screen tests); and the additional audio tracks from the master session tapes of John Williams' score (also presented in Dolby Digital 5.0 sound).
The fun continues on Disc 4. First off, we have the vintage 1980 TV special "The Making of Superman", hosted by Christopher Reeve and narrated by Ernie Anderson. This 50-minute special which aired on ABC served as basically a fluff piece to meet the different actors and production crew involved in the making of the film, though there are some interesting behind-the-scenes production segments from the filming of both "Superman" and "Superman II", as well as vintage interview clips with Brando and production designer John Barry. Of course, at the time, as Reeve narrates, the intention was to show only some of the things that went into filming "Superman" without revealing everything, most importantly how they made him fly. It's a great documentary, and thanks to Ilya Salkind we now have it officially on DVD where it belongs.
Disc 4 also contains the 1951 feature film "Superman and the Mole Men" starring George Reeves and Phyllis Coates, which served as the 60-minute pilot film for the long-running "Adventures of Superman" series in the 1950's. This had been previously released on DVD in the first season AOS set, so why it was included here is a mystery to me.
But the most fun part about Disc 4 is the inclusion of the first nine "Superman" animated segments from 1941 and 1942, produced by Max and Dave Fleischer. These vintage cartoons have appeared over the years on one video label after another due to its then-public domain status, in one varying form of quality or another, some good and some not so good. The only previous Warner release of the Fleischer cartoons had been only four selected segments included with its four-tape VHS set of "TV's Best Adventures of Superman" in 1988. If you think the animation looked good then, wait until you see it now - it's stunningly beautiful! For animated films over 65 years old, these look absolutely fantastic! Kudos to Warner for a spectacular mastering job!
With all of this content on the four-disc set, would there be anything left out? Absolutely. For starters, there are a wealth of additional promotional trailers and TV spots for both the 1978 theatrical release and the 2001 re-release (the lattter of which was produced to promote the San Antonio screening and intended for a proposed theatrical reissue that never materialzed) that were not included. It would have been nice to see all of the different promotional ideas for the film. Also, as I previously mentioned, the DVD-ROM web link to the film's storyboards is omitted from the previous release. In addition, script access to the various versions of the screenplay, from the original Mario Puzo draft to the 1976 rewrite from David and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton, to the final Tom Mankiewicz script, in some sort of form - either step-page format a la "The Abyss", "Terminator 2", and "Titanic", or a DVD-ROM link - would have been nice additions. (If you look carefully online, all of this is available on different web sites.)
Furthermore, even with the restored scenes and additional cut scenes included on the DVD, there are still some 30 minutes of additional footage from the various TV broadcasts not issued on DVD in an official capacity. This footage includes the much-debated sequence of Superman outracing the Concorde (which was shepherded to the extended TV broadcasts of "Superman II"), extended clips during the missile chase and the ensuing earthquake, more footage of Reeve as Superman, more mugging with Lex Luthor and his partners in crime, and an even more intense expanded version of the destruction of Krypton, among others. Some of this cut footage serves merely as exposition and/or filler, obviously, but some contributes to the overall story. Finally, I would have loved to see any production outtakes featuring Reeve, some of which were featured on British television but were not seen in the United States or in any version of the film. Little things like these only serve to complement the entire picture.
Yet there's a caveat that has to be addressed. In its initial pressing, Disc 1 had erroneously omitted the original English-language Dolby 2.0 mix of the original 1978 sound mix of the film, which was clearly promoted in all marketing materials for the DVD. This production error not only affected Disc 1 of the 14-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, but also Disc 1 of the four-disc "Superman" Special Edition set and Disc 1 of the eight-disc Christopher Reeve "Superman" Collection. Thankfully, Warner Home Video stepped up to the plate and offered a replacement program whereby fans could (and still can) send in the defective disc for a corrected one. Upon viewing this disc the sound mix is correct, and that's good on Warner's part. The corrected Disc 1 (as well as the corrected Disc 8, featuring the deluxe edition of "Superman III", which I'll discuss later) appears in the new reissue of the 14-disc set.
However, there have been reports from Scott Bosco (who contributed to the audio commentary on the "Supergirl" DVD release) claiming on this web link - http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/palace/3454/superblunder.html - that the English 2.0 sound mix on Disc 1 is still in error. This comment prompted a response from none other than Michael Thau, who clearly stated that the English 2.0 sound mix on Disc 1 is indeed correct. Thau's statement is as follows:
"If you've seen the squabbling on the net about Superman The Movie’s original sound mix being messed up on the DVD's--they're completely wrong.
"The dialog being "draped" across the front three speakers and the reverb into the surrounds was the way it was mixed in 1978. This was one of the factors that led us to decide to re-mix the film. Back in 2000, as always, we brought Dolby to the studio to verify the set up, because we were working with mixes that were recorded over 20 year before.
"This has nothing to do with a messed up transfer to video in the 80’s. This can be verified by playing a VHS or laserdisc (both have the original 2 track mix) through a correctly set up Dolby Pro-Logic sound system. Or if someone really wants to be thorough go to a theater that shows one of the old prints of the original cut, as long as the theater’s sound is set up correctly."
Bosco still argues otherwise. His response: "Michael is wrong. Dolby has certain standards and originally set up the process of Dolby Surround to create in a constant way how a film would sound. Only earlier films not in the Dolby Surround process – done in, and listed as Dolby System had only Dolby noise reductions via compression, were different.
"Once Dolby Surround came into being in the mid-70’s the standard of 4.0 tracks, where were encoded into 2.0 as a compressed format to fit onto 35mm film, then decoded in the theatre back into 4.0. This matrix is comprised of Front Left, Front Center, Front Right and a MONO rear, or Surround track.The laserdisc DID NOT sound the way Mr. Thau is states. He is also very wrong about the original film sound this way. It is against what Dolby Labs ever intended.
"Going by the way WB has avoided calls and the way a previous thread was deleted [HTF?] I dare say someone is being a mouth piece to cover up shoddy work. My info is not via some 'fan' but rather the company who invented the sound format, and what I’ve heard in the past.
"BTW – need I mention how slanted the archival footage for the 2001 SUPERMAN is? It was nothing short of revivalist history as per the director. I am old enough not only to have experienced the original SUPERMAN in the cinema, but have followed the progression and evolution of cinema sound as we know it today from Dolby Labs. I’ve have also been a consultant to a great many more films as a professional, not just because I was 'fan'."
If you ask me, this bickering is pointless, to quote the late great Peter Cushing in "Star Wars". The sound mix is correct, and if Bosco has a problem with it, he needs to chill and let us enjoy the film for what it is.
All nitpicks aside, this is nonetheless an excellent upgrade to the first "Superman" film, one that definitely merits inclusion in any film fan's library. And this is just for starters! Next time I will look at both versions of "Superman II", where the real excitement, trouble, and debates begin.
See you then!
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