Okay, I know I said a while back that I was going to have this review (or the Star Trek review) completed pretty quickly, and that was at least two weeks ago, but it seems like I've taken a bit of a step back for a while. (That and a top-secret project or two that I'm working on, not to mention home, family, work, etc. took center stage.) I guess you can chalk it up to that chronic thing we all suffer from that's called attention-deficit lazy butt disorder. Hopefully this won't last too much longer!
I have to tip my hat to my 11-year-old stepdaughter for getting me into this Disney Channel original series called "Hannah Montana", which has now become one of the really hot properties on Disney today. Even my younger daughter, who's only two, likes to watch the show - go figure! For those of you who have obviously lived under a rock over the past year or so, "Hannah Montana" chronicles the comic mishaps of Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus), who leads a double life of middle school student by day and tween pop star Hannah Montana by night, all with a change of clothes, makeup, and hair to keep her true identity a secret. Miley is aided, abetted, and often annoyed by her best buds Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchell Musso), her older brother Jackson (Jason Earles), and her father/manager Robby (Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley's real-life father), who do all they can to maintain her dual identity a secret. And you thought Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne had it bad!
In "Pop Star Profile", the second compilation of episodes from the popular series, Miley's life is turned upside down when Jake Ryan (Cody Linley), teen heartthrob and star of "Zombie High", starts going to her school. In the first segment "New Kid in School", everyone in the school falls all over him, the teachers give him extra perks that other students aren't allowed, and even Tony the janitor gives him his own customized locker - all at Miley's expense and overall annoyance at his self-aggrandizing ego, which turns her off. And when an air-headed tabloid reporter milks Jake's life at school for all it's worth, Miley threatens to reveal her secret identity of Hannah Montana to the world. Of course, guess who steps in to save the day but dear old Dad, who's got enough troubles of his own at keeping the new love in his life - his brand new car, no less! - clean and out of the hands of his teenage son.
In "More Than a Zombie to Me", Miley finds herself torn between fighting off any feelings for Jake when she repeatedly turns him down to go to the school dance with him, competing with Lilly over Jake, and giving in when, as Hannah Montana, she does a guest turn on "Zombie High". Meanwhile, Robby and Jackson go to war against each other to see who is the king of practical jokes. In "Good Golly, Miss Dolly", Miley's godmother (Dolly Parton) tries to get back a camcorder tape of Miley opening up and revealing to her that, despite his ego, she's falling for Jake. Finally, in "People Who Use People", when Miley spots Jake with another girl, she uses a younger boy to prove how much she doesn't like Jake, which of course backfires, while Jackson tries to play matchmaker by fixing Robby up with his science teacher just so he can a good grade in her class.
I've got to admit, I'm really growing to like "Hannah Montana" a lot. It's a half-hour of good, clean fun with lots of laughs and plenty of love in the family. As a father, I have to give kudos to the Cyrus family, especially Billy Ray and Miley. Any father who would allow his teenage daughter to star in her own series would have to know what kind of content it presents and approve (or disapprove) of such content presented on screen. Furthermore, it's also wonderful to see a father like Billy Ray Cyrus want to star in a series with his own daughter. That speaks volumes of his commitment to his family and also his personal walk. (Of course, he even takes a hilarious tongue-in-cheek potshot at his "Achy Breaky Heart" beginnings in "New Kind in School" - complete with a faux wig of his hair from the early 90's! - to show that he's not afraid to laugh at his own roots, which shows how far he's come from being seen as a one-hit wonder.)
All four episodes on "Pop Star Profile" are presented on a single dual-layered disc in their original broadcast aspect ratio and in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, with optional English subtitles and closed captions. For a current series like "Hannah Montana", it's good to see this series get a 5.1 track, given its pop-inspired score. You have the option of viewing each episode individually or in a "play all" block.
As for extras, there are only two bonus features included on this disc. The first is a Hannah Montana concert performance of "Nobody's Perfect" (3:31), which was previously featured on the DVD portion of the first two-disc soundtrack release, also presented in 5.1 sound. The other is a brief behind-the-scenes featurette entitled "Backstage with the Real Miley Cyrus" (5:24), in which she talks about working on the series with her father and co-stars and having as normal a life as possible while juggling acting and music. For some reason this featurette is presented in Dolby 2.0 sound, which is baffling, considered that everything else is in 5.1 sound.
The disc is rounded out with a series of DVD and theatrical preview trailers for "Meet the Robinsons", "Bridge to Terabithia", "Peter Pan: Return to Neverland", the highly-anticipated upcoming TV movie "High School Musical 2", "High School Musical Concert - Extreme Access Pass", the "Superman"-inspired theatrical release "Underdog", the "Jungle Book" 40th anniversary Platinum Edition DVD, "Return to Halloweentown", "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody", and a Disney Movie Rewards spot, all of which can be viewed prior to the start of the program or in its own separate trailer gallery. The good thing about this DVD is that you have the option of skipping over the trailers and heading straight for the main menu without having to worry about forced trailers.
If I have one issue to pic, it's that for some reason Disney tends to release some of its TV series in these individual volumes. While the family-friendly affordability is good, many other series (including numerous other Disney-released titles shown on other networks) go the way of full-season or -series sets. It's a shame that Disney hasn't fully jumped on the full-season bandwagon with "Hannah Montana" and other numerous Disney Channel series. They really should.
It's no surprise that the third volume, "Life's What You Make It", is coming in October. That'll certainly appease all of the tweeners in your family - I know it will mine. So if you're a fan of this series, chances are this and future volumes will make its way into your family's DVD collection. What else can I say?
Okay, next time I promise that it'll be that long-awaited "Star Trek" review. Maybe by then I'll be completely over this chronic attention-deficit lazy butt disorder thing. See you again soon!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Miscellaneous notes today...
After a staggering series of recent commentaries on the "Superman" UCE, as well as last month's release of "The New Adventures of Superman", not to mention the 4th of July holiday smack in the middle of last week, I'm not really prepared with any new reviews at this point. I do have two I'm currently in the middle of working on and should have them available in the very near future, both of which I will briefly allude to in my commentary this week.
First off, let's get to some good release news, one I'm extremely happy about. Mark your calendars for October 23rd, because that's when "Young Indiana Jones" will finally hit DVD! Yes!!! According to TV Shows on DVD, this will be the first of three DVD volumes of the series, so it's quite possible we may see the second and third volumes in 2008, around the time of the release of the fourth "Indiana Jones" movie and its subsequent DVD release, if not sooner. That's definitely good news for me! Unfortunately, that still does not change the fact that Mr. George Luca$ has plans to issue only the re-edited TV-movie versions of the series and not the original broadcast versions with the old Indy bookend segments. Fans just can't catch a break sometimes, you know? Better archive those broadcasts to discs for your personal collections!
Lately, for some reason I've been getting into something my just-turned 11-year-old stepdaughter Rachel really likes: "Hannah Montana". As parents, April and I find this Disney series to be cute, harmless, and overall quite funny with a lot of positive values. Any series in which a father - in this case, Billy Ray Cyrus - would star in and allow his teenage daughter (Miley Cyrus) to star in as well must be an extremely clean show to begin with, and that's a rarity in the world of TV these days. It's good to see the Cyrus' morals standing front and center in this series. I'm currently going through the latest release, "Pop Star Profile", and it's a nice quality release. I'll have my full review ready for posting as soon as I finish watching the last of the episode. The third volume is slated for release October 9th, but I wonder when/if Disney and Buena Vista Home Video will follow all of the other major studios and issue "Hannah Montana" and its other series in season sets. They really should.
I'm also currently going through the latest "Star Trek" DVD release from CBS/Paramount Video, the "Captain's Log Fan Collective", which comes out on 7/24. This is the first "Trek" DVD I've gone through in nearly a year and the first one in nearly two years that I'll be reviewing, so I'm having to shake the ring rust and take a dip back into some familiar waters. Look for that review soon. On one hand, I've pretty much sworn off everything "Trek" related and done away with it all in my house. And there's a part of me that doesn't want to get back onto that particular wagon. On the other hand, I do have this set for review, so it's only polite for me to conduct my review and be done with it, since I have no plans to keep this set.
Just to give you a quick heads-up about the "Captain's Log Fan Collective", there is one pretty significant alteration in the set. On Disc 2 the two-part "Chain of Command" has been re-edited from the original TV broadcasts. If you recall, TNG aired "Chain of Command" as two individual episodes in late 1992, which was duplicated as such on the sixth season set back in 2002. For this release, the episodes have been re-edited a bit. The episodes' production credits have been condensed at the start of Part 1; the end credits for Part 1 have been removed; and the Part 1 recap, main titles, and Part 2 episode credits have been removed entirely from the beginning of Part 2, making this a movie-length story. Why couldn't they leave well enough alone? I hope this does not signal the start of a trend with future "Trek" releases. Go figure.
That's all I've got at this time, boys and girls. Be sure to check back soon for my reviews of "Hannah Montana" and the newest "Star Trek" release, whichever one gets done first. See you then!
First off, let's get to some good release news, one I'm extremely happy about. Mark your calendars for October 23rd, because that's when "Young Indiana Jones" will finally hit DVD! Yes!!! According to TV Shows on DVD, this will be the first of three DVD volumes of the series, so it's quite possible we may see the second and third volumes in 2008, around the time of the release of the fourth "Indiana Jones" movie and its subsequent DVD release, if not sooner. That's definitely good news for me! Unfortunately, that still does not change the fact that Mr. George Luca$ has plans to issue only the re-edited TV-movie versions of the series and not the original broadcast versions with the old Indy bookend segments. Fans just can't catch a break sometimes, you know? Better archive those broadcasts to discs for your personal collections!
Lately, for some reason I've been getting into something my just-turned 11-year-old stepdaughter Rachel really likes: "Hannah Montana". As parents, April and I find this Disney series to be cute, harmless, and overall quite funny with a lot of positive values. Any series in which a father - in this case, Billy Ray Cyrus - would star in and allow his teenage daughter (Miley Cyrus) to star in as well must be an extremely clean show to begin with, and that's a rarity in the world of TV these days. It's good to see the Cyrus' morals standing front and center in this series. I'm currently going through the latest release, "Pop Star Profile", and it's a nice quality release. I'll have my full review ready for posting as soon as I finish watching the last of the episode. The third volume is slated for release October 9th, but I wonder when/if Disney and Buena Vista Home Video will follow all of the other major studios and issue "Hannah Montana" and its other series in season sets. They really should.
I'm also currently going through the latest "Star Trek" DVD release from CBS/Paramount Video, the "Captain's Log Fan Collective", which comes out on 7/24. This is the first "Trek" DVD I've gone through in nearly a year and the first one in nearly two years that I'll be reviewing, so I'm having to shake the ring rust and take a dip back into some familiar waters. Look for that review soon. On one hand, I've pretty much sworn off everything "Trek" related and done away with it all in my house. And there's a part of me that doesn't want to get back onto that particular wagon. On the other hand, I do have this set for review, so it's only polite for me to conduct my review and be done with it, since I have no plans to keep this set.
Just to give you a quick heads-up about the "Captain's Log Fan Collective", there is one pretty significant alteration in the set. On Disc 2 the two-part "Chain of Command" has been re-edited from the original TV broadcasts. If you recall, TNG aired "Chain of Command" as two individual episodes in late 1992, which was duplicated as such on the sixth season set back in 2002. For this release, the episodes have been re-edited a bit. The episodes' production credits have been condensed at the start of Part 1; the end credits for Part 1 have been removed; and the Part 1 recap, main titles, and Part 2 episode credits have been removed entirely from the beginning of Part 2, making this a movie-length story. Why couldn't they leave well enough alone? I hope this does not signal the start of a trend with future "Trek" releases. Go figure.
That's all I've got at this time, boys and girls. Be sure to check back soon for my reviews of "Hannah Montana" and the newest "Star Trek" release, whichever one gets done first. See you then!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Superman - Ultimate Collector's Edition, Part VII
Finally, I'm coming to the end of the road in my series of analyses on Warner's awesome 14-disc "Superman" Ultimate Collector's Edition. So far I have looked at the first 11 discs in the set, which covered all of the major films in the set. As I conclude these analyses, I now turn my attention to the three documentary discs from the set, two of which are exclusive to the UCE.
LOOK! UP IN THE SKY - THE AMAZING STORY OF SUPERMAN
I originally reviewed this disc for Jim Bowers' website CapedWonder.com shortly after its release last year. The only difference is that this time around, "Look! Up in the Sky" is featured as Disc 12 of the UCE. For some reason, in my copy of the set the disc art is the same as the single-disc release and not the half-text, half-art template that was used for the other discs in the UCE. That little minor quibble aside, it's still a great documentary produced by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns that reveals some new perspectives on the history of Superman and, of course, served as a tease for "Superman Returns". Click here to read my original 2006 review of the documentary (and its Best Buy-exclusive companion disc, which I'll discuss in further detail later).
YOU WILL BELIEVE: THE CINEMATIC SAGA OF SUPERMAN
Now we come to Disc 13, which is quite arguably one of the best new documentary features in the entire set, the all-new retrospective documentary "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman". In this new five-part feature, produced by New Wave Entertainment (which also produced the documentary features for the first four "Batman" films for their 2005 DVD releases), we get a more balanced look at the creation of the four Christopher Reeve "Superman" films and the ill-fated spinoff "Supergirl". Featuring new interview segments with Richard Donner, Ilya Salkind, Pierre Spengler, Tom Mankiewicz, Margot Kidder, Marc McClure, Jeff East, Terence Stamp, Jack O'Halloran, Sarah Douglas (hey Jacob Rubenstein, if you're out there reading this, I'm sure you're loving those new interviews!), Helen Slater, Mark Rosenthal, Yoram Globus, and Menahem Golam, among others, we are treated to what is a more honest look at bringing "Superman" to life, more than what was previously covered in the original 2001 documentaries.
The documentary, which runs approximately 90 minutes in length, is divided into five sections - "Origin", "Vision", "Ascent" (which primarily cover on filming the first film), "Crisis", and "Redemption" - which can be viewed in one continuous feature-length piece or individually. There are quite a number of surprising new comments and perspectives that hadn't been seen or heard before, and many key players involved in the production of these films in front of or behind the camer has a say in expressing his or her views. What's wonderful about this documentary is the inclusion of newly discovered production footage from the Warner archives during the making of the first two films during the Donner years and during Richard Lester's tenure on "Superman II", including some never-before-seen vintage test clips, outtakes, and production footage featuring the late Christopher Reeve, which is especially a treat to see. During "Crisis" there is an additional outtake segment from the extended version of II that was not included in the "Superman II" Special Edition, presented in widescreen format, of a further moment during the Phantom Zone villains' attack in East Houston. This additional cut scene is a treat to see in this set, though why it was split up and intercut with an interview segment from Ilya Salkind, not to mention included on the "Superman II" disc, baffles me. Everyone is candid and open about their thoughts on shooting "Superman", with Douglas commenting on how she was one of the few cast members available to tour the world in promoting the films during their theatrical releases, and Stamp even shares a wonderfully humorous quip about how, after the release of II, a group of vicious gang members confronted him, asked, "Are you Zod?" and ran in fear from him!
Where the documentaries on the "Superman" Special Edition tend to be skewered in favor of Donner and Mankiewicz, here it's a more evenly balanced presentation, and that's really the way to go. This way it leaves you with more insight and the ball in your court on who's right and who's not. (My take is running with what's been established in all forms of the press - i.e., Donner and Mankiewicz.) Unfortunately, by the time the documentary gets to "Crisis" and "Redemption", everything feels extremely rushed, as Salkind, Spengler, Globus, Golam, Rosenthal, and the various cast members quickly want to get through in expressing their thoughts on III, IV, and "Supergirl" without an equally balanced look as given to the first two films. There isn't any production footage at all from these films, which is a shame, since we know that it's out there, and except for some very brief on-set photos from III and IV, we are left with very little as the result. Certainly, if New Wave had taken their time researching and assembling material from the first two films for this documentary, they could have equally devoted themselves to doing the same for the other films in the franchise. There are, after all, some fans who don't want to see them dismissed from the film canon. Then again, as with the Singer/Burns documentary on Disc 12, given those films' poor critical and/or commercial receptions at the box office, it's not really a surprise that the participants wanted to spend very little time discussing the films at all.
Which brings me to another concern about the disc. Obviously, attempts were made to contact Richard Lester and Mark Pillow for comments for the documentary, and that didn't come through at all. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Given Lester's public penchant for claiming "Superman II" as his film and not Donner's, not to mention any public acknowledgment about Donner's contribution to the saga, it's easily seen why some fans hold him in scorn. With Pillow, I'm not surprised that he disassociated himself with filmmaking after this huge misfire (I read just last night that he had given up bartending to pursue acting - why am I not surprised that that's what he probably returned to?) For that matter, I'm surprised that Sidney J. Furie wasn't contacted for a commentary. Then again, given his stand that if IV was a hit or a failure, it didn't matter to him. I tried contacting him about 10 years ago for some comments about the missing footage to IV, but got no response from him. All these years later, I'm still not surprised that his view hasn't apparently changed.
Furthermore, this documentary could have benefited from more outtakes, production footage, and even some rare TV spots and trailers for the other films that have not been issued on DVD (though you'll easily find many of them on CapedWonder.com). Still, this is quite the documentary to see, and it makes for a perfect companion to the UCE. And the best thing about it... there's no damn Kevin Smith in sight anywhere! His "appearances" on the "Batman" and "Spider-Man" DVDs ruined what could have been two really awesome discs - why that talentless no-class loser keeps getting work in anything is beyond me. (Wake up, Hollywood!)
Also on Disc 13 we have a new 20-minute program entitled "The Mythology of Superman", narrated by Stamp, which explores the world's culture and influences over the millennia that led to development of the Superman character in the 1930's. The Greek gods Hercules and Atlas, as well as the Biblical account of Samson, and fictional creations like Doc Savage, were certainly among the influences. Historians and psychologists examine all of the various influences that led to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's landmark creation.
We also have a very touching 18-minute program entitled "The Heart of a Hero: The Legacy of Christopher Reeve". Donner, Kidder, Jane Seymour (Reeve's long-time friend and co-star of "Somewhere in Time"), Kathy Lewis (the current president of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation), famed comics painter Alex Ross (who draws the most beautiful painted illustrations of the Man of Steel), "Smallville" co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and Brooke Ellison (the subject of Reeve's final solo directorial project "The Brooke Ellison Story"), among others, reflect back on Reeve's life and remember him not only for his contribution as Superman but also for the impact he made in the final decade of his life following his tragic horse-riding accident. We also get to see some behind-the-scenes production footage and an interview segment with Reeve from early 2004 during a break in filming his second stint as Dr. Virgil Swann on "Smallville" (which would turn out to be his final on-screen acting appearance ever). Words cannot express the poignancy and understatement brought to this program - simply put, it's well worth the disc alone. I only wish this had run much longer.
But that's not all. We have three vintage Warner Bros. cartoons - "Super Rabbit" with Bugs Bunny, "Stupor Duck" with Daffy Duck, and the rarely seen black-and-white World War II parody "Snafuperman" (originally issued to U.S. military troops during the 1940's) - which spoof the Superman character in affectionate humor. Culled from mint 35-millimeter prints, these cartoons look and sound as wonderful as the 17 Fleischer/Famous Studios "Superman" segments from 1941-43! There is even a rare color version of the 1958 TV pilot "Superpup", produced by Whitney Ellsworth, filmed after production ended on the sixth season of "The Adventures of Superman", and shot on the same sets as the series, but with midgets in dog suits. Black-and-white versions of this pilot have circulated over the years in the bootleg market, so it's nice that Warner issued it formally, and in color, no less! (I only wish they had included the unreleased 1961 "Superboy" pilot as well - unfortunately, this has to do with the legal issues involving Siegel and Shuster's heirs suing Warner Bros. and DC Comics over the rights to the Superboy character.) The disc is rounded out with a DVD trailer for the Kirk Alyn "Superman" serial collection.
BRYAN SINGER'S VIDEO JOURNALS
We now come to the end of the UCE with a look at Disc 14, showcasing all 29 of Bryan Singer's video blogs shot during production of "Superman Returns". Last year, Warner Home Video had included a bonus second disc of 12 of these segments, originally featured online at SupermanReturns.com, as a bonus disc to the Singer/Burns documentary for Best Buy fans. I must admit, this seemed a bit unfair on the part of Warner to issue this bonus disc as a Best Buy exclusive, since some buyers elsewhere may not have access to a Best Buy near them, leaving them to track down the 2-disc "Look! Up in the Sky" documentary on eBay or Amazon. But here we have all of the original 27 online segments, along with two brand-new segments issued exclusively to the UCE, "Outre" and "KR 83.80".
All of these segments are presented in their original aspect ratio and in Dolby 2.0 surround sound, and the quality is quite a bit better than their online presentations. All of the fun moments are here, including Singer scouting out Sydney, Australia prior to the start of filming; shooting Eva Marie Saint's scenes with Brandon Routh; Clark's baseball pitch at the Kent farm; Singer and company on the partially completed Fortress set overlooking a giant green screen; and the highly popular "The Call", in which Singer jetted over to New Zealand for a day to hijack the directorial reigns of "King Kong" from a sleeping Peter Jackson (look for quick appearances from Naomi Watts and longtime Jackson player Andy "Gollum" Serkis!). As if that weren't enough, the exclusive sequel "Outre" is an equally humorous look at how Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption") was tapped to replace Singer!
I have to admit, while this compilation is great, it really should have been included as the proper third disc for the "Superman Returns" Special Edition DVD release, as it further enhances the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. While this disc is another nice addition to the UCE, like Disc 13 it is also exclusive to the set and available nowhere else, which means fans would have to get the whole UCE just to obtain Discs 13 and 14. Then again, considering my initial argument at the beginning of these commentaries, getting everything in one shot is well worth the bonuses.
In addition, the entire package is housed in a booklet-style case with a beautiful lenticular art cover on the front. There's also a 16-page booklet done in the style of the Daily Planet newspaper and detailing the set's contents, a miniature reproduction of the seventh issue of "Superman" from 1986-87, and a mail-in offer for reproductions of the film posert to the five feature films. ALl of this is packaged in a large collective tin embossed with the S logo. To quote Lex Luthor, what more could anyone ask?
I wonly wish taht more vintage supplements had been included in this set - specifically, more trailers and TV spots, more production footage, more outtakes that didn't make the films, and more footage involving Christopher Reeve (whose presence is still sorely missed). But when you consider the generous amount of content presented in one collection, not to mention two versions of the first two films and all the staggering amount of extras included, anything beyond that is simply nit-picking. Hands down, this is one of the most spectacular DVD sets ever produced, well worth all of the accolades it's been given, and if you're a Superman fan like me, you won't be able to resist it. To borrow from the good people at DVDReview.com, put this together with the "Alien", "Lord of the Rings", and "Matrix" mega collections, and nobody will ever see you again. :)
Whew! Now how's that for a review? :)
Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July holiday, and I will see you again soon!
LOOK! UP IN THE SKY - THE AMAZING STORY OF SUPERMAN
I originally reviewed this disc for Jim Bowers' website CapedWonder.com shortly after its release last year. The only difference is that this time around, "Look! Up in the Sky" is featured as Disc 12 of the UCE. For some reason, in my copy of the set the disc art is the same as the single-disc release and not the half-text, half-art template that was used for the other discs in the UCE. That little minor quibble aside, it's still a great documentary produced by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns that reveals some new perspectives on the history of Superman and, of course, served as a tease for "Superman Returns". Click here to read my original 2006 review of the documentary (and its Best Buy-exclusive companion disc, which I'll discuss in further detail later).
YOU WILL BELIEVE: THE CINEMATIC SAGA OF SUPERMAN
Now we come to Disc 13, which is quite arguably one of the best new documentary features in the entire set, the all-new retrospective documentary "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman". In this new five-part feature, produced by New Wave Entertainment (which also produced the documentary features for the first four "Batman" films for their 2005 DVD releases), we get a more balanced look at the creation of the four Christopher Reeve "Superman" films and the ill-fated spinoff "Supergirl". Featuring new interview segments with Richard Donner, Ilya Salkind, Pierre Spengler, Tom Mankiewicz, Margot Kidder, Marc McClure, Jeff East, Terence Stamp, Jack O'Halloran, Sarah Douglas (hey Jacob Rubenstein, if you're out there reading this, I'm sure you're loving those new interviews!), Helen Slater, Mark Rosenthal, Yoram Globus, and Menahem Golam, among others, we are treated to what is a more honest look at bringing "Superman" to life, more than what was previously covered in the original 2001 documentaries.
The documentary, which runs approximately 90 minutes in length, is divided into five sections - "Origin", "Vision", "Ascent" (which primarily cover on filming the first film), "Crisis", and "Redemption" - which can be viewed in one continuous feature-length piece or individually. There are quite a number of surprising new comments and perspectives that hadn't been seen or heard before, and many key players involved in the production of these films in front of or behind the camer has a say in expressing his or her views. What's wonderful about this documentary is the inclusion of newly discovered production footage from the Warner archives during the making of the first two films during the Donner years and during Richard Lester's tenure on "Superman II", including some never-before-seen vintage test clips, outtakes, and production footage featuring the late Christopher Reeve, which is especially a treat to see. During "Crisis" there is an additional outtake segment from the extended version of II that was not included in the "Superman II" Special Edition, presented in widescreen format, of a further moment during the Phantom Zone villains' attack in East Houston. This additional cut scene is a treat to see in this set, though why it was split up and intercut with an interview segment from Ilya Salkind, not to mention included on the "Superman II" disc, baffles me. Everyone is candid and open about their thoughts on shooting "Superman", with Douglas commenting on how she was one of the few cast members available to tour the world in promoting the films during their theatrical releases, and Stamp even shares a wonderfully humorous quip about how, after the release of II, a group of vicious gang members confronted him, asked, "Are you Zod?" and ran in fear from him!
Where the documentaries on the "Superman" Special Edition tend to be skewered in favor of Donner and Mankiewicz, here it's a more evenly balanced presentation, and that's really the way to go. This way it leaves you with more insight and the ball in your court on who's right and who's not. (My take is running with what's been established in all forms of the press - i.e., Donner and Mankiewicz.) Unfortunately, by the time the documentary gets to "Crisis" and "Redemption", everything feels extremely rushed, as Salkind, Spengler, Globus, Golam, Rosenthal, and the various cast members quickly want to get through in expressing their thoughts on III, IV, and "Supergirl" without an equally balanced look as given to the first two films. There isn't any production footage at all from these films, which is a shame, since we know that it's out there, and except for some very brief on-set photos from III and IV, we are left with very little as the result. Certainly, if New Wave had taken their time researching and assembling material from the first two films for this documentary, they could have equally devoted themselves to doing the same for the other films in the franchise. There are, after all, some fans who don't want to see them dismissed from the film canon. Then again, as with the Singer/Burns documentary on Disc 12, given those films' poor critical and/or commercial receptions at the box office, it's not really a surprise that the participants wanted to spend very little time discussing the films at all.
Which brings me to another concern about the disc. Obviously, attempts were made to contact Richard Lester and Mark Pillow for comments for the documentary, and that didn't come through at all. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Given Lester's public penchant for claiming "Superman II" as his film and not Donner's, not to mention any public acknowledgment about Donner's contribution to the saga, it's easily seen why some fans hold him in scorn. With Pillow, I'm not surprised that he disassociated himself with filmmaking after this huge misfire (I read just last night that he had given up bartending to pursue acting - why am I not surprised that that's what he probably returned to?) For that matter, I'm surprised that Sidney J. Furie wasn't contacted for a commentary. Then again, given his stand that if IV was a hit or a failure, it didn't matter to him. I tried contacting him about 10 years ago for some comments about the missing footage to IV, but got no response from him. All these years later, I'm still not surprised that his view hasn't apparently changed.
Furthermore, this documentary could have benefited from more outtakes, production footage, and even some rare TV spots and trailers for the other films that have not been issued on DVD (though you'll easily find many of them on CapedWonder.com). Still, this is quite the documentary to see, and it makes for a perfect companion to the UCE. And the best thing about it... there's no damn Kevin Smith in sight anywhere! His "appearances" on the "Batman" and "Spider-Man" DVDs ruined what could have been two really awesome discs - why that talentless no-class loser keeps getting work in anything is beyond me. (Wake up, Hollywood!)
Also on Disc 13 we have a new 20-minute program entitled "The Mythology of Superman", narrated by Stamp, which explores the world's culture and influences over the millennia that led to development of the Superman character in the 1930's. The Greek gods Hercules and Atlas, as well as the Biblical account of Samson, and fictional creations like Doc Savage, were certainly among the influences. Historians and psychologists examine all of the various influences that led to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's landmark creation.
We also have a very touching 18-minute program entitled "The Heart of a Hero: The Legacy of Christopher Reeve". Donner, Kidder, Jane Seymour (Reeve's long-time friend and co-star of "Somewhere in Time"), Kathy Lewis (the current president of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation), famed comics painter Alex Ross (who draws the most beautiful painted illustrations of the Man of Steel), "Smallville" co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and Brooke Ellison (the subject of Reeve's final solo directorial project "The Brooke Ellison Story"), among others, reflect back on Reeve's life and remember him not only for his contribution as Superman but also for the impact he made in the final decade of his life following his tragic horse-riding accident. We also get to see some behind-the-scenes production footage and an interview segment with Reeve from early 2004 during a break in filming his second stint as Dr. Virgil Swann on "Smallville" (which would turn out to be his final on-screen acting appearance ever). Words cannot express the poignancy and understatement brought to this program - simply put, it's well worth the disc alone. I only wish this had run much longer.
But that's not all. We have three vintage Warner Bros. cartoons - "Super Rabbit" with Bugs Bunny, "Stupor Duck" with Daffy Duck, and the rarely seen black-and-white World War II parody "Snafuperman" (originally issued to U.S. military troops during the 1940's) - which spoof the Superman character in affectionate humor. Culled from mint 35-millimeter prints, these cartoons look and sound as wonderful as the 17 Fleischer/Famous Studios "Superman" segments from 1941-43! There is even a rare color version of the 1958 TV pilot "Superpup", produced by Whitney Ellsworth, filmed after production ended on the sixth season of "The Adventures of Superman", and shot on the same sets as the series, but with midgets in dog suits. Black-and-white versions of this pilot have circulated over the years in the bootleg market, so it's nice that Warner issued it formally, and in color, no less! (I only wish they had included the unreleased 1961 "Superboy" pilot as well - unfortunately, this has to do with the legal issues involving Siegel and Shuster's heirs suing Warner Bros. and DC Comics over the rights to the Superboy character.) The disc is rounded out with a DVD trailer for the Kirk Alyn "Superman" serial collection.
BRYAN SINGER'S VIDEO JOURNALS
We now come to the end of the UCE with a look at Disc 14, showcasing all 29 of Bryan Singer's video blogs shot during production of "Superman Returns". Last year, Warner Home Video had included a bonus second disc of 12 of these segments, originally featured online at SupermanReturns.com, as a bonus disc to the Singer/Burns documentary for Best Buy fans. I must admit, this seemed a bit unfair on the part of Warner to issue this bonus disc as a Best Buy exclusive, since some buyers elsewhere may not have access to a Best Buy near them, leaving them to track down the 2-disc "Look! Up in the Sky" documentary on eBay or Amazon. But here we have all of the original 27 online segments, along with two brand-new segments issued exclusively to the UCE, "Outre" and "KR 83.80".
All of these segments are presented in their original aspect ratio and in Dolby 2.0 surround sound, and the quality is quite a bit better than their online presentations. All of the fun moments are here, including Singer scouting out Sydney, Australia prior to the start of filming; shooting Eva Marie Saint's scenes with Brandon Routh; Clark's baseball pitch at the Kent farm; Singer and company on the partially completed Fortress set overlooking a giant green screen; and the highly popular "The Call", in which Singer jetted over to New Zealand for a day to hijack the directorial reigns of "King Kong" from a sleeping Peter Jackson (look for quick appearances from Naomi Watts and longtime Jackson player Andy "Gollum" Serkis!). As if that weren't enough, the exclusive sequel "Outre" is an equally humorous look at how Frank Darabont ("The Shawshank Redemption") was tapped to replace Singer!
I have to admit, while this compilation is great, it really should have been included as the proper third disc for the "Superman Returns" Special Edition DVD release, as it further enhances the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. While this disc is another nice addition to the UCE, like Disc 13 it is also exclusive to the set and available nowhere else, which means fans would have to get the whole UCE just to obtain Discs 13 and 14. Then again, considering my initial argument at the beginning of these commentaries, getting everything in one shot is well worth the bonuses.
In addition, the entire package is housed in a booklet-style case with a beautiful lenticular art cover on the front. There's also a 16-page booklet done in the style of the Daily Planet newspaper and detailing the set's contents, a miniature reproduction of the seventh issue of "Superman" from 1986-87, and a mail-in offer for reproductions of the film posert to the five feature films. ALl of this is packaged in a large collective tin embossed with the S logo. To quote Lex Luthor, what more could anyone ask?
I wonly wish taht more vintage supplements had been included in this set - specifically, more trailers and TV spots, more production footage, more outtakes that didn't make the films, and more footage involving Christopher Reeve (whose presence is still sorely missed). But when you consider the generous amount of content presented in one collection, not to mention two versions of the first two films and all the staggering amount of extras included, anything beyond that is simply nit-picking. Hands down, this is one of the most spectacular DVD sets ever produced, well worth all of the accolades it's been given, and if you're a Superman fan like me, you won't be able to resist it. To borrow from the good people at DVDReview.com, put this together with the "Alien", "Lord of the Rings", and "Matrix" mega collections, and nobody will ever see you again. :)
Whew! Now how's that for a review? :)
Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July holiday, and I will see you again soon!
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