I can easily see Davids version surpass .. they went to the same acting school and it’s gonna be less dated without the cheesy cringe factor so whole new generation will fall in love with Superman
@@chrisszostek67001978 cringe is much different then 2020 cringe. This will bomb and the cringe nowadays is CRINGE. 1978 cringe still gets a chuckle at the very least
@@johncap6495 the new generation is just not gonna watch the old superman movies and if they do they got Superman 3-4 to get through 🥴 Blud you haven’t even seen a trailer yet🤣🤦♂️ What happens in the first minute of Gunns Superman film ??
The shot with the spaceship on krypton breaking the glass, with a piece of glass perfectly flying at the camera has to be the greatest shot in cinematic history.
My theory as to why Lex works with idiots is because he sees his intelligence as so above that of other humans that there’s no appreciable difference between Otis and Benjamin Franklin.
@@GrahamBandage Also, being surrounded by very smart criminals might be complicated. They might not always agree or want the same thing. Idiots will just do what you tell them. Easier to control.
@@miller-joel Let's face it - there is no good justification other than it makes the movie really fun to watch. On every level that materially counts Lex is as much an idiot as Otis, and is the architect of his own downfall. Luckily I don't watch Superman for plot-holes or lack of plot verisimilitude - I watch it because I love it and it entertains me. 🙂
I ... loved ... this movie. I remember my father telling me back in the summer of 1978 about a "Superman movie" coming out soon. Even at 11 years old, I recall being cynical enough to say to him that I thought they would mess it all up. Still, in December of that year, Dad took us kids to see it in one of the last remaining single-theater cinemas in town. It had a huge lobby with an incredible and classy chandelier and everything. We snuck in coolers of iced tea and hoagies, and even a cassette recorder as well, to capture the audio from the movie... all my Dad's idea, by the way. We were all AWESTRUCK at the spectacle that was "Superman: The Movie", and it was made extra sweet by my father's childlike wonder and glee at seeing his favorite superhero come to life in such a literally perfect way. I played that tape until the player itself finally stopped working. It's funny to have such an emotional attachment to a film as I do to this one. While it is a fantastic work of art to be sure, in my heart I know that the real reason is the eternal connection to my Dad that it gives me whenever I see it. For this reason, above all, "Superman: The Movie", will always hold a special place in my heart that is more than just the love of a great film, far more indeed. It is the connection it gives me to the very first Superman I ever knew and loved, who I was so very blessed to call ... "Dad".
That’s wonderful, thanks so much for sharing that. I have preserved a lot of great moments with my dad back in those days thanks to a cassette recorder. Now we can record anything anywhere and people seem to take it for granted. Back then it was like a fragile kind of magic. Cheers. 👊
I agree. It’s fun to nitpick certain things like we do in this piece but it’s such a tremendous achievement that it’s really kind of impervious to criticism.
I love the opening titles because it forces the cinema goer to take in the people that worked on it, and it primes anyone who has never seen it with the Superman score before they have even seen superman on screen. Krypton is what I feel a dying planet in orbit of a Red Giant would look like. the sort of planet you'd need to be superhuman to be able to survive on.
I doubt very much that there will ever be another Superman film as good as the original. I don’t care how dated the effects are. Or how dated the film is. This movie never bores me and still has a magical epic feel to it. I will never forget sitting in a theater as a ten year old and being completely blown away just by the opening credits and the amazing music. I knew I was in for something special and I had no idea how right I was.
Always has been and always will be my favorite movie of all time. It's not just a movie, it's an EXPERIENCE. It's about hope and wonder, even as it's also about love and self-sacrifice. The music still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. This film is epic in every way, beautifully shot, and gives us the Superman we'll always believe in. Thank you Donner, Reeve, and Williams for this incredible gift.
What I LOVE about Christopher Reeve's performance is that Superman/Kal-El is the person and Clark Kent is the alterego. He almost doesn't need the glasses, it's the charge of character. Kent is the nerd, the dork, the person no-one notices, he's quiet, shy and disappears. People ignore him. In the scene after the flying, when Kent appears at Lois's apartment, he almost reveals who he is. And in the one line of dialogue, "Lois, I have something to tell you, I'm really..." His posture and demenour is that of Superman. Big, tall, confident, deep voice. Then he changes. His posture, voice, demenour changes, he slightly stutters. He's Kent, again. Superb acting. The scene where Supes first appears in The Suit and rescues Lois is just wonderful. The practical effects work extremely well for the time and as much as it's a bit silly, "Easy Miss, I gotcha", it's also quite wonderful and makes me smile every time, and I've watched it dozens of times. It's just rather bad that the only non-white face in the entire film is just stereo-typed. It's one of my all-time favourite scenes of all-time. When you're a young girl and in love with Superman, it's just magical. It helps that Christopher Reeve has a wonderful, beautiful smile. The whole catching-the-bullet moment is fabulous!!
Well said! The other thing I love about when Superman catches Lois after she falls from the helicopter is how he initially continues downward with her before slowly reducing her velocity and then going back upward. It's a wonderful attention to detail that they don't bother with in superhero scenes anymore. They just zip in and save people at insane speeds that in reality would probably atomize the people they were trying to save.
When I first saw this at the Benson Twin in Brooklyn in 1978 I was floored. I could not sleep after seeing this movie, I was so psyched. I love everything about this movie, even the long credit sequence. The love that went into this film everyone involved deserved to be mentioned. If they listed Richard Donner's chef I would have thought it would be appropriate.
It was 10 times the movie compared to anything that was available back then. It still is today. Us late 70s kids were spoiled …in the most magnificent way possible.
I’ve always loved the addition of the SuperTest Luthor puts Superman thru - bullets, cold, fire, etc….because in the first movie the audience, myself included, would want to see all the cool powers he has shown off, as much as I wanted to see him rescue Frisky and thwart the suction cup robber. Making it one sequence satisfies that, sort of like doing a concert montage in a musician’s biopic. Any leftover greatest hits can be crammed into that one sequence.
43:03 Yep. That pimp’s prominence was such that I thought, for the longest time, that there were no other Black characters in the movie. I was almost right. He’s just the only one who speaks.
The composer was not aware that the director wanted Margot Kidder to speak the lyrics of "Can You Read My Mind?" - the composer had already hired an excellent singer and was NOT happy with the decision. And I have said for decades that the best special effect in the movie is Christopher Reeve himself!
I love the opening credits of Superman so much that as a kid I often watched them and then skipped the actual movie. In fact, I still have my 1981 VHS rental tape; it still plays fine, except the opening ten minutes is a bit worn. 🙂
It was so "extra" and I love every minute, also, it gives you something to watch during the overture. The Black Hole has an overture too but it's not nearly as good.
@@jdogburke That's right, overtures were big for a while there. West Side Story, Spartacus, 2001, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Sound of Music (hey, three of those have the same director - and wait a minute, the other two have the same director too! Coincidence? Yeah, probably). The last time I saw an overture was earlier this year in The Zone of Interest - which is a great film, by the way, although definitely NOT compatible with pizza and beer on a Friday night!
This Movie was filmed the same year I was Born. Late 70's put out some great pictures. Superman, Star Wars, The Sorcerer, Taxi Driver, Close Encounters, Jaws, Rocky, Apocalypse Now! and so many more.
Superman was the first movie I ever saw at the cinema, I'd just turned 7 and I was up past my bedtime so my Dad could take me. I fell asleep during the shorts before the main feature and had to be woken up :D. I used to buy the collectable Superman cards from the Post Office, there was a little stick of chewing gum in the pack.
Me and my best friend went to the first day Superman opened, and we were 3rd and 4th in line, the line ended up going around the theater! We were so excited, we were 9 and 10 years old, and we loved it ! I liked Star Wars , but I loved Superman the Movie !!!!!
There's one other thing that always bothered me. If Lex Luther is so ruthless, why would he forgive Miss Tessmacher for betraying him and basically completely ruining his whole plot?
I think that Superman had enough time the second time around because (1) he did not take that moment of pride that Brando admonished him about. He was proud of his work at the dam, then remembered Lois. (2) As Captain Sully puts it, he knew what was coming, so he went from one project to the other to contain the damage. He could have redone the entire movie, but I think that he just went back far enough to give himself time to save Lois.
I so wish I was part of this conversation. I have had these thoughts many times and now I know others have thought way too much about this stuff too. Thanks for this.
One thing about the art direction I don't think anyone ever points out is the use of colour. For example when ever there is danger the colour red is on the screen red sun, the planet krypton turns red, Jonathan dies Clark in a red shirt, harry dies by red train, Red poster and grafitti in the mugging scene behind lois and Clark, Lois in red helicopter, lois in a red car, missile programme red lighting, abort red button, red bridge, red Trans am, red fuel light, jimmy wearing red shirt. Green is used for Wicked or evil Tessmacher in green swim suit surrounded by green leaves, lex in green cap with green shorts in green tinted water, Kryptonite Green. lois thinking less than wholesome thoughts about Superman wearing a green dress. Also they do explain the missile thing in the film Superman had never known how fast he could fly "You know I never really bothered to time myself", and they do say about the missiles "Can't you knock them down?" the reply "negative, absolutely impossible, they have the new reaction avoidance system".
Great observations! Although I suspect that line about never bothering to time himself was mostly just an excuse to invite Lois to fly with him. It’s also probably true he never timed himself, but I have to think he knows exactly what his top speed is and it’s the one that breaks the time barrier. Jor-El must have gone over all that with him, or else how would he have known how to do it? Just another fun hole to poke in the script, really.
I unashamedly love the third movie in spite of (or perhaps because of) its silliness! The fourth one is hard to watch in places though due to its problems. Reeve is excellent in both though!
I love both Donner's Superman and Superman & Lois. Snyder seemed to focus on Superman being an alien when he is human. He just comes from another planet, but he grew up on earth. He gets his humanity from his parents, and it shows with Christopher Reeve's version. I felt Cavil looked the part but never got to really play the part.
Definitely didn't let Henry play the Clark part enough. The thing is that they put Superman 1 and 2 together and it was OK, but needed more fleshing out. I mean Clark didn't even work at the Daily Planet until the very end.
@@prodigioussapsSalkinds made a bundle and got out just in time. Just wish Donner and them got along because 3 could have been much better with Donner.
I just re-watched the flying scene from the copy I purchased from iTunes, and they have removed the dialogue in the flying scene, but kept the scene intact. It’s a vast improvement!
Oh, phew! I honestly wasn’t surprised at the possibility because I’d heard WB had apparently taken some liberties with the Donner Cut as it was released on a couple of streaming services, but I can’t personally verify that.
Just discovered your channel so I'm sorry if this is a bit late. Your commentary is terrific. Some thoughts of my own: 1) Cover of Action Comics #1 - I suspect Donner didn't want to begin with an image of Superman; he wanted to save that for emotional impact. Starting with the "cradle" rocketing to Earth orients the audience to Krypton, which we are about to journey to. 2) The titles: I love their length. I love their pomposity. The 70s were an obvious transition time for cinema. New Hollywood was giving us these gritty films like The French Connection and The Deer Hunter, and that was transitioning to the Blockbuster Era, but you still had old school Hollywood types like De Laurentiis and Irwin Allen. I feel the Salkinds were more of the old school type, and they were announcing to the world that Superman was an Event Movie. Not a blockbuster like Jaws and Star Wars, but an Event like Ben Hur, Spartacus, and The Towering Inferno. They wanted all the names in big bold letters to tell people this was a serious film with serious talent and not some campy kid production from William Dozier. "Look here - we've got the best of Hollywood! Gene Hackman! Marlon Brando! Mario Puzo (twice!)!" And they wanted the audience to bask in that glorious Williams score, an overture of the sort you'd see in West Side Story. The filmmakers framed the movie perfectly. 3) Otis and Miss Tessmacher - Why is Lex surrounding himself with idiots? The easy answer is that this is still a film that needs to be family friendly. There needs to be humor. The villain with goofy henchmen was a comic trope. They can't start with Lex being a psychopath working with real thugs and gangsters. Dramatically, it also sets up the ending. The humor of the Luthor crew - including Lex himself - lulls us into a false sense of security so that when his plan succeeds, when Lois - LOIS! - dies, it is a gut punch. But within the context of the otherwise realistic world Donner crafted, ask yourself - what self respecting criminal would work with Luthor? He's not interested in robbing banks or selling drugs. He's out to sink the west coast. He's a genius, but a mad one. And for Luthor, would you trust criminals capable of independent thought and action? I'd argue he took the two people just competent enough to carry out his orders, but not smart enough to seriously question or challenge him. 4) On the wig. OK, sure, he should have been willing to go bald for the role but you bring up legitimate concerns for the actor, especially in 1978. But it also makes some sense for the character of Luthor who, in his silver age origin, vows revenge against Superboy for making him lose his hair. If the guy was that traumatized by his baldness, it would also make sense for him to cover it up when he could.
Re Jor-El being dead for many thousands of years, but Krypton only appearing to have blown up three years earlier, surely it is just a question of Earth only sees Krypton blow up recently because the event's light has taken many thousands of years to travel here? For instance, when we at last see the relatively close star Betelgeuse go supernova in the next 50-100 years - the actual event will have happened over 400 years before hand. If anything it shows that Lex is not nearly as clever as he tells everyone he is. But on the other hand that is obvious because he employs Otis! ;-) I like the 'Can you read my mind' scene - I love any part of the film (including the opening credits) set to John Williams music. I guess I just love this movie 100%.
Let's not forget Chief Tug Smith also had a line when he was being interviewed by Lois in the desert. He even got to include a dig at Custer's expense! As a Native, I always appreciate what little representation we get.
@@miller-joel There are several symphony versions of the music on You tube ... my favorite has the movie playing on a screen in the background. The music is a favorite of mine too ... I love Holst's "The Planets" and the Superman march has the same almost emotional/psychological impact. The march of the army in Aida has that same impact. ((search parameters) Superman Theme John Williams Royal Philharmonic. Royal Albert Hall. ) I'm like a kid when I listen to certain pieces of music. Instant smile on my face, thumping fingers or a foot along with the music. Some people never grow up and I am one of them. 🤓
As an adult I’ve come to the conclusion that this version of Luthor (and to a certain degree, Byrne’s version of the character) doesn’t like to be challenged too much. He’s like a smart kid, who prefers to play with kids that are younger than he is. It’s less challenging for him and further underlines his brilliance and infinte power and wisdom. It’s pretty interesting then, when he’s faced with Superman, and later on Zod. Was he up to the challenge? Obviously not.
To be fair despite the mentioned quibbles of comedy aspects in metropolis , you have to remember the tone set by Donner was that he wanted the film to be "big and heroic that didn't take itself too seriously" unlike his omen film. As a 10 year old in 78 this suited me .
My understanding is that, for the time, the miniature city in the dam scene was not as good as they wanted, because their top guy had to leave for another project.
Love this conversation. In my book George Reeves set the standard that Reeve lived up to while he also set a new standard. George Reeves had a Super smile and a super wink and a great Super glare at the bad guys. Christopher Reeve is the only other actor to live up to that standard in my book.
The scream of a billion souls all dying at once is drowned out by the scream of someone You love, dying before your eyes. We human beings don't handle large nameless numbers of dead very well.
@@miller-joel Kid's entertainment can have some horrors in it that I don't particularly want to see as an old woman! Read real fairy tales and myths, if you don't understand. Look at Star Wars! (the original not this modern junk!) Or any of the Indiana Jones movies.
Still my fav movie of all time. I understand the history of course, but my #1 quibble is the entire first part with the 3 villains, which essentially had nothing to do with anything in the movie (and masterpieces need to exist on their own).
@prodigioussaps I suppose the scene establishes Jor-El as an uncompromising and strong leader, but there are other, shorter ways to do that. And the scene of course leaves the casual viewer dumbfounded as to why that plot line was unresolved.
My take on teen Clark running at normal human speed when his father collapsed is because Clark was repressing or suppressing his super abilities. Clark sees that his father has fallen but doesn't know he's dying so normal human speed must have seemed sufficient.
The woman in the opening scene is Maria Schell (Gary Cooper’s co-star in “The Hanging Tree”). Her brother was Oscar winner Maximilian Schell (“Judgment at Nuremberg”). He made a fascinating documentary about her, “My Sister Maria.”
According to the editing i. This movie, the reason Lois died was because Superman spent too much time admiring his own work. She was still alive while he just stood there smiling at the town he just saved. If he had more of a sense of urgency he could have saved her
Okay I can see that. For me, I think Donner's intention was that in that moment, Superman thought that his work was done... saving that small town from the dam burst was essentially the last thing on his extensive post-earthquake to-do list, and so this was the first time he actually had a moment to pause and take a breath, and that quiet moment is what finally freed his senses enough to hear Lois for the first time. Suffice it to say, though, the whole point of that scene is that he felt he had failed her and blamed himself, so either way it works.
Okay so after thinking about it for awhile it occurs to me. Brendon, I feel like you're underestimating how important the humor/comedy was to the success of the movie, and perhaps Donner knew this. I say this because we saw what this type of superman movie sans humor would look like in Superman Returns. Superman returns really went for the same feel as the original Donner films, but without the humor. Lex Luther WAS a ruthless evil man with real thugs and villains helping him out, and the movie bombed hard. Maybe it would have done better to also match the humor of the Donner films if it was going to match the overall tone as well. just my thoughts.
Is it just me or with the Air Force one scene, it sounds like Reeve is the metropolis tower voice? Also the pilots voice reminded me of Rich Little, “fly, don’t look just fly”.
Hi new suscriber here, I just found You and already love your videos but Guys!! You didn't break down the Best scene of the movie!! Helicopter rescue! The score is fantastic and the lines! I got You You got me ! Whos got You!?!? I'm 50 and obiously I saw it in theatre and I still cry every time...
Hi George, thanks so much! You’re right, we could have dug into that scene a bit more. It is such an impeccably directed scene from start to finish, still the best introduction to a superhero ever, I think.
1:42 hopefully, there will be acknowledgement of the fact that the “poem” or “song” charted WELL for quite a while back then. I skip it now but someone ate it up then.
Don't you DARE criticize the opening credits sequence. Don't even go there. Nope. You're just wrong. This isn't a matter of opinion. It's scientific fact. The opening is just magnificient. And without it, we would have never gotten the spectacular John Williams theme. I wouldn't change a second of it.
I always felt that the council ignoring Jor El's warnings work as a modern allegory for reactions to climate change. Also, the stark white-brightness of Krypton serves as contrast to earth. This gives 3 very distinct settings, sterile and alien, rural and Rockwellesque, and lastly a gritty and sleepless Metropolis.
“They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son. Mankeiwicz magic.
I just watched the 3 hour TV version of Superman 1978...I acually liked this version. Yeah there were added scenes I found to be more like deleted scenes like after he first rescues Lois Lane...it was a longer shot of him flying and I thought it showed Christopher Reeve's dedication to the character and his dedication to making the art of flying believable...or how Lex Luther had a pit of lions or tigers Otis had to feed...never knew Lex Luthor had that...and a scene right after I wont go into detail about...I just preferred this version of the movie and quite enjoyed it despite the length...
Cool! I agree, some of that extra stuff feels essential. Donner did do a "director's cut" in the early 2000s where he put about eight minutes of that stuff back in, including a lot of extended Krypton/Jor-El stuff and the gauntlet scene in Luthor's lair, etc.
How good was the 1978 Superman movie? I went and saw it in the theater with my parents... I was just shy of my 3rd birthday... And to this day, I remember seeing Christopher Reeve flying on the movie screen. Yeah.
Did you guys miss that the little girl on the train in Smallville when Clark was running next to it was Lois Lane. Also, I loved the Gauntlet scene and wish they had left in the movie.
Oh yeah she’s not identified as Lois in the theatrical cut, which is the version we reviewed for this video. Love the gauntlet scene, too - Donner did put that back in for his special edition director’s cut.
I might never watch another MCU Movie but I'd certainly give another Superman a shot. James Gunn has made awesome Guardians of the Galaxy movies but he was also responsible for Suicide Squad.
The only thing that bothered me about the movie was Luthors Wig ! I didn't know it was a wig until the end of the movie, but it anoyed me thst he wasn't bald throughout the movie, because at 10 years old i had been a Superman fan since before i had conscious memory!!!!
5:22 I love many of the effects due to the practicality of them. Neo and Smith fighting in the rain was awesome…and obviously, wholly cgi. I think Superman holds up better because of its practical elements. Similar comparison to Man of Steel. But they seemed to learn from it in BvS and Cavill clearly was in those spaces for real, much more often. The “uncanny valley” could reasonably apply to cgi effects that get high marks for flexibility but more easily cross over to suspension of my suspension of disbelief. Practical effects lack the flexibility of cgi scenes but hold up better over time, imo, and bring a verisimilitude that CAN make up for its limitations.
The humour in this movie was spot on at the time. I remember the whole theatre exploding with laughter at each joke. Maybe it does not translate so well today, but it was made for 1970's audiences. Personally, I agree Christopher Reeve was the best superman...but wow Tom Welling really embodied the role of Clark and Henry Cavill was born to play Superman but needed a better story behind him.
Argh, wish I could have been part of this discussion. I think the fact that it's so embedded in the late 1970s isn't much of a downside, although it changes the way the film is experienced by people from now on. It makes me think of the Sherlock Holmes stories; they were torn from the contemporary mean streets of London when Doyle wrote them, but they were so good that they lasted long enough to be enjoyed now as period pieces. This movie will end up being the same: still loved but experienced in a new way. For me, the daylight mugging made something clear to me as a middle-aged curmudgeon that I completely missed when I was 12 and saw this in theaters: that Clark and Superman are not as different as we always say they are. Clark may be squeaking like a milquetoast, but he pushes himself between Lois and the mugger from the second the gun comes out and stays there. Later on after one-handing the falling helicopter Superman tells Lois, "Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel," and that line is so painfully nerdy that you can easily imagine Clark saying it while pushing up his glasses. In both cases, he's simultaneously nerd and a hero, but it's a matter of which is ascendant. Clark is a heroic nerd, and Superman is a nerdy hero. They are two sides of the same personality, not two different personalities. For me, that's the best thing about Reeve's portrayal. It's not hero OR nerd. It's an "and." I also didn't appreciate the rooftop flirting as much when I was a kid. The thing that hits me now as an adult is that, although they are both flirting, it's done in an extremely kind-hearted and sincere way. It's not cheap or crude at all, but it's also adult and honest. That's a hard balance to strike, and most movies nowdays don't even bother.
WONDERFUL observations. Totally agree. It's one of the reasons I'm a little befuddled by the way Superman describes Clark as a different person in next movie. Reeve's performance really does seem to show us that his Clark is not always just a goofy act, there's often sincerity and sometimes moments of self-doubt and vulnerability. But pointing out that his nerdiness is still there as Superman is freaking brilliant. Are you cool if we include your comment in a future episode? This is gold. Cheers 👊
Yeah personally I don't mind the period-piece feel it has now (this is Chad speaking, the bald dude). Screw it, it's Superman in the 70s. '70s retro chic is so fashionable now, in a weird sense it was ahead of its time. Speaking of period pieces, I think would be amazing to see an Elseworlds Superman movie set in the 1940s with modern effects.
I think the inside jokes are smartly done. The look Lois gives him when he bumps into her on his way to his desk [the idea that he had a rock hard, ummm, member]. During the interview, just substitute the word "f**k" and there's a whole other level of fun going on there, and it works for kids _and_ adults. Kids of a certain age have no idea of the double entendre.
YES! love that moment, I was kicking myself during the edit when I realized we overlooked mentioning that. Also the way Clark shamefully shakes his head to himself right afterwards seemed totally genuine, like it wasn’t part of the act. I love how nuanced his Clark portrayal was. Nobody since has come close.
@prodigioussaps Reeve plays Superman straight as an arrow, but with just enough of a subtle edge. As Superman, he may not know that she's _actually_ directly asking him if he can f**k, but he _does_ pick up on the idea that she's really into him. I'm so happy your guys touched on the big smile he has on his face when he _turns away_ from Lois at the helicopter . . . I have always interpreted that as him not just having fun, but specifically having fun _with her_ . He plays at absolutely straight as for as _she_ can see, but he's actually having fun messing with her. Something else that Unsworth did was light then blue in the suit with a subtle, almost subconscious glow, which non-verbally gives us the idea that the suit itself is not of this earth. That's _extremely_ important because Donner and Mank knew that you can laugh _with_ Superman, but absolutely _never_ can we laugh _at_ him, because that'll take us out of the movie. If ever the audience looks at Reeve in that suit and consciously says "that's just a dude in a leotard" then it's all over. Another thing is that we never see any dirt get on that suit whatsoever, even when he pulls Lois from the car . . . the suit itself is made of stuff that we humans can't understand, and aren't supposed to. That's why your take on him turning back time is so important. The whole idea that makes Superman so hard to write is that he can do . . . anything. So it _really_ has to mean something for him to defy his father.
@prodigioussaps Reeve as Clark is just brilliant. Slouchy posture. Voice a whole octave higher. Hair parted exactly the opposite. Shifty feet. Pure Cary Grant.
@prodigioussaps This film is literally infused into my DNA. Have you guys noticed how terrible the 5.1 mix is compared to the original 2.0 sound? The original credit whooshes are the only ones that are acceptable. The redone sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me. It's crazy. That film is such a part of me that I can identify _any_ part of the movie if I _hear_ about a second of any part of it, starting with the sound of the curtains opening. I don't even have to see it.
Hey your talking about when he was young so running with the train I looked at like I said and I liked at he's learning his power I grew up with the first Superman and that were I started liking him
Zod, Non, and Ursa mirror Luther, Otis and Ms Testmocher. Even Zod and Luther make annoyed faces at their idiocy. 😂(I just thought of it really) Luther/Zod think they are superior gods to everyone. Even Zod corrects the President. Non and Otis are constantly trying to please their superior. Now Ursa and Testmocher are a little different. Testmocher actually helps Superman. Ursa feels everyone except Zod is below her
lol! just close the trunk. bit of trivia, that same exact trunk contained an important item when it was in Obi Wan"s cave. I saw the documentary alone for the very same reason and glad I did, because I did just that.
You need to rewatch that scene again. Jor-El said “By now you should’ve reached your 18th birthday, as it is measured on Earth. By that reckoning, I would've be dead for many thousands of our years.” time difference between Krypton and Earth.
Nnnnope sorry he very distinctly says “your”, and that’s what it says in the shooting script as well. Anyway, if that were the case what difference would that make? How would that make any more sense?
@@prodigioussaps I read that draft as well, along with your years. A previous draft had “thousands of our years.” which could help explain the measurement of Krypton time and Earth time. Then again, Lara mentioned that “the Earth was primitives, thousands of years behind them,” but there were just a few discrepancies. Still, the best version of Superman will ever have. I was 8 when it came out, and I was in awe. To this day, I’m still amazed by what they attempted to do with the tech they had and the budget they were given.
I’m not sure how 18 earth years could translate to thousands of Kryptonian years unless we’re talking time dilation based on Kal-El’s ship traveling faster than light or whathaveyou. Either way, none of this explains away Luthor’s line about Krypton exploding in 1948. Anyway, it’s just fun nerdy crap. There really is no making sense of it. Luthor’s deduction of how Kryptonite works doesn’t really make sense, either.
I always wondered why they got the baby that looked close to Brando as possible as opposed to Reeve. I get it Brando is the big start but i didnt know that or care about that as a kid.
Man Brendan, You were the smartest 8yr old ever with the way u picked up all the differences from the comic to the movie! Haa! Just messing of course. I was also 8 when Supes 1st came out,and I do remember noticing some of the differences from the comic to movie..I think I just thought of it like the way the tv show Hullk differed from the comic book Hulk.Like how the Hulk never spoke on the show and he was Way underpowered compared to his comic counterpart
@@prodigioussaps It looked too fake. Same thing with Superman Returns, when he catches the plane. It looks fake. Same thing with Man of Steel, where as impressive as the visuals were, they had the same CGI unreality look to them. When I saw the first trailer for Superman Returns, I thought it was an animated movie, because the first scene was him in space, and it looked like a well done cartoon. That was disappointing. The first real superfeat of this movie is Lois in one hand, and a helicopter in the other. And since they were both real things, it gives the scene a whole different look, despite the fact that the building was invariably fake. That doesn't matter a bit to me. And by getting it right, it allows you to accept so much at the end, like the miniature hamlet saved from the flood, the terrible crack in the ground swallowing up Lois car, etc.
Very good points, you're right... the Lois/helicopter scene is absolute perfection. And it still holds up, which is amazing especially considering when it was made. Thanks for that, cheers 👊
The best Superman with the best suit in the best Superman movie
Superword.
There will never be a better Superman then Christopher Reeve never
He did set a very, VERY high bar.
I can easily see Davids version surpass .. they went to the same acting school and it’s gonna be less dated without the cheesy cringe factor so whole new generation will fall in love with Superman
@@chrisszostek67001978 cringe is much different then 2020 cringe. This will bomb and the cringe nowadays is CRINGE. 1978 cringe still gets a chuckle at the very least
@@johncap6495 the new generation is just not gonna watch the old superman movies and if they do they got Superman 3-4 to get through 🥴
Blud you haven’t even seen a trailer yet🤣🤦♂️ What happens in the first minute of Gunns Superman film ??
Truth
The shot with the spaceship on krypton breaking the glass, with a piece of glass perfectly flying at the camera has to be the greatest shot in cinematic history.
My theory as to why Lex works with idiots is because he sees his intelligence as so above that of other humans that there’s no appreciable difference between Otis and Benjamin Franklin.
@@GrahamBandage Also, being surrounded by very smart criminals might be complicated. They might not always agree or want the same thing. Idiots will just do what you tell them. Easier to control.
@@miller-joel Let's face it - there is no good justification other than it makes the movie really fun to watch. On every level that materially counts Lex is as much an idiot as Otis, and is the architect of his own downfall. Luckily I don't watch Superman for plot-holes or lack of plot verisimilitude - I watch it because I love it and it entertains me. 🙂
No other actor since Christopher Reeve version of Superman will never beat him . To many of us he was the real Superman. RIP.
Born n raised in Hackensack, so thank you Superman
I ... loved ... this movie. I remember my father telling me back in the summer of 1978 about a "Superman movie" coming out soon. Even at 11 years old, I recall being cynical enough to say to him that I thought they would mess it all up. Still, in December of that year, Dad took us kids to see it in one of the last remaining single-theater cinemas in town. It had a huge lobby with an incredible and classy chandelier and everything. We snuck in coolers of iced tea and hoagies, and even a cassette recorder as well, to capture the audio from the movie... all my Dad's idea, by the way. We were all AWESTRUCK at the spectacle that was "Superman: The Movie", and it was made extra sweet by my father's childlike wonder and glee at seeing his favorite superhero come to life in such a literally perfect way. I played that tape until the player itself finally stopped working. It's funny to have such an emotional attachment to a film as I do to this one. While it is a fantastic work of art to be sure, in my heart I know that the real reason is the eternal connection to my Dad that it gives me whenever I see it. For this reason, above all, "Superman: The Movie", will always hold a special place in my heart that is more than just the love of a great film, far more indeed. It is the connection it gives me to the very first Superman I ever knew and loved, who I was so very blessed to call ... "Dad".
That’s wonderful, thanks so much for sharing that. I have preserved a lot of great moments with my dad back in those days thanks to a cassette recorder. Now we can record anything anywhere and people seem to take it for granted. Back then it was like a fragile kind of magic. Cheers. 👊
@@prodigioussaps So true! Stay strong!! 💪
Superman the movie holds up on every level
I agree. It’s fun to nitpick certain things like we do in this piece but it’s such a tremendous achievement that it’s really kind of impervious to criticism.
@@prodigioussaps And pain. Well, so far.
I love the opening titles because it forces the cinema goer to take in the people that worked on it, and it primes anyone who has never seen it with the Superman score before they have even seen superman on screen.
Krypton is what I feel a dying planet in orbit of a Red Giant would look like. the sort of planet you'd need to be superhuman to be able to survive on.
👍
When you watch 4 you can tell by the opening credits they went cheap
Superman the movie has the most iconic and GOAT superhero reveal to date. His helicopter save is legend!
Totally agree
"You got me, but who's got you?"😂
I doubt very much that there will ever be another Superman film as good as the original. I don’t care how dated the effects are. Or how dated the film is. This movie never bores me and still has a magical epic feel to it. I will never forget sitting in a theater as a ten year old and being completely blown away just by the opening credits and the amazing music. I knew I was in for something special and I had no idea how right I was.
Always has been and always will be my favorite movie of all time. It's not just a movie, it's an EXPERIENCE. It's about hope and wonder, even as it's also about love and self-sacrifice. The music still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. This film is epic in every way, beautifully shot, and gives us the Superman we'll always believe in. Thank you Donner, Reeve, and Williams for this incredible gift.
Beautiful summation. Cheers. 👊
What I LOVE about Christopher Reeve's performance is that Superman/Kal-El is the person and Clark Kent is the alterego. He almost doesn't need the glasses, it's the charge of character. Kent is the nerd, the dork, the person no-one notices, he's quiet, shy and disappears. People ignore him.
In the scene after the flying, when Kent appears at Lois's apartment, he almost reveals who he is. And in the one line of dialogue, "Lois, I have something to tell you, I'm really..." His posture and demenour is that of Superman. Big, tall, confident, deep voice. Then he changes. His posture, voice, demenour changes, he slightly stutters. He's Kent, again.
Superb acting.
The scene where Supes first appears in The Suit and rescues Lois is just wonderful. The practical effects work extremely well for the time and as much as it's a bit silly, "Easy Miss, I gotcha", it's also quite wonderful and makes me smile every time, and I've watched it dozens of times. It's just rather bad that the only non-white face in the entire film is just stereo-typed.
It's one of my all-time favourite scenes of all-time. When you're a young girl and in love with Superman, it's just magical. It helps that Christopher Reeve has a wonderful, beautiful smile.
The whole catching-the-bullet moment is fabulous!!
Well said! The other thing I love about when Superman catches Lois after she falls from the helicopter is how he initially continues downward with her before slowly reducing her velocity and then going back upward. It's a wonderful attention to detail that they don't bother with in superhero scenes anymore. They just zip in and save people at insane speeds that in reality would probably atomize the people they were trying to save.
@@prodigioussaps Yes, it's a small, but great touch.
It's the speech at the end of Kill Bill 2. David Carridine says the exact same thing.
@@henrywallacesghost5883 Oh right. I've seen the first Kill Bill film, but not the second. 😃
@@BintyMcFrazzles why would watch the first one and not the second? They were meant to be viewed together.
When I first saw this at the Benson Twin in Brooklyn in 1978 I was floored. I could not sleep after seeing this movie, I was so psyched. I love everything about this movie, even the long credit sequence. The love that went into this film everyone involved deserved to be mentioned. If they listed Richard Donner's chef I would have thought it would be appropriate.
It was 10 times the movie compared to anything that was available back then. It still is today. Us late 70s kids were spoiled …in the most magnificent way possible.
I’ve always loved the addition of the SuperTest Luthor puts Superman thru - bullets, cold, fire, etc….because in the first movie the audience, myself included, would want to see all the cool powers he has shown off, as much as I wanted to see him rescue Frisky and thwart the suction cup robber. Making it one sequence satisfies that, sort of like doing a concert montage in a musician’s biopic. Any leftover greatest hits can be crammed into that one sequence.
43:03 Yep.
That pimp’s prominence was such that I thought, for the longest time, that there were no other Black characters in the movie.
I was almost right. He’s just the only one who speaks.
The composer was not aware that the director wanted Margot Kidder to speak the lyrics of "Can You Read My Mind?" - the composer had already hired an excellent singer and was NOT happy with the decision. And I have said for decades that the best special effect in the movie is Christopher Reeve himself!
You’re so right about Reeve, and I love how Donner never stopped praising him for that.
The male of the species as a work of art.
@@prodigioussapsthe arch in his flight as he flies in the fortress of solitude is remarkable,awesome show
I hope Superman winks on screen, in the new movie. Like the classic comics and Cartoons
I love the opening credits of Superman so much that as a kid I often watched them and then skipped the actual movie. In fact, I still have my 1981 VHS rental tape; it still plays fine, except the opening ten minutes is a bit worn. 🙂
It was so "extra" and I love every minute, also, it gives you something to watch during the overture. The Black Hole has an overture too but it's not nearly as good.
@@jdogburke That's right, overtures were big for a while there. West Side Story, Spartacus, 2001, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Sound of Music (hey, three of those have the same director - and wait a minute, the other two have the same director too! Coincidence? Yeah, probably). The last time I saw an overture was earlier this year in The Zone of Interest - which is a great film, by the way, although definitely NOT compatible with pizza and beer on a Friday night!
I’m totally with you. I turn the volume all the way down for the flying scene, but I love the imagery.
They didn't need the poem, it was romantic already.
I love the subtle dum de dum ,dum de dum dum de dum , more exciting than jaws ,it's so so great to listen to you and read your chatters
This Movie was filmed the same year I was Born. Late 70's put out some great pictures. Superman, Star Wars, The Sorcerer, Taxi Driver, Close Encounters, Jaws, Rocky, Apocalypse Now! and so many more.
I subbed after 3 seconds ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ lotta love for anyone who recognises the masterpiece of superman the movie
And thank god you two are funny aswell ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Aw thanks so much! That means the world, so glad you found us. Lots more Superman stuff coming. 👊
Thanks for a warm welcome .
I'm in👍
Superman was the first movie I ever saw at the cinema, I'd just turned 7 and I was up past my bedtime so my Dad could take me. I fell asleep during the shorts before the main feature and had to be woken up :D. I used to buy the collectable Superman cards from the Post Office, there was a little stick of chewing gum in the pack.
I remember those. The cards tasted better than the gum.
Me and my best friend went to the first day Superman opened, and we were 3rd and 4th in line, the line ended up going around the theater! We were so excited, we were 9 and 10 years old, and we loved it ! I liked Star Wars , but I loved Superman the Movie !!!!!
There's one other thing that always bothered me. If Lex Luther is so ruthless, why would he forgive Miss Tessmacher for betraying him and basically completely ruining his whole plot?
Have you not seen her attributes 😂
I think that Superman had enough time the second time around because (1) he did not take that moment of pride that Brando admonished him about. He was proud of his work at the dam, then remembered Lois. (2) As Captain Sully puts it, he knew what was coming, so he went from one project to the other to contain the damage. He could have redone the entire movie, but I think that he just went back far enough to give himself time to save Lois.
I so wish I was part of this conversation. I have had these thoughts many times and now I know others have thought way too much about this stuff too. Thanks for this.
Cool - you’re part of the conversation now! Speak freely 🎤 And thanks so much for chiming in. Cheers 👊
The fact that new tech was created just for this film just illustrates how dedicated and brilliant Donner was.
Yep, very true.
One thing about the art direction I don't think anyone ever points out is the use of colour.
For example when ever there is danger the colour red is on the screen red sun, the planet krypton turns red, Jonathan dies Clark in a red shirt, harry dies by red train, Red poster and grafitti in the mugging scene behind lois and Clark, Lois in red helicopter, lois in a red car, missile programme red lighting, abort red button, red bridge, red Trans am, red fuel light, jimmy wearing red shirt.
Green is used for Wicked or evil
Tessmacher in green swim suit surrounded by green leaves, lex in green cap with green shorts in green tinted water, Kryptonite Green. lois thinking less than wholesome thoughts about Superman wearing a green dress.
Also they do explain the missile thing in the film Superman had never known how fast he could fly "You know I never really bothered to time myself", and they do say about the missiles "Can't you knock them down?" the reply "negative, absolutely impossible, they have the new reaction avoidance system".
Great observations! Although I suspect that line about never bothering to time himself was mostly just an excuse to invite Lois to fly with him. It’s also probably true he never timed himself, but I have to think he knows exactly what his top speed is and it’s the one that breaks the time barrier. Jor-El must have gone over all that with him, or else how would he have known how to do it? Just another fun hole to poke in the script, really.
Have you both done a breakdown of Superman III & Superman IV the Quest for Peace ?
Coming up! We're just now getting to III, IV will be next.
I unashamedly love the third movie in spite of (or perhaps because of) its silliness! The fourth one is hard to watch in places though due to its problems. Reeve is excellent in both though!
I love both Donner's Superman and Superman & Lois. Snyder seemed to focus on Superman being an alien when he is human. He just comes from another planet, but he grew up on earth. He gets his humanity from his parents, and it shows with Christopher Reeve's version. I felt Cavil looked the part but never got to really play the part.
Agreed! Cheers 👊
Definitely didn't let Henry play the Clark part enough. The thing is that they put Superman 1 and 2 together and it was OK, but needed more fleshing out. I mean Clark didn't even work at the Daily Planet until the very end.
I saw Superman when I was ten and I loved the opening credits and I do until today.
$109 million budget for a single production in '77-'78.
-- Superman 1&2
Yep, and then $39 million for Superman III and something $17 million for IV... movie budgets were not Superman's friend after these first two, sadly.
@@prodigioussapsSalkinds made a bundle and got out just in time. Just wish Donner and them got along because 3 could have been much better with Donner.
I just re-watched the flying scene from the copy I purchased from iTunes, and they have removed the dialogue in the flying scene, but kept the scene intact. It’s a vast improvement!
Wow that’s wild! I know editor Michael Thau wanted to do that but Donner didn’t approve. I wonder when that change was made.
@@prodigioussaps Oh dear... I have to take it back... I hadn't gone far enough into the scene. It's there...
Oh, phew! I honestly wasn’t surprised at the possibility because I’d heard WB had apparently taken some liberties with the Donner Cut as it was released on a couple of streaming services, but I can’t personally verify that.
In this next year, we shall examine the human heart. It is more fragile than your own.
One year on the human heart .
Just discovered your channel so I'm sorry if this is a bit late. Your commentary is terrific. Some thoughts of my own:
1) Cover of Action Comics #1 - I suspect Donner didn't want to begin with an image of Superman; he wanted to save that for emotional impact. Starting with the "cradle" rocketing to Earth orients the audience to Krypton, which we are about to journey to.
2) The titles: I love their length. I love their pomposity. The 70s were an obvious transition time for cinema. New Hollywood was giving us these gritty films like The French Connection and The Deer Hunter, and that was transitioning to the Blockbuster Era, but you still had old school Hollywood types like De Laurentiis and Irwin Allen. I feel the Salkinds were more of the old school type, and they were announcing to the world that Superman was an Event Movie. Not a blockbuster like Jaws and Star Wars, but an Event like Ben Hur, Spartacus, and The Towering Inferno. They wanted all the names in big bold letters to tell people this was a serious film with serious talent and not some campy kid production from William Dozier. "Look here - we've got the best of Hollywood! Gene Hackman! Marlon Brando! Mario Puzo (twice!)!" And they wanted the audience to bask in that glorious Williams score, an overture of the sort you'd see in West Side Story. The filmmakers framed the movie perfectly.
3) Otis and Miss Tessmacher - Why is Lex surrounding himself with idiots? The easy answer is that this is still a film that needs to be family friendly. There needs to be humor. The villain with goofy henchmen was a comic trope. They can't start with Lex being a psychopath working with real thugs and gangsters. Dramatically, it also sets up the ending. The humor of the Luthor crew - including Lex himself - lulls us into a false sense of security so that when his plan succeeds, when Lois - LOIS! - dies, it is a gut punch. But within the context of the otherwise realistic world Donner crafted, ask yourself - what self respecting criminal would work with Luthor? He's not interested in robbing banks or selling drugs. He's out to sink the west coast. He's a genius, but a mad one. And for Luthor, would you trust criminals capable of independent thought and action? I'd argue he took the two people just competent enough to carry out his orders, but not smart enough to seriously question or challenge him.
4) On the wig. OK, sure, he should have been willing to go bald for the role but you bring up legitimate concerns for the actor, especially in 1978. But it also makes some sense for the character of Luthor who, in his silver age origin, vows revenge against Superboy for making him lose his hair. If the guy was that traumatized by his baldness, it would also make sense for him to cover it up when he could.
Thanks Michael! Great takes one and all, thanks for that. Cheers 👊
I’m ok with the long intro. It builds anticipation with that score.
Re Jor-El being dead for many thousands of years, but Krypton only appearing to have blown up three years earlier, surely it is just a question of Earth only sees Krypton blow up recently because the event's light has taken many thousands of years to travel here? For instance, when we at last see the relatively close star Betelgeuse go supernova in the next 50-100 years - the actual event will have happened over 400 years before hand. If anything it shows that Lex is not nearly as clever as he tells everyone he is. But on the other hand that is obvious because he employs Otis! ;-)
I like the 'Can you read my mind' scene - I love any part of the film (including the opening credits) set to John Williams music. I guess I just love this movie 100%.
So comic book reaction to the kryptonite, eyes wide open and in shock I love it
Yeah it’s perfect.
Let's not forget Chief Tug Smith also had a line when he was being interviewed by Lois in the desert. He even got to include a dig at Custer's expense! As a Native, I always appreciate what little representation we get.
Yes, you’re right - I should have mentioned that! Thank you.
Brendan talking about the super long credits: "Oh good, there's catering..." 🤣
Ha, yeah I laughed every time I re-heard that bit while I was editing.
I could watch those credits forever. As long as they have the music.
I agree, the music makes it work for me, along with the concept that we’re traveling from Earth to Krypton in the process.
@@miller-joel There are several symphony versions of the music on You tube ... my favorite has the movie playing on a screen in the background. The music is a favorite of mine too ... I love Holst's "The Planets" and the Superman march has the same almost emotional/psychological impact. The march of the army in Aida has that same impact. ((search parameters) Superman Theme John Williams Royal Philharmonic. Royal Albert Hall. ) I'm like a kid when I listen to certain pieces of music. Instant smile on my face, thumping fingers or a foot along with the music. Some people never grow up and I am one of them. 🤓
@@kathleenhensley5951❤❤❤
As an adult I’ve come to the conclusion that this version of Luthor (and to a certain degree, Byrne’s version of the character) doesn’t like to be challenged too much.
He’s like a smart kid, who prefers to play with kids that are younger than he is. It’s less challenging for him and further underlines his brilliance and infinte power and wisdom.
It’s pretty interesting then, when he’s faced with Superman, and later on Zod. Was he up to the challenge? Obviously not.
To be fair despite the mentioned quibbles of comedy aspects in metropolis , you have to remember the tone set by Donner was that he wanted the film to be "big and heroic that didn't take itself too seriously" unlike his omen film. As a 10 year old in 78 this suited me .
My understanding is that, for the time, the miniature city in the dam scene was not as good as they wanted, because their top guy had to leave for another project.
Ah, thanks for that! I really need to find a good book about this production.
This is excellent listening to two very knowledgeable superman fans break down these movies terrific show guys
Hey thanks Danny!! Really appreciate that. Cheers. 👊
Love this conversation. In my book George Reeves set the standard that Reeve lived up to while he also set a new standard. George Reeves had a Super smile and a super wink and a great Super glare at the bad guys.
Christopher Reeve is the only other actor to live up to that standard in my book.
I agree! Thanks Steve 👊
20:20 Nice catch re: thousands of years vs 3 years of space travel.
1:13:00 Lois' death was f'ing traumatic. Much more than Krypton exploding.
Yes, absolutely... I can't think of another movie with a gut-punch more powerful than Superman's scream of grief & anger in that scene.
The scream of a billion souls all dying at once is drowned out by the scream of someone You love, dying before your eyes.
We human beings don't handle large nameless numbers of dead very well.
@@prodigioussaps She was buried alive! In a kids' movie!
@@miller-joel Kid's entertainment can have some horrors in it that I don't particularly want to see as an old woman! Read real fairy tales and myths, if you don't understand.
Look at Star Wars! (the original not this modern junk!)
Or any of the Indiana Jones movies.
You can’t really complain the movie is dated because it was set in the then present time of 1978. That is unavoidable in all movies.
Still my fav movie of all time. I understand the history of course, but my #1 quibble is the entire first part with the 3 villains, which essentially had nothing to do with anything in the movie (and masterpieces need to exist on their own).
A fair point!
@prodigioussaps I suppose the scene establishes Jor-El as an uncompromising and strong leader, but there are other, shorter ways to do that.
And the scene of course leaves the casual viewer dumbfounded as to why that plot line was unresolved.
My take on teen Clark running at normal human speed when his father collapsed is because Clark was repressing or suppressing his super abilities. Clark sees that his father has fallen but doesn't know he's dying so normal human speed must have seemed sufficient.
The woman in the opening scene is Maria Schell (Gary Cooper’s co-star in “The Hanging Tree”). Her brother was Oscar winner Maximilian Schell (“Judgment at Nuremberg”). He made a fascinating documentary about her, “My Sister Maria.”
@@TheTerryGene he was Tea Leoni’s dad in deep impact as well
@@BeyondNarratives And she played Jon Voight’s mother in The Odessa File, while Maximilian played the villain!
The first movie I saw Max in was the Young Lions with Brando, Clift and Dean Martin.
According to the editing i. This movie, the reason Lois died was because Superman spent too much time admiring his own work. She was still alive while he just stood there smiling at the town he just saved. If he had more of a sense of urgency he could have saved her
Okay I can see that. For me, I think Donner's intention was that in that moment, Superman thought that his work was done... saving that small town from the dam burst was essentially the last thing on his extensive post-earthquake to-do list, and so this was the first time he actually had a moment to pause and take a breath, and that quiet moment is what finally freed his senses enough to hear Lois for the first time. Suffice it to say, though, the whole point of that scene is that he felt he had failed her and blamed himself, so either way it works.
Okay so after thinking about it for awhile it occurs to me. Brendon, I feel like you're underestimating how important the humor/comedy was to the success of the movie, and perhaps Donner knew this. I say this because we saw what this type of superman movie sans humor would look like in Superman Returns. Superman returns really went for the same feel as the original Donner films, but without the humor. Lex Luther WAS a ruthless evil man with real thugs and villains helping him out, and the movie bombed hard. Maybe it would have done better to also match the humor of the Donner films if it was going to match the overall tone as well. just my thoughts.
Is it just me or with the Air Force one scene, it sounds like Reeve is the metropolis tower voice? Also the pilots voice reminded me of Rich Little, “fly, don’t look just fly”.
@@KC-fi6rk …it is Reeve doing the tower voice. And the Air Force One pilots’ voices were dubbed because of their British accents.
the "just fly" pilot voice was ADR as well.
18:40 It’s wild that he’s taught about Earth and time and space…and then doesn’t know his origin.
Interesting point. Maybe a lot of it came back to him when he started training at the Fortress? We don’t know.
It wasn’t just an action adventure movie. It was art… from the Krypton scenes to Smallville and Metropolis. 😊
Yes indeed! Cheers 👊
Love your passion guys!
Thanks Annette!!
The Daily Planet building is actually the New York Daily News office tower.
Yep, been there myself! It’s awesome.
You guys should do a breakdown of the extra scenes in the 3 hour TV cut and the version as a whole.
That’s a great idea! Thanks 👊
Hi new suscriber here, I just found You and already love your videos but Guys!! You didn't break down the Best scene of the movie!! Helicopter rescue! The score is fantastic and the lines!
I got You
You got me ! Whos got You!?!?
I'm 50 and obiously I saw it in theatre and I still cry every time...
Hi George, thanks so much! You’re right, we could have dug into that scene a bit more. It is such an impeccably directed scene from start to finish, still the best introduction to a superhero ever, I think.
Otis would have worked if he were Luthor’s idiot brother who he swore to care for.
1:42 hopefully, there will be acknowledgement of the fact that the “poem” or “song” charted WELL for quite a while back then.
I skip it now but someone ate it up then.
Don't you DARE criticize the opening credits sequence. Don't even go there. Nope. You're just wrong. This isn't a matter of opinion. It's scientific fact. The opening is just magnificient. And without it, we would have never gotten the spectacular John Williams theme. I wouldn't change a second of it.
It's arguably one of the greatest opening sequences of all time. It looks like credits from the early to mid 2000s. The film came out in 1978.
I always felt that the council ignoring Jor El's warnings work as a modern allegory for reactions to climate change. Also, the stark white-brightness of Krypton serves as contrast to earth. This gives 3 very distinct settings, sterile and alien, rural and Rockwellesque, and lastly a gritty and sleepless Metropolis.
Still the best superhero movie, flaws and all. No other movie has what this movie has.
Agreed
“They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son.
Mankeiwicz magic.
Indeed! He doesn’t get enough credit, IMO. Cheers 👊
I just watched the 3 hour TV version of Superman 1978...I acually liked this version. Yeah there were added scenes I found to be more like deleted scenes like after he first rescues Lois Lane...it was a longer shot of him flying and I thought it showed Christopher Reeve's dedication to the character and his dedication to making the art of flying believable...or how Lex Luther had a pit of lions or tigers Otis had to feed...never knew Lex Luthor had that...and a scene right after I wont go into detail about...I just preferred this version of the movie and quite enjoyed it despite the length...
Cool! I agree, some of that extra stuff feels essential. Donner did do a "director's cut" in the early 2000s where he put about eight minutes of that stuff back in, including a lot of extended Krypton/Jor-El stuff and the gauntlet scene in Luthor's lair, etc.
1978's Superman is still the greatest superhero movie of all time.
How good was the 1978 Superman movie?
I went and saw it in the theater with my parents... I was just shy of my 3rd birthday...
And to this day, I remember seeing Christopher Reeve flying on the movie screen.
Yeah.
* mic drop * 🎤
Yeah that says it all! Cheers.
Did you guys miss that the little girl on the train in Smallville when Clark was running next to it was Lois Lane.
Also, I loved the Gauntlet scene and wish they had left in the movie.
Oh yeah she’s not identified as Lois in the theatrical cut, which is the version we reviewed for this video. Love the gauntlet scene, too - Donner did put that back in for his special edition director’s cut.
I might never watch another MCU Movie but I'd certainly give another Superman a shot. James Gunn has made awesome Guardians of the Galaxy movies but he was also responsible for Suicide Squad.
Good stuff. Entertaining 👍
Thanks Mike!
The only thing that bothered me about the movie was Luthors Wig ! I didn't know it was a wig until the end of the movie, but it anoyed me thst he wasn't bald throughout the movie, because at 10 years old i had been a Superman fan since before i had conscious memory!!!!
This movie paved the way for all of the rest
Yes indeed
5:22 I love many of the effects due to the practicality of them.
Neo and Smith fighting in the rain was awesome…and obviously, wholly cgi.
I think Superman holds up better because of its practical elements.
Similar comparison to Man of Steel. But they seemed to learn from it in BvS and Cavill clearly was in those spaces for real, much more often.
The “uncanny valley” could reasonably apply to cgi effects that get high marks for flexibility but more easily cross over to suspension of my suspension of disbelief.
Practical effects lack the flexibility of cgi scenes but hold up better over time, imo, and bring a verisimilitude that CAN make up for its limitations.
The humour in this movie was spot on at the time. I remember the whole theatre exploding with laughter at each joke. Maybe it does not translate so well today, but it was made for 1970's audiences. Personally, I agree Christopher Reeve was the best superman...but wow Tom Welling really embodied the role of Clark and Henry Cavill was born to play Superman but needed a better story behind him.
Luther still started with hair, aw I can bye it lol
Argh, wish I could have been part of this discussion. I think the fact that it's so embedded in the late 1970s isn't much of a downside, although it changes the way the film is experienced by people from now on. It makes me think of the Sherlock Holmes stories; they were torn from the contemporary mean streets of London when Doyle wrote them, but they were so good that they lasted long enough to be enjoyed now as period pieces. This movie will end up being the same: still loved but experienced in a new way.
For me, the daylight mugging made something clear to me as a middle-aged curmudgeon that I completely missed when I was 12 and saw this in theaters: that Clark and Superman are not as different as we always say they are. Clark may be squeaking like a milquetoast, but he pushes himself between Lois and the mugger from the second the gun comes out and stays there. Later on after one-handing the falling helicopter Superman tells Lois, "Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel," and that line is so painfully nerdy that you can easily imagine Clark saying it while pushing up his glasses.
In both cases, he's simultaneously nerd and a hero, but it's a matter of which is ascendant. Clark is a heroic nerd, and Superman is a nerdy hero. They are two sides of the same personality, not two different personalities. For me, that's the best thing about Reeve's portrayal. It's not hero OR nerd. It's an "and."
I also didn't appreciate the rooftop flirting as much when I was a kid. The thing that hits me now as an adult is that, although they are both flirting, it's done in an extremely kind-hearted and sincere way. It's not cheap or crude at all, but it's also adult and honest. That's a hard balance to strike, and most movies nowdays don't even bother.
WONDERFUL observations. Totally agree. It's one of the reasons I'm a little befuddled by the way Superman describes Clark as a different person in next movie. Reeve's performance really does seem to show us that his Clark is not always just a goofy act, there's often sincerity and sometimes moments of self-doubt and vulnerability. But pointing out that his nerdiness is still there as Superman is freaking brilliant. Are you cool if we include your comment in a future episode? This is gold. Cheers 👊
@@prodigioussaps Not sure why my reply isn't showing up, but please feel free to reference my previous comment. 🙂 Subbed!
Not only the best superman film but the best superhero movie
Agreed. Still stands head and shoulders above everything that’s followed.
"There's no Z in brassiere!"
Dated schmated. The '70s were cool. And I loved, loved, loved the unabashed romanticism of that flying sequence.
Yeah personally I don't mind the period-piece feel it has now (this is Chad speaking, the bald dude). Screw it, it's Superman in the 70s. '70s retro chic is so fashionable now, in a weird sense it was ahead of its time.
Speaking of period pieces, I think would be amazing to see an Elseworlds Superman movie set in the 1940s with modern effects.
If superman went speed of light during missile chase he would cause catastrophic explosions due to friction
I never knew that Superman was supposed to fly that fast... (or would it be just under the speed-of-light?)
Thats why he goes up to space to fly faster, and acording to comic books depending of the version of superman he can go 10x speed of light.
Reporter, well cause he know where the crimes is of course lol yet super hearing lol
That flying scene from the fortress was awesome
I think the inside jokes are smartly done. The look Lois gives him when he bumps into her on his way to his desk [the idea that he had a rock hard, ummm, member]. During the interview, just substitute the word "f**k" and there's a whole other level of fun going on there, and it works for kids _and_ adults. Kids of a certain age have no idea of the double entendre.
YES! love that moment, I was kicking myself during the edit when I realized we overlooked mentioning that. Also the way Clark shamefully shakes his head to himself right afterwards seemed totally genuine, like it wasn’t part of the act. I love how nuanced his Clark portrayal was. Nobody since has come close.
@prodigioussaps Reeve plays Superman straight as an arrow, but with just enough of a subtle edge. As Superman, he may not know that she's _actually_ directly asking him if he can f**k, but he _does_ pick up on the idea that she's really into him. I'm so happy your guys touched on the big smile he has on his face when he _turns away_ from Lois at the helicopter . . . I have always interpreted that as him not just having fun, but specifically having fun _with her_ . He plays at absolutely straight as for as _she_ can see, but he's actually having fun messing with her. Something else that Unsworth did was light then blue in the suit with a subtle, almost subconscious glow, which non-verbally gives us the idea that the suit itself is not of this earth. That's _extremely_ important because Donner and Mank knew that you can laugh _with_ Superman, but absolutely _never_ can we laugh _at_ him, because that'll take us out of the movie. If ever the audience looks at Reeve in that suit and consciously says "that's just a dude in a leotard" then it's all over. Another thing is that we never see any dirt get on that suit whatsoever, even when he pulls Lois from the car . . . the suit itself is made of stuff that we humans can't understand, and aren't supposed to. That's why your take on him turning back time is so important. The whole idea that makes Superman so hard to write is that he can do . . . anything. So it _really_ has to mean something for him to defy his father.
@prodigioussaps Reeve as Clark is just brilliant. Slouchy posture. Voice a whole octave higher. Hair parted exactly the opposite. Shifty feet. Pure Cary Grant.
VERY very well put. Thanks for all that. You my friend are tapped into the veins of this movie! Cheers 👊
@prodigioussaps This film is literally infused into my DNA. Have you guys noticed how terrible the 5.1 mix is compared to the original 2.0 sound? The original credit whooshes are the only ones that are acceptable. The redone sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me. It's crazy. That film is such a part of me that I can identify _any_ part of the movie if I _hear_ about a second of any part of it, starting with the sound of the curtains opening. I don't even have to see it.
There has never been a better Superman or Lois Lane. Born to play the roles.👍🏿👏🏿
Agreed
Hey your talking about when he was young so running with the train I looked at like I said and I liked at he's learning his power I grew up with the first Superman and that were I started liking him
Cool, yeah it’s a wonderful scene
Zod, Non, and Ursa mirror Luther, Otis and Ms Testmocher. Even Zod and Luther make annoyed faces at their idiocy. 😂(I just thought of it really) Luther/Zod think they are superior gods to everyone. Even Zod corrects the President. Non and Otis are constantly trying to please their superior. Now Ursa and Testmocher are a little different. Testmocher actually helps Superman. Ursa feels everyone except Zod is below her
28:47 he could just not have that fine control you’re and we are used to.
Maybe he had to rev up…and it would be a challenge to stop.
Yeah that’s a fine way to look at it.
lol! just close the trunk. bit of trivia, that same exact trunk contained an important item when it was in Obi Wan"s cave. I saw the documentary alone for the very same reason and glad I did, because I did just that.
Yeah, that's fascinating. I see that chest sold at auction awhile back for $110,000. Holy crap.
You need to rewatch that scene again. Jor-El said “By now you should’ve reached your 18th birthday, as it is measured on Earth. By that reckoning, I would've be dead for many thousands of our years.” time difference between Krypton and Earth.
Nnnnope sorry he very distinctly says “your”, and that’s what it says in the shooting script as well. Anyway, if that were the case what difference would that make? How would that make any more sense?
@@BrianStevens1 Still doesn't make sense.
@@prodigioussaps I read that draft as well, along with your years. A previous draft had “thousands of our years.” which could help explain the measurement of Krypton time and Earth time. Then again, Lara mentioned that “the Earth was primitives, thousands of years behind them,” but there were just a few discrepancies. Still, the best version of Superman will ever have. I was 8 when it came out, and I was in awe. To this day, I’m still amazed by what they attempted to do with the tech they had and the budget they were given.
I’m not sure how 18 earth years could translate to thousands of Kryptonian years unless we’re talking time dilation based on Kal-El’s ship traveling faster than light or whathaveyou. Either way, none of this explains away Luthor’s line about Krypton exploding in 1948.
Anyway, it’s just fun nerdy crap. There really is no making sense of it. Luthor’s deduction of how Kryptonite works doesn’t really make sense, either.
7:33 Blasphemy.
The opening is long but so awesome and classic.
I loved that 💩 so much back then that it still endures now.
Superman 78 is the GOAT.
You’ll get no argument from us on that score! Cheers 👊
Here’s my possible unpopular opinion. Jeff East was the best superboy and those scenes lifted the whole film. He should have got a higher billing.
That opinion isn’t unpopular with us! Totally agree - Jeff doesn’t get nearly enough credit.
"seen by the little girl on the train"
You mean lois? :D
I always wondered why they got the baby that looked close to Brando as possible as opposed to Reeve. I get it Brando is the big start but i didnt know that or care about that as a kid.
Huh, I never even thought about that. Is that just your observation or did they say that's what they were going for?
Man Brendan, You were the smartest 8yr old ever with the way u picked up all the differences from the comic to the movie! Haa! Just messing of course. I was also 8 when Supes 1st came out,and I do remember noticing some of the differences from the comic to movie..I think I just thought of it like the way the tv show Hullk differed from the comic book Hulk.Like how the Hulk never spoke on the show and he was Way underpowered compared to his comic counterpart
The issue with nearly all Superman movies is that they ruin the first super feat. Donner got it exactly right in this one.
Indeed he did. What do you think Lester got wrong with the Eiffel Tower bit?
@@prodigioussaps It looked too fake. Same thing with Superman Returns, when he catches the plane. It looks fake. Same thing with Man of Steel, where as impressive as the visuals were, they had the same CGI unreality look to them. When I saw the first trailer for Superman Returns, I thought it was an animated movie, because the first scene was him in space, and it looked like a well done cartoon. That was disappointing.
The first real superfeat of this movie is Lois in one hand, and a helicopter in the other. And since they were both real things, it gives the scene a whole different look, despite the fact that the building was invariably fake. That doesn't matter a bit to me. And by getting it right, it allows you to accept so much at the end, like the miniature hamlet saved from the flood, the terrible crack in the ground swallowing up Lois car, etc.
Very good points, you're right... the Lois/helicopter scene is absolute perfection. And it still holds up, which is amazing especially considering when it was made. Thanks for that, cheers 👊
I love Superman the Movie too much to ever nitpick it.