I was a believer before and after seeing it ( if only in my mind and on the big screen).I was always a fan ,of all the super heroes superman was the one who would always be kind ,decent and tell you the truth while putting himself in harms way to protect the innocent . Now they have made him a monster who sees the death of thousands of innocents in his pursuit of "justice " as collateral damage and the price of doing "business" .That "business" being the one thing superman was famous for ,never taking a sentient life .The twat who directed the latest incarnation made him a humourless creature and judge,jury and exectioner .Obviously giving zero f..ks for the character having none of his own to draw upon. The original movie had wit ,charm a hero you could cheer for and the special effects( that were actually special then} ,to pull it all together .
I was 6 when it came out. I remember meeting a bald Gene Hackman who, at the time, was married to the sister of my parents' then neighbors in Encino, CA. There was a year in high school when I watched it EVERY DAY after school. Since then, I've seen the film probably over 1,000 times. The greatest superhero film and one of the greatest films of any genre. Outstanding story, direction, music score, cinematography, editing, writing and acting. Very few films as magical and inspiring as this one.
I was 7, and it was a bigger than life experience. At that age, this stuff is bigger than life on the screen, and it still gives you nostalgia when you are 50, even just hearing the theme music.
I loved the theme music from all the superhero movies back in the day - why it never carried on I don't know. I made it a point to learn the names of all of the great score composers such as John Williams and Danny Elfman amongst others, which also led to my love of music in general.
@@jackcrow2378 As a child the Superman theme was my Rocky Theme before I knew about Rocky. Nothing could else could get the blood going like the Superman theme.
I was 7 years old, too! My best friend and I wore matching outfits to the theater, sat in the front row, and had one of the best cinematic experiences of our whole lives. The opening credits are still The Best Ever for any movie, in my book. She and I would argue over who was going to marry Superman when we got older. Christopher Reeve was also the only Hollywood actor my mom had a crush on. She would say, "Oh, Christopher Reeve...." and then blush. It was adorable. Hey, she had great taste. Still the best-looking one in the role. He will always be my Superman. :)
@@andersondalmeus1406 MoS was not a Superman movie?? That’s an erroneous statement. Snyder’s Superman goes through so much shit through both MoS and BvS. Half the world hates him and there are people like Lex doing everything they can to ruin him. But he still does the right thing. He continues to help humanity no matter what and he sacrifices his life for a world that rejected him. That is hopeful. That is heroic. That is Superman. And less importance? Get this, Zack had a 5 movie deal. This entire saga was literally supposed to revolve around Superman’s arc. His intention was to introduce these characters as flawed and turn them into the infallible characters we’re used to, by way of learning their lessons (as real life individuals do). He didn’t wan’t the boring “here’s Superman, as he’s always been”, he wanted the steps that lead up to him being that Superman to be a journey we shared with the character. Superman’s story was only 3 movies into 5 and he goes through a journey to become the Superman we all know and love. We got the same Superman x4 in the 80s then a 5th time in 2006 and it was the same stagnant boring character with zero development and didn’t really earn the right after superman 2 to be our hero. Zack’s version was earning his stripes and building his character to come out in the 4th and 5th movie as our Superman.
It happens rarely in Hollywood. Bill Shatner as Kirk, Lee Majors as TSMDM, Christopher and Geoge Reeves as Superman, Mark Hamill as Luke, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader's voice, Arnold as the Terminator, Wesley Snipes as Blade. Brad Pitt and Clooney have been in dozens of forgettable films. Also, sometimes it's not so bad to be typecast if it's a classic character in a great film.
@@JohnDoe-yi4xd You forgot Peter Weller as RoboCop. Edit: JUST the first movie only... Sadly the sequels sucked(but of course that wasn't Weller's fault).
Besides being the strongest man in the universe, he was also the NICEST man in the universe Christopher Reeves gave our eyes living proof that such a man existed....Rest in Power
Yes. And 95% of sequels are worse than the original. But Superman 2 was better than the original because it was not a real sequel- it was filmed at the same time as the second part of superman 1. Superman 3 and 4 were actual sequels and they weren’t as good.
@@JohnDoe-yi4xd Arnie was born to play Conan; even the accent worked for him. I can't think of any other performer among today's Hollywood muscleheads who could have done it better. As far as The Terminator, he was impressive as always and really tough and scary but I thought the character didn't actually need to be that muscular bc it was made from practically indestructible materials and was fantastically strong bc of that and not its physique. Robert "Slim" Patrick as T2 was even harder to kill. And in ALL those movies, why did they keep shooting The Terminator? It did NOTHING but make a cool though temporary special effect LOL.
@@pamelahermano9298 i dont who was the bigger joke pussy Reeves as Superman or Gene Hack playing Lex Luthor, hey let's not forget Richard Pryor as who knows
I’ll never forget the experience seeing this movie in 1978. I was 9 years old. When my family arrived at the movie theater parking lot, people from the previous showing were exiting the theater. A woman walking by us shouted in glee “It’s great! It’s really great!” Kryptonite rocks were sold in the lobby (they glowed in the dark). When the movie started and the credits whisked through outer space accompanied by John Williams’ classic theme, I was absolutely mesmerized. Superman was real. One of my all time favorite movies to this day.
The original "Superman" was an upbeat, positive role model, almost old-fashioned film. No brooding anti-hero; no angst ridden dialogue. Just loads of fun, a terrific musical score, and the good guy triumphs in the end. Similar to "A New Hope". It's what was needed at the time. And Christopher Reeve was perfect: upright, moral and an unalloyed good guy.
Christopher Reeve man Superman and Clark Kent special. He made them two different people. Add the talents of Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brandon, Jackie Cooper, Glen Ford and John Williams and you had big screen movie magic.
Well said! Superman is the perfect contrast to Batman's gothic overtones. It needs to be bright and colourful and carry a good moral message whilst also having good humour. Reeve was perfect for the role.
Superman was like the Matrix of our time back in 1978. I was 11 when I saw it and it blew us all away. The effects, the acting, the epic size of it all... The film had heart and humor and the great Christopher Reeve. It's rare to get that kind of experience nowadays. Star Wars: A New Hope, Superman and The Matrix - those were real movies that changed you.
I remember seeing this in the theater. It was so awesome for a kid at the time. The effects were revolutionary for the era. Still love Christopher Reeves' take on the character.
The effects were a joke, for God's Sake. I was in the theater at the time and was laughing at Reeve "flying" around in front of some projections on a screen. It was ludicrous, yes... but one focused on "the story" and the mythology to derive some enjoyment from the experience. "Keepin' it ( i.e., the truth re: the fakeness) real"
I'm 42 years old. Christopher Reeves will always be my Superman. Some of the newer films are good, but nothing will replace being a kid and watching this for the first time. Same with Batman. Michael Keaton will always be my Batman.
I was only a child and still remember seeing this when it was released at the cinema. It was truly amazing and is one of my all time favourite superhero movies.
I went swimming before going to see it and stayed in the pool too long. I saw the clock and thought the line would be too long and I wouldn't get to see it so I put my clothes on over my trunks and ran. I sat through it wet but it was worth it.
My parents took me and my brother to see it in 1978 on opening night when I was 6 years old miles away from our small town at the multiplex to a packed house. It was a magical experience. To this day I remember how delighted the audience was...
I was 7 years-old when it came out and remember going to the HUGE theater to see it. (Back then we didn’t have megaplexes, and going to a movie in the 70’s and 80’s was an experience.) Christopher Reeve will ALWAYS be the REAL Superman.
I was 19 and I took my 9 year old nephew to see it opening weekend. We stood in this long line and everyone was so excited. The first time Superman took flight in the Fortress of Solitude I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. I’ll never forget that, awesome stuff.
I was 18 when Superman came out and I saw this the night it opened in Phoenix after driving 100 miles to watch it. Over the next few months, I saw it several times. My Mom insisted on me taking her to see Superman in the theater during one of my later viewings. Mom wasn't a Superman fan (or Marlon Brando or Gene Hackman fan), she just wanted to see my reaction of watching something I obviously enjoyed.
@@Badar2310 I've been reading comics since 1965. Hell, helped teach myself to read using them! Began collecting in earnest in 1971, preferring DC to Marvel. A major Superman fan for decades. That being said, there have been a couple of times when DC strayed from classic values that I walked away from them and their characters. After a few years, they went back to the traditional values for awhile, and I'd return. Then they shifted again and I'd stop buying. I'm about to walk away again... probably for the last time. I'd rather spend my hard-earned money on back issues of good quality material than the stuff they're "creating" now.
Yes, seeing Superman was history in the making! And to be in a packed theater when Reeve changed into his Superman outfit for the first time---it took almost 5 minutes before you could hear the soundtrack because everyone was cheering and clapping so much! Just one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had watching a movie! Christopher Reeve is still the quintessential cinema Superman.
I must have been in that theater with you! :-D In all seriousness, I had the exact same experience at the showing I was at. The crowd was beyond excited and I have almost never again seen a theater clapping and hooting so much to ANY scene in a movie. Definitely a magical experience. I've seen the movie dozens of times since then and that scene always brings back that amazing memory of seeing it that first time in the theater with that hyped crowd.
Henry Cavill had a lot to live up to and as always did a great job but when it comes to Superman, Christopher Reeve will always be the greatest. One of my childhood favourites (I was 4 when it came out), Richard Donner is the director that all look to now when making a Superhero movie. Truly an amazing original…..RIP Chris Reeve
Superman is my favorite movie of all time. I saw this movie at 13 years old at the oak brook theater for my 13 birthday. That is when Dolby stereo was just coming out. It had a big impact on my life at that age and would easily say for when it came out to now ..it is the movie i have watched the most times in my life. Things have changed a lot over time but i appreciated that movie for Christopher Reeve ,. the effects, Dolby stereo, the soundtrack and the movie quotes , and how superman was so moral and even with all those powers, he always wanted to do the right thing. After that time movies started getting darker...But i can always at anytime pop in the movie superman on my blue ray and transport back to the wonderment that movie gave me at 13 years old.
I saw this movie in 1978 when it first came out. I was 5 years old. The two memories that stick: the awesome movie poster with the huge S, and the initial long intro with the credits when the movie starts. I still get chills!
I saw this in the theater when it came out. I was 20 and was there with my 18 year old sister. We loved the movie. When we left the theater we kept looking up the whole drive home. We knew better but kept believing a man could fly. Wonderful movie experience.
Was 20 in 1978. Saw it four times in my local theater. It was so good I had to see it repeatedly. Christopher Reeve was a perfect Superman. It was a serious, respectful homage to our iconic hero. Love this film so much!!!!!!
One of the most fun experiences of watching a superhero come to life onscreen. Not just kids but saw people of all ages going to the screening elbow to elbow no cell phones no 6 foot distancing just having fun watching Superman.
Just joyous. Went as teenagers and came away hyped, giggiggling laughing' straight into park to jump of swings and imaging a man could fly. Fantastic cinematic experience for young children. Thank you' Richard and Christopher xx
The Superman in 1978 is truly the best Superman movie I've ever watched. No other present day Superman movie could stun and impress me like how this movie did. Not only that Christopher Reeves had the closest resemblance to the image of the actual Superman in the comic books, but Reeves was also the most good looking.
I totally agree. When they did a reboot movie with another origin story of Superman I felt like are you kidding me. Why even try. They nailed that back in 1978, trying to find a better Zod forget it. The Henry Cavill movie should have had a different villain and start right up with the story not go the origin route. Superman Returns had its flaws but I think it was headed on the right path, its a shame that film didn't get a sequel. At least they tried to honor the past films without going the origin story route, That film should have focused on another villain as well.
I was 7 when Superman came out. The movie looked so real at the time that it took my breath away. I remember my little heart thumping throughout the entire movie through pure excitement and just being completely amazed at what I was watching. Christopher Reeve has been a hero of mine ever since.
I got to see Superman in theatres too. I was awestruck. This film still believed in the American way but then they got away from it decades later. Reeve was a great Superman. It would be awesome to see how his version would play out with todays special effects.
What a time to be a kid, I was 7 at the time and every studio was jumping on the Sci fi bandwagon after star wars. Us kids never had it as good. 77-83 was a golden era for sci-fi fans. Terrific
I was born a year later after it came out. Growing up it was my favorite movie of all time. And seeing it on the Big screen 4 years ago for the 40th anniversary re-release was magical..
My dad took me and my cousins to see it, omg we were so excited and everyone in the theater was laughing, applauding, cheering, etc. It was cool, I think we went back to see it once or twice before it left the theaters. My uncle took us all to see Superman II, we begged for it. Loved it even more than the first.
I saw this when I was 12. I never loved a movie more...even now. Will always be my favorite all time movie. Christopher Reeve was and will always be the best Superman. He was my first crush.
I was 6 in 1978 when my mom took me to see Superman and, for a while, it was my 2nd favorite movie (just behind Star Wars). It is still my all-time favorite Superhero film and Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman.
This is one if those movies when you see it as a kid back then you never forget it and it has memories inside you and you always are willing to see it again and again, Christopher Reeves is Superman, well he's also Clark Kent but don't tell no one
The opening credits still blows me away today like it did when I saw this movie in the theater 40 years ago. RIP Donner, Reeves, Kidder, Beatty, Cooper and to those I failed to mention.
I wasn't even born to watch Superman The Movie in 1978 because I was born in 2001, but I watch this during my teenage years and it pioneered the Superhero Genre. Richard Donner made the impossible, possible, Christopher Reeve brought the life of Superman like no one before.
watching movies when I was a kid was magic, it was a magical experience - leaving the theater after watching Superman I felt wonderful, like a great feeling, like I could do anything. I don't get that feeling watching movies any more, there's no magic any more to movies today
What a great time to be a kid. I was 11 years old in 1978. I went to the movies what felt like every weekend. I had seen Star Wars and Close Encounters multiple times. I was a comic book reading kid spending my allowance and a handful of DC Comics. I remember the ad campaign that DC had for the Superman movie. When the movie was released in late 1978, it was December 1978. So, it was the holiday season. I remember going to the theater multiple times to see it. To see Christopher Reeve portraying the Man of Steel was so glorious. The teaser line "You'll believe a man can fly" was so true. Cartoons and the George Reeves versions of Superman was all we had at that point. Every time those versions would fly, they would announce "Up, Up and Away!" with big whooshing sounds. But, this version could just put an arm in the air and lift off with no effort. I remember coming out of the theater the first time just buzzing with the excitement of just watching it and John Williams' theme song still playing in my ears as I waited in the cold December air for my parents to pick my friends up. Great memories. I remember thinking that the look of Krypton and Jor-el being different from what had been told in the comics and it bothered me at the time. But, through the years, that has become the canon for so many things even through the run of the Smallville series. When Christopher Reeve guest starred on Smallville in the second season and the John Williams score was incorporated into the episode, it gave me goosebumps and it brought back that feeling I had back in 1978.
I wasn't born until decades later in 2002, I'm a kid who surrounded myself with old people. So, I grew up who talks, walks, and think like an old person. So, when I saw that Superman movie that my grandfather had just bought me in DVD, man I was hooked all the way. The theme song, the accuracy in the costume and the story all of it was a class and there came The Dark Knight everything changed, DC became my go-to comics and superhero stuff. As I go on with my life, Superman 1978 changed me.
I feel ya man, ima 2003 kid myself but love old TV. So combine a 70s movie and my favorite superhero ever and you've got one of my favorite films. A friend of mine found the movie kinda boring and campy, but thats why I love it, and would give anything to go back in time to when it first came out.
I was 32 when I first saw "Superman" in 1978 & liked it a lot but didn't "love" it, since I compared it to the original t.v. show that I saw in 1952 or '53! However, after seeing it again, through the years, I now realize that this film was a superb piece of film-making, with a perfect cast, fast-paced action scenes & entertaining dialogue! One of the all time movie greats!
OMG! This was another cinema experience I cherish, seeing the first screening at Grauman's Chinese, just like I did "Star Wars." But I have to mention how the anticipation was built by the teaser trailer. It was just sky, titles and a logo with really stirring music that the audience cheered. Of course the same artists made the opening credit sequence which I consider one of the best. The cherry on my particular cake was our film school got Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner to speak after the premiere. My first interview was Richard Donner right after he got the news he had been fired from Superman II. (The producers pulled the "two productions for the price of one" thing before with "The 3 and 4 Musketeers" but I digress) Richard was so cool he returned after that film came out and brought Margot Kidder with him.
Thank you for this! One of the greatest nights of my life seeing Superman at 5 or so years old, when I discovered how miraculous movies are, RIP Chris Reeve/Dick Donner/Margot Kidder
I was 10, absolutely blown away by the performances, the music, the effects. I remember being somewhat taken aback by Jor-El being much older and Krypton looking nothing like what I'd seen in comics and cartoons til that point. I did love that Jor-El was wearing the S-insignia though. This was the first time that Superman's emblem (as well his costume itself) was shown as having an alien origin rather than a design he & the Kents made up.
11:10 That one shot scene with Clark going from his work suit into his Superman suit into flight was seamless. I've seen this film so many times, but you notice something different everytime to appreciate the skill it took to pull this stuff off back then.
I was already hopelessly addicted to comics by the time Superman came out. I flew out of the movie theater. The opening sequence with the little kid flipping through a black and white copy of action comics still makes me well up.
I remember it came out, and I got to see it in the theatre. I was 6 or 7, and the only other time I remember hearing a crowd cheer as loud as that was when, a few years later, Darth Vader saved Luke from the Emperor. Superman catching Lois and then the helicopter was incredible for a young kid to watch. Christopher Reeve came across as mighty, self-aware, and wholesome. He was the epitome of cool.
Watching Superman the Movie in the cinema with my dad is one of my earliest memories, I'll always remember the way I heard the music and watched the big S logo flash on screen. It started a lifelong obsession with Superman and to this day I still read the comics and love the character. Christopher Reeve was the best actor to ever play the part and, in my opinion, given the challenges he faced in his life, he was a real life Superman.
My dad took me to see this movie on my birthday and we both had a good time watching it. My dad made a big evening of it with dinner included. It was one of the best childhood memory I have.
I will never forget sitting in the theater as a 12 year old. For those of us who watched the reruns of the 50’s hear that iconic music, which was so respectful of everything that came before, and the reveal of the iconic S while the music clearly said Superman, all of us in the theater stood and applauded FOR THE MUSIC! I have never seen anything like it before or since.
I remember going to see it and being blown away by it. I was a comic book reader and seeing Superman on the big screen was like the comics came alive. So well done and enjoyable even for my parents.
Christopher Reeve remains the definitive Superman and Superman (1978) remains the definitive Superman movie ever made since. It would have been interesting to see it in the cinema in 1978 but I was only born 3 years earlier so I never got that experience.
It was great, as I remember. The sheer oddness of the Phantom Zone sentencing scene ("Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh!") with Brando, Terence Stamp, et al. really established a mood, and the rest of the movie was pure fun--especially Gene Hackman's numerous wig changes. I was only five, but I can recall leaving the theater feeling inspired and humming the theme music.
Ha!!! I love the way you said, "Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh!" That put a smile on my face... By the way - I just discovered that Amazon has Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - which turned out tyo be quite different than the Superman II that we all know and love... Richard Donner's cut isn't necessarily better or worse, it just has a different feel... The best part was seeing all the deleted scenes that had been left out, it was like getting to watch it again for the first(ish) time!
I was 9 years old when the movie came out. My Dad took me and my sister to see it. He was retired from the Air Force and took us to the theatre at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC. I was a big comic book fan and loved Superman. The movie was a joy to watch. I will never forget the experience.
It was a wonderful movie to see on the big screen. I was 4 and still remember how amazing it was. I saw it (and all but the forth movie) at The Palace Theater in Georgetown, Texas. It was one of the very first movies I ever saw in that theater. The story, the special effects, the music, and most of all Christopher Reeve as Superman made for a magical movie. It’s still one of the very best superhero movies ever made, and I see every superhero movie and TV show I can. I still watch it and The Richard Donner Cut of Superman II (which is closest to the original plan for the two movies that you can see) once a year. If you ever have the chance to see it in a theater, with a great big screen and awesome sound, do not let it pass you by. This, and 1989’s Batman, are the superhero movies by which all are compared for me. This movie started the ball rolling and is wonderful even to this day.
It was amazing. The audience had experience watching the 1950s version of Superman on TV and the comedy based Batman & Robin that was from the 1960s. Superman was the real deal like how we look at Ironman, Spiderman, and the Avengers today.
What memories this has brought back. Being of an age (back then) I drove to Cape Town on opening morning to catch the 10am. screening. Warner Bros. had taken the unprecedented step of opening the film simultaneously in many territories with the USA release and I was adamant (because of the time difference) to be one of the first members of the public to see it. As a film fan there have been moments in my life, when upon seeing a film for the first time, I knew I was seeing cinematic history in the making. Films like "Jaws", "Cabaret", "Barry Lyndon" etc., and "Superman" was one of them. From the darkened screen opening, dedicating the film to legendary cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth the, now iconic, projected curtains opening, the black and white comic book narration, then leaping into space with genius composer John Williams' magnificent score, and treating us to the most stunning opening credits that, to this day, have not been equaled (how they achieved those 'pre CGI' 'zooming' credits is just one of the marvels of this film). A film for the ages. It had special effects, perfect casting, the best behind the scenes talent but above all that magic ingredient so lacking in many a comic book adaptation - heart. Thank you to all involved. You made a difference. Michael - South Africa.
I was 10 years old, I went with 2 friends from school. I remember after seeing it we ran out of the theater pretending we could fly. Life-changing movie. Fast forward 40 years last and I took my then 8-year-old daughter to the 40th anniversary screening on 35 MM. She loved it, esp the end scene when Superman tells the warden, "don't thank me, we're all on the same team!"
I was 8 years old when that movie came out. Superman was already my favorite comic book hero. And this film did it justice. I'm so grateful, the film producers took the project seriously. That's the secret to success. Treat the characters with respect. So many things about that film worked so well. I went to the movie theatre with my parents to see it. It was a great childhood memory.
I was in high school that time... The trailer alone brought unprecedented excitement & anticipation due to like Star Wars just a year before, the special fx has never been seen before. But the eye candy of it all, aside from the realistic flying scenes using cables, was Reeve himself. He was the comic hero drawing bursting out of it's pages, and coming to a larger than life stature. Every little detail from the hair, to the facial features, to the physique in the costume to his flying stance. One scene I will never forget was when after he took Lois from a joyflight, he was cradling Lois as they approach her condo's terrace, and as they glided down and landed, it was so smooth it was like a ballet performance. It was impeccable. I was like... how did they do THAT!
I remember having my Superman costume on and watching the 50s show after school when I saw an ad for the 1978 movie. Honestly I didn’t understand what it was. The idea of a movie about Superman was crazy! Movie meant the world to me though. I came home humming the theme music and feeling so incredibly excited. One of the happiest moments of my life. I wish a new Superman movie could capture the hearts of CHILDREN the way that movie grabbed mine. Adults bitching over a movie is ok but I’d love kids to like Superman again.
Very well-researched. Thoroughly enjoyed this! Saw this in the theatre when I was 4 years old. I can remember my dad explaining to me that Superman flew so fast around the earth that he went backward in time. That blew my mind.
i actually think the special effects in superman were better and more realistic than most of the crap we see today with all the cgi. when he rescued lois and was flying up the building it looked pretty damn real to me
The 'special effects' today are out of control and leave anyone with a brain, numb. But let's calm down, the effects in "Superman: The Movie" were, for the most part, horrendous. Reeve "flying" around like a clown in front of some desperate projection was downright painful to watch. The rest of the stuff was cartoonish as well but tolerable as "Superman" _is_ a cartoon only played with live action figures.
@@xanadudawn 'Believe' whatever you will, though, should you remain unconvinced; set intransigently in your present way of thinking - then understand that you must apply the brand, 'liar' to at least two persons in attendance at the theater that night as I turned to my late mother(seated next to me) on a number of occasions during the film's screening and whispered one of my classic, "so fake" assessments clearly referring to the less than dazzling 'special-effects'. She nodded and laughed in amused concurrence.
Considering my memories of Mr Reeves as Superman, and my dad taking me to the Springfield Mall theatre near Washington, DC; I would say he was the right man for the job. RIP Christopher Reeves
I saw Superman in 1978. It was fantastic. My younger sister and I stood in line for two hours to see it. With today's multiplexes, no one experiences that thrill of anticipation, waiting in line for hours for a move, not that anything made today would be worth standing in line that long for. My sister decided she wanted to go to the concession stand. She was gone when the movie began. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the credits. I remember just leaning back in my seat, letting them wash over me, and thinking how bad it was that she wasn't able to see them. then we got in to the movie. I had been a Superman fan since I was very young, I had watched the Superman cartoons and the George Reeves TV show. This movie just absolutely transported me. It was everything I wanted Superman, and all his friends and colleagues, to be. The only thing that struck a wrong note with me was the idea that Krypton was in another galaxy. Puzo put that in out of sheer ignorance because he thought it sounded cool. Absolutely everything about the movie could have been exactly the same if he had just said a different part of this galaxy. Oh well, the one mistake is forgivable.
8 years old when I watched Superman in Los Angeles during Christmas vacation in 78'. It blew me away as a kid and is still my favorite Superman film of all time.
Bravo! Two thumbs up! This was a very well done retrospective about one of the greatest movies of all time, helping younger people to understand just how wonderful and important this movie was. Thank you Looper.
Love DC and Marvel, my father was 10 years old when he watched this film with my grandmother, my dad watched it numerous times in the theatre. Even in my childhood and now in my early adulthood, my father and I still watch it, and other superhero films( and I read comics too, and watch animated and live action series too) as a bond in our family.
I was 15 and had spent every weekend the previous year going to the movies to watch Star Wars. Superman was released and I believed a man could fly. Christopher Reeve was and has remained the only actor to fully embody the characters of Clark Kent and Superman. He gave them each their own personalities and he had great chemistry with Margot Kidder and breathtakingly handsome. The music was commanding and lent to the excitement of what was to come. To this day I will shout out during the intro, "Give us an S" when his emblem is about to appear. This movie is best enjoyed in the theater. I would love to see Superman 1 & 2 released to theaters in 2023 for the 45th anniversary.
Christopher Reeves as Superman was really amazing! So charming! Henry Cavill is handsome but doesn’t have that sweet charisma that Christopher Reeves had.
I clearly remember the line "You'll believe a man can fly!" from the Superman ads back in 1978. My wife and I could not wait to see it! We loved the movie and it was one of the first VHS videos we ever bought for our Magnavox VCR, purchased for 800 dollars back then! :)
I was 9 when the film arrived. I still recall vividly how the entire audience stood up in cheers, tears, and clapping when Christopher Reeve caught Margot Kidder and the helicopter. It was a simpler, more innocent time. I doubt a similar sequence would evoke such a wild reaction today.
I'm so glad that I ran into your comment, Joaquin! I just discovered a couple of days ago that there is a "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" which was formally released back in 2006. I bought it on Amazon (I believe for like, $7) and seeing all the deleted scenes that had been left out was like getting to watch it again for the first(ish) time! It basically has the same story line, but it has a much different feel than the Superman II - which was a bit more on the silly side. The Richard Donner cut has more of same feel as the original first Superman had. Definitely recommend!
@@KelleyBroussardMackaig Thanks, I've read similarly over the past couple/few years how the Donner version is so much better...and I agree with you on the "silly" aspect...I accepted it back when it came out in 1980 because I was just a little kid and those "silly" scenes just seemed "funny", which was obviously the other director's point, but as the years have gone on I slowly came to realize that the silliness just wasn't cutting it for me...then I heard about the Donner version being released, as you pointed out. Long story short, I've just added that Donner version to my "to get" list....RIP Richard Donner
@@KelleyBroussardMackaig Yup! The Donner Cut is magnificent! My copy is over a decade old. Even fundamental details like the inclusion of Brando's scenes and Superman's deliberate destruction of the Fortress of Solitude made the movie so much more meaningful. It's too bad that the Salkinds were too "thrifty" to spend the money necessary to keep Jor-El's character in the theatrical cut. It's also unfortunate that we did not get this version of SM2 in the cinemas way back in 1980. When my younger friends beam about the Justice League Snyder Cut I always remind them that ZS wasn't the first to be given a reprieve to repair the first poorly executed cinema release of his film. Dick Donner was ahead.
"Superman" with Christopher Reeve is still my favourite superhero movie, first watching it when I was 10 yrs old. I get shivers whenever I watch it again (and I do every few years) and see Superman fly for the first time, and catch Lois falling from the helicopter. The best line, and even an in-joke between my mom & I, "Don't worry miss, I've you." "You've got me? Then who's got you?!"
I saw it in '78 when I was 6. It was my favorite movie then, and in many ways still is. As much as I love the acting of Chris Reeve and the direction of Richard Donner, this amazing movie wouldn't have been made without the vision of the Salkinds. Warner Brothers owned DC comics and could've made a Superman movie any time, the Salkinds made it happen.
But if we had got the movie they initially wanted it would have been crap; campy and jokey but in a bad way. Remember who they were looking at for the part, Arnold for God's sake. It was Donner's vision and Reeves performance that made it great.
I saw it as little kid. It was draw dropping when he took to the air the first time. No special effect had ever been seen like that before. And it just got better and better. The effects were so mesmerizing I didn't really remember the story until the second time.
I was 11 and my mom took my best friend and I to see Superman. It was awesome. My mom, best friend, and I kept talking after the film was over how good it was and how we couldn’t see any cables, strings, etc. as far as Christopher Reeve flying. I still think the film holds up. I knew of the amount of money that Brando was paid for to appear in it and was shocked how small his role was in the film. Superman, the original Blade, and maybe the first Spidey film w/Tobey still are some of my favorite superhero films. The films were great origin stories for the characters. Back to Superman, yes, I loved the original Superman and read his comic books more than any other character at this stage in my life. So, I thought Donner and WBs did a great job with the film. The cast was huge, Williams’ score was awesome, and the film was and still is a big deal to me. Lastly, RIP, Reeve, is still my favorite Supes and the definitive Superman on screen.
I was 14 when I saw this in the theatre. It was just amazing! I went three times in a week! Every scene was cool - from those on Krypton to the Kansas cornfields to Lex Luther’s abandoned NY subway station lair to Superman’s ice castle to the romantic flight scene with Lois Lane. It was a revelation. You have to remember that we were coming off movies like Towering Inferno and Airport 197x. So many movies were just American drivel in the ‘70s (&x80s) and Superman was just a new form of entertainment - or at least that’s how it seemed to some of us in New Zealand. Great actors. Amazing effects. Terrific directing.
I was 12 years old growing up in Southern California. I remember there was a line around the movie theater and shows sold out and you might have to go to a later showing or come back another day. There was a vibe in the air, everyone was excited and to top it off, it was a great movie. Wonderful memories as my parents took me and my best friend to see it, and with a big bucket of buttered popcorn… doesn’t get much better.
I remember watching Superman in 1978 and was totally blown away. It was something that a lot of fans wanted to see. Christopher Reeve lived up to the hype and the tagline "You will believe a man can fly".
What were your thoughts on seeing "Superman" when it came out?
Gene Hackman. Luthor with hair.
On the Astral Plane at the time. Hard to remember. I'll get back to you
I was 6...vaguely remember it, but I was massively into Star Wars at the time.
I was a believer before and after seeing it ( if only in my mind and on the big screen).I was always a fan ,of all the super heroes superman was the one who would always be kind ,decent and tell you the truth while putting himself in harms way to protect the innocent .
Now they have made him a monster who sees the death of thousands of innocents in his pursuit of "justice " as collateral damage and the price of doing "business" .That "business" being the one thing superman was famous for ,never taking a sentient life .The twat who directed the latest incarnation made him a humourless creature and judge,jury and exectioner .Obviously giving zero f..ks for the character having none of his own to draw upon.
The original movie had wit ,charm a hero you could cheer for and the special effects( that were actually special then} ,to pull it all together .
I was 6 when it came out. I remember meeting a bald Gene Hackman who, at the time, was married to the sister of my parents' then neighbors in Encino, CA. There was a year in high school when I watched it EVERY DAY after school. Since then, I've seen the film probably over 1,000 times. The greatest superhero film and one of the greatest films of any genre. Outstanding story, direction, music score, cinematography, editing, writing and acting. Very few films as magical and inspiring as this one.
In 1978, I was 6 years old and my folks took me to see Superman the movie… and to this day in 2022, Christopher Reeves is still my Superman.
Yh gotta say Christopher reeves deffo the best I liked how his Clark and superman didn't look alike unlike cavils no offense to the guy 😂
bastard I was 7. Now I feel old. You win......bastard face.......I hope you cry in your tea............bastard
Reeve
What are your thoughts on Zack Snyder's Man of steel and Henry Cavill? Would love to know
I was 7 years old when my mom took me… that movie sparked my life long obsession for movies and the theater experience
At age 54, the John Williams Superman theme still gives me chills.
EXACTLY! it's one of the few songs and themes that still gives me goosebumps.
same here
His Music is OUT STANDING
Same age and I agree. The Superman score equals his Star Wars score.
@@JoseyWales44s have you noticed the similarities of both scores even Indiana Jones series
I was 7, and it was a bigger than life experience. At that age, this stuff is bigger than life on the screen, and it still gives you nostalgia when you are 50, even just hearing the theme music.
I loved the theme music from all the superhero movies back in the day - why it never carried on I don't know. I made it a point to learn the names of all of the great score composers such as John Williams and Danny Elfman amongst others, which also led to my love of music in general.
@@jackcrow2378 As a child the Superman theme was my Rocky Theme before I knew about Rocky. Nothing could else could get the blood going like the Superman theme.
Yup. Know exactly what you mean, was there in 78, I can't find the words to explain how awesome it was.
me to
I was 7 years old, too! My best friend and I wore matching outfits to the theater, sat in the front row, and had one of the best cinematic experiences of our whole lives. The opening credits are still The Best Ever for any movie, in my book. She and I would argue over who was going to marry Superman when we got older. Christopher Reeve was also the only Hollywood actor my mom had a crush on. She would say, "Oh, Christopher Reeve...." and then blush. It was adorable. Hey, she had great taste. Still the best-looking one in the role. He will always be my Superman. :)
Christopher Reeve is still THE superman for me.
Me too
Me too
Appreciate for what he was, but Henry Cavill is my Superman
Same here. My hero!
@@andersondalmeus1406 MoS was not a Superman movie?? That’s an erroneous statement. Snyder’s Superman goes through so much shit through both MoS and BvS. Half the world hates him and there are people like Lex doing everything they can to ruin him. But he still does the right thing. He continues to help humanity no matter what and he sacrifices his life for a world that rejected him. That is hopeful. That is heroic. That is Superman.
And less importance? Get this, Zack had a 5 movie deal. This entire saga was literally supposed to revolve around Superman’s arc. His intention was to introduce these characters as flawed and turn them into the infallible characters we’re used to, by way of learning their lessons (as real life individuals do). He didn’t wan’t the boring “here’s Superman, as he’s always been”, he wanted the steps that lead up to him being that Superman to be a journey we shared with the character. Superman’s story was only 3 movies into 5 and he goes through a journey to become the Superman we all know and love. We got the same Superman x4 in the 80s then a 5th time in 2006 and it was the same stagnant boring character with zero development and didn’t really earn the right after superman 2 to be our hero. Zack’s version was earning his stripes and building his character to come out in the 4th and 5th movie as our Superman.
It defined the Superhero genre.
Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve gave Superman a soul. Found the Man beneath the Steel.
It happens rarely in Hollywood. Bill Shatner as Kirk, Lee Majors as TSMDM, Christopher and Geoge Reeves as Superman, Mark Hamill as Luke, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader's voice, Arnold as the Terminator, Wesley Snipes as Blade. Brad Pitt and Clooney have been in dozens of forgettable films. Also, sometimes it's not so bad to be typecast if it's a classic character in a great film.
@@JohnDoe-yi4xd You forgot Peter Weller as RoboCop. Edit: JUST the first movie only... Sadly the sequels sucked(but of course that wasn't Weller's fault).
Besides being the strongest man in the universe, he was also the NICEST man in the universe Christopher Reeves gave our eyes living proof that such a man existed....Rest in Power
Yes. And 95% of sequels are worse than the original.
But Superman 2 was better than the original because it was not a real sequel- it was filmed at the same time as the second part of superman 1.
Superman 3 and 4 were actual sequels and they weren’t as good.
@@JohnDoe-yi4xd Arnie was born to play Conan; even the accent worked for him. I can't think of any other performer among today's Hollywood muscleheads who could have done it better.
As far as The Terminator, he was impressive as always and really tough and scary but I thought the character didn't actually need to be that muscular bc it was made from practically indestructible materials and was fantastically strong bc of that and not its physique. Robert "Slim" Patrick as T2 was even harder to kill.
And in ALL those movies, why did they keep shooting The Terminator? It did NOTHING but make a cool though temporary special effect LOL.
This is still my favorite superhero movie. I know it’s dated now, but that feeling of awe when I first saw it will never be matched.
VERY TRUE!!! STILL LOVE THAT SONG!!!
Even though the flying effects are dated it still feels better than synders....DC has a issue with flight scenes that Marvel has conquered ...
That shit was unwatchable
@@EMMETTCULLENHALE I guess you’re where happiness goes to die lol
@@pamelahermano9298 i dont who was the bigger joke pussy Reeves as Superman or Gene Hack playing Lex Luthor, hey let's not forget Richard Pryor as who knows
I’ll never forget the experience seeing this movie in 1978. I was 9 years old. When my family arrived at the movie theater parking lot, people from the previous showing were exiting the theater. A woman walking by us shouted in glee “It’s great! It’s really great!” Kryptonite rocks were sold in the lobby (they glowed in the dark). When the movie started and the credits whisked through outer space accompanied by John Williams’ classic theme, I was absolutely mesmerized. Superman was real. One of my all time favorite movies to this day.
Ah, that must be where I got that glow in the dark kryptonite rock! Lol I was 5 when it came out.
I had one of those same glow-in-the-dark kryptonite rocks too. Haven't thought about it in more than 40 years. Wow, weird childhood memory! lol
The original "Superman" was an upbeat, positive role model, almost old-fashioned film. No brooding anti-hero; no angst ridden dialogue. Just loads of fun, a terrific musical score, and the good guy triumphs in the end. Similar to "A New Hope". It's what was needed at the time. And Christopher Reeve was perfect: upright, moral and an unalloyed good guy.
Could not agree more, I saw it with my dad and brother aged 4. It stayed with me.
Christopher Reeve man Superman and Clark Kent special. He made them two different people. Add the talents of Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Marlon Brandon, Jackie Cooper, Glen Ford and John Williams and you had big screen movie magic.
Well said mate
Well said! Superman is the perfect contrast to Batman's gothic overtones. It needs to be bright and colourful and carry a good moral message whilst also having good humour. Reeve was perfect for the role.
That shit was unwatchable
Superman was like the Matrix of our time back in 1978. I was 11 when I saw it and it blew us all away. The effects, the acting, the epic size of it all... The film had heart and humor and the great Christopher Reeve. It's rare to get that kind of experience nowadays. Star Wars: A New Hope, Superman and The Matrix - those were real movies that changed you.
Back when A New Hope was still just known as Star Wars…. 😂
Don't forget Star Trek:Wrath of Khan
The only movies that were on par or even beyond those milestone movies in cinema history, were the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy!! Another milestone
*Reeve
Only Fax, no phone
I remember seeing this in the theater. It was so awesome for a kid at the time. The effects were revolutionary for the era. Still love Christopher Reeves' take on the character.
The effects were a joke, for God's Sake. I was in the theater at the time and was laughing at Reeve "flying" around in front of some projections on a screen. It was ludicrous, yes... but one focused on "the story" and the mythology to derive some enjoyment from the experience. "Keepin' it ( i.e., the truth re: the fakeness) real"
8 years of age. THE greatest opening credits and then sat with my jaw dropped for 2 hrs. Movie magic.
Same age, and right there with you, friend.
Christopher Reeve was the best character in Superman the legend his greatest memories will always live on always keep him in our hearts r.i.o. 😥 🥰
I'm 42 years old. Christopher Reeves will always be my Superman. Some of the newer films are good, but nothing will replace being a kid and watching this for the first time. Same with Batman. Michael Keaton will always be my Batman.
Brother ! ! !
This Superman version is Still, by Far, the very Best...
I was only a child and still remember seeing this when it was released at the cinema. It was truly amazing and is one of my all time favourite superhero movies.
I remember people cheering at the helicopter scene and giving a standing ovation when the credits rolled.
Same. My mom took my brother and I to see this in the theater and as a kid I believed a man can fly.
I still think Superman (78) is the best superhero movie, along with The Dark Night.
I went swimming before going to see it and stayed in the pool too long. I saw the clock and thought the line would be too long and I wouldn't get to see it so I put my clothes on over my trunks and ran. I sat through it wet but it was worth it.
I remember seeing it as a little boy in the early 80s and I was hypnotized. The music was the key though. Made it inspiring.
My parents took me and my brother to see it in 1978 on opening night when I was 6 years old miles away from our small town at the multiplex to a packed house. It was a magical experience. To this day I remember how delighted the audience was...
I was 7 years-old when it came out and remember going to the HUGE theater to see it. (Back then we didn’t have megaplexes, and going to a movie in the 70’s and 80’s was an experience.)
Christopher Reeve will ALWAYS be the REAL Superman.
I was 19 and I took my 9 year old nephew to see it opening weekend. We stood in this long line and everyone was so excited. The first time Superman took flight in the Fortress of Solitude I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. I’ll never forget that, awesome stuff.
I was 18 when Superman came out and I saw this the night it opened in Phoenix after driving 100 miles to watch it. Over the next few months, I saw it several times. My Mom insisted on me taking her to see Superman in the theater during one of my later viewings. Mom wasn't a Superman fan (or Marlon Brando or Gene Hackman fan), she just wanted to see my reaction of watching something I obviously enjoyed.
Great story sir. What are your thoughts on Zack Snyder's Man of steel and Henry Cavill? Would love to know
that's a good mom!
@@Badar2310 I don't care for Snyder's vision for the DCEU. Cavill was good but the new suit was horrible.
@@Badar2310 I've been reading comics since 1965. Hell, helped teach myself to read using them! Began collecting in earnest in 1971, preferring DC to Marvel. A major Superman fan for decades.
That being said, there have been a couple of times when DC strayed from classic values that I walked away from them and their characters. After a few years, they went back to the traditional values for awhile, and I'd return. Then they shifted again and I'd stop buying.
I'm about to walk away again... probably for the last time. I'd rather spend my hard-earned money on back issues of good quality material than the stuff they're "creating" now.
That’s an incredible story.
Yes, seeing Superman was history in the making! And to be in a packed theater when Reeve changed into his Superman outfit for the first time---it took almost 5 minutes before you could hear the soundtrack because everyone was cheering and clapping so much! Just one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had watching a movie! Christopher Reeve is still the quintessential cinema Superman.
I must have been in that theater with you! :-D In all seriousness, I had the exact same experience at the showing I was at. The crowd was beyond excited and I have almost never again seen a theater clapping and hooting so much to ANY scene in a movie. Definitely a magical experience. I've seen the movie dozens of times since then and that scene always brings back that amazing memory of seeing it that first time in the theater with that hyped crowd.
Henry Cavill had a lot to live up to and as always did a great job but when it comes to Superman, Christopher Reeve will always be the greatest. One of my childhood favourites (I was 4 when it came out), Richard Donner is the director that all look to now when making a Superhero movie. Truly an amazing original…..RIP Chris Reeve
Brandon Routh was the second best in the roll.
I’m SO glad I was a kid seeing all of this media in the 1970s. I’m still in awe of Christopher Reeve’s version of Superman to this day.
Glad I'm not alone in thinking this way
Superman is my favorite movie of all time. I saw this movie at 13 years old at the oak brook theater for my 13 birthday. That is when Dolby stereo was just coming out. It had a big impact on my life at that age and would easily say for when it came out to now ..it is the movie i have watched the most times in my life. Things have changed a lot over time but i appreciated that movie for Christopher Reeve ,. the effects, Dolby stereo, the soundtrack and the movie quotes , and how superman was so moral and even with all those powers, he always wanted to do the right thing. After that time movies started getting darker...But i can always at anytime pop in the movie superman on my blue ray and transport back to the wonderment that movie gave me at 13 years old.
I saw this movie in 1978 when it first came out. I was 5 years old. The two memories that stick: the awesome movie poster with the huge S, and the initial long intro with the credits when the movie starts. I still get chills!
Me to was a junior in highschool, great times.
I was 7 years old when I saw Superman and to this day, Chris Reeve will always be the Man of Steel to me. He is missed...
I saw this in the theater when it came out. I was 20 and was there with my 18 year old sister. We loved the movie. When we left the theater we kept looking up the whole drive home. We knew better but kept believing a man could fly. Wonderful movie experience.
Was 20 in 1978. Saw it four times in my local theater. It was so good I had to see it repeatedly. Christopher Reeve was a perfect Superman. It was a serious, respectful homage to our iconic hero. Love this film so much!!!!!!
One of the most fun experiences of watching a superhero come to life onscreen. Not just kids but saw people of all ages going to the screening elbow to elbow no cell phones no 6 foot distancing just having fun watching Superman.
Just joyous. Went as teenagers and came away hyped, giggiggling laughing' straight into park to jump of swings and imaging a man could fly. Fantastic cinematic experience for young children. Thank you' Richard and Christopher xx
The Superman in 1978 is truly the best Superman movie I've ever watched. No other present day Superman movie could stun and impress me like how this movie did. Not only that Christopher Reeves had the closest resemblance to the image of the actual Superman in the comic books, but Reeves was also the most good looking.
That shit was unwatchable . Reeves was a joke
I totally agree. When they did a reboot movie with another origin story of Superman I felt like are you kidding me. Why even try. They nailed that back in 1978, trying to find a better Zod forget it. The Henry Cavill movie should have had a different villain and start right up with the story not go the origin route. Superman Returns had its flaws but I think it was headed on the right path, its a shame that film didn't get a sequel. At least they tried to honor the past films without going the origin story route, That film should have focused on another villain as well.
Reeves Clark Kent was brilliant as well such charisma. Loved Otis and Gene Hackman did great as Lex Luther even though he wasn't bald.
I feel so honored to have been able to see this and Star Wars in the theater. Such great times! I miss the feelings of awe when seeing movies.
I was 7 when Superman came out. The movie looked so real at the time that it took my breath away. I remember my little heart thumping throughout the entire movie through pure excitement and just being completely amazed at what I was watching. Christopher Reeve has been a hero of mine ever since.
I got to see Superman in theatres too. I was awestruck. This film still believed in the American way but then they got away from it decades later. Reeve was a great Superman. It would be awesome to see how his version would play out with todays special effects.
What a time to be a kid, I was 7 at the time and every studio was jumping on the Sci fi bandwagon after star wars. Us kids never had it as good. 77-83 was a golden era for sci-fi fans. Terrific
You nailed it. Weren’t we lucky !!
I was born a year later after it came out. Growing up it was my favorite movie of all time. And seeing it on the Big screen 4 years ago for the 40th anniversary re-release was magical..
My dad took me and my cousins to see it, omg we were so excited and everyone in the theater was laughing, applauding, cheering, etc. It was cool, I think we went back to see it once or twice before it left the theaters. My uncle took us all to see Superman II, we begged for it. Loved it even more than the first.
The MCU wouldn't exist today without this movie!
Superhero movies in general
I thought of that many times. That is so true!! All of the Marvel and DC movies!!
They use the Donner formula today
MCU owes its success to Superman (and Keaton's Batman), Superman owes its success to Star Wars, and Star Wars owes its success to Star Trek.
Don't forget Blade! He was the rehab mcu needed after a dry spell of dismal attempts at the superhero universe.
I saw this when I was 12. I never loved a movie more...even now. Will always be my favorite all time movie. Christopher Reeve was and will always be the best Superman. He was my first crush.
I was 6 in 1978 when my mom took me to see Superman and, for a while, it was my 2nd favorite movie (just behind Star Wars). It is still my all-time favorite Superhero film and Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman.
This is one if those movies when you see it as a kid back then you never forget it and it has memories inside you and you always are willing to see it again and again, Christopher Reeves is Superman, well he's also Clark Kent but don't tell no one
What a wonderful magic moment from my childhood when I saw Superman for the very first time in the early 80's.
The opening credits still blows me away today like it did when I saw this movie in the theater 40 years ago. RIP Donner, Reeves, Kidder, Beatty, Cooper and to those I failed to mention.
I wasn't even born to watch Superman The Movie in 1978 because I was born in 2001, but I watch this during my teenage years and it pioneered the Superhero Genre. Richard Donner made the impossible, possible, Christopher Reeve brought the life of Superman like no one before.
watching movies when I was a kid was magic, it was a magical experience - leaving the theater after watching Superman I felt wonderful, like a great feeling, like I could do anything. I don't get that feeling watching movies any more, there's no magic any more to movies today
Richard Donner's Superman is still the best to this day. It's so nostalgic.
Saw it in New York on a huge CINERAMA screen and Superman's smile at the audience at the end of the movie still gets me every time.R.I.P mr.Reeves.
What a great time to be a kid. I was 11 years old in 1978. I went to the movies what felt like every weekend. I had seen Star Wars and Close Encounters multiple times. I was a comic book reading kid spending my allowance and a handful of DC Comics. I remember the ad campaign that DC had for the Superman movie. When the movie was released in late 1978, it was December 1978. So, it was the holiday season. I remember going to the theater multiple times to see it. To see Christopher Reeve portraying the Man of Steel was so glorious. The teaser line "You'll believe a man can fly" was so true. Cartoons and the George Reeves versions of Superman was all we had at that point. Every time those versions would fly, they would announce "Up, Up and Away!" with big whooshing sounds. But, this version could just put an arm in the air and lift off with no effort. I remember coming out of the theater the first time just buzzing with the excitement of just watching it and John Williams' theme song still playing in my ears as I waited in the cold December air for my parents to pick my friends up. Great memories.
I remember thinking that the look of Krypton and Jor-el being different from what had been told in the comics and it bothered me at the time. But, through the years, that has become the canon for so many things even through the run of the Smallville series. When Christopher Reeve guest starred on Smallville in the second season and the John Williams score was incorporated into the episode, it gave me goosebumps and it brought back that feeling I had back in 1978.
I wasn't born until decades later in 2002, I'm a kid who surrounded myself with old people. So, I grew up who talks, walks, and think like an old person. So, when I saw that Superman movie that my grandfather had just bought me in DVD, man I was hooked all the way. The theme song, the accuracy in the costume and the story all of it was a class and there came The Dark Knight everything changed, DC became my go-to comics and superhero stuff. As I go on with my life, Superman 1978 changed me.
Still LOVE Superman, but more in the Batman and Marvel camp now.
I feel ya man, ima 2003 kid myself but love old TV. So combine a 70s movie and my favorite superhero ever and you've got one of my favorite films.
A friend of mine found the movie kinda boring and campy, but thats why I love it, and would give anything to go back in time to when it first came out.
I was 32 when I first saw "Superman" in 1978 & liked it a lot but didn't "love" it, since I
compared it to the original t.v. show that I saw in 1952 or '53! However, after seeing it again,
through the years, I now realize that this film was a superb piece of film-making, with a
perfect cast, fast-paced action scenes & entertaining dialogue! One of the all time movie greats!
Glad the video mentions it. Every comic book film and filmmaker owes Superman 1978 a debt. I've said pretty much the exact same thing.
Christopher Reeve is my favorite actor to play Superman. About 95 percent of people still agree with that opinion.
Source?
@ Dereck a Backus- Oh for sure!
Untouchable...
No, it's actually 93.45%
OMG! This was another cinema experience I cherish, seeing the first screening at Grauman's Chinese, just like I did "Star Wars." But I have to mention how the anticipation was built by the teaser trailer. It was just sky, titles and a logo with really stirring music that the audience cheered. Of course the same artists made the opening credit sequence which I consider one of the best. The cherry on my particular cake was our film school got Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner to speak after the premiere. My first interview was Richard Donner right after he got the news he had been fired from Superman II. (The producers pulled the "two productions for the price of one" thing before with "The 3 and 4 Musketeers" but I digress) Richard was so cool he returned after that film came out and brought Margot Kidder with him.
Gotta love and hate the Salkinds.
Thank you for this! One of the greatest nights of my life seeing Superman at 5 or so years old, when I discovered how miraculous movies are, RIP Chris Reeve/Dick Donner/Margot Kidder
I was 10, absolutely blown away by the performances, the music, the effects. I remember being somewhat taken aback by Jor-El being much older and Krypton looking nothing like what I'd seen in comics and cartoons til that point. I did love that Jor-El was wearing the S-insignia though. This was the first time that Superman's emblem (as well his costume itself) was shown as having an alien origin rather than a design he & the Kents made up.
11:10
That one shot scene with Clark going from his work suit into his Superman suit into flight was seamless. I've seen this film so many times, but you notice something different everytime to appreciate the skill it took to pull this stuff off back then.
I was already hopelessly addicted to comics by the time Superman came out.
I flew out of the movie theater.
The opening sequence with the little kid flipping through a black and white copy of action comics still makes me well up.
I must have been about eight when it came out. I remember feeling like I could fly when I walked out of the movie theater.
And I still feel that way.
I remember it came out, and I got to see it in the theatre. I was 6 or 7, and the only other time I remember hearing a crowd cheer as loud as that was when, a few years later, Darth Vader saved Luke from the Emperor. Superman catching Lois and then the helicopter was incredible for a young kid to watch. Christopher Reeve came across as mighty, self-aware, and wholesome. He was the epitome of cool.
Watching Superman the Movie in the cinema with my dad is one of my earliest memories, I'll always remember the way I heard the music and watched the big S logo flash on screen. It started a lifelong obsession with Superman and to this day I still read the comics and love the character. Christopher Reeve was the best actor to ever play the part and, in my opinion, given the challenges he faced in his life, he was a real life Superman.
My dad took me to see this movie on my birthday and we both had a good time watching it. My dad made a big evening of it with dinner included. It was one of the best childhood memory I have.
I will never forget sitting in the theater as a 12 year old. For those of us who watched the reruns of the 50’s hear that iconic music, which was so respectful of everything that came before, and the reveal of the iconic S while the music clearly said Superman, all of us in the theater stood and applauded FOR THE MUSIC! I have never seen anything like it before or since.
I remember going to see it and being blown away by it. I was a comic book reader and seeing Superman on the big screen was like the comics came alive. So well done and enjoyable even for my parents.
I was just a little kid then, but THAT movie was the most amazing thing I ever saw! It seemed completely real and believable to me.
I remember going to see superman with Christopher Reeve, everyone was standing up cheering and clapping, it was mind blowing
Wow, going to see it with the star of it. Mind blowing indeed.
Christopher Reeve remains the definitive Superman and Superman (1978) remains the definitive Superman movie ever made since. It would have been interesting to see it in the cinema in 1978 but I was only born 3 years earlier so I never got that experience.
I remember seeing Superman when I was 7 in 1978! The theme song still gives me goosebumps! Still my favorite Superhero🦸♂️!
The opening credits and music in Superman still gives me the chills.
It was great, as I remember. The sheer oddness of the Phantom Zone sentencing scene ("Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh!") with Brando, Terence Stamp, et al. really established a mood, and the rest of the movie was pure fun--especially Gene Hackman's numerous wig changes. I was only five, but I can recall leaving the theater feeling inspired and humming the theme music.
Ha!!! I love the way you said, "Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh! Guilt-eh!" That put a smile on my face... By the way - I just discovered that Amazon has Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - which turned out tyo be quite different than the Superman II that we all know and love... Richard Donner's cut isn't necessarily better or worse, it just has a different feel... The best part was seeing all the deleted scenes that had been left out, it was like getting to watch it again for the first(ish) time!
@@KelleyBroussardMackaig Thanks, Kelley! Gonna check it out.
I was 9 years old when the movie came out. My Dad took me and my sister to see it. He was retired from the Air Force and took us to the theatre at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington DC. I was a big comic book fan and loved Superman. The movie was a joy to watch. I will never forget the experience.
It was a wonderful movie to see on the big screen. I was 4 and still remember how amazing it was. I saw it (and all but the forth movie) at The Palace Theater in Georgetown, Texas. It was one of the very first movies I ever saw in that theater. The story, the special effects, the music, and most of all Christopher Reeve as Superman made for a magical movie. It’s still one of the very best superhero movies ever made, and I see every superhero movie and TV show I can. I still watch it and The Richard Donner Cut of Superman II (which is closest to the original plan for the two movies that you can see) once a year. If you ever have the chance to see it in a theater, with a great big screen and awesome sound, do not let it pass you by. This, and 1989’s Batman, are the superhero movies by which all are compared for me. This movie started the ball rolling and is wonderful even to this day.
It was amazing. The audience had experience watching the 1950s version of Superman on TV and the comedy based Batman & Robin that was from the 1960s. Superman was the real deal like how we look at Ironman, Spiderman, and the Avengers today.
What memories this has brought back. Being of an age (back then) I drove to Cape Town on opening morning to catch the 10am. screening. Warner Bros. had taken the unprecedented step of opening the film simultaneously in many territories with the USA release and I was adamant (because of the time difference) to be one of the first members of the public to see it. As a film fan there have been moments in my life, when upon seeing a film for the first time, I knew I was seeing cinematic history in the making. Films like "Jaws", "Cabaret", "Barry Lyndon" etc., and "Superman" was one of them. From the darkened screen opening, dedicating the film to legendary cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth the, now iconic, projected curtains opening, the black and white comic book narration, then leaping into space with genius composer John Williams' magnificent score, and treating us to the most stunning opening credits that, to this day, have not been equaled (how they achieved those 'pre CGI' 'zooming' credits is just one of the marvels of this film). A film for the ages. It had special effects, perfect casting, the best behind the scenes talent but above all that magic ingredient so lacking in many a comic book adaptation - heart. Thank you to all involved. You made a difference. Michael - South Africa.
I was 10 years old, I went with 2 friends from school. I remember after seeing it we ran out of the theater pretending we could fly. Life-changing movie. Fast forward 40 years last and I took my then 8-year-old daughter to the 40th anniversary screening on 35 MM. She loved it, esp the end scene when Superman tells the warden, "don't thank me, we're all on the same team!"
I can still remember sitting in the theater in 1978, and those opening credits coming up with John Williams score. Oh man
I was 8 years old when that movie came out. Superman was already my favorite comic book hero. And this film did it justice. I'm so grateful, the film producers took the project seriously. That's the secret to success. Treat the characters with respect. So many things about that film worked so well. I went to the movie theatre with my parents to see it. It was a great childhood memory.
I was there in 1978. 8 yrs old. Those years were great to be a child. Now I feel like Old Han Solo…
I was in high school that time...
The trailer alone brought unprecedented excitement & anticipation due to like Star Wars just a year before, the special fx has never been seen before.
But the eye candy of it all, aside from the realistic flying scenes using cables, was Reeve himself.
He was the comic hero drawing bursting out of it's pages, and coming to a larger than life stature. Every little detail from the hair, to the facial features, to the physique in the costume to his flying stance.
One scene I will never forget was when after he took Lois from a joyflight, he was cradling Lois as they approach her condo's terrace, and as they glided down and landed, it was so smooth it was like a ballet performance.
It was impeccable.
I was like... how did they do THAT!
I remember having my Superman costume on and watching the 50s show after school when I saw an ad for the 1978 movie. Honestly I didn’t understand what it was. The idea of a movie about Superman was crazy! Movie meant the world to me though. I came home humming the theme music and feeling so incredibly excited. One of the happiest moments of my life.
I wish a new Superman movie could capture the hearts of CHILDREN the way that movie grabbed mine. Adults bitching over a movie is ok but I’d love kids to like Superman again.
Very well-researched. Thoroughly enjoyed this! Saw this in the theatre when I was 4 years old. I can remember my dad explaining to me that Superman flew so fast around the earth that he went backward in time. That blew my mind.
i actually think the special effects in superman were better and more realistic than most of the crap we see today with all the cgi. when he rescued lois and was flying up the building it looked pretty damn real to me
The 'special effects' today are out of control and leave anyone with a brain, numb. But let's calm down, the effects in "Superman: The Movie" were, for the most part, horrendous. Reeve "flying" around like a clown in front of some desperate projection was downright painful to watch. The rest of the stuff was cartoonish as well but tolerable as "Superman" _is_ a cartoon only played with live action figures.
@@manofiske3318 Thats what you really thought about the special effects when you saw it in 1978? I don't believe you
@@xanadudawn 'Believe' whatever you will, though, should you remain unconvinced; set intransigently in your present way of thinking - then understand that you must apply the brand, 'liar' to at least two persons in attendance at the theater that night as I turned to my late mother(seated next to me) on a number of occasions during the film's screening and whispered one of my classic, "so fake" assessments clearly referring to the less than dazzling 'special-effects'. She nodded and laughed in amused concurrence.
Considering my memories of Mr Reeves as Superman, and my dad taking me to the Springfield Mall theatre near Washington, DC; I would say he was the right man for the job. RIP Christopher Reeves
I saw Superman in 1978. It was fantastic. My younger sister and I stood in line for two hours to see it. With today's multiplexes, no one experiences that thrill of anticipation, waiting in line for hours for a move, not that anything made today would be worth standing in line that long for.
My sister decided she wanted to go to the concession stand. She was gone when the movie began. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the credits. I remember just leaning back in my seat, letting them wash over me, and thinking how bad it was that she wasn't able to see them. then we got in to the movie. I had been a Superman fan since I was very young, I had watched the Superman cartoons and the George Reeves TV show. This movie just absolutely transported me. It was everything I wanted Superman, and all his friends and colleagues, to be.
The only thing that struck a wrong note with me was the idea that Krypton was in another galaxy. Puzo put that in out of sheer ignorance because he thought it sounded cool. Absolutely everything about the movie could have been exactly the same if he had just said a different part of this galaxy. Oh well, the one mistake is forgivable.
8 years old when I watched Superman in Los Angeles during Christmas vacation in 78'. It blew me away as a kid and is still my favorite Superman film of all time.
Christopher Reeve actually made his film debut in the 1978 film “Gray Lady Down.” It was filmed just BEFORE Superman began filming.
Bravo! Two thumbs up! This was a very well done retrospective about one of the greatest movies of all time, helping younger people to understand just how wonderful and important this movie was. Thank you Looper.
Love DC and Marvel, my father was 10 years old when he watched this film with my grandmother, my dad watched it numerous times in the theatre. Even in my childhood and now in my early adulthood, my father and I still watch it, and other superhero films( and I read comics too, and watch animated and live action series too) as a bond in our family.
I was 15 and had spent every weekend the previous year going to the movies to watch Star Wars. Superman was released and I believed a man could fly. Christopher Reeve was and has remained the only actor to fully embody the characters of Clark Kent and Superman. He gave them each their own personalities and he had great chemistry with Margot Kidder and breathtakingly handsome. The music was commanding and lent to the excitement of what was to come. To this day I will shout out during the intro, "Give us an S" when his emblem is about to appear. This movie is best enjoyed in the theater. I would love to see Superman 1 & 2 released to theaters in 2023 for the 45th anniversary.
Christopher Reeves as Superman was really amazing! So charming! Henry Cavill is handsome but doesn’t have that sweet charisma that Christopher Reeves had.
I clearly remember the line "You'll believe a man can fly!" from the Superman ads back in 1978. My wife and I could not wait to see it! We loved the movie and it was one of the first VHS videos we ever bought for our Magnavox VCR, purchased for 800 dollars back then! :)
I was 9 when the film arrived. I still recall vividly how the entire audience stood up in cheers, tears, and clapping when Christopher Reeve caught Margot Kidder and the helicopter. It was a simpler, more innocent time. I doubt a similar sequence would evoke such a wild reaction today.
I'm so glad that I ran into your comment, Joaquin! I just discovered a couple of days ago that there is a "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" which was formally released back in 2006. I bought it on Amazon (I believe for like, $7) and seeing all the deleted scenes that had been left out was like getting to watch it again for the first(ish) time! It basically has the same story line, but it has a much different feel than the Superman II - which was a bit more on the silly side. The Richard Donner cut has more of same feel as the original first Superman had. Definitely recommend!
@@KelleyBroussardMackaig Thanks, I've read similarly over the past couple/few years how the Donner version is so much better...and I agree with you on the "silly" aspect...I accepted it back when it came out in 1980 because I was just a little kid and those "silly" scenes just seemed "funny", which was obviously the other director's point, but as the years have gone on I slowly came to realize that the silliness just wasn't cutting it for me...then I heard about the Donner version being released, as you pointed out. Long story short, I've just added that Donner version to my "to get" list....RIP Richard Donner
@@KelleyBroussardMackaig Yup! The Donner Cut is magnificent! My copy is over a decade old. Even fundamental details like the inclusion of Brando's scenes and Superman's deliberate destruction of the Fortress of Solitude made the movie so much more meaningful. It's too bad that the Salkinds were too "thrifty" to spend the money necessary to keep Jor-El's character in the theatrical cut. It's also unfortunate that we did not get this version of SM2 in the cinemas way back in 1980.
When my younger friends beam about the Justice League Snyder Cut I always remind them that ZS wasn't the first to be given a reprieve to repair the first poorly executed cinema release of his film. Dick Donner was ahead.
"Superman" with Christopher Reeve is still my favourite superhero movie, first watching it when I was 10 yrs old.
I get shivers whenever I watch it again (and I do every few years) and see Superman fly for the first time, and catch Lois falling from the helicopter.
The best line, and even an in-joke between my mom & I, "Don't worry miss, I've you." "You've got me? Then who's got you?!"
I saw it in '78 when I was 6. It was my favorite movie then, and in many ways still is. As much as I love the acting of Chris Reeve and the direction of Richard Donner, this amazing movie wouldn't have been made without the vision of the Salkinds. Warner Brothers owned DC comics and could've made a Superman movie any time, the Salkinds made it happen.
But if we had got the movie they initially wanted it would have been crap; campy and jokey but in a bad way. Remember who they were looking at for the part, Arnold for God's sake. It was Donner's vision and Reeves performance that made it great.
I saw it as little kid. It was draw dropping when he took to the air the first time. No special effect had ever been seen like that before. And it just got better and better. The effects were so mesmerizing I didn't really remember the story until the second time.
I was 11 and my mom took my best friend and I to see Superman. It was awesome. My mom, best friend, and I kept talking after the film was over how good it was and how we couldn’t see any cables, strings, etc. as far as Christopher Reeve flying. I still think the film holds up. I knew of the amount of money that Brando was paid for to appear in it and was shocked how small his role was in the film. Superman, the original Blade, and maybe the first Spidey film w/Tobey still are some of my favorite superhero films. The films were great origin stories for the characters.
Back to Superman, yes, I loved the original Superman and read his comic books more than any other character at this stage in my life. So, I thought Donner and WBs did a great job with the film. The cast was huge, Williams’ score was awesome, and the film was and still is a big deal to me. Lastly, RIP, Reeve, is still my favorite Supes and the definitive Superman on screen.
I was 14 when I saw this in the theatre. It was just amazing! I went three times in a week! Every scene was cool - from those on Krypton to the Kansas cornfields to Lex Luther’s abandoned NY subway station lair to Superman’s ice castle to the romantic flight scene with Lois Lane. It was a revelation. You have to remember that we were coming off movies like Towering Inferno and Airport 197x. So many movies were just American drivel in the ‘70s (&x80s) and Superman was just a new form of entertainment - or at least that’s how it seemed to some of us in New Zealand. Great actors. Amazing effects. Terrific directing.
The GREATEST SUPERMAN ever.
That shit was unwatchable, Reeves was a joke
@@EMMETTCULLENHALE Reeves was the Mold....Everyone else after him has been a joke.
@@antoniocruz1163 i dont who was the bigger joke pussy Reeves as Superman or Gene Hack playing Lex Luthor, Henry Cavill is the best to date
I was 12 years old growing up in Southern California. I remember there was a line around the movie theater and shows sold out and you might have to go to a later showing or come back another day. There was a vibe in the air, everyone was excited and to top it off, it was a great movie. Wonderful memories as my parents took me and my best friend to see it, and with a big bucket of buttered popcorn… doesn’t get much better.
greatest superhero of all time
I remember watching Superman in 1978 and was totally blown away. It was something that a lot of fans wanted to see. Christopher Reeve lived up to the hype and the tagline "You will believe a man can fly".