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Extending the film's duration has brought with it a greater scope, so that
the feel, tempo and tone more closely resembles an old-fashioned three-act
epic than a mere blockbuster. It is no longer in such a hurry to cut to the
pacey Comic Strip-influenced section of the story in Metropolis - the world
of The Daily Planet, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor et al.
There is also therefore a greater amount of Marlon Brando now present, as it
is the previously brief early scenes on our hero's home planet of Krypton
which have benefitted most from the additions. One of the choicest moments on
a fascinating three-part, 90-minute documentary contained on this DVD, sees
footage of a late-70s model Brando justify the (then) unprecendented
multi-million-dollar payout he received for 14 days' work by comparing his
market value to that of commodities such as Hula Hoops. Everything has its
price, and actors are no different. Perhaps he'd seen the future of Hollywood.
It may also be a suprise to discover the original screenplay was written by
Mario Puzo, hot on the heels of The Godfather II. Such heavyweights both
behind and in front of the camera is testament to the pulling power of such a
mythical icon, but probably has as much to do with the vast sums of money the
film's producers were prepared to pay in order to ensure their project would
be a success.
Donner, for instance, reveals that he was offered a cool $1m to helm
both Superman and a simultaneously-filmed sequel. The disregard of keeping
the movie within a sensible budget would prove costly in more ways than one,
but the results speak for themselves. Superman: The Movie is a timeless
creation... artful, yet utterly accessible, entertainment for the masses.
Under intensely demanding circumstances, the film was completed on time (the
initial plan of a summer '78 launch having been abandoned), but the
extraordinary 18-month shoot had bled the producers' coffers completey dry.
Despite much of the projected Superman 2 having already been filmed at the
same time as the first (due to the inflexible schedules of Brando and
Hackman), the money ran out before completion, and the second movie was only
finished after the commercial exploits of the first made it possible.
Unfortunately by that time, Richard Donner's services had been dispensed with
due to irreprably decaying relations between him and his employers, meaning
the franchise would never be quite the same from that point onwards.
Superman: The Movie is a two-sided DVD (film on Side A, extras on Side B), and
also available as part of a smartly-designed double-pack that also contains
Superman 2. The latter, given Donner's central involvement with the first
movie's appearance on DVD, tellingly has no extra features to speak of. It
makes for a slightly lop-sided package, with each disc occupying opposite
ends of the "value-for-money" spectrum, but with Superman 2 effectively
included for under £10 (the 2-disc set has a RRP of £29.99, but can be found
for a good few £££s cheaper than that), and the second part of the series'
importance to the overall plot arc (i.e. it completes what Superman: The Movie
begins), it's the most tempting option.
Even by itself, Superman The Movie: Special Edition is one of the most
essential Region 2 releases to date.
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Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.