Superman - The Movie in New Jersey! (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Kleist]

So when is everyone going to the show? I know Matt's going on Saturday 10, but how about other people? We should turn this into some kind of meet or something
Jeff Kleist

 

[Matt_Stevens]

Cassandra (my girlfriend) and I still hope to be there at 10 AM, despite what has happened. Some of Cassandra's co-workers and friends are among the missing, so this has not been easy on her.
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www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

hi i'm a little confused about the fri midnite time. on the web site that is linked to it says proud to present in 12 hours to go. so is this meaning that the fri mid show is tonight , thurs? or tomorrow friday at midnite?

The guy running the site must have screwed up. Of course I will be screening the print tonight around 2 am, so its not that far off. I'll post how it is as soon as I get home.
quote: So when is everyone going to the show? I know Matt's going on Saturday 10, but how about other people? We should turn this into some kind of meet or something

I'll be there for every show wearing an "Indiana Jones" t-shirt of some sort. Feel free to say hi and hang out.
Neil
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"Conspiracy theorists don't live on the same flat Earth as the rest of us." -- astronomer Stephen Maran
[Edited last by Neil S. Bulk on September 13, 2001 at 04:09 PM]

 

[TheBat]

Good luck with the Superman:SE screening. Let me know how it does.
JACOB
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[Neil S. Bulk]

I watched the print last night. It looks great and sounds wonderful. It was certainly a treat to see this on the big screen. I wish I could get more excited over this, but right now I just can't.
I hope to meet as many of you as possible at this screening. It'll be fun, which is just what we need right now.
Neil
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"Conspiracy theorists don't live on the same flat Earth as the rest of us." -- astronomer Stephen Maran

 

[TonyD]

well i made it last night with my wife. the movie was great. it was fun to be able to see that movie on a movie screen again. it reminded me of the late 70's reading newspaper articles about the then groundbreaking special fx, you will believe a man can fly, etc....
this is one of my 5 favorite movies.
but the theater. what's the deal with that screen being curved like that. the whole image was distorted because of the curved screen and the angle of the projector hitting the screen. most noticeable during any seen with a horizon like the young clark kent in kansas scenes. and anything that is supposed to look flat horizontally like the scene when kent hear's lex's high pitched sound as kent goes from perry white's room to the window he jumps out of. everything left and right of the center of the screen was curved upward.
i loved the opportunity to see a classic movie on the big screen and i hope there is more but please give it to us on a flat screen

[Edited last by TonyD on September 15, 2001 at 10:38 AM]

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Tony,
I prefer the curved screen. I find it to be more enveloping, and also it is more evenly lit. It might be a minor detail, but I like having my field of view utilized, and the curved screen does that to a greater effect.
I will grant you that it does distort the image in some ways, and a little bit of information is cut off at the bottom, but to me, those are minor complaints. The movie looked great and sounded wonderful.
You should have stopped and said hi. I was the guy in the green Raiders of the Lost Ark t-shirt. I was responsible for projecting the movie last night.
Neil
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"Conspiracy theorists don't live on the same flat Earth as the rest of us." -- astronomer Stephen Maran

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Yeah, why didn't you say something Tony?

A lot of new theaters have the curved screens, albeit not quite that curved(I think it was a little overboard)
A total blast, that wasn't you that won the DVDs was it?
Jeff Kleist

 

[TonyD]

well sorry about that i was actually right behind you (jeff and neil). i won the first giveaway comic book i hope there will be more of these events. have either of you guys ever heard mr movie steve freedman on 1210 am on saturday nights maybe we could get him involved and could host screenings or a preview. if you havent heard him he is on sat nites from 10p - 1 am. i still have to say the curved screen was really distracting for me and my wife.

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"who needs padding when you can have quality over quantity? more isn't always better." just my 2 cents on post count padders.-----

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I took the 3.5 hour trip yesterday (1 hour to my girlfriend's, then 2.5 to the theater) for the 10 AM showing and I am glad I did. Sitting in a theater, watching SUPERMAN was an incredible experience, filled with, I guess I'd call it nostalgia. The print was in mint condition, looking far better than PLANET OF THE APES and RUSH HOUR 2! And I got to touch it with my own two hands! Now THAT is cool.

There were so many things I noticed that could only be seen on the big screen.
#1. The Executioner is suspended in the air. His feet do not touch the ground, which is rotating under his feet. Very cool.
#2 This one is a howler. There are paper coffee cups all over Luther's layer! And I mean everywhere! On his desk. On shelves. On the floor. On furniture. On top of statues! Clearly this was a joke Donner threw in and my girlfriend and I found ourselves saying "Cup! Cup! Cup!" We even saw some hot dog plates!
#3. The World trade Center is seen numerous times during the film. It stands tall and proud.
Furthermore, it was amazing to see just how blurry the rear projection flight shots were. I know some lash out at anyone that criticizes the FX in this film, but on the big screen, you see the flaws and dated techniques. When Superman takes Lois for a fight, all of the wide shots of them with rear screen projection are clearly FX. The background is blurry and grainy. Some of this may be due to the age of the elements, but we need to remember that considerable money was spent fixing these shots, so this is pretty much how they looked. I didn't enjoy the film any less because of this! But with today's technology, an Optical Printer's inherent flaws would be eliminated, thanks to digital matting.
The model work of the town and the flood is even more laughable on such a huge screen. My girlfriend giggled out loud. But of course, Donner is on record as hating model work. I will say that the majority of the model work on Krypton and the dam were top notch on the big screen.
Best scene: The rocket sequence was exciting and thrilling. I'd have to rank it as the most exciting sequence on the big screen.
John Williams score sounded awe inspiring. The entire soundtrack, despite the changes I truly despise, was enveloping and an example of how to do a surround track. The theater I saw this at had the best sound of any theater that size I have been in and makes many of my local theaters sound pathetic.
I have to thank Neil Bulk, who was a gracious and friendly host, as well as a terrific fellow film geek.

His theater is outstanding. Yes, the screen was a bit too curved, but I'll take that over the scratch ridden APOC NOW experience I had at the Astor Plaza.
Anyone that has the chance to see this, DO IT! At a time when patriotism is on the rise, experiencing a film about truth and justice in the American way that stirs the heart and soul.
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www.deceptions.net/superman
[Edited last by Matt_Stevens on September 16, 2001 at 10:01 AM]

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I really appreciate the kind comments, Matt. My goal for presenting Superman - The Movie was to make it the best experience possible. The music playing before the film started? I made that CD, selecting the cues from the various soundtrack releases (original Warner Bros., the Varese, the complete Rhino, even the DVD). The trailers? I knew people would be anxious to see Superman so I only put 3 trailers on, and The Time Machine was short. I had to put Harry Potter on becasue it features a great piece of music by John Williams. As for Ice Age, I think that is just about the funniest teaser I have ever seen, and thought people could use a laugh.
My manager and friend, Kevin Alexander (who did the requests to get this print) and I both wanted it to play in theater 16. It has the best sound of any theater I've ever been to, and as I stated above, the curved screen doesn't bother me. We actually have one theater that is larger, and has a flat screen, but it features only DTS, and this print did not come with the DTS discs, though the time code is on the film.
As for the film itself, it looked and sounded stunning. The "Love Theme", played during the end credits, sounds so full and lush, that you really get swept away in the music. It's a wonderful mix, and in the right theater, its pure magic. I hope others get to experience this film in a presentation that can match what we saw this weekend.
The one piece of rear projection that really stood out to me was when Superman flies away from Lois' terrace. A shot that on home video constantly makes you ask, "how'd they do that?" is plainly obvious in the theater. The color of his costume is flat, compared to the shots before, making the rear projection stand out.
Still this is nitpicking. If I ever questioned the greatness of Superman - The Movie before (and I'm not sure I did), after seeing it 5 times this weekend in the theater, I can easily say it easily is one of the greatest films ever made.
Neil
P.S. Thank forum member Jeff Kleist for suggesting the Episode 1 trailer be placed at the end of the film. That was fun to see in the theater again.
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"Conspiracy theorists don't live on the same flat Earth as the rest of us." -- astronomer Stephen Maran

 

[TonyD]

yes the ep 1 trailer was fun to see again big and the trailer for ice age was great i hadn't even heard of that one. when does the movie come out?
and thanks again neil.
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"who needs padding when you can have quality over quantity? more isn't always better." just my 2 cents on post count padders.-----

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Ice Age is supposed to come out next summer. I'm not sure of the release date. That trailer is a great short film, though. By the way, that was Ray Romano as the voice of the wooly mammoth at the end.
By the way, regarding spotting things in Superman, I noticed that Miss Teschmacher's sleeve was ripped when she threw the kryptonite chain. I'm guessing that they went with a later take, and the outfit was so tight, that it tore doing the scene earlier.
The Cheerios box also magially rotates between shots, so that "Cheerios" can be read.
I'm sure there is more stuff I caught, I just can't recall all of it right now.
Neil
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"Conspiracy theorists don't live on the same flat Earth as the rest of us." -- astronomer Stephen Maran
[Edited last by Neil S. Bulk on September 16, 2001 at 06:48 PM]