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Well, I guess the only good news is that the decision making process (now in it's fourth year?) is finally winding down. We'll probably know within the next six months if this is ever going to happen. I think that they would be foolish to just include the alternate scenes as deleted supplements, because out of context the impact would be diminished. If they have the money and the means, any excuse not to would be a poor one.
I just saw the so-called "restoration" of Superman II that's been floating around, and it only strengthened my belief that Donner's cut is not only possible, but a *very* different film.
Scene after scene by Lester is either competely unnecessary, was reshot or corrupted by mindless inserts of comedy (check out the hick during Zod's arrival on Earth). You have a film made of tension, violence, emotional vulnerability and personal responsibility that has been reduced to a cartoon sidetracked by the stereotyped Americans who supposedly inhabit Superman's world. This version not only restored some of Donner's more interesting moments, but far more embarrassing elements from Lester that were wisely left out of the theatrical print.
The most surprising revelation I found was that the Salkinds not only tore Brando out of the film, but reduced Hackman's presence as much as possible. They cut a lot of his best lines, some closeups and his goodbye. This was obviously some pathetic attempt to punish him for refusing to do reshoots. So it stands that we would have, if this true restoration goes through, a film showcasing extraordinary unseen performances from all 3 of its leads.
Lastly, some very subtle issues would be solved that already became much more apparent in this version. Once Luthor's scenes are completely restored, you have a structure far closer to that of the first film. The parallel narrative of following both Superman and Lex Luthor is far better represented here. Also, several tiny bits of both visual and expositional information from the first film (Lois & Superman's interview/flying sequence, Clark's discovery of the Fortress of Solitude, etc.) is brought full circle.
Most of this unfolds during a nearly uninterrupted Donner period, from the point of Superman tricking Luthor & Zod to a heartbreaking goodbye when he takes Lois back to her apartment after destroying the Fortress. When you see this entire sequence for the first time, you can't help but be upset that such a wonderful series of scenes were dropped by the producers and Lester. The quality and tone of these moments are the last you'll need to be convinced that the restoration of the remaining Donner footage is going to be everything you hoped for.
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