Pre-Order Superman 5-Film Collection (1978-1987) and Amazon SteelBook Exclusive (4k UHD Combo) (1 Viewer)

[Dave H]

The 2011 BD set hit all the bases. Warner dropped the ball here. (Yeah, baseball analogy with Spring Training here).

I've read elsewhere the excellent 70mm six track has indeed been removed for the first movie. The first movie had some odd coloring. It's too bad the information reported from "capewonder" doesn't seem to be making its way to UHD BD.

I'll pass on the set and grab the Superman II and III individually.

 

[Garysb]

If you read the press release, nowhere does it indicate that there is a new remaster of SUPERMAN being included in this set. You would think, in order to sell the set, the studio would specifically mention it.

So, it looks like we are getting a repackaging of the original transfer, that is, unless other information surfaces.

Per the updated post on the Digital Bits

UPDATED: Warner makes it official: The Superman: 5-Film Collection arrives on 4K Ultra HD on 4/18!

All right, we’ve been waiting for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to make their official announcement of this release, and now they finally have. Here’s the studio’s press release... CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. WITH ONE OF FILM’S MOST ICONIC CHARACTERS – SUPERMAN SUPERMAN 1978–1987...

thedigitalbits.com

1) Superman: The Movie 4K utilizes the same video master as the 2018 UHD but now includes the original theatrial audio mix (Comment: We believe this is in DTS-HD MA format now, where as the 2018 4K offered it in lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital. –BH). 2) Superman: The Movie includes Dolby Vision HDR while the sequels include only HDR10. All have Dolby Atmos. 3) No single-film 4K SKUs are currently planned in the US.]

 

[Britton]

This re-release of S:TM sure not looking good based on the back cover from this site:

https://cdon.fi/elokuvat/superman-the-movie-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-118828064

 

[SD_Brian]

WB is also releasing restored versions of The Max Fleischer shorts on Blu-ray in May. Since the press release makes no mention of restored versions of the shorts, it's probably safe to assume that what's going to be included on the BDs in this 4K set will be the same 480p versions as before.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Looking at the press release and the details, it doesn't seem like the Blu-rays are new, only the 2011 discs. Has that been confirmed anywhere?

 

[SD_Brian]

Looking at the press release and the details, it doesn't seem like the Blu-rays are new, only the 2011 discs. Has that been confirmed anywhere?

Most likely they are the same discs as 2011, or they would have listed "Remastered Blu-ray" as a selling point in the press release.

 

[deepscan]

Per the updated post on the Digital Bits

UPDATED: Warner makes it official: The Superman: 5-Film Collection arrives on 4K Ultra HD on 4/18!

All right, we’ve been waiting for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to make their official announcement of this release, and now they finally have. Here’s the studio’s press release... CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF WARNER BROS. WITH ONE OF FILM’S MOST ICONIC CHARACTERS – SUPERMAN SUPERMAN 1978–1987...

thedigitalbits.com

1) Superman: The Movie 4K utilizes the same video master as the 2018 UHD but now includes the original theatrial audio mix (Comment: We believe this is in DTS-HD MA format now, where as the 2018 4K offered it in lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital. –BH). 2) Superman: The Movie includes Dolby Vision HDR while the sequels include only HDR10. All have Dolby Atmos. 3) No single-film 4K SKUs are currently planned in the US.]

It it possible that WB could release a more definitive 45th Anniversary stand-alone edition of S1 uniting all three versions of the film plus new and legacy features, and a new 5.1 mix of the 3-hour TV cut…in the mold of last year’s ST:TMP Paramount put out last year. With the right kind of producers it can be done. Never say never!

 

[WillG]

It it possible that WB could release a more definitive 45th Anniversary stand-alone edition of S1 uniting all three versions of the film plus new and legacy features, and a new 5.1 mix of the 3-hour TV cut…in the mold of last year’s ST:TMP Paramount put out last year. With the right kind of producers it can be done. Never say never!

Kind of too bad the international cut of SII never came out. IIRC WB just happened upon a print of the STM 3 hour TV cut in they vault. Guess no such luck for SII

 

[Sam Favate]

As of this morning, this was back up on Amazon for pre-order. Date is April 18.

 

[Alex...]

Update Via  The Bits

Sadly, we have some discouraging news to report today as well: It’s starting to appear as if Warner’s new Superman: 5-Film Collection is going to include Superman: The Movie without the rumored new video restoration, which was first reported to have been done by Jim Bowers of Caped Wonder. And while it appears that the new disc retains the previous (and ill-favored) Dolby Atmos mix—and does add Dolby Vision HDR (the original 2018 4K had HDR10 only)—it’s looking like the 5.1 Dolby Digital mix presenting the original theatrical 6-track 70 mm audio (and which is much loved by fans) has been dropped—either by error or by choice—in favor of the same 2.0 original theatrical mix that was available previously on Blu-ray.

Scream VI, Italian Job, Shooter, 65, Three Musketeers & more, plus Warner’s new Superman 4K drops the 5.1 theatrical audio

We’ve got a couple of things we’re tracking here at The Bits today, news wise... First, it looks like Paramount has listed Scream VI for pre-order on 4K Ultra HD, 4K Steelbook, and Blu-ray on Amazon. We haven’t got the street date (which is still TBA), but we do have pre-order links and artwork...

thedigitalbits.com

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

This is a strange decision from Warner Home Video. I've recommended the UHD so many times because of the 5.1 audio. I guess I'll skip this set.

 

[Konstantinos]

Yes, I'll skip it too if indeed it doesn't include the 5.1 audio.
That 2.0 though, is it stereo or dual mono?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Sadly, it seems like a lot of these boxed set releases are being produced haphazardly for 4k.

Part of me thinks -- and this is just my opinion -- that with physical media on the decline, the budget is no longer there to put out quality releases. This is why we see huge issues with the Rocky boxed set and now the preferred audio being dropped from this Superman release.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sadly, it seems like a lot of these boxed set releases are being produced haphazardly for 4k.

Part of me thinks -- and this is just my opinion -- that with physical media on the decline, the budget is no longer there to put out quality releases. This is why we see huge issues with the Rocky boxed set and now the preferred audio being dropped from this Superman release.

IMO, I think it was just poor workmanship with the Rocky boxset and has nothing to do with budget. You can tighten up your PQ without spending more money.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

In the case of Rocky, Warner is just the distributor, it’s MGM that’s responsible for what’s on the release. MGM doesn’t exactly have a reputation for perfect home video releases. But if Warner was given the wrong audio tracks, there’s a good chance it’ll get fixed. I doubt it’ll be a full-on recall, probably more of a “next pressing gets fixed and those who want to exchange them can fill out a form to do so” kinda deal like they did for the recent Mad Max set that had some issues.

With regards to Superman, does anyone even have the discs in hand yet? This could very easily be a case where the packaging simply doesn’t list the 5.1 audio but it turns out it’s present on the disc anyway. There may indeed be cause for disappointment but I don’t really see the use in having a reaction until there’s a product to react to.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

In the case of Rocky, Warner is just the distributor, it’s MGM that’s responsible for what’s on the release. MGM doesn’t exactly have a reputation for perfect home video releases. But if Warner was given the wrong audio tracks, there’s a good chance it’ll get fixed. I doubt it’ll be a full-on recall, probably more of a “next pressing gets fixed and those who want to exchange them can fill out a form to do so” kinda deal like they did for the recent Mad Max set that had some issues.

With regards to Superman, does anyone even have the discs in hand yet? This could very easily be a case where the packaging simply doesn’t list the 5.1 audio but it turns out it’s present on the disc anyway. There may indeed be cause for disappointment but I don’t really see the use in having a reaction until there’s a product to react to.

Josh,

So, my mistake.

I would have thought with WB taking over MGM distribution that all their catalog releases transfers would be done through their MPI facility.

My apologies to Warner then if I incorrectly blamed them for this Rocky fiasco. However, I am assuming it will be up to them to issue a recall on this set.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Josh,

So, my mistake.

I would have thought with WB taking over MGM distribution that all their catalog releases transfers would be done through their MPI facility.

My apologies to Warner then if I incorrectly blamed them for this Rocky fiasco. However, I am assuming it will be up to them to issue a recall on this set.

I suppose that is entirely possible but I would just assume they’re providing finished assets, which I think was the case with their prior Fox distribution deal. But even if it was Warner’s MPI that did the transfers - someone’s gotta give them the right materials to transfer, and that’s MGM’s responsibility.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Sadly, it seems like a lot of these boxed set releases are being produced haphazardly for 4k.

Part of me thinks -- and this is just my opinion -- that with physical media on the decline, the budget is no longer there to put out quality releases. This is why we see huge issues with the Rocky boxed set and now the preferred audio being dropped from this Superman release.

You'd think it would be cheaper to repress the earlier disc than author a new inferior version but I guess I'm not that much of an expert of Zaslov logic.

 

[dpippel]

You'd think it would be cheaper to repress the earlier disc than author a new inferior version but I guess I'm not that much of an expert of Zaslov logic.

My thought exactly. If it's a budgetary issue then why not just use the original 4K release data, press more discs, and not muck about with the first film at all for the new set? Strange.

 

[compson]

With regards to Superman, does anyone even have the discs in hand yet? This could very easily be a case where the packaging simply doesn’t list the 5.1 audio but it turns out it’s present on the disc anyway. There may indeed be cause for disappointment but I don’t really see the use in having a reaction until there’s a product to react to.

The standalone Superman I UHD Amazon is now selling is a different disc from the original UHD and presumably is what is included in the new set. It lacks the 5.1 track. There is a long discussion on another site.