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

[Jonathan Perregaux]

Looks like the box is delayed to May 29: HD Report: Superman 5-Film 4k Collection Release Date Pushed Back

That will surely give them time to fix the audio problems on IV... and also redo all the visual effects for II (being sarcastic) so it's not a disappointing upscale. Le sigh. I was really kind of hoping that Donner's Cut of II would have all the DVD-quality VFX redone, like STTMP recently.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am certainly not buying this boxed set knowing now that one, there are no significant improvements to SUPERMAN: TMP (nor, from reading comments can there be significant improvements), and two, the DONNER CUT is upscaled.

Seems to me I am much better off with what I own already on Blu-ray. I haven't even upgraded to the 4k of SUPERMAN: TMP because there remains the opinion that the increased resolution does no favors to the limited optics of that era.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

The best feature of the Superman - The Movie 4K was the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio which was for the 6-track 70mm prints. But it seems that's been dropped from the new pressing.

 

[Konstantinos]

But it seems that's been dropped from the new pressing.

I wonder if it could be a case like Mad Max, where the individual releases didn't have the lossless original audio, but the bundle does have them.
I still have some hope that the bundle will include that 5.1 audio while the individual release doesn't have it.

 

[dpippel]

It seems like they're really dropping the ball on this release. No sale here.

 

[Rob W]

For what it's worth, Warner Brothers has both 35mm prints and a 4K DCP of Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut available for theatrical play, so the idea the upcoming disc is some sort of upscale doesn't sound logical.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

It wouldn’t be an upscale in the sense of being a standard definition master, but the Donner Cut for II was finished digitally in 2006 when the standard for post-production was 2K. It would not surprise me if the studio did not create a 4K master at the time and they’re almost certainly not going to put the film back into post production to create one now.

 

[JoshZ]

It wouldn’t be an upscale in the sense of being a standard definition master, but the Donner Cut for II was finished digitally in 2006 when the standard for post-production was 2K. It would not surprise me if the studio did not create a 4K master at the time and they’re almost certainly not going to put the film back into post production to create one now.

And if that's the case, honestly, it's no different than numerous other movies finished in 2K during that era that have also been released on 4K UHD.

 

[Lord Dalek]

And if that's the case, honestly, it's no different than numerous other movies finished in 2K during that era that have also been released on 4K UHD.

Of course its different. Those numerous other movies actually had money spent on their post production as opposed to the lazy slopjob full of various mpeg artifacts that is Donner II.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

1080 and 2K are virtually the same thing. 1080 is simply the home video container while 2K is a theatrical container, but the resolution is almost identical.

1080p = 1920 horizontal x 1080 vertical
2K = 2048 horizontal x 1080 vertical

 

[Bryan^H]

I'm still buyimg it for nothing else an uptick in video quality 2-4, and hopefully the Atmos mixes are as great as the first film. It is a standout of any Atmos sound in my collection, and how great it can be.

 

[Dave H]

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.

Agreed.

The number of scratched new UHD BD discs I now encounter is mindboggling. Some of these look like they've been put up against sandpaper. I've been buying discs since the 1980s (if we count CDs) and never have seen this before.

 

[dpippel]

Agreed.

The number of scratched new UHD BD discs I now encounter is mindboggling. Some of these look like they've been put up against sandpaper. I've been buying discs since the 1980s (if we count CDs) and never have seen this before.

Well, that's weird. My experience has been the exact opposite. I can't remember the last time I received a scratched 4K UHD or Blu-ray disc that was fresh out of the shrinkwrap AND wasn't a floater, and even those are few and far between.

 

[Robert Harris]

Keep in mind, these are not WB films. There are probably sparse post-prod records, if any. Not a good situation for a special edition to be in.

 

[Dave H]

Well, that's weird. My experience has been the exact opposite. I can't remember the last time I received a scratched 4K UHD or Blu-ray disc that was fresh out of the shrinkwrap AND wasn't a floater, and even those are few and far between.

It's more of an issue for those in North America because of the sole pressing plant where its happening (in Mexico). Outside of NA, not a problem. The problem is very wide spread and has been talked about quite a bit on various forums. I've had to return/exchange four discs this year alone. For the movie Heat, it took me three returns to get a scratch-free disc.

 

[dpippel]

It's more of an issue for those in North America because of the sole pressing plant where its happening (in Mexico). Outside of NA, not a problem. The problem is very wide spread and has been talked about quite a bit on various forums. I've had to return/exchange four discs this year alone. For the movie Heat, it took me three returns to get a scratch-free disc.

I live in the U.S. Not saying that you haven't had the problems you report, just that I'm definitely not seeing the same thing, and I buy a lot of discs. Receiving a damaged disc is a very rare thing for me.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi guys, I’m late to reading this thread. While I’m a fan of the first two films, I’m not a super fan who knows all the differences of the different releases.

I own the 2011 blu ray box set and from reading the description of this new 4K release, it looks like the contents are the same. Including the Fleischer Superman shorts and the Warner cartoons. Those Fleischer shorts are a fantastic inclusion and I appreciated their inclusion in that 2011 set. So the animated shorts are a duplicate in this new 4K set and I assume they will be 1080 only.

The 2011 box set also includes the Donner Superman 2 cut and Superman Returns, that’s nice to complete the set.

I have the Superman The Movie 4K blu ray which I picked up in 2020, I believe this is the same disc released in 2018? I haven’t watched it yet as I did not have a 4K display at that time. I’ll have to check it out.

I do not have the extensive knowledge that Neil Bulk has about the audio track he has spoken of here. So I’m curious where that Dolby Digital 5.1 audio which was from the 6-track 70mm, if the 4K edition I picked up has that. Does it even exist on the 2011 blu ray box set?

I must confess too, I’ve never watched Superman 3 or 4 in the two Superman box sets I own, the DVD and blu ray sets! So I get whey there won’t be individual sets. I did see Superman 3 once and I never saw 4 before, except a few clips here and there.

At any rate, this new 4K set seems redundant in my case as I have the first film in 4K already and the extras too. The only selling point for me is Superman 2, 3 and 4 in 4K and the Steelbook case which does look cool.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I do not have the extensive knowledge that Neil Bulk has about the audio track he has spoken of here. So I’m curious where that Dolby Digital 5.1 audio which was from the 6-track 70mm, if the 4K edition I picked up has that. Does it even exist on the 2011 blu ray box set?

It's only ever been on the first pressing of the 4K UHD. You have it. Crank it up and enjoy it!

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi Neil-

Thanks a lot for confirming the audio track is contained in the first 4K disc! I shall!

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

And it's the default audio track! You don't have to select anything.