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

[Nelson Au]

So much the better!

 

[Dave H]

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

It's widely discussed over at the BD forum. I've had several discs I've returned that look just like this one. The cases leaving some kind of gunk (degassing?) is too common too.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

It's widely discussed over at the BD forum. I've had several discs I've returned that look just like this one. The cases leaving some kind of gunk (degassing?) is too common too.

You'd be disgusted if you saw how discs are handled once they come off the pressing line. Definitely not a "white glove" system.

 

[jayembee]

It's widely discussed over at the BD forum. I've had several discs I've returned that look just like this one. The cases leaving some kind of gunk (degassing?) is too common too.

I don't think you're quite understanding what Doug is trying to say. He understands that people are having this problem, but he's also saying that he hasn't experienced it. I haven't either. Neither of us are claiming that the problem isn't real, just that it hasn't happened to us.

As far as the "degassing" issue, I've had it happen with exactly two discs, both Kino titles that I ordered direct from them. In both cases, my player couldn't load the disc. I cleaned the disc surface with a microfiber cloth, after which they loaded without a problem. I washed the cases with soapy water. Haven't had any issue with them since.

 

[dpippel]

It's widely discussed over at the BD forum. I've had several discs I've returned that look just like this one. The cases leaving some kind of gunk (degassing?) is too common too.

That's pretty bad! I feel for you, but as I said, I have not personally experienced ANY of these disc issues. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe you and the others over at that other forum are cursed, but I buy up to a dozen discs a month, mostly 4K releases, and am just not seeing the disc issues you describe.

As for the "outgassing" residue on the inside of some cases, yes, I do occasionally get a title that looks like it has a film on the plastic surfaces inside the case. However, even on those releases I never see the same film on the disc itself.

At any rate, we've drifted far off the beaten path here when we should be discussing the Superman 5-film 4K set. It's over and out on the other topic for me.

 

[Dave H]

I don't think you're quite understanding what Doug is trying to say. He understands that people are having this problem, but he's also saying that he hasn't experienced it. I haven't either. Neither of us are claiming that the problem isn't real, just that it hasn't happened to us.

As far as the "degassing" issue, I've had it happen with exactly two discs, both Kino titles that I ordered direct from them. In both cases, my player couldn't load the disc. I cleaned the disc surface with a microfiber cloth, after which they loaded without a problem. I washed the cases with soapy water. Haven't had any issue with them since.

I got it, but I was trying to give more awareness to the issue as quite a few others have been affected. Glad to hear you guys have not. I've never experienced this thing in all of my years of buying discs (going back to CD and DVD).

 

[cineMANIAC]

I just cancelled my Amazon preorder. I'm not paying $130 for upgrades of terrible sequels. I'd feel foolish paying even $50 for this. I'm just going to look for the best to-date editions of the first two films and swap them for whatever's in my 2011 set and make my own ultimate collection. A patchwork homemade combo pack looks better to me than this nonsense.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I just cancelled my Amazon preorder. I'm not paying $130 for upgrades of terrible sequels. I'd feel foolish paying even $50 for this. I'm just going to look for the best to-date editions of the first two films and swap them for whatever's in my 2011 set and make my own ultimate collection. A patchwork homemade combo pack looks better to me than this nonsense.

I don't blame you.

I see both the Superman set and Rocky Collections as lost opportunities.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I don't blame you.

I see both the Superman set and Rocky Collections as lost opportunities.

I feel like the Rocky films would've probably had better results had they been licensed by a boutique label. Superman is directly owned by WB so they were doomed from the start. As time marches forward, the major studios will churn out more inferior product while the boutiques will hold the candle. I rarely get excited by a major studio announcement.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I feel like the Rocky films would've probably had better results had they been licensed by a boutique label. Superman is directly owned by WB so they were doomed from the start. As time marches forward, the major studios will churn out more inferior product while the boutiques will hold the candle. I rarely get excited by a major studio announcement.

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I disagree with yours in regard to major studios not being able to churn out good products. Today, I watched both, Cool Hand Luke and The Maltese Falcon on 4K/UHD from Warner Home Video, and they sounded and looked outstanding on my HT systems.

 

[Malcolm R]

I just saw the older blu-ray Superman Anthology 1978-2006 in Big Lots last night for a pretty low price. Maybe I should just go back and pick that up.

 

[dpippel]

I just saw the older blu-ray Superman Anthology 1978-2006 in Big Lots last night for a pretty low price. Maybe I should just go back and pick that up.

I already own that set, and the stand-alone 4K release of Superman: The Movie. While I'd love to have a properly done 4K disc of Superman II (and Superman Returns), that's not what we're getting in this set. I think I'm good for now. A lost opportunity, to be sure.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I disagree with yours in regard to major studios not being able to churn out good products. Today, I watched both, Cool Hand Luke and The Maltese Falcon on 4K/UHD from Warner Home Video, and they sounded and looked outstanding on my HT systems.

Fair enough. Movies owned outright by the studio are likelier to receive better overall treatment IMO - this is why I don't expect films like Logan's Run or Where Eagles Dare to ever get special treatment from Warner (both were MGM produced and distributed).

Sony is the current frontrunner when it comes to top quality "glitch free" discs, followed by Warner. Paramount and Universal's output is inconsistent at best and Lionsgate is somewhere in the middle. LG offers the best "bang for the buck". Many of their 4K titles are typically under $20, which is putting all others to shame. I'm glad "Luke" and "Falcon" turned out great. It's a good thing, too, because both are considered minor masterpieces. Sucks when great films are thrown out to market like yesterday's trash.

 

[jayembee]

Everyone is welcome to their opinion, but I disagree with yours in regard to major studios not being able to churn out good products. Today, I watched both, Cool Hand Luke and The Maltese Falcon on 4K/UHD from Warner Home Video, and they sounded and looked outstanding on my HT systems.

And Sony also does a lot of terrific releases. And while Paramount has put out some questionable product, when they are on, they are on. Same with Universal.

 

[Clay_E]

I note that Amazon.uk still lists an April 17 release date for the steelbooks set. Is there any indication of whether the UK release is still on target?

 

[Bryan Tuck]

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.

To add to what Neil said:

-The SUPERMAN THE MOVIE UHD in the new set has apparently been reauthored to replace the 5.1 70mm track with the inferior 2.0 stereo track from the 2011 Blu. Why is anyone's guess. So definitely hold onto that single release.

-The Fleischer shorts in the 2011 set were standard def. Warner is about to release a brand-new separate Blu-ray set with all of the shorts remastered in HD. But it seems that the standard Blu-rays included in the 4K movie set are the 2011 discs, so the shorts will still be SD there as well (not sure if this is confirmed yet).

-People who have already received the UK version of the 4K set are saying that the standard Blu of SUPERMAN THE MOVIE is the 151-minute Special Edition. Not sure if this will be the case for the US release or not. But either way, you'd be losing the special features from whichever disc is not included.

-The new set does include the Donner Cut of SUPERMAN II in 4K, but just how much of it is actual 4K and how much is upscaled from the old 2K master is unclear.

-The new set does not include SUPERMAN RETURNS or the 2011 bonus disc. So it's missing the "Look Up In The Sky" and "You Will Believe" documentaries and various other odds and ends.

Hope that helps!

 

[Britton]

Not related to the home video release, but I was able to catch Superman in 35mm at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta last night. Bonus that it fell on the 85th anniversary of Action Comics #1. Print was not in the best shape (understatement) and the reel changes were off. It was quite funny to see the Kryptonians screaming and plunging to their deaths with a hard cut to the middle of the planet's explosion. Those poor bastards never saw it coming!

It was my first time seeing it in theaters. I had skipped previous showings at the big chains since I assumed they would have the redone sound effects from the SE. So it was quite nice to hear it with the original sound effects, which is how I grew up watching it on a heavily watched VHS, even though it was the Dolby Stereo track. The chemistry between Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder was even more charming on the big screen. A nice reminder of why I think there will always be a place for the movie theater.

 

[cineMANIAC]

You'd be disgusted if you saw how discs are handled once they come off the pressing line. Definitely not a "white glove" system.

I guess having a monopoly on pressing plants makes them feel confident taking a "take it or leave it" attitude. A lot of people on that other forum are up in arms over the scratch issue; Personally, I've only seen the circular marks on one maybe two discs but I don't inspect every disc I buy. Even then, I had to look at the disc in bright natural light to even see the marks. If the disc plays I don't see the point of throwing fits of anger.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Here's a strange one. Superman II upgraded to UHD/Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos the other day on iTunes. A few weeks ago the new transfer showed up in HD/5.1 only. That HD version opened with the "original" WB logo and was silent, as it should be. The UHD/Atmos version plays the modern "As Time Goes By" logo music under this "original" logo.

 

[Tino]

I got it, but I was trying to give more awareness to the issue as quite a few others have been affected. Glad to hear you guys have not. I've never experienced this thing in all of my years of buying discs (going back to CD and DVD).

And for the record, I too live in NA, and I don’t think I have ever gotten a scratched disc period. And I buy pretty much exclusively from Amazon and Best Buy.

Weird that you’re experiencing this problem. So frustrating