UHD Review Superman: The Movie (2023 Re-issue) UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Todd Erwin]

Superman: The Movie released as part of the Superman 5-Film Collection boxed set, Warner has for some unknown reason omitted the original 70mm 5.1 mix from the 2018 release and replaced it with an inferior 2.0 stereo mix, but retained the UPC code from that prior release.



Superman (1978)



Released: 15 Dec 1978
Rated: PG
Runtime: 143 min




Director: Richard Donner
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi



Cast: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty
Writer(s): Jerry Siegel (character created by: Superman), Joe Shuster (character created by: Superman), Mario Puzo (story), Mario Puzo (screenplay), David Newman (screenplay), Leslie Newman (screenplay), Robert Benton (screenplay)



Plot: An alien orphan is sent from his dying...

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[Stephen_J_H]

Thanks. I'll stick with my iTunes version, which includes the TV cut as a bonus feature.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

My guess on the audio issue is that maybe whoever was supervising the audio materials here was under the mistaken impression that the 5.1 on the 2018 UHD was a remix, and so replaced it with the "original" stereo.

As much as I appreciate Warner being more willing to include original audio mixes on their recent releases of older films, it seems that they might not quite understand the nuances of what that actually means.

 

[TonyD]

Same upc so no way to know if you found an original release with the theatrical fx Mix.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Same upc so no way to know if you found an original release with the theatrical fx Mix.

It’s in tiny print on the technical specs box at the rear bottom of the actual package, so if you see it in a physical store (or buy a used copy from someone who can take an actual photo instead of using a stock one) you should be able to tell that way - but fully agree that a new SKU should have been issued.

 

[TonyD]

I already have it but good info for anyone who doesn’t and wants to.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I already have it but good info for anyone who doesn’t and wants to.

I don’t have a UHD player so I never got around to buying it but I might have to now just to future proof myself with a copy of the 5.1 mix.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I don’t have a UHD player so I never got around to buying it but I might have to now just to future proof myself with a copy of the 5.1 mix.

I bought it before I could watch it in 4K and HDR.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

Same upc so no way to know if you found an original release with the theatrical fx Mix.

Just to be clear, the 2.0 on the new UHD has the original sfx, too. It's just taken from the weaker 35mm stereo mix. The 5.1 was from the 70mm six-track with better fidelity, separation, and... well, oomph.

 

[TonyD]

I bought it before I could watch it in 4K and HDR.

Yep

 

[Robert Harris]

Superman was not a WB studio production. It was an independently produced film, and was shot to look as it does.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Just to be clear, the 2.0 on the new UHD has the original sfx, too. It's just taken from the weaker 35mm stereo mix. The 5.1 was from the 70mm six-track with better fidelity, separation, and... well, oomph.

This is correct.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Lack of "oomph" is the least of that 2.0 mix's problems TBQH.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Superman was not a WB studio production. It was an indecently produced film, and was shot to look as it does.

By the brilliant Geoffrey Unsworth, a “lighting” cinematographer and master of “soft focus”.

 

[Tino]

“We still get the very good Dolby Atmos mix created for the 2108 release”

Hmm….are you a time traveler @Todd Erwin ?

 

[Robert Harris]

By the brilliant Geoffrey Unsworth, a “lighting” cinematographer and master of “soft focus”.

Correct. There is minimal rationale for a 4k release of the film.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Correct. There is minimal rationale for a 4k release of the film.

Which makes the complaints about this transfer (weird orange flash glitch aside) seem all the more uninformed.

 

[Todd Erwin]

“We still get the very good Dolby Atmos mix created for the 2108 release”

Hmm….are you a time traveler @Todd Erwin ?

Typo corrected.

 

[Sgecko79]

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The 2018 issue of Superman the movie has a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack that is a total re-engineering compiled from all existing soundstock and sperated into 5 discrete channels: LF-C-RF in the front, LS-RS in the rear, supported by LFE (the .1 channel, low frequency effect) that can be placed anywhere (subwoofer). The 70mm 6 channel Dolby Stereo tracks consisted of 6 discrete ANALOGUE channels: L-LC-C-RC-R in the front behind the screen, and 1 mono surround in the back, with no LFE subwoofers. The DTS MA 2.0 track bitrate of 48kHz is obviously superior to the 640 kbps of 2018's 5.1 DD track which suffers from severe digital compression loss as a result of shrinking the file size by almost 1000%.-(not exagerated). The 2 channel DTS track has no loss in fidelity as made evident by the 48kHz bitrate of a 2 channel track.

 

[Sgecko79]

Superman was not a WB studio production. It was an independently produced film, and was shot to look as it does.

Superman: The Movie looks incredible compared to many of the films from that era, and the credit for all of that goes to Warner Bros and Richard Donner. The Salkinds fully intended to make a fast turnaround on their money filming their terrible script, loaded with movie stars, and foregoing all production value. Then they mistakenly hired Donner. When Donner realized how embarrassingly cheap the movie would look under the Salkinds production, who wouldn't give him any money, he went to WB executives with the problem. Warner, being the parent company of DC at the time (and currently), decided not to allow DC's flagship to be tarnished on screen so they ended up giving the funds to Donner for some of the most important parts necessary for the production; number 1, FLYING. The Salkinds were content with flying animations and a guy laying on plexiglass with a camera overhead.