Warner Archive Announces “Superman: The Movie” Extended Cut (1 Viewer)

[Neil S. Bulk]

If the mother said "Lois" in the 1978 version it is something I missed and as a fan, who loves that sort of thing, shame on me.

The dialogue is not present in the 1978 cut.

Neil

 

[TJPC]

I am sure I remember this too, although I can’t remember which version it was in. I certainly remember seeing the old Lois Lane.

 

[Blimpoy06]

I'm sure I'm not the first person to comment on this, but the casting in the "young Lois" scene bugs me. In that one, Clark is supposed to be 17 or so, and Lois looks like she's 9 or 10.

When we meet adult versions, though, they're clearly supposed to be about the same age. Even if not exactly the same age, obviously Lois isn't 7 or 8 years younger than Clark.

In reality, Kidder was 4 years older than Reeve.

Not clear how old the actor who played young Lois was - I can't find a credit for the girl who played her - but it's still clear she's substantially younger than Jeff East.

Are we supposed to believe Kidder's Lois is like 21 years old???

I never made or believed the filmmakers wanted me to believe that Clark and Lois were about the same age. Judging by visual cues and Rock Around The Clock being played on the radio in scenes, we should assume the train sequence takes place in or around 1955. That makes the Metropolis part of the movie about 23 years later. Lois would be 30ish, and Clark in his 40's. And he is an Alien with a much longer life span than humans and a much different metabolism. Never thought twice about the age issue till now. Still doesn't bother me.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

You can't expect time logic in a movie which literally ends with time travel. However, Superman and the sequels do address the time frame.

Lex Luthor states that Krypton exploded in 1948 and it took Superman 3 years to arrive here, so he arrives on Earth at 3 years old in 1951. He graduates high school in 1965 (per Superman III) and travels north shortly after that and spends many years there. We know this because Jor-El says, "By the time we return to the confines of your galaxy, 12 of your years will have passed" placing the movie in 1977/1978 and thus making Clark about 30 years old.

So why are teens in the 1960s listening to "Rock Around the Clock"? That's the real question!

Neil

 

[B-ROLL]

So why are teens in the 1960s listening to "Rock Around the Clock"? That's the real question!

Neil

Anticipating the premiere of Happy Days ... circa 1974 ...

Or from my college broadcasting days ... with the copyrighted (and heavily "borrowed" from) "Hot Clock" format there would be at least two "oldies" played every hour, so the song would still have been familiar to them

 

[Ronald Epstein]

There are so many different cuts of the film. The original 1978 version while available on home video is becoming the rarest cut. It's only on blu ray in the Superman box set. Surprised that it wasn't the second version on this set as the special edition is much more readily available. My comment was based on memory as I haven't seen the original version in many years. If the mother said "Lois" in the 1978 version it is something I missed and as a fan, who loves that sort of thing, shame on me.

Gary,

What is the difference between the theatrical version (which is only available on the Superman boxed set) and the Director cut?

You don't have to go scene-by-scene, but just an overview.

My apologies if this has been covered here already,

 

[Lord Dalek]

Gary,

What is the difference between the theatrical version (which is only available on the Superman boxed set) and the Director cut?

You don't have to go scene-by-scene, but just an overview.

My apologies if this has been covered here already,

Its basically just what Donner considered the best 8 minutes from the TV cut added back in. The most notable of these include Jor-El instructing Clark about the importance of his secret identity following his first night as a crimefighter and Superman walking through Luthor's trap gauntlet as well as some other small extensions here and there (the restoration team also cleaned up the subplot with Miss Tessmacher almost being fed to Luthor's pet alligators/lions/whatever for inclusion but this got nixed). Personally I think its one of the better Director's Cuts out there.

 

[deepscan]

Little science fiction lesson here...yes, Neil, Krypton does explode in 1948, the three year trip to Earth ending in 1951. But Jonathan Kent would die in 1965 (his final scene presumably taking place in the fall during football season), and Clark would graduate in his 18th year, which would place his leaving home the following summer in 1966 (small typo in SIII being one year off, but that’s Hollywood for you). As Jor El’s dialogue teaches us, 18 Earth years is equal to thousands of Kryptonian years (one Earth year could possibly therefore be equal to two thousand Krypton years).

As for the John Williams radio piece in Smallville vs. “Rock Around The Clock” (first released in 1955), the former’s placement in the extended cut would seem more fitting to 1965, unless if we are to take the theatrical version seriously the station would be playing oldies (a la Boss Radio). Besides, I think it may have been a matter of the Salkinds not having to pay licensing fees to Decca Records (which released “Rock Around The Clock”) for the purpose of television broadcast.

Same thing with the Platters’ “Only You” which in the theatrical version plays on Clark’s radio the summer after Jonathan’s death (the 2000 cut and the extended cut replace this with radio static), again possibly for licensing issues .

 

[TravisR]

I don't know if kids in 1966 were listening to Rock Around The Clock but I do know that they should have been and they still should be listening to it today.

 

[TonyD]

Little science fiction lesson here...yes, Neil

Oh boy

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Gary,

What is the difference between the theatrical version (which is only available on the Superman boxed set) and the Director cut?

You don't have to go scene-by-scene, but just an overview.

My apologies if this has been covered here already,

The most significant change between the theatrical version and the 2001 "Special Edition" is the all new 5.1 mix. It's a total revision of how the movie should sound.

Neil

 

[Ronald Epstein]

The most significant change between the theatrical version and the 2001 "Special Edition" is the all new 5.1 mix. It's a total revision of how the movie should sound.

Neil

Thanks, Neil!

 

[Rob W]

I agree that the footage of Superman facing the traps on his way into Luthor's lair is the best footage from the extended version. Had I not already seen it incorporated into the director's cut I may have been a little more satisfied with the three hour cut.
What's odd is that this scene is featured on one of the eight lobby cards prepared for the film, suggesting it was a very last-minute edit.

 

[Rob W]

The card in question :

 

[Blimpoy06]

Little science fiction lesson here...yes, Neil, Krypton does explode in 1948, the three year trip to Earth ending in 1951. But Jonathan Kent would die in 1965 (his final scene presumably taking place in the fall during football season), and Clark would graduate in his 18th year, which would place his leaving home the following summer in 1966 (small typo in SIII being one year off, but that’s Hollywood for you). As Jor El’s dialogue teaches us, 18 Earth years is equal to thousands of Kryptonian years (one Earth year could possibly therefore be equal to two thousand Krypton years).

As for the John Williams radio piece in Smallville vs. “Rock Around The Clock” (first released in 1955), the former’s placement in the extended cut would seem more fitting to 1965, unless if we are to take the theatrical version seriously the station would be playing oldies (a la Boss Radio). Besides, I think it may have been a matter of the Salkinds not having to pay licensing fees to Decca Records (which released “Rock Around The Clock”) for the purpose of television broadcast.

Same thing with the Platters’ “Only You” which in the theatrical version plays on Clark’s radio the summer after Jonathan’s death (the 2000 cut and the extended cut replace this with radio static), again possibly for licensing issues .

Nothing shown on screen when Johnathan Kent dies leads me to believe it is the mid 60's. All visual evidence tends to place this a decade earlier. The clothes the kids are wearing and the car they drive say the 1950's. The music just backs this up.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

I agree that the footage of Superman facing the traps on his way into Luthor's lair is the best footage from the extended version. Had I not already seen it incorporated into the director's cut I may have been a little more satisfied with the three hour cut.
What's odd is that this scene is featured on one of the eight lobby cards prepared for the film, suggesting it was a very last-minute edit.

It was not in the version scored by Williams.

Neil

 

[Garysb]

Gary,

What is the difference between the theatrical version (which is only available on the Superman boxed set) and the Director cut?

You don't have to go scene-by-scene, but just an overview.

My apologies if this has been covered here already,

I had to go to to IMBd for the detail of what is in the Donner Director's cut that was not in the original theatrical version.

• Some added dialogue when Jor-El is talking with the council.
• The council calls an "Executioner" to hunt and kill Jor-El to keep the rocket from launching.
• Noel Neill and Kirk Alyn's speaking cameos on the train.
• Little girl sees Clark running faster than train, parents call her Lois Lane.
• In the kitchen Martha Kent takes out a box of Cheerios.
• After rescuing Air Force One Superman returns to Fortress of Solitude and has a conversation with his father.
• In Metropolis when the news of Superman comes out, Clark is a spectator. A stranger (played by an uncredited Richard Donner) comments "that'll be the day when a man can fly"; Clark grins.
• While trying to get Luthor's lair Superman goes through machine guns, flame throwers, ice machines with Luthor taunting on loudspeaker.
• The sequence with the Girl Scouts.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Maybe I am wrong about this, but I thought the destruction of Krypton went on longer than the original cut.

 

[Allansfirebird]

Nothing shown on screen when Johnathan Kent dies leads me to believe it is the mid 60's. All visual evidence tends to place this a decade earlier. The clothes the kids are wearing and the car they drive say the 1950's. The music just backs this up.

To further muddy the waters, here's how it was originally written by Tom Mankiewicz in the shooting script:

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Time is a bit slippery in this movie - the Krypton opening is thousands of years before the bulk of the film, but because of the theory of relativity, baby Kal-El ages only a few years along his trip.

For me, the different vibes of the different sections are more important than having a specific timeline that makes perfect sense.

I love this movie so much. It's probably not my all time favorite movie, but at the same time, it is one of the most easily rewatchable films I've ever seen.