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

[Tino]

Oh my goodness! Who could forget how much precious time of all our lives was wasted on that Enterprise return in Star Trek: TMP. That is a chunk of time that none of us will ever get back. It makes me shudder just thinking of it.

Ha. And it’s one of my favorite sequences in the entire film. A awesome introduction showcase for the new refitted Enterprise with great effects and wonderful music.

I love it.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Now the question is, assuming it even exists in a transferable state, do you still want a Superman II tv cut? By all acounts all the good stuff was Donner shot and we already have it on disc.

Yes. Because it's not about having a "better" version - it's about nostalgia for seeing a version I haven't seen in years.

 

[TJPC]

Ha. And it’s one of my favorite sequences in the entire film. A awesome introduction showcase for the new refitted Enterprise with great effects and wonderful music.

I love it.

Ha. And it’s one of my favorite sequences in the entire film. A awesome introduction showcase for the new refitted Enterprise with great effects and wonderful music.

I love it.

It may seem boring now, but at the time it was thrilling. We had been “Star Trekless” for years, and here at last was that wonderful magical ship returning. Fans sat inthralled.

 

[Mark-P]

It may seem boring now, but at the time it was thrilling. We had been “Star Trekless” for years, and here at last was that wonderful magical ship returning. Fans sat inthralled.

Exactly! With all the various incarnations of Trek, we've seen the the Enterprise from every angle imaginable, but back then the only point of reference fans had was the really archaic effects of the original series. This was the first time audiences were seeing the Enterprise with modern effects and it was breathtaking. They were showcasing the ship and the audience was supposed to experience the same sense of awe that the returning crew members were.
PS: and that was also before MTV and Raiders of the Lost Ark infused attention deficit disorder on movie watchers.

 

[Ethan Riley]

Exactly! With all the various incarnations of Trek, we've seen the the Enterprise from every angle imaginable, but back then the only point of reference fans had was the really archaic effects of the original series. This was the first time audiences were seeing the Enterprise with modern effects and it was breathtaking. They were showcasing the ship and the audience was supposed to experience the same sense of awe that the returning crew members were.
PS: and that was also before MTV and Raiders of the Lost Ark infused attention deficit disorder on movie watchers.

It's a six-minute scene largely without dialogue, intended to show off the greater detail that was possible on a large-screen Enterprise (it also shows off Jerry Goldsmith's skills as a composer). The scene was all about showing the scale of the Enterprise, because that was impossible to tell on the tv version. It was also meant to bring fans back to that world after 10 long years. During the shot where Kirk faces the Enterprise head-on, I could hear Trekkies holding back tears in the audience. That scene showed them that they were being allowed back into that universe at last. Maybe it seems slow on home video, but believe me--it did its job in a crowded theater on the big screen.

 

[Brian Kidd]

I don't think anyone will argue that the TV cut is superior to all others. That's why it isn't being touted as such. It's just a unique cut of the film that many people remember from their childhood and that a certain number of fans will be glad to have in good quality. It's a niche release and I'm grateful that Warner Archive is releasing it. Mine should arrive today. I'm anxious to see it.

 

[Lord Dalek]

That's all fine and dandy but when at least one guy here is trying to make this into the second coming of Christ, you can't help but marvel at the mood whiplash when the thing ships and gets proclaimed as an instant coaster.

 

[Garysb]

It may seem boring now, but at the time it was thrilling. We had been “Star Trekless” for years, and here at last was that wonderful magical ship returning. Fans sat inthralled.

Everyone has their opinion. I remember seeing Star Trek the Motion Picture when it first came out and being so sorry the transporter was out of commission and wondering when they would finally get to the ship. It was a boring scene when it was first released.

 

[Will Krupp]

That's all fine and dandy but when at least one guy here is trying to make this into the second coming of Christ, you can't help but marvel at the mood whiplash when the thing ships and gets proclaimed as an instant coaster.

I don't think people who know what they're getting are going to proclaim it an instant coaster and so what if that poster is excited beyond words about getting this nostalgic release? Let people enjoy themselves.

 

[ScottHM]

Everyone has their opinion. I remember seeing Star Trek the Motion Picture when it first came out and being so sorry the transporter was out of commission and wondering when they would finally get to the ship. It was a boring scene when it was first released.

You should have just closed your eyes and enjoyed the music.

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[Lord Dalek]

You should have just closed your eyes and enjoyed the music.

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Just buy the damn album then,

 

[Allansfirebird]

Still waiting on my damn copy to ship from Amazon. That's what I get for choosing the free shipping option...

 

[Blimpoy06]

Is this a Superman thread or Star Trek? There are plenty of other threads to debate Star Trek TMP.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Is this a Superman thread or Star Trek? There are plenty of other threads to debate Star Trek TMP.

People confused "ST: TMP" with "S: TM".

Neil

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I don't think people who know what they're getting are going to proclaim it an instant coaster and so what if that poster is excited beyond words about getting this nostalgic release? Let people enjoy themselves.

You know what? I am still waiting for my copy to arrive from Amazon but I am excited!

Perhaps not as excited as the original poster, but I think this is a terrific release.

It reminds me so much of ITS A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD where the extra content doesn't necessarily move the story along and kind of bogs down the film --- but on the other hand -- it allows one to spend more time with favorite characters and discover new pieces of footage previously unavailable.

Just the fact that Warner was willing to spend the time and money to put something like this together for the fans is a real testament to how great their Home Video division is.

Superman The Movie is still, for me, the greatest superhero movie I ever saw. Perhaps because it was the first. It holds up well even today. To have the opportunity to see this film in a new edit is very exciting for me as I have never seen all the deleted scenes (and I won't watch them on YouTube).

PS: My apologies if anyone was offended by my words regarding Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That introduction to the Enterprise went on far too long for a first viewing. However, I know how much the fans (who I am one of) enjoyed that sequence and I don't mean to offend them.

 

[Tino]

You know what? I am still waiting for my copy to arrive from Amazon but I am excited!

Perhaps not as excited as the original poster, but I think this is a terrific release.

It reminds me so much of ITS A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD where the extra content doesn't necessarily move the story along and kind of bogs down the film --- but on the other hand -- it allows one to spend more time with favorite characters and discover new pieces of footage previously unavailable.

Just the fact that Warner was willing to spend the time and money to put something like this together for the fans is a real testament to how great their Home Video division is.

Superman The Movie is still, for me, the greatest superhero movie I ever saw. Perhaps because it was the first. It holds up well even today. To have the opportunity to see this film in a new edit is very exciting for me as I have never seen all the deleted scenes (and I won't watch them on YouTube).

PS: My apologies if anyone was offended by my words regarding Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That introduction to the Enterprise went on far too long for a first viewing. However, I know how much the fans (who I am one of) enjoyed that sequence and I don't mean to offend them.

Ron. I wouldnt apologize for stating your opinion. I don’t think anyone was offended.

 

[Blimpoy06]

I watched this last night with my Dad. I don't watch Superman that often. Not because I'm not fond of it, I am. I was 9 when Superman came out and 10 for Star Trek TMP. That's the age when movies are still magic. You soak up every piece of the experience. It is because of how emotional I get when viewing that I spread them out. Christopher Reeve IS Superman to my generation. All respect to those before and after, but there is a reason why this film is the gold standard for modern superhero films.

The best stories are when the hero has to make a choice. And for this film it's a big one. Keeping a promise means the woman he loves may die. My chest gets tight every time he pulls Lois out of the car. He is so gentle. He cradles her head and winces as he lowers her to the ground. The film goes silent except for the wind. We have several cuts that pull out to show the helpless nature of our hero as he grieves. And then...that SCREAM! No dialog is necessary in this powerful sequence. After this, I'm on board for this Superman were ever he goes. Even Gus Gorman and Lenny Luthor couldn't sway me from watching his adventures.

I don't expect everyone needs a three hour version of Superman The Movie. But I'll break it out and spend some quality time with this film for years to come.

 

[Brian Kidd]

I watched the first hour or so last night. My initial reaction is that I'm quite enjoying it. Yes, there are a few instances, for example Lana and the jocks' car ride home, where you want to roll your eyes because you can tell that shots were simply added in to pad time. With that said, aside from those few egregious examples of throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, I really like it. The first Superman movie was always more of a mythological epic. The languid pacing worked for me. It allowed me to take in the world that was being established and savor the character building and beautiful photography. Will it work for everyone? Absolutely not. I think the Theatrical Cut works really well and doesn't feel lacking. What this version does is allow people who are already fans of the film to spend a little more time in a world that they love. I would never show this version to someone coming to the film for the first time. It would not work for a general audience. With that said, I'm extremely glad that it exists and was made available. To me, it's a gift to the kid inside me whose childhood was profoundly affected by the film upon its original release.

As for the technical details of the disc, it's a mixed bag. For people who complain that modern releases of older films tend to scrub the grain away, you'll never say that about this disc. Hoo boy! There's enough grain in this to make bread for a year. Most of what I've seen so far is fine. It looks like the films I remember. However, it really differs from shot to shot. Some look great and some look like they've been run through a snow machine. I will say that the good far outweighs the bad. Color is solid without being oversaturated. Contrast is far more pleasing to me than previous versions of the film. There is, to my eyes, more detail in many shots than in the previous Blu-rays. The sound quality is acceptable. It's mostly mono with only a few instances where voices seemed a little muddy.

In short, if you're excited about this because you love the film and you go into your viewing with realistic expectations of what it is and the source material from which they were working, I think you'll really enjoy it and be happy with your purchase.

 

[Will Krupp]

Beautifully put, Brian ^^

 

[WillG]

It's grainy AF and the mono is loud as hell--it looks just like a movie from 1978! I notice that the music had to be moved around in some places for this extended cut. Some of the cues were dropped altogether because they didn't make sense in the extended continuity. For example, we lose that striking cue when Lex cracks the glass map with his cane and then we move on to Lois in the car and you hear a bit of "Can you read my mind." There is also less music when Lois goes down the earthquake fault. I guess there was nothing they could do when they re-edited this for tv, because there's additional cuts in those scenes and the music would have made no sense.

One of the most interesting things about this cut I find is where score has been inserted into parts that didn't have score in the theatrical cut (namely the Krypton scenes and the earthquake scenes). I guess the Salkinds must have felt that since they paid for John Williams they might has well have gotten more of his material on screen. Admittedly it did make some of the scenes feel more intense. I know it wasn't Donner's intent, but I can't say I didn't enjoy some of it (more Williams is never a bad thing).

Watched this tonight and will never watch it again. I was expecting that there might be some missing subplots returned to the film but mostly all we get are extended versions of scenes that are almost all more effective in their original edits. It's natural that the producers would want to return more footage of the expensive special effects to the film, but the extended sequence of young Superman exploring the Fortress of Solitude seems to go on longer than Kirk's return to the Enterprise in the original cut of Star Trek : The Motion Picture. There is also far too much dumb comedy in the new edit. The original perfectly balances the comic sequences with Otis and Luthor with the rest of the picture, but the added, not-very-funny sequences with the Pentagon, the President and Luthor's 'pets' throws the balance way off for me. I haven't seen the film for a good number of years, and had forgotten how intense Lois' death scene is for a film like this. I also don't ever remember noticing John Ratzenberger is in the movie ( admittedly with more footage to notice him in the tv cut.)

One thing about this cut is that it kind of does make you appreciate why the Salkinds grew impatient with Donner and it appears he overshot. There's stuff that never should have made it to a shooting script. For example the Indian village drought. If Donner at any point really had intent for that to be in the movie (which he must have had since he shot it), he may have been going slightly mad. I don't know if Stuart Baird was nominated for his editing, but if not he should submit this new Blu Ray to the Academy with a note saying "see what it could have been" and hope for an honorary Oscar.

Ironically in a cut prepared for television broadcast in the early 80s, the stuff with the pentagon and the president has two characters saying "God Damn" which didn't appear in the Thearical cut. As far as the Golfing President, perhaps Donner was making an ahead of his time statement about our complaints that recent presidents have been on the golf course too much during times of perceived crisis (and just to be clear I'm only saying that in a general sense and not referring to any specific president.) He did seem to have a cynical streak regarding politicians at the time.

Regarding Lois's death, yeah I still to this day find that scene on the disturbing side. Imagine how scary it seemed as a kid. Being trapped in a car that was pulled into a fissure while being buried alive by falling rocks and dirt, no thanks!

The extended scenes of Krypton breaking up actually weaken the tension by having it go on way too long.

It does go on quite long, but as a trade off, I find that it appears more horrific especially with all the extra cries and screams in the audio. Some shots seem to reveal some of the more flimsier materials used on the set though.

As Archive releases have been periodically including the Saul Bass logos on their releases of mid-to-late 70's films, I am hoping they do so for this new release of SUPERMAN, which definitely featured that logo theatrically.

The Saul Bass white on black "Distributed by Warner" is still there just like every other release (I have heard though that the only reason it still remains to this day is due to Donner's insistence)