Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[eddievanhalen]

Originally Posted by UniSol GR77

Superman . Too bad very few people will remember him in Italy today, just because - few hours ago - there has been a huge death/loss in our country that crushed us: Raffaella Carrà, the biggest and most popular Italian TV star.

She was also huge in Spain. She worked for many years on Spanish TV and the reason for that is that there wasn't anybody like her in Spain, so as good and nice as she was , she decided to spent part of her career here in Spain, doing wonderful programs that entertained us like no one could but her.
She was always a blast of good vibes, always so uplifting.
Raffaella Carrà ,may she rests in peace, Spain loves you too

[yanksno1]

So is this 4K release worth buying yet again? I own so many versions of this movie (DVD, HDX, The Extended Cut Blu-ray combo), I've held off buying it so far. Maybe if I find it for a deal I'll pick it up. I do love this movie, but haven't felt the need to upgrade just yet. Thoughts?

[Agent Kay]

I love it personally

[Bolty]

It's a shame that the Twilight Zone episodes that he directed were such terrible scripts besides Nghtmare at 30000 Feet. Probably because he was the youngest director in the rotation he didn't get his pick. Plus overall season 5 of The Twilight Zone was the weakest season. But I did watch 4 of his 5 Twilight Zone episodes. Couldn't bring myself to watch Sound and Silences.
And come on Disney Please Release the omen on 4K discs I know it's too late for this Halloween but at least by next Halloween.

[Agent Kay]

Do shout still have The Omen?

[HDMan72]

Yes, I believe the Omen collection is still available and pretty cheap.

[Agent Kay]

I mean they could release on 4k

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Just back from seeing the DCP, damn it's good seeing it on a big screen again

Same here! I was hesitant to go in July 2020 as it had only been two years since I watched the TV cut, and I was watching Batman and The Goonies within about a week of each other (so I risked overdosing on DC and Donner, which doesn't actually sound like a bad thing) but I'm happy to have been given a second chance (I also got a second chance on The Conjuring which I was able to watch in prep for the new one, glad I held off on other rereleases around the same time e.g. The Shawshank Redemption with the 4K coming out, Flash Gordon which I watched on 4K at home), so I think the only thing I really regret missing in ODEON last year is The Vigil, which had mediocre reviews on the UK release but stronger reviews on the US release.

I always worry about a film losing a magic by watching it too much. But I've never seen Superman in a cinema before (instead I had Man of Steel, Justice League for that), and it must be my first time watching the theatrical cut - my parents have the DVD of the special edition and I only watched the TV cut on that Blu-ray. While there's value to the other versions, there's nothing in the theatrical cut that really feels like it's missing and calls out for a longer version.

It's very much a big screen film with Unsworth's spectacular cinematography, the visual effects that still hold up and the spectacle - the third act really shows its roots as a 70s disaster movie with a large cast. Rather than just a comic book adaptation it's a timeless mythic epic, which still ends up relatively faithful to the source material. Part of Donner's touch I really love is the comic asides at the end of scenes that never fail to cause a chuckle. And the divide between Clark Kent and Superman really feels believable in his sense of clumsiness.

What I came away from the film this time is the sense of the necessity of rebellion - that it's okay to disobey your father to save the world, just as it saved the legacy of Krypton by Jor-El thinking of Zod's words and knowing he should do something even as he's seen as treasonous and a fearmonger for raising the potential of annihilation.

I hadn't picked up on the cast last time with Glenn Ford, Ned Beatty, Susannah York and others being in it.

I also found the reference to Superman being interviewed being the most important interview since God spoke to Moses quite amusing as Superman has always been a Moses figure.

I'm glad there have been many Superman films over the years, but really there will never be one as good as this one.

Superman II should get a 4K (though does the Donner cut have 4K elements?) and though Bryan Singer is understandably no longer a figure in Hollywood getting gigs I wouldn't mind seeing Superman Returns in 4K even if it's an upscale of a 2K DI, just to have an excuse to rewatch it. Of course Superman III and Superman IV should also get 4Ks too but they're not exactly beloved so I wonder how high on WB's priorities they would be.

[Agent Kay]

The only thing that killed me was the 5.1 mix at fast 9 volumes

[88mph]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

The UHD disc is the theatrical cut in 4k with Dolby Atmos.


The U.S. gets a theatrical Blu-ray included


The U.K. gets the extended cut Blu-ray included.

Are either of these Blu-rays different to the ones in the Anthology set?

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by 88mph

Are either of these Blu-rays different to the ones in the Anthology set?

No.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

The only thing that killed me was the 5.1 mix at fast 9 volumes

The sound did seem a bit off, the music was good but the dialogue sounded a bit soft and tinny at points? Especially on Krypton

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

The sound did seem a bit off, the music was good but the dialogue sounded a bit soft and tinny at points? Especially on Krypton

I have always disliked the remix, but the credits flying thru space were louder and more dynamic than the latest blockbuster.

[Geoff D]

In all honesty, I’ve never hated the Supes remix. I will be forever grateful that the UHD has the awesome 70mm split-surround track but if I had to watch the movie with the remixed 5.1 (and Atmos derived thereof) then I wouldn’t spontaneously combust or anything.

[gates70]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

I have always disliked the remix, but the credits flying thru space were louder and more dynamic than the latest blockbuster.

Is there a remix that you do like?

[nick4Knight]

Literally just watched this the other day in DV and I overall liked it. Remarked in the watch thread that I don't get the criticism of the HDR. I guess re-reading the thread some it mostly related to Krypton. It all looked how I thought it might. The audio experience was a highly rated one.

And a fitting tribute timing for my first viewing on this format; RIP Richard Donner.

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Just back from seeing the DCP, damn it's good seeing it on a big screen again

Where did you see this, can I ask?? I don't think a screening has happened around me in a long while...

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by ShellBeacher

Where did you see this, can I ask?? I don't think a screening has happened around me in a long while...

Odeon did it as Donner passed

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Odeon did it as Donner passed

Ah, in the UK? Would be nice to see Warners revive this in the U.S. again as a tribute to Donner. All four of them, actually...but I guess I and II would be the only ones worth doing for them. I think the only one I've actually seen on the true big screen is III as a child, though I've screened I for a class in a smaller-stadium seating auditorium on a college campus.

[ShellBeacher]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Superman II should get a 4K (though does the Donner cut have 4K elements?) and though Bryan Singer is understandably no longer a figure in Hollywood getting gigs I wouldn't mind seeing Superman Returns in 4K even if it's an upscale of a 2K DI, just to have an excuse to rewatch it. Of course Superman III and Superman IV should also get 4Ks too but they're not exactly beloved so I wonder how high on WB's priorities they would be.

Hoping for eventual 4K discs for all. I don't even care for SR, either, but the BD is pretty lackluster, right? There is also a pretty verifiable rumor that Warner Bros. has found the original longer edit of IV. While I don't expect a 4K remaster of that, would be nice to see that finally show up even as a bonus feature, and of course official releases of the TV cuts for II and possibly even III. I had thought that the impression was that the TV Cut BD for Superman sold pretty well for them, but who knows... We'll see...