Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

We don't talk about that movie. If you say its name, it might re-appear.

Too late... they made a god awful sequel with Larry the Cable Guy.

[Ernest Rister]

I just googled it...Larry, what hast thou wrought?

[Geoff D]

Apropos of seeing the new Deer Hunter restoration in 4K, it got me thinking about Superman (also shot anamorphic on 5247 and released in 1978) and how it's been written off by some of our more learned filmic scholars in fora elsewhere. DH in 4K is not something that re-imagined the look of the film but which presented it with a restrained HDR pass and as much detail as it could muster mister, which was still a fair bit compared to any existing 1080p version.

Granted, Vilmos Zsigmond didn't go for the kind of diffusion on Deer Hunter that Geoffrey Unsworth employed so heavily on his movies, Superman included, and nor did Zsigmond employ the "flashing" to fog up the film that he used on his own work (though they did rough up a fair bit of the Vietnam section by taking it to a dupe negative to create the low-rent look they were after), so we're not talking about two movies that look exactly the same here. But after seeing what can be done with a 40-year-old negative in 4K HDR and how it still manages to beat any other version out there then I'm sticking to my guns: I think STM has a lot of potential in 4K HDR, NOT to be the kind of eye-candy that people expect, but to deliver a version that's more detailed and more film-like than any prior iteration along with a restrained HDR pass.

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I think STM has a lot of potential in 4K HDR, NOT to be the kind of eye-candy that people expect, but to deliver a version that's more detailed and more film-like than any prior iteration along with a restrained HDR pass.

Was that ever in doubt? STM, if done right, will look absolutely stunning.

[magnetiques]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

to deliver a version that's more detailed and more film-like than any prior iteration along with a restrained HDR pass.

i don't know if my standards are low, but that's literally all i want from classic films on UHD

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by magnetiques

i don't know if my standards are low, but that's literally all i want from classic films on UHD

Not at all, those standards are bang on the money. It's just that actually seeing a movie from that exact period in 4K HDR got me thinking about Supes and the comments over at the HTF which essentially dismissed any benefits this mooted 4K version could have.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I think STM has a lot of potential in 4K HDR, NOT to be the kind of eye-candy that people expect, but to deliver a version that's more detailed and more film-like than any prior iteration along with a restrained HDR pass.

Me too.
Doubtless though that there will be many who complain about it looking "soft and grainy".

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Not at all, those standards are bang on the money. It's just that actually seeing a movie from that exact period in 4K HDR got me thinking about Supes and the comments over at the HTF which essentially dismissed any benefits this mooted 4K version could have.

Some of the comments over there against a 4K version of Superman are beyond ridiculous. "It's too soft and hazy to benefit"."The BD is good enough! This doesn't need 4K and HDR."

[motorheadache95]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Some of the comments over there against a 4K version of Superman are beyond ridiculous. "It's too soft and hazy to benefit"."The BD is good enough! This doesn't need 4K and HDR."

Yeah, that does seem ridiculous. A 2K scan of the IP on a 1080p Blu-Ray versus a new 4K scan from the O-Neg on a 4K disc? Come on, there's going to be a noticeable improvement there. It's not like we're talking about an UHD release of 28 Days Later here

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Not at all, those standards are bang on the money. It's just that actually seeing a movie from that exact period in 4K HDR got me thinking about Supes and the comments over at the HTF which essentially dismissed any benefits this mooted 4K version could have.

You're ahead of the curve, Geoff, the rest of us think of HDR 4k as "super-duper mega-resolution" rather than "as accurate as possible", when that's probably how we should be thinking about the format.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Some of the comments over there against a 4K version of Superman are beyond ridiculous. "It's too soft and hazy to benefit"."The BD is good enough! This doesn't need 4K and HDR."

I feel like on more mainstream sites I read that comment about everything 4k, not just movies like Superman. The ignorant about the benefits of 4K and HDR for film is overwhelming.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Ernest Rister

You're ahead of the curve, Geoff, the rest of us think of HDR 4k as "super-duper mega-resolution" rather than "as accurate as possible", when that's probably how we should be thinking about the format.

Right. But the thing is that some people who should know better are saying that the source material is so janky it can't possibly benefit.

[Fendergopher]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

Some of the comments over there against a 4K version of Superman are beyond ridiculous. "It's too soft and hazy to benefit"."The BD is good enough! This doesn't need 4K and HDR."

I guess by that logic it doesn't need WCG or a HEVC encode either. Better yet, why even bother to scan the OCN, it's just gonna look soft anyway!

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Right. But the thing is that some people who should know better are saying that the source material is so janky it can't possibly benefit.

It won't be a few good men, but it won't be the Bourne Identity either

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

I feel like on more mainstream sites I read that comment about everything 4k, not just movies like Superman. The ignorant about the benefits of 4K and HDR for film is overwhelming.

In a way you cant blame the masses though - Plastered all over the stores is how 4K is "4X the resolution of standard HD". So, they expect a LOT of pixels shoved onto that screen and also expect it to look 4x better than any 1080p image. HDR just confuses people and many sets dont handle it right and/or arent setup properly.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Right. But the thing is that some people who should know better are saying that the source material is so janky it can't possibly benefit.

I guess it's all about expectations. I think even I said way back in this thread that Superman's dream-look isn't what people think of when considering 4k tech. I can get where the HTF people are coming from (S2Mikey pretty much summed that up above), but you are clearly right. It's just not how people are thinking about 4k, and it will take some time for that to sort itself in people's brainpans. Reminds me of people saying Blu-Ray wouldn't do much for hand-drawn animated films versus DVD, and now I'm hearing the same thing about 4k HDR versions of the hand-drawn titles, that it wouldn't do much for them (poppycock -- Sleeping Beauty is going to be mind-blowing whenever that comes to 4k, along with Fantasia).

I'm just glad I had the chance to see the Superman test-run re-release in theaters back in 2001. Warner's screened it in - I think - only two theaters in Texas to gauge the appetite for it, one of which was in the San Antonio/New Braunfels area. It was a 90 minute drive from Austin, but a terrific experience and well worth the drive.

[darren_earl]

Hi everyone this is my first post. Anyway I wanted to talk about Superman. I recently bought the UK Blu ray box set. Like everyone I knew all about the extended versions of the films.

I can remember watching the extended version of Superman III on tv on Granada way back in the 1990's (Granada is an ITV channel) but have been disappointed I've never been able to buy this version.

As for Superman IV I might be in the minority here. I didn't like this film for years but when I bought it on DVD a while back and saw the deleted scenes and since read about how the film was butchered I have completely changed my mind. I honestly think that if that film was released in its full completed form (with the special effects updated such as Superman rebuilding the Great Wall of China!!) then this could easily be upgraded to the second best film. Obviously the original will always be the greatest.

Anyway I decided to contact Warner Brothers about this so I sent my email to the CEO Kevin Tsujihara and said this to him. Yes he read it and he forwarded it to the Vice President of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, Namita Waynee. She thanked me for my email and my suggestions and said how they are always looking to make their films available to the best of their abilities.

So maybe if others do the same, ask them to release the extended versions as the more people that ask this could actually happen if they think that there is a demand for it from the fans!

[brian9229]

Don't think there's much love for IV in these parts.

[Clark Kent]

I think extended cuts of III and IV would have a better chance if finished elements existed for them, but Warner has little intention of spending money to assemble new cuts from the reams of extant deleted footage.

[Dubstar]

everytime this thread is bumped I think Warner's has released an official announcement

..

no such dice.

[come on!!!]