Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[Croweyes1121]

Originally Posted by Matt89

I really love Superman, but I'm a little ashamed to admit that I've never seen any of the sequels. I know about the troubled production history surrounding Superman II and it's made me really curious to check out both cuts. The only thing is, it looks like I'll have to get the anthology set just to get the theatrical cut of part II, and I'm not so sure about the sequels beyond that. How bad we talking regarding Superman III and IV? I have a thing for campy Cannon productions, but are they like Jaws 4-level bad, where they're just completely terrible and have almost no redeeming qualities? Or are they cheesy campy bad where the film is ridiculous but still fun? Trying to decide whether it's worth paying CDN $34.99 (ontop of getting the UHD of the first film) when I just want the 2 cuts of Superman II and the bonus disc.

Is it a pretty good set? Worth 35 bucks?

~Matt

Awesome questions! To answer your last question first, ABSOLUTELY that set is WELL worth $35. The extras alone are fantastic, and if you're a Superman fan at all, you'll be in heaven, with DAYS of material to go through. I'd not even think twice if I were you at that price. It's a no-brainer.

Now, as far as the films...

If you love Superman: TM, you'll *at least* really like Superman II. I, like I think most of us here, probably actually preferred II to I when I was a kid, because it's a more action-oriented film. As I've grown up, I've realized how much stronger I is than II, but I do still love II for what it is. Both cuts have their strengths and weaknesses and are FASCINATING to compare and contrast. So at the VERY least, you're getting what I'd call...two and a half really good Superman films in this set, and a wealth of great extras. That alone is worth $35.

Superman III is campy and fun, with some great sequences. It does also have an abundance of silly, awkward humor - which will be apparent just from the opening sequence alone. But there ARE strengths to it if you really enjoy the first two. Reeve is fantastic in a dual role as good and evil Superman. The Clark / Lana relationship is sweet and funny. The story is goofy, but I still have a ton of fun with Superman III, and I think you will, too, if you go in not taking things too seriously and just have fun.

Superman IV is a pure train wreck of a film. There's no good way to spin it. Whether it rises to the level of "so bad it's good" will be a matter of personal taste. It does for me because I'm an unabashed SUCKER for a Christopher Reeve Superman film no matter HOW terrible it is (and boy, this is). Second-rate special effects that would make a ten year old with $50 effects software today blush with embarrassment, a story that's absolutely unforgivably stupid...editing cuts that make parts of the movie make ZERO sense at all, etc. But is it fun as a terrible film? Personally, I think so...but again, I'm a TOTAL sucker for this franchise. It's bad bad bad, no way around it. Makes Superman III look like a masterpiece. lol

Superman Returns is also in there and YMMV. I really didn't enjoy it that much despite the movie having *some* good things in it. It just isn't very fun. And it's filmed in a dark, bleak way that isn't very befitting of a Superman film IMO (though maybe not quite as much so as Man of Steel - which I also didn't like very much).

Hope this helps.

PS: I like Jaws The Revenge more than Jaws 3 despite it's ridiculousness, so take the above as you will. lol

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Some people are just complainers because they're too anal for their own good. Nothing pleases them! If a image was perfect, psychologically, they're going to find something wrong with it, but in reality when it's not.

It has nothing to do with being "complainers" or being "too anal", some people on here are videophiles with a trained eye. Which makes sense, this is a blu-ray forum. Aren't we all videophiles to some extent?? And to a trained eye, some of these transfers DO have issues. That banding in the sunrise shot? Yeah that's worth noting. There are lots of issues with a lot of UHDs in regards to studios still mastering the technique of well...mastering UHDs. Which makes sense, this is a blu-ray forum. Aren't we all videophiles to some extent??

It's not about people complaining about everything, sometimes you can admit that there are flaws or imperfections but still enjoy the transfer as a whole. People were simply pointing out some of the flaws in the presentation, it's not like the disc was completely trashed.

~Matt

[DanTheMan]

Employee at Walmart said they won’t be carrying this today.

[Sky_Captain]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Some people are just complainers...

The irony...

[mlabonte21]

Originally Posted by Croweyes1121

Awesome questions! To answer your last question first, ABSOLUTELY that set is WELL worth $35. The extras alone are fantastic, and if you're a Superman fan at all, you'll be in heaven, with DAYS of material to go through. I'd not even think twice if I were you at that price. It's a no-brainer.

Just a mild warning.

This 4K release may be a toe-in-the-water situation where WB is just checking to gauge interest in sales.

Like with 'The Matrix. It was a single release at first, it sold well, and now the whole trilogy is out in 4K.

That whole process took around 6 months, so you MAY just want to hold off on burning that $35 today in case they release a new 4K collection sometime in 2019.

All speculation on my part though

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Matt89

It has nothing to do with being "complainers" or being "too anal", some people on here are videophiles with a trained eye.

Watching movies is suppose to be entertainment, a hobby, not a chore. I don't buy and watch movies to inspect every scene in the movie searching for flaws and imperfections. I'm not QC for the manufacturer, that's not what I get paid to do. If there is any flaws in the images, there is nothing you can do about it anyway, so why put yourself through the agony, and getting stressed out over it. It doesn't make any sense. When videophiles (or people in general) pay $10.00 or more to go and see a movie in the theater, do they quality check the film for flaws and defects? Absolutely not because, that's not what they've paid their admission for, so why do it at home.

[MisterXDTV]

Originally Posted by mlabonte21

Just a mild warning.

This 4K release may be a toe-in-the-water situation where WB is just checking to gauge interest in sales.

Like with 'The Matrix. It was a single release at first, it sold well, and now the whole trilogy is out in 4K.

That whole process took around 6 months, so you MAY just want to hold off on burning that $35 today in case they release a new 4K collection sometime in 2019.

All speculation on my part though

Matrix trilogy UHD transfers were already done: they released the first one earlier just because it is the most important of the trilogy compared to the sequels..

Warner hasn't even touched the OCN for Superman II, III and IV. I don't think they will for a long time

[Agent Kay]

Just picked mine up, I need to watch some of these discs at some point

[maverick22]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Just picked mine up, I need to watch some of these discs at some point

Where did you get it?

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by ltb2.0

That's a rather messy situation there, all sorts of legal headaches.

They pulled it off with Superman SE and the Donner Cut of SII though.

[5x10]

Originally Posted by DanTheMan

Employee at Walmart said they won’t be carrying this today.

Disappointing
Same with my Walmart, target, and Best Buy
Looks like I have to order it

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by jh901

I order from Amazon in large part because the shipping states that I'll get it on release date. And then...they send out a shipping update. DELAY. Sad.

Mine's shipped so I should get it tomorrow. And I didn't order it 'til over the weekend.

[ROSS.T.G.]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Watching movies is suppose to be entertainment, a hobby, not a chore. I don't buy and watch movies to inspect every scene in the movie searching for flaws and imperfections. I'm not QC for the manufacturer, that's not what I get paid to do. If there is any flaws in the images, there is nothing you can do about it anyway, so why put yourself through the agony, and getting stressed out over it. It doesn't make any sense. When videophiles (or people in general) pay $10.00 or more to go and see a movie in the theater, do they quality check the film for flaws and defects? Absolutely not because, that's not what they've paid their admission for, so why do it at home.

So why visit these threads then? Why not keep watching DVD?

[fighthefutureofhd]

Because DVD's are substandard and not worth the time of day. If I have to watch one more pink wrinkled

[Show spoiler]***

or see one more pink

[Show spoiler]D*****

I will scream.

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Watching movies is suppose to be entertainment, a hobby, not a chore. I don't buy and watch movies to inspect every scene in the movie searching for flaws and imperfections. I'm not QC for the manufacturer, that's not what I get paid to do. If there is any flaws in the images, there is nothing you can do about it anyway, so why put yourself through the agony, and getting stressed out over it. It doesn't make any sense. When videophiles (or people in general) pay $10.00 or more to go and see a movie in the theater, do they quality check the film for flaws and defects? Absolutely not because, that's not what they've paid their admission for, so why do it at home.

Is watching movies supposed to be entertainment? I'd argue that's not necessarily the case. That may have been the intention originally, but film as a medium does not solely exist for entertainment purposes. There are films that are political, radical, experimental. Watch some of Godard's late '60s stuff. You can't tell me that Tout va bien is supposed to be "entertaining" as that's not the point. So your argument that film exists solely for entertainment purposes is, quite frankly, bullsh*t.

And no obviously you're not the QC or the manufacturer, but we as paying customers deserve to know what we're getting. And there's nothing we can do about mistakes that studios make? Well I was the one who hounded Shout Factory (rather aggressively, I might add) to fix the mono audio in Black Christmas and guess what? It was fixed.

That's fine if you're complacent with subpar quality releases, but this is a blu-ray forum, OF COURSE we're gonna discuss the A/V of releases. That is the sole purpose of this board. If you have a problem with that, I don't know what to say other than don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Also your counter-argument about going to see movies in a theater isn't even remotely the same thing so I'll just ignore that point because well...there is none.

~Matt

[Martoto]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

They pulled it off with Superman SE and the Donner Cut of SII though.

Actually. The SE got WB and Donner in trouble that had to be sorted out afterwards.

It's probably not an insurmountable obstacle. But I imagine it's not straightforward either.

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by Croweyes1121

Awesome questions! To answer your last question first, ABSOLUTELY that set is WELL worth $35. The extras alone are fantastic, and if you're a Superman fan at all, you'll be in heaven, with DAYS of material to go through. I'd not even think twice if I were you at that price. It's a no-brainer.

Now, as far as the films...

If you love Superman: TM, you'll *at least* really like Superman II. I, like I think most of us here, probably actually preferred II to I when I was a kid, because it's a more action-oriented film. As I've grown up, I've realized how much stronger I is than II, but I do still love II for what it is. Both cuts have their strengths and weaknesses and are FASCINATING to compare and contrast. So at the VERY least, you're getting what I'd call...two and a half really good Superman films in this set, and a wealth of great extras. That alone is worth $35.

Superman III is campy and fun, with some great sequences. It does also have an abundance of silly, awkward humor - which will be apparent just from the opening sequence alone. But there ARE strengths to it if you really enjoy the first two. Reeve is fantastic in a dual role as good and evil Superman. The Clark / Lana relationship is sweet and funny. The story is goofy, but I still have a ton of fun with Superman III, and I think you will, too, if you go in not taking things too seriously and just have fun.

Superman IV is a pure train wreck of a film. There's no good way to spin it. Whether it rises to the level of "so bad it's good" will be a matter of personal taste. It does for me because I'm an unabashed SUCKER for a Christopher Reeve Superman film no matter HOW terrible it is (and boy, this is). Second-rate special effects that would make a ten year old with $50 effects software today blush with embarrassment, a story that's absolutely unforgivably stupid...editing cuts that make parts of the movie make ZERO sense at all, etc. But is it fun as a terrible film? Personally, I think so...but again, I'm a TOTAL sucker for this franchise. It's bad bad bad, no way around it. Makes Superman III look like a masterpiece. lol

Superman Returns is also in there and YMMV. I really didn't enjoy it that much despite the movie having *some* good things in it. It just isn't very fun. And it's filmed in a dark, bleak way that isn't very befitting of a Superman film IMO (though maybe not quite as much so as Man of Steel - which I also didn't like very much).

Hope this helps.

PS: I like Jaws The Revenge more than Jaws 3 despite it's ridiculousness, so take the above as you will. lol

Wow thanks for the detailed response.

Okay so only 1 out of the 4 films is a total stinker? I might bite, then. I was worried about them maybe re-releasing the whole set in UHD if I get this lol but I feel like Warner has no interest in doing 4k UHDs for parts 3 and 4.

Interesting about Superman II, I'm dying to check it out now. I have a thing for movies with troubled production histories/alternate cuts so I think I'll really enjoy that.

Yeah I think I'll get this. And if I order it before noon it'll get here today with Prime.

I'll let you know what I think of the films hah.

~Matt

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Is watching movies supposed to be entertainment? I'd argue that's not necessarily the case. That may have been the intention originally, but film as a medium does not solely exist for entertainment purposes. There are films that are political, radical, experimental. Watch some of Godard's late '60s stuff. You can't tell me that Tout va bien is supposed to be "entertaining" as that's not the point. So your argument that film exists solely for entertainment purposes is, quite frankly, bullsh*t.

And no obviously you're not the QC or the manufacturer, but we as paying customers deserve to know what we're getting. And there's nothing we can do about mistakes that studios make? Well I was the one who hounded Shout Factory (rather aggressively, I might add) to fix the mono audio in Black Christmas and guess what? It was fixed.

That's fine if you're complacent with subpar quality releases, but this is a blu-ray forum, OF COURSE we're gonna discuss the A/V of releases. That is the sole purpose of this board. If you have a problem with that, I don't know what to say other than don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Also your counter-argument about going to see movies in a theater isn't even remotely the same thing so I'll just ignore that point because well...there is none.

~Matt

I have to disagree here with that. Yes, film can do more than just entertain. No question, but I'm not watching films for any other reason than to be entertained. If a movie goes above and beyond that then great. More power to it. But I am not seeking out movies that are more than entertainment in my life. It's a lot like music. Music, like movies, can do more than entertain us. They can move us and they can make us think about issues we normally wouldn't think about.

However, I'm not always listening to music for the deep message it gives me about some social injustice. Look, the world as it is to me is bleak and depressing. Oftentimes life feels like a heavy F-10 pickup resting on my chest. So when I choose to listen to music or watch a movie I don't want some deep, thoughtful, and probing film. I want a film that will allow me to shut off my brain and let me quit thinking about all the crap in life that makes me go ape s*** and crazy.

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I own it on Blu-ray. However, I will never watch that film. It's too much for me to handle and seriously FU*** with me. I'm already dealing with enough in my head that I don't need to make it any worse. Therefore I purposely avoid that film. Just as I purposely avoid The Fault in Our Stars for the same reason. Or the news for that matter. I'm just trying to get through life and for me watching a movie is more for entertainment purposes and more for my sanity than anything else.

That being said, I absolutely want to have the best quality movie possible in terms of picture quality and audio quality. However, that doesn't mean that I will only watch a movie that has the BEST picture quality and BEST audio quality. And if it does not have either I will not watch it. I can't simply do that sometimes. I just got some movies in the mail last night that I ordered that burned DVD copies of the original movies and are obviously that. I kind of new that after I bought them (but hadn't got them in yet).

The price though was worth it and I will enjoy it. The movie comes first. The quality of the picture and audio comes second. There are many excellent 4K transfers out there that I've seen and I don't like them simply because I'm not a big fan of the movie. They wouldn't be in my top 4K transfer list. There are also ones I haven't seen that are supposedly excellent, but I have little desire to see them so they won't be excellent to me. I have to enjoy the movie first and foremost. Just my rambled 12 pounds.

[jess1581]

Any news on the blu ray being 4k remastered included?

[KubrickKurasawa]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Is watching movies supposed to be entertainment? I'd argue that's not necessarily the case. That may have been the intention originally, but film as a medium does not solely exist for entertainment purposes. There are films that are political, radical, experimental. Watch some of Godard's late '60s stuff. You can't tell me that Tout va bien is supposed to be "entertaining" as that's not the point. So your argument that film exists solely for entertainment purposes is, quite frankly, bullsh*t.

And no obviously you're not the QC or the manufacturer, but we as paying customers deserve to know what we're getting. And there's nothing we can do about mistakes that studios make? Well I was the one who hounded Shout Factory (rather aggressively, I might add) to fix the mono audio in Black Christmas and guess what? It was fixed.

That's fine if you're complacent with subpar quality releases, but this is a blu-ray forum, OF COURSE we're gonna discuss the A/V of releases. That is the sole purpose of this board. If you have a problem with that, I don't know what to say other than don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Also your counter-argument about going to see movies in a theater isn't even remotely the same thing so I'll just ignore that point because well...there is none.

~Matt

To watch a movie not for Godards technique, and not for entertainment has to be less than 1%. You DO WATCH Godard to be entertained. I call bullshit on that.

I only watch to see how he cuts. Though.