Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[eddievanhalen]

You want to know what I really don't like about Superman The Movie? It's a sad story that will be in my mind forver and pops up everytime I watched this movie. I ordered the first DVD release back in August 2001, it was the region 1 US edition that was the first double layer-double sided DVD, which I received on 09/11. I think you know where the story goes. As soon as I got it opened I started watching it, I was amazed at the sound, those "shooooooshs" on the open credits. I was suscribed to an SMS from Antena 3, the main private network in Spain that sent SMS with headline news. You can imagine the SMS I received while I was watching Superman The Movie, at the scenes when the now grown up Superman leaves The Fortress Of Solitude. I stopped playing Superman and tuned CNN, I leave the rest to you but that day I hit too records: I had never spent so many hours watching TV in a raw, and I had never cried so much. This always comes to my mind every single time I watch Superman The Movie, not a nice memory.

[Conan The Barbarian]

Originally Posted by eddievanhalen

You want to know what I really don't like about Superman The Movie? It's a sad story that will be in my mind forver and pops up everytime I watched this movie. I ordered the first DVD release back in August 2001, it was the region 1 US edition that was the first double layer-double sided DVD, which I received on 09/11. I think you know where the story goes. As soon as I got it opened I started watching it, I was amazed at the sound, those "shooooooshs" on the open credits. I was suscribed to an SMS from Antena 3, the main private network in Spain that sent SMS with headline news. You can imagine the SMS I received while I was watching Superman The Movie, at the scenes when the now grown up Superman leaves The Fortress Of Solitude. I stopped playing Superman and tuned CNN, I leave the rest to you but that day I hit too records: I had never spent so many hours watching TV in a raw, and I had never cried so much. This always comes to my mind every single time I watch Superman The Movie, not a nice memory.

You're letting the terrorists win.

[HeavyHitter]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

Just thinking out loud... but if a movie/disc hard clips whites reducing contrast on a display wouldn't show more detail. It would just reduce contrast. Or are you saying it was too bright on your projector causing eye strain?

Right, no extra detail. It was really just a band-aid approach that took off the edge of the whites looking so strong.

[david_blu]

So I was on youtube looking at some New York footage from the 1970s and stumbled across this.

Police at Skyscraper, Emergency, High Angle Shot, 70s New York, 35mm - YouTube

the caption says it is police at skyscraper emergency but as I think it is looking down from the Daily News building I wondered if it was actually footage of the filming of Helicopter sequence?

Even if it is not its a great what if? if you were a reporter in the Daily Planet watching the scenes unfold before Supes saves the day.

Update: It is ACTUALLY the footage used when Lois is looking down while falling out of the helicopter

[pjvader]

Originally Posted by david_blu

So I was on youtube looking at some New York footage from the 1970s and stumbled across this.

Police at Skyscraper, Emergency, High Angle Shot, 70s New York, 35mm - YouTube

the caption says it is police at skyscraper emergency but as I think it is looking down from the Daily News building I wondered if it was actually footage of the filming of Helicopter sequence?

Even if it is not its a great what if? if you were a reporter in the Daily Planet watching the scenes unfold before Supes saves the day.

Update: It is ACTUALLY the footage used when Lois is looking down while falling out of the helicopter

that really is an AMAZING find

[Hedji]

INCREDIBLE! Can't believe you just happened to find that!

[KC-Technerd]

Originally Posted by Raphdude

Unfortunately, the BD is the same disc from before and does NOT have the new 4K master.

In the US the BD included with the 4k is the same disc as the theatrical version that was only available in the box set. It is not the same disc, nor the same master as the Special Edition BD. One of the things I find particularly interesting about this disc/master is that the spot that appears like a bit of video noise that transitions from the exterior of the dome to the temple of one of the council members inside the dome is absent. I've never come across another version, including the 4K where this is not apparent. My biggest disappointment with this BD is that it does not include the Dolby 6-track audio that is reproduced on the 4k disc. It's surprising how weak and ineffective the original Dolby Stereo (SVA) mix is, and how strong and effective the original Dolby 6-track is.

[KC-Technerd]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But that's just it, in the Krypton stuff on the UHD the suits don't look very bright, like at all, and in the quest for dynamic range they've uncovered all that detail in the material but decided to tone down the brightness. And yet the faces still look really subdued and dull for colour in those scenes in 4K, it's so strange.

They look great on my LG C9, IMHO. Great glow from the suits, and faces look like they're very indirectly illuminated from the glow, which makes them look somewhat dark and blue, but to me it looks very appropriate. I probably should compare with the SDR, which I haven't done in a while. What looks poor to me in the HDR grade is the approach to the Krytonian City and dome, which makes the cliffs and city structure look like gray plastic, while I find them to appear more like white ice and snow in the SDR grade.

EDIT: I just looked at both again on my LG C9. I do see how the UHD gives the impression that the suits are less bright and everything else is a bit darker (seems more like a gamma difference). Also the SDR BD has much more warmer skin tones, looking like normal illumination on Earth. The skin tones in the Kryptonian scenes on the UHD definitely look different, not as if they were illuminated by an incandescent light bulb, or a yellow sun.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by KC-Technerd

They look great on my LG C9, IMHO. Great glow from the suits, and faces look like they're very indirectly illuminated from the glow, which makes them look somewhat dark and blue, but to me it looks very appropriate. I probably should compare with the SDR, which I haven't done in a while. What looks poor to me in the HDR grade is the approach to the Krytonian City and dome, which makes the cliffs and city structure look like gray plastic, while I find them to appear more like white ice and snow in the SDR grade.

Yeah, there's definitely a bit of Dolby Dimness™ at play on my ZD9 as the HDR10 looks brighter, but it still doesn't 'pop' like I want it to. I know that's rich coming from the guy who lectures people not to expect 'pop' from every UHD - oh, sweet irony - but I've been watching this movie for years and years and years on home video and whether they were truly 'accurate' or not those suits were always BRIGHT. They don't just glow, they zing, and for better or worse I've been conditioned to expect it so those scenes still rank as a big disappointment for me on the UHD. I mean, if the colour on their faces was left alone and it still looked as punchy as it does on the older transfers then that might've been enough, but they look so pale and dull now in that scene.

[TXMoviebuff77]

Shame it’s not the longer cut in 4K but it’s $15.99 on Amazon right now.

[Funcha]

I'm wondering aloud if the supposed Richard Donner Director's cut from around 2000 will ever get a 4K upgrade. I actually thought those extended scenes added to the film in a nice way.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Funcha

I'm wondering aloud if the supposed Richard Donner Director's cut from around 2000 will ever get a 4K upgrade. I actually thought those extended scenes added to the film in a nice way.

I like the SE a lot. It even includes better-looking sources for some scenes that used janky old dupe neg in the theatrical cut (which was unfortunately carried over into the 4K theatrical transfer, no-one thought to use the C roll created for the SE that included the higher quality material).

[Ray Jackson]

Disappointed that the main special feature on the regular Blu-ray Disc is an old documentary.

..was hoping for a contemporary retrospective.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

Disappointed that the main special feature on the regular Blu-ray Disc is an old documentary.

..was hoping for a contemporary retrospective.

Something like that is on the Superman Collection.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-S.../20003/#Review

[Stan of Vegas]

Did not care for the trasnfer. I thought the Blu-ray for the "Extended Television Edition" was better.

[brian9229]

Obvious troll alert

[TXMoviebuff77]

Naw this was a solid transfer, some grain sure & I’m glad the strings were not shown like you could blatantly tell on the Blu disc. Not perfect quality but I was satisfied & it’s Superman for Christ’s sake. Still one of my favorite superhero movies ever. I hope they release the other 4 movies.

[Ricky G]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

But that's just it, in the Krypton stuff on the UHD the suits don't look very bright, like at all, and in the quest for dynamic range they've uncovered all that detail in the material but decided to tone down the brightness. And yet the faces still look really subdued and dull for colour in those scenes in 4K, it's so strange.

Hmmmm...almost alien.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Ricky G

Hmmmm...almost alien.

Shame no-one thought to make them look like that in the previous 40 years of this movie's existence

[Drake2222]

I want Superman II on 4k blu