Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

I thought it was ridiculously stupid in the theater.

Whenever I watch it, that's my cue for a bathroom break.

Cupid, where is thy sting?

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

I dunno, the whole "Can You Read My Mind" sequence is pretty excruciating, too. They're both things I'd definitely have cut from the film.

My favourite parts of the original Superman were the opening on Krypton and scenes in Smallville. Once we get to Metropolis is when the cheese is dialed up to 11.

That 'Can You Read My Mind' bit always took me out of the movie, I think the moment would have been better served with just an instrumental while Kidder's acting conveyed the rest.

But overall, this movie is one of my very favorites and I have little to complain about.

[cynatnite]

My mom and I went to see it at the theater. We both loved it even though I made fun of Lois thinking she could fly and all that.

She fell in love with Christopher Reeve.

The whole turning the earth backwards screwed with my head, though.

[TM2-Megatron]

Yeah, I mean you can talk about old school romance or whatever, but it's incredibly cheesy. I wasn't born until the 80s and didn't start dating until the 90s, so I have no idea about 1970s "romance", but I find it difficult to believe people were legitimately that corny, even back then.

Just as I don't want a neck-snapping Superman in my Superman movies, I don't want schlocky poetry in my Superman movies, either. It's just too extreme in either direction.

Schlocky circuit-board/robot ladies and and nuclear men, on the other hand? Bring 'em on.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

Yeah, I mean you can talk about old school romance or whatever, but it's incredibly cheesy. I wasn't born until the 80s and didn't start dating until the 90s, so I have no idea about 1970s "romance", but I find it difficult to believe people were legitimately that corny, even back then.

Just as I don't want a neck-snapping Superman in my Superman movies, I don't want schlocky poetry in my Superman movies, either. It's just too extreme in either direction.

Schlocky circuit-board/robot ladies and and nuclear men, on the other hand? Bring 'em on.

Well, that kind of "wooing" thing was starting to die out in the 70's, especially once you hit the anything goes, excess of the 80's. It became: I like you, you like me... lets hit the sheets!

[Croweyes1121]

Originally Posted by ltb2.0

That 'Can You Read My Mind' bit always took me out of the movie, I think the moment would have been better served with just an instrumental while Kidder's acting conveyed the rest.

But overall, this movie is one of my very favorites and I have little to complain about.

Funny, I've always read about how this scene makes people groan and/or roll their eyes because of its cheesiness...and I've honestly never felt that way at all. Maybe it's just because I grew up with it from a really young age, but it's absolutely never bothered me. I've never felt like it was corny one bit...it's just someone afraid to convey her feelings, falling totally in love, and (literally) being swept off of her feet. I still think it works to this day and have never really understood the hate for it.

[Desk.]

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

I dunno, the whole "Can You Read My Mind" sequence is pretty excruciating, too. They're both things I'd definitely have cut from the film.

I discovered, by asking Margot Kidder directly, that the 'Can You Read My Mind' sequence was originally conceived as a song that would play while Supes and Lois are flying around Metropolis.

Unfortunately, as Kidder herself acknowledged, she couldn't sing. Therefore, it was decided that she should speak the lines, rather than sing them.

I agree that you'd never get anything like this in a modern movie. However, I really like it - and the fact that it speaks to a time in the 70s when mainstream movies were more experimental and less constrained by genre and formula.

It didn't seem weird to me when I saw it as a child when the film came out, and I consider it a really nice, romantic interlude.

Desk

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by Raphdude

I'm so excited for this, but I want the original split surround sound effects from the opening credits in lossless quality as it was played and heard in theatres on December 15, 1978! I was there!

I wasn't there, but everything I've read says that the 70mm split surround mix was never used on release prints, only on a few test prints.

Still it would be cool to hear it if it still exists somewhere.

[captainsolo]

Indeed the split surround mix was never used. Each mix was done one by one at the same mixing console and ultimately only three were utilized: 70mm Dolby, Dolby Stereo and mono. The Dolby Stereo is very, VERY limited and sounds almost mono-ish at times with little to almost no usage of the surround channel.

To date the best original audio mix is on the US and Japanese letterboxed LD releases. It is far more alive and has the incredible mono to surround opening title transition. I'm almost positive they must have grabbed the 70mm audio source by mistake as it sounds incredible and absolutely destroys the Dolby Stereo.

[The Fallen Deity]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

Indeed the split surround mix was never used. Each mix was done one by one at the same mixing console and ultimately only three were utilized: 70mm Dolby, Dolby Stereo and mono. The Dolby Stereo is very, VERY limited and sounds almost mono-ish at times with little to almost no usage of the surround channel.

To date the best original audio mix is on the US and Japanese letterboxed LD releases. It is far more alive and has the incredible mono to surround opening title transition. I'm almost positive they must have grabbed the 70mm audio source by mistake as it sounds incredible and absolutely destroys the Dolby Stereo.

How come the original stereo mix doesn't have that mono to stereo transition on the BD?

It's really bizarre that it immediately starts in stereo even though it's not supposed to.

[BNex99]

I went to the 35mm screening in Glendale the other night, and it sounded better than I expected. Obviously it's a late-70s mix, so fidelity is limited, and there's nothing like the separation we'd hear in discrete mixes, but I wouldn't really call it "mono-ish." There was some definite directionality in spots throughout.

My guess is still that the BD's 2.0 "original audio" was taken from a straightforward stereo rendering, without any of the matrix information from the Dolby tracks, which is why it sounds kind of flat. Again, total speculation, of course.

[Falaskan]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Well, that kind of "wooing" thing was starting to die out in the 70's, especially once you hit the anything goes, excess of the 80's. It became: I like you, you like me... lets hit the sheets!

I'm pretty sure both existed in the 70s, since both "wooing" and "hitting the sheets" happen now.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

Yeah, I mean you can talk about old school romance or whatever, but it's incredibly cheesy. I wasn't born until the 80s and didn't start dating until the 90s, so I have no idea about 1970s "romance", but I find it difficult to believe people were legitimately that corny, even back then.

Just as I don't want a neck-snapping Superman in my Superman movies, I don't want schlocky poetry in my Superman movies, either. It's just too extreme in either direction.

Schlocky circuit-board/robot ladies and and nuclear men, on the other hand? Bring 'em on.

It's not exactly on the level of camp like Flash Gordon or Thor Ragnarok, but it has an innocence about it. It's winking and smiling at you, like many moments in the film, and Williams' music is simply magic for the ears. Love the big smile on Reeve's face as he turns away to leave.

[fighthefutureofhd]

Originally Posted by Falaskan

I'm pretty sure both existed in the 70s, since both "wooing" and "hitting the sheets" happen now.

Tom Cruise had that in one his movies, but he called it John Wooing instead.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by The Fallen Deity

How come the original stereo mix doesn't have that mono to stereo transition on the BD?

It's really bizarre that it immediately starts in stereo even though it's not supposed to.

It's the same issue we have today, people need their speakers filled with the new formats, regardless of original sound design.
It's a shame Warner always gives in to the babies.

[MartinScorsesefan]

Originally Posted by fighthefutureofhd

With all the trouble involved with the disarray on the set, it's funny to note that some critics ranked Superman II as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, comic book movies of all time. And one of the greatest sequels. The movie got a lot of love from critics from what I remember.

And from the GA who loved it.

[Ben_UK]

My preferred version of SII would just be the theatrical release, but with whatever Donner footage they could squeeze in without causing the film to break.

My other bugbear with the Donner cut is that the terrible visual FX look just like that, terrible CGI visual effects from the early 2000's. If they intended to insert new VFX, they should have aged them in some way, have some fake telecine wobble or do a matte painting or something, it just looks horribly out of place. Ive seen some fancuts with better visual effects.

The same with the sound FX. Lots of new contemporary sound FX rather than the more 80s synthesized stuff that was used in the day.

[Dragon Ranger]

Originally Posted by Croweyes1121

Funny, I've always read about how this scene makes people groan and/or roll their eyes because of its cheesiness...and I've honestly never felt that way at all. Maybe it's just because I grew up with it from a really young age, but it's absolutely never bothered me. I've never felt like it was corny one bit...it's just someone afraid to convey her feelings, falling totally in love, and (literally) being swept off of her feet. I still think it works to this day and have never really understood the hate for it.

Just my thoughts regarding the "Can you read my mind?" scene; I first saw the movie on VHS as a youngster in the 1980's and never saw anything wrong with it; thirtysomething years later and I feel exactly the same. It's sweet and innocent and sits perfectly with the rest of the movie. I can't really think of anything to dislike with Superman the Movie.

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by Dragon Ranger

Just my thoughts regarding the "Can you read my mind?" scene; I first saw the movie on VHS as a youngster in the 1980's and never saw anything wrong with it; thirtysomething years later and I feel exactly the same. It's sweet and innocent and sits perfectly with the rest of the movie. I can't really think of anything to dislike with Superman the Movie.

I remember seeing SUPERMAN in the theater on its origianl theatrical release and the audience loving the "Can you read my mind?" scene. The women in the audience especially fell in love and oooed, and ah -ed over it. It was a nice romantic moment. No one groaned or became impatient. It was interesting really how people really listened to the words and got so much from them. I remember a giggle of slight embarrassment over "you can see right through me" line, with a giggle.
People today are much more crass. Super heroes are down to earth, and not very special. Truthfully their not anything to look up to. They just have more power.

[ltb2.0]

I don't want that moment removed from the movie either, it's an important part of the movie that, while it does it seem a little jarring to me, it adds to the charm of the movie. Superman: The Movie is one of my all time favorite Superhero movies.

8 year old me, just had no time for that mushy stuff and wanted to get to the good stuff.