Superman: The Movie 4K UHD (1978)

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Zimmy

I want to watch the Man of Steel, not Man of Teal.

Well in some shots they did have Reeve in a greenish tinted suit for bluescreen photography...

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

Nope. The '78 Stereo is simply just an unimpressive mix that sounds almost entirely like flat stereo with very little to absolutely no surround information. I got to see a beautifully preserved print without fading that was run through the correct Dolby A type surround setting and it is identical to the corrected DVD audio and lossless BD theatrical audio track. This is the same audio that so distressed Donner and why he wanted to remix the film for 5.1. Essentially the majority of the surround activity is matrix leakage that occurs naturally with that type of processing-which is much greater in the original A type system and was drastically improved when SR was made.

I'm wondering what era print you saw. I think I saw an LPP reprint from 1981 or so because it had absolutely no fading-but it was a collector's print because the studio apparently didn't have one. If it was correctly presented they should have used the A type surround setting and not SR-but I'm not sure if many modern cinema processors have an A mode.

It was at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, CA. I have no idea what kind of audio processor they used, but the surrounds definitely seemed more active than what's on the Blu-ray.

But again, I was just speculating

[Aling]

Originally Posted by ray0414

The placeholder was listed today but says coming soon.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07HPY5SYT/


Credit goes to bill Hunt for posting it on Twitter.

It's now available for pre order on Amazon $41.99 if you click on the link.
This title will be released on November 6, 2018.

[deepscan]

Best Buy has it here for less ($27.99):

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/superma...?skuId=6303625

[gabega]

Originally Posted by MartinScorsesefan

The packaging says that the BD is remastered, for what it's worth.

Sadly I don't really think the standard blu ray will be remastered. That shots of the packaging had shown in red that both the 4k and the remastered blu contain the theatrical version. Look again now - "remastered" isn't there anymore.

The lack of Atmos track on the blu is the giveaway too.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by gabega

Sadly I don't really think the standard blu ray will be remastered. That shots of the packaging had shown in red that both the 4k and the remastered blu contain the theatrical version. Look again now - "remastered" isn't there anymore.

The lack of Atmos track on the blu is the giveaway too.

Aye, it did look a bit suss that the audio options for the BD were ostensibly the same as the theatrical disc from the boxset. The extras appear to tally as well, the back cover omits the cartoons but it does say "and more!".

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by gabega

Sadly I don't really think the standard blu ray will be remastered. That shots of the packaging had shown in red that both the 4k and the remastered blu contain the theatrical version. Look again now - "remastered" isn't there anymore.

The lack of Atmos track on the blu is the giveaway too.

Well that's a shitty move on Warner's part - since it doesn't follow the release of The Matrix where both the UHD and the bluray were the remastered version

[Geoff D]

I can see why they didn't though, the theatrical disc is a more recent transfer anyway (albeit probably 2K from an IP). FWIW I don't think that anything's been cancelled or pulled in terms of a remastered BD as the audio specs really did seem like a dead giveaway that this would be the same disc, someone probably got a bit too eager when putting the blurb on the back cover.

[HeavyHitter]

I just watched the theatrical BD recently and there is nothing wrong it at all compared to the original Matrix BD which had various issues for example, but Warner screwed pooch big time on that remastered BD so be careful what you wish for. Unforgiven's remastered colors look overly pumped up to me. I cannot help but wonder if they are just using some automated conversion software/tool for their recently remastered BDs.

[Geoff D]

Yeah, that theatrical Supes BD looks more like something WAC would put out whereas the newer BDs of Matrix and Unforgiven are kinda weird, albeit for completely different reasons.

[Ben_UK]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

Superman II is anyone's guess. Both the Lester and Donner Cuts are incomplete and meshing the best of both together (yes, that means leaving in the Eiffel Tower intro) while leaving out the rough test reel footage in the Donner Cut and using Lester's Niagara version instead and including Donner's Marlon Brando Jor El stuff with much improved effects. The Metropolis fight can use footage from both cuts as long as they integrate Donner's material with much better compositing.


They have to also use some of Lester's ending as you can't use the turn back time sequence again that got tacked on to Superman: The Movie or you again run into continuity problems.



It would take very careful editing while adding in a bit of bridging footage from the ABC cut that never made it into either version. The bit about the Super-villains killing the kid running for help is essential as that adds a bit of weight to their evilness.



This will probably not happen any time soon, if ever. If there's a 4k version of Superman II it will probably just be the Lester-ized theatrical version.



For one thing, Donner will have to give his blessing to creating a complete super-cut that makes sense... even if that means a dual director's credit at the front. He didn't want Lester's name associated last time and that's why so much meat was taken out of the story and it still felt incomplete. There's a rule at the Director's Guild about what majority percentage of a movie shot by two or more directors determines who gets single billing. Donner made sure to cut enough of Lester out, so he could get sole credit. His animus towards Lester and the Salkinds is still great and the fans have to suffer for it.

If there was an "ultimate cut" they would have to get someone in who could dispassionately re-assemble the footage in the best way possible in order to form a cohesive film, disregarding all the politics surrounding the two directors.

You would have to do the Lester Paris sequence I guess, and then the Lester pink bear reveal. The rest of the film you could heavily lean on the Donner footage. My basic approach would be, "use what Donner footage you can" and then just use the Lester stuff when necessary.

For those who aren't aware there was an impressive fan cutter who did some really interesting work on SII... the quality just isn't there to be 100% convincing, but its impressive nontheless.

Selutron's Superman II "Zod and the General" Video Clip - YouTube

Selutron's Superman II 'Villains Land in D.C.' Video Clip - YouTube

Selutron's Superman II "Ursa and the Helicopters" Video Clip - YouTube

[MerrickG]

Personally I’d be okay with using Lester’s Superman II and just adding in Brando footage.

[Petey Parker]

$24.99 at Target. Hopefully Amazon matches soon as I reported the price to them.

https://www.target.com/p/superman-th...d/-/A-54081521

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by MerrickG

Personally I’d be okay with using Lester’s Superman II and just adding in Brando footage.

That would be amazing. I dislike the Donner Cut for a variety of reasons, but I do love that Brando footage.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

That would be amazing. I dislike the Donner Cut for a variety of reasons, but I do love that Brando footage.

Same here. I don't happen to think that the Donner Cut of II is the abomination that people paint it as, even with the dollar-fifty VFX and the awkwardly integrated screentest (which is still fascinating viewing in its own way), but the Brando stuff is the true heart of that cut and having it cut into the existing Lester version in place of the Susannah York scenes would be my ideal combo.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Same here. I don't happen to think that the Donner Cut of II is the abomination that people paint it as, even with the dollar-fifty VFX and the awkwardly integrated screentest (which is still fascinating viewing in its own way), but the Brando stuff is the true heart of that cut and having it cut into the existing Lester version in place of the Susannah York scenes would be my ideal combo.

Call your people Geoff. Make it happen.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Call your people Geoff. Make it happen.

Geoff be calling people like

[captainsolo]

Ultimately I think we at least finally have two versions each with their own tone. There is no way to make a good complete version due to the way it was done at the time. I've mulled over the possibilities for years and can only come up with adding a few things back into the Donner cut from the theatrical like the town destruction, a few key lines, the original sound mix-but that would have to be integrated with the remix to get Hackman's dialogue intercut with the original mix in order to lose the impersonator.

Ironically I think the theatrical has one sequence that works far better than the otherwise artistically superior Donner cut.

[Show spoiler]In the theatrical Lois and Clark do not sleep together until after the depowering sequence which fits perfectly with the mythological and operatic tone of the I-II story structure. in the Donner cut Lois is seen overhead in the background in Supes' tunic (which is a fantastic image as staged) indicating they already were intimate and then Supes asks to be depowered. Of course this brings up the idea that if he had already disobeyed his father's wishes then what in the world was to keep him from staying Superman and being with Lois? If the whole idea of their relationship was that he could not be with a mortal and had to live as one then the Donner cut was incorrect.

I absolutely hate the teal infusion that happened on all the newer masters for the BD set. It affected I theatrical, II theatrical, III and IV.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Bolty

Besides the Brando stuff -- the Donner cut is also better with it's version of the White House fight, the Metropolis fight and the Fortress fight because of better action and the removal of so many lame slapstick jokes.

But yeah, the "best" version would include the Paris opening and the full Niagara scenes including the bear rug and Lois jumping into the water.

But I'm only going to watch a version with the Brando scenes because, to me, that is the heart of the story they set out to tell.

Maybe WB will revisit it after Donner passes away so as not to insult him. If that's the case I hope we don't see it for a long while. I'm really fond of him going all the way back to the Original Twilight Zone.

I don't think we're going to get such a cut while Donner and Lester are still alive, yeah. Even then it's a long shot. If Warners only release the theatrical Superman II on UHD - presuming that sales of STM go well, although they may well do a Matrix and then drop a four-film Reeve set on us on the back of that first movie selling - then I will gladly buy it on day 1.

[BNex99]

Barring a release of one of the TV cuts (or obviously a 4k release of the theatrical), I think I'm good on Superman II.

Anyway you slice it, it's an odd mishmash of styles that are never really going to be reconciled. And judging by all the garbage that was shot for but cut out of the first film, it's impossible to say what final editing decisions Donner & Baird (& the Salkinds) would have made for II way back then.

That said, it's a testament to both the groundwork laid out by Donner & Co. and Lester's own skill that the theatrical version works as well as it does. And the Donner Cut gives an imperfect but still fascinating approximation of what they were originally going for.

To me, it's a little like Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. There was the theatrical cut and Peckinpah's "director's cut," which by no means would have been the final cut if he'd stayed to finish it. When they tried a posthumous reworking of it years later, it left a lot of fans upset and disappointed. Not quite the same situation, but I think it could serve as a warning to leave well enough alone on Superman II.