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Superman the Movie TV cut Blu-ray - contains previously unused JW music restored to picture - Update: 4K UHD disc release expected 2018 (theatrical?)


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On 12/10/2017 at 6:53 PM, Stefancos said:

 

I knew it a few days ago. I couldn't find this thread 

http://www.capedwonder.com/STMEC/CW-Superman-Extended-Cut-music-article.pdf

 

Interesting!

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, fommes said:

 

Cremeritis!!!

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That PDF is not what I consider happy reading. It states that during the main titles there are ALOT of edits... depressing. Especially when the author offers no more than four different solutions that would’ve been better.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/13/2017 at 3:11 PM, rough cut said:

My copy of the Superman extended blu shipped yesterday.

 

Have you had a chance to view it yet? Would love to hear some more comments, especially with regard to the restored bits of music.

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On 10/14/2017 at 0:57 AM, Matt S. said:

Plain bad, or "That's a bad outfit" bad?

 

To me, its plain bad. Superman the Movie has a charming quality to it, but its such a long first act as it is. The rear projection looks atrocious, the villain is completely un-menacing, and the end is literally the definition of Deus Ex-Machina.

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47 minutes ago, nightscape94 said:

There is no need for all of this Superman revamping, director's original cut this, extended cut that, etc.  The original theatrical cut is fine, there was never any need to delve back into it.

 

I'd like the version I grew up with at least preserved, which this new blu-ray represents.

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Thank you BJH (if I may abbreviate your screen name) for the detailed review. I would like to ask whether the bluescreen shots that had a green-tinged SM flying across the screen have been colour-corrected to match what was done for the 2001 release? The ones I can recall off-hand are the shot of him banking to the Hoover Dam, the shot before the cat rescue and the shot flying to Luther's lair. From what I remember, the SFX team had to create a greenish SM suit because the blue of his suit was too close to the bluescreen colouring, resulting in faulty matte work. Many thanks.

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  • 6 months later...

Just finished watching this (over two nights). I must admit after reading this thread just now I had to remind myself why I picked this edition up, but it was merely overall curiosity rather than any concern with edits, score, quality or version history. FWIW, I completely missed anything going on in the opening title music because after 40 years of hearing the butchered march and those instantly dated sfx, my ears turn off there (I only listen to the Blue box restorations). Funny though, I did pay attention to the grain in the title graphics and appreciated they were left as is.

The audio quality of the soundtrack overall with all of its over-compression, distortion and dryness was exactly what I expected it would be. The restored music during the Krypton sequence was worth the price of the set, as this has always been my favourite part of the score (that gothic quality that I also enjoy in style period neighbours The Fury, Dracula and the early part of ANH incl. Binary Sunset alternate). Watching a three-hour edit of the film you grew up with and know intimately doesn't take away any interest or sense of dramatic balance per se, since after decades of vinyl, VHS, Rhino, Donner's DVD commentary, deleted scenes, Donner's Superman II, the 2008 Blue box, etc. it's all kind of a *cough* blur and an exploded version (even if it's a relic) seems appropriate at this stage. I'm not likely to watch it all again, except for the destruction of Krypton, which was really satisfying, even with the audio being what it is.

If I were to offer any commentary otherwise, it's that this version of the film was probably fine for family TV viewing in 1970-80 whatever (rampant political incorrectness aside), to the degree it explains everything to death. But there's no mystery left anywhere, and the dopey aspects of the film are made more so. In fact, the scene where Supes smiles down as he somehow takes credit for bringing water to the Indigenous village is, in the context of 2018, offensively stupid. And dramatically, there hours is way too much build up for the inevitable return of Zod and crew. I'll stick with the director's cut.

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This is the version of the film I grew up with. I first copied this from the TV in 1986 (onto Betacord) then later to VHS and eventually to DVD. I still have that disc and even though I have the 13 disc set from years ago and the first movie on Blu-ray THIS version will always be my "go to" version.

 

My only gripe is that it's missing one scene and that's when Lex is showing Otis his "very long arm" whilst hanging out the back of the ambulance.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2018-05-10 at 1:28 PM, Dean1700 said:

My only gripe is that it's missing one scene and that's when Lex is showing Otis his "very long arm" whilst hanging out the back of the ambulance.

 

Wow - there’s a a scene missing? Really cool that you have the knowledge to pick that out, probably you’re one of the few people in the world who’s able to do that!

 

Isn’t human nature funny, though? Even though the extended cut on Blu-ray adds 33 mins of (to most of us) previously unseen footage, now I’m really curious about that missing scene...

 

What happens in it more specifically?

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1 hour ago, rough cut said:

 

Wow - there’s a a scene missing? Really cool that you have the knowledge to pick that out, probably you’re one of the few people in the world who’s able to do that!

 

Isn’t human nature funny, though? Even though the extended cut on Blu-ray adds 33 mins of (to most of us) previously unseen footage, now I’m really curious about that missing scene...

 

What happens in it more specifically?


The missing scene is only a very small cut of about 3-5 seconds and occurs immediately following Lex yells "Otis, do you want to see a very very long arm?" Lex then climbs out of the drivers seat and jumps in the back while Miss Teschmacher screams and leans over to grab the wheel.

It then cuts to a view of the back of the Ambulance now swerving over the road and the doors swinging open, showing Otis leaning out the back of the vehicle and Lex over the top of him where Lex hits him in the eye. The scene is underscored by a short March of The Villains cue before cutting away.

I've still got the TV version I recorded in 1986 showing this scene somewhere and I'll try and load it if I can.
 

This image was taken with my phone with the scene paused and the video is of the whole scene. 

The quality is very poor because when first recorded 32 years ago (OMFG) it was onto Betacord. Eventually this was transferred to VHS and finally to DVD with no enhancements so quality has been lost in every transfer BUT I'm still going to keep it as it's a time capsule with TV commercials lol.

Superman_missing_scene.jpg

Superman_missing_scene_clip.mp4

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10 hours ago, Dean1700 said:

I've still got the TV version I recorded in 1986 showing this scene somewhere and I'll try and load it if I can.

 

Very cool! Thanx for posting!

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  • 1 year later...

Finally got around to watch this today with a friend of mine, a friend whom I’ve forced to watch Superman with me through each new format and cut (and the sequels) since I bought my first DVD-player.

 

Poor dude. 😂😂😂

 

Anyway, so after sitting on “The Extended Cut” for 25 months, I can finally say that it is a cool watch for Superman fans.

 

We were constantly picking out new stuff and had a great time with it!

 

JW’s score is always a blast, my absolute favorite of all of JW’s scores. I think we might have been giddy with excitement during the opening credits, because I didn’t notice the bad mix of the famous march.

 

What was noticeable though was the music during the extended destruction of Krypton. Whoa!!! Really operatic! :)

 

Regrettably, in the extended cut, there are scenes where JW’s music does get a little repetitive, as it has to be “dragged out” in order to fit the longer scenes, and because it was never meant to be attached to the movie this way. The maestro would have scored it more sensibly had the opportunity been laid upon him.

 

Finally, it did put a smile on my face that during the Smallville scenes, we did get JW’s original source music instead of “Rock Around The Clock”.

 

The soundtrack is in its original Dolby stereo (Edit: lossless mono) presentation, a bit narrow by today’s standards, but it is still without a doubt how this movie was able to take the audience with storm, and why the Superman fanfare is still associated with the character 40 years later! Of course, equally wonderful as the soundtrack, are the acting performances and the special effects.

 

Today, as a classic, we take Superman: The Movie’s place in history for granted, and we’re perhaps a little jaded, but it really is a remarkable movie.

 

Rewatching The Extended Cut brought me back to a more innocent time for an evening which was wonderful.

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