WEDNESDAY 14th

CUT SCENE FROM SUPERMAN III...?

Here it is:

Two men are sitting at the bar at the top of the Empire State Building
drinking, when the first man turns to the other one and says: "You
know, last week I discovered that if you jump from the top of this
building, by the time you fall to the 10th floor, the wind around the
building is so intense that it carries you around the building and back
into the window."

The bartender just shakes his head in disapproval while wiping the bar,
but says nothing.

The second guy says, "What? Are you insane? There's no way in heck that
could happen!"
"No, no... it's true..." said the first man, "let me prove it to you."

He gets up from the bar, jumps over the balcony and plummets toward the
street below. When he pa sses the 10th floor, the high wind whips him
around the building and back into the 10th floor window. He takes
the elevator back up to the bar.

He meets the second man, who is astonished. "Oh my God, I saw that with
my own eyes! But that must've been a one-time fluke. That was
scientifically impossibl e!"

"No, I'll prove it again," says the first man as he jumps.

Again, just as his body hurtles towards the street, the 10th floor wind
gently carries him around the building and into the window. He takes
the elevator ! back to the bar. Once upstairs, he successfully
convinces his dubious fellow drinker to try it.

"Well, what the heck," the second guy says, "I've seen that it works,
so I'll try it!"

He immediately jumps over the balcony - plunges downward - rapidly
passes the 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th floors... His body hits the
sidewalk...Splat !!!!

Back upstairs, the bartender who had been silent the whole time turns
to the first drinker, and shakes his head "You know, Superman, you're
a real asshole when you're drunk."

I couldn't help but chuckle. It's a joke! :)

THURSDAY 1ST

LEGOLAND PHOTO - AMENDED

Jim just sent over this wonderful photo of Dick Donner posing within the outdoor model of the little town which is in the path of the Hoover Dam. This model was built to a larger scale, but I'm not sure if Derek Meddings supervised it. I need to dig out some material to check. The flooded "Legoland" minature was built indoors, and it was shot by an inexperienced crew.

More stunning Derek Meddings behind-the-scenes photos at Capedwonder.

'SPECIAL EFFECTS SUPERMAN: THE ART AND EFFECTS OF DEREK MEDDINGS'

Martin Shubrook wants you to know about this magnificent book he's written:

SPECIAL EFFECTS SUPERMAN
THE ART AND EFFECTS OF DEREK MEDDINGS

Superman I & II - Goldeneye - Batman
Supergirl - Santa Claus: The Movie - Live and Let Die - The Neverending Story
Moonraker - The Spy Who Loved Me

After his career in the film industry took flight with Gerry Anderson in 1957, Derek Meddings proceeded to head the effects team and design every major vehicle for the hit British television series, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and UFO. When the Anderson studio closed in 1970, Derek moved into movies and headed the effects on over 20 motion pictures.
His effects accolades include; six James Bond films from Roger Moore's Live and Let Die to Pierce Brosnan's Goldeneye, Batman, Supergirl, Santa Claus: The Movie and The Neverending Story. Derek Meddings also headed the miniature effects on the first two Superman films and won an Oscar® for his achievements on Superman: The Movie.
'Special Effects Superman' is a tribute to Derek Meddings and his amazing career. The book will include over 400 'on set' photographs from the Meddings family collection and contributions from those who worked with Derek throughout his career, including a foreword by Sir Roger Moore.

To pre-order your copy now, visit:
www.meddingsbook.com

Binding: Hardback
Extent: 160 pages
Dimensions: 290mm x 250mm
UK retail price: £25

The book is scheduled for release on 2nd October 2008.

I'm a fan of Derek Meddings, so this book will be amazing addition to my library. It's difficult to pinpoint particular favourites of Meddings' work because I love nearly everything he's done, but Moonraker has always been a favourite, especially the shots of the shuttle ascending into the stratsophere. Donner lost Derek to Moonraker in mid-1978, the director blamed Pierre Spengler for not re-signing him. Even though Derek was on Moonraker, he did provide some notes on how to shoot the the infamous - coined "Legoland" by fan 'Chris Mamorella' - flooded village, which was contracted to an inexperienced American crew. It wasn't enough, Donner needed Derek Meddings on the set to shoot it.