>>MONDAY 30th

BACK FROM L.A.

Hey folks, I’m back from L.A. Most of it was fun, got to meet and greet a number of people who I’d conversed with for years via email and the phone. Most of it was Superman related and you’ll see THAT material appear on the site over the next few weeks and months.

I did watch the Donner Cut and I’m afraid I can’t talk about it until the embargo is lifted. I'm just so eager to read your reviews.

I also watched the S4 deleted scenes, I don’t want to say anymore until the time is right. I don’t think you guys should spoil yourself by reading anyone’s review of them, I do suggest a few beers before watching them though – have a ball.

I’ve heard most of the Superman III audio commentary, quite funny to hear two completely different characters, you’ve got the Doctor/Accountant, diligent, calculating Pierre Spengler and the more flamboyant, looser and jovival Ilya Salkind.

I met up Ilya, a very easy guy to get along with especially if you have a wicked sense of humour. He was doing a comparison of Donner’s Superman vs Orson Welles The Trial with their director, quite fun to be see them comparing the large epic vs intimacy and claustrophobia.

I met Tom Mankiewicz, a really nice guy but he doesn’t look well, I could sense the turmoil over his health on his face. He was a great interview, I hope he gets better soon. I got a grand tour of the john, it’s full of pictures and posters, a great place to shit.

Michael Thau is an interesting fella, the best way I could describe him is that he’s one of the lads. He does visit the site everyday and enjoys the CGI Villains thread on the message board!

There’s a lot of good stuff coming to the site, stay tuned.

>>THURSDAY 12th

RICHARD DONNER CUT MENUS

Taken from the Superherohype message board, these are the menus for the Richard Donner Cut, Austrailan release, probably the same for the rest of us:

>>TUESDAY 3rd

YOU'LL BELIEVE A GROWN MAN CAN CRY

I've received a few letters already (Thank you letters to Donner, Mankiewicz and Thau [see yesterday's news post]), they are very touching, please keep'em coming.

SUPERMAN AT THE ZIEGFIELD THEATRE

Scott:

Superman @ the Ziegfeld

For me, “Superman The Movie” is the “Citizen Kane” of superhero movies. Everything works for me. The Story, the Casting, the Screenplay and of course who can forget John Williams excellent score. Seeing this film once again on the big screen is a no brainier. Once I heard about this showing in New York City, I knew I was going. I feel lucky to have the opportunity.

I should talk a little about the Ziegfeld theatre. This is not some 21 screen multiplex. This is a movie palace. The Theater features 1,131 seats. The screen is huge and the sound is incredible. It’s an exciting place to see a film favorite. Its worth fighting New York traffic too get there. I didn’t count heads but I’d estimate about 150 people in attendance.

The presentation started with a trailer for the forthcoming “Casino Royale” (looking forward to that one!) and “Flags of our Fathers”.

And then, the Warner Bros logo. I got a shiver down my spine. Yes. I’m seeing “Superman the Movie” on a big screen! The way it’s meant to be seen. Hit me with those credits and that Williams music! When the “Directed By Richard Donner credit came up, the audience burst into applause

The version screened was the 2001 “special edition”. While I prefer the original theatrical cut, it was cool to see this version. I’ve always had mixed feeling about the sound mix in the 2001 version but I have to say, it was very impressive in this presentation.

The print looked good but not great. It seem slightly faded to me in certain sections but overall it was a thrill to see this film of the big screen.

When Superman makes his first appearance in the film, the audience cheered. I remember it going down the same way back in 1978!

The line “I’m here to fight for truth, justice and the American way” was met with thunderous applause. Take that “Superman Returns”!

The audience really ate up the Lex Luthor sequences. His first line referring to Otis: “It’s amazing that brain can generate enough power to keep those legs moving” was met with howls of laughter.

I swear that the audience applauded for about a minute as the end credits began to roll. What a great movie going experience!

Seeing this film with an audience after almost 30 years reminded me of why I love this film so much. It’s because it’s a great story with a wonderful cast and a brilliant score. And its fun! That’s something the recent “Superman Returns” gets so wrong.

Some 30 years ago you could believe a man could fly without CGI. And I still believe it 30 years later. “Superman The Movie” is a true classic.

>>MONDAY 2nd

THANK YOU LETTERS

Hey guys, if you want to send me your thank you letters for the Donner cut, please email them to me with your name and state/country - I'll do my best to get them in Richard Donner's, Tom Mankiewicz's or Michael Thau's hands by the end of the month. They can be a short paragraph or a book, but let's show our appreciation as a community of fans. These projects are notoriously difficult and I believe it took a lot negotiations to get the ball rolling - ideally I'd like to hand the letters in book form and hopefully a picture could be taken to prove it was handed over. The deadline is Thursday 12th October, so fill up the mailbox please.