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FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, the earliest update begins at the bottom of the page
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18TH APRIL 2001 - MAY 2001
SOUND & VISION Thanks to Greg R for the Sound
& Vision scans:
DVDFILE ROUNDTABLE WITH DONNER AND MANKIEWICZ Check this out, the editor got
a chance to talk to Don and Mank
A NICE LITTLE REPORT ON THE DVD SIGNING AT DAVE'S VIDEO This a very nice report, interesting to note that 94 people have goatees!!! I have a goatee too!! http://www.dvdreview.com/html/superman_signing.html
DVD WORKS ARTICLE DVD Works features Superman DVD in the April issue. Thanks to Jeff for the scans. Front
cover
REGION 3 DVDS???? Mr Burnett: Okay I went to my friendly neighborhood walmart very late to pick up a copy of superman SE that they had for sale for $20, well I got in in and popped in in my DVD and it told me that it was not REGION AUTHORIZED to view.. Well I was really disappointed and looked at the DVD and low and behold the box says region 1 the DVD says REGION 3 on the actual DVD. If someone at Warner packaged this wrong in manufacturing a lot of people are gonna find this a Super disappointment. With all of the wonderful job Warner Brothers has done promoting the special editions, this is yet another super-BUNGLE in what is probably the best DVD I have seen in years both for features and user interface design. The Region 3 dvd played in my DVD-ROM drive in full English and looked beautiful. The Digital Bits are running a story on this
INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH DON Check FilmForce's interview
with Donner, it's very good, but did Donner approve the sound mix? Can
the DVD producers shed any light on this? Here's an excerpt, which concerns
me:
DVDFILE IN-DEPTH SUPER REPORT Our friends, Cliff and Peter have produced an amazing in-depth report on the DVD. I had the pleasure of previewing this article during the weekend - It took me a hour to read it. Hope you enjoy it. I was hoping to do one, but looks like I won't have to, nothing can top this article. Well done, DVDFILE!
MUSIC EDITOR GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO SUPERMAN MUSIC EDITS We appreciate that Robert Garrett, music editor on Superman The Special Edition, has come forward with factual information on the inner workings of editing the music. I wish more people would come forward from the DVD project to explain the whats, whys etcetc. In regards to the Jeff Lewis review of Superman (scroll down to read the review), I have a few comments regarding his response to the music edits. I can speak authoritatively on this issue since I was the music editor on the project. First of all, ALL of the music edits in the feature were exact re-creations of the original music edits, the good, the bad, and the ugly. This was accomplished by running the original mono music stem against the new multi-track music elements in a digital audio workstation and phasing them exactly. There were a few questionable edits in the opening titles in particular, and I tried to clean them up the best I could, but I was constrained somewhat in order for the music to hit the title cards the same way as they did in the original presentation of the film. The technology wasn't as sophisticated in 1978 as it is now, and some of the edits had to compromise somewhat. There were multiple music edits to accommodate the new footage, and yes, the end credits were extended to accommodate the added credits, but these edits were limited to the specific regions that were affected. If you want to hear the end credits as they originally were, listen to the "Music Score Only" tracks of the DVD. These were produced in my studio, and were edited as the original film music was. It is worth noting that the Rhino music CD was taken from later generation 6 track 35mm mag film copies of the master. We were using a 24 bit digital recording of the ORIGINAL 1" master tape, and the quality difference is NOT SUBTLE. Also, there is an extended version of the Main Title music as a bonus track on the DVD. This version has never existed, and has never been heard before I put it together. It is also interesting to note that the main title music was recorded about a half tone flat on the original master tape. This necessitated speeding the master tape up to get it back into proper pitch to match the intro music over the comic book scene. For the life of me, I can't imagine how this happened. If it was done deliberately, I can only imagine that they tuned the whole orchestra a 1/4 tone flat and ran the master tape machine at normal speed - this would render the orchestral playing somewhat more "crisp" than otherwise - but I doubt that this was done. More likely, it was probably simply a screw-up when they recorded this cue, the master tape machine running slightly fast. If you listen closely, you will note that when the main trumpet statement of the melody happens, it sounds somewhat "sour", and the whole orchestra has a sort of "mickey mouse" sped-up quality. This is of course because the music was indeed sped up! I digitally sped up the 24 bit sound file, but this sounded comprised in sound quality to me. I even booked expensive transfer time at Warner Bros studios to do an analog speed up of the master tape. In the end, the digitally sped up version sounded best, but it still sounds like what it is - sped up. Also, there is a version of the main credits and opening music which restores the FULL LENGTH of the music as originally recorded. This is included in the DVD music bonus tracks. This version has never existed, and has never been heard before I put it together. Also included is the ORIGINAL opening and main title music, which was not used in the film.
BACK COVERS FOR THE SEQUELS Well done Warner Bros. marketing, the S2 and S4 back covers feature photos from scenes, which are not in the theatrical cut! Very sloppy. S2
Back Cover
DVD COMPETITION AT THE WASHINGTON POST Washington Post website has a DVD contest, click here
DETROIT THEATRICAL REVIEW - FOLLOW-UPS Here is some more reaction: Jon Hoyle's follow-up "I've got to thank everybody who came out to our Superman premiere. Wow! How about that screening on Saturday. We thought just minutes before showtime we were going to have to change to a larger theater. That's how good the turnout was. This is probably one of the best movie turnouts we've ever had. People came in droves." At the end of show, he also thanked me by name for the review on the Superman Cinema website of the Detroit screening, which was a generous gesture. It is I, and many, many others, who thank him for the opportunity.
James Taylor: This has been on my wants since I was old enough to walk. I thought the remastered version was a success, and believe me I notice probably all of the changes all the way up to the slightest sound effect. I'm not a nerd or anything, but I really enjoyed the movie and to experience it on the big screen well all I have to say is WOW!!!! I have to admit I was disapointed when I read on this site that the movie was not going to theatres after its trial run, but not that this will change anyones minds, maybe you should try showing the film in a couple more theatres in different parts of the world, such as, Detroit, MI. Of course any success of the film would have to rely on the word getting out by commercials or news paper. Give it a shot I mean what's wrong with showing the greatest film of all times a few more times.
DETROIT THEATRICAL REVIEW Thanks to Jay for organsing this event and giving our readers a chance to watch it for FREE! By Jon Hoyle THE
EVENT BEFORE THE SHOW
There were about 250 of us in the theater, and the atmosphere was quite festive. Here were these hundreds of people, some not even born when the movie came out, all exceptionally excited and could not wait to get in. I was seated in a very good location, center isle, one row in front of Jay Towers' reserved row. The audience was lively, and there was electricity in the air. As the 11:15 showtime approached, Jay spoke to the audience thanking everyone for attending. He mentioned that this was his favorite film in all the world, and he had flown to San Antonio last month to watch it. He said he cashed in some favors with the owner of one of the theaters down there to be able to bring this film (one of the only 10 in existence) back to Michigan for us to see. He mentioned that he was going to see it again one more time with his fiancee. I heard later that it was going to be played Sunday in one of the smaller 100-seat theaters, but there were no tickets available for that showing. And then he gave the cue to start the movie, and everyone cheered...
THE AUDIO This may sound silly, but if there is one area of sound I wish hadn't been touched was in the opening credits. In the original, the credits fly by with a "SHHHHHHHHHH" sound. In the SE, it is a little more whoosh-like. Oh, I grant you, hearing it come "through" you was exhilirating, but I still miss the original sound.
THE SCORE
THE VIDEO There were parts of the movie I admit were
less crisp than I had expected, particularly the Krypton scenes. Sitting
through to the end credits, I now think that this was intentional and
I think I understand why:
THE ADDITIONAL SCENES Of the extra scenes, my favorite was Jor-El's vanity lecture after Superman's first night. Although I have seen it before in the KCOP edition, KCOP was not widescreen, and the scene had to be cut between Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando. Here on the big screen, I was finally able to see the only scene in which Reeve and Brando appeared together.
CONCLUSION
DVD JOURNAL REVIEW Another good review. DVD Journal
DVDTALK REVIEW Good review of the DVD. DVDTALK
SAN ANTONIO THEATRICAL RE-RELEASE REVIEW This theatrical review is the best one I've read, thanks to Jeff Lewis for his insights, we appreciate your time and effort: "An Ode to Spring" © 2001 Jeffery C.
Lewis. All Rights Reserved. On March 31 I received an unexpected yet serendipitous work assignment requiring me to travel by air to either Austin, Texas, or San Antonio, Texas. Having closely followed internet reports on the isolated theatrical screening in San Antonio of the remastered, re-edited "Superman -- The Movie", choosing between the two cities was a "no brainer". I have seen "Superman" on the big screen twice -- during its original release in 1978 and a few years ago during the WB anniversary "road show". I have worn out the first VHS release (the 127 minute edit in the old oversized paper carton) and the later, "complete" Hi-Fi VHS version. And now, thanks to American Movie Classics, I have on S-VHS a widescreen version. I also own all versions of the soundtrack (the 2-LP album, the truncated CD, the Japanese CD, the Rhino set, even the Varese set). Multiple theaters in San Antonio were screening the movie. I cannot fathom the marketing strategy of sending multiple prints to multiple theaters in only one city rather than selecting one theater in multiple cities (as was done with the anniversary "road show") to gain a wider audience. But I digress. I chose a theater (the Alamo Quarry) closest to the airport and my hotel. Only two screen times were offered: 7 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. "Spy Kids" occupied the earlier times for this particular screen. Less than ten people attended the screening
(four college boys who had a good belly-laugh at the "How big are
you" interview question from Lois Lane and three adults with a child
who got antsy and played with folding arm rests about two-thirds through
the movie.) Another digression. With some time to kill before the screening, I went to a local mall and browsed in a Warner Bros. Studio Store. Nothing in the store referenced the fact that "Superman" was playing at any local theater. The faux movie marquee in the store announced only the arrival of another "Pokemon" movie. The good news: The picture looks great. Superman's suit was blue throughout, even in the infamous fly-by to Hoover Dam to rescue Jimmy Olsen. The Krypton scenes with the bright, white costumes were most impressive. I noticed details in the movie heretofore unnoticed (e.g., an exterior building name seen through the blinds of Perry White's office; the texture of Superman's cape during his terrace meeting with Lois Lane). With one exception, the new sound effects (even the re-engineered opening credits effects) did not distract much from the memories of the original. Three memorable sound effects worth noting are the opening of the Krypton council dome, Lex Luthor's ultrasonic message, and Superman turning back the world. The exception: Back in 1978, I remembered thinking that the understated "breeze" flying sounds complemented, without overpowering, the spectacular visuals to "make you believe a man can fly". Indeed, with the groundbreaking visuals, there was no need to have exaggerated flying sounds (as in the George Reeves television show). But the new flying sounds brought back to mind unfavorable comparisons to the old TV show. Regarding the restored footage, the exposition (before the music starts) in the Krypton council scene, the brief shot of Kal-El's star ship passing the Phantom Zone criminals, the extension of Clark's first morning at the Daily Planet, Donner's cameo, Luthor's lair tests, and the extended earthquake footage w orked well (although the pacing in the lair scene would have been improved by deleting the ice/snow test). Brando's added scene in the Fortress is a mixed bag. The poignancy of the scene -- Jor-El commenting on Kryptonian vanity as being the reason he could not embrace his son at that moment -- is diminished by a mawkish end with Superman holding out his arms to embrace his father's hologram. The tracking of music from earlier in the film (J or-El's goodbye speech to baby Kal-El) did not complement the scene, either. The scene would have worked better had it ended with Jor-El's words about not being able to embrace his son, sans outstretched arms and tracked underscore. While others have gone into greater detail on the restored footage, I have yet to see any reference to the one deletion: the "Next Year Superman II" card from the end credits. This new version includes more of John Williams' score than had originally been heard in the 1978 version. Referencing the Rhino track titles, the film now utilizes additional material from "The Trip to Earth" and "Welcome to Metropolis". With the inclusion of the aforementioned additional earthquake footage, the opening bars of "Super Feats" make their debut. In sequences with existing musical underscore, it was to be expected that the inclusion of additional footage would require new music edits. These sequences include the Kryptonian council scene additions, the scene with the Krypton elders dispatching the guard to apprehend Jor-El, and the young Clark/tra in scene (the Noel Neill/Kirk Alyn cameos). Perhaps those who are unfamiliar with Williams' score will not notice the new edits. Nevertheless, because of the music alterations, I would have preferred seeing these scenes in a supplement on the DVD. (There was also a brief, noticeable edit in "The Trip to Earth", but I cannot readily recall the change.) Surprisingly, multiple music editing changes from the 1978 version could be discerned in places I had not expected: • In the original, when the writing
credits appear in the opening credits, an edit beginning with pick-up
notes from the flutes shortens the march. What I heard in the Alamo Quarry
theater is a more abrupt edit which loses the pick-up notes from the flutes.
(Perhaps it was just a glitch in the print.) I did not leave the theater dissatisfied . Nor have I cancelled my DVD pre-order. But the editorial changes to the music were distracting; and had I received an advance warning about the changes, I am sure I would have better appreciated the labor of the professionals involved with this restoration. At the same time, I intend to save my S-VHS widescreen version as long as it lasts.
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I
showed up Saturday morning, early enough to wait in line outside with
many people very excited about seeing Superman the Movie. Star Theater
is absolutely huge, 20 screens with stadium seating. We were in Theater
#17, which had Sony DCP-1000 Stereo Processor / SDDS 8 channel / Bi-amphilified
/ THX. Before getting inside Theatre #17, our names were checked off from
a pre-approved list of names. We were each given our VIP passes (the accompanying
image I have enclosed), and vouchers for a free drink and free buttered
popcorn. 
