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Edited by Indo77 When Superman II was first screened in 1984 on ABC it combined 17 mins
of new footage with already familiar scenes. Unlike the extended version
of the original film, the print was mastered using 32mm elements and the
sound was mixed in stereo. Much of the extended footage was shot by the
original director Richard Donner as is well detailed HERE
(with Stills). CANADIAN TV ADDITIONS Before Lois and Clark check into the honeymoon hotel, there is about 40 seconds of shots of some tourists outside the hotel, taking pictures. The tourists appear to be mainly Japanese. There is also some ariel shots of Niagara Falls. LESTER FOOTAGE The end of the extended balloon scene was not as abruptly cut as it was in the ABC version. It falls more in the same lines as the way it ended in the theatrical cut. DONNER FOOTAGE We get to see a man of about 50 with a portable film camera, only to discover he has accidentally destroyed the film. This scene would have been found after we first see the boy who would later be saved by Superman. There is about 30 seconds of him trying to conceal the film. LESTER FOOTAGE Lex and Eve at the Fortress of Solitude At the start of the scene, the original theatrical ariel shot of Lex
and Eve in the snow (Lex shouts "North, north Ms Teschmacher")has
been restored. The ABC beginning was not actually an alternate scene,
but was suppose to be part of the same scene. The scene then continues
as it would have begun in the ABC version. Here is the full script to
this footage:
Lex: Whatever answers we are going to find in the
piebald buzzard, we are going to find right down there. Now, come on.
Let’s go! We then see Lex and Eve in the water with the snow mobile travelling towards the Fortress. This part of the scene is beautifully filmed and lasts about a minute. There is no dialogue, only music, and the sound of the snow mobile travelling in water. The short sequence of Lex and Eve in the snow mobile before entering the Fortress that appeared in the theatrical cut has been restored in this version. There are no Lester voice-overs. Lex and Eve arrive at the entrance of the Fortress. Similar to the scene with the villains outside the Fortress. Eve: Hey Lex. Lex We then get to see Lex and Eve climbing up the Fortress walls in order to find a way of entering it. Eve: Come on Lex, come on! Scene continues as it would have been found in the ABC version and plays through. After Lex says "She’s found it!" (refering to the toliet), there is more additional dialogue. Lex and Eve are now leaving the fortress by the snowmobile. They now appear back to be on the outside of the fortress. Eve seems to be thinking about marriage. The dialogue is quite funny. Here it is: Eve: I mean when a girl reaches a certain point in her life, she starts
to think about these things... You know we are not married. We are not
married! I can take that! I can take that! I just ask myself... I don’t
want to push you into something. Both Lex and Eve sit on the snow mobile preparing to leave. Lex: Ms. Teschmacher, a mouthful of mink. (Lex
is thinking about how rich he is going to be) Lex and Eve travel down what appears to be like a snow tunnel. The scene then switches to the way it ended in the theatrical cut with Lex and Eve in the snow mobile and Lex shouting "South, south Ms Teschmacher". The dialogue to this scene is very similar to what was found in the Tom
Mankiewicz’s 1977 shooting script dated 18/04/77. We see a small extension with Lois after she has told Superman that she has to "change into something a little more comfortable". She is seen in what appears to be a fortress room. We see her reach into her handbag and pull out a silk dress. She is later seen wearing it during the scene that Superman loses his powers. Ever wondered where she got the dress from? LESTER FOOTAGE The bully’s line "I don’t like you anyway" as found in the ABC version is not found in this version. It has been changed back as the way it was heard in the theatrical cut, "I don’t like your meat anyway". DONNER FOOTAGE At the start of the battle, we get to see Perry White, Lois and Jimmy
at the window after the Taxi driver says, "Man this is going to be
good".Here is the dialogue: The scenes during the battle are longer. The scene of Non chasing Superman as found in the theatrical cut has been restored in this version. There is also additional footage of the chase. Music has been changed in order to pad in with the extra footage. Once again as with other extended scenes, Terrance Stamp’s voice had not been relooped and thus he sounds like a different actor. He is heard gesturing to Non "...Kill him, Kill him..." as before, only this time with the funny voice. Much of the extended footage were scenes that placed more emphasis on Ursa’s and Non’s contribution to the battle. LESTER FOOTAGE We return also during the battle scene to more dialogue concerning the
coffee. This time Lex notices the coffee. He is seated the same way as
he is when the villains return to the Planet This scene was found after the scene where Superman kicks Non. Small extended scene in the Fortress concerning Lex’s fate with
the villains The Arctic police The scene involving Lex negotiating with Superman is longer. It is not
as abruptly cut as in the ABC version. The scene plays all the way through.
We get to see Lex negotiating down to one per cent. The Arctic police,
now very impatient hush him into the snow plough. We then see the Arctic Police start the engines, taking away Lex, Zod, Ursa and Non. There is about 30 seconds of close up shots of the snow ploughs leaving the Fortress. As they pull away the camera goes back to a shot seen from behind of Superman and Lois. In the 1984/88 ABC version, Lex went down to five per cent, then the camera when back to the frontal shot of Superman and Lois. DONNER FOOTAGE The above footage that appears in the Canadian version completely mirrors the 1977 shooting script. In the ABC version these 40 - 50 seconds of dialogue are missing. This appears to be the scene which director Richard Donner intended the audience to see. This scene works better having this dialogue restored. The break up scene We now come to the break up scene. Although this scene was present in the 1984 and 1988 ABC broadcasts, it was not present in the 1985 or 1986 ABC rebroadcasts. Nor was it present in any of the extended versions that were syndicated for US TV stations. This scene is found after Superman has destroyed the fortress. Here is the script to this scene Superman: Look Lois, I.. In the 1985 and 1986 ABC rebroadcasts the editor abruptly cuts to them hugging. DELETIONS The "EDITED FOR TELEVISION" credit as found in the ABC versions is not present. After the start credits, the film begins abruptly a split second before Clark enters the Planet. We do see the opening outside shot of the Daily Planet, but it has been cut so as it appears after what would have been the "EDITED FOR TELEVISION" credit. About 3 mins of footage has been removed. The entire sequence of Clark being hit by the Taxi and talking to Lois at the Planet is missing. After the villains are released and head for the moon, it jumps straight into the extended sequence with Lex and Otis in the prison. A few seconds at the start of the prison jailbreak scene has been edited out. It starts with the guard checking the cells. In the ABC version there is short scene of Lois and Superman flying after he says "...Let’s go to my place". This scene has been taken from footage of the original film. In the Canadian version, this scene is not present. It cuts straight to the next extended scene where the villains meet the patrol car on the road as found in the ABC version. Much of the villains destruction of the town was edited out. The shots of Non catching the missile were not present, nor was the extended footage of the town’s destruction as shown on ABC with the exception of Zod’s "Very well, you may try" line. The soufflé scene was edited out. Part of the Whitehouse scene was edited out. We get to see the secret service man say, "Don’t worry, nobody’s going to get in here", it then cuts to the shot of Non breaking down the door. The ariel shot of Lois and Clark travelling by car in the snow before they go to the diner is not present. This scene would have been found directly after the Whitehouse scene in the ABC version. The scene is identical to the way it was shown in the theatrical version. The refilmed footage that was directed by Lester of the villains in the Whitehouse before Lex arrives is not present. The scene cuts from Clark finding the crystal to the extended Donner footage of Lex entering the room to talk with the villains. At the Planet, after Lex’s line "...You just hold on to that little lady...", the scene cuts to Superman’s arrival at the Planet. About 30 seconds of footage from the ABC version is missing.
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