Enjoy this scarce piece from vintage magazine The Hollywood Reporter Interviewing Superman Producer Ilya Salkind –
Candid but guarded (as if his career/future depended on it) The young producer represented here is laconic and thoughtful in marked contrast to the maniacally entertaining older man seen in the many interviews shot for DVD.
With four years already invested in the project and a budget spiralling out of control, Salkind still manages to remain confident his movie will be a colossal hit whilst acknowledging the talents and contribution of director Richard Donner…
The genesis of an artistic partnership that would thrive for decades to come, the collage above (top) represents the first published Superman piece by one Jerry Ordway.
Found on the impressive wrap-around cover of pulpy but highbrow magazine ‘The Comic Reader’ for its November 1979 issue, Ordway’s dynamic but realistic style was a perfect compliment to the characters as represented in Superman: The Movie.
Of arguably more interest, however, were the contents of the magazine and in particular, the views of comic-book purists on this fresh take of what was, at the time, a 40 year-old beloved flagship character.
Indeed, the excellent review of the movie (cropped and reformatted here for ease of continuity, click for larger) is referred to by Mike Tiefenbacher as ‘refreshing & wonderful’, highlighting the major differences between the movie and the comic book but interestingly not to its detriment. In fact, many of the observations here (modelwork on the dam/turning back the world) are still hotly debated today and some are even prophetic (describing it as a benchmark/suggesting a Superboy TV series/longer TV edits) all of which make for great reading.
Tiefenbacher’s follow-up piece is an insightful, personal critique of the character’s evolution which incorporates everything from ‘The Great Superman Book’ by Michael L. Fleisher to Elliot S! Maggin’s Superman: ‘Last Son Of Krypton’. The latter notable for its mistaken identity as the novelisation of the movie.
If this has whetted your appetite for vintage reviews by comic journalists you may want to check back soon for scans from from the ‘Comics Journal’ – a monster review spread over two posts..!
Join SUPERMANIA as we spin the world back 35 years to celebrate the worldwide release of the undisputed godfather of the modern Superhero Movie –
In an age where technology has elevated the Superhero epic to new and unprecedented heights, the sparkle from this vintage gem has yet to diminish thanks to its combination of charm and magic generated from its dedicated cast & crew.
For an insight into the longevity of this classic picture click here to watch friend & SuperFan Oliver Harper’s outstanding retrospective tribute and then enjoy the scans above taken from an ultra-rare Italian TV Listings magazine…
Happy 35th Anniversary to SUPERMAN – THE MOVIE..!
Though the the restored and remastered Superman: The Movie Special Edition narrowly missed out on a theatrical release in 2001, the subsequent DVD transfer became a significant milestone in the Superman series celluloid history.
long-awaited and a superlative presentation for its time, the double-sided disc would represent the cleanest, sharpest version of the film to date in an extended cut supported by a significant amount of quality extras – but was not without its faults. (not least the awful cardboard snapper case.)
Indeed, many fans of the original picture were bemused by the liberties taken with the all-new sound-mix and some of the questionable editing choices by producer Michael Thau, whose revisions were felt by many to be invasive and clunky. Despite this, sales were immense and the Special Edition would be a mainstay for future formats (though the beloved original soundtrack would later mercifully resurface on Blu-ray)
As one of Warner Brothers flagship catalogue titles, Superman would be further awarded the Deluxe Box Set treatment in 2003,( alongside The Matrix and 2001: A Space Odyssey) by CDA Entertainment, where the original disc would be supplemented by an array of reproduction ephemera presented in a handsome oversize black case.
Stylishly marketed and backed by an all-new advertising campaign (top 2 pics for MVC Stores exclusive to the SFX Magazine Superhero Special), the Deluxe Box Set was an expensive but irresistible package in the wake of what would eventually be less affectionately known as ‘double dipping’.
Given its slick appearance, its surprising and disappointing just how poor the final product turned out to be, starting with the Senitype (where the iconic, sharp 35mm film frame is obscured by the frankly godawful quality print on the mount) and moving onto the lobby cards and reproduction booklet (badly reprinted without any restoration and consequently way too dark). The poster is also a redundant addition being folded (though an offer restricted to the US made a rolled one available).
A triumph of promise over content resulting in an underwhelming dud, the box set today (bottom pic) is affordable as the DVD format erodes but is ironically hard to find. Genuine fans, however, would be better serviced with a copy of the blu-ray and genuine copies of the original memorabilia…
SUPERMANIA looks back at what is, amazingly and to date, the only dedicated reference book on the subject of the Superman Movies in the BFI Reuben library.
First published by Scholastic Book Services in 1981, The Great Superman Movie Book is unashamedly geared towards a younger audience and by that reckoning, is pretty spectacular for the time. Presented as a softcover ‘factfile’ packed with pics & info (featuring a full-colour photo gallery from Superman II) the reader was also gifted a large poster of Superman in flight (utilising the same image from the gate-fold soundtrack LP) which I suspect was a permanent fixture on the walls of many a child in the ’80’s. Due to that very fact its no surprise that most surviving copies available today are devoid of it, making complete volumes easily the most coveted today.
Happily though, there would be a revised and updated edition accompanying the release of Superman III in 1983 with a 15 page ‘Mini-magazine’ insert devoted to the new movie compiled by Chip Lovitt. This reprinting would feature virtually the same cover (save for the ‘Includes Superman III’ blurb in place of ‘Fantastic Facts!’ and is more commonly found with the poster included being a later issue.
As a member of the school book club at the time of this book’s publishing one wonders how something like this (which as an 8-year old would’ve been manna from heaven) managed to elude me completely until the age of the internet. This plus the fact no details/pricing can be found inside for European territories lead me to believe this may have been a US only release? Could anybody else from the UK testify to having this book back in the day I wonder..?
From the top – Cover of the 1983 reprint, Intro page (listing Scholastic territories, London included) A favourite page from the Q&A section about the Superman Costume and back cover featuring uncommon ‘in flight’ pic…
