At arguably the height of his fame and looking cool on the cover (top) of the UK Observer Sunday magazine, Christopher Reeve gives a great candid interview to Lesley Thornton on the week of the British release of Superman III.
Clearly enamoured with the then 30-year old superstar, the interviewer manages to record Reeve’s career and insights economically and with charm – highlighting that though a big part of his success to may have been attributed to something he despised (youth marketing and sequels) the Superman films were kept to a good standard, even though this would allegedly be his last…
Pitched somewhere between the heights of Rona Barretts Hollywood and the depths of The National Enquirer, this special pull-out from obscure US publication Modern People is a perfect example of 1970’s trash journalism.
On the stands from February 11th 1979, this cover story plus four page spread focuses on the seedier aspects of the hit movie of 1978, with (mostly fabricated) tales of the love lives of both leading men casually enforced by paparazzi photographs nestled alongside official press release stills.
SUPERMANIA continues its mission to revive and restore the most obscure vintage ephemera from around the world by adding this great rare find to the archive. Enjoy!!
Despite repeated denials on the subject when the question of the possibility of a smaller scale Reeve Superman figure was posed by SUPERMANIA on Twitter, NECA have surpassed expectations by not only producing this all-new 7″ figure but having in the shelves already.
Part of an exclusive promotion (similar to their Keaton Batman figure DVD tie-in a few years back) by Warner Bros. to boost DVD sales, this limited-edition figure is one of three (Adam West Batman and Heath Ledger Joker scaled down from their respective 1/4 scale versions) available online and selected branches of TRU.
Famed for their constant interaction with fans it would appear NECA have heeded some criticism from fans regarding some of the inaccuracies of their recent quarter-scale release (especially the headsculpt) and have delivered a superb package worthy of any collectors inventory.
While the likeness is improved beyond measure by the flattening of the hair and broader face, the figure appears skinny overall and the chest shield (bottom pic) is still an embarrassing afterthought. Minor quibbles with what is the most elegantly presented figure in any scale to date with a beautiful box (top pic) and sporting a fabulous cloth cape (third pic) this is a serious contender for the best Superman action figure to date.
Due to restrictions of the promotion this figure is frustratingly limited to the USA at present with no word from NECA on whether or not the run will be extended or indeed make it overseas. The apparent indifference from NECA regarding availability paired with QC issues reportedly arising from the first batch (breakable limbs and poor paint apps) may have left a poor first impression but overall this release should be cause for celebration for fans of the classic Superman Movies…
Thanks to TOYARK for the quality pics – read their review here…
With street-level and two to three storeys in height complete, the set of Metropolis Tower and surrounding buildings are shown above at various stages during filming for key sequences in Superman IV: The Quest For Peace at Elstree Studios in 1986.
As the entire film was to be made on location in the UK, The illusion of The Big Apricot would be achieved by a combination of live action and background plates shot by the second unit of New York City with matte paintings to extend the sets above into an appropriate skyline.
Due to budget cuts, however, few paintings would be completed and make the final cut resulting in much of the undressed studio exteriors being exposed in some scenes, most notably in the Nuclearman I confrontation, which, with the exception of a neon sign, was shot against an unaltered studio wall opposite the set shown above.
Littering the road in front of the set are the remains of the car shunt between Nuclearman and Superman, where the hydraulic cable device (second pic) is clearly visible having pulled and compacted a number of vehicles into a pile (third pic) for a scene that famously ended upon the cutting room floor.
As previewed in the last post, the large awning is the marker for the entrance to Metropolis Tower, where Superman confronts the second Nuclear Man (bottom pic) after he creates a series of explosions and levitates a group of pedestrians to intimidate the Man Of Steel. This is the most infamous of the unfinished FX shots as the studio roof is visible in the background rather than the intended skyscrapers…
Thanks again to Superfan Alexei Lambley-Steel for use of his incredible set pics..!
…They will come. Courtesy of Superfan Alexei Lambley-Steel come these fascinating rare pictures taken of the construction of the Metropolis street for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace at London’s Elstree Studios.
As detailed in the production paperwork highlighted in this post, these elaborate NYC style fascia’s were erected at an apparent cost of £1.3 Million against existing studio buildings (see the exact location on the studio plan circa 1986 here) for the battles between Superman & Nuclearman I and II.
At the early stage shown above it may not be immediately apparent what role this backdrop plays in the film but all we be revealed in the next post – meantime the large awning framework in the last two pics may provide a clue…
