Further pristine examples from the SUPERMANIA collection with a Laserdisc double-dip for Richard Lester’s Superman II.
Both these Japanese imports boast the customary fabulous artwork on the covers & gatefold although quite why there should be two separate releases (one under the ‘Ever Green’ banner) escapes me. Anybody versed in Laserdisc history should feel free to leave a comment…
Enjoy this first in a series of posts dedicated to showcasing the various incarnations of the Superman Motion Picture series on Laserdisc. I was lucky enough to recently acquire a complete set of rare Japanese releases to compliment my small collection of US/UK equivalents –
Naturally the Japanese versions (top three pics) reign supreme design-wise with their customary attention to detail and producing pin sharp imagery for their packaging. Featuring a striking front/back cover and gatefold full of black & white publicity shots, the two-disc set is parallel in quality to the original Superman: The Movie soundtrack album. Languishing behind is the US version (bottom pic) with second-rate graphics and afterthought presentation with two discs crammed tightly into one sleeve.
I wish I could offer some insight into the picture/sound quality of the discs themselves but as Laserdisc was a format I managed to bypass completely back in the day I lack the equipment to play them, although I’ve heard it said many times their quality trampled VHS. Nevertheless as collectables these pieces feature some rare imagery and are among some of the nicest I own – look out for the sequels in posts to come..!
SUPERMANIA is pleased to report the Superman IV trading card project is still not only very much alive, but finally nearing completion. A complex and time-consuming endeavour due to the volume of cards to be produced (99 In total, comprised of a mixture of original and screen captured images) with an all-new adaptation of the complete story (written by myself) of the longest cut of the film serialised on the card backs.
This, along with design and execution painstakingly researched to appear authentic for the era, is intended to fill the void left by the only Superman Movie never to have produced a card set of its own. Talented Alexei Lambley-Steel (editor of A Tribute To Christopher Reeve) is currently hard at work composing the final base set with a view to adding a sticker set/wrapper on its completion.
Updates to follow..!
Enjoy these fabulous retro-style Superman II lobby card/poster wallpapers courtesy of Jayce76. Head over to his all-new Wallpaper Factory for more…
Another glimpse into the SUPERMANIA unpublished archive and the making of Superman IV: The Quest For Peace –
On location in the Hertfordshire countryside, the crew amass outside to shoot scenes of the tornado rescue. Under Sidney J. Furie’s direction, Christopher Reeve patiently hovers in his flying harness (note the green crane in top pic) while the stricken family (with children played by Reeve’s own) look on.
The entire sequence of Nuclearman generating a cyclone and the subsequent devastation was cut for US audiences but reinstated for its European release…