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One of my favorite movies of all time is the original Superman movie from 1978. If you can find a better soundtrack, then I wanna hear it! It’s a goofy flick, sure, but it understands that it’s supposed to be a little over-the-top, a little satirical. The sequels, of course, were crap.
But now, Superman Returns. The new movie is due out on June 30, but if you can’t wait that long, check out the trailer. Wow. If the movie lives up to the trailer, it’ll be a worthy sequel.
Added bonus: my friend Richard Saunders is an extra in the flick (they filmed a lot of it in Sydney, Australia). I’ll have to keep my eyes open for him.’
May 22nd, 2006 at 4:18 pm
I’m afraid as sound tracks go, nothing beats Lost Highway by David Lynch.
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Well, yeah, but the world is going to end on May 25. Too bad, I kind of wanted to see this movie.
May 22nd, 2006 at 6:27 pm
Word on the street is that this isn’t a good movie. I thought sequels 3 and 4 were really realy bad but I quite liked Superman II — maybe even better than the first one. It’s of course an understatemeent to say that the physics in the fight scenes were particularly bad.
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:47 pm
If the movie lives up to the trailer, it’ll be a worthy sequel.
But the original movies were gawdawful… Or is that the point – keep expectations low
May 23rd, 2006 at 4:43 am
I have medium-hopes for this movie. That is, I’m not getting them up too high. I don’t want to have them smashed to pieces the way I remember Superman III did way back when I was a kid.
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:02 am
The link BA put in his blog was to the second trailer. It was cool. I looked at the first trailer, too. Has a suspiciously biblical ring. “I have sent my only son…”
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:05 am
I agree with Geoff, from what I’ve heard the movie is a radical departure from the original storyline. This new superman apparently wasn’t placed in an escape pod by his parents when he was a baby to escape his dying world. Apparently he was sent to act as some sort of messiah. Apparently the studio spent more than $250 million to put this production out and is spending nearly zero to market it. With its release date coming up next month one would be inclined to believe there is some worry on the part of the studio execs. They’d probably do better if they made Land of the Lost or something.
Btw, the Superman soundtrack is great but if they keep the score for Halo in the movie due out next year then you’ll have a new winner.
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:58 am
I hope it’s good. Superman is from my home town…
However, while I agree the soundtrack for the original Superman was very good, Star Wars Episode I’s soundtrack was better. It carried an otherwise crappy movie. John Williams is the best.
May 23rd, 2006 at 6:59 am
I hope it’s good. Superman is from my home town…
However, while I agree the soundtrack for the original Superman was very good, Star Wars Episode I’s soundtrack was better. It carried an otherwise crappy movie. John Williams is the best. (He wrote both scores…)
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:21 am
I don’t care what criticism may come. As a kid, I always wanted to BE Superman, so of course I just have to watch every movie/tv show with this subject, no matter how camp or goofy.
Go, Super Dude!!!
GAry 7
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:26 am
I hope it’s at least as good as ‘Batman Begins’ was. That movie made up for the mistakes made in THAT franchise. Maybe ‘Superman Returns’ will do the same for this franchise.
I suppose ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ is close to matching ‘Superman’ in soundtracks. Another choice would be ‘Star Trek The Motion Picture’ (just in soundtrack, mind you. ‘Superman’ beats that one for action).
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:44 am
Criticizing Superman II could be a bad idea if General Zod successfully wins the presidency in 2008.
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:11 am
Disagree on the soundtrack bit, Southern Comfort by Ry Cooder takes the price.
May 23rd, 2006 at 12:42 pm
Actually, I agree with Geoff… I & II were both quite acceptable. III & IV were very, very bad. Worse than bad — downright pathetic — and an insult to the franchise. I’ve never quite decided whom to blame, but I like to go with Alexander Salkind — somehow I still think it’s his fault.
Anyway, thanks for putting this back in my head, Phil. I forgot it was upcoming (probably due to the lack of promotion). But it definitely looks like a winner from the trailers I’ve seen.
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Actually, the buzz I’ve heard on this one is fairly positive. They’re using a lot of Alex Ross’ iconic art as touchpoints for various scenes in the film, and Bryan Singer’s said time and again that Superman: The Movie and the original bits from Superman II that Richard Donner worked on form the origins from which the continuity of Superman Returns springs from. So much so that the designs of Krypton and the Fortress of Solitude from the earlier movies influence the designs in the new one. Singer also got Marlon Brando’s estate to grant permission to utilize his unused Jor-El footage from Superman II (which Brando demanded once the Salkinds fired Donner from the film). The plot, from what I’ve heard, vaguely parallels that of Superman: The Movie. So it’s not exactly a sequel to those films, and not exactly a remake, but more akin to an Earth-2 version of events.
Even with reservations, this is the summer film I’m most looking forward to.
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:51 pm
I have a feeling it is going to be stupid.
May 24th, 2006 at 2:22 am
Yes Wendy, I too have always been of the impressiom that ” SUPERMAN ” was a (then) 20th Century comic book version of the New testament account of the coming of a ‘Saviour’, which was also a common theme in Jewish history. It seemed to satisfy the common man’s desire for relief from the social pressures being exerted on the early-to-mid 20th Century. Certainly after WW2 there was a new arch villian in the form of Hitler, though dead, but not conclusively proven, a theme (of main characters being killed off), often resurrected in comic book series, tv soapies and other serials.
There are many parallels in the Superman story and biblical themes. I’m not saying that I agree with this as a deliberate intention, but whatever one’s beliefs, historical events about Jesus have many collaborating writings, despite the intervening years of interpretation, some of it truly weird, that there was a so called ‘Saviour’, cannot be denied.
So I’m glad Wendy picked up on this nuance in her comment. What do others think?
Ivan.
May 24th, 2006 at 9:05 am
Hmm. No one’s mentioned Repo Man (1984). And yet the sound track, with its undeniably murky, undergound and sort of college-radio quality, completely ROCKS. The best thing about it (besides having Henry Rollins, at that point still with Black Flag) is that it actually suits the setting and tone of the movie. Plus, you’ll probably enjoy the portrayal of the religious right (spot-on Pat Robertson impersonation!), the hillarious secret governmental scientists (“people just explode.”), and your resulting heightened awareness of creepy pine-scented pine-shaped car fresheners: “[you'll] Find one in every car…” And if you want to talk about physics… homeless guy takes on Synchronicity issues and the Desaparecido and time travel, wrapping them up seamlessly together. This movie even knocked on Dianetics before Tom Cruise was particularly big. David Letterman claimed this was the only videotape he actually bought. Not that I’d trust my weight to a bridge built on Letterman facts. But consider it submitted by this devoted comic book fan that Repo Man is well worth your time! It’s an ironic, anti-hero movie. Wolverine would have found himself at home, then lost his patience. Good times.
So while I agree that John Williams is in fact an excellent classical composer, just because he is the most popular doesn’t make him *always* the right choice. I will conceed “often”. (the “Indiana Jones” movies kicked an unusual amount of tail.)
May 24th, 2006 at 9:12 am
I liked Repo Man as well.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:00 pm
theres nothing like the first few notes of the SUPERMAN THEME. Its like the Rocky theme. When you here it you just want to clinch your fists and give a hell yea!!!! There is no way this movie will turn out to be a no show. The timing is right, the director is perfect ” although Kevin Smith would have been cool to” Hollywood needs a miracle, Brandon Routh fits the costume and come on, KEVIN fn Spacey as LUTHOR. The greatest criminal mind on earth. Damn, wake up America. Its the man of steel . . . up up and away mutta frs
June 8th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
I finally managed to re-watch the trailers that I had downloaded last week, and noticed something. I wonder if anyone else did too. I mean the newspaper close-up. Daily Planet, ok; vol. LXII, # 24. OK. The newspaper date, Thursday Sept.29.2006. OK.
Hang on a minute, Sept.29.2006?? This year! So time travel IS possible after all. Now if I can get an enhanser to enlarge the print so it can be read, I would have the news three and a half months before it happens.
Assuming that the Daily Planet is a true daily, and Perry White has not missed an edition ever, then the first edition hit the streets of Metropolis on Sept.4.1944. A Monday.
Phil, do I pass my Observation Badge? How about Forensics 101? Can I do the Tides and Shipping Notices?
Ivan. (Cub Reporter).
June 20th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
Up where Zod says theres nothing like the first few notes of the Superman Theme, can I say I totally agree?
I have loved that music since I was a child. I loved how they at one time interwove it into the scene with Christopher Reeve as Virgil Swan on Smallville. I yelled yeah when they did and basked in it. I think my family thought I was a bit nuts. But hey, I love that score.
Yes I faithfully watch Smallville.
That music I’ve always been able to pick out when it has played. Its just gorgeous music. And to make me happier yet, my son loves Superman as his favorite character. Thats 2 generations now.
Thanks,
A superman fan (child then) since the original movie.
November 8th, 2006 at 2:06 am
could any1 hook me up with a essay about the bad astronomy in superman?