| Michael Allred 28.01.2006 00:09 |
Special Edition Superman DVDs on the Way By Barry M. Freiman This is no fantasy. The Superman Homepage has learned exclusive details regarding Time Warner's work on new DVDs of the five Superman films released between 1978 and 1987. Ilya Salkind, who co-produced the first three "Superman" films, "Supergirl", and the "Superboy" television series, confirmed that he is indeed working with Michael Thau, the Producer and Restoration Supervisor on the 2001 Special Edition of "Superman: The Movie", and others who've been retained by Time Warner to produce new versions of the original Superman films (and Supergirl) for DVD release in conjunction with marketing plans for 2006's "Superman Returns". "[T]he five DVDs are coming out," Salkind said in a recent telephone interview. Along with his late father, Alexander, and childhood friend, Pierre Spengler, Salkind produced the original Superman films (all except 1987's "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" produced by the Canon Group in a one-shot film deal they had with the Salkinds). Salkind is working with Time Warner on the DVDs. According to Salkind, Time Warner now owns all of the footage shot for 1978's "Superman", 1980's "Superman II", 1983's "Superman III", 1984's "Supergirl", and 1987's "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" including distribution rights. This is consistent with last year's announcement by director Bryan Singer that he had purchased rights to all of the footage shot for "Superman" and "Superman II" so that he could incorporate the voice and image of Marlon Brando's Jor-El (Superman's biological father) into the upcoming "Superman Returns." A recent teaser trailer for the new film uses both Brando's voice and the original musical score by John Williams to connect the new film with the original franchise rather than attempt to supplant it. According to Salkind, "I'm in touch with Michael Thau and I'm also in touch with another guy who does the documentaries and [DVD special features]." Thau declined to comment and referred all inquiries to Warner Home Video. Salkind plans to "do commentaries of [Superman] I, II, and III [and] Pierre [Spengler] did his already." In addition, Salkind would like to do a commentary track for "Supergirl", which was released on DVD previously by Anchor Bay Entertainment. "I'm going to do a commentary [on "Supergirl"] and this time hopefully Helen [Slater] will do it..." Time Warner has acquired all distribution rights to "Supergirl" from Anchor Bay, according to Salkind, and plans to release that film along with the four Superman movies. While "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" was not a Salkind production (Salkind and his father have a credit for initiating the Superman film series in "Superman IV"), Salkind believes Time Warner owns that film's footage as well and is in touch with director Sydney Furie. The biggest revelation of the interview concerns plans for "Superman II". Scenes shot by fired director Richard Donner (who directed "Superman: The Movie"), including all of Brando's work for the second film, may finally see the light of day. "There will be a Donner cut [of "Superman II"] from what I hear," Salkind said. "There will apparently be an original cut with the original music and more stuff." Whether the extra footage will be presented as an alternative version of the film or included as a supplement has not yet been determined. Actor Jack O'Halloran, who played mute super-villain Non in "Superman" and "Superman II" confirmed that Time Warner interviewed him about his work on both films. Like Salkind, O'Halloran believes there will be a Donner version of "Superman II". "I understand they |
| Michael Allred 28.01.2006 00:10 |
When ABC-TV aired the television debut of "Superman: The Movie" in 1980, they split the film into two parts and added over 30 minutes of footage not seen in theaters. A syndicated version of the film aired in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. in the 1990s that included most of this added footage and two additional scenes never seen before, including an entirely original scene featuring one of the few bits of dialogue between Christopher Reeve's Superman and Brando's Jor-El. A special edition DVD of "Superman: The Movie" was released in 2001 with eight minutes of footage added back to the film. It is unclear which version of the first film will end up on the new DVD. Salkind did not participate in the preparation of the 2001 DVD. ABC-TV aired "Superman II" in 1984 and again in 1985 with almost 20 minutes of previously unseen footage. None of Brando's footage was included in that cut of the film. Brando died in 2004. "Superman III" and "Supergirl" likewise had their debut television airings with added footage not seen in theaters. The Salkinds originally retained Donner to direct "Superman" and "Superman II" simultaneously. Budget over-runs and personality conflicts eventually led the Producers to replace Donner with Lester. Lester had previously directed "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers" for the Salkinds and joined the "Superman" production as an uncredited producer and intermediary. "Lester contributed two gigantic ideas," Salkind explained. "Drop the second part because we had missed summer [19]78 and take the end of the second part for the first part." This permitted Donner to finish the first film without worrying about filming for the second, with the rationale being that, if the first film bombed, there'd be no reason to have a second film ready to go. After the first film's release, work resumed on the sequel with Lester in the director's chair. The original idea was to end the first film with a cliffhanger - the first of the two nuclear rockets that Superman threw into outer space explodes and frees the three Phantom Zone villains. After the Salkinds decided to hold off finishing "Superman II" till after the first film's release, it was decided that it made more creative sense to present the sequel's story independently of the first film. This necessitated plotting changes such as the addition of the scene where terrorists attempt to hold Paris hostage, which results in the freeing of the Phantom Zone baddies, and the deletion of scenes that referred to events from the first film as being recent. The most significant change to what had already been shot by Donner, however, concerned the decision to cut Brando's Jor-El from the second movie. Salkind acknowledges the decision to cut Brando was partially financially motivated. Brando received $3.7 million up front for his work on "Superman". He also received 11.75% of the first film's grosses. Had he appeared in "Superman II", it was likely he would have been entitled to that same back-end participation on the sequel. "Of course the 11 points had a lot to do with [cutting Brando]," Salkind admitted. However, Salkind insists that they never would have cut Brando out of the film had it not made creative sense. Salkind suggested to his father "What if it's the mother [instead]? She talks about love to her son. And it kind of made sense creatively... Jor-El had done his thing if you want." Salkind and his father acquired the rights to make the "Superman" films in the early 1970s from Warner Publishing of which DC Comics is a wholly owned subsidiary. Their original agreement gave the Salkinds the right to make films featuring Superman and the Superman family of characters for 25 years. Time Warner essentially held a right of first distribution on any "Su |
| Indo77 28.01.2006 15:43 |
There is still no offical word that Richard Donner will recut Superman II to his original version but expect a big announcement next week. Til then I will make do with the Expanded TV version. From Superman Cinema webmaster Dharmesh "Now that Ilya has spilled the beans, I can speak more liberally about certain things without confidence agreements lassos tightening around my neck. The interview reveals a great deal, some of which you already know, but there’s a lot of new information like Pierre Spengler contributing interviews and a commentary track. Richard Lester might be contributing an interview. I remember someone telling me that he might even do the commentary on Superman 2. I can reveal that Sarah Douglas has provided commentary for the Superman 2 theatrical cut edition. This was done at Pinewood. All Superman film interests are now completely owned by Warner Bros. This includes Supergirl. The rights issue delayed releases of Superman 3 and 4 in various international territories including the U.K. Now Donner’s Superman 2...Obviously we will get something but sources at the studio mentioned awhile back that not everything has been accounted for and there are concerns about the quality. Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz are poised to record a commentary track. Once again, Michael Thau is working on the footage with Dick Donner. I trust Michael will do the very best, he's got my support thats for sure! The studio will make an announcement once everything is in place. I hear faint voices… “What about Superman IV?” Well, I don’t believe what I’ve heard, so I'll wait for official word - make of that what you will. I'll be pushing for the superior original cut of Superman The Movie on DVD too. Thanks to Barry Freiman for an excellent interview." |
| -luke_taylor- 28432 28.01.2006 17:06 |
wow the mind boggles too much to read there, but i dont like superman, they were good in there day but a bit tit titty now, if you get what i mean, batman rules though, but good look with your superman stuff |
| Indo77 28.01.2006 19:45 |
The Batman franchise pales in comparison to Superman The Movie. STM is what comic book movies are all about it and what many directors go by when filming any comic book adaptation. I will agree Superman III and IV were turkeys however this can largely be attributed to the sacking of Richard Donner as director from Superman II. The big issue with these DVD releases is that Donner's original vision of Superman II will finally be released to the public. This is a completely different movie from what you know as Superman II. The majority of the current Superman II (mainly filmed by Richard Lester) is deeply inconsistent and flawed. There is an entire other Donner movie out there that is sitting on a tin shelf at pinewood studios, England. READ THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT SUPERMAN II link |
| -luke_taylor- 28432 29.01.2006 06:28 |
the original batman was best super hero film ever, i mean micahel keatons performance was good and jack nicholson was just pure excellence, batman returns was good, batman forever was a bit crapier because i think they changed the directors, and batman and robin was a bit hows ya father, as in the shittest. aint seen batman begins yet but i got dvd |