Superman The Movie Extended Cut coming to Blu-Ray

[Earth 2 Chris]

I can finally toss that old beaten-up VHS. Oh wait, I still want the ABC Sunday Night Movie opening! I'll just keep both!!!



SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE - EXTENDED CUT & SPECIAL EDITION 2-FILM COLLECTION (1978,2000)
Run Time 188 Minutes-EXTENDED CUT (NEW 2017 1080p HD MASTER)
151 Minutes-SPECIAL EDITION
Subtitles Spanish, French, English SDH
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English (EXTENDED CUT)
DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 - English, DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 5.1 - French, DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 5.1 - Spanish
ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 2.40:1, 16 X 9 LETTERBOX
COLOR
2-BD 50
Special Features (on Superman The Special Edition Disc): Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz; 3 Documentaries Taking Flight: The Development of Superman, Making Superman: Filming the Legend and The Magic Behind the Cape; Screen Tests; Restored Scenes; Additional Scenes; Additional Music Cues; Music-Only Track

Decades before blockbuster Extended Cuts were common, Superman proved a true “Man of Tomorrow.” Superman: The Movie received an ahead-of-its-time makeover for its television premiere – nearly 40 more minutes of story, creating a two-night television event. Audiences had already been swept off their feet by Christopher Reeve’s Last Son of Krypton, and now there was more to enjoy. Unseen in decades, this version is paired here with Richard Donner’s definitive vision of his film, the Special Edition Director’s Cut (2000), to create a supersized celebration of Metropolis’ favorite son that preserves the director’s intent while feeding superfan demands.

[Hedji]

This absolutely made my day. Goodbye, bootleg.

[enyawd72]

Whaaa? I had no idea this existed! What does the additional footage consist of?

[PNGwynne]

Ditto. Waitaminnit, what do I have on dvd? I'm confused.

[Earth 2 Chris]

This is the ABC TV cut that originally aired over two nights. Some of the footage WAS included in the Director's Cut from 2000 or so, but there is still more here. Like you get to see the Stormtrooper-like Kryptonian guard sent out to kill(!) Jor-El, only to die in all the cataclysm from Krypton starting to go boom.

This is where everyone got to see Superman go through Luthor's gauntlet of fire, ice, bullets, etc. That is in the director's cut, though.

I believe there may be an even LONGER TV cut that was sent out in syndication, but maybe this is pretty much the same thing. Even I get foggy on this.

Chris

[Hedji]

From CapedWonder.com:

Every time a new sequence was added into the film, my eyes perked up. New footage of the Kryptonian council’s discussion with Jor-El, added bits and pieces of the destruction of Krypton, a longer look of the Smallville sequences, more footage of the creation of and look inside the Fortress of Solitude, more of Metropolis, all of this was a set-up for more footage of Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. His first flight through Metropolis; more moments of interaction with residents, criminals, and Lois Lane alike; and more action throughout the film’s second half – all of this served to expand the tapestry that Richard Donner and company created during 1977-78.

More importantly, even the musical score from John Williams had been expanded for the TV broadcast. This was a first. The original soundtrack album, which I enjoyed on LP and cassette, had only 78 minutes of music included. Now there was even more music in certain places, underscoring Jor-El and Lara’s discussion about their son Kal-El, the destruction of Krypton, the atmosphere in Metropolis, and the action toward the final third of the film. Some of this music had been previously unreleased, while other segments had been re-looped and re-edited to fit within the parameters of the added footage. A longer musical score to boot? That was definitely a first.

[Hedji]

Hopefully this opens the door for more of this sort of thing, the expanded Superman II being a logical next release. Jaws and Jaws 2 both had deleted scenes reinserted into the film for television, as did Halloween.

[Hedji]

Scroll down for downloads. It may get taken down soon.

http://www.capedwonder.com/superman-the-movie-extended/

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Yes, that KCOP LA station cut is the one I was thinking was longer than the ABC version. I wonder which version this Blu Ray is? I have that KCOP LA cut on a bootleg VHS, and I think I still have the VHS of one of the last times ABC played their extended cut. We had a VCR by then as well!

Either way, I'll be glad to see it. A beloved movie like this should have every inch of footage available for the fans.

Now, if they do Superman II, will we see the cops at the Fortress, and Superman destroying it with his heat vision?

Chris

[Hedji]

Better than just the cops at the Fortress is the cops taking the de-powered Kryptonians into custody! Really changes their fate storywise!

The specs say it's the 188 minute cut, which is the length of the Restored International Cut in the link above. I think we're getting everything!

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Sounds like it, and that's what I meant about cops at the Fortress. I remember one cut of II that DOESN'T have the cops taking the Zoners away, but does have Superman destroy the Fortress. So he just killed them! Shades of Byrne and Snyder!

chris

[Hedji]

Hahah! Absolutely, never thought of it that way!

[PNGwynne]

Very cool, I had no idea. I guess I have the director's cut on vhs and dvd.

[hedrap]

ahh...the story as best I can tell...

Without specifics. The mega-long cut was found in the midwest. A guy who worked at a regional ABC had it. Someone bought that master. A copy of that master made its way to some big fanboys. That got the wheels spinning with Donner for his original director's cut, but he and his editor didn't realize there was footage missing from their working materials. So Donner's group was given the affiliate print and stunned them all. WB pushed off another release, until now.

[Bruce Banner]

Finally!