Pod Stallions 61: Superman!

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We return once again with an all new Pod Stallions and in celebration of the Man of Steel's 80th birthday we thought we'd make him our topic (We haven't done this one right? Cause it feels real familiar).

So we dig right in and talk about George Reeves, Filmation, the Super Friends, Dean Cain, Superboy, Mego figures and we finish along the way with what we think of the current incarnation of the Man of Steel.

Sidetrack conversations include Records, Michael J Pollard sightings, the Martian Chronicles, another "Brian was a dumb kid" story, local tv celebrities, Spawn and a whole long diatribe about Condor Man.

Can you read our mind? Listen along and tell us!

What's your favourite Superman incarnation? give us spirited debate on our facebook wall.

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[Earth 2 Chris]

Fun episode. I would love to hear your thoughts on the Lorne Michaels-produced Superman 50th Anniversary Special. That's such a mixed bag, and tonally, not what anyone wanted from a "celebratory" special, more like an extended SNL episode with a few sincere bits from past actors and some cool clips.

Margot Kidder's physical change from Superman to Superman II is kind of startling really. She's much more gaunt and hard looking in the Lester-directed scenes. And that was less than 2 years after the last scenes filmed for Superman: The Movie!

I think her troubles had caught up to her by Superman IV. She looks 20 years older than Reeve. I'm glad she's bounced back, and all of the jokes made at her expense 20 years ago seem horrible now.

Chris

[Hedji]

Eh, what the heck, I might as well share a picture I'm proud to have of me with Margot Kidder at the exact spot they filmed Superman II

[Earth 2 Chris]

^Wow, NICE!!!

Chris

[PNGwynne]

Thank you for sharing that picture. Kidder was "my" Lois, I love her work and wish her the best.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Doing Superman Movie Minute, I've come to appreciate Margot's performance all the more. She's fantastic in the first film. And Brian and Jason are right, there was no contest from those screen tests. Margot was the perfect choice for Lois Lane with Chris Reeve as Superman/Clark.

Chris

[PNGwynne]

^Huge fan of Lesley Ann Warren, but yes.

Speaking of, the TV version of "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" is horribly bowdlerized and the lead is miscast. The original show is cleverly written and has lots of potential for creative staging. The TV version adds one decent song--sung by Malachi Throne!--but overall is gutted.

I enjoyed this episode immensely, you and Jason echoed my appreciation of Superman on many points.

[Mr.Marion]

You made up the point of Condorman being someone's favorite movie.
My aunt tapped Condorman on tv, and because the pickings were slim I always wanted to see it and got teased about it.

I watched it a year or two ago. Without the nostigia I can see why other would hate it. And I agree with Jason, Crawford is very loud in his performance.

[Falstaff13]

Fun episode. I would love to hear your thoughts on the Lorne Michaels-produced Superman 50th Anniversary Special. That's such a mixed bag, and tonally, not what anyone wanted from a "celebratory" special, more like an extended SNL episode with a few sincere bits from past actors and some cool clips. Chris

I really liked the special when it broadcast, although I have not seen it in many years. The tone was a surprise (especially since the only other special I can remember at all was an Entertainment This Week piece). I remember enjoying the clips and some of the celeb bits (such as Hal Holbrook explaining the difference between his one man shows as Superman and Mark Twain) and liking some of the comic segments (Franken & Davis as a super duo; Jan Hooks claiming she's had Superman's love child--"pick up the Nova! pick it up!"). It was shown on CBS, however, and I was surprised NBC didn't run it with all the SNL folks involved. Has it ever been released, maybe as an extra on a DVD?

The Superman musical is one of those shows that continues to be revived because it's Superman--there are plenty of musicals with better runs that have never seen a new production. It was featured by Broadway Encores a few years back with some changes that were well received. I remember reading about it in Comics Scene, and Bob Holliday looked great (recalling the George Reeves look mostly)--he did some commercials as Superman after the Broadway run, and he also performed it at the Hollywood Bowl (where they used a crane to create flight, since there's no way to have a harness for flight there).

The Superboy show was only syndicated by any of my local stations for one season, and I remember seeing George Lazenby as Jor-El (or as a fake Jor-El, if I recall rightly) and Ron Ely play a Superman from that Superboy's future. It always seemed fun, but I never quite got into it. I liked the idea that when you got the rights to Superman, you got the whole Super-Family, so the Salkinds had also made this show and Supergirl (just like the producers from George Reeves' show also made Superpup and tried a Superboy of their own).

I felt the Kirk Alyn serials were near misses--Alyn did look good (although he's built but not huge), but the switch to animation was kind of disappointing for the flight sequences (and wasn't that also how the bullets bounced off his chest?). That said, they did have Lex Luthor, and I remember liking the origin sequence.

I always felt Superman IV was written by committee and tried to piece together items from the previous three films (they repeat Superman flying Lois around Metropolis from the first film, the fight with Nuclear Man is their version of the fight with Zod, Non, & Ursa from the second film, and Superman turning evil after being scratched in the fight was a redo of the "evil Superman" of the Richard Pryor film). It just lacked the heart of the originals. I know they've released some of the footage with the first Nuclear Man (admittedly, Clive Mantle is an imposing physical presence), but has it ever been put back into the film, or is anyone actually wanting a recut Superman IV?

[Earth 2 Chris]

I really liked the special when it broadcast, although I have not seen it in many years. The tone was a surprise (especially since the only other special I can remember at all was an Entertainment This Week piece). I remember enjoying the clips and some of the celeb bits (such as Hal Holbrook explaining the difference between his one man shows as Superman and Mark Twain) and liking some of the comic segments (Franken & Davis as a super duo; Jan Hooks claiming she's had Superman's love child--"pick up the Nova! pick it up!"). It was shown on CBS, however, and I was surprised NBC didn't run it with all the SNL folks involved. Has it ever been released, maybe as an extra on a DVD?

It is indeed on the Superman film blu-ray set, on the disc with Superman IV.

Chris

[jacoblb]

I'm envious of the Margot Kidder picture.

Good episode and topic. Don't think any past episodes had the audio effect this one had. Brian in my left ear. Jason on the right. When B said J was on his left, I was like, no, it's my right ear.

[Falstaff13]

It is indeed on the Superman film blu-ray set, on the disc with Superman IV.

Chris

Thank you, sir.