Superman the movie (Christopher Reeve)

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44 years ago today the Richard Donner Superman the Movie starring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Jack O'Halloran, Maria Schell, and Sarah Douglas premiered at the Kennedy Center.

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I was around 7 years old and dragged my parents to watch the movie. I still remember going and watch the movie and then going to K-Mart when the Mego Superman movie figures came out. I was so upset that they did them in the 12' size and not include them in the 8 inch size. As a kid my brother & I would have bought the whole lineup but since they were in 12 inch we only got Superman (and latter Wonder Woman, Batman & Robin). We did get the Superman characters in the Pocket Heroes lineup and yes they would battle with Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica.
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[Bruce Banner]

Still one of my all time favourite movies.

[Nostalgiabuff]

i was 6 1/2 when it came out. still one of my all time favorite movies

[PNGwynne]

Saw it first-run at age 11 and loved it. It's still my favorite superhero movie and portrayal even though Superman isn't my favorite character

[Makernaut]

Imagine the amount of heart that went into this movie going into DC's efforts today. And the main theme is right up there with Star Wars, Raiders, and E.T. in producing goosebumps.

[Nostalgiabuff]

agreed. the theme is iconic. as far as I am concerned it should be used on any and all Superman films

[Earth 2 Chris]

My favorite film of all time, and a true magical classic. I think it stands above just about every film of the genere that it defined.

[Sideshow Spock]

I was nine when it came out, my dad took me to see it. Let's just say my memories of the experience are SLIGHTLY more positive than when he brought me to Jaws three years earlier

[Liu Bei]

Best comic book movie ever made. Chris Reeve was perfect. I love this movie so much, I even bought the extended TV version on blu ray to go along with every other cut and version the CR Superman films that have been released.

[Hector]

Definitely a top ten movie for me. Best comic book themed movie for sure.

Nothing approaches the nostalgic magic of Star Wars for me as a young teen. But Superman comes awfully close.

[shaunaconda]

I’ve think I’ve seen all the different versions. So what would be considered the definitive version? Or favorite version?

[Earth 2 Chris]

^I prefer Donner's Director Cut from around 2000. It puts enough "lost" material back in, like Lex's gauntlet that Superman goes through before busting into his HQ, but leaves out some extraneous stuff like the ABC-TV extended cut we got just a few yeras ago.

My only quibble with the Donner cut is some of the sound design is a bit distracting from original presentations. That "rip" sound when Clark first changes to Superman in the helicopter rescue is a bit too much.

[Bruce Banner]

I’ve think I’ve seen all the different versions. So what would be considered the definitive version? Or favorite version?

I love all the different versions, but the extended cut released in 2001 is probably the most balanced and effective version of the movie. It restores several of the most exciting scenes from the TV edition while also maintaining a reasonable running time. This is also Richard Donner's preferred version of the film.

But like I said, I also love the original theatrical version (because it was the version I first saw at the theatre as a kid), and I also love the various extended TV versions, particularly the one I saw during its original ABC broadcast because I vividly remember sitting n front of the TV saying "wait a minute... I never saw that part before!!!!"

I tend to rewatch the 151 minute most often, closely followed by the 188 minute version.

[Megotastrophe]

Is there a version where the whole logo glue trap that doesn't actually do anything was removed? That whole sequence was so weird and unnecessary.
I feel awful I just remembered that was the second movie.

[LonnieFisher]

Oops, wrong thread.