[2006-11-28] "Superman: The Movie (1978)" Blu-ray (Warner)

Linda · **Posted:** Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:23 pm

Amazon.com Essential Video
Richard Donner's 1978 epic about the Man of Steel showed how a film about a superhero could be a moving and romantic experience even for people who long ago gave up comic books. Beginning on the icy planet Krypton, the story follows the baby Kal-El, whose rocket ship lands in Smallville, Kansas. He is found there by a childless couple and raised as the shy Clark Kent (the young Kent is played by Jeff East). The film is perhaps most touching in these sequences, with expanses of wheat fields blowing in the wind and with a young man who can't figure out what part in destiny his great powers are meant to play. The second half, with Reeve taking over as Clark/Superman, is bustling, enchanting (the scene in which Superman flies girlfriend Lois Lane--played by Margot Kidder--through the night sky is great date material), and funny, thanks largely to Gene Hackman's sardonic portrayal of nemesis Lex Luthor. --Tom Keogh

Product Description
A new, updated version of the popular comic book hero "Superman." The story begins with Superman's birth on the doomed planet Krypton and follows him on his arrival to Earth, his childhood in Kansas and his career as reporter for the Daily Planet.

Customer Review
Well, this is not one of the discs you'll pop in to show off "how great HD looks." The film was shot almost throughout with soft focus filters which bump up the haze of lighting and obscure detail.

BUT: It looks as good as it probably ever can and ever will. In A-B comparisons with the previous DVD (which was great for its day) the upgrade is subtle but evident. Some shots show very strong detail, when it's in focus. Check out the foliage in Lois' rooftop apartment. Some facial shots show exceptional detail in fine lines. Whenever the soft filter is absent, you can really tell you're watching an HD presentation. The colors are the main upgrade in the Blu-Ray - reds and blues really pop, and black levels are rock solid in most shots not involving visual effects. Film grain is present and generally not too obtrusive, except during some effects shots. But I prefer its presence to excessive digital noise reduction. In the end, how you feel about this Blu-Ray will depend on your emotions for the film itself (mine are very strongly positive), and how you feel about a home video accurately replicating the look and feel of the original presentation's film stock (something I'm also strongly in favor of).

Audio is presented in a strong Dolby Digital 5.1 channel mix. There isn't much of a workout for the surrounds, but John Williams' iconic score really sings, nonetheless.

Extras include an hour's worth of documentaries, reprises from the DVD edition. Casting tests, trailers, a commentary by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz, and a wonderful score only track highlighting the music, round out the disc. Overall, at least average and probably slightly above average.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K4X5XA/?tag=imwan-20

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110205/ap_ ... n_producer

'Superman' producer at hospital near Mexico City

Fri Feb 4, 10:35 pm ET

CUERNAVACA, Mexico – A health official in Mexico says the producer of the Superman films of the 1970s and '80s is recovering at a hospital after being admitted in a state of disorientation and suffering facial and head injuries.

Ilya Salkind had been staying at a home near Mexico City and his friends reported him missing earlier this week.

Arturo Torres of the Morelos state medical office said Friday that the 63-year-old Salkind didn't have identification when he was admitted Sunday at a hospital in Cuernavaca.

Morelos Attorney General Pedro Luis Benitez Velez says Salkind was hurt while in Tepoztlan, a town about 55 miles south of Mexico City. It was unclear how he was injured.

Salkind produced "Superman" in 1978 and two sequels.

[2006-11-28] "Superman: The Movie (1978)" Blu-ray (Warner)

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