Superman: The Movie

[jim48]

<p><strong>&nbsp;<font size="2"> I'm getting old. I can't believe it was thirty years ago this month that a bunch of us went to see <em>Superman: The</em> <em>Movie</em> its opening weekend. What a thrill it was to see that when it was brand new in a packed theater! Christopher Reeve was just impossibly handsome, Margot Kidder was great as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman had a ball playing Lex Luthor. The sets, the costumes, the location filming, the music, the visual effects and of course Superman flying! What a cool movie. The two-album soundtrack of John Williams' score--he should have won the Oscar&nbsp;that year--still wasn't enough to contain all of the music. We would have to wait until 2002 for that. What fun memories! The audience was practically on its feet cheering when Superman rescued Lois Lane from the helicopter! A year before Luke Skywalker had&nbsp;lead the movies away from anti-heroes back&nbsp;to heroes, and what better hero to follow-on than a superhero, and what better superhero? They took a big gamble doing that movie as The Greatest Story Ever Told: Krypton, Smallville, the Fortress of Solitude, Metropolis, Lex Luthor, Super-Rescues, but it worked! The new <em>Superman Returns</em> was quite faithful to Richard Donner's original, but Superman and Lois Lane were badly miscast. Pity. They simply had no fire compared to Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Actually, they looked wooden compared to Donner's cast. Kevi</font><br /><img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/2/a3e4eac5-aa56-4651-a2b1-bfb9f5630f63.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><br /><font size="2">n Spacey, like Gene Hackman, clearly had fun playing Lex Luthor.</font></strong></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[onesmallstep]

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Yes, I agree, I was there for opening weekend as well. Remember the catch phrase, "You will believe a man can fly." I too remember being amazed watching Superman do his thing, having nothing at the time to compare it to but the old George Reeves series. Not much to compete with there though, with George just lying on a table with pictures of clouds and buildings whizzing by.</p><p>I liked Margot Kidder at the time, but you know who I think is the best all time LL?....Teri Hatcher!!! She really was worth leaping tall buildings in a single bound.</p><p>I also largely agree with your assessment of Superman Returns. I thought Brandon Routh was okay, but Lois was terrible, I wouldn't have leaped an ant hill for her.&nbsp; The biggest problem with the whole movie, I thought, is that they completely tried to remake the CR original, even down to using the same dialog.&nbsp; Come on guys, can't the Man of Steel think of some new stuff to say???<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[lildreamer]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp; I'm getting old. I can't believe it was thirty years ago this month that a bunch of us went to see Superman: The Movie its opening weekend. What a thrill it was to see that when it was brand new in a packed theater! Christopher Reeve was just impossibly handsome, Margot Kidder was great as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman had a ball playing Lex Luthor. The sets, the costumes, the location filming, the music, the visual effects and of course Superman flying! What a cool movie. The two-album soundtrack of John Williams' score--he should have won the Oscar&nbsp;that year--still wasn't enough to contain all of the music. We would have to wait until 2002 for that. What fun memories! The audience was practically on its feet cheering when Superman rescued Lois Lane from the helicopter! A year before Luke Skywalker had&nbsp;lead the movies away from anti-heroes back&nbsp;to heroes, and what better hero to follow-on than a superhero, and what better superhero? They took a big gamble doing that movie as The Greatest Story Ever Told: Krypton, Smallville, the Fortress of Solitude, Metropolis, Lex Luthor, Super-Rescues, but it worked! The new Superman Returns was quite faithful to Richard Donner's original, but Superman and Lois Lane were badly miscast. Pity. They simply had no fire compared to Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Actually, they looked wooden compared to Donner's cast. Kevin Spacey, like Gene Hackman, clearly had fun playing Lex Luthor. <br />Posted by jim48</DIV></p><p>Remembered being in Niagara Falls at the time as kid when they were shooting the scenes.</p><p>Didn't understand what the movie was about and heck of alot of confusion....but it was fascinating see all that equipment positioned for filming.&nbsp;...very cool at the time....Then seeing it in theatres it was like - hey I know that, i was there that day....very cool....</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[crazyeddie]

<p><span style="border-collapse:collapse;font-size:13px;font-weight:bold" class="Apple-style-span">The audience was practically on its feet cheering when Superman rescued Lois Lane from the helicopter!&nbsp;</span></p><p>Yeah, I think that was everyone's favorite scene in the movie....with good reason. &nbsp;It was a great moment in cinematic history. &nbsp;The buildup, as you saw the cable setup that would snag the helicopter, the tension and horror as everyone imagined what it would be like to be Lois in that situation, the hero to the rescue, then the great line at the end when Superman catches her:</p><p><span style="font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">"Easy miss, I've got you"&nbsp;</span></p><p>and Lois squeaks:</p><p><span style="font-style:italic" class="Apple-style-span">"You've got me? &nbsp;Who's got <span style="font-weight:bold" class="Apple-style-span">you?!</span>"</span></p><p>....and the audience bursts into laughter!&nbsp;</p><p>But actually, there were lots of great moments in the film: the death of Clark's father, Clark saying goodby to his mother as he made his way north to his unknown destiny, his anguish at Lois's death, and his rage and determination to undo it all by turning back time. &nbsp;</p><p>A lot of people hated the film's love theme song, "Can You Read My Mind?", by Maureen McGovern, that they played endlessly on the radio back then, but I loved it.....sooo romantic!</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jim48]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The audience was practically on its feet cheering when Superman rescued Lois Lane from the helicopter!&nbsp;Yeah, I think that was everyone's favorite scene in the movie....with good reason. &nbsp;It was a great moment in cinematic history. &nbsp;The buildup, as you saw the cable setup that would snag the helicopter, the tension and horror as everyone imagined what it would be like to be Lois in that situation, the hero to the rescue, then the great line at the end when Superman catches her:"Easy miss, I've got you"&nbsp;and Lois squeaks:"You've got me? &nbsp;Who's got you?!"....and the audience bursts into laughter!&nbsp;But actually, there were lots of great moments in the film: the death of Clark's father, Clark saying goodby to his mother as he made his way north to his unknown destiny, his anguish at Lois's death, and his rage and determination to undo it all by turning back time. &nbsp;A lot of people hated the film's love theme song, "Can You Read My Mind?", by Maureen McGovern, that they played endlessly on the radio back then, but I loved it.....sooo romantic! <br />Posted by crazyeddie</DIV><br /><strong>Oh, I'd forgotten about Maureen McGovern. That was when I was just getting started in the furniture business and our store had an easy listening station on and yeah, they played "Can You Read My Mind?" to death. I'm surprised she didn't have more of a career given her excellent voice.</strong> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp; I'm getting old. I can't believe it was thirty years ago this month that a bunch of us went to see Superman: The Movie its opening weekend. ..Posted by jim48</DIV></p><p>I went to see it at the theatres as well.&nbsp; I loved it!&nbsp; I'm not a huge Superman fan, as far as the comics go, but I really loved that movie.&nbsp; I still do, it's one of my favorites.</p><p>As far as I'm concerned, there IS only one Superman and he is Christopher Reeve.</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksevcw3dGfY</p><p>BTW, John Williams is just a musical godling... that's all there is to that...&nbsp; His music grabs your heart and makes it beat to his drum.&nbsp; Outstanding musical scores, as always.&nbsp; It wouldn't have been "Superman" without his music.&nbsp; </p><p>What will we do when John Williams passes?&nbsp; Superman has passed, will we be the same when his spirit (Williams music in the movies) is gone as well? </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>... A lot of people hated the film's love theme song, "Can You Read My Mind?", by Maureen McGovern, that they played endlessly on the radio back then, but I loved it.....sooo romantic! Posted by crazyeddie</DIV></p><p>I once serenaded a girl with that on an acoustic guitar.&nbsp; It works.... </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[docm]

<p>We saw it&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;single-screen theater with a HUGE screen&nbsp;in Livonia, Michigan and&nbsp;the crowds were <em><strong>I-N-S-A-N-E</strong></em>...filling the lobby, circling the parking lot and extending to the (major) street and easily 200 meters along that.&nbsp; <strong><em>A 2-show wait</em></strong> for those without advanced tickets.</p><p>I was one of those 50's kids who watched the Kirk Alyn Superman serials re-run&nbsp;in the theater with my friends&nbsp;then was thrilled out of&nbsp;my&nbsp;mind when George Reeves put on the cape for TV.&nbsp; Of course we watched it on a tiny round screen TV in black & white until my dad could afford a&nbsp;color set.&nbsp; Blew my little mind. I would do nearly anything to get my parents to buy the comics.</p><p>When the Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve was announced we (meaning me and all my buddies) got advanced tickets and waited nearly shaking with anticipation of "the big day".&nbsp; We&nbsp;had good tickets near the center front, so on the big day we sat down then that fabulous John Williams theme started and the Superman emblem made it's first appearance....<strong><em>OH-MY-GOD</em></strong> did the chills run up my spine....<strong><em><font color="#800000">WOW</font></em>!!</strong>&nbsp; 28 years old and I felt like a kid all over again.</p><p>Memories of a day like that last a lifetime, and we <strong><em>still </em></strong>talk about it. Sometimes we even try to re-live it with a superbit exended version DVD splashed across a 50" LCD...just for the helluvit.</p><p>Still a sucker for movies about the big guy with the cape, and my sons and grandsons are similarly afflicted.&nbsp;Wonder how that happened?</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>