To go back to Superman IV(oh,come on.someone had to do it).The film was budgeted at $36 million.However the Cannon Group was beginning to take on water and they drastically slashed the budget when the film was already in production.Crew members,including FX people,left in protest.
A preview screening met such a terrible response that 45 minutes was cut out of the film and the finished product ran to a paltry 89 minutes with characters and scenes that made little sense.Gene Hackman dubbed the voice of Nuclear Man and Christopher Reeve in a British chat show appearance in the late eighties royally slagged off Cannon for making promises they couldn't keep.Nuclear Man himself,the mulletted adonis Mark Pillow,suprisingly failed to become a big star.His whereabouts is a mystery to this day.
If my last name was "Pillow" I'd go into hiding as well. )
I remember reading about Superman IV while the film was being made. After the abominable Superman III I was really hopeful that giving the film to someone other than the Salkinds might yield better results. I then remember my heart sinking when I heard that Canon films had gotten the rights and then things went from bad to worse. The movie was so badly panned I never even saw it in the theater and to this day I've not sat thru it from start to finish, though I've seen every part of it at one time or another.
If my last name was "Pillow" I'd go into hiding as well. )
I remember reading about Superman IV while the film was being made. After the abominable Superman III I was really hopeful that giving the film to someone other than the Salkinds might yield better results. I then remember my heart sinking when I heard that Canon films had gotten the rights and then things went from bad to worse. The movie was so badly panned I never even saw it in the theater and to this day I've not sat thru it from start to finish, though I've seen every part of it at one time or another.
I'm not so sure Superman IV is a horrible film as much as it is more ambitious than it's budget/studio could allow.A story with a much smaller scale might have succeeded regardless of the many restrictions Cannon implemented.IMO The best thing about this movie is(as always) Chris Reeve,who,despite the film's small scale and questionable casting decisions,still remains the gold standard for every actor who's played The Man of Steel since.Chris' performance is sincere and he really tries to make the best of the situation.It's quality in an unfortunately low grade motion picture.S-IV is not a good film by contrast to S-I and S-II(both of whom are less than perfect,IMO),but in the end Reeve delivers the message he wanted to put across.All that,plus the bad guys are defeated while the hero saves the day.In all fairness,I don't think it's the great embarrassment/disappontment/disaster/waste of film/ the bigger budgeted and more cynical Superman III was.S-III deserves to be forgotten.
All in all, Willie, SIII did have a great Supers vs Clark scene. An evil Supers before that, too. Classic stuff.
I wish if someone could re-edit SIII and SIV together... Then something good might've come out of it.
Maybe that would work-it's difficult to say.
The only part I liked of S-III was the sequence you mentioned:Good Clark vs.Evil Superman.That was something straight out of the Silver Age of DC Comics and extremely well done by the great Chris Reeve.
If only the rest of the film had been as well written and well performed...
All in all, Willie, SIII did have a great Supers vs Clark scene. An evil Supers before that, too. Classic stuff.
I wish if someone could re-edit SIII and SIV together... Then something good might've come out of it.
Maybe that would work-it's difficult to say.
The only part I liked of S-III was the sequence you mentioned:Good Clark vs.Evil Superman.That was something straight out of the Silver Age of DC Comics and extremely well done by the great Chris Reeve.
If only the rest of the film had been as well written and well performed...
Agreed! I remember Donner saying how he and Mankiewich (spell) had some pretty neat ideas for the next Superman adventures, and how they were generally happy to explore the Superman universe, on the whole, under their own perspective. But the thing with Lester happened in Supes II and, we all know what happened, afterwards.
Supes IV is a wasted opportunity. The script desperately needed another re-write, and the SFX were a big letdown. I do prefer it over Supes III, but at least III is a completed film. IV, as is, feels like a preview to the real IV that never happened.
I wish the deleted scenes of IV are in the new monster mega 14 dvd set. Then one/we/whatever could edit the film and give it a proper Superman feel. Maybe even SFX makeover...
Anyway, I hoped Superman Returns corrects the mistakes of III and IV...
To Supes III I have to give credit to the great "drunken Superman" bit. I loved the part where he's stooped over the bar and flicking peanuts through the wall.
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
There's no Otis this time around is there?
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
No Otis this time around. I'll miss the big clumsy lug.
Not me.I won't miss David and Leslie Newman's creative input on the screenstory/screenplay either.;)We will be seeing comedy relief via Parker Posey,who's playing Luthor's latest moll.Hopefully it won't be too over-the-top.
No Otis this time around. I'll miss the big clumsy lug.
Not me.I won't miss David and Leslie Newman's creative input on the screenstory/screenplay either.;)We will be seeing comedy relief via Parker Posey,who's playing Luthor's latest moll.Hopefully it won't be too over-the-top.
Otis never bothered me all that much as he wasn't as obnoxious as some other villains' sidekicks (Luthor's cronies from Superman IV come to mind). Still, I agree that if you want to make a more serious film, then it's best to ditch that type of character alltogether. RIP, Otis.
Here's a new SR trailer from YouTube. There's a ton of new footage in it but the video quality is very poor. This was supposed to be playing in front of X3, but I didn't see it during the showing I attended. Still, another promising trailer with some more menacing scenes from Spacey's Luthor...
No Otis this time around. I'll miss the big clumsy lug.
Not me.I won't miss David and Leslie Newman's creative input on the screenstory/screenplay either.;)We will be seeing comedy relief via Parker Posey,who's playing Luthor's latest moll.Hopefully it won't be too over-the-top.
Otis never bothered me all that much as he wasn't as obnoxious as some other villains' sidekicks (Luthor's cronies from Superman IV come to mind). Still, I agree that if you want to make a more serious film, then it's best to ditch that type of character alltogether. RIP, Otis.
Here's a new SR trailer from YouTube. There's a ton of new footage in it but the video quality is very poor. This was supposed to be playing in front of X3, but I didn't see it during the showing I attended. Still, another promising trailer with some more menacing scenes from Spacey's Luthor...
Kevin Spacey seems to be looming very large in the previews.Hopefully this is an indication that he really nailed Lex Luthor and will give us a classic villain.When I stopped buying comics in the nineties Luthor was missing,presumed dead.I'm guessing he turned up again,but how exactly?
RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
You do realize, Arthur that Lex was elected President Of The United States awhile back don't you?
Mrs. Man Face: "You wouldn't hit a lady? Would you?"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice isUNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
Comments
Routh does look geeky as Clark.Rushmore is a pretty funny film."Is that Latin?" is my favourite line.
A preview screening met such a terrible response that 45 minutes was cut out of the film and the finished product ran to a paltry 89 minutes with characters and scenes that made little sense.Gene Hackman dubbed the voice of Nuclear Man and Christopher Reeve in a British chat show appearance in the late eighties royally slagged off Cannon for making promises they couldn't keep.Nuclear Man himself,the mulletted adonis Mark Pillow,suprisingly failed to become a big star.His whereabouts is a mystery to this day.
I remember reading about Superman IV while the film was being made. After the abominable Superman III I was really hopeful that giving the film to someone other than the Salkinds might yield better results. I then remember my heart sinking when I heard that Canon films had gotten the rights and then things went from bad to worse. The movie was so badly panned I never even saw it in the theater and to this day I've not sat thru it from start to finish, though I've seen every part of it at one time or another.
I'm not so sure Superman IV is a horrible film as much as it is more ambitious than it's budget/studio could allow.A story with a much smaller scale might have succeeded regardless of the many restrictions Cannon implemented.IMO The best thing about this movie is(as always) Chris Reeve,who,despite the film's small scale and questionable casting decisions,still remains the gold standard for every actor who's played The Man of Steel since.Chris' performance is sincere and he really tries to make the best of the situation.It's quality in an unfortunately low grade motion picture.S-IV is not a good film by contrast to S-I and S-II(both of whom are less than perfect,IMO),but in the end Reeve delivers the message he wanted to put across.All that,plus the bad guys are defeated while the hero saves the day.In all fairness,I don't think it's the great embarrassment/disappontment/disaster/waste of film/ the bigger budgeted and more cynical Superman III was.S-III deserves to be forgotten.
I wish if someone could re-edit SIII and SIV together... Then something good might've come out of it.
Maybe that would work-it's difficult to say.
The only part I liked of S-III was the sequence you mentioned:Good Clark vs.Evil Superman.That was something straight out of the Silver Age of DC Comics and extremely well done by the great Chris Reeve.
If only the rest of the film had been as well written and well performed...
Supes IV is a wasted opportunity. The script desperately needed another re-write, and the SFX were a big letdown. I do prefer it over Supes III, but at least III is a completed film. IV, as is, feels like a preview to the real IV that never happened.
I wish the deleted scenes of IV are in the new monster mega 14 dvd set. Then one/we/whatever could edit the film and give it a proper Superman feel. Maybe even SFX makeover...
Anyway, I hoped Superman Returns corrects the mistakes of III and IV...
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
No Otis this time around. I'll miss the big clumsy lug.
Not me.I won't miss David and Leslie Newman's creative input on the screenstory/screenplay either.;)We will be seeing comedy relief via Parker Posey,who's playing Luthor's latest moll.Hopefully it won't be too over-the-top.
Otis never bothered me all that much as he wasn't as obnoxious as some other villains' sidekicks (Luthor's cronies from Superman IV come to mind). Still, I agree that if you want to make a more serious film, then it's best to ditch that type of character alltogether. RIP, Otis.
Here's a new SR trailer from YouTube. There's a ton of new footage in it but the video quality is very poor. This was supposed to be playing in front of X3, but I didn't see it during the showing I attended. Still, another promising trailer with some more menacing scenes from Spacey's Luthor...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDJSQNlIn4k
I just hope we don't see Parker whining,"Oh no,Lex!Don't be so MEAN!!!!"
Ooh- and I found the toys in the shop today too. You can get a cape that makes whooshing noises!
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
"I answer only to the President!"
"And he will answer to ME!!!"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
In British accent although living in the American Midwest:
"Please, sir-"
"He's a General..."
"Please, General, please put my daddy down!"
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
"I'm not a coward, Zod."
"Then let him prove it."
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
General Zod: "Who is this Superman?"
President: "You'll find out and when you do-..."
General Zod: "Come to me, Superman! I defy you! Come and kneel before Zod! Zod!"
Don't forget the little shovedown he gives the President. Hilarious!
Batman: "The Hammer Of Justice is UNISEX!"
-Batman: The Brave & The Bold -
"Thanks Mr Luthor."
"In its infinite capactity to detoriate..."
"They come from there...a place called...Houston..."
"Uuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
"Oooohhhhhhhhhhhfffffff!!!!"
and my personal favorite...
"MMMMMMMMMM!!!!"
General Pringle, would you care to step outside?
"That's Zod"