Superman has tons and tons of fans, me included. I've grown up with the character, I've believed a man could fly and I've watched in horror as Superman fought Mr Press-on Fingernails. Below is the latest from MegaDeath DC, the fan that has been running a campaign for 2 years now to fight for better treatment of our beloved character. Also, below is a piece of an interview with Richard Donner, where he talks about wanting to direct the New Film. I'd love that, but I'd give him this advice. For me, SUPERMAN came very close to being a great film, if only the villians had been treated with an amount of seriousness. Otis, Miss Tess Mocker and a wig wearing Lex... for me they detracted. Anyway, here's the report...
Hey Harry before the interview let me bring you and everyone upto speed with the Superman restoration campaign.
2 years ago, a group of people from the newsgroups began to campaign for Superman The Movie to be re-mastered just like the Star Wars SEs but no new CGI scenes. Also insert if not all some of the vital extra scenes back into the film. In April 97 my Superman: The Cinema Experience website which is the only site that tells you everything about the Superman movies espeically 1 and 2 including the missing scenes from 2( http://members.aol.com/dsupermanc ) was born and I joined in the campaign. Soon, many people joined in sending letters to WB, we kept sending letters and still do until this day. Also we wanted WB to re-master the soundtrack and release that too. Superman was part of the WB 75th Festival but only in some cities, so our campaign worked to a certain extent. The release was a major disappointment because the new print was very poor and only some people got to see it. Our campaign is about Film Preservation, so many classic movies have benefitted from this and Superman does deserve the same so a new generation can enjoy this movie which many people worked so hard to produce. WB have shown that they have no interest in digitally remastering Superman and the extra footage, they rather let the negatives rot away and this also includes John Williams music tapes. Even if we get the theatrical release I would be happy like so many others. Yes Superman isn't big as Star Wars but I can promise you that box-office takings would be bigger than the big movies which WB have offered.
Now here is what Richard Donner said in Barcelona about Superman during his LW4 promotion :
BARCELONA--"If someone should make a new Superman movie, it should be me", says director-veteran Richard Donner, who made the original 20 years ago. Warner Bros. had spent two years and reportedly 20 million dollars on a film that never was gonna happen. This summer, "Superman Lives" should have - and could have - been the perfect opportunity to relaunch the series - and to celebrate the character's 60th Anniversary as a comics hero. Change of directors and disagreements about the script was some of the problems with the unfinished project. According to Mr. Donner "the pre-production now is closed, although the studio is still at work with a script," he says. "I am disappointed in Warner, that they did not ask me to do the movie. If I did it, it would have been done! They did a big mistake not asking me," Donner claims in a freespeaking manner, as he is in Europe to promote the same studio's new installment in the "Lethal Weapon" franchise. "I'm fond of Superman," the 68-year-old director says and puffs on his big Havana cigar, "if I can make the fifth film in the series, it will not just be a 'Superman 5'. It will be SUPERMAN! with a new, and very 90's approach, but very honest in respect to the original." Donner seems sad about the whole issue. Not just because he wants to do the movie himself, but also on behalf of his close friend Christopher Reeve - and perhaps a legion of devoted fans. They have, since the release of "Superman: The Movie" in 1978, praised Donner's vision. A campaign amongst the fans to get Warner to re-release the movie in theaters didn't succeed. But now Donner says he will try to convince the studio. At least the movie should appear in a new, restored director's cut on home video. Donner just made director's cuts of the first three "Lethal Weapon"s, and says he loved the experience. Donner says, "Christopher Reeve called me up just before I left for Europe. He said we should go to Warner and get "Superman" out there again. Everyone else is doing re-releases, so why don't we? We can add some good scenes we left out due to time constraints. There's a lot of good material there."
