FRIDAY 15th

2000 to 2009

It's been quite a remarkable decade - a test of endurance - a game of patience. The marketplace is considerably different now to when this website was initiated. DVD was in its infancy, expanded soundtracks were rare feats and the fans were not mobilised. The latter, the most important: Finding the fans and making friends. Without the fans we'd still be waiting.

First I want to remember Christopher Reeve, he passed in 2004. He became a real-life hero and was lovingly supported by his wife and kids. His wife Dana died soon after her husband's passing; I feel that their souls must have been attached in ways we couldn't possibly understand. Wherever they are, I'm sure they are looking after their children.

Here's some nostalgia, looking back at a fun decade:

1) Superman The Movie expanded soundtrack on Rhino Records
We first began researching the music at the end 1997, even writing some articles on the subject, and in 1998 fans wrote letters to Rhino asking them to consider releasing an expanded soundtrack. Varese Sarabande released a re-recording of Superman, featuring 20 minutes of unreleased material, on 20th October 1998. Then, in 1999, 15th January, Mike Matessino issued a press release stating that an expanded CD set will be released in the summer of that year, in fact it didn't hit the shelves till Feb 2000. I still remember the excitement when this came out. "Helicopter Rescue" was one of the most requested tracks at the time.

2) 2001 Superman Special Edition DVD
Geoff Johns, now a very popular comic book writer, was once Dick Donner's assistant. He caught our campaign news (restoring Superman The Movie) on AICN mid-1999, and from there on in we were in regular contact about the upcoming DVD. I think around the fall of '99 he told me to cease all campaign activity - things were looking good. Work began during the second half of 2000, to remaster Superman. There was even mention of a limited theatrical, which did happen, in San Antonio, for one weekend in March 2001. The majority were happy with the picture quality but the soundtrack was an abomination - new effects, for example, ruined the credit sequence. It wasn't an enhancement, the original sound effect was completely annihilated. And by May 2001, when the DVD was finally released, fans shouted their disapproval on megaphones. The 5.1 was a great show-off track but it was not Superman The Movie which featured an industrial sound; sure it wasn't quite brilliant, but it was the soundtrack recorded at the time, warts and all. The other problem was that the extra footage hurt the film's narrative flow. The theatrical cut wasn't an option. When I spoke to Michael Thau he didn't even think it'd be an issue! As you know, I'm not a fan of the film in any other guise than the original -- those scenes were cut for a reason. The lawyers didn't diligently pour over the legal fine print, because they missed this important detail: Warners couldn't create a new cut without asking Pueblo films's (handling the Salkind film library) permission and this created a legal dispute, which was eventually solved when Warner Bros. settled, Ilya Salkind effectively handing over all rights to his Superman films.

3) Supergirl International cut
I can't remember much about this release. I'm not entirely fond of the film - the flippant nature of the story is a stumbling block for me and some of that dialogue is pretty dreadful. Still, it's an interesting watch and I do admire the fairytale take on the material.

4) Superman II: The Richard Donner cut
Where do I start? 2006 was a crazy year. When I first started this website, I was completely ignorant about what Dick shot footage for "2". Nine years later, after numerous articles, research, infiltrating message boards and annoying Warner Bros, some of the most requested scenes of all time were finally released as a film. When I first watched it I was disappointed. It didn't work as a feature and I still think the footage was best served as a deleted scenes supplement -- with a round-table discussion featuring the director, producer and writer. Still, despite all its problems, it was fantastic to see all these scenes that we have discussed for so long. I love the unity to the first film, it carries the wonder and style effortlessly, but I completely understand why that opening was junked by Lester, it didn't quite work, did it? Lois jumping out of the window is hard to swallow despite setting up the blank bullet sequence.
Inevitably, dissatisfaction rippled across the fans, and a few fan edits have appeared. I haven't seen any of them. I don't have a problem with folks creating their own versions; I prefer to stick with what the director signed off on. Oh, the hypocrisy! Of course I'm supporting Seluton's efforts to persuade Dick and Tom to reconsider creating a better version but I do feel a little uneasy about it. I believe that the creative spark as to be ignited by the director and the writer. It's their film. Hypothetically speaking, if they reconsidered, great! If not, I'm happy with what we've got.

5) Superman IV deleted scenes
I was very surprised that they unearthed anything. I was specifically told that they [editors] were instructed to destroy the negative. I guess the composer's copy was the only film that survived the culling. Any notions that these scenes would have made the film more palatable were wide of the mark; it's just embarrassing to watch. Somehow Gene Hackman kept his dignity, though.

6) 2008 Complete Soundtrack set
Brilliant. Out of all that has been released Superman-wise, this was the most satisfying of them all. The music sounds immaculate, the liner notes the best I've ever read and the packaging the icing on the cake. Superman III emerged as a personal favourite; I love that looser style of musical writing, it's similar to how Jerry Goldsmith writes music. It's more versatile than Williams's opus, much more musical variety.

And that was the final hurrah.

Now, what about the next decade? It has a lot to live up to.