This is simply a post of total admiration for a work of art I was unaware of until last night: The 1978 film Superman, directed by Richard Donner. My partner wanted to rewatch it after hearing a podcast about it, and having never seen it, I agreed.
My partner was reminded of the film through a podcast he listens to, The Projection Booth. He’d seen the movie when he was a kid, but I never had, and he insisted we give it a watch.
I was floored! It’s particularly placed in time as one of the first blockbusters, and for the time its special effects were incredbile. They still stand up as especially beautiful, being analog. The scenes on Krypton in particular are wonderful, with Marlon F______ Brando playing Superman’s father, Jor El.
I’m so excited about the wonderful visuals of the movie, I’ve been exploring what I can find online. Here’s the poster by Bob Peak.
And a collection of concept art by Jim Deitz.
Look at how amazing the Kryptonian costumes are, with this reflective fabric!
If you haven’t see the film, give it a shot! It’s got a little 70s corniness to it but for the most part it’s an engrossing story, as you would expect from the scriptwriter Mario Puzo, who wrote The Godfather, and Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman as supporting characters. And I really, fully believe Christopher Reeve as Superman.
Here’s a very funny interview with Ricard Donner.
Beautiful art!
The poster art is by Bob Peak.
With kind regards, Abraham
This is quite simply the greatest comic book film ever made. It’s sense of creating a mythology for the character is only rivalled by Nolan’s Batman Begins, which if you think about is is quite similar.
Thank you! I should have guessed, it looks like his work.
I’m glad you got to experience it, yes it’s dated but it’s still a high bar for superhero films. I can ALWAYS listen to opening music…
It’s difficult explaining to my kids how impactful that movie was. It’s really the start of the current age of superhero media. Love you sharing your reaction, thanks!
I missed a ton of movies when I was a kid, having no TV for years and never having cable, so I’m getting to see a lot of classics completely fresh. Lots of things don’t hold up, but this really does. I’m not even a Superman fan!
This is an older post but I had to comment. I saw Superman when it came out and it was phenomenal at the time. I had seen Chris Reeve on a “soap opera” when he was very young and never forgot his face or name. When I saw that he’s been cast as Superman and that Richard Donner was the director I couldn’t wait for the movie to be released. It didn’t disappoint! Reeve died before his time and showed an amazing amount of courage after his accident. Thanks for reminding me!