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.