Superman: The Movie
This DVD project is pretty clearly a celebration of director Richard Donner. The actors and crew members praise him constantly, and of course he gets the director’s commentary to discuss his vision and experiences not just on this film but on Superman II - which was being filmed simultaneously with the first film - as well. He and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz recount some of the conflicts with producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind that resulted in Donner’s firing from the second movie, but they also make it clear that they enjoyed working together and working on the film. (They have a good time pointing out the various places Marlon Brando hid his copies of the script, for example.) I like the combination of the writer (regardless of credit, Mankiewicz wrote most if not all of the script for the finished film) and director doing the commentary together. They often talk about the different ways they considered taking the story, which is stuff that I find fascinating. DVD commentaries often get bogged down in technical details, and I’m glad that is not the case here.
There are also three documentary featurettes hosted by Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen), covering the development of the film, production, and special effects. These are highly informative and full of interviews, including one with Christopher Reeve that sets up a brief discussion of Reeve’s current condition. The affection and admiration these people felt for each other and the project is either well-forged or prominently displayed; I prefer to assume it’s the latter. The first documentary, about the Salkinds’ efforts to bring together the cast and crew, is very interesting material despite the Salkinds’ lack of participation - I was equally perplexed by some of their dubious decisions and impressed by their ambition.
Other bonus features include a number of deleted scenes, some of which were reintegrated into the film (making this a ‘director’s cut’ version of the film.) The scenes that have been reintegrated fit well, and don’t call attention to themselves; in many cases they help the narrative along. One scene, for example, has Superman return to the Fortress of Solitude after his first night in the public eye, to discuss the perils of vanity with his father, strengthening the relationship between Kal-El and Jor-El. The non-integrated scenes are amusing and entertaining, but they probably would have slowed the picture down; Donner showed good judgment in what to add back in and what to keep out.
There are also screen tests of Reeve, Kidder, and some of the other auditioners for the part of Lois - it’s interesting to hear the casting director’s comments on the other candidates, especially as he seems totally unwilling to say a bad word about anyone. (The only candidate that I thought came anywhere near Kidder was Stockard Channing, and in the end, I think Kidder was the right choice.) Last but not least, the photo stills that accompany each menu are absolutely gorgeous - I sometimes leave my TV on just to have them as part of the room’s décor.
