Movies
A Guide to Up-Coming Superman Movie DVD Releases
By Steve YounisWith the up-coming release of a number of Superman movie DVDs, I thought I'd help clear up any confusion about what will be available.
First off, let's start with actual release dates. Most of the DVDs listed below will be released on the same day. Here are the release dates for Regions 1-4:
- November 28, 2006 - Region 1: United States of America, Canada
- December 4, 2006 - Region 2: Europe, including England, France, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Arabia, Japan and South Africa
- October 26, 2006 - Region 3: Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo and Indonesia
- December 6, 2006 - Region 4: Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America
Here is a list of the individual DVDs scheduled to be released on the dates mentioned above.
Christopher Reeve Superman Movies:
- "Superman: The Movie" Four-Disc Special Edition (4 Discs)
- "Superman: The Movie" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs) R4
- "Superman II" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Superman II" Three-Disc Collector's Edition (3 Discs) R2, R4
- "Superman III" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" (1 Disc)
"Superman Returns":
- "Superman Returns" Widescreen Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman Returns" Full Screen Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman Returns" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Superman Returns" HD DVD & DVD Combo Format (1 Double-Sided Disc)
Now, here is a list of the Box Sets scheduled to be released.
- "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection" (8 Discs)
- "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection" (9 Discs) R2
- "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition" (14 Discs) R1
- "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition" (13 Discs) R2, R3, R4
- "Superman: The Movie" Four-Disc Special Edition (4 Discs)
- "Superman II" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Superman III" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
The 14 discs in the Region 1 version of "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition" are:
- "Superman: The Movie" Four-Disc Special Edition (4 Discs)
- "Superman II" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Superman III" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" (1 Disc)
- "Superman Returns" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman" (1 Disc)
- "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman" documentary (1 Disc)
- Bryan Singer's Video Journals (1 Disc)
It should also be noted that the six-part documentary "You Will Believe - The Making of a Saga", which features new interviews with the cast and crew of the Christopher Reeve movies, is only available as part of the "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition" 13 and 14 disc sets. This new material is not available in the individual Christopher Reeve DVDs or the 8-disc "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection".
Complete Details:
Superman: The Movie (1978/2001) Four-Disc Special Edition
A box-office smash, an Academy Award winner and a fan favorite since it first flew into theatres in December 1978, Superman: The Movie assembles a cast and creative contingent as only a big movie can. At its heart (just as in three sequels) is Christopher Reeve's intelligent, affectionate portrayal of a most human Man of Steel. Watching Superman again isn't just like being a kid again. It's better. The movie's legacy soared even higher when director Richard Donner revisited this beloved adventure 22 years later and integrated eight minutes into the film. Enjoy more footage of the Krypton Council, a glimpse of stars of prior Superman incarnations, more of Jor-El underscoring his son's purpose on Earth and an extended sequence inside Lex Luthor's gauntlet of doom. Reeve, Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend.
Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
Disc Four
Click here to pre-order this DVD collection, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Note: The 2-disc edition of this collection (released outside region 1) is made up of Discs 1 and 3 above.
Superman II: Two-Disc Special Edition (1980)
"I thought the original Superman was terrific entertainment," the Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert wrote, "and so I was a little startled to discover that I liked Superman II even more." Unwittingly released from Phantom Zone imprisonment, three super-powered Kryptonian criminals (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) plan to enslave Earth - just when Superman (Christopher Reeve) decides to show a more romantic side to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Gene Hackman (as Lex Luthor) also returns from the first film and with a top supporting cast, witty Richard Lester direction and visuals that astound and delight, Superman II saves the day any day you watch it.
Disc One
Disc Two
Click here to pre-order this DVD collection, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Superman III: Deluxe Edition (1983)
After Superman: The Movie's epic storytelling and Superman II's awesome battles, how could the first two hits be topped? In Superman III, meet Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a half-witted computer programming natural. For him a keyboard is a weapon - and Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his life. Christopher Reeve reprises his most beloved role, deepening his character's human side as Clark Kent reunites with old flame Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole) at a Smallville High class reunion. And when Superman becomes his own worst enemy after Kryptonite exposure, Reeve pulls off both roles with dazzling skill. Incredible visual effects abound - but above all it has heart, heroism and high-flying humor. All in superabundance.
Click here to pre-order this DVD, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace - Deluxe Edition (1987)
Christopher Reeve not only dons the title hero's cape for the fourth time but also helped develop the movie's provocative theme: nuclear disarmament. "For me, it's the most personal of the entire series," Reeve said. "It directly reflects what Superman should be, and should be doing." Superman does a lot this time around. To make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two foes clash in an explosive extravaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, plug a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China.
Click here to pre-order this DVD, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980/2006)
Superman II will delight fans who, for years, have been imploring Warner Home Video via voluminous numbers of petitions, letters, phone calls and e-mails to release the Donner cut. In fact, Donner had already shot most of the Superman II footage during Superman: The Movie. But as production on the sequel continued, creative differences between the director and the film's producers became irreconcilable and Donner left the project. Although Richard Lester was hired to finish production, he chose to make major changes to the film, leaving only vestiges of Donner's original vision and concepts in the version of Superman II that was ultimately released to theaters. Now, nearly thirty years later, Warner Home Video is honored to grant the wishes of countless Superman fans. With this DVD release, Richard Donner has become the first director in history to be able to complete a film he left during production with nearly all his footage "in the can." Adding back a substantial amount of that unused footage, the director has seen his original vision restored and brought to fruition. Most notably, the "Donner cut" restores the Marlon Brando role, filmed for, but not included in the final theatrical release version of Superman II. The legendary Brando's performance as Jor-El has finally been restored in key scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the profound relationship between father and son.With so many other changes, large and small, including a variety of Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman, this Superman II will prove to be an eye-opening experience and an important addition to film history.
Click here to pre-order this DVD, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Supergirl
"Supergirl" (starring Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole and Mia Farrow) will retail for $14.99 and is presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The only extra material will be a commentary by director Jeannot Szwarc and Scott Bosco, and the theatrical trailer.
Click here to pre-order this DVD, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Superman Returns
The film will be available to own in single and double-disc editions. Each will carry a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The single-disc edition will also be available in a full-screen transfer. The single-disc will be featureless, whereas the two-disc edition is filled with over three hours of bonus features, including more than ten revealing additional scenes with characters and plotlines never before seen and a "Resurrecting Jor-El" featurette. A multi-part, nearly 3-hour documentary, "Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns" takes you on an in-depth, behind the scenes journey of the making of this momentous film with visionary director Singer and crew. Viewers will experience what it was actually like to be part of the production on location in Australia. The documentary uncovers the secrets behind some of the most astonishing, effects-laden scenes in the film, including the shuttle accident, the Metropolis disaster and the formation of New Krypton. The Two-Disc Special Edition comes encased in collectible, embossed, gold foil o-sleeve packaging.DVD/HD-DVD Combo - disc config: HD-15C or HD-30C (TBA), VC-1/1080p video (2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen), 2006 Theatrical Version of the film, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio (English, French, Latin Spanish), special features (ALL Two-Disc DVD features will be included on the HD side, but NOT in high-definition - movie-only on the standard DVD side), subtitles: English SDH, English, French and Spanish, Closed Captioned.
Blu-ray Disc - disc config: BD-50, VC-1/1080p video (2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen), 2006 Theatrical Version of the film, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (English, French, Latin Spanish), special features (ALL Two-Disc DVD features will be included, but NOT in high-definition), subtitles: English SDH, English, French and Spanish, Closed Captioned.
Warner Home Video HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The new formats also provide a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu-bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.
The Single Disc version of Superman Returns contains the theatrical version of the film.
The Two-Disc Special Edition contains the theatrical version of the film on Disc 1 and over three hours of special features on Disc 2, including:
-- Additional Scenes
- The Date: Ma Kent plays a game with her new man
- Family Photos: Clark reminisces over family photos
- Crash Landing/X-Ray Vision: Clark discovers he can fly and he has x-ray vision
- Old Newspapers: Clark realizes what happened while he was gone
- Are You Two Dating?: Clark discovers his mother is dating
- Martinis and Wigs: Lex and Kitty bicker
- I'm Always Right: Once again, Lex is right
- Jimmy the Lush: Jimmy and Clark discuss Lois at the bar
- Language Barrier: Japanese talkshow makes fun of Superman
- Crystal Feet: Having a bad day
- New Krypton: Lois names the new planet
- Easter Egg: Lex Luthor's "Wrong" Montage
- Secret Origins and First Issues: Crystallizing Superman
- The Crystal Method: Designing Superman
- An Affinity for Beachfront Property: Shooting Superman
- Superman on the Farm
- Superman in the City
- Superman in Peril
- The Joy of Lex: Menacing Superman
- He's Always Around: Wrapping Superman
- 3D rendering of Marlon Brando's face for the Fortress of Solitude scene
Pre-order the Single-Disc editon DVD or the Double-Disc edition DVD , and help support the Superman Homepage.
Single Disc | Single Disc [Back Cover] | Double Disc | Double Disc [Back Cover] |
Superman Returns DVD (Single Disc fullscreen) | Superman Returns HD DVD and DVD Combo Format |
Christopher Reeve Superman Collection (8 Disc)
- "Superman: The Movie" Four-Disc Special Edition (4 Discs)
- "Superman II" Two-Disc Special Edition (2 Discs)
- "Superman III" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
- "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" Deluxe Edition (1 Disc)
Note: As noted above, the 9-disc version of this collection (released outside region 1) adds "Superman II: The Donner Cut" as the 9th disc.
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (14 Disc Region 1)
The 14-disc set, priced at $99.92, contains Superman Returns: Special Edition, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman: The Movie Four Disc Special Edition, Superman II Two Disc Special Edition and Superman III and IV Deluxe Editions. The set also offers 20 hours of extra content, including the documentaries You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman and Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman and Returns director Bryan Singer's video journal.
Superman: The Movie (disc 1)
Theatrical cut
Commentary track by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler
Original sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Superman: The Movie (disc 2)
2001 director's cut
Commentary track by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz
Music-only audio track
Dolby Digital 5.1
Superman: The Movie (disc 3)
Taking Flight: The Development of Superman
Making Superman: Filming the Legend
The Magic Behind the Cape
Restored scenes
Screen tests
Audio-only bonus: additional music cues
Superman: The Movie (disc 4)
Vintage TV special The Making of Superman: The Movie
1951 Movie Superman and the Mole-Men, starring George Reeves
* Nine Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons mastered from superior vault elements:
- Oscar nominee Superman
- The Mechanical Monsters
- Billion Dollar Limited
- The Arctic Giant
- The Bulleteers
- The Magnetic Telescope
- Electric Earthquake
- Volcano
- Terror on the Midway
Superman II (disc 5)
Theatrical cut
Commentary track by Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler
Theatrical trailers
Dolby Digital 5.1
Superman II (disc 6)
The Donner cut
All new introduction by director Richard Donner
Commentary by director Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz
New featurette Superman II: Restoring the Vision
Additional scenes
Dolby Digital 5.1
Superman II (disc 7)
Vintage TV special The Making of Superman II
Vintage TV Special Superman 50th Anniversary
New featurette First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series
Eight Famous Studios Superman cartoons mastered from superior vault elements:
- Japoteurs
- Showdown
- Eleventh Hour
- Destruction, Inc.
- The Mummy Strikes
- Jungle Drums
- The Underground World
- Secret Agent
Superman III (disc 8)
Commentary by executive producer Ilya Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler
Vintage TV special The Making of Superman III
Additional scenes
Theatrical trailer
Superman IV (disc 9)
Theatrical cut
Commentary by screenwriter Mark Rosenthal
Additional scenes
Theatrical trailer
Superman Returns (disc 10)
Theatrical cut
Dolby Digital 5.1
Superman Returns (disc 11)
Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns. 3hr documentary.
Deleted Scenes
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman (disc 12)
All-new six-part documentary about the original theatrical franchise.
Forging the Man of Steel - Superman in the media, and the challenges the Salkinds faced
Creating the Vision - creating the right script, choosing the right director and casting the right actors
Believe - the production and launch of a new kind of fantasy film
Crisis - complications and conflicts between the creative forces behind Superman II
Downfall - criticisms and burnout of Superman III and Superman IV
Legacy - filmmakers, writers and artists reflect
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman (disc 13)
Kevin Burns documentary - history of the character.
Bryan Singer's Video Journals (disc 14)
All the web blogs plus two never-before-seen.
The Ultimate box will be encased in a keepsake tin and includes a reproduction of the Superman comic book issue No. 7, a Superman overview booklet and a mail-in offer for five Superman theatrical movie posters.
Click here to pre-order this DVD collection, and help support the Superman Homepage.
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (13 Disc International)
This 13 disc monolith of a box set brings together Superman new and old in one fantastic boxed set. Featuring awesome special editions of the original four films plus the 2 disc version of Superman Returns and bonus documentaries, this is the ultimate compendium for the true Superman fan!
Superman - The Movie: (4 Disc Set)
Unable to convince the ruling council of Krypton that their world will destroy itself soon, scientist Jor-El takes drastic measures to preserve the Kryptonian race: He sends his infant son Kal-El to Earth. There, gaining great powers under Earth's yellow sun, he will become a champion of truth and justice. Raised by the Kents, an elderly farm couple, Clark Kent learns that his abilities must be used for good. The adult Clark travels to Metropolis, where he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet...and a caped wonder whose amazing feats stun the city: Superman! Meanwhile, Lex Luthor, the world's greatest criminal mind, is plotting the greatest evil plan of all time. Can even the Man of Steel stop this nefarious scheme?
Superman II: (3 Disc Set)
Unwittingly released from Phantom Zone imprisonment, three super-powered Kryptonian criminals (Terence Stamp, Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran) plan to enslave Earth - just when Superman (Christopher Reeve) decides to show a more romantic side to Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Gene Hackman (as Lex Luthor) also returns from the first film and with a top supporting cast, witty Richard Lester direction and visuals that astound and delight, Superman II saves the day any day you watch it.
Also includes The Richard Donner Cut which will delight fans who, for years, have been imploring Warner Home Video via voluminous numbers of petitions, letters, phone calls and e-mails to release the Donner cut. In fact, Donner had already shot most of the Superman II footage during Superman: The Movie. But as production on the sequel continued, creative differences between the director and the film's producers became irreconcilable and Donner left the project. Although Richard Lester was hired to finish production, he chose to make major changes to the film, leaving only vestiges of Donner's original vision and concepts in the version of Superman II that was ultimately released to theaters. Now, nearly thirty years later, Warner Home Video is honored to grant the wishes of countless Superman fans. With this DVD release, Richard Donner has become the first director in history to be able to complete a film he left during production with nearly all his footage "in the can." Adding back a substantial amount of that unused footage, the director has seen his original vision restored and brought to fruition. Most notably, the "Donner cut" restores the Marlon Brando role, filmed for, but not included in the final theatrical release version of Superman II. The legendary Brando's performance as Jor-El has finally been restored in key scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the profound relationship between father and son.With so many other changes, large and small, including a variety of Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman, this Superman II will prove to be an eye-opening experience and an important addition to film history.
Superman III:
After Superman: The Movie's epic storytelling and Superman II's awesome battles, how could the first two hits be topped? In Superman III, meet Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor), a half-witted computer programming natural. For him a keyboard is a weapon - and Superman faces the microelectronic menace of his life. Christopher Reeve reprises his most beloved role, deepening his character's human side as Clark Kent reunites with old flame Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole) at a Smallville High class reunion. And when Superman becomes his own worst enemy after Kryptonite exposure, Reeve pulls off both roles with dazzling skill. Incredible visual effects abound - but above all it has heart, heroism and high-flying humor. All in superabundance.
Superman IV - The Quest For Peace:
Christopher Reeve not only dons the title hero's cape for the fourth time but also helped develop the movie's provocative theme: nuclear disarmament. "For me, it's the most personal of the entire series," Reeve said. "It directly reflects what Superman should be, and should be doing." Superman does a lot this time around. To make the world safe for nuclear arms merchants, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) creates a new being to challenge the Man of Steel: the radiation-charged Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). The two foes clash in an explosive extravaganza that sees Superman save the Statue of Liberty, plug a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and rebuild the demolished Great Wall of China.
Superman Returns: (2 Disc Set)
Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in the epic action-adventure, Superman Returns, a soaring new chapter in the saga of one of the world's most beloved superheroes. While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman (Brandon Routh) faces the heartbreaking realisation that the woman he loves, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman's bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space.
Look, Up In The Sky! - The Amazing Story of Superman:
A two-hour documentary commissioned by Superman Returns director Bryan Singer that details the history of the Superman franchise.
You Will Believe - The Making of a Saga:
All-new six-part documentary about the original theatrical franchise.
Forging the Man of Steel - Superman in the media, and the challenges the Salkinds faced
Creating the Vision - creating the right script, choosing the right director and casting the right actors
Believe - the production and launch of a new kind of fantasy film
Crisis - complications and conflicts between the creative forces behind Superman II
Downfall - criticisms and burnout of Superman III and Superman IV
Legacy - filmmakers, writers and artists reflect
Special Features:
Superman - The Movie Disc 1:
Superman - The Movie Disc 2:
Superman - The Movie Disc 3:
Superman - The Movie Disc 4:
Superman II Disc 1:
Superman II Disc 2:
Superman II Disc 3:
Superman III Deluxe Edition:
Superman IV Deluxe Edition:
Superman Returns Disc 1:
Superman Returns Disc 2:
Superman Ultimate Collection Disc 12:
Superman Ultimate Collection Disc 13: