Superman: The Movie is a special movie that perhaps the current generation might find a bit hokey in its innocence, but I think it still holds up pretty well, albeit I’m still not a big fan of some of the goofier moments.
It is quite the time we live in for media, even if the physical is on the decline, as now after decades where it lived only on the bootleg forum, we finally get to see Superman: The Movie – Extended Cut aka the TV Version, restored in HD and although I’ll be sticking with the other version.
John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned has its good moments, propelled by a solid ensemble cast from Christopher Reeve to Michael Pare, and a bit of the cheese factor that is kind of amusing. This Collector’s Edition release by Shout Factory offers well done video and audio transfers and a nice selection of bonus material to peruse.
Speechless has a nice spin on the classic romantic comedy formula (opposites attract and all that) and Michael Keaton and Gena Davis share some nice chemistry and as a bonus for geeks, we do get to see Keaton and Christopher Reeve share a scene.
Although the disc is pretty light on features – damn near empty, in fact – the fact that Deathtrap finally gets a proper widescreen release is good news for any fan, especially those in North America. The video transfer isn’t the best but still somewhat impressive in many aspects and the mono audio track is adequate and nothing more. For those who have not seen the movie, now is the chance to do so as it’s well worth checking out if not to see two great performances from Caine and Reeve.
The Superman: The Complete Anthology is a fine set for sure and while the features are certainly comprehensive between vintage featurettes and multiple expansive documentaries and commentaries, but in particular the video has much to be desired. This isn’t to say they don’t look good but compared with the work Fox did with their Alien complete set, this one pales by comparison.