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2015, when I became editor for Comicstorian, I really started to read them and gain a lot more appreciation for comics, characters, origins, and more. Some of my favorites include the X-Men, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Teen Titans.
The X-Men movies were some of my favorite growing up and definitely made me more open to the world of superheroes and comic books. Going back to those X-Men movies now, though, I realize how incorrect some of the information was and how some of the movies seemed even better when I didn’t know all the details about the mutants.
That being said, many of the movies we’ve decided to review in this book came out before I became so enveloped in the superhero genre. Because of this, a lot of my movie tastes and opinions have been, maybe understandably, influenced by more recent movies, plots, and special effects, which have evolved drastically over the years. I did my best to watch each movie as though I was watching it around the time it came out and judge its set, action, and special effects accordingly.
While I may be fairly new when it comes to comics and the history of the characters, maybe like some of you, I’d encourage readers to get stuck in, read and watch as much as you can, and you’ll soon start learning about what you like.
For this book, I’ve enjoyed watching the live-action interpretations of comics and worked to deliver some thoughtful opinions on some fantastic superhero franchises that have existed over the years.
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BENNY
Before we get started, I want to make it clear that I love some of these movies and hate others. I am very biased when it comes to comic book characters, especially DC. Because of this, I wanted to get the opinions of these two brilliant individuals: regular people like you and me who read a lot of comics and watched a lot of movies. So each section of the book will include our takes on movies that mean so much to us for so many reasons. Some sections will be all three of us weighing in while others might just be one or two voices. The goal is to provide you with enough insight and detail so that you’ll enjoy the book and learn something without it feeling too redundant….we hope.
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Chapter 1:
The Legend of Superman
BEHIND THE SCENES: A BIRD, A PLANE, A MAN OF STEEL
BENNY
To begin, I think having a bit of background about the first movie within the franchise might help us understand the journey the Superman franchise has taken. Here is a collection of the production notes from the first movie in the series.
The first major big-budget superhero feature film, Superman, had the challenges of making flying believable, creating special effects without digital animation, and preserving Superman’s masculinity while he’s wearing tights. But it succeeded, in a big way.
The film rights for Superman, based on the DC Comics character introduced in 1938, were bought in 1974 by Pierre Spengler, and Ilya and Alexander Salkind. This team struck a deal with Warner Brothers, originally just for distribution of the film. They decided to film both Superman and Superman II simultaneously, which proved both exhausting and costly in the long run. Mario Puzo (author of The Godfather) wrote both screenplays and delivered them in 1975, but they were considered too long and not a good fit.
Various writing teams were brought in for rewrites until the final version was delivered about a year later. Richard Donner (The Omen) became the director. Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Paul Newman, and several others turned down the Superman role.
After more than 200 auditions, they opted for an unknown actor: Christopher Reeve. Reeve was skinny but determined
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to build up his body for the part instead of using the muscle suit they designed. David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars, led Reeve’s bodybuilding program. Some big name actors were part of the production, including Marlon Brando as Jor-El and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. Marlon Brando didn’t memorize his movie lines. Instead, he read them off cue cards while filming. In one scene, Brando read from baby Superman’s diaper.
Production took 19 months: an estimated year overrun. Superman was filmed at Pinewood Studios and Shepperton Studios in the U.K., plus on-location in Canada, New York, and other U.S. cities. While the film never received an official budget or a timeline, it cost about $55 million to make. The set designs, led by John Barry (known for his production design work on Star Wars) and created by over 350 construction workers, were some of the most intricate and expensive of the time. Superman is especially known for its special and visual effects. Completed before the digital age, full-scale models and perfect miniatures were created with elaborate detail.
New filming techniques of the time, like precise and automatic zoom lenses, special camera cranes, and electronic consoles to remotely control filming were used. The opening credits sequence alone cost more than many films at the time.
The biggest challenge was to make the audience believe Superman could fly. No one had flown on screen before without looking silly and obviously fake. Cables and blue and green background screens were used. But it was Christopher Reeve who made it look real. He used his arms in a fluid way and even “banked” around bends during flight. It was a critical part of the story and important for the audience to accept.
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The tagline for the movie promotion was simply, “You’ll believe a man can fly.”
Although production went on (and on), and costs were growing (and growing), Warner Brothers liked what they saw. They added studio money to help fund costs in return for exclusive rights for TV and worldwide distribution. The movie opened during the lucrative Christmas season on December 15, 1978, and went on to gross over $300 million worldwide. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for visual effects. Superman stayed #1 at the box office for 13 weeks.
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