November
3
Donner's Vision Soars at Last
Warner Bros. Home Video hosted a star-studded premiere party Thursday night at the DGA for the DVD release of “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.”
Attending were cast members Margot Kidder, Sarah Douglas, Jack O’Halleran and Marc McClure, as well as writer and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz and Donner himself. Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington and Bryan Singer were on hand from this summer’s “Superman Returns,” as were Brando’s son Miko Brando and daughter Rebecca Kotlinzky.
Other guests included and Noel Niell, who played Lois Lane in the 1950s TV series, actor and writer Seth Green, DC Comics writers Mark Waid, Paul Dini and Geoff Johns, and Donner’s wife, “X-Men” producer Lauren Shuler Donner.
At a reception before the screening, Donner says he never thought his version of the film would be seen after he was fired from the production by producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind and replaced by Richard Lester. “I’m particularly thrilled that fans after this time will get to see the film.”
Donner says he felt that the film as finished by Lester was not true to the tone he had established with the first film and he was unhappy with what he calls their less-than-respectful treatment of the material. “They treated it as a parody,” he says. “This (cut) is really the tasteful one.”
The film is an exciting experience for Superman fans. While the basic plot may not differ as much as you might expect when as much as 75 to 80 percent of the footage is new, it’s a lot of fun to watch Christopher Reeve (to whom the film is dedicated), Kidder and especially Brando play these classic roles once again. Some sequences, such as Lois Lane’s first attempt at convincing Clark to admit he’s Superman, are so good it makes you wonder why anyone would cut them from the film.
The performances in particular are much better in this version, with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder giving their roles a sparkle that was missing from the Lester version.
Some of the new sequences, especially the Brando scenes, do a lot to explain plot points that the original omitted, such as how exactly Superman’s powers were restored. Other elements tie the film more closely to the original, with the finale of the first film providing the impetus for the escape of Zod, Non and Ursa instead of the Paris nuclear bomb sequence.
Other elements show the unfinished nature of the film, with some scenes cobbled together from screen tests, visual effects crudely finished (if at all) and choppy editing no doubt due to lack of appropriate footage.
At a panel after the screening moderated by Pete Hammond, Kidder talked about how upset she and Reeve were at Donner’s removal from the film and the result of her expressing that anger to press. “As a result, I got like 12 lines in Superman III.”
Michael Thau, producer of the restored cut, said they had to sort through about six tons of footage brought over from Europe to find the footage Donner had shot. “No one had any idea what Dick had shot and what we had in the vault,” he says. Amazingly, all of Donner’s footage was found and the film was reconstructed using Mankiewicz’s shooting script.
“I think it’s so much better than what was put out,” Kidder says. While she says Lester is a good director, he was the wrong choice for Superman. “You can feel the difference. There was a hip, glib feeling and a resistance to get into the material.”
Kidder says many scenes had to be reshot because for Lester to supplant Donner in the credits he had to have shot more than half the film.
Mankiewicz agreed, recounting how the original script for the first two pictures was 500 pages long and featured many throwaway pop culture references and scenes such as Superman giving a lollipop to a bald man on the street only to have it turn out to be Telly Savalas. “The only way pictures like this work is if you get inside the material,” he says.
Copies of Action Comics #844, featuring a story written by Donner and Geoff Johns, were handed out to guests as they departed. On the comic book project, Donner gave most of the credit for its success to his collaborator. “It’s 90 percent Geoff Johns,” he says.
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Just viewed Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, and I must say that for me this is the true sequel of Superman: The Movie. Being a Superman fan for years, I never really cared for Superman II, nor III for that matter. I wasn't born when Superman I, or II had came out but had watched them as a kid and enjoyed them only because they were Superman films but like I said, I never actually cared much for part II, even as a child. I'm not sure what it was that ruined the film for me because I was too young to actually recollect my original thoughts on it. However some five odd years or so ago I'd seen bits and pieces of 2 and still didn't care for it, so it wasn't just a little kid not understanding the film (which didn't make much sense) it was that the film really wasn't that good. Then a few months back I read an article in People Magazine about the restored Donner Version and I thought to myself I have to see that. I searched high and low for the film and hadn't any luck until the other day while shopping with my girlfriend in Washington, D.C., there I found a copy and bought it. This version completely blows Richard Lester's version out of the water by far. I know if Donner had been the Director throughout part II, and not been replaced by Lester the film would have been far more superb, unfortunately that's not the case but seeing the film finally as close to Donner's vision as possible is a dream come true. I am amazed not only by yet again the fantastic directing style of Dick Donner but also by the extraordinary talents that placed this 'never meant to be seen picture' together piece by piece. As I mentioned earlier I am a huge fan of Superman and it might have already been guessed that I'm an even larger fan of Richard Donner. Have been a fan of his films for years. I believe it was about 1996 when I first really found out who Donner was. I remember hearing the name here and there but hadn't a clue as to who the man was. I had just finished viewing The Omen (1976) for the first time and was completely blown away by the film and the whole concept of the Antichrist being a child upon the Earth. Freaky stuff, I read "The Omen" the novel by David Seltzer back in the summer '06 and loved it, though wishing that Donner had added in more elements of the novel into the film, however as I recollect the film which is now one of my all time favorites, right up there with "William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist," I must say that Donner did a terrific job. To me it is somewhat exciting and significant to know that Donner had directed both The Omen and then Superman, because The Omen dealt with the character of Damien Thorn, the Antichrist and Superman dealt with the character Kal-el aka: Clark Kent/Superman, Kal-el is the ultimate savior of mankind. Sent to Earth by his father Jor-el, a highly more advanced supreme being then the humans. This is basically a narrative of God sending Jesus to save mankind from not only themselves but the forces of evil; the Antichrist, who quite possibly could be Lex Luthor. "Here is wisdom. Let he who hath understand calculate the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man and his number is six-hundred three score and six (666)." Who is this man? this beast? Lex Luthor??? Who knows but it is fun to think of the possibility. In closing I would have loved to have seen this version of Superman II, the complete and original way that Donner would have done, and not to mention how he would've continue the series with Superman III and IV. Hopefully now that Brandon Routh has taken over the role Superman, a role that started with Kirk Alyn, continued by Geroge Reeves and brought to life in full circle by Christopher Reeve (R.I.P. Chris you really were a Super man!), after Reeve, Ron Ely and Dean Cain took over the role. Others include: John Newton (Superboy 1988-1989), Gerard Christopher (Superboy 1989-1992) Joel Carlson (Superboy 1991) and Tom Welling (Smallville) but hopefully...hopefully Donner will grace us with another Superman film in the future and show us vision in modern day. Here are a few things that I'd like to recommend by Richard Donner.
Director -
The Omen (1976)
Superman: The Movie (1978)
The Goonies (1985)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Lethal Weapon 2(1989)
Lethal Weapon (1993)
Lethal Weapon (1998)
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
Executive Producer -
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
The Lost Boys (1987)
The Omen (1995)
Tales/Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995)
Tales/Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood (1996)
X-Men (2000)
Posted by: Ronn | March 15, 2007 at 03:07 AM
Typos... Lethal Weapon 3 (1993)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
Posted by: Ronn | March 15, 2007 at 03:17 AM
Where can i find the Donner cut of superman 2?
Posted by: John | October 06, 2007 at 10:24 PM