Agreed! It’s so cool to see that stuff in the wild!
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Enjoyed that footage! Thanks! Revisiting these movies is always like revisiting part of my childhood.
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@macjr It relied on the theatrical stuff because that was originally part of the Donner cut. When Lester replaced Donner he gathered up all the actors and re-shot most of the movie. So even what you see in the theatrical /Lester cut is really Donner’s vision.
Theres a fan made cut out there that combines all the footage. I’ve never seen it, but the word is that it’s done very well. The guy poured his heart and soul into it and it shows. Again, thats what I hear.
Fun Fact: Gene Hackman wouldn’t work with Richard Lester, so any shot of Lex that was filmed by Lester is a stand-in and usually from the back.
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You know, I just noticed in that Special Edition DVD or Blu-ray art, that in the upper artwork, Superman’s emblem looks like Brandon Routh’s emblem.
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I assume the Lester Cut is all about Brandon Routh.
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To quote Bruce Wayne: “Well, who wouldn’t?”
I imagine someone at Warner Brothers Home Entertainment got creative with Photoshop.
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The Eiffel Tower rescue from the theatrical cut is one of my favorite scenes. To me, it’s a sort-of call back to the helicopter rescue from the first film.
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@Jerm_78 that is indeed a great scene. The whole Paris segment is fantastic. Right from the beginning where Jimmy informs Clark that Eiffel Towers in Paris…
Perry- “He knows where the Eiffel Tower is, Olsen… … Ya do, don’t’cha Kent?”
Clark- “Uh, yessir.”
The, of course, Clark disappears of into that alley for what is the greatest changing sequence in Superman history.
Oh. So. Good!
@DCComicsCrisis, actually, the DVD I bought of the Donner Cut has bonus material, and one of those snippets explains that some of the footage for the Donner cut was used from the theatrical cut, because Donner had not finished his film, so to make it a full movie, they did have to use some of Lester’s work. Or at least that is how I remember. I would have to re-watch the bonus material to be sure.
To me, that explains at lest one scene, near the end that just does not fit the Donner Cut version of Superman II.
MACJR
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I love both. Lester’s is underrated
@DCComicsCrisis By chance did you happen to catch Superman II on the Sundance Channel yesterday (Sunday)? They were showing the Reeve Quadrilogy throughout the day.
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Have y’all noticed the Reeves Superman movies are missing?
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The sequels left in January while Superman: The Movie left at the beginning of this month.
Like Superman himself, it will return. Sometime in May The Powers That Be say.
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Couldn’t disagree more. I am glad Donner stuck to his guns. Lester version was awful…cringe worthy with all the goofy comedy and a harbinger if what was coming in III and IV
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I grew up with the Lester Cut because that’s all that was available to me, but I also enjoyed the Donner Cut when it came out. I’d be lying if I said that either version was flawless, though. I’ve always secretly hoped they would come out with an edit incorporating the best elements of both versions into a singular cut.
The one superman murdered all the bad guys without mercy and smiled and joked while he did it.
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