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Dovemead Films

Film Export A.G.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.

Action

Adventure

Science Fiction

English

Superman

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Friends, if you're anything like us, Letterboxd is your favorite social media site and you're scrolling through the app each morning to see what your friends are watching. If you've been wanting to support Letterboxd and upgrade to <a href="https://letterboxd.com/pro/" rel="nofollow">Pro or Patron status</a>, we have a special discount code for you.<a href="https://t.co/15np3qbqgp?amp=1" rel="nofollow">Use this link to get 20% off upgrading to Pro or Patron status!</a> Upgrading gets rid of ads, lets you find out where your next movie is streaming, some mega cool stats, and you can also even get notified when a movie on your Watchlist is on your fave streaming apps. Mmph.ALSO if you missed the news, your old pal slim is co-hosting the <a href="https://anchor.fm/letterboxd" rel="nofollow">brand new season of The Letterboxd Show with Gemma</a>. They're talking to folks in the community about their Top 4 Letterboxd Favorites. A blessing!Also, don't forget coming soon to <a href="https://70mmpod.com" rel="nofollow">70mm</a>: <a href="https://boxd.it/27Qm" rel="nofollow">Dick Donner's Superman</a>. 👀

Friends, if you're anything like us, Letterboxd is your favorite social media site and you're scrolling through the app each morning to see what your friends are watching. If you've been wanting to support Letterboxd and upgrade to <a href="https://letterboxd.com/pro/">Pro or Patron status</a>, we have a special discount code for you.

<a href="https://t.co/15np3qbqgp?amp=1">Use this link to get 20% off upgrading to Pro or Patron status!</a> Upgrading gets rid of ads, lets you find out where your next movie is streaming, some mega cool stats, and you can also even get notified when a movie on your Watchlist is on your fave streaming apps. Mmph.

ALSO if you missed the news, your old pal slim is co-hosting the <a href="https://anchor.fm/letterboxd">brand new season of The Letterboxd Show with Gemma</a>. They're talking to folks in the community about their Top 4 Letterboxd Favorites. A blessing!

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Friends, if you aren't caught up yet on the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3VukCx4vhlILNV3JCnf8by" rel="nofollow">podcast</a>, for the entire month of July we're going without a theme. This means each host can pick whatever the heck movie they want to do, no strings attached.To kick off the month, Proto chose <a href="https://boxd.it/2wRE" rel="nofollow">Lawrence of Arabia</a>. whatapicture.jpg. From there Danny had an itch to scratch and chose the amazing Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt vehicle, <a href="https://boxd.it/29S0" rel="nofollow">Twister</a>. After that Slim shockingly chose the first part of <a href="https://boxd.it/1jAy" rel="nofollow">The Human Condition trilogy</a>. Also don't forget we released a special <a href="https://boxd.it/1SDW" rel="nofollow">Hercules</a> episode just for Patrons a few weeks back, too!Our plans for August as so massive we're kicking things off early with a special look back at <a href="https://boxd.it/27Qm" rel="nofollow">Richard Donner's OG Superman</a>. :heart emoji:As always, you can listen along using the links on <a href="https://70mmpod.com" rel="nofollow">70mmpod.com</a> and join the VHS Village Discord over at our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/70mm" rel="nofollow">Patreon</a>.xoxo

Friends, if you aren't caught up yet on the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3VukCx4vhlILNV3JCnf8by">podcast</a>, for the entire month of July we're going without a theme. This means each host can pick whatever the heck movie they want to do, no strings attached.

To kick off the month, Proto chose <a href="https://boxd.it/2wRE">Lawrence of Arabia</a>. whatapicture.jpg. From there Danny had an itch to scratch and chose the amazing Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt vehicle, <a href="https://boxd.it/29S0">Twister</a>. After that Slim shockingly chose the first part of <a href="https://boxd.it/1jAy">The Human Condition trilogy</a>. Also don't forget we released a special <a href="https://boxd.it/1SDW">Hercules</a> episode just for Patrons a few weeks back, too!

Our plans for August as so massive we're kicking things off early with a special look back at <a href="https://boxd.it/27Qm">Richard Donner's OG Superman</a>. :heart emoji:

As always, you can listen along using the links on <a href="https://70mmpod.com">70mmpod.com</a> and join the VHS Village Discord over at our <a href="https://www.patreon.com/70mm">Patreon</a>.

xoxo

70mm - July 2021

protolexus’s diary entry for Superman

slim’s diary entry for Superman

“How long is this intro??” — my son. More next week on a very special <a href="https://www.70mmpod.com" rel="nofollow">70mm podcast</a>.

Dale Andrews’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

Watched this with my kids, and it’s been a few years since seeing these gem. Christopher Reeve is a force playing his dual-roles. Lex’s old abandon subway secret lair was amazing and I would’ve loved to see it fleshed out even more. Good job by the team to give Lex a “good enough” “power reach” with his supposed money and supposed huge conglomerate company when it was just he, Otis, and Miss Tessmacher stick in a secret lair keeping themselves company. A not so good job by the US Navy for transporting a fully operational nuclear warhead over public highways and backroads only to fall for the ol’ side of the road distraction so Lex could full-on tamper with said. Nuclear. Warhead. A keen observation made by my son: Superman never actually fought a “bad guy” per se. He was battling and cleaning up a lot of chaos that Lex caused, but not something that he’s seen yet in his type of superhero-type flick. No big bad. Just a big bad brain. He also became very agitated at minute 20 of the opening credits with just words swooshing on the screen. I never really took note but they are some long ass credits. So is the destruction of the world at the hand of Lex’s fault-line missile. Even so, it’s a masterpiece. Williams’ score alone.

jwhale’s ★★★½ diary entry for Superman

John Williams score is 🔥. Christopher Reeve is a delight. I could’ve skipped the first 45 minutes 💤

Art’s ★★★★★ diary entry for Superman

This movie altered my DNA as a kid. It's been my sentimental favorite ever since. I think what I love most is Superman's earnest tone. This movie radiates goodness and optimism. For a 70s flick, there isn't an ounce of cynicism in here. Also, while it's funny, it is never silly. It winks in the direction of camp, but never drifts over into cheesiness. It's too busy being genuine. Donner (bless him, RIP) took the Salkinds' money, patted them on the head, turned them away from set, overhauled their corny script, and made a grounded, good looking motion picture instead of a 2 hr Batman '66 episode. That smart decision is why this has stood the test of time, instead of being filed away like Superman III or Superman IV. John Williams' score is such a critical part of this movie’s credibility. The epic main theme is thrilling, yes, but it is the brilliance of the secondary themes scattered in all the other parts of the movie that, taken as a whole, just... I dunno... add dignity. Combine the music with the cinematography (um, Barry Unsworth, 2001) and Donner’s eye for composing a shot, and this whole thing just gets elevated from a kid's adventure movie into something cinematic. The cinematography flexes hardest in the Krypton and Smallville sequences. Yes, its a leisurely pace to Superman's reveal, but how pretty is it along the way? The ship launch, any wide farm shot, Clark opening the barn doors on a dutch angle, the cemetery shots, the farewell with mom in the wheat fields as the camera sweeps along. All inspiring, unrushed, and a feast for the eyes. When we get to Metropolis there is less time for lingering takes, but the the composition and editing of the tricky Daily Planet office scenes is pretty great too. Love this cast full with legends. Brando reportedly phoned it in, reading cue cards off other actors' foreheads, etc. But can you tell? No. He was hired for gravitas and totally brings it. Squaring off with Stamp in the trial? Mmmm. How great is Glenn Ford? He has two scenes as Pa Kent that together total less than five minutes of screen time. Yet he manages to give this movie its beating heart with, what... maybe 30 total lines of dialogue? King. I love Margot Kidder’s smart, feisty, spelling-challenged Lois. Her aloofness towards Clark is so fun to watch. These villains are a riot. Hackman is somehow both congenial and dangerous. National treasure Ned Beatty's Otis created the title of Best Movie Henchman and kept it for 22 years... until Cronk claimed that throne in 2000 with Emperor's New Groove. In all, there isn't a bad or stilted, performance in this movie... which leads us to Christopher Reeve. Cripes alive. Our sweet boy. What intangible enchantment of manner, or bearing, or confidence, enables him to legitimize this costume, and this character, so convincingly? He makes the ridiculous look regal. Even the red trunks look natural on Chris. It really is something magical he's pulling off. His Superman is matched by his loveable performance as Clark Kent. Quick last note on two amazing elements of production design... the Krypton / Fortress designs were astounding enough to change the core lore for a generation. And, Luthor's subway villain's lair is such an awesome piece of set design. I want a tour of every little detail. There's a picture of Mussolini on his desk. LOL.Alright, to show I haven't lost all objectivity some thoughts from Bizarro Art's review:&gt;Opening credit sequence is looong. Rousing? Yes, but even I'm checking my watch halfway through.&gt;Hey Jor-el, will you shut up long enough for Lara to get an emotional beat as she says goodbye forever to her infant son? It's not all about you, ok? &gt;When we watch as a family, my son literally leaves the room during the "Can You Read My Mind" voice over. He refuses to acknowledge it exists. The rest of us sit patiently and avoid eye contact. The one concession Donner made to the Salkinds ("we need a song!") and shocker: it's a bit cringy, innit?&gt;Yes, some of the effects are dated, especially the miniature work in the finale's earthquake sequence. But they're adorably dated. Jeff East running in place on a wire in the train race is ooof. These are minor flaws. I love it completely. For me, watching Superman is restorative.

groogruxdave’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

Third billing on a movie who's character is literally the title, no sweat for Reeve, who coyly changes his voice and posture to play Clark, and then flips the script to be full alpha as Supes. Though not a superhero film in the way we see them nowadays, with less action and a lot more dialogue. It does a great job of both celebrating the character and introducing him again to the world. My sweet Gene, you will always be the best Luthor. The effects are a bit dated and the use of the projection screen get a bit repetitive, but some of the practical one seemed to still hold up. The score is iconic and some of Donners shots here are off. the. charts. RIP

Mikey P’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

There’s something about seeing that costume fly above the earth. Love the shots of Kansas and the humble beginnings. Just wholesome goodness. At times, there are scenes which extend past necessity but all a welcome departure from the darkness which has grown over the years in these types of flicks. Superman isn’t a character I’m drawn to but he's a necessary to measure deviations from what is considered pure good and I think that this is a great vessel for the pureness that was always attempted with this character.&lt;a href="http://A ★★★★★ review of Superman by Art on Letterboxd <a href="https://boxd.it/20Hb5D" rel="nofollow">boxd.it/20Hb5D</a>"&gt;Art gave this the best review anyway.

WLattner’s ★★ diary entry for Superman

I grew up on the Raimi Spider-Man movies, not Donner Superman or Burton Batman, and honestly I’ve had a hard time connecting with those older superhero movies. My dad loved this movie, though I don’t know if he’s watched it in 40 years. Superman was definitely charming at times, and Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent was probably my favorite part (besides the music obviously). But the first 30-45 minutes were almost unbearable, and while there were some cool shots the effects were terribly dated. The campiness worked at times but overall it was a little too much for me.

Ty McGowen’s ★★★ diary entry for Superman

I look forward to the day that we eventually get a great live action Superman movie, until then I’m thankful for the animated movies

Megan’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

There are goofy parts but overall I enjoyed this. Christopher Reeve was fantastic and endearing as Superman and I loved Margot Kidder as a strong and confident Lois Lane. Aside from the cool sets, I could’ve done without the scenes on Krypton and the parts about young Superman (that ridiculous running scene 😂). I felt like I wasn’t really interested until adult Superman arrived in Metropolis and then I was fully invested.

shatterball’s ★★★½ diary entry for Superman

"Wait! Who are you?""A friend."Living proof that earnest sentimentality and honest belief in a character as iconic as the Man of Steel, when done right, can be pretty spectacular. As much as I like the MCU films, where a large portion of them have a wink-wink-nudge-nudge approach to the source material, it's honestly really refreshing to see something like this that takes itself 100% seriously. There's a lot of weight and gravitas here given to Krypton, Jor-El, and lots of other concepts that would seem very silly on paper. (Yes, even the time travel, which is very silly, and silly enough to knock this down half a star.) This movie puts all of it's energy behind making you believe that a guy in red and blue spandex flying around on wires is the most amazing, monumental thing you have ever seen. And you know what? It actually kinda works.

herrerom’s ★★★★★ review of Superman

Best superhero movie ever made. Christopher Reeve is a vision as Clark and Superman. Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder are stunning. The magic of Lois and Superman’s interview/first date, including Lois’ ‘can you read my mind’ accompanied by John Williams score maybe one of my favorite moments in cinema ever.The finale including Lois’ death and Supes turning back time is just genius.I’m sure it’s different in today’s world, but 1978 Matt, 8 years old, was lost in the dream forever.

doubble’s ★★★ diary entry for Superman

GabbVautour’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

I get it now, the glasses, the posture and a little voice change and voila, totally unrecognizable. Christopher Reeve is the real deal. John Williams, still confirmed GOAT. Had way more fun than I thought I was going to have watching this.

kkoechner’s ★★★ diary entry for Superman

Not my favorite super hero movie, but I enjoy the campiness of the filmIt bothers me that Christopher Reeves is Superman yet Marlin Brando and Gene Hackman names come before his in the credits. -___-Hollywood politics.... am I right? -_-

John Douglas Wilson’s ★★★ diary entry for Superman

Marcie’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

I really love Superman stories, but always had a hard time believing no one could figure out Clark Kent was the man of steel. Christopher Reeve is perfect as Kent, clumsy and endearing, and it’s the first time I bought it. And then he’s just as incredible as Superman, smooth and charismatic. Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, that is my kind of woman. Lois and Clark’s introduction was my favorite moment, and their chemistry was undeniable. Top this all off with Gene Hackman as a fun energetic Lex Luthor and you have the perfect trio. The effects are definitely outdated, but worked for me. This movie is at times very campy. I was torn if I enjoyed it or not, but can’t imagine this movie without it. And then there’s John Williams’ score, and it’s just flawless. I can’t believe I’ve never watched this before, but in a lot of ways I’m glad I waited to experience it.

MacReadysBigHat’s ★★ diary entry for Superman

This movie just hits all wrong for me from the very start, with the weird curtain opening and comic book. I find it unengaging, hampered by the shifts in tone from the serious beginning to the goofy campiness of the latter two-thirds which, admittedly, is a more accurate take of those Silver Age comics. It doesn't translate well to film, though. Clark really needs to work on his running form, with a more natural gait and less air-punching.I fully appreciate why this movie is iconic and how it paved the way for further superhero and comic book films, but it didn't age well for me. And I may invoke much wrath here, but outside of the main theme (which is perfection itself), John Williams' score is so saccharine I think I may now have diabetes.

Sean Allen’s ★★★★½ diary entry for Superman

As someone who never had much attachment to Superman and whose first exposure to the character was Smallville, this completely blew me away. From the moment the score lifts and the laser beam credits start to flash in front of the screen I could tell this was going to be a special film.I felt like I was seeing the story of Superman for the first time, in the way I was supposed to have seen it all along. Could have stayed on Krypton for half the movie to watch Marlon Brando just embody Jor-El. The two fathers in this movie are unbelievable and led to some of my favorite moments.Jonathan Kent checking his pulse and uttering the two words “Oh no” had more weight than any Superman movie I’d seen before. He knew he was leaving. Not just this world but his family. Leaving his son, who in spite of being a God still needs his father. It just felt so real, so grounded and unlike anything in modern Superhero movies.The final act of this movie is just pure joy. I think the special effects could be viewed today as corny and it probably doesn’t help how obvious some of the models are…but I couldn’t get enough of it. Just minute after minute of Superman just being Superman. Saving the day and displaying his power. And every moment it started to feel ridiculous (Superman flying around the world to turn back time) I was somehow won over by the obvious care and consideration that went into making this film.And as we look into Clark Kent’s tear-filled eyes as he flies around the world, to save the woman he loves, I know that this is the Superman movie for me

cinephilly’s ★★★½ diary entry for Superman

Sophie Shin’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

Who’s hornier for Superman: Lois or Perry?

Jake Nonnemaker’s ★★★½ diary entry for Superman

This is just a fun, feel good movie. And the cast is amazing: Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) really acts his heart out; Ned Beatty (henchman Otis) is a real dope and quite funny; and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) is so smart and pretty.

Jon’s ★★½ diary entry for Superman

EwanS93’s ★★★★ diary entry for Superman

There are parts of this movie that have aged and should feel a bit rubbish but they still feel utterly magical because of one man - John Williams. As soon as I hear that theme kick in my heart just soars.

Silje Nord’s ★★★½ diary entry for Superman

Lex Luthor has the bookshelves of my dreams. PS: Go read <a href="https://letterboxd.com/sberrett/film/superman/" rel="nofollow">Arts review</a>, it is literally and figuratively a work of Art.