The Making of Superman IV was a Sh*t Show

[@Pellbort]

This is excellent content. Research, editing, writing and narration are all absolutely S-tier. Sincere congratulations on your great talent and achievement, and thanks for sharing your gifts with us. Easy sub.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you so much! If we are S-tier, does that mean some people “main” us?

[@Pellbort]

@@ItWasAShtShow It means you're current meta, and not subbing is basically throwing

[@UXXV]

What this guys said. The last segment and even your choice in backing music. Truly world class. Thank you for the content 🙏

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

No, it's really not. Mistakes and errors across the board. They should have asked ANYONE born before 1990 for help.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

@@princeofcupspoc9073 You misinterpreted one sentence and thats mistakes across the board? Calm down, buddy.

[@sha11235]

Christopher Reeve was never in it for the paycheck. He always took pride in his work, which is why he was a great actor. Even after his accident, he was an inspiration to many. RIP, Superman of my generation.

[@pokerface6886]

He embodied the role. His transition from Clumsy Clark to Confident Superman cannot be replicated. He is Superman!

[@MrPeterbs]

Well Reeve did the movie in part so Cannon would finance his pet project 'Street Smart'.

[@MrPeterbs]

@Induxvideos yes- part of Reeve's motivation was money for his pet project 'Street Smart' which oddly, really helped Morgan Freeman's career.

[@alexgdaq8146]

I remember in Superman 1 Superman flashed 666! Ps. Look up Gene Kim on KZbin

[@captaingenius-o1c]

you are an idiot...OFCOURSE Reeves did superman 4 for the $6 million and the CONTROL in the film, and it SUCKED.....Most actors are terrible at producing/making good films, and Superman 4 was just another example.....Reeves was an OK actor, who got a superhero script with Richard Donner, great special effects, great music....

[@Kaiser68]

I was diagnosed with leukemia at age 6, and Superman was my idol. I wore my superman costume every time I went into the hospital for treatment. These characters MATTER. They can feel like a suit of armour when you go to face some of the hardest challenges in life. Rest in peace Christopher Reeve. You will always be the real Superman to me.

[@howaboutsomesoyfood]

Glad to hear you got through it.

[@Drak976]

@@howaboutsomesoyfood Or DID HE?!?

[@cmaden78]

He really was just a good dude❤

[@kaijudirector5336]

The epilogue with Chris made me cry. He really was Superman, even with clipped wings.

[@travismckoy2564]

me too , i couldnt help it

[@jasonfocacci9234]

Who is “Chris”?

[@travismckoy2564]

@@jasonfocacci9234 Christopher Reeves

[@ZToxLives]

@@travismckoy2564 Reeve

[@peachesj4748]

@@jasonfocacci9234 Are you stupid?

[@gjhoward]

I remember being a teen when the news broke of Reeve's accident. It hurt my soul. Here was Superman, *my* Superman that I watched as a child. But what he was able to do with the time he had left was greater than anything that Superman could. RIP Christopher Reeve

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I was only a kid but still know exactly where i was and what i did when i heard about Reeve's accident. And for years i was hoping he'd recover....... This man never lost his drive and dignity. It is true, only HE could have played Superman.

[@ericnierstedt6242]

I always remember there was some sort of commercial or promotional piece he did after the accident. He was there sitting in his wheelchair starting off about how he had been famous for playing Superman the Man who could fly, and still talked about how you could turn things around and how bad days were just good days in disguise. I always thought about what it must’ve taken for him to say that and I’ve always So much respect for him for doing so.

[@guardiane]

It still hits me to this day, the scene in the original Superman movie, where Superman sees a dead Lois Lane, his anger and reaction seemed to real, so genuine. I don't think I've ever seen someone act a rage scene so intensely and properly in all my life since. R.I.P. Mr. Reeve.

[@implicitmintjulep]

I've seen that scene a dozen times, it brings me to tears every time

[@AztecMC1]

spoilers much?

[@vestavind]

@@AztecMC1 It is a very famous scene :)

[@thunderfoot74]

That scene and the scene from pet cemetery when the father is holding his dead son and screams nooooooooooo! I get chills from both those scenes.

[@mrhades652]

​@@AztecMC1bro, it's over 40 years old

[@flipnap2112]

I worked on his last film, which was an animated feature called "everyones hero". Many stars offered their voice talent and many didn't even want the screen credit for it (robin Williams) because they loved Chris. I remember one day driving through the city to work on one of my shots and the classic radio station played the theme from Superman and I welled up inside. we all knew what was going on and that Chris was close to death. Ive worked on 100's of projects since then but still my proudest yet most humbling work. RIP Chris, hope you are flying around up there.

[@flipnap2112]

@Thomas Farrell you got that right brother. I remember walking out of the theater with my mom and I distinctly remember feeling magical, like I could fly over the parking lot. we carried that with us our whole lives. Was a special time

[@wonderrob3225]

Christopher Reeve brought the quality of absolute sincerity to his performance of Superman

[@craigusselman546]

Even when hes being punched into the ground by Nuclear Man in a scene straight out of Bugs Bunny

[@raoulduke344]

That scene with the robot in Superman 3 scared the absolute living sh*t out of me as a kid. It still creeps me out.

[@DarkLordofTheSith69]

🤣 me too i hated that scene when she gets fused ..pure nightmare fuel

[@samuelperezgarcia]

I think every kid that watched that scene felt the same way.

[@raoulduke344]

@chadseechaddo I would like to "me too" that scene for f**kin my head up so badly when I was a kid.

[@raoulduke344]

@ufcaddicted1 it's one of those rare scenes in movies where it's not just the image and the sound (God, those sounds...) that terrified you but the whole existential nightmare and body horror (I Have a Mouth and I Really Must Scream, But this Machine Clamps it Shut), coupled with the trip to the uncanny valley. Her being violently transformed was scary enough, and the fact that her screams are silenced was enough in its own, but they way she looked and moved made it 100xs worse. If they remade that scene it would be all CGI, but that would never be as effective as what we see there. Honestly, so many horror movies could learn from it.

[@lamphorn]

Me too! I liked the movie overall as a kid and would still watch it but I'd just have this awful dread as THAT scene approached. Really freaked me out.

[@needleonthevinyl]

I love how well the footage is selected to match up with the script, like patch the holes, Supergirl tanking, Christopher Reeve suiting up, ettc. This is some top shelf content

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Love it when people notice the editing!

[@timrob12]

I think it is still fitting that Reeves' final preformance was in two episodes of Smallville, returning to the world of Superman to guide a new Clark Kent towards his destiny. I love cameos in DC shows and movies, but Reeve appearing on Smallville was probably the best one of them all.

[@leandrotarsia7212]

I remember being in third grade and watching Superman IV with my aunt and my mom. Years later the movie does not hold up but at the time just seeing Christopher Reeve playing Superman on the big screen was a total blast and now I remember that day very fondly.

[@timmitchell3870]

Superman II was actually my favorite. The one thing Superman I lacked was a super-powered villain to have a knock-down drag-out with Supes; II delivered on this and more. After II, ya everything went to shyte.

[@UltimateNut]

And the donner cut?

[@VideoSmarts1]

@@UltimateNutit gave us an idea as to what could’ve been

[@nick6var]

One plot hole of Superman 2 that I only noticed because of the Donner cut is that in Lester's cut Lois and Clark just go to Niagara Falls. Perry never gives them the assignment for the paper. It was a Donner scene never reshot without the identity reveal.

[@DevilMaster]

The Donner cut was good. I was astonished when I saw it for the first time: it looked like a remake with the same actors.

[@trevorbayers2175]

Superman II was better in my opinion too, but Superman The Movie was spectacular. The best two superhero movies ever made, even to this day.

[@raulzavala9061]

Seeing Superman IV as a kid I could tell something was off when the same shot of Superman flying was repeated multiple times, but I'd take it over Batman & Robin any day.

[@osurpless]

The music is a heck of a lot better too. Though to be fair, Goldenthal is no slouch for that film, I just see his work on Batman Forever as a seminal work of excellence; makes the movie better than it really had any right to be…

[@NDR-hn3ue]

You sure about that

[@Revelian1982]

I'd take tossing off with Freddy Krueger's glove over Batman and Robin..

[@dhenderson1810]

That's because Reeve still put passion into his performance of Superman, no matter how bad the movie is, whereas George Clooney phoned in his role as Batman, and used it simply as a way to launch his film career.

[@Revelian1982]

@@dhenderson1810 I disagree. The actor is only ever as good as the script, and what could he have done with what he was given? The story and writing ruined this movie. Clooney did the best he could with the crap he was given. Bale couldn't have done a better job had he been given this script.

[@andrewflashchannelgibbs5384]

Christopher Reeve really did embody Superman. So ingrained into all those that grew up watching him. Great behind the scenes video. It shows if only they had allowed the people with passion to make the movies they wanted, we would have got some amazing stuff.

[@pvuccino]

Don't get me wrong, I think Christopher Reeve was an amazing actor, but Superman is a pretty straightforward role and I think most of the actors who took on the mantle after him, have done a pretty good job with it. What I really think showcased Reeve's acting abilities was Clark Kent and his difference with Superman, which NONE of his successors did right. I mean, he took the impossibility from the comics of Superman only using a pair of glasses to disguise himself and made it possible. His whole body language is different, his manners are different, even his voice is different! One of my favorite scenes is in Superman 2, when Lois finds out he's Superman because Clark touched a burning coal and didn't burn. Then his body posture completely changes and even though he's still dressed as Clark, you can clearly see he's Superman now. Now, THAT'S a real actor!

[@Omicron9999]

@@pvuccino Yeah, that's a great scene, I remember thinking the same thing when I first saw it.

[@stirgy4312]

The quintessential Superman. Quite amazing how he lived for 9 years after that accident. Amazing fortitude.

[@greenraven12]

He was such an integral part of my childhood even in an country where people barely talked about superman . I grew up watching him, running around with a cape and a S on my chest. Rest well my superman

[@BrettJamesBishop]

Going into this video for what it seemed to be on face value, I would've never guessed that it would leave me in tears by the end. Well done!

[@pashon4percushon]

Im glad you got hearted, but the title is "Sh*t Show", what does the ending have to do with Superman IV?

[@tavellclinton9256]

This movie would have been more successful if Christopher Reeve and director Sidney J. Furie were at least neutral towards each other.

[@falconvelocity]

Don't be too applauding. Whilst he narrates, nearly all the facts, footage and interviews are from the Electric Boogaloo documentary. Nice re-package though.

[@entity0984]

@@falconvelocity This shit is what I hate about the internet. There is always some "well, actually" motherfucker commenting on everything. What did you want him to do, go back in time and reshoot everything? Piss off man.

[@RumpIeforeskin]

@@pashon4percushon heh?

[@joshuapatrick682]

Reeve was an inspiring individual who had passion for his work and took pride in what he did. Thanks for the memories sir!

[@googalacticgoo]

Christopher Reeve is a true legend. He really was a Superman in a world of cut corners and greed

[@bobdouglass8010]

It's funny how it's impossible to imagine an actor today bring the boy-scout charm of Superman to life the way Christopher Reeve did in 1978.

[@craigusselman546]

He will be Superman to me always thats the era I grew up in.

[@Omicron9999]

Eh, silver age Superman wouldn't work at all today. Nobody buys the whole boy-scout, friend to all men shtick. It's outdated.

[@Drak976]

@@Omicron9999 Only because people today are jaded and bitter. My Korean war vet landlord is basically like his. He's in his 90s. He can't understand the modern world at all. It's not out dated the modern age sucks. Where exactly are we progressing to? A cliff? The dark knight worked and I liked it but murder death kill superman did not work and I'm not the only one who thought that.

[@ALIEN-DUDE]

Christopher Reeve will always be superman to me, rest in peace we'll never forget him.

[@Field_Marshal_Emu]

Loved Christopher Reeve as Superman when I was a kid. He was THE live action Superman everyone thought of when Superman was mentioned. An absolute class act.

[@gerardjayetileke4373]

I love the fact that you used "Earth" from the MoS suite. It's the one theme from MoS that gave a true feeling of "smallville-ness".

[@romeo_scorpio]

My father took me to see Superman when I was a kid in the 70s and at the time my Dad was a hero for taking me ..I wanted to go so bad ..and he took me ,and I think after that I would wrap a towel around my neck and pretend I was Superman....then Batman 89 came out and I just really started loving comic books again thanks to these films.

[@HurricaneJD]

When I was like five or six years old in the early 80s, I broke my arm by trying to fly sideways off of my bed. You know how Superman kind of turns to the side to fly? I have no idea why I thought it would work lol. my dad didn't know at the time so he yanked me up by my broken arm because he was mad at me for rough playing or something. Because I was crying because my arm hurt. That's the only bone I've ever broken was my left arm. i am 45yo now. that was a long time ago. Nostalgia really hits me hard when I watch these movies

[@dallasbagley]

I adore Christopher Reeve, one of my all time favorite actors. For those who haven't seen it (or who have), Somewhere in Time is a wonderful movie. I've seen it more than a few times.

[@CR41489]

Agreed. “Somewhere in Time” is a terrific film. Great story, terrific performances and one of John Barry’s greatest film scores. 👍

[@dallasbagley]

@@CR41489 You know the story behind his score? What inspired the sound?

[@CR41489]

@@dallasbagley I’ve always been a big fan of John Barry and his many fantastic scores but I don’t know much about the details outside of what I read which I’ve copied and pasted below. 👍 “The film's original musical score was composed and conducted by John Barry, who was suggested by Jane Seymour, a personal friend. The producers had been considering a score based on The 18th variation of Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini". which is used in the film several times.”

[@Atr8yu85]

Come back to me

[@moondustgirl2132]

@@dallasbagley I love Somewhere in Time - the film and the music. From what I know, John Barry's mom had just died before he started working on the score. And so he actually wrote that music for his mom.

[@KamenRiderSeiryuXV0]

RIP Christopher Reeve. The one and only Superman/Clark Kent. Super Man 1 was one of the best movies ever. The only problem is Warner and Cannon could be a dangerous issue. Especially the movie budget went cut half. Thanks for showing the video.

[@TomTimeTraveler]

Superman:The Movie is the gold standard of all Superman movies. It had warmth, charm, great casting and a sense of humor. No over-emphasis of special effects which today reduces super hero movies to glorified cartoons. Ree ve was perfectly cast.

[@cybergothika6906]

It is always good to remember that Superman really existed and it wasn't just a myth.

[@eddeh0772]

Christopher Reeve + Hans Zimmer’s Man of Steel soundtrack is almost like a filmmaker’s cheat code

[@ricogomez4020]

Why Reeve didn't get an Oscar nod in 1978 and Warren Beatty did is a crime.

[@christophertaylor9100]

I and II were good, kinda cheesy but in a loving way, respectful toward the character and the idea. The problem with II is the loss of Donner's vision of Superman.

[@kengeejr]

Lester’s Superman II was better

[@casanovafrankenstein8538]

Too many violent scenes were deleted from the Donner version like when Non bombed that kid with a police beacon, that's what pisses me off

[@christophertaylor9100]

I actually agree, but not because of Lester's understanding of Superman, Donner's mix just is not very good storytelling and meanders too much.

[@AWolfMan75]

@@christophertaylor9100 I actually had forgotten II was not really a Donner picture. I thought it was pretty decent in parts, but even as a kid I remember thinking it had "potential." Some of the slapstick stuff was pretty ridiculous at times. I remember groaning at the Mount Rushmore scene. I think it would be interesting to see as a slightly more serious movie with Kryptonian criminals escaping the Phantom Zone, probably as Donner intended, since the Jor-El setup with Brando in the first film was so good.

[@linwoodgray6127]

​@@AWolfMan75 you probably might actually know this but thares actually 2 versions of superman 2 film the 1 you have already seen and the other called the Richard donner cut look it up its very different from the other

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

I love how Chris respected the legacy of Superman and made sure he respected the character and what he represented to people. I really wish other actors would act this way.

[@raymondhartmeijer9300]

yeah, he really was the only actor that could be a convincing Superman. Seems every actor after him that tried the part, just didn't have that quality

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

@@raymondhartmeijer9300 I think Cavill respect Superman but he's not really given the chance to portray him. But I wish other actors would respect the characters they portray like Reeve did. Like for example Chris Evans plays Cap well but he keeps getting inti Twitter conflicts. Chris Reeve seemed to want to represent Superman well. He had an image to uphold.

[@Witt2687]

Great deep-dive!! As bad as the film is, I still have a love for it based purely on childhood nostalgia. For years, I’ve been clamoring for a Sydney J. Fury cut much like the Donner cut of Superman II. Would be awesome to see you tackle another Cannon classic: Masters of the Universe!!

[@ryans.4715]

I enjoy the fight between Superman and nuclear man

[@xnsimmonsx]

This is very heart breaking video. Love Superman. Thanks for the video.

[@foto21]

I remember going to see the first Superman with my mom and other family. Everyone in the audience was floored by the effects, the story, the drama, and Reeve, Brando, Hackman, Kidder and Beatty. (what a lineup!). The women were all swooning over Reeve. It really is an enduring masterpiece. Such a shame the last two movies were so fraught.

[@jamesjwalsh]

Valerie Perrine made me swoon.

[@foto21]

@@jamesjwalsh It's funny. I forgot her until you reminded me, and yeah, hubba hubba.

[@bps3013]

"Superman... could no longer fly." 😔 That got me deep in the feels.

[@MarklovesAngels]

There were thousands of stories in the comic books that would've been great for 3 & 4 but as usual, Hollywood preferred to make up crap and watch their box office receipts dwindle.

[@mmluon]

I liked Street Smart. Reeves was good in that film and Freeman was amazing. . Didn't know he was instrumental in getting that film made

[@skywalkerpotter21]

"La Bamba" came out the same week as "Superman 4", and "La Bamba" beat it to the number 1 spot.

[@jackkitchen737]

Superman 2 was a great movie, despite a few missteps. The ending was great. The fight scenes were awesome. The drama was still there. While not as good as the original, it was still a great flick.

[@dmorty6241]

The Donner Cut of Superman 2 was a great movie. The slapstick crap we got theatrically was horrible. I remember being a kid and not understanding the celophane "S" scene in the fortress at the end of the theatrical cut.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@drt1605 I actually liked that you didn't see Clark get his powers back, until he returned as Superman, since it was more of a surprise.

[@jeffreysnow2640]

Superman 2 was actually very good. I saw it at the drive-in in 1981, when I was 17 :)

[@michaelconsuegra7316]

I think Superman 2 was the best. I saw it in the movies when I was a kid. I had it on video and wathed numerous times. The first Superman was O.K, but the second one was better. As for Superman 3, it was in my opinion more embrrasing than Superman 4 because it had Richard Pryor in it and his comedy just didn't go with it. He's not a bad actor, but most fans felt that it was more of a Richard Pryor movie than a Superman movie. Superman 4 may have been an embarrasment as well, but I prefere watching that one than the third one.

[@IAmTheDoctor00]

Your scripts are amazing and i typically just listen instead of watch video essays but your choice of editing clips is very funny and interesting. Keep up the good work.

[@kri249]

I was a kid when the sequels came out. The scene in 3 with that chick turning into Brainiac always freaked me out and had me hiding behind the couch. And I remember seeing the 4th film in the cinema. They may have been shit from an adults perspective but they definitely appealed more to younger minds. And Reeve really was one of those special actors who was passionate their parts. He was a hell of a guy. Even crippled he had a sense of humour. I remember him on Dave Letterman saying he now knows every pothole in New York city. Then adds, "Mayor Juliani, you gotta spend a few bucks." He really had a strength in him that manifested through his portrayal of Superman.

[@apreviousseagle836]

3 was a fun movie for me as a kid, but I still hated the first 10 mins of it, and that weird ass introduction. I had no idea Richard Pryor was this big comedian. I just saw a weird dude making funny faces and acting like Bill Cosby, but I loved the guy had a good heart. He never wanted to hurt Superman, and when he saw what his machine was doing, took him upon himself to risk his hyde to save Supes (who would have been toast without him). That handshake at the end is my favorite part of the film.

[@dearyvettetn4489]

Superman III was the only theater movie that I ever walked out on and I was a teenager when it released. It was that insulting and time wasting. I don’t thing I even made it halfway though the picture. This compared to the two previous films where my younger brother and I would spend an entire Saturday afternoon in the theater watching them over and over again. ❤Thank you for this fascinating content.

[@DingKong]

It was a travesty to see the characters and the 'Superman' series descend to this farcical level. Superman was a brilliant film and proved that a superhero movie could work on the big screen Superman II was flawed but still enjoyable with some great moments Superman III was an utter goof-fest that took a huge dump on the previous films. The junkyard scene was extremely well done though. Superman IV was a total disgrace

[@shrapnel77]

I really enjoyed the evil, tortured superman in the third movie. I wish they had done more with him and the junkyard scene where he fights his good side was the only highlight of the movie for me. The supporting cast was atrocious, especially Prior, who has to be one of the most annoying actors ever.

[@desoliver9712]

Actually, Superman II and III are the ones I return to the most, and the ones I most enjoyed as a kid.

[@shanec8899]

I absolutely love 2-4 outside of 1 C Reeve was my child hood so when I saw them so young I didn't see the "shit show" they were an never will yet I 100% recognise why their seen as one

[@johnturrentine7577]

Agreed. Solar man was a crappy character.

[@Yikes702]

I always thought it was sad he didn't get a Keaton type of Superman film. The first one was very good, but with the right director and funding Reeve's subsequent movies could have been fantastic.

[@derralle5705]

I cannot believe that you didn't even mention the opus magnum of Golan and Globus: Lemon Popsicle, an 8 part franchise that was everything that American Pie could never be.

[@--Fish]

This is one of the best retrospectives i've ever seen!!!! Brilliant video, well done

[@simonlealbarria6550]

Michael Keaton is Batman, Danny Elfman's theme is the Batman theme, John William's theme is Superman's theme, and, of course, Christopher Reeve is Superman.

[@MrGordonSims]

Really well-made and informative video.

[@joetorres9892]

Not accurate though..

[@gjdc]

You’re dead wrong about Superman II. It was a massive hit, much more fun than the original, and fans loved it.

[@dalemmmm]

I agree!

[@adamoconnor8964]

Siskel and Ebert even declared it better than the first.

[@apreviousseagle836]

The problem is that the first movie also had a bunch of ridiculous camp garbage in it. The moment Otis appears on the screen, we're watching a completely different movie. We went from a very dramatic coming of age story of this kid who has super powers, to "hahahahah the fat guy is fat!! it's funny because he's fat!! bwahahahahah!!" Shit, it's almost like Uwe Boll took control of the camera at that point. The movie was able to mitigate the silliness to some degree, only because Hackman and Reeve were able to play off each other in a serious way. Soooooooooooooooooo....Enter the Lester movie. More slapstick, more silliness, but still was able to keep the essence of Reeve's Superman, while introducing higher stakes. I actually do like some of Lester's scenes more than Donner's: 1. I like the fact that Lois finds out about Superman because she cares about Clark, and rushes to help him, thinking he's burnt his hand. The Donner scene (Lois shooting Clark with blanks) makes her come across as a complete psycho. She's sassy and strong, but not insane. 2. I also like the scene where Clark decides to give up his powers AFTER he's boinked Lois. I get physiologically there were probably going to be issues with that (The whole "man of steel, woman of kleenex" bit). But the Donner idea to have him give up his powers first, makes Clark look that that's all he wanted (he was just horny, and that made him give up everything he was). The Lester scene is better. Clark already got his, but he cares for Lois at a deeper level, and still decides to go thru with the power drain, etc. Yes, I could have done a lot less with the silly slapstick garbage, but even the original had a bunch of silly slapstick nonsense.

[@lucyk2371]

I really enjoyed the 2nd one as well.

[@arrownoir]

@@adamoconnor8964 Who cares? They’re not the authority on movies.

[@Yavin4]

And the first Superman has one of John Williams' most iconic soundtracks. Recognizable as soon as you hear it.

[@valmarsiglia]

Globus Shmobus. Breakin' and Breakin' 2, Electric Boogaloo are classics, absolute monuments to their time.

[@Revelian1982]

Great documentary. RIP Christopher Reeve. You WERE Superman. Completely irreplaceable.

[@chrisw6164]

I’ve always loved Superman II, and when I was a kid I thought it was better than the original. As an adult, I can see that the first one is far superior.

[@Verdadeiro]

Thank you for this video! I loved and still love Superman IV!

[@mirandac8712]

You know, Chris Reeve got me through cancer three times, including a stem cell transplant and a NDE. I never met him but I know friends of his, and my dad (who was much older) was an acquaintance of his father, F D Reeves, one of the great American poets, at least in the opinion of my dad who was a poet too. One of my earliest memories is sitting in this drawing room of friends of the family, having tea, and this woman opening the Chicago Tribune to its full extent to display the enormous ad for "Superman." My dad had a letter from Reeves in which he talks about the difficult choice of his son, a gifted student at Juilliard in NYC, on whether or not to take a big but not serious Hollywood role that would probably forever determine his career and make the stage career he had imagined an impossibility, and how he had changed the spelling of his last name. Even from the ad, it seemed like the film was something special. At that time, superhero things were strictly comic books -- the Spiderman television cartoon, the George Reeve shows where you could see the wires: very b-movie stuff, children's fare. This ad was indeed poetic: I remember it as an abstract expressionist painting, the kind of thing you'd see at Moma, without any hint of anything figurative that would be in the film. It just said 'You'll believe a man can fly.' A few weeks later there was this party at a friend of my dad's, a poet -- just a normal guy, I'm sure teaching somewhere, the apartment was a normal one in Rogers Park or somewhere -- and I guess he was also a friend of F D Reeves because some people from the film industry were invited. I wish I had gone, but of course I was too young. I'm getting all this from Joe, who did go: in the hallway, before they opened the door, there were these two men posted outside who stopped Joe from entering, and one of them said, 'Don't worry, there's nothing wrong, but this evening, your friends, the Seidermeyers, have had a happy surprise, because one of the guests we're hosting tonight is the actor Marlon Brando. Now Mr Brando has assured us that he's more than happy to meet and talk to anyone that's been invited here tonight; the only condition we do ask is that no one is at any point to mention his name. Not in any context. Do not address him and do not pronounce the name 'Marlon Brando.' You'll be introduced to him as Uncle Max, and that's the only name he's asking you to be kind enough to use. We cannot admit anyone who can't agree to these terms, and Mr Brando's handler has made it very clear that if this protocol is breached he will leave, and so your signing the guest registry Allen is passing around testifies to your acceptance of the terms, as well as contributing to a keepsake Frank is going to treasure for the rest of his life!' So they sign the thing, and go in, and in a little bit Joe's dad says, Joe, I'd like to meet Uncle Max! And there's Brando, looking down at him, and he gives him a hug and they have this funny conversation. Meanwhile we had some other friends who were very active and respected members of the community, and they were art collectors and gave money to the dems, type of thing -- Jerry Brown always stayed at their house when he was campaigning and I had this brown suit I'd wear for parties as a child, and when we met he says, "Dressed for the occasion, I see' -- everyone laughed. They had five kids, all of whom were either doctors or lawyers, except the one daughter, who wanted to go out to Hollywood -- and she got a job with Cannon! So this was like horrifying to her parents. At any rate I had such a crush on her, and we would talk movies, so it was like our secret thing; as I started getting a little older she was this literal fantasy woman, the first older girl I ever knew. She taught me how to swim. :) Anyway she got me a subscription to Variety and it was like our secret thing, and I was likely the only kid getting a Variety subscription in Milwaukee, and I remember waiting for the big fat trade issues where the studios would take out expensive full-color booklet ads, on glossy thick paper, for upcoming releases. These were for trade conventions although also for the festivals -- I remember Cannes, I think Venice? maybe not -- mostly these were industry conventions. But the Cannon ones were so shocking to me, I'll never forget "Angel: College Student By Day: Woman of the Night at Night" or something like this, this was eye-opening stuff for a kid back then, and Rachel was working on these things! The mind reeled. There were some amazing ones that I kept -- the REVENGE Of the Jedi announcement, a dramatic one for Scarface w/this huge picture of Pacino's face, the poster copy about the refugee crisis in Cuba stretched out over the first few pages of this thing, it seemed unimaginably adult and complex and violent and 'political' lol -- I've lost them all in theft, but the Cannon ones were the most lurid, and when Superman IV was announced, I couldn't believe it. Even at that age I knew it was either a huge step up for Cannon or a huge step down for Superman. Ah well. Thanks for the great video!

[@bb7931]

The failure is all on Canon. The idea of the movie is actually a great idea. "If Superman is so powerful why can't he just stop war?" And the moral is he can't. Superman loses in the end. It could have actually been a more philosophical film.

[@Launchpad05]

Linkara made an interesting point in his 'Superman 4' comic review, about how Superman is not A god who leads people, but someone who works in service to people. That's what sets Superman apart from A dictator. If the movie shows is conflict between leading people, or making a good decision on his own terms that could benefit people in a more reasonable manner, maybe we would've gotten A better movie.

[@williamshaw9047]

They were warned by Tom Mankiewicz, who wrote most of the first two films, to not have Superman interfere in real life problems because it was a no-win situation and would make people start to wonder why Superman wasn't solving homelessness or world hunger, etc. Even Reeve later said that, well-intentioned as it was, the no-nukes storyline didn't work.

[@sickheadache9903]

You mean Canon the Camera and Lens Producer, Made Superman 4? That would be news to Canon…or do you mean? Cannon Films? 🥴🤔

[@BigRiverLabrador]

@@williamshaw9047 never thought if it that way but makes a lot of sense for sure. Going against comic book, make believe villains etc works better for sure.

[@akfreed6949]

I learned after a few CANNON movies that Superman IV would be a POS knowing CANNON would produce .

[@simonstclare]

"A shopping mall in rural England" - possibly the best summary of Milton Keynes

[@jmartin1885]

Fantastic video man! The Salkinds wanted a campy-Batman tv series type of a Superman movie... Dick Donner fought with them every-day to keep the movie like the one we saw! The way they treated Donner was reprehensible! Lester became piggy-in-the-middle, as he wanted to put his own stamp on Superman II. Then 3 came out, with exactly the content the Salkinds wanted-all-along... Campy and crap for it!!! Superman is a cinematic masterpiece! Superman II has some merit, and is a very fun watch! Superman III only has a few notable scenes... IV has none! It was a sh*t show tell's it like it is.... Thank you!!!

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

Cannon was the first film company, that ran as a Pyramid scheme. It had to crumble at some point. My one wish is to see rifftrax get this one! Even better if it's a live edition! I actually still remember seeing this, in a theatre with my Dad......and nobody else. I was 11, and got into sports the next day! Really!!

[@kanyewestlive6905]

This was a very good retrospective

[@danmanx2]

Holy crap...I never knew that Cannon was never making any profit. Can you imagine if S4 was handled properly? It's kinda sad.

[@quentinbryantart5684]

Really nicely put together, I enjoyed watching that. 👍

[@ipleathetv6334]

I love how this ended as a wonderful tribute to the incomparable Christopher Reeve 😢❤

[@countdread6467]

Amazing documentary and much appreciated. He was Superman to me starting at a very young age. Always will. Thanks for everything Chris. :)

[@thesupply353]

Just discovered this channel this week. Well researched, written, and edited

[@devious187]

Christopher Reeve was not just Superman, he truly was a Super Man.

[@Ingens_Scherz]

This was really great. What KZbin really should be all about. Well-researched and scripted, great editing and, of course, very entertaining! Thanks :)

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Ah thanks!

[@ambassador8524]

The take away is Cannon movie studios were cunning, showed me my first glimpse of tittles on screen, made terrible but cult classic movies. P.S blood sport was great when I was 10!

[@LarryLeeMoniz]

This is a fantastic analysis of an iconic franchise, led down a dark path. Nicely done!

[@darthvestius7771]

Superman (I and II ) are great films and Christopher Reeve is an icon. He was Superman. Period.

[@indieemil]

Dude, you are such a great researcher, writer, narrator and editor!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

The perfect trifecta! …plus one. Thank you so much!

[@indieemil]

@@ItWasAShtShow I'm not proud of breaking the rule of three; but I didn't want to leave any part out. I did a Rian Johnson by subverting the expected structure of storytelling/trifectas, and not doing anything intresting with it, mohaha! Anyways - thank you for your respons and have a great day!

[@chaddelk3605]

The Richard Donner cut of Superman II is better than the theatrical release of the movie. As for III and IV? They suck!

[@cujoedaman]

Even as bad as it is, I would love to see a director's cut of Superman IV. If the footage wasn't destroyed.

[@hellfire5108]

I love how actors say they want to quit the role... until they are offered a HUGE amount of money.

[@anthonymcgrath]

the crazy thing is the initial idea of Supe wanting to use his powers for good and do something like rid the world of nukes is superb. I'm not sure how they could get a villain into it esp something like Nuclear man but the politics around it... how the world reacts... how politiicans and govs react.. do they try to stop him.. the issues of what happens afterward or midway through eg some other country taking advantage. It could be an interesting angle to tackle for him. ah well.

[@chriswest7095]

Yes, what could have been ahhhh

[@natalieps2387]

I think donner made such a perfect superman that no other one will really come close. Reeve? Literally the gold standard. Obviously brando & hackman are the biggest acting legends. We don't make actors like that anymore. We don't make anything w/ quality anymore. What happened to the next generation of directors writers producers etc ?

[@thevoid99]

to me, "superman" is and always will be... the greatest superhero film ever made. i would give a lot of the credit to richard donner. he did the impossible and if it wasn't for him. we wouldn't have these cinematic events in these superhero films. good and bad. let's not forget that he helped produce the "x-men" movies and also made a lot of popular films and franchises. the man deserved his due.

[@nignamedmutt7270]

"What happened to the next generation" Disney. And overbearing advertisers. But mostly Disney. You'd think youtube would be the perfect solution to this, but unfortunately copyright, and googles constantly changing policies fuck everything up.

[@Yikes702]

They have more control doing movies and limited series on HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix. I think a lot more original creative stuff is on streaming now.

[@coolcat6303]

@@nignamedmutt7270 I don’t think you can blame Disney for the inferior movies of Hollywood. They may make incredibly successful comic book films that are all the rage now but that’s what they’re supposed to do. It’s not their fault that other studios aren’t making more intelligent films like Shawshank Redemption.

[@m1sterrattles764]

Wow. Great documentary with the heart-breaking sight of Donner nearly in tears at the end over Chris accident. I’m tearing up at that bit.

[@justinsmolik2834]

in Superman IV, they use the "flying toward the camera" shoot over ten times

[@carlosr1176]

The man inspired many with his iconic depiction of superman and went on to inspire many more in real life after his accident. One of the most bittersweet tales in Hollywood.

[@deangiering3142]

I've always loved Superman 1 & 2 and thought 3 was inferior but had some good moments. I had high hopes for 4 when it was being made. Everything in interviews & production updates in the news gave hope the series would get back on track & continue to fly for many more installments. When I saw Superman 4 in the theaters in 1987, I was like WTF happened. From the bad SFX and story I thought I was having a bad dream & would wake up to see the great film promised. Nope it was rest in peace for the series after this. I even saw part of it on TV a while back while changing channels and yes it is still that bad. Even my mother (who didn't see it in 1987) said ok can we change the channel from this garbage. Thank you for the flashback which really showed how messed up Cannon Films was.

[@hydrolito]

Series continued with Superboy TV series,1988-1992 Lois and Clark the new Adventures of Superman 1992-1996, Smallville 2001 to 2011, plus many animated versions including Supergirl and Krypto the superdog. More movies Superman Returns and Man of steel, plus Batman vs Superman and Justice League. Also Supergiil tv series also Superman and Lois TV series.

[@alexistrebexis3195]

I wish SOMEONE could make a Superman today that was as good as the 1978 Christopher Reeve one. Everyone who tries now misses the point. Superman isn’t supposed to be dark! At all. Superman is the light. Good and true. But today, everyone thinks they have to add a stupid darkness to everything.

[@jamespilcher5287]

I love Superman III. I watched it endlessly when I was a kid. There are a lot of strange and unusual set-pieces and concepts that really had an impact on me.

[@toddhunter3137]

Yeah me too, Superman 3 had a really strange feel to it. A lot of folks don't like the 3rd movie but it's one of my favourites from the 80s.

[@jasoncrane]

I didn't expect to moved by a video about Superman IV. Great work.

[@dannyr2976]

So many 'What if...' moments on the road to the Chris Reeve Superman series. I've known people who use the Golem-Globus model of doing things. Never overpromise, you'll only underdeliver!

[@sha11235]

Yeah, they would put all these films in development at once and not realize they were stretching themselves thin at times. This film needed to slow down and deal with the special effects and not just rush it along. That's why that company made a lot of junk films.

[@stephenbirks6458]

Yeah a lot of cinema shut down because of those 2 guys - Golem & Globus - Our local ABC picture house closed which was smaller than our Odean Cinema & was more homely ! - like your old type picture houses - With it having 3 smaller screens they played your classic older movies ! I really missed the ABC picture house on Broadway ! -I really did !

[@seamusburke639]

While cutting so much of the movie no doubt hurt the final product, I could only imagine sitting through a 132 minute version of this crap. If nothing else, WB just decided to not torture viewers for any longer than necessary.

[@FoucaultEffect]

Should've mentioned his return to a Superman universe with the Smallville series just before his death. He was so happy to be involved with and see the mythos carry on. But still a very well done homage to Reeves and the story of Superman 4. Great job!

[@dmorty6241]

not to mention his sharing screentime with Margot Kidder again.

[@FoucaultEffect]

@@dmorty6241 he was the only reason she even came back for that too. Me: *All the feels right now*

[@mgratk]

very telling at 16:40 when Reeve looks away as he says "if we get it right"

[@kjamison5951]

I remember watching Brandon Routh and being surprised at how like Christopher Reeve he looked and sounded. They can put anyone in that blue suit, Chris Reeve will always be the best Superman of them all.

[@IsaacWale2004]

They should re-edit Superman IV, including some deleted scenes and re-doing the vfx

[@gmil4life]

Chris acting was always on point in every Superman movie. He’s the one who can make a not so great movie very watchable. Just wish donner would have been able to finish 2 and go forward. Imagine the series we could of gotten

[@humanbeing2420]

Excellent work. Well-written narration, competently delivered. Very professional.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thanks! We always strive for the competence

[@sha11235]

Superman 2 was fine.

[@integrity101]

Donner cut destroys the theatrical version

[@integrity101]

@Angelo What?

[@integrity101]

@Angelo For the most part. You never saw Superman 2 Donner cut??

[@integrity101]

@Angelo They are DVD also. Check ebay

[@sha11235]

@@integrity101 Well, I liked some of the stuff that was in the Lester version that I missed in the Donner cut. I think both versions are the same to me. Pretty good.

[@cattleprodtf3018]

The flying sequences look like what you would expect a Superman sketch on Saturday Night Live to look like.

[@directorliam]

Recently saw these movies for the first time, 4 was laughable

[@chadgrov]

I was born in 84 and was watching these movies pretty early on in life, so even as a 5-8 year old in the late 80’s early 90’s I saw all these multiple times rented on VHS and even I could tell 4 was a massive turd back then 😂 1 and 2 are the best.

[@doomkeepercanada]

Fantastic work. Had tears in my eyes at the end. RIP Chris Reeves, the only Superman they'll ever be.

[@nicholasperl]

You know what? I actually kind of like this movie. Very flawed, but enjoyable.

[@saborlord123]

Its so cool seeing you get all this attention and views now. You truly deserve it.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you!

[@bonvoyage1700]

Thanks for the history lesson.. as a kid I’ve always wonder why 1st Superman movie were so much better in special effects than the others that came out years after...

[@GodfatherofRamadi]

Christopher reeve is MY Superman. I may have been 3 when the First movie came out. He made me believe a Man could fly. Anytime I am fortunate enough to come across it on tv. I will watch it like it's the first time. Even though I can probably quote the movie line for line.