Superman Movie Minute – Metropolis Mail-Bag

SUPERMAN MOVIE MINUTE - Metropolis Mail-Bag

Fire and Water Network All-Stars Chris Franklin and Rob Kelly bring you SUPERMAN MOVIE MINUTE, where they analyze, scrutinize, and you'll-believe-a-man-can-fly-ize the classic 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, and Marlon Brando, five minutes at a time!

Now that they're halfway through the movie, Chris and Rob pause to cover a few Superman: The Movie-related topics and respond to the Listener Feedback from the first 15 episodes of the show!

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11 responses to “Superman Movie Minute – Metropolis Mail-Bag

  1. Why I love Superman: The Movie.

    Easy. Because it’s so goddamn inspiring. Here’s the story of a guy with the power of a god who just wants to be a decent person. It’s about humility. It’s about service. It’s about wonder.

    It’s Superman.

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    1. To learn more about the history of the Library of Congress and its selection process of how movies make the list do check out the great documentary “These Amazing Shadows” (available on Youtube). I believe a film must be at least 10 years old before it can be considered. The selections can be standard Hollywood fare, but also home movies, music videos, etc. For example, the JFK/Zapruder film is on the list. I think Superman is the 1st superhero movie to make the cut.

      The list was begun in response to the public outcry to Ted Turner’s decision to colorize the films he purchased. He famously said “These are my movies” implying he could do whatever he wanted to them. This was all before he came to his senses and started Turner Classics.

  2. I love Superman The Movie because it was the movie that made me fall in love with the idea of superheroes. Christopher Reeve was born to play Superman and the fact that he took the role seriously but was still able to have fun with it made him so believable. Still my favorite ever comic based movie!

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  3. I love Superman: The Movie because it, along with the original Star Wars, was one of the first films I ever saw as a child and helped to shape my imagination and inspire me. It maybe wasn’t my introduction to the character (I think Super Friends probably was) but it definitely solidified my attachment to the character. The Movie gives us a Superman to inspire and save not only Lois and the citizens of Metropolis, but on some level us, as well. Particularly in the cynical era that it was released in (kind of like today’s world), Christopher Reeve gave us not only an honest, earnest, and sincere performance, but also reminded us of what a hero can be and how we so desperately need them. He showed us that, while many people (even some fans) claim that the character is outdated and doesn’t reflect modern society’s values, our world needs, and will always need, Superman. He’s the world’s first and perhaps best superhero, and the movie honored that legacy in every way. Even today, with the onslaught of Marvel films, superhero TV shows, and DC’s attempts to rival Marvel’s onscreen popularity, Superman: The Movie remains the benchmark that all other superhero films are compared to. Even 40 years after its release, it is simply the best movie in that genre. Period.

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  4. Rob: “On Krypton, I think color is something for children.”
    Ooooo, I like that a lot! Well done!

    Reading 3 of my comments on the air? Aw shucks, you’re a swell pair of fellas.

    Seriously, if my silly notes made you smile, that’s nothing compared to the joy this podcast has given me. Thank you, gentlemen.

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  5. I love “Superman: The Movie” because I love the character of Superman, and Christopher Reeves embodies the character far better than any other actor I have seen. He not only imbues his Superman with the strength, confidence, goodness and warmth that are de rigeur for the character, he also manages to impart a certain modicum of alienness to him, as would be appropriate for a version of Superman who had spent twelve years studying Kryptonian ways.

    Although this movie is not perfect (no movie is) — for example, Reeves’ bumbling version of Clark makes me cringe — it is as close to a perfect depiction of the Superman aspect of Kal-El as I could ever expect to see. While I can admire and enjoy other actors’ portrayal of the character (I love Dean Cain’s Clark Kent, for example), when I think of live-action portrayals of Superman, I will always think first of Christopher Reeves.

    1. Argh! Please substitute “Reeve” for “Reeves” in my previous comment. My apologies to him, George, and everyone who read my post.

  6. Great feedback episode, gentlemen. You mentioned several times how you appreciated the creativity of your listeners. I would suggest that your enthusiasm and love for this movie helps to fuel that creativity. At least, I feel that’s true for me.

    Also, in a bizarre twist of fate, I discovered this weekend that my daughter follows Brando’s pronunciation of Krypton. I can’t help but think that I’ve failed her in some small way as a geek dad.

  7. As mentioned before, when I think of Superman either reading the books he is appearing in or seeing any version of TV/Animation/Film, Christopher Reeve is version I see as his portrayal of both the “man” and the “hero.”His presence looms large for a young boy as myself when I saw this in the theaters when I was seven. This movie filled my love for both big screen event movie and comic book lore. The cast and crew that worked on this film both showed love and appreciation for the material and did not appear to be “phoning it in” and the money spent showed up in the finished product. This movie will forever be in my top ten list of comic books movies along near the top ten of all time movies.

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