Superman Movie Minute #4 – Handfuls of Hair

SUPERMAN MOVIE MINUTE #4 – Handfuls of Hair

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!

In minutes 15:00 – 20:00, Jor-El and Lara discuss Kal-El’s fate on Earth, and Krypton begins to fall apart.

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15 responses to “Superman Movie Minute #4 – Handfuls of Hair

  1. Another fun episode.

    Like Chris, I also wondered why the main crystal was green. Seeing this movie I kept waiting for it to become Krypton. I agree any other color would have made more sense.

    I am pretty sure I learned the word ‘throes’ from a trading card that said ‘The death throes of Krypton’. And boy, it is crazy with all those pillars growing and people plummeting.

    But that ‘rocket’. Give me the blue rocket with the red nose. Not a chandelier. I think I stood under that thing at my prom.

    We need recap shows. Might I suggest every 7th episode be a stand-alone feedback episode. That would mean 30 minutes of film. It also would give a moment for you guys to pause and give some overall thoughts about where we are.

    1. I think a feedback episode is a great idea!

      I was glad to hear your comments on Brando during this episode. Yes, he did take the role of Jor-El solely based on the big payday. However, his very presence adds a gravitas to the film that no other actor could offer. Anyone interested in hearing from the man himself may want to check out the documentary: Listen to Me Marlon. He recorded numerous monologues and conversations over the years and it’s both a fascinating and somewhat sad portrait that ultimately emerges. Earlier this summer I was visiting with Eva Marie Saint (his costar in On the Waterfront). She repeated that he was probably the best actor she ever work with, but that she was saddened at how he seemed to lose the joy for and respect in the craft of acting. He increasingly took mediocre films to pay for his lavish lifestyle. Also, I agree with Rob on Don Juan DeMarco. It’s not a great film but he and Johnny Depp have a chemistry that buoys the lightweight material. I think my favorite late Brando performance may be The Freshman, where he delightfully parodies the Godfather (plus he ice skates!).

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgoFFzy0z8k

      PS: On a sadder note, the baby who appeared in the Krypton sequence was named Lee Quigley. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1991 at age 14 of solvent abuse.

      1. I was just wondering about the baby in this scene, and what he was doing now, when I saw your P.S. What a terrible shame.

  2. Great show, and thought provoking. Now, to wait for just the right pedantic nerd conversation to confidently state: “Kryptonite was described in the books as silver until this movie, where, to take full advantage of their Technicolor, they made it green.” Just to see them react.

  3. Guys, I wanted to let you know that I’ve really really been enjoying these shows. I first saw Superman The Movie in a theater when I was 6 years old in early 1979.

    I hope you keep this show going at least through Superman 4.

  4. How does baby Kal-El not cry when being lifted up into the space chandelier?

    Kryptonese Benadryl.

    Parents, you know what I’m talking about….

  5. A quick comment about Jor-El and Lara and their influence on baby Kal-El…

    In my head canon, Lara had her own private thoughts to offer Kal-El.

    Also, the Supergirl TV show seemed to follow the gender-based connections of orphaned Kryptonian children with their parents. Kara seemed to chat quite a bit with her mom’s Kryptonese cyber-ghost in the same way that Clark interacted with Jor-El’s Kryptonese cyber-ghost. Kara’s dad did show up to clarify a topic, much like Lara did for Clark in Superman 2. I haven’t seen the Supergirl movie so I can’t comment on whether it’s a continuing theme.

  6. Good episode, guys.

    My own thoughts about Krypton is why are there any colors at all? The culture seems to have gone completely monochromatic. So WHY are Kal-El’s blankets red and blue? WHY is there a green crystal? Of course they just pop on the big screen. Is that an indication of Jor-El’s rebellious nature, to have anything with color? Maybe. If there’s something more, I’d love to know.

    Going back a little on Lara’s dialog, almost arguing with Jor-El about how hard their baby’s life will be on Earth. That sang very true to me. Lara knows in her head it’s either this or letting her baby die. But, as most mom’s would do, she can’t stand the thought of him facing any problems, especially when she won’t be there to help. That’s the maternal instinct coming through. I’ve heard my own wife wrestle with that plenty of times, so this sounded very genuine to me.

    Things are heating up now! Maybe we’ll reach Earth in the next episode?

  7. Great episode, gentlemen. As you talked about Jor-El and Lara, I realized that I haven’t watched this scene since becoming a father, myself. I’m curious to see how I respond to it on an emotional level, now that my life mirrors that of Jor-El more than Kal-El.

  8. The discrepancy between Jor-El and Lara was repeated over 3 decades later when Lara’s main contribution in MoS was to painfully deliver Kal before Jor-El had his quality father time. Even though Richard Donner was vital to the quality of Superman ’78, I feel that Lara’s insertion into the sequel was an improvement. But that’s for Superman II movie minute.

    And although Brando was the cinematic icon whose voice sold Superman Returns, I feel that my favorite Jor-El has shifted to the one from S:TAS. He had no airs about him, just a highly competent scientist and loving family man who fought to the bitter end.

  9. Great episode, guys.

    One thing recently came to me, for all the crap, we give Brando for “Kryptin”, why don’t we complain about the way he says the child’s name?

    We all know it’s Kal-El.

    He says “Ku-Lel”

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