@@rnw2739 Well I liked Connery, but loved Moore even more for his slight wit. Perfect timing your comment. I actually off now to London’s Leicester Sq to see Superman, The Movie in 4K at the Prince Charles Cinema.
Maybe Richard Donner was an legendary film director. He directed movies like: "Superman: The Movie", "The Goonies" and "Lethal Weapon" film series. Sadly, Richard Donner died on July 5th, 2021.
Richard Donner being fired is one of the great tragedies of cinema. A couple of producers got to save a couple of bucks, and we as the audience were robbed of something truly great.
@@nenabunena i heard all the people were coming back for the Lethal Weapon thing but the plandemic stopped it, i thought he retired from directing. Maybe they think the franchise is too big for him now.
@@exclamationpointman3852 yeah, if he retired from directing, I guess that leaves out the possibility. But apparently he loves Superman and when he read the script back in the 70s he thought he can't allow this to be on film, he has to save Superman so he really did save it and make it the greatest superhero film of all time. It would be nice if he could save Superman again, and instead of a reboot, continue off of his films with Routh. There's a very nice tribute to him here on YT from both marvel and DC
@@nenabunena really?? I will check that out. From what i understand he was on board directing the LW film so he's hasnt retired yet. And I dont know if you have seen a cgi film made of a depiction of Chris Reeve SP and Lou Ferrigno Hulk, as great as anything Hollywood ever put out. Yes, Routh kind of got me choked up watching him in that film, was good to that Superman again, and Cavill is doing a great job; but i must admit i wasnt really thrilled with their films. Long live Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
Had Donner been able to have finished Superman 2, as he intended, it would have been a worthy sequel to Superman the Movie. His SII cut, was piecemeal after 30 years. We're glad to have been able to see the additional footage, and be given an opportunity to imagine the film that "could" have been.
Some of the network TV airings of Superman 2 had better finished footage in the restored scenes than the Donner cut had. The tearful conversation between Lois and Superman near the end had full looping done and Margot's voice sounds 100% better. And the White House invasion scene was a much more professional edit with extra gags not seen in the Donner cut.
@@integrity101 Yeah Donner shot most of the movie. Lester only had to do a couple scenes to finish it. Problem was that Lester had to do around half of it for them to put his name as director. So they reshot some scenes and looped dialogue for others. One of the tells is with the three villains. Donner had Zod in pale white make-up and combed hair, Lester didn't. All Hackman scenes were shot early too. Donner even said with Mankiewicz that they were thinking of adding some scenes or small changes just like they did with the original. So we really could have got a spectacular film. What a shame that didn't happen. Warner Brothers ironically made the same mistake with Snyder. Scary how similar those events are
He make great movies in the 70's (superman:the movie,the omen)...80's (Ladyhawk,the goonies,lethal weapon 1 & 2)...90's (lethal weapon 3 & 4,radio flyer,maverick)..He's a great director
What a great Director Richard Donner is, Never really got the acclaim that Speilberg or Lucas got, The Picture's he has directed have been classics, He should be hollywood royalty He certainly is my favourite,.
I can actually imagine Donner telling Reeve to be HIMSELF when playing Superman but play "a character" when playing Kent. The difference between the screen test and the final product is so obvious. With other "superheroes" , a person BECOMES the hero. Superman was BORN the hero. So, Superman PRETENDS to be Kent so he can blend in. Reeve didn't play Superman like a plastic character. He made us like and relate to Kal-El. Today, it's all about the special effects. Reeve and Donner made a movie about a special PERSON. We couldn't help but like him. Still, to this day, my favorite movie of all time.
"I can actually imagine Donner telling Reeve to be HIMSELF when playing Superman but play "a character" when playing Kent." ......WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!.......A COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!............
There will never be another Superman for me other Christopher Reeve! I don't care what anybody says I don't care whatever differences people had throughout the movies with one another there will never be another superman think Christopher Reeve for me he is the Superman. And my six-year-old grandson even knows that! My six-year-old grandson saw my shirt was superman on it played by Christopher Reeve, and my grandson looked me right in the face and said,"Nana that's the real Superman". He's only six years old. I asked him how did he know that because this Superman was out way before he was born. He looked me in the face, and in this serious tone like a grownup said to me, "there is no other real Superman but that superman Nana." He said it in a way I should know that, it was classic. I agreed with him. Two seconds later he said out of the blue," Nana the other Superman's are fake." lol sorry to the other ones but Christopher Reeve is the only one that is the real Superman!
I second the motion for how great a director/filmmaker Richard Donner is. I've followed him from the early 60's, when he directed television. Everything he touches, has evidence of his presence. Just a wonderful director.
I think the Salkinds got their way working with Richard Lester on Superman III, while there were some cool sequences (Evil Superman was just genius!) and the best wire flying scenes, on the whole becomes dated very quickly, it felt like 'Let's make a film for 1983'.... Superman vs a big computer (supposedly Brainiac).
The major difference with Superman 3 was that the original masterpiece first film was an artistic vision for which they hired the writer of The Godfather, Mario Puzo to plot out and it was crafted with immense love, soul and respect for the character. Superman 2 was the mess left over from trying to film it alongside the first and then the studio idiotically changing the director midway and trying to save money.. then Superman 3 was just a stupid attempt at making yet another one just for profit alone and shoving a famous comedian in it to make a hotch-potch goofball comedy romp written by the weak writers who merely altered Puzo's original script for the first two. The only good element to 3 was the evil superman idea.
@@dannyr2976 I honestly feel that the first Superman had the best flying sequences. Sure, you could argue that the backgrounds looked grainy compared to 2 and 3. But how they shot it, made Reeves move, was just more dynamic with it. Man, I need to watch the first three again and really examine the flying (not 4. We all know how bad that was).
Superman II and the Goonies were my favorite films growing up. It's nit until my adult years that I realized the same man directed these two films. The irony.
RIP. Always loved him and his movies. He always seems genuinely happy to talk about his career and never gets tired of telling the same anecdotes again. Patient, funny, affable. I never wanted to meet my idols, but I would have made an exception for him.
You have to remember that superman ending was meant to end when he throws the rockets in to space then it ends ,superman 2 would start with the rocket breaking the villains out of the phantom zone, so the reversing would of really only happened once, a new ending was made for superman 1 to get it in the cinemas for Christmas as filming was Behind schedule.
he also directed arguably the greatest Twilight Zone episode of all time, 'Terror At 20,000 Feet" featuring William Shatner, which was recreated in the TZ movie - a tremendously gifted director who got HOSED by the Salkind's who were famous for being cheap skates - they utterly destroyed what should have been a great trilogy by bringing in Lester, a comedy director, who created the dreadful Superman III with Pryor - if they'd left him alone he would have created two classic films.
Gene Roddenberry was shopping around for special effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and soon discovered there was no such thing as a bargain. That stuff was expensive. The Salkinds must have had Star Wars' original shoestring budget in mind when they decided to do Superman. They got way better than they deserved in Dick Donner.
In my opinion he probably would of changed the ending, as the reversal was used in the first film as a desperation to have a ending if the first film flopped. I agreed Lester gags are surreal, but I get the impression he used them for his mark as an autuer filmmaker. I did think the Susannah York scenes Lester directed worked in a Superman feel. Overall if I had to choose between the two directors. It would of been Richard Donner as the first film made a lot of money.
I wished there would have been a long scene between Reeve and Brando. Jor-El did sort of communicate with him when he did the monologue telling him who he is. There was the scene in the Superman 2 DC that If they could have extended it, make it as if they almost talked to each other would have been interesting.
It's weird that some of best films ever made had trouble and tension on set..I mean real tension, not made up shit they use as fake stories today....Superman, BladeRunner, Aliens, Back to the Future...They all had tension between staff on set that nearly made actors or directors quit but they are all classics that out weight most movies even made today...Even Star Wars nearly never got made because producers were assholes about it.....It's a weird correlation.
If he only could've finished what him and Mank started I know all the films would've been special not comedies but classic film series straight from the comics.
Lester seemed more interested in gags than anything else. The only thing about the Richard Donner cut of Superman II I didn't like was the second time reversal. But I have no doubt he would've scrapped it for a better ending.
I didn't know he was going to do that again...if I can recall; I think that was to be the finally for the second film but they fought and realized he had to use it for the first because he might not make it to direct the second, which he didn't. His intention was to only do that once.
The two Richards were two different kind of directors. I would rather Richard Donner to finish off Superman II. Lester was a talented filmmaker but had a different style. It's a shame that Lester had been scapegoat became a clash between Donner and producers.
It's so strange how at first the salkans were throwing big money around like brando is still in the guiness book for most money in the shortest amt of time for an acting job. They paid him like 4 mill in 78 $$ & the biggie is 12% of the backend. The movie made about 250 million so that's another 10 mill plus. They paid Donner 1 million which he said was big money then. Suddenly they got cheap , they were making 2 films at once that takes a lot of time. Then they didnt want to pay brando the backend for the 2nd film. He was already paid his base salary for both films as they all were. It just seems more expensive to have lester reshoot scenes already done to satisfy the d.g.a. to get credit u must direct 50% of the film. Donner had 75 % finished & half his stuff is still in part 2. Any scene w/ gene hackman in part 2 is Donner. Also u can tell donner from lester in that margot kidder looks very pretty in the 1st film & not her best in the 2nd. I think she lost weight & her hair was shorter & in the 1st film they did great on her hair makeup & wardrobe. I have no idea how she looked so different in only 2 years. Hackman did not even return for part 2 I guess contractually he fulfilled his obligation & not his problem they did not finish part 1. I think he also refused to work w/ o donner. Margot kidder also was very upset about donner thus her cameo in part 3
i slightly disagree. even though i don't think snyder is as good a director as donner, i still believe that both he and donner expressed to film the superman of the times. donner with the superman of the silver and bronze age and snyder the superman of the modern age.
I would love to see Richard Donner's full vision of Superman I and II with no interference using todays technology letting him make the movies he wanted to make. It would be so much better than the crap we've been getting from Zack Snyder and DC right now.
The difference with all the other superman's is that Chris Reeve was classically trained. They could dress up all the other guys all they wanted to but none of them could "emote" like Chris could. He absolutely owns this character. Just his little transformation of when he takes off his glasses and stands a little taller and smiles with that internal.. "knowing" .
I know Richard and he was always a class act guy. At this point in his career he is very much retired, and just enjoys being with his wife Laura. He will still do comic cons occasionally but had some health issues of late, but doing well
You will be missed Mr. Donner. Your films were important part of my childhood. Last year on July I had finally opportunity to watch "Superman: the Movie" in the cinema. Thank you for all these moments🧘♂️
RIP Mr. Donner. I am saddened by your passing. You are one of my favorite directors Always enjoyed your interviews. Thank you so much for all your years of providing us with entertainment.
Donner seems to have a genuinely cool, down to earth personality. The Superman franchise would have been amazing had Donner been in control. Damn shame contemplating the what ifs. Smh!
Superman was a game changer for superhero films. It was and IS the beginning of making serious and great comic book films. It's a classic and for me truly a special and amazing film.
