Special Features
Special features include five trailers from different countries, three TV spots, storyboards to six of the main effects sequences, four still galleries and talent profiles. There is a “Making of” featurette explaining the rights process, the casting search and preparation and with much behind-the-scenes footage. Director Jeannot Szwarc talks of the idea of first love, the effects and the decision to create a small US town on location in the UK and of the film as designed as more fantasy than science fiction. The behind-the-scenes footage offers much insight into Szwarc’s methods as a director as does a question-and-answer commentary track by Szwarc and consultant Michael Bosco. In addition to Szwarc’s working methodology and intentions, covered are the score, the scenes removed from the script (an escape from Krypton origin sequence) and how Szwarc sought to differentiate his film from the Superman series. There is much about the various effects, the locations, DC’s input and how the director came to the project (and followed up the innocent violence-free fantasy with Santa Claus). Szwarc talks of the planned scene in which Superman would appear, on the team of Vaccaro and Dunaway and how they deliberately toned down the black magic theme. Bosco talks also of the scenes present in this DVD version that were not in the domestic US release and both talk of the idea of mythic self-sacrifice in the fate of O’Toole’s character.
Wider Screenings Star Rating
The above review refers to the Anchor Bay single disc “International Version”. At time of writing, there were two other versions of the film in circulation on DVD – the original domestic release and a special Director’s Cut edition with additional special features. Despite the film’s reception and disappointing box-office, as a demonstration of Patriarchal Hollywood response to depicting generational feminism it yields perhaps much more than intended and may be worthy of re-appraisal in those terms.
The Movie: 2 stars
Picture: 4 stars
Sound: 4 stars
Extras: 4 stars
WS DVD rating: 3 ½ stars
Wider Screenings DVD Attractions Trailer
(courtesy of YouTube embedded video)