Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

How much is too much?  Well, when it comes to diehard fans and their collections, there's no such thing.  However, in the case of the upcoming Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (left), it's walking the razor's edge....and I'm a Superman fan!

The four Christopher Reeve Superman films had previously been packaged in a variety of combinations, each with their own special bells and whistles, but with the new Richard Donner cut of Superman II and the imminent release of Superman Returns to DVD, Warner Brothers is pulling out all the stops to Hoover out my wallet with Superman-related merch.

Stuffed inside of the gorgeous brushed-metal packaging are a staggering 14 DVD discs, including:

1.  Superman: The Movie (Special Edition): Richard Donner's masterpiece, despite the annoying added sound effects. (4 discs)

2.  Superman II: The once-spectacular sequel that's surprisingly slow-moving by today's hyper-CGI-exploding head standards. (2 discs)

3.  Superman III:  Seven words: Richard Pryor Wearing Foam-Rubber Cowboy Hat.

4. Superman IV: The abomination of which I shall speak no more.

5.  Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut:  This is the item I'm probably looking forward to the most, primarily for the whole "alternate history" angle (something familiar that's suddenly radically different).  Oh, and Brando as Jor-El, of course.

6.  Superman Returns: Special Edition:  Even MORE shots of the sensitive Superman accompanied by "angel choir" background music!   Ahh...I kid Superman Returns.  I'm actually looking forward to owning it (2 discs).

7. Three Bonus Discs:Include Look Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman and You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman, plus Bryan Singer's video journals chronicling the making of Superman Returns.

But wait!  There's MORE!

8.  ALL of the classic Fleischer Studios animated Superman cartoons of the 1940's.

9.  The 1951 movie Superman and the Mole-Men (with George Reeves)

10.  A reprint of a recent Superman comic book

11. A "Superman Overview" booklet

Don't believe me?  Here...take a look at this All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of Superman fanboy glee:

But WAIT....THAT'S NOT ALL!

Yes, I have it on good authority that there are even MORE super-extras included behind a hidden panel in the packaging:

1.  Marlon Brando's half-eaten jelly roll from the set of Superman: The Movie.

2.  A 1" x 1" square of Richard Pryor's foam cowboy hat from Superman III.

3.  Recut audio of General Zod (Terrence Stamp) threatening Jor-El in Superman:The Movie.  Instead of the word "heirs", Stamp's strong English accent made it sound as if Zod was vowing to make Jor-El and his "ass" bow down before him. The word "heirs" in a clearly enunciated American accent has now been dropped in.

4.  A written apology from the writers who came up with the "freshly squeezed orange juice" bit for Lois Lane in Superman II, as well as from the hair stylist who gave Christopher Reeve that snazzy bowl haircut.

5. Deluxe Richard Lester dart board.

6.  Deluxe self-hypnosis kit to erase any lingering memories of Superman IV.

7.  MP3 dance party remix of Margot Kidder's "Can You Read My Mind?".

8.  Kryptonian shiney-silver dog sweater

9.  An authentic signed and numbered replica of Jeff East's cheesy Young Clark Kent wig.

10.  A mini Richard Donner shrine / incense burner and lifesize poster.

Okay, just kidding on those last ten items.  But man alive, they've pretty much emptied the Superman movie vaults with all the stuff they've jammed into this thing!

Will I be getting it?  Well, that's up to the Big Man at the North Pole!

No, not Superman.  The other Big Man.

Comments

[Loren]

If it were JUST the first four films, I wouldn't buy it because I already have the first two and I don't care about the last two. BUT, this is just SOOOOOO loaded with goodies AND it's got all the Fleischer cartoons which, I'm hoping, have been restored. That's worth the price in gold for me. I'd probably pay $100 for this, BUT, if I act now, I can buy it for $69 on Amazon.Com

[Mark Engblom]

Yeah, the goodie-list is indeed tempting to any Superman fan...which is why I've got it on my Christmas list despite minor reservations about the various films included (or in the case of Superman III and IV, MAJOR reservations).

I already have all of the Fleischer cartoons, but having them as part of such an ambitious, comprehensive Superman collection is a welcome feature. I'm sure the episodes will all be restored versions, since digital restorations of the cartoons have been around for a while now (unlike the dreadfully dark public domain video copies of the 80's and 90's).

[Greg Scott]

Hey Mark, you forgot to mention the *other* special features included with the set. Features like:

1. A full-sized cellophane "S" replica, just like the one Superman throws at Non in SUPERMAN II. Suitable for wrapping all manner of food items, or for momentarily annoying your enemies in the heat of superpowered battle.

2. The lost audition footage of Samuel Jackson for the role of General Zod. "You WILL bow down before me, mutherf###er! Both you, and your mutherf###ing HEIRS!"

3. More deleted scenes from SUPERMAN II, including the "Wacky Hat Montage," where Superman and Lois try on wacky hats and look at each other in a full length mirror to the tune of Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl."

4. Seemingly endless previews for other DVDs at the beginning of each disc.

[Mark Engblom]

LOL! How could I have forgotten those extra features? I can hardly wait to get my hands on the cellophane "S" emblem. I wonder if we'll ever know what the intent of that thing was....other than to, as you say, momentarily annoy the Phantom Zoners.

I'll also be looking forward to the wacky hat montage. I can never get enough of those.

[Randy]

Hey Mark, hadn't they announced it would come with a copy of It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman, the TV adaptation of the Supes musical? I remember staying up late to see that on TV as a kid in the 70's and being SEVERELY disappointed that it was boring musical romance. I might enjoy it for a laugh now, though.

[Mark Engblom]

I hadn't read that about the musical's inclusion....but I guess it wouldn't surprise me considering how much stuff they're jamming into this thing. Yeah, it's certainly not topping my wishlist of "Superman Experiences", but (like you) I'd probably enjoy it for its horrific, campy excess. Thanks for stopping by, Randy!

[Ja]

I don't know, I think that having done "A Hard Days Night" should be enough to save Lester from being full-on dartboard-worthy. It should really be a picture of the Salkinds.