YouTube Theatre: Kidder-Free Flying!

Back at the dawn of the VHS videotape era, I received Superman: The Movie as a Christmas gift.  At that time, VHS movies were quite expensive and came in the clunky vinyl cases seen in early video rental stores.  Needless to say I've watched it dozens of times since then, though I was more than happy to "retire" it when the DVD "special edition" was released a number of years ago.

Unfortunately, I quickly realized the "special edition" was alot more that just restored footage.  Forgetting Pa Kent's sage advice to Clark not to show off, the Special Edition's sound effects crew did just that by throwing in every distracting new sound effect they could get their hands on.  From the completely different "S-shield" blast in the opening credits to the added racket of smashing crystal during Krypton's destruction (a logical idea, but lousy execution), the added sounds diminished some of the fun of the DVD release.

About the same time, I'd just upgraded to a Mac that was able to edit and burn digital movies...so I thought it would be fun to make my own version of the original theatrical release of Superman: The Movie, using my trusty old VHS tape as the source.  I wasn't planning on selling it to an international digital movie cabal or mass-producing them for eBay sales...just my own copy...and just for the heck of it.

A few years later, Warner Bros. released the 14-disc Superman: The Ultimate Collection, which included...you guessed it....the original theatrical release of Superman: The Movie.  My private DVD copy of the original was now redundant....or was it?

Well, not completely. You see, there was an extra chapter I added to my version that I'm pretty sure the Ultimate DVD set doesn't have.  For years, I'd wondered what the famous flying sequence would be like without Margot Kidder's cheesy "Can You Read My Mind?" voiceover, so I worked some iMovie magic and POW!  No more cheesy voiceover!  I was happy to see how much better the sequence plays with only John Williams' beautiful score accompanying the graceful movements of Christopher Reeve and Kidder, without the distracting, insipid vocals.

So, to all of my readers, an early Kidder-Free Christmas present!

Comments

[Tom]

Awwww... it just wouldn't be the same without the gravelly, cigarette cracking voice on lead voacls... it always reminds me of the excellent William Shanter albums.

BTW... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

[Mark Engblom]

Hey, thanks Tom!

Yeah, ol' Margot's "vocals" are certainly in the same surreal league as Shatner's albums. The Superman movie seemed to largely escape the excesses of the late 70's, but there were a few exceptions....like Kidder's soft disco voiceover, the funky sideburns on every male in Metropolis and....a REX REED cameo!

[Robby Reed]

The cheesy voice-over is actually ALSO a very beautiful song: "Can You Read My Mind by Maureen McGovern." They should have used the song instead!

Lyrics for: Can You Read My Mind

Can you read my mind?
Do you know what it is you do to me?
Don't know who you are
Just a friend from another star

Here I am like a kid at a school
Holding hands with a god, I'm a fool
Will you look at me quivering
Like a little girl shivering?
You can see right through me

Can you read my mind?
Can you picture the things I'm thinking of?
Wondering why you are
All the wonderful things you are

You can fly, you belong to the sky
You and I could belong to each other

If you need a friend,
I'm the one to fly to
If you need to be loved, (to be loved)
Here I am, read my mind

Instrumental Bridge

Will you look at me quivering
Like a little girl shivering?
You can see right through me

If you need a friend,
I'm the one to fly to
If you need to be loved,
Here I am, read my mind...

Read my mind.

[Mark Engblom]

Yeah, I'd have preferred that version over Kidder's spoken word snooze-fest...but even McGovern could only do so much with those treacly lyrics.