REVIEW: Superman the Movie (live tweet transcript)

Today is Superman’s 75 birthday, if Facebook, Twitter, and news feeds are to be believed!

We needed to do something to commemorate that here at Strangers and Aliens. So, while we will talk about it tonight when we record (tangentially), here’s something a little more immediate.

Last night, I watched Superman the Movie. It’s been a few years since I watched it (last time i watched it was when Superman Returns was released on DVD). In preparation for Man of Steel, I plan to rewatch all the Superman movies (maybe including Supergirl). When I watched Superman last night, I started Tweeting about it . . . and kept Tweeting about it. So, here are my thoughts about Superman the Movie . . .

Watching Superman the movie. I just have to. #supermanthemovie

Christopher Reeve gets third billing! #supermanthemovie

The opening credits are more exciting than some entire movies! #JohnWilliams #supermanthemovie

Marlon Brando – best cue card reader in history! Can’t pronounce Krypton! 🙂 #supermanthemovie

“Hey, let’s ignore Jor-El & let our entire world die, except the 3 criminals we sentenced to immortality.” #supermanthemovie

“Ah! We’re trapped in a seventies rock album cover!” – General Zod #supermanthemovie

RT @whisperingloon: “Ah! We’re trapped in a seventies rock album cover!” – General Zod #supermanthemovie

@whisperingloon I think I’m gonna have to steal that one.

@Bud_Rogers I think we’re going to have to USE that one.

I wonder how much this movie would hold up if it hadn’t been a part of my life since I was three. #supermanthemovie

It’s different watching Jor-El send his son away as a father than it was watching it as a kid. #supermanthemovie

Set design and tech effects on Krypton still look awesome. Wardrobe not so much. #supermanthemovie

The explosion of Krypton — still terrifying. #supermanthemovie

Three years of listening to Brando’s voice delivering all the knowledge of the 28 known galaxies. Kryptonian podcasting? #supermanthemovie

Three year old Clark is a cutie! #supermanthemovie

This is less a narrative and more a series of vignettes. #supermanthemovie

Pa Kent is a man’s man. Perfect father for Kal-El. #supermanthemovie

“You are here for a reason. I don’t know whose reason…whatever the reason is…but it’s not about touchdowns.” #supermanthemovie

Jonathan Kent’s death scene: still tears me up. “All those things I can do. All those powers. I couldn’t even save him.” #supermanthemovie

This movie is structured like a novel. Chapters/episodes. #supermanthemovie

Huge tone changes. Cold, sterile Krypton: sci-fi movie. Warm, natural, earthy Smallville: nostalgic Americana. #supermanthemovie

Cold, mysterious North Pole: Hero’s journey begins. Busy, bustling Metropolis: urban drama. #supermanthemovie

Clark/Superman = perfectly written and acted. Christopher Reeve perfect as both. #supermanthemovie

This movie is sooooo 1970s. #supermanthemovie

I remember these Otis scenes being goofier. #supermanthemovie

Ah, here comes the goofiness. “The greatest real estate swindle of all time.” #supermanthemovie

Not sure how the physics of the helicopter accident work…don’t care…GREAT SCENE! #supermanthemovie

The music, extras, Reeve, and Kidder sell that scene. “You’ve got me? Who’s got you?” An hour in before powers are used. #supermanthemovie

The cat bungler scene: performed earnestly. Could’ve been Adam West Batman. Sort of was, I guess. #supermanthemovie

Boat scene coming closer to Adam West Batman. Lots closer. #supermanthemovie

And the cat in the tree with the punchline being a kid getting smacked by her mom. Cringe. #supermanthemovie

Here we are. Superman saving the president. Out of Batman territory. #supermanthemovie

Extra scene I don’t remember. Extended cut? Second conversation with Jor-El. #supermanthemovie

So many images I remember from my collecting cards! #supermanthemovie

“You really shouldn’t smoke, you know, Miss Lane.” “Don’t tell me. Lung cancer, right?” “Not yet, thankfully.” #supermanthemovie

Hrm. You can’t tell color via x-ray, can you? #supermanthemovie

“Can you read my mind? Do you know how much I hate this voice over narration?” #supermanthemovie

If he COULD read your mind, your jr. high love poem might be a bit off putting. #supermanthemovie

It COULD be worse. She wasn’t singing it. #supermanthemovie

Luthor has a lot if magic knowledge in the bad guy scene. And some awesome wigs. Hackman’s performance overcomes. #supermanthemovie

Does Luthor really think no one will put 2 and 2 together? He buys land, nuke goes off next to the land? #supermanthemovie

Luthor has a great lair. #supermanthemovie

Kryptonite! The confrontation scene, evil genius meets good powerhouse. Clever, subtle, two strong performances. #supermanthemovie

Love that look on his face as Superman looks over his shoulder from space to see the other nuke go off. #supermanthemovie

Now we’re in the superheroic section of the movie. Another tone shift. This is a collection of short stories. #supermanthemovie

A collection of short stories that add up to an epic Hero’s journey. #supermanthemovie

Lois Lane’s car getting swallowed into the earth was terrifying as a kid. Still disturbing as an adult. #supermanthemovie

The conflict with Luthor is nothing compared to the emotion crisis and conflict. #supermanthemovie

This movie builds up to an internal struggle between his fathers’ voices, his own emotions, and resposibility. #supermanthemovie

The boy steps out from his fathers’ shadows (Jor-El and Jonathan both) and becomes the (super) man. #supermanthemovie

As for turning he earth backward, I never thought he did that. I always assumed he was just traveling through time. #supermanthemovie

He was just going back to a point in the before Lois died and saving her. His rage fueled him. #supermanthemovie

Watching this movie now, it works best if this movie is its own thing. Full stop. At the end, he is a god. #supermanthemovie

He is the full embodiment of his potential. This story is interesting because of his growth and emotional transformation. #supermanthemovie

The sequels take away from the power of this story. The sequels hurt the impact of this as a standalone Superman story. #supermanthemovie

Yup, still love this movie. #supermanthemovie

SUPERMAN – seven word movie review: Awesome and awe-inspiring. A great Superman story.

@whisperingloon Wish I’d known you were live tweeting a commentary!

@Bibliomike I didn’t plan to until I started watching. I think I’ll put up my tweets in a post on the @StrangeAndAlien blog. Easy content!