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As we all know, SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE is a bad movie. Really bad. And yet, I kind of like it and wish I could like it more. So I've been working on a re-cut and my 3gb workprint is now available for viewing, if you'd care to see it.
From searching around, I see that SM4 has had a rather interesting history on this forum. I've seen a copy of ADigitalMan's SUPERMAN REDEEMED, the mash-up of SM3 and SM4, and while it is technically brilliant I couldn't help but see it as two separate movies mashed together. Despite the valiant attempt to attribute Evil Superman in SM3 to the injury received from Nuclear Man in SM4, there's nothing that really connects the two stories together. I've not been able to track down the elusive Jimbotron235, and an apparently errant PM regarding SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR COHERENCE (love the title, if nothing else) has gone unanswered (so, re-reading the rules, I've posted a request for it in the appropriate forum). And I've read the thread started by fellow newbie superman4thefinalcut about his optimistically titled SUPERMAN IV: THE FINAL CUT, and while the thread is definitely a good lesson in board etiquette and the dangers of hubris, his cut doesn't sound all that promising. So it is with some trepidation that I offer my work here.
Just to make it clear, my goal was not to turn SM4 into a great movie. Such an attempt would be doomed from the start. What I wanted to do was make a movie that I could enjoy, and though I still might hate myself for having watched it in the first place, I could feel better about myself by the next day. I tried to do this by cutting out what I consider to be the most egregiously silly bits, and cutting in portions of the deleted footage (which is in execrable condition, BTW) that helped fill out the story. Of course, this still leaves plenty of dumb stuff in the movie. But the entire plot is essentially two parts dumb to one part tedious, so if you were to cut out all of the "dumb" you would only be left with a very short, tedious film. My hope is that I've kept enough of the dumb stuff to make the viewing experience at least bearable.
Here's a summary of the major changes:
If you have any interest at all in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies I hope you'll want to take a look at my workprint. I'd really appreciate any input, and as a wannabe FanEditor I'd like to know how it might fare if I submitted it for the FanEdit Database. Please send me a PM.
Thanks,
Clark
"Billy Batson"
From searching around, I see that SM4 has had a rather interesting history on this forum. I've seen a copy of ADigitalMan's SUPERMAN REDEEMED, the mash-up of SM3 and SM4, and while it is technically brilliant I couldn't help but see it as two separate movies mashed together. Despite the valiant attempt to attribute Evil Superman in SM3 to the injury received from Nuclear Man in SM4, there's nothing that really connects the two stories together. I've not been able to track down the elusive Jimbotron235, and an apparently errant PM regarding SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR COHERENCE (love the title, if nothing else) has gone unanswered (so, re-reading the rules, I've posted a request for it in the appropriate forum). And I've read the thread started by fellow newbie superman4thefinalcut about his optimistically titled SUPERMAN IV: THE FINAL CUT, and while the thread is definitely a good lesson in board etiquette and the dangers of hubris, his cut doesn't sound all that promising. So it is with some trepidation that I offer my work here.
Just to make it clear, my goal was not to turn SM4 into a great movie. Such an attempt would be doomed from the start. What I wanted to do was make a movie that I could enjoy, and though I still might hate myself for having watched it in the first place, I could feel better about myself by the next day. I tried to do this by cutting out what I consider to be the most egregiously silly bits, and cutting in portions of the deleted footage (which is in execrable condition, BTW) that helped fill out the story. Of course, this still leaves plenty of dumb stuff in the movie. But the entire plot is essentially two parts dumb to one part tedious, so if you were to cut out all of the "dumb" you would only be left with a very short, tedious film. My hope is that I've kept enough of the dumb stuff to make the viewing experience at least bearable.
Here's a summary of the major changes:
- Moved Superman saving the cosmonaut to pre-credits, deleting the unfortunate decapitation of the cosmonaut action figure. This idea was mentioned in a number of threads and it was so good that I appropriated it. Thanks to whoever thought of it first.
- Cut in deleted footage of Superman's visit to little Jeremy's school (overlaying re-used footage of Superman leaving New Yo.. err, Metropolis, to replace unfinished effects shot).
- Inserted deleted footage of Luthor cooking up his genetic goop.
- Deleted the whole bit of Lois coming to Clark's apartment and their subsequent flight and amnesia kiss. I really hate this scene. It reminds us of the "can you read my mind" flight in SMTMP and Lester's amnesia kiss in SM2, both of which are much better movies than SM4. The last thing this movie needs to do is remind us of two better Superman movies. And besides, the years had not been too kind to Margot Kidder (not that they were any better to Chris Reeve a few years later), so I felt it better just to delete this whole bit.
- Cut the first US missile launch and moved the Russian missile launch and Superman's disposal of the weapons to later in the film. I felt that two US missile launches (the later one carrying Luthor's genetic goop) were a bit redundant, so I've deleted the first launch and saved the Russian missile launch and Superman hurtling the bunch of missiles into the sun for later).
- After the launch of the missile carrying Luthor's genetic goop, cut the last shot of Superman hurtling the lone missile into the sun and insert a flipped cut of the last shot of Superman guiding the first US missile into space, followed by the Russian missile launch and Superman's disposal of the bunch of missiles.
- After the missiles explode in the sun, cut in the birth of Nuclear Man and subsequent footage.
- Deleted shot of Nuclear Man levitating and spinning Lenny. This shot really sucks.
- Deleted destruction and repair of the Great Wall of China. Really?
- After Lois's visit to the sick Clark, cut in the deleted footage of Luthor selling arms to the Russians (love the shoe pounding on the table bit) and the US.
- Cut in additional deleted footage of Clark's advance sickness and exit from kitchen to rooftop (trimming a bit in the middle).
- After Nuclear Man sees Lacy's picture, cut in scene of Lacy and Warfield at the Daily Planet, followed by Nuclear Man's abduction of Lacy.
- Cut in deleted footage of Lacy and Luthor confronting Nuclear Man in Luthor's lair and subsequent footage. I've seen complaints that the cut to Luthor's lair and seeing Nuclear Man emerging from an otherwise unseen chamber is too abrupt, but I think this cut works a tiny bit better. In the previous scene, we see NM and Lacy ascending up through the ceiling. Then I cut to the ascending outer layer of the cylindrical chamber holding NM. Since the subjects of central focus in both scenes are ascending, the transition isn't quite so abrupt, IMO. And if you look closely, the unexplained chamber in Luthor's lair appears to be a tanning booth, so we can assume that after abducting Lacy NM has been recuperating in the artificial sunlight provided by the booth.
- After Superman's somewhat callous use of Lacy as "bait" in the cut-in footage, Superman returns Lacy to Metropolis, followed by NM. We then cut to the Battle of Metropolis.
- Deleted NM levitating pedestrians during the Battle of Metropolis and Superman de-levitating them back to the sidewalk. Another shot that is just too silly.
- After the battle on the Moon (yes, I kept the battle on the Moon), inserted deleted footage of NM returning to Luthor's lair and abducting Lacy yet again.
- After Superman digs himself out of the hole on the Moon (yes, I kept Superman digging himself out of the hole on the Moon--I know there's no air on the Moon and he's breathing heavy, but there is an infinitesimal atmosphere on the Moon, and if anyone can breath it, Superman can), deleted all visual cues that NM had taken Lacy into space. I really hate Lacy in space. I deleted a couple of redundant shots of Superman moving the Moon into a solar eclipse in order to lose the footage of NM carrying Lacy away from the Earth and pasted over re-used footage of Superman returning Lacy to Metropolis and then flying back from Metropolis to retrieve the depowered NM. The only shot left of Lacy against a star field is during the solar eclipse, when it would be dark and you could see the stars anyway. This required a re-dubbing of the soundtrack over these shots.
- After Perry White tells Warfield that he has bought the Daily Planet out from under him, I cut in the deleted footage of Lacy and Clark saying goodbye in the Taxi. This is a really sweet scene that should have been left in the release version of the film, IMO.
- During Superman's final orbital flyby after returning Luthor to the prison work crew, I cut in deleted footage of the cosmonauts waiving at Superman because why not. It makes a good bookend matching the start of the film.
If you have any interest at all in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies I hope you'll want to take a look at my workprint. I'd really appreciate any input, and as a wannabe FanEditor I'd like to know how it might fare if I submitted it for the FanEdit Database. Please send me a PM.
Thanks,
Clark
"Billy Batson"
