Superman IV - The Quest For Coherence by Jimbotron235

[white43]

Superman IV : The Quest For Coherence
by Jimbotron235

What kind of fanedit: Extended Composite Version/Workprint

original film name: Superman IV - The Quest For Peace
new film name : Superman IV : The Quest For Coherence
film studio name : WB/Cannon
edit crew name : Jimbotron235
Date Original Film Was Released : 1987
Date Edit Was Released : 2008
Original Runtime : 90 mins
New Runtime : 118 mins

Amount of time Added : 28 minutes

Details:

• Williams/Courage score restored to all added scenes.
  
  New red-style worm Warner logo is added. (pulled from Magnum Force)
  
  Superman saving the cosmonaut now comes before the credits.
  
  Extra footage from STM to establish Clark at his parents' grave, followed by image on him there. (courtesy of capedwonder)
  
  Clark's nightmare sequence had a bad Jor-El voiceover, so a new sequence was designed using footage and audio from STM.
  
  Clark waking up and talking to his neighbor restored.
  
  Extra dialog between Jeremy and his classmates restored.
  
  Superman answering Jeremy's letter restored. Superman's flying shot was unfinished footage, so a flying shot from Superman III was used. Some footage was cut at the end, so still images and captions will be shown to add in missing dialog.
  
  Creation of Nuclear Man 1 restored. Temp music has been reduced as much as possible.
  
  Metro Club scene using images from the comic book has been added. This is done to explain Nuclear Man's interest in Lacy. Footage of Nuclear Man 1 going outside with the lady has been restored.
  
  Superman fighting Nuclear Man 1 outside Metro Club is restored. Temp music has been reduced as much as possible.
  
  Lenny bringing the ashes back to Lex is restored.
  
  The "Fresh Air" flying sequence has been extended.
  
  The tornado and Moscow missile sequences have been restored. Footage from the Japanese laserdisc is used to replace incomplete effects shots from the DVD deleted scenes footage.
  
  A line of dialog from the script is restored when Lex asks Nuclear Man "what is there to fear?". Nuclear Man now responds "Destiny." using a still image and a caption.
  
  Additional footage of Clark ill has been restored.
  
  Nuclear Man now abducts Lacy after waking up, and not after the moon fight.
  
  Nuclear Man taking Lacy back to Lex's lair and becoming a missile is restored. All footage is restored through Superman using Lacy as bait to stop Nuclear Man.
  
  Extra flying shot of Nuclear Man is restored.
  
  Ordering of scenes are restored back to their original form. Nuclear Man confronts Superman on streets of Metropolis. Then comes Moon Fight.
  
  The scene of Nuclear Man returning to Earth to fetch Lacy at Lex's lair has been restored. The scene of Nuclear Man abducting Lacy at the Daily Planet was used in the theatrical cut at this spot. That scene is now in its proper spot earlier in the film.
  
  After Warfield loses the Daily Planet, the scene of Lacy saying goodbye to Clark is restored. Some footage at the beginning was cut off, so Lacy mentioning wanting to go to Smallville to get a farm and asking if anyone back home is like Clark has been added using a still image and captions.
  
  Superman stops Lex and Lenny on the freeway. He takes Lenny to Boy's Home and Lex back to the quarry.
  
  Scene outside United Nations. Superman gives "One World" speech. Footage of people around the world listening to him is added. Additional dialog by Superman is added.
  
  Superman flying to see Jeremy is restored. They fly over Earth, wave to the Cosmonauts, and return to Earth.

End credits.

Fanedit details : DVD NTSC SL 2.0 Stereo

Intention for this fanedit: My full intent was to reinsert all deleted footage as well as restore the complete musical score. I did that by both reinserting the deleted scenes, and in a few cases, inserting still frames and comic panes so that the music would fit. I refused to ever call it a Fan Cut for two reasons. One, I wanted to present it close to what it originally was and not apply any of my own ideas (with a couple exceptions), and two, I am in no way a fan of this garbage movie.

Hardware and software information : Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD for the editing, Audacity for some audio editing, and DVD Lab Pro for the DVD authoring and menus.

Time needed for the edition: Several Months
persons involved: 1

Other Info:
used parts of the comic book to show missing scenes and the use of still frames to add missing dialogue.

 

[white43]

From : http://fortressofsolitude.proboards83.c ... 61&page=16

"I finally got around to checking out this cut.
First off, forgive me if I'm saying things that have already been said, as I haven't had the chance to read any of the previous reviews.

Jimbos Fan Cut of Superman IV is quite simply THE most essential Superman fan cut ever made.
Simply put, whenever you feel the need to force yourself to watch the awfulness that is SIV, you should at least do yourself the favor of watching the only coherent version in existence.

Up front let me say that SIV is a terrible, terrible movie, & even after this cut, its still terrible. But, that said, its MUCH ,more watchable this way.

The editing of this cut is, in a word, Flawless.
All cuts, are smooth & without a hint of jarring.

The deleted scenes, while for the most part even worse than what did make the theatrical cut, still round the story out in a way that at least make the story feel complete.

I have only seen the deleted scenes one time, so, it all seemed really fresh to me. I had forgotten abut most of them.

I REALLY love the added scenes of Lex in court for war crimes & his subsequent release. These are arguably Hackman's best scenes in the movie. How a studio could pay the high price that comes along with Hackman & then leave his best work on the cutting room floor, is beyond me.

The nightmare sequence that Jimbo constructed from thin air, is down right fucking AWESOME.

It fascinating to see the Metro club scene cut together with music using the comic book pages. Its remarkable just how well that works. Jimbo really pulled an ace with that bit.

I am still amazed at the job Jimbo did replacing that stupid temp music in the NM1 street battle scenes. Simply put, marvelous.

Its also VERY helpful seeing all the deleted scenes that lead up to the Street Battle showdown between Supes & NM2. It actually makes sense now.

But lets not kid ourselves. The real star here is the way that Jimbo showcased the incredible complete score to Superman IV.
This cut is a much deserved love letter to the Late, Great Alexander Courage. I wish he were alive to see this. The music here in its uncut, & unperverted glory, finally gets to breathe the way it was intended to.

Theres so much here to love, from a movie that has so much to hate. & THAT is the greatest compliment I can give this cut.
It will be traded among fans at conventions for generations to come.

It is THE most important Superman movie fan cut ever made.
PERIOD.


Well done laddie, well done."

 

[white43]

From : http://fortressofsolitude.proboards83.c ... 61&page=15

"OK- i watched it last night and i just cant get over how much i enjoyed it. it was a real...bizzare and ( morbidly ) fascinating experience ,

part of the time i am imagining jimbo on the computer , obsessing over musis cues , scanning still shots, all while LOATHING the movie.. this was a very layered fanboy experience.

1) - what i was most interested in was jimbo's use of stills and comic panles to convey footage still missing . it raises the question as to how so much of the missing footage was found yet at least a couple of scenes ( the cemetary / the club ) are gone . how could they have found so much additional footage - without finding those...?

it amazes me that films that cost millions to make, being handled by so many people , with a FEW people in charge and having access to ALL of it - HOW do films get lost ? hell- the casablanca dvd had deleted scenes!!

at any rate - good job with the facsimlie scenes.

2) restoring the deleted scenes. man, some of thos are rough! its all wierd and saturated with red and the speed is wrong sometimes..... its trippy. but you know- the funky quality of the scenes, along with the still kind of ADDED to the wierdness of the experience. it was just another layer of surrealness.

( i wonder if i could persuade jim to construct a kitchen-sink cut of blade runner for me- with the still of tyrell being revealed as a replicant...? ..... )

3) the music. i dont have a good ear- so this may not mena anything, but i loved alexander courages score- and it sounded great to me.

4) the complete picture . i think had the whole thing been released it STILL would be the franchise killer we all know and loathe - but it does at least MAKE SENSE with the surrounding material. who knows.... it is highly unlikely , but if it took the RIC/green cut to get a restoration of lost SII footage then maybe " the quest for coherance " might get WB to consider going back and getting ALL of the footage we know exists and was missing from " ultimate collection " .

recap : good job jim- NO ONE else had attempted it ( aside from ADM - but he had no intention of making S:IV any longer and only mined it to pad his eviscerated S:III ) - and many thought it would never be needed, but you did. i honeslty think i could be persuaded to watch this again. completely surreal . "

 

[white43]

And from the same thread again.....

"Just got it today.

Wow, color me impressed. The restored footage actually helped the movie. Before, it had some fun bits but mostly was a boring embarassment. Of course, it still is, but it's considerably more consistent in being entertaining!

The last act, starting at about the newspaper moment, actually has something vaguely resembling tension as opposed to the "heh, cardboard effects...zzzzzz...." of the theatrical cut.

Mistakes? Yeah, a few... the music was mixed a little loud over the dialogue, although this appears to have been a necessary evil (except for the UN scene towards the end, that was a bit much... but I digest)

Hm, what else... should mention, it does highlight nearly every other flaw in the movie (and holy crap, there are some I never noticed... wtf's with those clothes, is Ducky gay? jkjk). I suppose something similar would happen with Batman Forever (oh, if only, if only.....) but it wouldn't be half as bad as what happens here. Least now, I can watch it all the way through without switching to TV halfway through and forgetting I had it on.

8.5/10 "

"Downloaded this the other day, gotta say I'm very impressed!
Being able to watch it with the missing footage and the proper music cue's helps the film so much!
I had never heard the full music score before and it was quite impressive, it actually helps the film. If only Warner would go back and give us the full version with updated effects I have no doubt it would actually be a good (if silly) superman film!

Thanks jimbotron235, you've done a very professional job here! "

 

[boon23]

sounds awesome. Thanks a lot for posting this, white43.

 

[superman4thefinalcut]

The long version of Superman IV is just bad, I can see why the Orange County screening went so bad. But this is good to watch, no doubt.

 

[Phantom Stranger]

1) - what i was most interested in was jimbo's use of stills and comic panles to convey footage still missing . it raises the question as to how so much of the missing footage was found yet at least a couple of scenes ( the cemetary / the club ) are gone . how could they have found so much additional footage - without finding those...?

Some have speculated that the Metro Club scene wasn't on the DVD because of copyright issues pertaining to the music. But even if that's true, it wouldn't explain the absence of the cemetery scene.

 

[nOmArch]

gotta love that first review :lol:

 

[ab5tract]

I refused to ever call it a Fan Cut for two reasons. One, I wanted to present it close to what it originally was and not apply any of my own ideas (with a couple exceptions), and two, I am in no way a fan of this garbage movie.

That is priceless :lol:

 

[superman4thefinalcut]

I don't agree that this is the only "coherent" version of Superman IV. It's the complete cut, no doubt, but only serves as a basis to try and make a good film out of, which I succeeded in doing. My "Final Cut" is the most coherent and best, by far.

 

[boon23]

you should have used this one here: ;-) instead of this one
your fanedit was disapproved for its quality so it hardly is in its current state anything "best".
But it would be cool if you go back and repair your flaws. Then, and only then could you (and even then shouldn't) post such statements as they seem just arrogant and are really not nice at all towards other fellow faneditors. Humbleness is a virtue.

Now back to this fanedit.

 

[Uncanny Antman]

I don't agree that this is the only "coherent" version of Superman IV.

Who said it was? I don't recall Jimbotron naming it, Superman IV: The Only Coherent Cut of Thie Film Ever"

My "Final Cut" is the most coherent and best, by far.

No offense, if you can't even manage continuity within a single scene, the word coherence probably shouldn't be used to describe the edit.

And even apart from all that, there's no need to piss on someone else's work to talk up your own. Especially as you literally used big chunks of Jimbo's edit to make your own.



Now back to this fanedit.

 

[jamiemark]

I hate Supes IV, but I have to get a hold of this for curiosity sake :grin: .

 

[superman4thefinalcut]

I don't agree that this is the only "coherent" version of Superman IV.

Who said it was? I don't recall Jimbotron naming it, Superman IV: The Only Coherent Cut of Thie Film Ever"

My "Final Cut" is the most coherent and best, by far.

No offense, if you can't even manage continuity within a single scene, the word coherence probably shouldn't be used to describe the edit.

And even apart from all that, there's no need to piss on someone else's work to talk up your own. Especially as you literally used big chunks of Jimbo's edit to make your own.



Now back to this fanedit.

I can more than handle continuity within a single scene... but anyway, I said I enjoyed this full cut, I just think an edited version of the film is better (not the theatrical).

 

[blueyoda]

This will not end well.

 

[superman4thefinalcut]

you should have used this one here: ;-) instead of this one
your fanedit was disapproved for its quality so it hardly is in its current state anything "best".
But it would be cool if you go back and repair your flaws. Then, and only then could you (and even then shouldn't) post such statements as they seem just arrogant and are really not nice at all towards other fellow faneditors. Humbleness is a virtue.

Now back to this fanedit.

Boon -- I believe my version of Superman IV is the best than can be made, whether it was approved or not. That's my opinion. Even if ten people give it a negative review, I'll still think that. I think any creator looks at any work differently than a reviewer.

However, I already said I enjoyed the "full cut" of Superman IV, which is what this cut is, and people should watch it and enjoy it.

I'll stay out of this thread for now on, nothing good is going to come of me giving my opinion here. Good luck with the cut!

 

[boon23]

thanks for staying out of this thread. I hope you keep to your word.

 

[JMB]

thanks for staying out of this thread. I hope you keep to your word.

Amen.

 

[white43]

I don't agree that this is the only "coherent" version of Superman IV. It's the complete cut, no doubt, but only serves as a basis to try and make a good film out of, which I succeeded in doing. My "Final Cut" is the most coherent and best, by far.

There are quite obvious and serious technical flaws in your edit. Whilst yours might be the only edit of the 'complete cut', by the technical issues alone, it is not by far away the 'best' cut.

But back to this cut, which I will review.

 

[TMBTM]

I saw Superman4 in theater back then. I was 12 or so, and even at that age I thought that it was bad (exept for Mariel Hemingway's curves, of course). I did not see this movie entirely since that day.
I think I'd like to watch this edit. A movie with Christopher Reeve as Superman (and Mariel Hemingway's curves) has potential for a good movie.