[Proposal] Superman (1978) - theatrical cut reconstruction based on Extended Cut BD

[TServo2049]

Here's a proposal I have. Considering that most of us seem to think the best-looking Blu-ray version of Superman: The Movie is the recent Extended Cut, would anybody be interested in conforming that version to the theatrical cut, using the other two transfers to plug in any holes, and syncing it up to the PCM track from the 1990 laserdisc (the best audio presentation of the original mix)?

I don't really have the resources to do this, but I think it's a good idea...

[Tylerdurden389]

Make this proposal over at fanedit.org. Maybe someone will take up your offer. Me personally, I'm still eating my popcorn, waiting for WB to release the tv cut of part 2. THEN the real fan-editing waves are gonna splash hard.

[Jetrell Fo]

^agreed.

[PDB]

Have pics shown up comparing the different masters?

Refresh my memory, wasn't the theatrical cut on BD not the true theatrical cut?

[Chewtobacca]

AFAIK, the theatrical cut on BD was the original; it's just the audio that differed. But I'd like clarification of this too, because I was toying with the idea of recreating an approximation of the theatrical based on the new BD.

[PDB]

AFAIK, the theatrical cut on BD was the original; it's just the audio that differed. But I'd like clarification of this too, because I was toying with the idea of recreating an approximation of the theatrical based on the new BD.

Ah was that it? I just remebered people complaining at the time of the box set that tc was not true. Couldn't remember the reason why.

I think the ld pcm is kicking around and could be used for this project.

[Chewtobacca]

Either jonno or BusterD (I forget which) sent the audio to me at one point, but I no longer have it, and I think there was uncertainty about whether the best LD for the job had been used.

[PDB]

The one I have somewhere was from Jonno. The soundtrack was fine as I recall, it was just the mix was not that great. And that was true to the theatrical mix which was said to be a very weak and why they re-mixed it on DVD/BD.

[Chewtobacca]

In that case, perhaps we need only use the LD PCM for portions where the theatrical mix differs substantially from later remixes.

[TServo2049]

I believe I have both Jonno's capture, and BusterD's from a Japanese PCM release that I hoped would sound better. AFAIK they sound identical.

I'm not sure the 5.1 remix is useful for any part of the film.

Also, compared to the LD, the stereo mix on DVD/BD is even weaker and has worse separation (e.g., crosstalk/leaking/whatever you call it). However, I and another member have both seen 35mm prints of the theatrical cut with the original mix, and the LD mix honestly sounds better than a real print. (Though no version I've heard has the fabled directional dialogue that both Michael Thau and some film forum posters have brought up; was that only on the 70mm prints? That would rule out the theory that the LD came from the format 42 70mm mix, perhaps it's just that the 2.0 mix WB transferred in 2006 came from a dupe copy or maybe even an optical source?)