LOOK, UP IN THE SKY is an absolute delight. Ever since we got that first early review about this documentary that Kevin Burns and Bryan Singer put together celebrating and charting the history of SUPERMAN. It’s narrated by Kevin Spacey and put together perfectly. For comic fans and Superman lovers, this was probably the absolute best documentary on SUPERMAN that I’ve seen to date. Beginning with Jerry and Joe’s evolution of the concept of SUPERMAN… from evil bald telepath to the dual identity force for good… who could leap impossible leaps, hoist cars clear over his head and bounce bullets off his chest. Showing how the comics’ amazing popularity led to a radio show which led to an astonishing deluge of merchandize which led to Fleischer’s cartoon. Now personally… for me, those 17 Max Fleischer animated shorts represent the best that Superman has ever been.
I was showing those SUPERMAN cartoons just two weeks ago to Yoko for the first time and marveled at how they can capture absolutely anyone. Not only that – but watching them on a 9ft screen by 12 ft screen – the animation just leaps beyond any 2D animation I’ve seen. The music, editing, composition and just physical dynamic of Superman is just bliss. I love how he’s super, but not so super that he couldn’t be knocked down. I mean, you bring a building down on him… it’ll take a bit for him to get out, ya know? Like that one with the comet that’s being brought closer to Earth for study by a Mad Scientist… Superman tries to knock it away from impacting on Earth – but that comet knocked the shit out of him. Ultimately… Superman had to fix the machine that had brought it closer and needed Lois’ help to operate it – in order to save mankind and Metropolis. I LOVE THAT!
Anyway – I could write a few thousand words on the Fleischer SUPERMAN cartoons, but that’s not what I’m writing up. From the Fleischer toons, they track over to the Kirk Alyn Columbia Serial… the first filmed Superman… and the first time that Noel Neill played Lois Lane. Actually – there’s a lot that I skipped, the doc is filled with information. Like – the radio show was what gave Superman… the DAILY PLANET, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Kryptonite and the ability to flat out fly.
They literally hit everything here. Hell they even get to Comet and Beppo the SuperMonkey. They interview Jackie Cooper, Richard Donner, Margot Kidder, Ilya Salkind, Lesley Ann Warren, Gene Simmons, Bill Mumy, Mark Hamill, Noel Neill, Jack Larson, Dennis O’Neil, Lesley Anne Warren, Christopher Reeve’s mother, Stan Lee, Forrest J Ackerman, Elliot Maggin, Norman Twain, a host of Superman collectors, Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and a ton of others. What this isn’t… is a crass add for SUPERMAN RETURNS. They touch on it, but it’s not anointed as the “best” or heralded. It’s just the latest chapter in SUPERMAN’s existence. In fact, the chapter of the doc that focuses on SUPERMAN THE MOVIE is where the doc experiences it’s biggest emotional punch. This is killer. Actually - the George Reeves sequence is just as emotional.
It's also fascinating to see how Supes changed from decade to decade over the past seventy plus years. How each generation took the boy scout for a spin. All with various degrees of success. There's a great deal of passionate discussion by a ton of folks and it's with that passion that it catches you up with an excitement about a character that has come and gone - and like Bryan Singer says at one point... a character that has managed to survive his own history.
Now – you can purchase the 2 hour documentary on DVD which comes out on June 20th – or it premieres June 12th on A&E Network – but that version is 30 minutes shorter than the version you’ll find on the DVD. Still definitely worth a look-see for all those that are a fan of the big blue boy scout.
LOOK, UP IN THE SKY is an absolute delight. Ever since we got that first early review about this documentary that Kevin Burns and Bryan Singer put together celebrating and charting the history of SUPERMAN. It’s narrated by Kevin Spacey and put together perfectly. For comic fans and Superman lovers, this was probably the absolute best documentary on SUPERMAN that I’ve seen to date. Beginning with Jerry and Joe’s evolution of the concept of SUPERMAN… from evil bald telepath to the dual identity force for good… who could leap impossible leaps, hoist cars clear over his head and bounce bullets off his chest. Showing how the comics’ amazing popularity led to a radio show which led to an astonishing deluge of merchandize which led to Fleischer’s cartoon. Now personally… for me, those 17 Max Fleischer animated shorts represent the best that Superman has ever been.
I was showing those SUPERMAN cartoons just two weeks ago to Yoko for the first time and marveled at how they can capture absolutely anyone. Not only that – but watching them on a 9ft screen by 12 ft screen – the animation just leaps beyond any 2D animation I’ve seen. The music, editing, composition and just physical dynamic of Superman is just bliss. I love how he’s super, but not so super that he couldn’t be knocked down. I mean, you bring a building down on him… it’ll take a bit for him to get out, ya know? Like that one with the comet that’s being brought closer to Earth for study by a Mad Scientist… Superman tries to knock it away from impacting on Earth – but that comet knocked the shit out of him. Ultimately… Superman had to fix the machine that had brought it closer and needed Lois’ help to operate it – in order to save mankind and Metropolis. I LOVE THAT!
Anyway – I could write a few thousand words on the Fleischer SUPERMAN cartoons, but that’s not what I’m writing up. From the Fleischer toons, they track over to the Kirk Alyn Columbia Serial… the first filmed Superman… and the first time that Noel Neill played Lois Lane. Actually – there’s a lot that I skipped, the doc is filled with information. Like – the radio show was what gave Superman… the DAILY PLANET, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Kryptonite and the ability to flat out fly.
They literally hit everything here. Hell they even get to Comet and Beppo the SuperMonkey. They interview Jackie Cooper, Richard Donner, Margot Kidder, Ilya Salkind, Lesley Ann Warren, Gene Simmons, Bill Mumy, Mark Hamill, Noel Neill, Jack Larson, Dennis O’Neil, Lesley Anne Warren, Christopher Reeve’s mother, Stan Lee, Forrest J Ackerman, Elliot Maggin, Norman Twain, a host of Superman collectors, Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and a ton of others. What this isn’t… is a crass add for SUPERMAN RETURNS. They touch on it, but it’s not anointed as the “best” or heralded. It’s just the latest chapter in SUPERMAN’s existence. In fact, the chapter of the doc that focuses on SUPERMAN THE MOVIE is where the doc experiences it’s biggest emotional punch. This is killer. Actually - the George Reeves sequence is just as emotional.
It's also fascinating to see how Supes changed from decade to decade over the past seventy plus years. How each generation took the boy scout for a spin. All with various degrees of success. There's a great deal of passionate discussion by a ton of folks and it's with that passion that it catches you up with an excitement about a character that has come and gone - and like Bryan Singer says at one point... a character that has managed to survive his own history.
Now – you can purchase the 2 hour documentary on DVD which comes out on June 20th – or it premieres June 12th on A&E Network – but that version is 30 minutes shorter than the version you’ll find on the DVD. Still definitely worth a look-see for all those that are a fan of the big blue boy scout.
