Merrick here...
This should've been posted a day or two ago - a few things (like sick dogs and STAR TREK - No, I'm not equating the two) got in the way.
The dudes over at Latino Review have posted a video review of Robert Gordon's spec script for BIZARRO SUPERMAN. Gordon was a writer on MIB II (booooo!) and GALAXY QUEST (yeeeeahhh!) .
You can watch the review via the embed below - which originates HERE.
In somewhat (but not necessarily) related news, Warners released all 17 installments of Max Fleischer's SUPERMAN on DVD yesterday.
These are lifted from the original masters, and were previously available in THIS
collection of SUPERMAN movies. However, this is the first time the new transfers have been available in stand-alone packaging (as opposed to being attached to DVDs of the movies, etc.)
If you don't own that SUPERMAN Ultimate Collector's Edition, or are simply horny to have the wonderful Fleischer stuff accessible in easier/more specific packaging, you might wanna consider checking this out (HERE
).
I was talking to Harry about this DVD set the other day and he expressed frustration that - while the overall transfer of the material looks fantastic - cleaning hasn't been done. So, you get a great looking product that is resolutely imperfect due to specks, etc. I totally understand where he's coming from, and I agree these should be cleaned it up a bit before their probable release on Blu-Ray. But I do feel that the overall beauty of these pieces overshadows those admittedly pesky blemishes. Still, if you're a getting this, you may want to look upon the product as a stepping stone rather than an archival stopping point.
But what a stepping stone it is. In my mind, the Oscar nominated Fleischer SUPERMAN series has always represented not only the best SUPERMAN cartoons ever made, but a stylistic benchmark by which cartoons in general...as well as the SUPERMAN live action movies themselves...should be measured. And when measured against Fleischer's work? A lot of stuff comes up pretty short in many regards.
The two disc set includes two documentaries - notably FIRST FLIGHT: THE FLEISCHER SUPERMAN SERIES which discusses the cartoons' comparitively enourmous budgets, Fleischer's development of rotoscope technology, and includes commentary from Fleischer's son Richard, Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Dan Riba (from SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES), Fleischer Studios director/animator Myron Waldman, and more. Pretty sure this doc was previously released in the movie box set as well, but I'm too tired to go check right now.
Here are a few samples, NOT from the transfers/mastering discussed above. Keep in mind that "The Japoteurs" was realized during World War II, and...you know...reflects some attitudes of that era. Have fun!
