We’ve been discussing Jon Schnepp’s remarkable, efficient, smart, honest, and roundly enjoyable THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN LIVES documentary for some time here on the site - but there haven't been many screenings, and it hasn't been easy to find. As such, I thought I’d give y’all a heads up that it becomes widely available to the public this week. It arrives online and on disc Thursday, July 9.
There appear to be several flavors to choose from, including a hefty digital load out which (seems) to be more or less the Blu-ray, but not on a physical disc. There’s also a proper Blu-ray, a film-only version, and more. You can read more about t options, and place your orders, HERE.
I saw DOSL a few months ago and enjoyed it tremendously. It’s a deep-digging and hugely illuminating insight into the fabled project, and I can’t recommend this picture highly enough for fans of comic book films - or for folks merely interested in an honest glimpse into how politics and production can unfold on a gargantuan and high-profile movie.
How would the world have received a Tim Burton/Nic Cage SUPERMAN movie? Based on the material presented in Schnepp’s film alone (there is evidently an assload of supporting material offered as ‘extras’ on the upcoming public release), I feel SUPERMAN LIVES would’ve been transformative. For better or worse? There’s no way to know without seeing a final product. But what Burton was going for in his SUPERMAN movie appears to have been far bolder, far more fanciful, far more audacious and risky than his previous take on BATMAN. Burton & Cage’s SUPERMAN would, by my measure, be a film we’d still be evoking and debating to this day. If it had worked, I think the nature of comic book movies (and how we perceive what they should/can be) would’ve been radically reshaped and redefined.
Meanwhile, the LA Times has a clip from the documentary - which you can find HERE.
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Glen Oliver
“Merrick”
