Superman II: The Hybrid Cut
Yep, like half the planet, I've done my own re-edit of Superman II using the parts I like best.
After years of petitioning, begging and pleading, fans of Superman got what they asked for. In November of 2006, the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II finally became a reality. But it turned out the Holy Grail really was just a plain ol' cup. Sadly, Donner's Cut was so focused on removing the elements of Lester's film that they failed to acknowledge the genuine contributions Lester did make to the Superman II. Most notably, a coherent ending, not recycled from what ultimately climaxed the first film, original intent or not. Imperfect though it was, the Donner Cut did give fans what they wanted most: The long lost footage of Brando, and all the original scenes with the cast we grew to know and love, in context for the most part. In some ways, it is superior, and in others, it is inferior to the Lester Cut. The ideal cut lies somewhere in between. Thus, this fan edit merely tries to make the best story out of all the elements. Specifically to my edit:
1) Alternate version of "Planet Krypton" cue by John Williams opens the film.
2) Non kills the guard, Zod Breaks the crystal and the rings come down. Cut to:
3) Brando asking the council to pronounce judgment.
4) As Phantom Zone speeds away, Krypton Explodes and Alexander Salkind credit speeds out of this. Credits are from Donner Cut.
5) Zoom into earth cuts to the tail-fire of the XK-101 Rocket with Supes chasing it.
6) Lots of bad CGI removed. Rocket Explodes, shattering Phantom Zone from Lester Cut but with "FREE!" mixed in. Fade out as Villains fly to the moon.
7) Fade in on Metropolis Street vendor, then cut to Perry reading the paper.
8) Lois Jumps. Bad eye-beam shots removed. Awning was always open.
9) Extended Prison sequence
10) Moon, with "curl" discussion back at Mission Control. Hairdryer line cut.
11) Donner's getaway.
12) Tour of the honeymoon suite.
13) Heading North
14) Falls rescue is a hybrid of the two cuts, with Lois noticing Clark's absence reinstated.
15) Donner's version of Lex in the fortress
16) Pink Bear scene, trimmed down.
17) Heading South
18) Non picks up the snake, but only ponders it.
19) Superman takes Lois to the fortress, picks up flowers and dinner.
20) Ursa arm wrestles.
21) Dinner. No sex with Lois while super-powered. No Kryptonite condoms in this story.
22) Brando depowers Superman. Nookie afterward.
23) Donner cut for a long long time, until ...
24) "Care to step outside?"
25) Donner cut Metropolis battle and Fortress
26) Arctic Police, Smallville line removed (with a fantastic musical edit behind this whole scene)
27) Fortress NOT destroyed. Cut straight to the kiss.
28) Tearful farewell on terrace
29) Memory Kiss
30) Elevator Bully
31) Diner Bully
32) Flag Flying High, end credits.
*) Plus, I've included a bonus slideshow of "Mr. Thau, Please Create In CGI Villains Rule The World Scene?" images by yours truly.
Superman Redeemed
This project of pure insanity presents a hybrid cut of Superman III and IV, with elements of all four films worked in. I had the crazy concept for this film after watching them for the first time since I was a kid. Though they're both miserably wretched to watch, they do have some fantastic elements in them. III had the great stuff with Lana in Smallville, plus the classic good vs. evil Superman battle. IV had a great concept with Superman trying to disarm the world and Lex trying to capitalize on it, but the FX were miserable, the action sequences were misguided, Lenny was annoying, and the whole Lacy plot was nothing but superfluous padding. It would have been a great movie of the week in the early 80s at best.
Was there enough salvagable material in these two, and could it be constructed into a working plot? I wasn't even sure going into it, but I thought so. When I realized that the Paris sequence from Lester's SII could be the lynchpin of the story, it all fell into place. The end result is surprisingly coherent and entertaining. Some bad FX still remain, and a couple of disjointed cuts were inescapable, but it's better than sitting through those two films in their entirety ever again. Just as the character of Superman is redeemed in the junkyard, so do these two junky films get redeemed, leaving a more fitting legacy for Christopher Reeve. Hence the name: Superman Redeemed.
I could detail the edit, but I think I'll let it speak for itself. A few notes though:
1) A healthy dose of the STM Original Soundtrack helps to patch scenes together and punch others up.
2) Lenny doesn't bust out Lex, Miss Tessmacher does while Otis looks on, dumbfounded. It was great to put these characters into this film. Thank you Donner Cut Deleted Scenes!
3) Brando is heard.
4) Darth Editous is the coolest guy on this board. One key shot still had Richard Pryor in it, which I was prepared to accept after my slipshod attempts at digital character removal. Then DE offered to fix this and presented the result in less than a day. As Clark would best say it: "Golly, what a swell guy!" Check out this page to see what awesomeness he produced.