I just hope warners does not issue a cease and desist order. like they did with the fanmade Superman II restored international cut once their own Donner cut was released.
How do you go about getting warners to release the longer tv version. As far as i know the only reason they never released it on dvd was because this cut was not intended by Donner.
The salkinds created the cut. I say just release it on dvd and be done with it even if they must use an A directed by Allen Smithee,lol.
I find the donner directors cut to be inferior to both the theatrical and the unauthorized by the director tv version. The theatrical audio is so much more superior than the one with the new fake cooked up discrete 5.1 with new incorrect modern sound effects and design. The 6 track mix shoud have been on the dvd as well as the 2.0 original 35mm mix restored.
According to Donner if i remember the vaulted elements were in such poor shape ato be deemed unusable. But since then the music itself has been found in its original superior form and released on cd in a deluxe set even better than the rhino release from film score monthly.
So how much do you want to bet they found the original dialogue and effects reels too. And they just don't want to spend the money on a restoration. All the superman films should be available on blu ray in their theatrical forms and restored. The donner cut of supes 1 with different color timing and soundtrack than the original hardly counts imho. Nor does the Superman Returns picture which already has an excellent release supposedly in HD.
Superman itself should be restored from its original negative what we got on dvd was the old restoration from 2000-2001 now outdated and obsolete. I want a new 4k scan of the 35mm process and a 6k scan of the vistavision plates on dvd and blu ray. With both versions of the theatrical audio restored and mixed properly.
I doubt warners would pay for a Robert Harris level Godfather type restoration though.
I would not claim they are incapable on such a fine restoration though. As their Adventures of Robin Hood restoration in glorious technicolor proves that to be in error.
A Lossless PCM stereo track on a blu ray release of the theatrical would allow people to finally get rid of their laserdisc copies.