Daily Archives: August 20, 2023

Superman II
Directed by Richard Lester (theatrical release); Richard Donner (Director’s Cut)
Written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
1980/US
IMBd page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental

General Zod: [as somebody pulls a gun on him] These humans are beginning to bore me.

When I saw this way back when at the movies, I preferred the sequel to the original.  Donner’s cut took so much of the fun out of it that it is now much worse than the original.

Most of the cast of the first film is back in this one. Kryptonian villains General Zod (Terence Stamp, Lara (Susannah York) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) escape the Phantom Zone and sow chaos on Earth. In the meantime Superman (Christopher Reeve) is distracted by his new romance with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) who had discovered his identity. Will love interfere with Superman’s duties?

The romance was not given as much prominence as in the Lester version.  And Lester captured the comic book campiness of the original.  To add to its demerits,  there is not nearly enough Gene Hackman.

Fame
Directed by Alan Parker
Written by Christopher Gore
1980/US
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime rental

Angelo: [Starts playing his son’s tape on top of loudspeakers on his cab] My son’s music! My son Bruno, Bruno Martelli, he wrote the music! Today 46th street, tomorrow Madison Square Garden!

Several days ago, I watched Alan Parker’s “Fame” (1980). I remember this from original release. It did not disappoint this time around.

The film is about a students at the New York School for Performing Arts. The story takes us from the tension of auditions to graduation day. But don’t worry there is plenty of teenage angst and drama.

The angst doesn’t measure up to the fabulous dancing and the Academy-Award-Winning title song and score, which has stood the test of time.

Music video – not the movie version