What’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? That would be Superman, of course, but you might not know it from the drawings. But it might be worth a look, as storyboards from 1978’s Superman are up for auction this weekend.
Through Peter Harrington Rare Books, 18 storyboards from Richard Donner’s classic Superman will be up for auction at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair. But you’ll need some major coin, as the collection is valued at a little more than $31,500 (£25,000.00).
Here are some details on the Superman storyboards, as per the Peter Harrington website (where you can also check out the artwork): “Together 18 leaves (approx. 202 x 300 mm), hole-punched left. 17 pencil sketches on transparency (14 with opaque backing paper) and 1 leaf with “Final Shooting Sequence” written in manuscript fibre-tip. Stains from adhesive on backing paper, edges occasionally toned and slightly foxed with a few nicks, largely very well preserved.” The scene depicted is when Jor-El (Marlon Brando) and Lara (Susannah York) send their son, Kal-El (aka Superman aka Clark Kent), to Earth.
Undoubtedly these are incredible items. The Superman storyboards are by Ivor Beddoes, the British artist who – whether he got credit or not – worked on an array of films that include Powell & Pressburger’s The Red Shoes, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and two Star Wars movies from the original trilogy. As Beddoes died in 1982, these Superman storyboards would have been some of the last he did.
1978’s Superman could very well be seeing a resurgence in interest this year. Not only is DC at work on Superman: Legacy, but its star was the focus of the Sundance hit documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (you can read our own Chris Bumbray’s 9/10 review here).
Superman marked a major transition in the world of superhero movies. While the genre had decades to go before it reached its heights, credit has to be given to the 1978 film, which showed the box office potential of such fare – and just how bad sequels could get…
What is your favorite scene from Superman? Give us your pick below!
It used to be said that every movie, no matter how badly it did at the box office or critically, went to heaven. Heaven, of course, meant physical media. First, it was VHS, then it was Laserdisc, then DVD, Blu-ray, and now 4K Blu-rays; every movie would get some kind of physical media release. After all, rentals and sales were important to a film’s profitability. In fact, some movies that tanked theatrically did so well on DVD that they became perennials, such as Donnie Darko or The Transporter, with the DVD sales of that movie directly influencing the studio to greenlight a sequel and give Jason Statham a legit career as an action star.
Yet, despite physical media making a comeback, it’s worth noting that some of the most popular movies in recent memory have never gotten a physical media release. And we’re not only talking about movies that all but disappeared when they hit streaming. Oscar winners aren’t getting released on physical media. In fact, the only streaming movies that reliably hit Blu-ray are the ones Netflix lets Criterion put out. Still, unless your name is Martin Scorsese or Noah Baumbach, so many HUGE movies haven’t gotten physical media releases, so let’s take a look at ten that REALLY need some kind of physical release.
10. Outlaw King:
It’s worth noting that the version of this movie I saw at TIFF in 2018 isn’t the version that hit streaming, with 20 minutes being excised from the film before its general release. Given that it’s a quasi-sequel to Braveheart and the fact that its stars, Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Florence Pugh, are even bigger now than they were back then, this seems like a movie that’s ripe for the re-appraisal a Blu-ray release could give it.
9. The King:
The same thing goes for this superb historical drama, which – quite honestly – was the movie that sold me on Timothee Chalamet. This David Michod movie is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Henry V, and Chalamet is so good that a lot of us think the action-driven drama might have played a big hand in his Dune casting. Again, Chalamet is much bigger now than he was in 2019, so why not polish it off with a new release? Joel Edgerton has rarely been better than he is in this as Falstaff, and it has an incredible score by Nicholas Britell.
8. Glass Onion:
Again, this seems like a no-brainer, given how popular Knives Out was on physical media. You’d think Rian Johnson would push for this one to get an extras-packed release, but no dice so far from Netflix. You have to think that the people who bought the first film would love to have it in their collection, with a Rian Johnson commentary track.
7. Dolemite is My Name:
Now, this one is really inexplicable. Dolemite is My Name is begging for a Criterion release with a ribald Eddie Murphy commentary track and some deleted scenes. The original Dolemite isn’t streaming on Netflix either, making a Blu-ray set that included it a must for collectors.
6. 6 Underground:
I’m surprised Michael Bay hasn’t pushed for a physical release for his would-be franchise starter, which Netflix apparently considered a misfire. Given the fact that it’s a Ryan Reynolds action flick, this would certainly sell well, especially for home theater enthusiasts.
5. The Gray Man:
Another misfired franchise starter; given how Ryan Gosling is riding a new wave of popularity following Barbie, one assumes this high-profile action flick would sell a bunch of 4k discs. I suppose Netflix hopes more people will check it out on the streaming service, but it feels like a missed opportunity for disc.
4. Extraction 1 & 2:
The same thing goes for the Extraction films. This has proven to be a solid franchise for the streamer, but action fans are collectors. Both of these movies would certainly make a mint on 4K Blu-ray. Give these flicks to Arrow Video, and let them do a special-feature loaded double bill. It would SELL.
3. Triple Frontier:
J.C. Chandor’s star-studded heist flick has gotten some renewed attention, with star Charlie Hunnam hyping a potential sequel. Again, some of the actors in this, notably Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal, are way more popular now than they were a few years ago. It’s a great movie, and frankly, this is one I’d actually like to add to my own personal collection.
2. Coda:
Apple’s Coda is the only Best Picture winner at the Oscars that you can’t get on physical media. I know from posts on X that this drives collectors crazy, so this charming film would certainly sell well, especially given that far fewer people subscribe to Apple TV Plus than Netflix. This would be a sharp way to make a little extra bread.
1. Barbarian:
This one boggles the mind. Barbarian was a solid box office hit and a pop culture phenom once it hit Hulu. Horror fans love physical media, and a loaded-up Blu-ray of this movie would sell like hotcakes. That said, of every film on this list, I think this has the best chance of maybe eventually coming to physical media, with Disney putting out Prey not too long ago.
What other streaming movies do you think should be out on physical media? Let us know in the comments!
This week we’re going back to school,collecting Pals, and being reborn—that’s a lot of stuff to do without some tips. Palworld, the breakout hit from developer PocketPair, got a handful of major bug fixes that will make your creature-collecting a lot easier. And Atlus’ recent Persona 3 Reloadrelease means you’ll…
This week we’re going back to school,collecting Pals, and being reborn—that’s a lot of stuff to do without some tips. Palworld, the breakout hit from developer PocketPair, got a handful of major bug fixes that will make your creature-collecting a lot easier. And Atlus’ recent Persona 3 Reloadrelease means you’ll…
Details are tight on Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and final film, but we may have more information on the building cast, as reports say that Tom Cruise is “circling” a role in The Movie Critic.
Considering Tom Cruise is just about the busiest guy in Hollywood and that the inspiration for The Movie Critic – a guy who wrote reviews for a porno magazine – was in his mid-’30s, we could reasonably deduce that Cruise wouldn’t be on the marquee here. But the role may be even more limited than we would expect someone of Cruise’s caliber to settle for. According to The InSneider (per ComingSoon.net), Cruise would be looking at a “small role or cameo.” That’s a bit of a disappointment, but it does show the actor’s eagerness to finally work with Tarantino.
Tarantino is also a massive fan of Cruise and his work, most recently heaping massive praise on Top Gun: Maverick. He even met with Cruise to potentially cast him in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth, the role which eventually went to Cruise’s Interview with the Vampire co-star Brad Pitt. On this meeting, Tarantino said, “We talked about it…He’s a great guy. We really hit it off.” Hopefully this connection does in fact lead to Cruise appearing in The Movie Critic, even if briefly.
As of now, Brad Pitt is confirmed to be in The Movie Critic, reuniting him with Tarantino after the aforementioned Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds. Some have speculated that Pitt could again be playing Cliff Booth, as The Movie Critic is set just a handful of years after Booth and Brandy gave the Manson Family the worst night of their lives. As for others in the cast, rumors once tied Black Bird’s Paul Walter Hauser to the title role.
Filming on The Movie Critic is expected to begin filming this year, with a possible 2025 release. Perhaps Tarantino can bring his no doubt stacked cast to the Cannes Film Festival, where he won the Palme d’Or for Pulp Fiction 30 years ago.
If Tom Cruise ends up in The Movie Critic, will you be disappointed that it’s a small role or is it good enough just to get him to work with Tarantino? Share your thoughts below!
It looks like my box office predictions for Lisa Frankenstein were a bit off, with Deadline’s early numbers suggesting the 80s retro horror film is dying at the box office. Indeed, the Kathryn Newton/ Cole Sprouse movie is looking at only a $4 million debut despite being open on over 3000 screens. It’s actually not doing that much better than Jason Statham’s The Beekeeper, which has been open for five weeks and is already on VOD.
The only thing working in Lisa Frankestein‘s favour is that this budget was slim, an estimated $14 million. Still, that’s a rough opening when you consider the marketing costs. Critics were not kind to the film, which marks the directorial debut of Zelda Williams, daughter of the late great Robin Williams. Our own Tyler Nichols gave it a middling 6/10, praising Newton’s performance, but still found the film was “sloppy” and “lacked cohesion.”
Lisa Frankenstein’s misfortune means that Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle gets the bragging rights of holding the top spot at the box office for a second weekend. That said, with it only grossing around $6 million, that’s not much to brag about. It’s a movie with a $200 million price tag, and it’s completely whiffed at the box office, ending any hopes of a potential franchise.
The rest of the weekend seems pretty slow, as expected, with the Super Bowl tomorrow. People won’t be going to see movies but will stay home to watch the big game instead. For now, it looks like The Beekeeper and Wonka are both tying for third place, with a projected $3.3 million gross apiece. Migration should make about $3 million for a fifth-place finish.
We’ll be back with a full wrap-up tomorrow, but in the meantime, let us know if you’re checking out anything this weekend.
When it was announced that Chris Rock would be remaking the Danish filmAnother Round, there was some knee-jerk concern that the comedian may not be able to nail the tone of the original. Personally, I think Rock is an intelligent enough guy to (hopefully) not turn it into a raucous, sloppy mess that the plot, on paper only, suggests. Now, Another Round director Thomas Vinterberg is weighing in on Rock having a go at a remake.
Vinterberg recently told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet (as translated by NME) that he has faith in Chris Rock taking on Another Round, saying, “The choice of Chris Rock is exciting. It’s exciting [to see] what he comes up with. I am full of good expectations.” Vinterberg then joked, “If it’s shit, he’ll get slapped again,” obviously referring to the 2022 incident in which Rock was attacked by Will Smith after joking about wife Jada.
It might seem like it’s a little too soon to be remaking Another Round, which came out in 2020, but talk of one has actually been on the table for even longer, with Leonardo DiCaprio once attached as early as the spring after the movie came out, possibly playing the role originated by Mads Mikkelsen. Rock, too, may initially seem like a questionable choice, but the man has respect for world and classic cinema, leading both Heaven Can Wait remake Down to Earth and the American re-do of Britain’s Death at a Funeral. Further, his 2007 directorial effort I Think I Love My Wife was a remake of Éric Rohmer’s 1972 film Love in the Afternoon.
For those who have yet to see Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, it tells the story of a group of teachers who try to maintain a constant state of controlled inebriation. Also, you are missing out because it’s one of the best films of the decade so far. It would go on to win the Academy Award for Best International Film, while Vinterberg was nominated for Best Director.
How do you think Chris Rock will do with the Another Round remake? Were you a fan of the original?
It’s been a particularly notable week for gaming news, as reports indicated that Xbox exclusives like Starfield may be making their way to other platforms soon. That in and of itself generated enough rumors and speculation to fuel a week’s worth of news cycles, and we’ve gathered the details and the reactions here.…
It’s been a particularly notable week for gaming news, as reports indicated that Xbox exclusives like Starfield may be making their way to other platforms soon. That in and of itself generated enough rumors and speculation to fuel a week’s worth of news cycles, and we’ve gathered the details and the reactions here.…
Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.
