POLL - Which Version of Superman (1978)

On Beavis And Butthead- The controversy was over the early seasons where B and B were pictured moreso as delinquents and arguably cool, for example the first short of B and B was "frog baseball" where they are pitching and hitting liv frogs. After the trailer burning hoax, the show shifted their chracters to more dumb and lame, and most of B and B including the post-90s season feature those characters who were way funnier then their early versions. It was the early versions every parent was upset it about (and seeing some of those episodes maybe they had a point) So they moved it the the 11 pm timeslot and changed it for the better. It's not terrible, but you can see where the early versions were more suber crude icons of mtv brain deadness and edge, parodies of roughnecks the creator live near then- instead of being lovable losers were icons of cool, that at least could motivate some to immulate their stunts. The early seasons can easily be found online though nowadays.

I’ve seen every Marvel movie, Batmans galore, Deadpools, X-Men, Snyderverses left and right but for me nothing and I mean NOTHING tops Christopher Reeve’s Superman. He’s been with me my whole life for me as a child he WAS real. Simple as that. This is Superman.

This movie is great, but it is long enough. You don't need to see 8-9 more minutes of it. Stick with the theatrical release we all were enchanted by. Remember the marketing tagline (considering the era): "You WILL believe a man can fly." At the time, it was a bold statement, and the film delivered. We take superhero flight looking good in films for granted now, but this is where it got perfected.

If you watch Superman 2, it's got to be the Richard Donner directors cut. Some hugely different (and better) story beats, and Marlon Brando back as Jor'El. I refuse to watch the campy theatrical S2 any more, as the DE version is a much more natural pairing with the first one: https://youtu.be/JLJlhGujHaQ?si=b25PxatCpKMG6Hsy

There are films to bother with the "special edition" version of but this one ain't it.

I thought there was a final director’s cut edition. I’ve always like it the best.

An additional comment for the guys…please don’t wait too long to watch “Superman II”! Both movies are so much fun and compliment each other so well, and they tell one big story!

I don’t normally go against the theatrical version of any movie…but the Special Edition of “Superman: The Movie” IS the better version. The added footage better fleshes out certain scenes and makes them more impactful.

Wow, did Superman win the raffle! That's awesome! This film was my first favorite film and is why I love movies, super heroes and my favorite fictional character Superman.

Watch the one that's available to view on a major streaming service.

I love the Theatrical but enjoy the extra scenes in Special. For first time watching, Theatrical.

Theatrical. The Special Edition, extended cut is interesting on rewatch. But, for first time viewing, Theatrical is leaner and tells the whole story coherently.

I don't know about the first Superman. But if you guys watch Superman 2, I'm begging you to just watch the Theatrical Cut. I know some say to go with the "Donner Cut," but it simply isn't a complete movie. And despite the claims that the theatrical version of Superman 2 is "too silly," it's not like the Donner Cut doesn't have its share of silliness. To me, the Donner Cut also doesn't jibe with the first movie as well as the theatrical version does.

Personally, I love the EXTENDED CUT because I recorded it from TV, it was the two-night premiere, 3 hours long total. It was recently released digitally a few years ago. Has tons of extra footage. That was the version that made the others seem too short. Same thing for STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE ... The version with 14 extra minutes, added for the TV premiere, is much better than theatrical or director's cut. That version was also recently released digitally, with the 4k complete set.

Watch the extended edition on a rewatch. I'm pretty sure Donner said he prefers the theatrical. Now, if you get to Superman II, the Donner version is the way to go.

Would’ve voted for the 3-hour Extended Cut if I could, but any version is fine.

Bear in mind, “special editions” are led by studios usually without regard for real quality. They’re money grabs and are not even director cuts. In other words, the creative vision of the director isn’t represented…. and directors often protest wildly with what the studio cobbles together in the form of a “special edition.”

Special edition is garbage

I like the extras in the extended edition, but I feel like the two of you are about the way people experienced it for the first time. So the theatrical version makes sense for this reaction. You can always do a second watch of the expanded edition in the future if there's any desire for it.

TLDR: theatrical

So, as much as I like the Theatrical Cut, I actually voted for the Special Edition due to it only adding 8 mins of deleted scenes (while not necessary for the story, it does add something to it) without seeming out of place. The other, "Extended" cut is a 3hr TV movie with lots of filler.

Special Edition is schmalzy and will not be an improvement.

for me, Theatrical because if not I can't watch it (T currently on Max and Prime). BUT if people think the SE is way better go with it.

There are maybe 1 or 2 movies that have a special edition that I like. Most movies are not better than the theatrical version. Please watch the theatrical.

I lean to theatrical although there is one scene at least from the extended you have to check out,

Special Edition adds unnecessary stuff but still very cool to see.

I have both but prefer theatrical in this case

I’m voting theatrical so I can watch along

Not trying to tell you guys you need to do something different than you've already decided, but just wanted to express a thumbs down to using content that we would have to purchase hard copies of to follow along, it makes it difficult to join you on those watches.

The extended version doesn't really add anything to the story.

Reddit concensus seems to be the SE. The full extended is generally not liked though it seems.

Special Edition is crap, especially with its mangled sound mix. Theatrical cut with original stereo audio all the way ….. OR the 3-hour TV cut

I bought the Blu-ray a few years ago and was surprised when I watched it. The movie feels much longer than I remember. Everything I remember about it is from the second half. 😁

Loved the first 2 so much!!

One the greatest films ever. Christopher Reeve was Superman