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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 23, 2021 18:43:36 GMT -5
So… that was a heck of an episode the other night. One of the better ones of the season IMO and a clever way to cover more of Superman’s origin and the early days of Clark and Lois’s relationship. One of my best friends who is NOT overwhelmed by the Superman movies just was RAVING about how good last night's episode was--- to my giant shock. Still waiting for the blu ray to 'binge' it....
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 22, 2021 1:33:59 GMT -5
I LOVE those new costumes- and great picture! The only 'odd' thing is how it doesn't really convey just how tall Zach Levi is, but no matter...
On the flip side- I'm a bit wary on the sequel's story. I'm not sure there was more story to tell, but I hope I'm wrong.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 20, 2021 23:26:59 GMT -5
I know these are behind the scenes, but the new costume for Supergirl doesn't look very flattering, but then again- I felt the same for Brandon in the press photos but thought it looked fine in the movie, so... (shrug)
I wish I could generate more excitement for Flashpoint. Having Keaton in there is cool and all, but.... get ROuth and Bale and I'll be more excited. Speaking of which, really suprised Bale agreed to be in Thor 4 - which HAS to be a comedy of sorts. If he's willing to do that, it would be cool to see him in Flashpoint, but I have a feeling he really liked the Nolan trilogy and wants to leave it alone. (I'd love it if Nolan wanted to do a "Nolan cut" of the Dark Knight Rises where he got to kill off Batman as originally intended, but I doubt it would ever happen...)
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 19, 2021 22:21:04 GMT -5
I think Routh is possible. He said he’s willing. Bale? I wouldn’t hold my breath. The 'good' thing is that I got a good 'fix' with the tv Crisis-- it wasn't near "Endgame", but considering how extreme the resources that were available for "Endgame" and what was available for "Crisis"- I'm way impressed that they did as much as they did. Who would have thought they would have gotten Burt Ward & the actresses who were in Birds of Prey as well? So, that miniseries REALLY earned a lot of goodwill with the fanboy part of me. So- the question is: Will Flashpoint be as appealing even with Keaton? I'm trying to lower my expectations, but Flashpoint really will be compared to both the tv Crisis and Endgame to some degree.... hope they come close!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 19, 2021 22:11:16 GMT -5
The eyes are fine but it’s from the lower nose down that’s off. The mouth and chin look wrong. The nose is a bit too wide and the lips too full. Reminds me of a young Brian Thompson. As far as following what Donner would have done supposedly Donner said a few years ago that Brainiac was one of the things he considered so they’re on the right track. This will probably be like the way Two Face was used in Harlan Ellison’s unfilmed Batman script being the foundation for the way two face was used in the Batman 66 comic vs the Batman vs Two Face animated movie. They’re all influenced by Ellison’s script to varying degrees. Some more than others. Harlan Ellison has an unfilmed Batman script out there? Have to check it out! I viewed a summary of his original classic Trek tv script- was amazing! Donner had a good visual sense of taste= but also of honoring what came before in his adaptation.... I would have LOVED to have seen how he would have presented Brainiac back in the 80's--- I'm imagining a high quality actor in green makeup.... but it's a pity no one who interviewed Donner and Mank ever pressed for more details on their 'what if' versions of what would have been the subsequent sequels- But then again... I pressed the writer of Terminator 2 at a panel (Will WIsher I believe) for what he and Cameron would have done for T3 as the time had long passed where it was possible, but he kept mum on it- I imagine it's about not giving any ideas away for free, but... would have been nice to have known more of the 'what would we have gotten' or more of a hint of it. I do think we would have gotten an expanded supporting cast with Cat Grant and Steve Lombard- that would have been a lot of fun... it was neat to see Cat Grant (For one seasson only oddly) in Lois and Clark, but odd that subsequent adaptations (including Superman Returns) didn't take advantage of that pre-existing material to draw from.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 18, 2021 13:41:32 GMT -5
I don't know- I actually think it's pretty good compared to the others. I have a wait and see attitude but I wish there was some hint that they were going to follow what Donner/Mank really might have done.
I think when I started noticing even the 'masters' having imperfections with likenesses (and trying to draw them myself, though I would hardly claim to be a master)- likenesses are just... DIFFICULT.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 17, 2021 22:34:58 GMT -5
There's so much good stuff on this show - (cast, production values, Geoff Johns)- unfortunately it's also marred by a poor showrunner (Akiva Goldman)- who feels a need to land an 'f' bomb every two seconds...
On the plus side- Marvel is showing that it's the story that counts, not the amount of f bombs. I don't think I'm a prude, but it's ridiculous how many f-bombs land unnecessarily in this show.... which I would forgive if there weren't so many clunky scenes that don't land. But- again, there's a lot of good I really like in the show...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 21:09:34 GMT -5
Metallo, your review suddenly made me think of a filmmaker whose work I mostly enjoyed- but... also was a filmmaker who allowed giant gaps of logic and bits of ridiculousness to it- John Woo. (LIke most filmmakers, he has his bombs and 'meh' movies too) The difference between the two, though- is that (imo) Woo has a giant heart at the core of even his most violent (and some are extremely violent) film noir shoot-em-ups and a bend towards having the hero go on a path of redemption--- whereas with much of the Snyder work I've seen--- particularly his "Sucker Punch" and "Watchmen"- It's really difficult to find the heart in Snyder's work. I see spots where he would LIKE to show the characters have a heart, but it almost always seems to fall flat. The two have (imo) a great visual style- and both have excesses in their movies- to a point of ridiculousness at times... but somehow Woo's stories have a core that redeems its excesses--- while with Snyder's often it just feels like the core is not there. Anyhow... At least with Woo you can point to the cultural differences between Hong Kong cinema and western cinema to explain away why certain things in his American movies don’t play as well or why he never really had the same kind of success in this part of the world. Different audiences and different cultural storytelling. With Snyder the guy might be in the wrong position in filmmaking. He could certainly stay away from actual script writing. Snyder’s strengths are on the technical and visual sides. When it comes to character and story I think he’s often oblivious to certain basic things. He tries to do to much and gets distracted and his films end up with certain issues. Woo unfiltered is a beautiful mess.... but somehow overall works when he was allowed to go 'full noir'--- but his headspace during the time of his most potent films usually had characters go to REALLY dark places that they would have to climb out of, and that journey was almost always was interesting. He talked of having a really religious upbringing and the most interesting of his films reflect a bit of that. BUT.... when he got a more mellow view of the world--- also- when he got to Hollywood and possibly had less control- (not sure which effect came first)- 'mild' Woo is the least interesting to downright boring and unsuccessful artistically imo. His strongest film in Hollywood was "Face/Off" though I don't think it's his best. "Mission Impossible II" and "Hard Target" was fun for his stylish flourishes and creative over-the-top action scenes, but otherwise I think most of his Hollywood filmography one can write off, sadly. Snyder and Michael Bay in my ideal world would be great cinematographers. Snyder seems like a nice guy, but I just don't get how he can interpret and translate some of the comics work the way he does. If there was more quality control over the script for MOS I might be totally ok with the Snyderverse- as is, I think his JL is the best of his comics work and Watchmen is great in parts. I'm glad for that but more glad that Kevin Feige is center stage of the Hollywood superhero universe. No matter what Feige is being paid, I think at this point, he's worth every penny. (Though I'm still annoyed he changed the Ancient One and bypassed the Starlin Captain Marvel and his casting for Shang-chi.... but I'm a nitpicker...)
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 20:35:59 GMT -5
It’s the first live action project by Johns I haven’t been disappointed by- but I have a feeling this is his really his baby unfiltered. Still I wish it were skewed for an ilder audiences
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 20:33:46 GMT -5
So WB is seeming to focus on ‘straight to vhs/streaming’.... hmn..so glad Kevin Feige set the bar HIGH for that. if not, I think we’d get a another ‘Inhumans’ quality tv show.... so the pressure is on- a good thing!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 19:00:46 GMT -5
Was sad to hear, but I didn't keep up and thought he and Charles Grodin (who I also really enjoyed onscreen) had died YEARS ago. Still, agreed... RIP, Mr. Beatty! I’ve had a few like that myself. I thought some people had died years before. I knew Grodin was still around but I was surprised he was as old as he was. I figured he was at least five years younger. Back in the midnight run days he didn’t look as old as he apparently was but since he was also in Rosemarys Baby as her doctor I guess he had to be. I remember reading Grodin's memoirs awhile back - I just remember it was very entertaining. I should check out more of Grodin's work. I loved him in Heaven Can Wait and I thought Midnight Run was a fantastic showcase for him and DeNiro. I did see part of Network, but I know Network and Rosemary's Baby (another film I didn't see) were big in its time...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 18:57:18 GMT -5
Technically I should not comment in this thread as I have still not seen the Snyder cut. But I have seen Snyder's latest slam , bang and wallop em' movie, Army Of The Dead, on Netflix. I do find it very interesting that Snyder chooses to make a blood and guts horror flick(all be it with a touch of Syderesque humour).......after having experienced something as traumatic as the death of his own daughter. It's almost like the guy wants to take the piss out of death......instead of trying to comprehend it. But basically, I am pretty sure I don't have to watch the Snyder Cut.....as Army Of The Dead pretty much has all the same ingredients. The Zombie gymnasts in Army bare a striking resemblance to the Parademons in Justice.....in both their movements and the way they scream! Just to wrap it all up Los Angeles gets nuked........simulating the destruction seen in MOS,DOJ and JL. Even the premise in Army......a bunch of rag tag mercenaries getting together to take on the zombies and retrieve the Maguffin(money in a vault)........is not dissimilar to the way our Superheroes band together in JL to get hold of the MotherBoxes. And Dave Buattista does the same kind of one on one, hand to hand combat with the zombies.....that Affleck performs against Luthor's goons in DOJ. And on and on it goes. Yawn. I found Army of the Dead to be a fun men on a mission zombie action adventure but a lousy film and piece of storytelling. It could also be at least 20 minutes shorter. There’s one scene with a tiger that was a textbook example of something that could have been trimmed but it was overly long and violent just for the sake of it. It’s got all the hallmark problems of a Zack Snyder film: boated excess, huge gaps in logic, and weak characters doing stuff that makes absolutely no sense. The soldiers at the opening were doing things that were completely idiotic. Like why run into the desert instead of getting back into the Humvee? I loved the German safe cracker but why would they need one since the guy who owned the hotel and casino could just give them the combination or some kind of key card to get it? It was HIS money? Snyder wanted fast zombies AND slow zombies after all the flak he got for his fast zombies in the dawn of the dead remake. It felt like overkill to do both. I could forgive the zombie king somehow getting his hands on a forged metal helmet/cowl somehow but why are robot zombies in the film? Snyder threw in stuff for a future movie that just completely distracted from this one. Stevie Wonder could have seen one obvious character turn coming and the big twist at the end was silly since what the rich guy wanted would be easy to get without the elaborate scheme. There was no need to go through all that. Finally the reason the daughter went along and the reason things went south was COMPLETELY glosses over. I really am starting the think Snyder is some kind of high functioning idiot if simple stuff in the film gets totally forgotten about like that. I do think the father daughter story of the film was Snyder trying to work out some feelings he had after his own daughters death. I can’t fault him for that Metallo, your review suddenly made me think of a filmmaker whose work I mostly enjoyed- but... also was a filmmaker who allowed giant gaps of logic and bits of ridiculousness to it- John Woo. (LIke most filmmakers, he has his bombs and 'meh' movies too) The difference between the two, though- is that (imo) Woo has a giant heart at the core of even his most violent (and some are extremely violent) film noir shoot-em-ups and a bend towards having the hero go on a path of redemption--- whereas with much of the Snyder work I've seen--- particularly his "Sucker Punch" and "Watchmen"- It's really difficult to find the heart in Snyder's work. I see spots where he would LIKE to show the characters have a heart, but it almost always seems to fall flat. The two have (imo) a great visual style- and both have excesses in their movies- to a point of ridiculousness at times... but somehow Woo's stories have a core that redeems its excesses--- while with Snyder's often it just feels like the core is not there. Anyhow...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 11:47:56 GMT -5
Oh no that is sad to hear. I had actually watched STM last night by sheer coincidence. I don't have Deliverance or Network in my collection but have seen clips from both down the years. Might get round to bagging them at some point. Beatty was also in Switching Channels with Reeve in 1988. Whilst it is not particularly a good film I seem to recall Beatty(who portrays a politician in the flick) being radically different to the character he played in STM. As for Reeve, well he was picking up the pieces after the debacle that was SIV! Beatty's monologue in Network is sublime. "It is the international system of currency which determines the totality of life on this planet"Never have truer words been spoken.....I would argue that the above applies to the COVID pandemic but that is a discussion for another thread or forum! Beatty was a massive constituent(all be it in a minor/supporting role) of what made STM & SII(Lester or Donner) so great and his chemistry with Hackman was perfect. Let's see the actors who played Luthor's henchmen in MOS do the same kind of Network type monologue. Their acting range does not extend beyond looking moody or er........pretty! Sidenote on "Switching Channels"- originally it was supposed to be Reeve and Michael Caine- which - judging by their work on "Deathtrap"- would have been fantastic. Burt Reynolds was ok, but if it was Caine as originally intended, I think it would have been a comic classic.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 11:44:59 GMT -5
Technically I should not comment in this thread as I have still not seen the Snyder cut. But I have seen Snyder's latest slam , bang and wallop em' movie, Army Of The Dead, on Netflix. I do find it very interesting that Snyder chooses to make a blood and guts horror flick(all be it with a touch of Syderesque humour).......after having experienced something as traumatic as the death of his own daughter. It's almost like the guy wants to take the piss out of death......instead of trying to comprehend it. But basically, I am pretty sure I don't have to watch the Snyder Cut.....as Army Of The Dead pretty much has all the same ingredients. The Zombie gymnasts in Army bare a striking resemblance to the Parademons in Justice.....in both their movements and the way they scream! Just to wrap it all up Los Angeles gets nuked........simulating the destruction seen in MOS,DOJ and JL. Even the premise in Army......a bunch of rag tag mercenaries getting together to take on the zombies and retrieve the Maguffin(money in a vault)........is not dissimilar to the way our Superheroes band together in JL to get hold of the MotherBoxes. And Dave Buattista does the same kind of one on one, hand to hand combat with the zombies.....that Affleck performs against Luthor's goons in DOJ. And on and on it goes. Yawn. Hm- well, the family matters I avoid talking about with Snyder- because the situation is so awful that I sidestep chatting about any connection with his work and home tragedy- however anyone might deal with it, I'm just glad if I'm not in their shoes.... With Justice League- it's not David Goyer writing it, so it avoids the despair and bleakness I think Goyer's solo work has that pushes 'dark' a little too far, without a healthy counterbalance... But- even from an editorial standpoint, it's an interesting excercise to view both. Much is the same footage, but there definitely are some major story and character arcs that are reinserted that give JL the backbone that the theatrical didn't really have. (Even though I enjoyed the theatrical also). While the story may have a number of logic gaps (why does Supes' death wake up the three mother boxes in the beginning?)- Snyder did achieve an epic feeling to the work, partly by removing a lot of the humor, but the music and insertions also added to it, as well. If nothing else, an interesting study in re-editing at the very least...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 0:35:06 GMT -5
Not without some heavy HEAVY rewriting of the script along with his brother and some very hands on producing. It would basically have to be something similar to a Spielberg/Hooper/Poltergeist situation. If not major input then Nolan filming some stuff himself that Snyder either wouldn’t or couldn’t do. That would just end up a Frankenstein’s monster of a movie like Justice League unless they were on the same page from the beginning. I just can’t see Nolan, as a creator himself, doing any of that to another fellow director unless they were just totally incapable of finishing the film on their own. Nolan seems to be all for a director having his “vision” realized for better or worse and doesn’t strike me as a guy who would interfere. I believe him when he said he helped (in a limited capacity) shepherd MOS to a certain point in development and then stepped away from it to let Snyder do his own thing. The reason he may have picked Snyder was because he probably felt he had a grasp of the comic book genre and that type of storytelling and was the kind of visualist who could pull off that kind of film. Much of the problem with MOS is it’s trying to be a Nolan type of film done the Snyder way. They aren’t the same kind of filmmaker. The movie may have been doomed from the start. WB trying to remake everything DC on film in the image of the Dark Knight trilogy was always going to be a tough hill to climb because different projects require different needs. WB should have gotten another filmmaker besides Snyder from the start. Goyers script was also pretty uninspired too. A bunch of other better movies viewed through the Dark Knight/Batman Begins lens. They should I have been trying to create a new trend instead of following an existing one. Trying to copy Nolan’s films or even the MCU has left them with a cracked foundation for their universe. The one thing the should have taken from the MCU they didn’t: a plan where they slowly built everything up. WB Wanted the MCU ASAP. Hm... good points. If either Goyer had been replaced with a screenwriter who was more in tune with the Superman character - or - if they had gotten a director to shape Goyer's script to be more- well, the Superman we remember- then I would have been fine if they wanted the same TONE as the Dark Knight/Batman Begins- It's hard to know exactly what's going on in WB's head--- but bizzarely they seem a LITTLE better than Sony as far as getting their act together... maybe... (shrug)
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 0:29:31 GMT -5
Hmnnn.... I actually would rather someone deepfake Helen Slater onto Melissa Benoist footage, but... I do have to say- I don't remember if this was already posted here, but Henry Cavill as Supergirl I found hilarious... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke8DfmJM7ic
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 0:23:10 GMT -5
Luke Fox’s new Batwing suit. It’s an idea from the comics. Didn’t think they were going this way with him on the show but it seems like every character on all these shows eventually feels a need to put on a costume. I find it's a mixed bag. On one hand, I was annoyed that Smallville was so 'anti-costume' during its run- but on the flip side, the Berlianti shows seem to go overboard on them...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 14, 2021 0:17:02 GMT -5
Was sad to hear, but I didn't keep up and thought he and Charles Grodin (who I also really enjoyed onscreen) had died YEARS ago. Still, agreed... RIP, Mr. Beatty!
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 4, 2021 17:40:25 GMT -5
In re-viewing Zack Snyder's JL (Which I greatly like)- there's a documentary on the Canadian blu-ray that talks of how Nolan approached Zack for Superman... but in thinking on it- could Nolan (1) see some of the more appalling aspects of MOS (primarily the callous treatment of bystanders and bizzare killing of Jimmy Olsen)- (2) if so, could he have stepped in with a stronger hand to fix it (The James Cameron-produced last Terminator film talked about how the director wasn't happy about Cameron's control over final cut apparently)?
If he did step in... (if he did see the flaws, but then again, he couldn't see it in "Dark Knight Rises")- If Zack Snyder continued on... I don't know if we would have gotten the 4-hour JL, but probably the sequel if it succeeded- but one wonders how else things would have unravelled.... much differently outside of no JL sequel right now? Hard to say...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on Jun 3, 2021 20:21:46 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing this- the resemblance to Margot is uncanny! (Not always the case even with relatives) She doesn't look like an exact twin, but the resemblance is definitely there.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 31, 2021 18:32:08 GMT -5
Well said!
For me- it's funny to have this situation, because I grew up with (as many here did I'm sure)- NO quality superhero material, tv or movies- to then have an overload of them is possibly an embarrassment of riches-
But- In an ideal world-
I'd rather that there be less mediocre and half-thought out adaptations in favor of stronger 4-5 movie franchises that are so good, you wouldn't WANT a reboot or spinoff.
Still... As always- the MCU is setting the bar and continuing to do new and fresh things that reverberate and give value to all of its branches. It's a pity Kevin Feige can't clone himself.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 31, 2021 16:01:19 GMT -5
Those are gorgeous, I saw those. Also, the pre-orders for the Hardback collection of the Superman reeve comics is already sold out on Amazon!!! Wowza.
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 31, 2021 16:00:16 GMT -5
I think he was trying to ride the line between the casual viewer and more knowledgeable fans. Plus considering the way the movie played fast and loose with its use of the Donner films and their backstory as well as the ways previous (then recent) adaptations like Lois & Clark and Smallville went in all sorts of different directions with the material I’m guessing they felt even more of a need to kind of dumb certain things down or explain what their movie was doing. So many different adaptations can color people’s ideas of just what they think they know even beyond the show or movie they watched. I was in a shop a few weeks ago and some guy was asking me something. Then he talked about how Two Face killed vagina Graysons family. I had to point out to him that was true in a movie not the entire lore. So it can all get a bit mixed up and complicated even to people who are fans depending on when and how they jumped into the fandom. By that point Smallville had five years of Kryptonite not only being deadly to Clark but turning normal people into super powered mutants. On the other side you had Justice League and JL Unlimited doing a story where long term Kryptonite exposure didn’t give Luthor powers but was killing him (like in the early 90s comics). You make a good point- also, though, it highlights one of the big problems with WB/DC doing a 'multiverse' approach on overdrive.... for the semi-casual viewer, I can only imagine the confusion with faster and faster reboots of major characters and chaotic continuity. Recently, a relative of mine who wsan't a rabid superhero fan recently fell in love with Disney plus's Wandavision and Winter Soldier--- then went back and rewatched Age of Ultron and Civil War! --- and thankfully the continuity is overall pretty solid in the MCU- so, if anything, she's even more invested by the 'one connected universe for the most part' approach by Feige. With WB/DC--- hooboy. I guess a new version of Superman and Batman everyday might work, but... the emotional investment by an audience can only go so far I imagine with that approach versus Marvel's...
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 30, 2021 1:44:26 GMT -5
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Post by crazy_asian_man on May 29, 2021 16:27:27 GMT -5
I always wondered—who did Singer feel the audience was for Superman Returns? One assumes someone would have to be a little familiar with superman lore to bother to see the movie-Also—- all that aside, would Perry’s nephew be that dense?
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