Post by crazy_asian_man on May 22, 2023 18:26:08 GMT -5
Probably we've discussed this before, but....
With those considered prior to Donner- (according to Wiki, but...) Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Guy Hamilton, Peter Yates, John Gullermin, and Sam Peckinpah- were in negotiations...
I'm only familiar with some of those directors' works, but will give a best guess- speculation for fun's sake...
First off-
* Speilberg was reportedly enthusiastic, prior to Jaws- but the Salkinds waved him off (!!!)-
The question is- if "Hook" was supposedly Speilberg's version of a superhero (which was rather bland-)- what might we have gotten?
For my two cents, I would have hoped in this alternate universe that his Superman would have been in the vein of Close Encounters of the Third Kind & Raiders of the Lost Ark- with some humor and Speilberg generally has his heart in doing fun boys' adventures, that aren't too dark nor grim.
At the time, very much Speilberg and Donner's style seemed arguably similar, I'm not sure you would have had THAT much difference from what we got!
(Both are sentimental filmmakers, both have done a ton of tv, and at the time, both were always pushing how to shoot something that DIDN'T look like it was a tv movie)
* Lester- as much as I cap on him.... would have done a good tv movie-approach, within budget, for sure. But the combo of Donner/Mank/Baird made for some groundbreaking scenes. Lester would have made a competent film, but based on my feelings on how he finished SII and his whole of SIII- I doubt in this universe I would be on this forum or that thrilled with the film to keep watching it repeatedly. (I'm thinking of my feelings of the passable but unremarkable "Phantom" film. It was fine- but..... forgetable.)
I could see many of the shots as 'good enough' for a miniature (much like SII) or with cost-savings wherever possible (i.e. Superman walking out of frame in SII where he's getting stuff for the FOS dinner rather than flying out).
* Coppola? That would be amusing- given his association with Puzo. There is the Godfather, and he's a solid storyteller- but.... I wonder if he would have taken it to a more serious and heavy approach- hard to say... (Also whether or not Lois would be drinking Coppola wine in the balcony scene).,
* Friedkin? I still haven't seen "The French Connection" (I know, I know...) - but there is the Exorcist and and "To Live and DIe in LA" (which I was bored by)- it's hard to picture how he would have approached the film. There's not enough I think that I watched to really tell what would be his aesthetics or approach to this first-ever (at least on this scale) superhero epic...
* Guy Hamilton did 4 James Bond films- Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, Man with the Golden Gun- and there was some footage.... but.... with that as the main example- those were all competently done, but- with STM- the 'standout' moments for me were the extra-complicated perfectionist shots like when Superman leaves lois on the balcony, then sees her at the front door... the cheap and easy way to tell this could have been done simply with a cut, but weren't. The extra refinement and passion (probably expensive) by Donner made it a special event.
With those Bond films, they were fun, they were competent- but (and maybe the machine didn't allow it)- it's hard to know how Hamilton would have approached Superman- but probably not from a sentimental pov- and... the footage Donner said he saw that Hamilton had were unusable. Ego or truth? But, truth to tell--- It would have been interesting to have seen this alternate version (actually all the alternates would have been fun to see)- but it doesn't seem passionate.
* Peter Yates did "Krull"- which was ok, but meh. Good performances if I remember, wasn't bad, but not memorable. He also did "Breaking Away" which garnered him an Oscar nod if I remember right, plus a few Harry Potter movies. I do think the heart would have been there- but... Krull (the closest to a superhero).... hmm...
* JOhn Gullermin is listed as having directed "Towering Inferno", "King Kong", "Sheena", and "Tarzan goes to India"- (among others)- Towering was nominated for best picture- King Kong I thought was ok- Sheena was.... not good.... and I never saw "Tarzan goes to India"... (never knew it existed!)- He can handle big budgets- but... Sheena (the closest to a superhero)... hmm....
* Sam Peckinpah??? - Huh. Definitely there would be big scale action- but with the films he's associated with, it just seems like a really odd pairing. But, bring him on-
With those considered prior to Donner- (according to Wiki, but...) Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Guy Hamilton, Peter Yates, John Gullermin, and Sam Peckinpah- were in negotiations...
I'm only familiar with some of those directors' works, but will give a best guess- speculation for fun's sake...
First off-
* Speilberg was reportedly enthusiastic, prior to Jaws- but the Salkinds waved him off (!!!)-
The question is- if "Hook" was supposedly Speilberg's version of a superhero (which was rather bland-)- what might we have gotten?
For my two cents, I would have hoped in this alternate universe that his Superman would have been in the vein of Close Encounters of the Third Kind & Raiders of the Lost Ark- with some humor and Speilberg generally has his heart in doing fun boys' adventures, that aren't too dark nor grim.
At the time, very much Speilberg and Donner's style seemed arguably similar, I'm not sure you would have had THAT much difference from what we got!
(Both are sentimental filmmakers, both have done a ton of tv, and at the time, both were always pushing how to shoot something that DIDN'T look like it was a tv movie)
* Lester- as much as I cap on him.... would have done a good tv movie-approach, within budget, for sure. But the combo of Donner/Mank/Baird made for some groundbreaking scenes. Lester would have made a competent film, but based on my feelings on how he finished SII and his whole of SIII- I doubt in this universe I would be on this forum or that thrilled with the film to keep watching it repeatedly. (I'm thinking of my feelings of the passable but unremarkable "Phantom" film. It was fine- but..... forgetable.)
I could see many of the shots as 'good enough' for a miniature (much like SII) or with cost-savings wherever possible (i.e. Superman walking out of frame in SII where he's getting stuff for the FOS dinner rather than flying out).
* Coppola? That would be amusing- given his association with Puzo. There is the Godfather, and he's a solid storyteller- but.... I wonder if he would have taken it to a more serious and heavy approach- hard to say... (Also whether or not Lois would be drinking Coppola wine in the balcony scene).,
* Friedkin? I still haven't seen "The French Connection" (I know, I know...) - but there is the Exorcist and and "To Live and DIe in LA" (which I was bored by)- it's hard to picture how he would have approached the film. There's not enough I think that I watched to really tell what would be his aesthetics or approach to this first-ever (at least on this scale) superhero epic...
* Guy Hamilton did 4 James Bond films- Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, Man with the Golden Gun- and there was some footage.... but.... with that as the main example- those were all competently done, but- with STM- the 'standout' moments for me were the extra-complicated perfectionist shots like when Superman leaves lois on the balcony, then sees her at the front door... the cheap and easy way to tell this could have been done simply with a cut, but weren't. The extra refinement and passion (probably expensive) by Donner made it a special event.
With those Bond films, they were fun, they were competent- but (and maybe the machine didn't allow it)- it's hard to know how Hamilton would have approached Superman- but probably not from a sentimental pov- and... the footage Donner said he saw that Hamilton had were unusable. Ego or truth? But, truth to tell--- It would have been interesting to have seen this alternate version (actually all the alternates would have been fun to see)- but it doesn't seem passionate.
* Peter Yates did "Krull"- which was ok, but meh. Good performances if I remember, wasn't bad, but not memorable. He also did "Breaking Away" which garnered him an Oscar nod if I remember right, plus a few Harry Potter movies. I do think the heart would have been there- but... Krull (the closest to a superhero).... hmm...
* JOhn Gullermin is listed as having directed "Towering Inferno", "King Kong", "Sheena", and "Tarzan goes to India"- (among others)- Towering was nominated for best picture- King Kong I thought was ok- Sheena was.... not good.... and I never saw "Tarzan goes to India"... (never knew it existed!)- He can handle big budgets- but... Sheena (the closest to a superhero)... hmm....
* Sam Peckinpah??? - Huh. Definitely there would be big scale action- but with the films he's associated with, it just seems like a really odd pairing. But, bring him on-
? that crazy auto-correct a.I. really needs a moderator. 
