"Superman," "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner dies aged 91

 
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Baron Von Humongous
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:04 pm    Post subject: "Superman," "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner dies aged 91

One of the most consistent and underrated studio hands of the blockbuster era, so many of Donner's movies were VHS staples for me growing up. And from all accounts Donner was a mensch on set and off.

Rest in peace to a talented craftsman who lived life well and left a lasting legacy: Obituary
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 2:13 pm    Post subject: Re: "Superman," "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner dies aged 91

Baron Von Humongous wrote:
One of the most consistent and underrated studio hands of the blockbuster era, so many of Donner's movies were VHS staples for me growing up. And from all accounts Donner was a mensch on set and off.

Rest in peace to a talented craftsman who lived life well and left a lasting legacy: Obituary


78 Superman is a lovely production. Something about the aesthetic look and feel that is just so perfect for the comics style Superman that we were more familiar with back then. LW1 was also good.

The Omen (pt 1) was also excellent and showed off his abilities. One of my fave scenes, that pensive music is amusing to me, its a clip that suggests a knowing audience and director. His perspective shot of the mom falling from the bannister (and the fishbowl going w/ fish flopping on floor) was memorable.


The Toy is a bit of a headscratcher. Didn't seem to be his bag. Not a movie that would even require someone the level of Donner to direct. Maybe he got paid a lot.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if he had any genetic ties to the Donner family of the Donner Party. It wasn't a very festive party. I heard the meat dish served was pretty gross.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 4:01 pm    Post subject:

In many ways Superman II The Richard Donner Cut was the original "Snyder Cut". RIP to a great filmmaker.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 5:51 pm    Post subject: Re: "Superman," "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner dies aged 91

non-player zealot wrote:
"The Omen (pt 1) was also excellent and showed off his abilities. One of my fave scenes, that pensive music is amusing to me, its a clip that suggests a knowing audience and director. His perspective shot of the mom falling from the bannister (and the fishbowl going w/ fish flopping on floor) was memorable.



I remember seeing it the summer it came out. I was 12 and it was all my friends were talking about. Freaked me out. I had several images from that seared into my head for months.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 10:42 pm    Post subject: Re: "Superman," "Lethal Weapon" director Richard Donner dies aged 91

DaMuleRules wrote:
non-player zealot wrote:
"The Omen (pt 1) was also excellent and showed off his abilities. One of my fave scenes, that pensive music is amusing to me, its a clip that suggests a knowing audience and director. His perspective shot of the mom falling from the bannister (and the fishbowl going w/ fish flopping on floor) was memorable.



I remember seeing it the summer it came out. I was 12 and it was all my friends were talking about. Freaked me out. I had several images from that seared into my head for months.


Lemme guess. The Mule....it's aaaaall fuh YOUUUU! Crash/bang! That was a well-executed hrm scene, too. The use of ultra loud crash/bang sound FX probably startled the audience. You watch that movie and by the time the guy's head is severed by the pane of glass and it does a 720 in midair before hitting the ground, you know for SURE that it was the biggest inspiration for the Final Destination flicks. You kept waiting for the next creative death in the movie. I've heard the dogs were wyldin, too. They fought w/ each other and one of the handlers got bit. That's no doubt why they switched to crows for Pt 2.



The remake from circa 2006 was utter dogsh btw. That goes to show you that Donner had talent.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 10:44 pm    Post subject:

panamaniac wrote:
In many ways Superman II The Richard Donner Cut was the original "Snyder Cut". RIP to a great filmmaker.


The extended Phantom Zone banishment scene that was great. I dunno why they cut that scene down from this:


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:58 am    Post subject:

Here are a couple of great threads about some of the effects used in Superman:

https://twitter.com/tvaziri/status/905482730443386880

https://twitter.com/tvaziri/status/1330910708624625664

(Our editing experts may have already seen this stuff.)
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:25 pm    Post subject:

Also directed that original Twilight Zone episode with the creature on the airplane wing.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 5:55 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
Also directed that original Twilight Zone episode with the creature on the airplane wing.


The William Shatner episode! Never realized that.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 7:32 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
Also directed that original Twilight Zone episode with the creature on the airplane wing.

Wow. That is the one that stuck.
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:48 pm    Post subject:

The Goonies, Scrooged, and Maverick are three of my favorite movies to watch. Considering his other notable work, it's obvious that he made quite a mark. RIP.
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 4:29 am    Post subject:

ChefLinda wrote:
DancingBarry wrote:
Also directed that original Twilight Zone episode with the creature on the airplane wing.


The William Shatner episode! Never realized that.


I've never seen that one. Only original one I happened to catch on telly that was in 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie was the kid who could wish anything. It would be cool to see the original wing gremlin epi. The George Miller (of Mad Max fame) version in The Movie was the best done segment (the others were directed by Landis, Spielberg, and Joe Dante). Of course, the deaths that occurred on set in the Landis segment cast a pall over everything else about that movie, but the Miller scene acted by Lithgow was great. The gremlin was created by FX guru Rob Bottin.



While I was searching for that there link, I...SEEM..TO HAVE...SPOTTED...A CLIP!...OF THE SHAT...NER...VERSION.......I WILL WATCH...IT... (that's my Shatner impression in text)

The critter itself in the original version is very 1960s, but what can ya do?


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 2:16 pm    Post subject:

non-player zealot wrote:


The critter itself in the original version is very 1960s, but what can ya do?



Yeah, it's so bad, like a teddy bear costume if I recall. But it's still one that holds up. Not exactly sure why. Great directing for sure. I think the story works because no one believes him and it's frustrating. So you have that built in antagonism going on. Combine that with something effing with an airplane.

(NPZ-esque Side Note... first ever Twilight Zone I watched was when I was 5 years old. Scared the #@$#@ out of me. It was the one where the little girl disappears into the wall and into another dimension. The parents can hear her, but can't find her. And they realize the wall is slowly closing up. This episode inspired some of the Poltergeist movie.)
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 4:45 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
non-player zealot wrote:


The critter itself in the original version is very 1960s, but what can ya do?



Yeah, it's so bad, like a teddy bear costume if I recall. But it's still one that holds up. Not exactly sure why. Great directing for sure. I think the story works because no one believes him and it's frustrating. So you have that built in antagonism going on. Combine that with something effing with an airplane.

(NPZ-esque Side Note... first ever Twilight Zone I watched was when I was 5 years old. Scared the #@$#@ out of me. It was the one where the little girl disappears into the wall and into another dimension. The parents can hear her, but can't find her. And they realize the wall is slowly closing up. This episode inspired some of the Poltergeist movie.)


I think the then-fresh storylines, one after another, that are still so memorable for people decades later are the thrust of Twilight Zone as an iconic programme. That alone makes the old epis transcend any severely dated thing(s) in them. That's not to mention that every person who grew up watching the show always says (like you just did there) that the original imagery still resonates w/ you. What allowed this scene to be improved (or not) in 1982 was the fact that the original epi w/ SHAT....NER and the pudgy, furry pigfaced gremlin resonated with people back in the 60s to begin with.

And as I said, only 2 of the 4 vignettes in the 83 flick were really good. I doubt the Landis and Spielberg vignettes even topped the originals. Not to mention 3 deaths occurred because Landis had to push the envelope too far. I saw the original kid who could wish anything epi and I do think Joe Dante's version was superior. It was a weird little feature with Bart Simpson's voice actor in it. I love me my 80s practical FX and the critters, again, were great. I hasten to imagine that movie recreated in 2021. It was better left in the 60s and 80s for the charm that each decade imparted onto its pop culture.
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