The Favorite Films Of My Lifetime: 2006

This year turned out to be really easy, but contained a lot of my absolute favorites from the entire decade.  I remember being severely disappointed in the Best Picture nominees for this particular year.  And while I liked The Departed and think Scorsese's career deserved a Best Director statue, I was rooting against its Best Picture win, because its a remake and a lot of it (including full sequences and framings) were ripped straight from the original.  Also, this was the year of the Mexican director, but of the 3 that made big time films, they picked the one that wasn't even that good of a movie as a Best Picture nominee.  But, what can you do.

The Favorite Films Of My Lifetime: 1992

We now begin the second stretch of 10 years of my life in film.  Hope everybody took a little break, cracked their knuckles and is back at it.  1992 was a really solid year.  It produced one of my all time favorite comedies and some underrated or unappreciated turns.  This is also the year Al Pacino finally won a damn Oscar.  We almost had the 2nd Oscar winner in a row make the final cut, but alas The Unforgiven was the last thing cut to make it that wretched 6 i'm keeping to.  But, its how the game is played, so here we go.  Onto 1992.

SUPERMAN: The Retrospective-Part VIII: SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT (2006)

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
2006
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder, Terrence Stamp
Rated: PG

Look at me Kal-El... the Kryptonian prophecy will at last be fulfilled... the son becomes the father... the father becomes the son... farewell forever... Kal-El... remember me my son... 
                    ~Jor-El

The most positive thing I can say about Superman Returns is that it gave us this.  Released coinciding with the home video release of Superman Returns, finally came the legendary Donner cut of Superman II.  During production of Superman Returns Warner Bros was able to purchase rights to Marlon Brando's footage in Superman II, making this possible.

SUPERMAN:The Restrospective-Part II:SUPERMAN II (1980)

Superman II 
1980

Director: Richard Lester

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Terrence Stamp, Margot Kidder, Sarah Douglas, Jackie Cooper, Jack O’Halloran

Rated: PG

So this is planet Houston.

            ~General Zod

Before we get started- I WILL indeed be covering the Richard Donner cut of Superman II.  It won’t be discussed until later, as I’m doing everything in release order.  Today, we are solely focusing on the Richard Lester interpretation and officially released and official cannon Superman II.

SUPERMAN: The Retrospective - Part I: SUPERMAN (1978)

Superman
1978
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty
Rated: PG

They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be.  They only lack the light to show the way.
                        ~Jor-El


With a quote like that, you just kind of know the greatness and legend that comes with Superman.  A movie that kept the big, epic movie fantasy precedent of going to the theater alive after Star Wars the year prior.  Superman is a movie with some historic production troubles that are a fascinating point of research for any film fan and can be almost as entertaining as the film itself.  I'm not here to give you a detailed rundown of it all, but I highly recommend taking the time to watch a documentary or read about it.