The Triumphs and Failures of “Superman” on TV and Film
The franchise has seen its share of hits … and one unfairly maligned misstep.
Two films, one having premiered on May 25, 1977, and the other on December 15, 1978, inspired one of the most impactful movements in the history of film: The validation of geek culture.
To be clear, both “Star Trek” and “Planet of the Apes” existed well before 1977’s “Star Wars.” Further, it can easily be argued that “Jaws” should be one of those two films, or “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” or even 1979’s “Alien” for that matter.
By process of elimination: 1975’s “Jaws” became the most commercially successful film ever released (unadjusted for inflation) until “Star Wars,” and though it is widely considered an all-time classic that ushered in the era of blockbuster filmmaking, in terms of impact and longterm influence the edge goes to George Lucas’ game-changer. “Close Encounters” is also considered a beloved, classic film, but while largely influential, it was not as impactful as “Star Wars.” As for “Alien,” and 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” for that matter, neither would have been made without the adventures of Luke Skywalker and company.
“Superman: The Movie” was no exception. The justification of Pierre Spengler, and Ilya and…
