After decades of having to settle for bad bootleg VHS transfers, the 3-hour version of Superman: The Movie is finally coming to Blu-ray on October 3rd, 2017. Superman: The Extended Cut was an edit of the Christopher Reeve 1978 classic that was broadcast over 2 nights on the ABC network back in 1982. Nearly 40 min longer than the theatrical version of Richard Donner’s film, the Extended Version of Superman offers more Krypton, more John Williams score and of course more Chris Reeve as the Man of Steel.

The running time of the Superman: The Extended Cut is 188 minutes and is a new 1080p Hi-Def Master.

Coupled with the Extended Cut is the Superman: Special Edition that has been previously seen release. The SE (sometimes noted as the “director’s cut”) added an additional 7 minutes to the running time. This disc of the 2-disc set will also carry over the special features that this version had in those previous releases. As this is Richard Donner’s director’s cut of the movie, it is worth watching in its own right.

I actually saw the TV cut when it was shown on KCOP here in Los Angeles around 1994. Being a life-long fan of live action superheroes, you notice when, at the time, one of the only handful of such movies was going to run on TV. So, to my utter dismay, I was treated to scenes that I never saw before during that afternoon block. I had long written off that I would ever see the extended version of the film again, aside from VHS boots you found at dodgy comic “cons.” But now, the three-hour version can finally be witnessed in high-def.

Hopefully, the support behind this release is strong enough that we’ll see other cuts, rarities and more that are part of this genre. Order your copy of Superman: The Extended Cut / Superman: Special Edition 2-Disc Set from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2k4FPnP.

--@MonstarPR