Written, co-edited, and directed by Jon Schnepp, The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is a documentary that revolves around the making and un-making of Tim Burton’s attempt to make Superman Lives in the late 1990s with Nicolas Cage in the role of Superman. Featuring interviews with Burton as well as several collaborators including filmmakers Kevin Smith and Dan Gilroy who both were involved in writing the script in different stages. The documentary plays into what happens when a group of people including producers, designers, and writers all band together to get a film made only to see their work not see the light of day. The result is one of the most fascinating and exciting films about a film that could’ve been one of the greatest superhero films ever made.
In the mid-1990s, producer Jon Peters had just returned to Warner Brothers where he had just acquired the rights to make film versions about Superman as he wanted to revive the franchise following the critical and commercial failure of 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Yet, Peters wanted to do something different as an update of sorts of the Superman story where he had filmmaker Kevin Smith, a noted comic book fan boy, pitch some ideas as he would turn in a draft that was based largely on the 1992 comic book storyline The Death of Superman. Smith would be out of the project once Tim Burton came on board to direct the film as he brought in Wesley Strick to write a new draft as the cast would feature Cage as Superman/Clark Kent, Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, Christopher Walken as Brainiac, and Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen.
With many of Burton’s collaborators such as production designer Rick Heinrichs and costume designer Colleen Atwood as well as a team of effects designers and such. The project to develop the film began in 1996 and ended in 1998 as a lot is revealed into what is made where director Jon Schnepp interviews many including Burton, Smith, Strick, Atwood, Heinrichs, Peters, producer Lorenzo de Bonaventura, and filmmaker Dan Gilroy who became the third screenwriter to write a new draft after the studio forced Burton to fire Strick. With the aid of co-editor Marie Jamora and the sound work of Stephen Chesney, Schnepp doesn’t uncover some rare footage including footage of Cage in the Superman suit which Atwood revealed was an evolution into what could’ve been. Even as Schnepp also create some animated sequences and mock-footage with the aid of cinematographer Carl Millard King about ideas of what Burton wanted visually as it features some unique background music from Frederick William Scott that ranged from orchestral bombast to somber ambient music pieces.
There are also many questions into why the film never made it pass the developmental stage as de Bonaventura, Burton, and Peters reveals a lot about what happened. Some of it isn’t surprising with what usually happens when studios find themselves dealing with projects that goes beyond the parameters of mainstream filmmaking. Yet, there is a lot of things that are revealed about why the film fell apart as it relates to behind-the-scenes issues within the studios as well as what was happening to Warner Brothers in the late 1990s due to the some of the films they had released which were some major flops. It plays into not just these great opportunities being wasted but also the fact that projects like this film could’ve been a game-changer or something that people will talk about. The fact that it still exists and people are interested in what this film would’ve done goes to show exactly why some of the most daring and off-the-wall projects should be made at times when people need something new.
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is an extraordinary film from Jon Schnepp. Not only is it an interesting look into a film that had so much promise and potential to be something more but also a look into the process of what it took to make something that was daring from the people who were there. Especially from those who are fans of Superman and were interested in seeing something that was new and great. In the end, The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is a marvelous film from Jon Schnepp.
Superman Films: (Superman) - (Superman II) - (Superman III) - (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) - (Superman Returns) - (Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut) - Man of Steel - (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
© thevoid99 2015
Written and directed by Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler is the story of a man who takes part in an underground world of freelance video journalism as his obsession with getting footage to the news eventually becomes uncontrollable. The film is an exploration into the world of news media and how a man tries to capture footage of crime and sell it to the highest bidder in the news world. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Ann Cusack, and Bill Paxton. Nightcrawler is a dark and gripping film from Dan Gilroy.
The news media is a world where it’s job is to cover the news to the world as news station will do whatever to present the news to the people. Some of which would often toe the line into what is right and wrong where some are willing to exploit moments of graphic violence just so they can boost ratings. The film is about the world of the news media where man takes part in the underground world of freelance video journalism as he brings a camera to shoot grisly footage of crime and deaths where he would sell his footage to a news station for money. Along the way, the man becomes ambitious in his operation where he goes to great lengths to get rich as well as get rid of competitors and such without any sense of moral ground. It’s a film that showcases where greed is the driving force as a man and a news director do whatever it takes to sell a story through the news media for ratings.
Dan Gilroy’s screenplay is very unique for the way Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is portrayed as this man who is just looking a way to make money as the film starts off him selling chain fences and whatever that he stole. Upon stumbling a van where two guys are filming footage of a car accident on the Los Angeles highway, Bloom gets the idea where he had to self-teach into getting footage the right way. While his early footage ends up being amateurish, he does impress a news station manager in Nina (Rene Russo) who needs Bloom’s footage to help boost her station’s sagging ratings. Helping Bloom is a young man named Rick (Riz Ahmed) who took the job to remember police codes and assist Bloom only for money. Yet, he is the film’s conscience as he wonders what he has gotten himself into as it plays into Bloom’s obsession to capture footage to sell. Even as Bloom begins this relationship with Nina that is very troubling where Nina realizes how much she needs him as it plays to Bloom’s own ambitions which becomes more troubling as the story progresses.
Gilroy’s direction is very engaging as he shoots the film largely in Los Angeles and its nearby cities where the city itself is a character that is often riddled with crime and places that are just disturbing. It’s as if Bloom is in the right place and at the right time where he would use his car to drive to the location of the event at fast speed and be there. Even if there’s cops at the scene or he arrives before the cops do as he does whatever it takes to get the footage. Especially if it means dragging a man’s body or enter a home that is already opened and capture what has happened.
Much of the direction involve some medium shots and close-ups with some wide shots while many of the scenes involving Bloom capturing his footage showcases the use of digital video cameras where hand-held cameras become key as well as the way Bloom would shoot the footage. The footage would become more refined as the film progresses as well as the element of suspense and danger that involves Bloom capturing footage of a homicide where he also captured footage of the killers. The film then becomes this question of morality where both Bloom and Nina are driven by greed as things become darker and more questionable. Overall, Gilroy crafts a very eerie yet provocative film on a man’s obsession to sell news footage to the highest bidder.
Cinematographer Robert Elswit does phenomenal work with the film‘s cinematography from many of the scenes set at night as well as its approach to lighting which adds a dark layer to the tone of the film. Editor John Gilroy does excellent work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts and fast-cutting for the car chase scenes as well as the frenetic energy where Bloom goes after the story. Production designer Kevin Kavanaugh, with set decorator Meg Everist and art director Naaman Marshall, does fantastic work with the look of Bloom‘s quaint apartment as well as the news room where Nina works at.
Costume designer Amy Westcott does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the clothes the news team wears. Visual effects supervisor Connor Meechan does terrific work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects that range from the accident scenes as well as some of the moments in the chase and action scenes. Sound editor Scott Martin Gershin does superb work with the sound to play into the chaos of the crime scenes as well as an eerie scene where Bloom enters the home which plays a key plot-point into the film. The film’s music by James Newton Howard is brilliant for its brooding electronic-based score with elements of guitars to play into the air of suspense and drama while music supervisors Nic Ratner and Brian Ross bring in a soundtrack of mostly low-key electronic music.
The casting by Mindy Marin is amazing as it features some notable small roles from Marco Rodriguez as a scrap yard owner, Michael Hyatt as a detective who is very suspicious about Bloom’s activities, Kevin Rahm as a news editor, Ann Cusack as a news producer, and Bill Paxton in an excellent performance as a videographer in Joe Loder who would offer Bloom a chance to join him as an act of solidarity. Riz Ahmed is great as Rick as this young man who works with Bloom for money as he starts to question Bloom’s own sense of moral as he is sort of the film’s conscience who is aware that some of the things they’re doing is wrong.
Rene Russo is fantastic as Nina as this news station director who is eager to show graphic footage to boost her station’s sagging ratings as she becomes aware of the power that Bloom has. Finally, there’s Jake Gyllenhaal in an incredible performance as Louis Bloom as this very determined man who is eager to make a fast buck through the footage he shoots as he is a man with grand ideas as it’s a role that is very dark to the point that is a very un-likeable yet charming person giving Gyllenhaal one of his finest performances to date.
Nightcrawler is a remarkable film from Dan Gilroy that features a great performance from Jake Gyllenhaal as well as strong supporting work from Rene Russo and Riz Ahmed. It’s a film that explores the world of greed and obsession in a cutthroat environment that is news media and their desire to show whatever to boost ratings and get the attention of the people at its most sickening. In the end, Nightcrawler is a sensationally dark and gripping film from Dan Gilroy.
© thevoid99 2014
