The Making of Superman the Movie

by David Michael Petrou

Vintage movie tie-in paperback

Genres: Media Tie In, Superman

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1978

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um. . . .let's see. . .What did I "think??" I WROTE IT and as my buddy Steven Spielberg SAID: "THE BEST DARN BEHIND-THE-SCENES BOOK ABOUT MAKING A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE I'VE EVER READ!" ( Of course, I must add, he said that in front of me, on the set of his ONLY film "flop"--"1941!!" )

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written before the publicity behind a film was tightly controlled, Petrou was given an all-ranging, relatively free access to the production and was there from the start. Following the process from finding the director, through casting and shooting and into post-production (his deadline, he casually mentions, means that he has to deliver the manuscript before the film opens), Petrou tells it like it is. Clearly sympathetic to director Richard Donner, most arguments between him and the cash-strapped producers are documented with both sides presented, but it's a wonder Donner didn't walk earlier. The production was massive (most of Superman II was shot at the same time) and Petrou does a good job of conveying the pressure, the stresses and the sheer scope of work. Very entertaining, very informative (though it would have been nice for him to document the huge success of the film) and great fun (it made me go out and buy the DVD), this is highly recommended if behind-the-scenes stuff interests you.

[Sadie Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, behind-the-scenes look at how Superman (1978) came together from someone who was actually there while the movie was filming. I love the movie so much that I knew I had to pick this up, and I'm glad I gave it a read. The beginning, discussing the character and how the idea for the movie came to be and how the director and cast was found, was definitely my favorite section. There were also some really great interviews interspersed throughout with the cast, producers, and director. I would only say my interest started to lag toward the middle and through to the end, as the book became much more focused on describing special effect setups and budget issues and scheduling problems and things which weren't much more fun to read about than to experience, I guess.

But overall, it was a really solid, enjoyable book. It was a great, inside look at what it was like to make a special-effects-heavy movie and a superhero movie in a totally different time. I'm so happy this exists.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always informative and a joy to read.