The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? review

The Death of "Superman Lives:" What Happened? (2015)
Directed by Jon Schnepp
Written by Jon Schnepp
Starring: Jon Schnepp, Jon Peters, Tim Burton, Kevin Smith

I should let it be known that I think Jon Schnepp is the coolest. He's directed episodes of Metalocalypse; he edited Space Ghost Coast to Coast; he's a recurring panelist on Collider Movie Talk (formerly AMC Movie Talk), one of my favorite movie shows online.

I should let it be known that I think failed movies are incredibly interesting. I even did an episode of a (possible) podcast called Unseen Silver Screen on another failed superhero movie, Justice League: Mortal, that is getting ITS own documentary on how it failed.

I should let it be known that when you combine the two, I get incredibly excited. The Death of "Superman Lives:" What Happened? is exactly that. Does it deliver though?

You bet your Kryptonian ass it does, but what exactly WAS Superman Lives? 

"Superman Lives" was a failed 1990's Superman movie written by Kevin Smith, produced by Jon Peters, directed by Tim Burton and Superman was to be played by Nicolas Cage. That was a real thing at one point. The movie is told through a series of interviews with various people who were attached to the project at one time or another. It really tried to shed light on just what "Superman Lives" would have been. 

Some of these interviews are INCREDIBLE, specifically Jon Peters and Tim Burton because of exactly what their visions were for the movie. "Like what?" Well for starters Jon Peters didn't want Superman to fly or wear his usual suit and he was supposed to fight a giant spider. It's as insane as it sounds.

Some of the concept art is incredible to see, and getting to watch the photo-shoot of the infamous picture of Nicolas Cage as Superman in a test-suit was SO SATISFYING. Listening to Nicolas Cage talk in 1997 about how he viewed Clark Kent and Superman as people might be one of the single greatest things. You can tell he was a Superman fanboy and was excited to try a new take on the man of steel.

                       (Look at that 2nd picture. That looks pretty sweet. The 
              1st picture was in mid-blink with an unfinished suit.)



Getting to see the behind the scenes videos as well as hear the crews views and opinions on what was going on is a fantastic experience. One thing TDOSLWH skips over though is what the story would have been. Yes, we get to know that Christopher Walken might have played Braniac and would have fought polar bears, but you never get a clear idea as to what the plot of the movie would have been. There are a few plot points discussed here and there which help you figure parts out, as well as the knowledge that it would have been based on "The Death of Superman" storyline from the comics, but that's just it. It would have been BASED on it. What exactly would happen to Superman and why? That's never defined entirely.

That doesn't mean that this is a bad movie, not at all. In fact, that's the only downside to it. Jon Schnepp really took the time to find all of these people and art and he even directs live action versions of things that might have happened in "Superman Lives" had it have happened. Find this movie. Download it. Watch it. TDOSLWH gets an 8/10. 

-Samuel