In 1978, I saw "Superman" in the Chief Theater in Pocatello. Before that, I had liked reading the Superman comic books and watching him on the Saturday morning "Superfriends" cartoons. But I really considered myself to be more of a Spiderman fan. However, seeing the movie in the Chief Theater proved to me that Superman had something very important that Spiderman didn't--an actual movie about him!
I loved this movie then, and I still do today. While the visual effects seem a little hokey now, at the time, the visual effects were truly astounding, which is really saying something considering Star Wars had come out the year before. The characters and story were extremely entertaining, with just the right amount of campy humor. But what really stood out was the music. John Williams delivered what I consider to be the best superhero movie theme of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyWzDODSQW8
Out of all the movie theme songs we played in pep band, this was my favorite. It was a trumpet-players dream theme! Lots of soaring high notes to play while the trombones sitting behind give it that majestic, full-bodied brass sound that would send shiver after shiver of goosebumps up and down my spine. There were lots of other movie themes I enjoyed playing in pep band, and some of them by John Williams--the themes and marches from Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark immediately come to mind. But the Superman theme is the only one that made me feel like I could fly. The Bible has a few verses about how in the last days angels will fly through air sounding their trumpets. This is the song they'll be playing.
By the way, the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was actually flying like Superman came a few years ago while I was living in Independence, Missouri. I had just quit my job there because I simply couldn't stand working at Cerner Corporation any longer, and I didn't have a new job yet. So, I decided that until I get my next job I should try to loose some weight. I started swimming every day at a local pool that had lap swimming during the middle of the day. I bought a waterproof case and headphones for my iPod shuffle and put on a couple hours of workout music on it. My first day at the pool, I was astounded to find that listening to music completely transforms the experience of swimming! I liked swimming before, but was always kind of bored by the sound of water sloshing in my ears and would inevitably end up counting my strokes, even though I tried not to. The music takes all of that boredom out of it and eliminates any kind of compulsive counting. And the best part of the experience was when the Superman march would play and I could push off the side of the swimming pool, stretch out my arms above my head, and move through the water like Superman flying. Since that day, I now have a much deeper appreciation for one of the best rock and roll songs ever written about the Man of Steel, "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" by the Kinks. This song doesn't make the Top 200 list, but it does a fantastic job of describing the feeling I had at the time that I was jobless in Missouri.
"Surely there must be a way for me to change the shape I'm in. Dissatisfied with what I am. I wanna be a better man! Superman! Superman! Wish I could fly like Superman!"
But flying isn't the only power of Kal El's that I covet. Here are the top 10 Superman powers ranked in the order I'd like to have them.
10. Identity disguised by glasses
9. Loud echoing scream
8. Looking good in both cape and tights
7. Eavesdropping ears
6. X-ray/heat vision
5. Really, really strong muscles
4. Flight
3. Cool minty breath
2. Kiss of forgetfulness
1. Ability to make beautiful women swoon
Why is the swooning power at #1? Because there's this scene in the first Superman movie right after the doofy can-you-read-my-mind scene where Clark Kent shows up right after Lois has finished flying around with Superman. Lois is kind of in a daze and walking around barely paying attention to Clark because she's still swooning over her flight with Superman. And Clark's struggling with the decision over whether or not to reveal his true identity to her. The dialog goes something like this.
Clark Kent: [in Superman's voice] Lois, there's something I have to tell you. I'm really...
Clark Kent: [In Clark's voice] I-I mean I was, at first, really nervous about tonight, uh... but then I decided, darn it! I'm gonna show you the time of your life.
Lois Lane: [Still swooning] That's Clark, nice.
Oh, if I could only make my wife swoon like that just once before I die! Unfortunately, I have the same level of attractiveness now as Solomon Grundy. Also, like Grundy, I spend much of my day just trying to find a pair of pants that fit me.
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/birthday/whiners-can-be-losers-clip.html
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| "Solomon Grundy want pants, too!" |
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