June 8, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 29 Superman returns in multi-disc Blu-ray set by Dennis Seuling “The Superman Motion Picture Anthology” (Warner Home Video) is an eight-disc Blu-ray box set containing every big-screen movie featuring the Man of Steel from 1978 through 2006: six versions in total. Superman was created by teenagers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who sold their creation to DC Comics in the 1930s. Superman made his first appearance in “Action Comics No. 1” in 1938 and became a staple of newspaper comic strips and comic books for decades to come. A radio show followed. Dave and Max Fleischer made a series of Technicolor cartoons pitting Superman against all manner of villains in the 1940s, and there were two movie serials, in 1948 and 1950. A TV show starring George Reeves as Superman ran for several seasons in the 1950s, and “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher, premiered on the small screen in 1993. “Smallville,” the TV show about Clark Kent (Tom Welling) before he donned the iconic blue and red tights, completed a 10-year run in May. In 1978, a big-budget film reintroduced the character to audiences with Christopher Reeve. That movie, “Superman: The Movie” led to three sequels with Reeve and, in 2006, “Superman Returns” starred Brandon Routh as the famous Kryptonian. All of these are included in the set, along with “Superman the Movie: The Expanded Edition” and “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.” The first two films, shot simultaneously but released two years apart, are the best of the series. Reeve’s delightful dual performance of Superman/Clark Kent makes them click. Apart from looking uncannily like the comic- Christopher Reeve stars in his most famous movie role in ‘Superman: The Movie,’ one of eight Superman feature films now available in a Blu-ray box set. book character, Reeve plays both roles with an irresistible twinkle. The first film features much of the saga’s mythos, including the infant Kal-El being rocketed to Earth just as his home planet of Krypton explodes, his unofficial adoption by the Kents, his discovery of amazing physical powers, and his gradual metamorphosis into the grownup Clark Kent, a reporter for The Daily Planet when not fighting the bad guys. For Superman aficionados, the set contains three hi-def documentaries, “Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman,” “The Science of Superman,” and “You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman.” Also included are deleted scenes, vintage Warner Brothers cartoons, assorted commentaries, screen tests, music-only tracks, alternate main title sequence for “Superman: The Movie,” and making-of featurettes. “The Company Men” (Anchor Bay Entertainment) is a timely story with corporate downsizing as the “villain.” Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is a successful young executive with a family, beautiful home, credit cards, a healthy bank account, and an optimistic view of the future. Everything changes when he is fired during the 2010 recession and he is forced to re-evaluate his self-worth. For as long as he can remember, his life has been defined by his job. Now, with only the love of his wife and family, he has to determine how to get his life back on track. The best thing about “The Company Men” is its realistic depiction of the aftermath of being fired. It avoids the melodramatic in favor of realistic portrayals of Bobby and co-workers Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones). Each reacts differently to his traumatic loss, and viewers see slices of their family lives, comparing how wives and children react to seeing the man of the household’s status being dramatically shifted. Kevin Costner as Bobby’s brother-in-law and Rosemarie DeWitt as Bobby’s wife are both very effective in supporting roles. Bonuses on the Blu-ray release include an alternate ending, writer/director audio commentary, making-of featurette, and deleted scenes. “Night Flight” (Warner Home Video) appears for the (continued on Crossword page)