Some movies are just part of your life. You assume that you know the whole thing, word for word, because you first saw it as a kid, and have seen it every few years since, coming across it on TV constantly. Superman was always there. "You've got me, who's got you?" is such a part of my family's lexicon, it may as well have been my sister and not Lois Lane who fell off that building and was caught by Supey. But after seeing the movie on Monday start to finish, I realized I didn't know it as well as I thought I did. I know the TV version cuts a lot out, but I've got the DVD so surely I know all those "extra" scenes. Wrong. If I'd seen the part where Lex Luthor hits Superman with bullets, fire, and ice, I don't remember it. I know I watched the DVD extras, but I guess I never sat and watched the whole uncut movie. Besides stuff like that, it's always interesting to see a movie as an adult that you still think of from your six-year-old mind's perspective. I really got a feel of the actual newspaper that these real people were running. How Perry White shows all the headlines to his staff, and then talks about how if they can get the scoop on this flying man, people will associate him with the Daily Planet. Like how real newspapers give nicknames to public figures, and they become known as such. So Lois goes on the date with the guy, coins the phrase "Superman," and gives White what he wants. Of course, it helps that Clark Kent works at the Planet. He's not gonna meet and date a woman from a competing paper.... And to see a New York movie after you've lived there is always fun. I knew the basics before--the movie obviously is set around (and below) Grand Central Terminal and the nearby Daily News building, but when you know the area, you see how they went to great lengths to make it consistent. Now for the pics from the showing. I got to Bryant Park around 4:45. They open the lawn at 5:00, with the movie starting at 8:25. Here's everyone along the edge of the park: Here's a new building going up on the northwest corner: With five minutes left, the announcer's voice told everyone not to run onto the lawn. Fat chance. The guards were pacing along the perimeter...people stood there anxiously, toes on the grass, blankets in hand... I wish I'd gotten a shot of the bull-charge when they gave the go-ahead. There were some good Jesus Beams above: A blurry shot of everyone on the lawn as it's getting dark: The 1.2-acre lawn becomes completely packed. This one kid came and sat on a two-square foot patch of grass next to my towel. This other dude had taken up a good ten feet of lawn with his blankets, as he was expecting more people. When the kid sat down, the space-holder guy got all mad, telling him to "find your own space, we were all here at five." As if this dick needed that much space. The blanket-less solo kid was from Liberia it turned out. I felt like I was in Alabama in the 50s or something, with none of the twenty-something white hipsters letting this African kid have even one little patch of space for himself. So I befriended the kid and let him sit on my towel since I had nobody with me anyway. And then Prick-y McTavish's friends start arriving, and they're all Euro-chicks, making the whole thing look even worse. Needless to say, the Euro-chicks did not need all that room as it turned out. And then another nearby guy who was with his girlfriend sees the Euro-chix and starts saying to the Prick, "this guy's my idol! You're about even with me in quality but you're way up on me in quantity." And he's saying this right in front of his girlfriend! Terrible job when the biggest prick in the area gets all the space, all the compliments, all while pushing those pesky black people off to the side. If I got killed in a terrorist attack along with that dick, I'd say it was worth it knowing he was getting taken out, too. And I'd laugh at him while we were dying, if time allowed. Anyway, they always play the classic HBO movie intro at Bryant Park movies, and everyone goes nuts. I remember the first time I went, seeing that one girl jumping up and down. It's gotten way bigger. I've only been to season-finales, though. Oh, and we didn't have HBO growing up, but I remember the theme from when we'd have HBO in a hotel on vacation or something. I loved it then, and I, and everyone else, love it now. Here it is: And here's the part when the Superman logo first appears: At one point, the sound cut out. It was right when a school bus is teetering on the edge of a bridge. So the whole crowd started screaming in terror to fill in the audio. Another thing I should've filmed. (Update: someone else did capture it.) You know, it's funny how it all comes full circle. When I was little, my sister and I audio taped the TV when Superman was on. This was before VCRs. And here I am video taping the screen with Superman on it 30 years later. What is it about Superman? (Answer: watch the final scene of Kill Bill Volume 2.) As I drove home late that night, I went past the two Yankee Stadiums. As I approached, I thought of how it always seems to say, on its trailer park-ish upcoming game sign, "BOSTON" and then the date. But I thought, Nah, it'll be some other team, we don't play the Yanks until the end of the month. Well, I didn't realize how late in the month it was, or that the Yanks had just left town and wouldn't be back until our series. So I was surprised to see "BOSTON AUG 26" up there. I thought, Are they skipping other games to let everyone know when the Sox are coming to the Stadium for the last time? Then I remembered it was already August 18th, and we were indeed the next team to come to town. So I got to see "BOSTON" up there for the last time in my life. So weird they're taking that place down. Click here for my past two Bryant Park movie posts: Rocky '06, Jaws '05. Why is it that every one of these movies I go to is exactly 30 years old at the time? Next year Ghostbusters turns 25. I'm hoping they choose it for their finale.