The death of a Superman

Before “Superman Returns” flew into theaters, one idea floating around for a Superman movie was based on the “Death of Superman” story arc from the ‘90s. Now we’ve got a movie, “Hollywoodland,” that is based on the death of Superman: George Reeves, the TV Superman from the ‘50s, that is.

Most of the reviews I’ve seen of “Hollywoodland” have been pretty positive. Ben Affleck, who plays Reeves, has drawn particular praise from critics.

Richard Roeper, in today’s Go! section in The Gazette, gave “Hollywoodland” a B - while taking a big dig at the old “Adventures of Superman” show. The series turned Superman into a joke, he said, with dull stories and cheesy special effects.

Well, OK, the special effects were hardly groundbreaking. But come on, it was ‘50s TV! I’ve always been fond of the show, which I watched in reruns as a kid. Sure, it was done with a wink, but it was certainly less campy than the ‘60s Batman TV show. At least, that’s how my kid’s-eye perspective remembers it.