The New Yorker's Love/Hate relationship with Blue Tights

Well, its been quite a long time, since I’ve stopped by the Blue Tights Adventure Network! , the official blog/website for Bryan Singer’s film Superman Returns. I live in a perpetual state of paradox when it comes to this website; on the one hand, I can’t help but get excited by the iconic imagery shown as they recreate mythical elements of the Superman legacy. Yet on the other hand, I am constantly bewildered, amused, and irritated by the evergrowing size of Bryan Singer’s head, which currently could dwarf an orb the size of Sputnik. (It’s like an orange on a toothpick, man.)

One of main features of Blue Tights (yes, try to supress a giggle if you can), are the video journal entries that have followed Singer and friends from pre-production into the midst of principle photography. The latest two journal entries perfectly illustrate my ambivalent attitudes towards this site.

Take Journal entry #24 for instance, Stoparazzi , which shows the trials and tribulations that Paparazzi creat on an average day of shooting. Sure its funny to see the two crew members follow the paparazzi around with those huge beach umbrellas, but why must Bryan Singer carry on so? The problem with these blogs is that I feel like they are his excuse of getting to be all hammy and cute for the camera. Only he just comes off smug and obnoxious like. (The white panama hat he wears only aggravates this condition.) If you ask me he’s jealous that the paparazzia aren’t trying to take photos of him. You can see a excellent proof of this in the brief segment where they show the photographers shooting photos like mad at Brandon Roth (the star of Superman Returns), with a fast cut to Singer who looks positively dejected that none of the flashes are in his direction.

Then there’s Journal Entry #25 Jimmy Meets Jack , which is actually pretty cool, because it captures a historical introduction of sorts in the Superman universe. The character Jimmy Olsen, played by Sam Huntington, in Superman Returns meets Jack Larson, who portrayed Jimmy Olsen in the original Adventures of Superman series that ran on television in the 1950’s. Larson has a bit part as a bartender in Superman Returns, and I can’t help but give Singer props for having the insight to give that nod to the Superman fans and legacy alike. There is something strangely moving about watching the elderly Larson, and the young spry Huntington greeting one another with an affectionate hug, like the passing of a torch or something. I also like this journal entry, because unlike many of the others up on the web site, it actually deals with characters and moments from the new film, and has minimal focus on Singer’s blind desire to be in front of camera, instead of behind it. (Is there a reason why I had to see Bry-bry do a shot of whiskey?)

Stay tuned for the next pairing of video journals from the site, when they show the magic behind making Superman fly, after discussing how craft services makes Singer’s roast beef sandwiches just the way he likes them.