"The Gift Of Music"

As a film soundtrack collector-I'm all smiles over the following:

SUPERMAN MOVIE SOUNTRACK LIMITED EDITION BOX-SET COMING THIS WEEK!!!

From the Film Score Monthly soundtrack label comes an 8-CD box set of the music from the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies.

...The blue box will go on sale beginning at 3:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Thursday, February 21, 2008.

FSM's 8-CD box set, SUPERMAN: THE MUSIC (1978-1988), encompasses a new fully remastered and complete edition of John Williams' Superman-The Movie along with previously unreleased presentations of the complete scores for its three sequels: Superman II & Superman III (adapted and conducted by Ken Thorne) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (adapted and conducted by Alexander Courage and featuring new themes by Williams).

The latter is spread across two full CDs of never-before-released music and songs.

Also included in the set is a bonus disc of additional alternates, source music and songs, plus a full disc of Ron Jones' music for the 1988 "Superman" animated series, rounding out a full decade of Superman music.

The 8 CDs are accompanied by an in-depth, full-color 160 page hard-bound book, all housed in an elegant blue slipcase box with the Superman "S" embossed in sliver.

The set is available as a limited edition of 3,000 copies priced at $119.95 each, and may be ordered beginning at 3:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Thursday, February 21, 2008 via http://www.screenarchives.com/. Additional information and sound samples will be available at that time.

... Fifty (50) copies of the enclosed book have been signed by composers Ken Thorne and Ron Jones. These autographed editions will be available for $199.95 each on a first come-first served basis and with a limit of one (1) per person -- also through Screen Archives Entertainment at the same date and time.

The project is produced by Mike Matessino (who helped oversee the release of the complete soundtrack for the first film in 2000) by and FMS's editor Lukas Kendall. Both men know how to do this kind of thing right. The timing of the event celebrates the Man of Steel's official birthday of February 29 as well as another special anniversary in '08... It was almost 30 years ago, on December 15, 1978, Superman: The Movie hit theaters--Proving the film's tag line: You Will Believe A Man Can Fly- introducing audiences to Reeve's landmark portrayal and John Williams's unforgettable/rousing score.

Including the music from the animated series seems an odd fit-but O.K. The scores for the second and third films will finally get their due and music from the fourth feature--to my knowledge has never had a release of any kind. What a treat!

Lucky for me I have the funds to cover such a purchase on Thursday Otherwise I may have been shut out...I will be looking to own the non-autographed set.