Monday, October 11, 2004

Farewell to the Last Son of Krypton

Christopher Reeve has died:
Actor Christopher Reeve, the star of the "Superman" movies whose near-fatal riding accident nine years ago turned him into a worldwide advocate for spinal cord research, died of heart failure, his publicist said. He was 52.

The tagline of Superman was "You will believe a man can fly," and I did. I was eight years old when I saw the movie with by best friend Bill Holt at the old Oaks Theater in Columbus. I remember sitting through those endless, tedious opening credits wondering "When's the second half going to start?" I laughed my silly head off at the goofy "Bad vibrations" joke and the telephone booth gag. Yes, Otis was nonsensical and out of place--even a rapt kid could tell that--but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the movie any. Still doesn't. Even in the later sequels, when the Slakinds were butchering the Superman mythos, Christopher Reeve always managed to dignify the role. Superman has always been an event in my life, and always will be.

Now Playing: John Cougar American Fool

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