He's Drunk! Superman Is Drunk!

In what amounts to the most postmodern scene in all the Chris Reeve-era "Superman" films, is the following from "Superman III" (1983) after Kal's exposure to a substance intended to kill him, but instead has the effects of red kryptonite - which as any comic fan knows removes Superman's inhibitions.

After his moral code is switched off, Superman's mind goes to Atlantic City: he gets laid, he pulls a few pranks at the Olympics, punches a hole in an oil tanker, and at the height of his spree of self-loathing, goes down to Moe's to get snockered.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Photos courtesy of Jimmy Olsen, Daily Planet NewsCorp

Although one would think his super-physiology would prevent him getting drunk on Jack, get drunk Kal does - only to stagger out into the street after vandalizing the bar, and snarl: "What are you looking at? Huh?" at passing gawkers before Superman's new best pal, the extremely annoying Ricky Lang, stages an intervention and forces our hero to literally confront his demons in....a wrecking yard, where he goes through a moral rehab of sorts and conquers the bad guys.

Whew, back to reality.

And speaking of reality, I understand Chris Reeve once had a reputation as a capable drinker. I wonder how many of those "Leaving Las Vegas" moments were funneled into his performance as drunk Superman?

Methinks, more than a few...