The phone booths of Metropolis

[Timstuff]

This may sound like a fairly non-sequiter post, and maybe it is since I should have gone to bed 3 hours ago, but whatever... I was thinking about the iconic phone booth change sequence that is so often associated with Superman, and how it might fit into a new movie, seeing as phone booths are fairly rare these days.

Basically, Lex Luthor, being the greedy tycoon he is, has some kind of monopoly on Metropolis's pay phones, and to make sure that they bring in plenty of money he made back room deals with city officials to restrict the construction of cell phone towers, which means that cell phone coverage in Metropolis is quite poor compared to most other cities of its size. And lo and behold, this means tons of cash being dumped into Lex's pay phones by people who lost their cell phone reception, and also provides Clark Kent with plenty of places to change into Superman.

They could have Lois allude to this in a scene within the movie, when the newly arrived Clark Kent tries to use his cell phone.

Lois: "Don't bother, you'll never find a tower in this part of the city."
Clark: "I'm pretty sure Kansas had better reception than this."
Lois: "Well, you can thank Luthor Atlantic for that." Lois points at a phone booth bearing the Luthor Atlantic Telephone logo

 

[Steel Thunder]

That Lex, what will he think of next?

 

[Timstuff]

That Lex, what will he think of next?

A whole mountain of Kryptonite!

 

[Steel Thunder]

Perhaps he should also buy out all of Metropolis's Pizza places, so Clark can't satisfy his well documented pizza cravings.

 

[dark_b]

so you would have an explanation only for clark to change to superman?

 

[elgaz]

The phone booth idea wouldn't work in a modern movie anyway, most cities are governed by CCTV so I imagine any public would find it hard to believe that no-one has ever detected Clark Kent entering a phone booth and Superman exiting.

 

[BestGirl]

Superman Returns didn't have Clark change in a phone booth and nothing was lost. There's no need for Lex to come up with such a bizarre scheme just to justify an unneeded element in the film.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I got caught doing something in a phonebooth with my GF...

MAKING PRANK CALLS,DUDE!!!

 

[Webhead2006]

yea as neat as the whole phonebooth change is for superman. Since the 80s with cell phones and land line phones. They are not that common any more. Heck in my home city which is a pretty small one for my state i havent seen a full phone booth in years. There is still a bunch of payphones sprinkled around here and there.

Though i do like the idea that besides running his comp lex has a hold on pretty much everything in metropolis like the electrical/water/phones/etc..... It can show that he is after all the power and wealth out there.

 

[afan]

Yes, phone booths are a thing of the past, alas.........

However...... perhaps we have a modern replacement as an impromptu metropolitan dressing room for The man of Steel.........those stand alone public toilets?

 

[Webhead2006]

i dont think a port a potty would be the best place for superman to change lol.

 

[afan]

i dont think a port a potty would be the best place for superman to change lol.

Have you seen the ones in major cities? They are fairly lavish. In Japan they would be the equivalent of a hotel room

 

[Webhead2006]

oh no i dont live in a major city and havent been to a major city for over a year. so i only can go by those standard portapottys i see around. By chance you got any photos of one of those nicer ones?

 

[afan]

I don't have any pix myself, not a favorite photo subject of mine, but here's one I found online.

In Boston,Ma. you'll find them near tourist attractions. Lots of stainless steel, and they are self cleaning!

 

[Webhead2006]

oh ok yea that does look half bad. But yea i dont think folks would like superman changing in a bathroom lol.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Were talking about and looking at toilets!

 

[Changeling]

I got caught doing something in a phonebooth with my GF...

MAKING PRANK CALLS,DUDE!!!

I almost got caught doing something else with mine...

 

[Changeling]

Actually it was a photobooth...

 

[afan]

Were talking about and looking at toilets!

I know.... sad state of affairs isn't it............

 

[Webhead2006]

totally afan

 

[Rodrigo90]

I know.... sad state of affairs isn't it............

 

[Webhead2006]

 

[Spider-Fan83]

I always liked, how even in superman: the move, they had a scene of him looking for a fully in closed phone booth, and couldn't find one...

 

[Webhead2006]

at most that is all we will see for phone booth.

 

[Timstuff]

Actually it was a photobooth...

That gives me an idea... Superman could change in a photobooth, then promptly grab the film out of the dispenser and burn it.

Nah, that's st00pid...