Friedkin's SORCERER coming to Blu-Ray and DVD in April

The only DVD ever released is a 4:3 pan and scan ported over from the LaserDisc. It was bad then, yet apparently the DVD issue coming out today is just a WB port of the Universal DVD. It's just mind-boggling, but apparently that's what Friedkin wants. I feel sorry for DVD-only folks who are buying this thinking it's an upgraded, remastered version. Hopefully they'll read the back cover before opening it.



Harry

 

I don't have the blu but based on reviews I'm reading and the fact that it's pan & scan based on the back of the box, I would assume it's the same broadcast version prepared by Universal years ago.

I've only seen the blu and it looks marvelous. I can only assume that Friedkin had someone he knows report about the DVD release (he didn't supervise a new transfer for that and knowing that he did for the blu one would assume he would insist on that as well) since he posted a comment at amazon.

Given that a lot of folks still haven't made the leap to blu, I doubt this is going to make them happy.

 

Could a Gort change this thread title, now that we know that the "restored" version will not be on DVD this go-round?

Harry

 

According Friedkin, he hates the previous version on DVD and wasn't aware it was being reissued nor did he approve it.

 

The Barnes and Noble near me got one copy of The blu Ray and ten copies of the P&S dvd ,of course the one copy Blu Ray sold out

 

I meant to say I do that the DVD but have the Blu.

 

Watched this film (Blu-Ray) for the first time tonight. I've always been curious about it. Great great film.

 

Restored version on BR but not DVD.... what a f**king joke.

 

Surprised this was released on a BD25 vs. 50 as the additional bit rate would benefit a film like this. Still, looks surprisingly robust for the lower bit rate with nice depth, detail.

Based on the generic menu makes me wonder if this was originally supposed to be part of the Warner Archive series and that the deal they cut with Friedkin for the book excerpt plus the fact that this is a desired title made them alter their release plans.

 

Well some good news--it evidently was a mistake on Warner's part:

Cut to: the recent release of both the Blu-ray and DVD editions of the restored version. It seems that, although the Blu-ray is right up to expectations (Friedkin told me that it looked as good as what he saw through the camera when the movie was being filmed), someone at Warners botched the DVD release and presented it in the wrong aspect ratio- a truly ironic occurrence, given Warner's reputation for accuracy in its high profile restorations.

In response to our inquiries about the issue, Friedkin E mailed us from New Zealand to say that he will personally supervise a new DVD release of the film during the first week of May and advise everyone when it is ready. He also suggests that consumers who bought the DVD demand a refund. In the E mail, Friedkin also addressed misconceptions that the movie was shot in a widescreen format as well as unauthorized DVD versions that were released internationally.


http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.ph...RESPONDS-TO-BOTCHED-SORCERER-DVD-RELEASE.html

 

Finally was able to watch this tonight. Great film, absolutely beautiful transfer.

 

Is the "Sorcerer" blu-ray available to rent from Netflix? I know it isnt' available for streaming, but I was trying to see if one could get it with their disc by mail plan. I thought my dad would like it and was going to suggest it to him, but I can't figure out how at Netflix's site to search for a title without an active membership.

 

I just checked and it's not there...

 

Any updates on the corrected DVD release?

 

It's due out August 5th according to Amazon.

Harry

 

Thanks for checking. Guess I've got something for us to watch next time the old man visits.

 

I saw this in a theatre a couple of weeks ago. It was better than I remembered. I recall thinking it was less suspenseful than the original French version when I watched them back to back on video several years ago but viewed on its own it seemed plenty tense to me, especially the incredible bridge sequence. A lesson in "how'd they do that" old school special effects.

I do find it funny that the movie takes a very large amount of time setting up each guy's backstory, but then when they are in Central America there is almost no character development or interaction. Just when two of them start opening up to each other, they crash and die!

Also noteworthy to me -- this film looks like it must have been one of the most miserable shoots ever -- out in the middle of nowhere, hot, dirty, wet and exhausting.

 

Grim trivia, though maybe not surprising given the film's age -- all of the principal actors, including the oil company guy who hires them, are dead.

 

Shot in The Dominican Republic. And according to the booklet that comes with the blu-ray, the sequences setting up the characters were all shot on location where they occured - Paris, Jerusalem, New Jersey. Friedkin doesn't specifically mention Vera Cruz, so I'm not sure if they went there for that sequence or staged it elsewhere.

It's nice seeing actual explosions and fire, which rarely look real even with the advances in today's CGI.

 

It's great that we're getting a corrected DVD edition, but it appears that the cover of the "correct" version is exactly the same as the "botched" one....

 

The film was so much better than I had expected, even though I am a Friedkin fan.

 

Saw it in the theater when released originally, still one of my favorite films.

 

The rear cover of the bad one has a small Universal logo in the lower right area. The new one from Warners does not have that logo.

Harry

 

I've already had 3 different stores screw up trying to get the new DVD.... what the heck is going on?

 

This is an amazing film and it looks awesome on Blu-Ray. Definitely one of my all-time favourites.