Sorcerer 4K UHD (1977) (Criterion Collection)

[MifuneFan]

Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) coming to 4K from Criterion in June! It will also be including the original 2.0 surround track (see quote below for more details).

https://www.criterion.com/films/34370-sorcerer

4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack approved by director William Friedkin
• Alternate 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
• Friedkin Uncut (2018), a documentary by Francesco Zippel featuring interviews with Friedkin; screenwriter Walon Green; filmmakers Wes Anderson, Francis Ford Coppola, and Quentin Tarantino; and others
• New conversation between filmmaker James Gray and film critic Sean Fennessey
• Archival audio interviews with Green and editor Bud Smith, from the collection of Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, author of William Friedkin (2003)
• Conversation from 2015 between Friedkin and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
• Behind-the-scenes footage of Friedkin on set
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by film critic Justin Chang

New cover by Nessim Higson

About the Audio & Transfer (Credit to Shane Rollins):

Thanks for your interest in our upcoming release of SORCERER https://www.criterion.com/films/34370-sorcerer

Our release features two soundtracks - the original 1977 2.0 surround soundtrack and the 2013 5.1 surround remix, both of which were approved by director William Friedkin.

In terms of the visuals, the 4K edition was made from a new scan of the 35mm original camera negative, and a 35mm CRI, which was used for some additional shots not found in the negative. Our references for the color were a 35mm print made from a 35mm CRI in 1998. and a 2013 2k video transfer - both of which were supervised and approved by Friedkin. The new 4K version was graded with DolbyVision HDR.

A hallucinatory journey into the heart of darkness, William Friedkin’s pulse-pounding reimagining of the suspense classic The Wages of Fear was dismissed upon its release, only to be recognized decades later as one of the boldest auteur statements of the New Hollywood. In a remote Latin American village, four desperate fugitives—a New Jersey gangster (Roy Scheider), a Mexican assassin (Francisco Rabal), an unscrupulous Parisian businessman (Bruno Cremer), and an Arab terrorist (Amidou)—take on a seemingly doomed mission: transporting two trucks full of highly explosive nitroglycerin through the treacherous jungle. Aided by Tangerine Dream’s otherworldly synth score, Friedkin turns each bump in the road into a tour de force of cold-sweat tension—conjuring a hauntingly nihilistic vision of a world ruled by chance and fate.

[snipemonkey]

Oh f**kin' hell YESSSSSS!!!!!

And I'm not often a big fan of Criterion's cover design aesthetic, but that right there is pretty sweet.

[erixon20]

Very Interesting!

[Ben_C]

The Sorcerer Blu-ray was a stunner, a 4K version could hopefully look pretty incredible.

[DR Herbert West]

Yes!!!

[spf781]

Wow. Day one for this and "Brazil."

[OA-5599]

WOW! Outstanding news! Aside from an a/v upgrade, I hope the opportunity is taken to provide some quality bonus features.

[Kowalski5599]

Originally Posted by OA-5599

WOW! Outstanding news! Aside from an a/v upgrade, I hope the opportunity is taken to provide some quality bonus features.

The features are listed in the first post with the cover art. Also, nice username, I recognize it from somewhere 🤣🤣

[SpacemanDoug]

Any chance of them restoring the theatrical audio mix?

[jordanjabroni]

Originally Posted by SpacemanDoug

Any chance of them restoring the theatrical audio mix?

Audio options are stated in the first link -

• New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack approved by director William Friedkin
• Alternate 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by jordanjabroni

Audio options are stated in the first link -

• New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack approved by director William Friedkin
• Alternate 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack

I find it interesting they list the stereo track as an "alternate" option, I hope it's not a downmix like it was on the UK BD

[PowellPressburger]

Original audio I thought was MONO, but looks like there was also a 4.0 Stereo track.

But really wish the MONO was also included.

Curious to learn more about there 2.0 Stereo in Dolby Surround.

[yellowcakeuf6]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Original audio I thought was MONO, but looks like there was also a 4.0 Stereo track.

But really wish the MONO was also included.

Curious to learn more about there 2.0 Stereo in Dolby Surround.

It doesn't appear to have been a Dolby Stereo release, so probably a 4-track mag. There is no Dolby credit. Most probably heard it in mono.
My question is why a 5.1, and a 2-track but no 4-track (L/C/R/monoS)? Criterion used to be firm on original sound. Could be a cost issue?

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by yellowcakeuf6

It doesn't appear to have been a Dolby Stereo release, so probably a 4-track mag. There is no Dolby credit. Most probably heard it in mono.
My question is why a 5.1, and a 2-track but no 4-track (L/C/R/monoS)? Criterion used to be firm on original sound. Could be a cost issue?

It could be a 4-track mix put into a 2.0 container, they've done other 4-track mixes in 5.1 containers.

But the DVD's track was also a 2.0 stereo track, so who knows really?

[notops]

Originally Posted by yellowcakeuf6

It doesn't appear to have been a Dolby Stereo release, so probably a 4-track mag. There is no Dolby credit. Most probably heard it in mono.
My question is why a 5.1, and a 2-track but no 4-track (L/C/R/monoS)? Criterion used to be firm on original sound. Could be a cost issue?

It was. I’ve heard it in 35mm 4-track magnetic three times, as recently as last year. This is like a Scarface scenario, where the mag LCRS soundtrack is presented on disc as a matrixed 2-channel LCRS. I’m absolutely thrilled to have it available, maybe even more than the new picture transfer

[Fat Phil]

• New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack approved by director William Friedkin

[Yearbook]

Originally Posted by Fat Phil

Fingers crossed it's just the 5.1 he supervised for the Blu, and that the 4K resto was "a little more recent."

[Dailyan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWm6IF4_eTg

[Modren]

"approved by director William Friedkin"

[qw0aszx]

Originally Posted by Modren

"approved by director William Friedkin"

I hope that means the 5.1 remix rather than the actual restoration.