Star Wars killed one of the best 70s action thrillers

The '90s were a wild time for cinema, especially in the wake of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Suddenly, every director with a taste for gritty dialogue and nonlinear storytelling was trying to capture that same lightning in a bottle. Most of these films faded into obscurity, but every now and then, one resurfaces and reminds us why the '90s were such a goldmine for edgy, offbeat cinema.
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#starwars #sorcerer #70scinema #1970s #WilliamFriedkin

[@Seang-um8lk]

I’ve said this b4. I’ll say it again I was 13 when I saw sorcerer the first time…. Lot of subtitles. At 17. It was pretty intense At 20. What a f’n masterpiece. At 57. It’s still a f’n masterpiece.

[@mjt1517]

before*

[@Foebane72]

BORING!

[@Jelperman]

What a crock. Sorcerer wasn't just beaten at the box office by Star Wars, but by Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo and numerous other films that summer. Star Wars didn't stop Smokey and the Bandit from being a hit.

[@Salsa_Shark]

The ultimate insult.

[@jongilbertson2106]

I still managed to see Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo as well as Star Wars.

[@patriciogonzaga3101]

Also, The Deep.

[@Jelperman]

@@patriciogonzaga3101 Can't go wrong when Jacqueline Bisset spends a large part of the movie in a wet T-shirt!

[@MrCarpen7er]

So what ? Herbie and Smokey are better than Sorcerer ? Do you know how many masterpieces were flops at the box office specially because of dumb people like you ?

[@alessiodecarolis]

Perhaps, in my humble opinion, people at the end of the '70s was tired of gritty, hopeleless movies, where, also if you fight hard, nothing was achieved. The public liked movies were you can see the protagonists not only surviving, but also win, so it's natural that most movies ended badly at the box office.Do you really think that SW would've been an hit if the Empire would've killed all the rebels ?

[@robbiehillis9330]

Your grammar is atrocious.

[@HM2SGT]

Indeed. Like Star Wars and Star Trek fatigue of the early 21st century, and superhero fatigue now

[@Jelperman]

Or as my mom said fifty years ago: "Thank god for the Three Musketeers!"

[@Nick-zp3ub]

That’s exactly what happened in the final episode of blakes seven. The evil empire won and the rebels died

[@charleslambdin3190]

Nah

[@jameslyons6655]

I saw it in the theater when it came out. It’s still one of my favorite movies.

[@SaintDuck]

Saw when I was a kid, spent 30+ years trying to find it again.

[@paulneuhausWriter]

Paramount didn't release Star Wars. Fox did. This is not a small detail.

[@TimRHillard]

Was a good movie, that’s been made 1,000 times. Star Wars was a whole other thing, never seen before. I mean, it is a space western, but still, nothing like it had ever been seen. I was 11 when it came out, and I was in shock in the theater when it ended. I asked my Dad could we stay and watch it again. He said yes, and we stayed for two more showings. Sorry, but Sorcerer didn’t do that kinda thing for anybody. Still, it’s good, I’ve seen it.

[@gelsol]

I saw Star Wars in the theater when it came out as a little kid, and while I get why it sold way more tickets, I think way more about Sorcerer these days. It's just a way more sophisticated and nuanced film. Plus that Tangerine Dream soundtrack.

[@franktower9006]

You explained it well. Star Wars is for kids.

[@MrCarpen7er]

Sorcerer has been made 1000 times ??? Star Wars is a rip off of dozens of previous better things made before it. You´re clearly r etarded...

[@AceyAce859]

Damn, to see star wars on the big screen when it came out. Must've been a hell of a thing.

[@TimRHillard]

@ It really was. We lived in small town, so my Dad took me to see it in this big theater in Charlotte. Very cool memory.

[@Hungyball_]

Is this ai generated?

[@DanielS2001]

I prefer Sorcerer now over Star Wars as it has become due to Disney.

[@KamalaIsTrash]

"Sorcerer" is a fantastic movie, one of Friedkin's best, but sadly largely unknown... Personally I much prefer a movie like that to a popcorn blockbuster like Star Wars.

[@mjt1517]

ok

[@Kevin-wr9um]

This was awesome on so many levels. Still holds up.

[@Foebane72]

I know, Star Wars is the BEST! You've got taste!

[@PeterMatthews-i5j]

Sorcerer is a totally brilliant film, brutal and tense from beginning to end and with that classic 70s grit.

[@kevinp3550]

Was the maker of this video tired? Did he have a partial hard drive crash? What kind of a video doesn't even bother to talk about the movie that is the subject? Why bother?

[@ThunderWarrior01]

I was eight years old when this was released so i had no chance of seeing it in the cinema but shortly before it’s blu ray release i saw a show that talked about it with a ton of praise and found out that night it was being shown at an art cinema near me. So i book a seat online and so,so glad i did as watching Sorcerer on the big screen was way more than a joy and is one of my fondest memories of watching a movie I’ve in public since my childhood that was thankfully in a time when i never missed anything because i had a father that was a massive cinema devotee and i thank him for passing that on to me

[@captainthunderbolt7541]

Timing is everything. After a decade and a half of Marvel slop, a gritty thriller sounds much more appealing than some sci-fi shlock, but there is just no predicting audience tastes five years in the future.

[@EricMcConnaughey]

My parents saw it when it came out. My mother loved the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream so she bought the album, back when they actually were albums. Loved it, seriously creepy. It's here on YT. Give it a listen.

[@Hyperbole77]

Friedkin didn’t “lose 50 pounds and catch malaria“ he caught malaria and lost 50 pounds.

[@michaelgarrow3239]

There is/was an immunization for malaria. So,,, kinda on you.

[@AllenUry]

I saw both films in the summer of 1977. My reaction to the film now remains as it was then. Remove the first 30 minutes -- begin with the characters already in South America -- and you have a great action thriller.

[@derekp308]

“Sorcerer” was the type of movie that should have been released in the fall or winter season where it could have not only have a better chance at the box office, but also get Oscar noms. I think another reason for it failing was that the novel it was based on, “The Wages of Fear”, was already made into a French movie of the same name in the 1950’s. That movie was already called a masterpiece of French cinema, and many people in the 70’s(or any decade for that matter) didn’t like the idea of Hollywood remaking foreign movies. In more recent years, you can now see “Sorcerer” not as a remake but as Friedkin’s own interpretation of the novel. Also watch Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo” before or after viewing “Sorcerer”. That movie also has an interesting backstory behind its making.

[@MikeSmith-ed9ot]

Opinions are like a$$holes...Star Wars was groundbreaking. It changed the way movies were made or presented to say the least. To say it wasn't good is an opinion one is entitled to. It is, however, a dead giveaway of a person's ignorance. It's on the same level of how so many people are ignorant to just how much Elvis Presley changed popular culture and society itself...for the better, in my opinion.

[@djlewis5149]

Watch the original “wages of fear” if you want suspense

[@MrCarpen7er]

??? No.

[@sean202]

Not Star Wars fault no one in America cared about a truck crossing a dodgy bridge

[@censorshipsucks9493]

I never heard of Sorcerer until 2008. I was part of an online movie forum. We'd pick a different topic, then each of us would pick a movie to watch for that week. When Roy Scheider died we did a round of his movies. I could not believe I never heard of this masterpiece.

[@notsparctacus]

Even Exorcist 2 beat it at the box office.

[@frankiehoskyn3948]

lol.

[@Zombo-r9e]

So did the Incredible Melting Man. Food of The Gods. And Sinbad & The Eye of The Tiger.

[@ericfaz1427]

"If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets" 😉😉

[@maddogmccoy3203]

I saw BOTH of these films when they were first released and enjoyed them immensely!...I've seen them both many times since, but, oddly enough I DON'T own Star Wars, but do have Sorcerer on DVD and watch it at least once a year!...It's one of THOSE movies that you can't get the images out of your head! Just sayin'!

[@Deuteromis]

Keep in mind I believe Fox was the only studio willing to give Lucas a chance with Star Wars, and even then the thought it was gonna bomb.

[@leemzgoogle917]

I saw this at the drive-in when I was a teenager. It was excellent.

[@frankiehoskyn3948]

It's not the fault of STAR WARS that SORCEROR flopped at the box office, to be fair it wasn't even a decent remake THE WAGES OF FEAR. It's not even William Freidkin's finest film, THE FRENCH CONNECTION was.

[@Zombo-r9e]

Nice of you to bring some Facts into this.

[@tabbithacampfield4116]

Never heard of it. Now I gotta watch it

[@charlesballard5251]

Also see the original French film, "Wage of Fear". I actually prefer it to "Sorcerer". But "Sorcerer" does have a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream.

[@deniswhitburn2626]

'Sorcerer' happens to be Stephen King's favorite movie. Happens to be one of THE great movies.

[@vo1non]

I’ve got it on DVD. Great film. Nothing like Star Wars, which is a good thing.

[@RobSchofield]

It is, however, a classy piece of film that had me and the group of friends who went to see it on the edge of our seats. I had seen the original with my Dad: it was one of his favourites.

[@gregduck7455]

on recommendation of a buddy, i saw this movie in 1977. i was blown away by the flick. i later saw a cut verson on tv back in the mid-1980s. not the same as the cinema version the year 'sorcerer' at the vogue theatre in vancover, british columbia. . this great movie never seems to be shown in the 21st century, even on TCM.

[@harrypotterwannabe5892]

It's a good thing we have technology like this now. And people who are willing to review old films that are actually great but didn't get the attention it deserved in the past. It's Jan 2, 2025 now as of this writing. 🎉

[@bobfitzpatrick8952]

I don't even remember this in the theater at the time. I only later found out about it from running across the soundtrack.

[@scottbernard8824]

"The Empire Strikes Back" killed "The Final Countdown" three years later

[@derekroberts6654]

It also beat “The Shining” that year too but it was close… maybe not at the time but those 2 movies “The Empire Strikes Back” and “The Shining” seemed to define the year 1980.

[@Zombo-r9e]

Still Prefer Star Wars Over Sorcerer.

[@curtisrodriguez938]

The domestic box office got my $10.00. It was well worth it. It was intense and suspenseful.

[@DanJackson1977]

That's weird... since movie tickets were about $2.25 in 1977. Did you see it 4 times?

[@curtisrodriguez938]

@@DanJackson1977 Not where I live. It was a $5 ticket at the local Century Theaters.

[@charlesballard5251]

@@curtisrodriguez938 JESUS!!! I've lived in Saint Louis my whole life and I don't think I paid over $4 until summer of '83 or '84. $5 in '77? NO!!!

[@curtisrodriguez938]

@@charlesballard5251 TBF the century theaters were really special back in the day with domed theaters. They were high end. The prices stayed at $5 until the late 1980's if I remember correctly.

[@edwardcollins741]

Brilliant film, brilliant sound track too.

[@SteveBueche1027]

You think the TITLE had something to do with it?

[@Zombo-r9e]

Sorcerer sounds like a Horror Film.

[@Nick-zp3ub]

It would be cool if they remade sorcerer and have one of the cast say that star wars will never catch on

[@tachi98lep]

Wasn't this movie rated R, it was made for a certain audience!

[@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats]

Every time someone talks about how Hollywood only wants to make blockbusters, I shake my head and wonder where they've been all these years. If we're lucky, we might be in the endgame of this thinking. Then again, it's seemed like we were in the endgame before.

[@magnusdiridian]

maybe they shouldn't have called it sorcerer

[@willieholmes1483]

Should have stuck with the original title: “The Wages of Fear”.

[@Hykje]

It's 35 movies over "Sorcerer" on the list, and among them is "Exorcist II: The Heretic" on 14 so you can blame that one too.

[@alakablam7901]

Oddly enough, I’m 44 and I have never seen either of these films. I’ll probably check out Sorcerer though.

[@Foebane72]

Naaah, Star Wars is infinitely BETTER. The 1970s was a totally dark time for cinema, and Star Wars was the shining beacon of hope for cinemagoers bored with cerebral crap.

[@HM2SGT]

Between jaws and blue thunder, Roy Scheider sort of flew under the radar, & this was one of his planes. Whether it's good or not is highly subjective. Perhaps if it came out at another time it would have done better. I was working my way through the Netflix catalog back when they still did DVDs when I hit my Roy Scheider phase. That's what I saw this last gasp of the 70s Cinema fatalism and hopelessness. From two lane blacktop to vanishing point, this was the swan song, inverted with the world's slowest race. The bottom line is it didn't suck, but the percentage of people that really enjoyed it is a solid minority.

[@charleslambdin3190]

Stephen King’s favorite movie, Friedkin’s best film, and one of the best movies ever IMO. Superior to the original, Wages of Fear.

[@UberNeuman]

They could remake it today. Four desperate men attempting to transport a trailer of Cybertrucks 5 miles down the road to the nearest dealership. Will they make it before their cargo explodes? Probably not….

[@andrestrishak8292]

Sorcerer sucked.

[@grawakendream8980]

i love sorcerer

[@jamesfarley8356]

Just watch both films for a true double feature binge to see how the directors compare more or less with their versions 🤔🤨😎

[@randomobserver8168]

OK, but the references in the description to the 90s and Tarantino are pretty confusing.

[@Hungyball_]

The whole video is ai generated 🤦

[@kutter_ttl6786]

Definitely meant for a different video. Question now is, does the channel care enough to correct it?

[@DreAmeoba1]

Sorcerer is one of my all time favorite films, Star Wars actually annoyed me, it had good special effects, but the story was like cheap comic book drivel.

[@WatchMaga]

I watched this film just this year. First time. It’s a great concept. But the script is an absolute mess. It’s full of setups that never pay off. I have a dream of re-editing the film myself. I have a notion that a greater sense of drama can be crafted by moving sequences about. Someday I might try it. But projects like that have a tendency to consume years of one’s life. And the payoff is small.

[@marttoom5903]

this is just grade BS.

[@ddewittfulton]

The Exorcist is a very good horror film. Intellectually demanding? You have to shelve objective reality to accept the premise.

[@Zombo-r9e]

Never had a Good Sequel, Though.

[@goonerlee]

I found a really tasty looking copy of this film while sailing the high seas and gave it a go as I'd always heard good things about it. My God...what a movie. The stress levels in this especially that bridge scene are insane. The only film I can think of when my hands were actually sweating...

[@richle905]

Sorcerer isn't very good and looks very much of the past when audiences wanted new.

[@patrickmullane30]

Sorcerer was a crappy remake

[@MrCarpen7er]

Damn you´re intelligent...

[@wiggywan1832]

Huh. You know, I once wrote a screenplay called Disco Wizard. No, it wasn't about a dancing magician. It was about a bus transporting a group of nuns over a dangerous Himalayan mountain pass to reach an orphanage. My agent laughed and threw it in the trash. Then he said: "Try writing a story people care about ***hole, then they'll go see it."

[@michaelbailey4442]

Star Wars is hot garbage. The dialogue sounds like it was written by a 12 year old. Plus it's derivative as fuck

[@steinarvilnes3954]

But as such, which movies are not really derivative at all? Also, Star wars took elements from other movies, but moved them into space, that made them seem quite original in their new context and how they were mixed together.

[@frankiehoskyn3948]

You do realise that SORCEROR is a remake of an earlier film.

[@steinarvilnes3954]

@@frankiehoskyn3948 Yes, where did I claim otherwise?

[@michaelbailey4442]

@frankiehoskyn3948 I haven't even seen it. But I do know star wars sucks

[@fastertove]

@@michaelbailey4442 I wish I was just as cool as you.

[@Drforbin941]

Star wars is shit!

[@CthulhuInc]

stars wars is awful

[@SteveMacSticky]

Star bores is extremely overrated

[@stlcardsuck]

Frankly, I never saw the appeal of Star Wars never watched it until 30 years later and still never saw it, would definitely like to have those two hours back!!!