WTF Happened to Sorcerer (1977)?

Sorcerer (1977) is the best movie you never saw. William Friedkin, during the seventie made two instant classics and one misunderstood masterpiece. The classics are obvious: in a span of three years, Friedkin made The French Connection and The Exorcist, movies that respectively are prime candidates for Best Cop Film Ever and Best Horror Movie ever... You all can debate that in the comments... The French Connection won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, making Friedkin one of the hottest filmmakers in the business. The Exorcist became one of the biggest box office champs of all time and won two Oscars of its own, subsequently making Friedkin a God... Well, in his own mind anyway.
Coming off two such respected and successful movies could make any director feel invincible, and Friedkin was a man who by his own admission believed his own hype. When it came time to follow those two movies, Friedkin would ultimately decide on SORCERER (1977) a fairly low-budget suspense film that he thought would be easy enough to squeeze in before delving into a much larger project. But fate had a much different plan for Friedkin, transforming his low-budget movie into an expensive and exhausting undertaking, which, despite the starpower of Jaws's Roy Scheider, ran into trouble at the box office when it opened a week after Star Wars.
Buckle up because the road ahead is very rocky; Hold on tight and find out WTF Happened to this movie!
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#williamfriedkin #royscheider #wtfhappenedtothismovie

[@rickschiaffo618]

As a retired cameraman, I had the opportunity to meet and talk to Roy Scheider on the set of GMA back in the late 70's. I had recently seen Sorcerer and loved it. I asked Mr Scheider why the film didn't do well. He said, "There was no one to root for." I could understand his point but I felt the film was so intense coupled with Tangerine Dreams score, I could only assume the flick was ahead of it's time. Roy Scheider was truly a gentleman.

[@MikeBurkard]

I was 7 yrs old when this movie came out. Not sure how or when I actually saw it. Probably on HBO my parents had at the time. Or it could be my "Cool Uncle" who had a thing of sneaking into movie theaters and tape the movies... but I digress... Loved this movie when I was a kid and love it still! In my top 5 always!

[@paulfitzgerald2673]

One of the greatest films ever made.

[@ghostlightx9005]

I think its title killed it.

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

Absolute masterpiece of a movie. Nonstop nihilism ratcheted to eleven until the last scene. If you haven't seen it I suggest you watch it ASAP.

[@mundi352]

​@Kahler Hahn the original is great but it holds nothing to Sorcerer

[@moussetache1815]

You are right in that they are two different kinds of movies really. I love both.

[@amberlopez7477]

Where can one see this film? 🤔

[@stanleylaham8932]

Saw the original in French when I was eight years old and needless to say didn’t appreciate it. After seeing Friedkin ‘s masterpiece in 77(twice in one week), I revisited the original Salaire de la Peur. Sorcerer beats it in every category.

[@BalBurgh]

And in the last scene they pump the nihilism meter up to about 27...

[@jonsimpson9640]

Easily one of the greatest films ever made, a truly underrated gem.

[@stephaniejean2426]

It's one that has eluded me... ok, time to see where it's available. Thanks!

[@All_Hail_Chael]

The Wages of Fear is better IMO. This is a remake of Wages of Fear.

[@markpaterson2053]

@@stephaniejean2426 Strap in---it's the most tense experience ever, more so than Excorcist and French Connection, imo

[@stephaniejean2426]

@@markpaterson2053 Thanks! 😌

[@mundi352]

​@@markpaterson2053 agreed. It is an incredibly intense film

[@betelguese3909]

Saw this movie on HBO in the late 70s. Was riveted to the tv until the last scene. Completely underrated dynamite of a movie. Roy Scheider killed it in this movie.

[@JoBloOriginals]

Superb

[@pranavprankstergangster]

Roy Schneiders 70s output was insane. Sorcerer, Jaws, All that Jazz, and more

[@gallery7596]

@@pranavprankstergangster "The French Connection," "Klute," "Marathon Man," "Last Embrace."

[@ilmarinen79]

Those bridge scenes are probably the most intense cinema experiences you can ever get, along with the movie itself. A thriller to rule all thrillers. This needs to be discovered and acknowledged way more than until now.

[@michaelbruns449]

Why is this intense and haunting masterpiece so damn underrated and underappreciated?

[@pete49327]

It came out close to same time as first Star Wars; Sorcerer was old school, no fake special effects (all shot in camera), and Star Wars was a new type of movie with big special effects, etc., that excited the newer generation. Also, the title Sorcerer was confusing as many associated the name with the devil, The Exorcist genre, when in fact Sorcerer was simply the name of one of the trucks carrying dynamite. Thirdly, the marketing was botched by the studios.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@pete49327 it is very slow and the pacing is uneven. It’s like a western. The marketing team had their work cut out. It’s basically a character drama with some action and suspense. It could have done with being a bit weirder. It’s too conventional, thematically. But then again, The French Connection is more or less in the same area but that did well. I think serious dramas were popular, as well as Star Wars. But maybe that had kind of gone a bit out of fashion. It’s so much more polished and slick than TFC though. I think the trailer was not given proper attention and they botched it.

[@wd25a]

To me this is as underrated as the The Exorcist is overrated. This is a much tighter, much better movie.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@wd25a yes the film is very artistic. He’s a much better director than Steven Spielberg or rye big directors. I can sympathise if he’s annoyed because the studios let him down. He’s well suited for large scale projects but I think he needs more control than what happened here with the plan changing so much. I think the title should have been Mule.

[@TheVidkid67]

@@wd25a The Exorcist hasn't aged well. It's terribly dated.

[@sgrafx]

Its one of the best movies I have ever seen and one of my all time favorites.

[@MarinCipollina]

I've seen some truly great movies over the years. But I can't think of any that outshine this one. This one feels very personal. I can't explain how or why, quite frankly. Perhaps it's the existential pathos. I saw Sorcerer in theatrical release on the big screen. It has stuck with me my entire life.

[@TheRealFamespear]

I saw it when it came out in ‘77 and have probably seen it 20 times since. It is such a great film.

[@goodolboy5795]

Me too! And I remember even having a T-Shirt from movie.

[@diGritz1]

I think we flipped a coin for this or Damnation Valley...... It losed.

[@MarinCipollina]

Hopefully at least one of the viewing experiences was on the big screen.

[@JollyDeacs11]

A couple of things here about the "Bridge Scene"... notice the "howling, grunting and subtle frequency tone, along with the wood creaking sound effects. Pure brilliance. I'm not even mentioning Tangerine Dream's Synth compostions that just add such a rich layer of intensity to this classic cinema masterpiece. This is true filming within the highest degree of art form. Bravo... these types of scenes now have CG Graphics and computers taking over...

[@lowket]

Sorcerer is a rare jewel, destined to be a cultmovie for generations to come.

[@SquabbleBoxHQ]

A masterpiece by any rational definition.

[@carlocoppola3166]

One of the most underrated movies of all time

[@foxlevon0]

This is one of the greatest movies of all time. It should have more recognition.

[@matthewdaley746]

After, The French Connection, and, The Exorcist, William Friedkin, unfortunately, was never able to make a film that went over as well as those two seminal classics, a true shame.

[@mundi352]

​@@matthewdaley746 To live and die in LA was a pretty big film that was well received

[@matthewdaley746]

@@mundi352 It's criminally underrated, unfortunately.

[@perfectallycromulent]

it has a terrible title, it sounds like a generic 80s sword and sorcery movie, and that's not what it is. but it's gonna make people ignore it.

[@matthewdaley746]

@perfectallycromulent Titles seriously annihilated it.

[@eyesofpicasso]

The bridge scene got homaged by the simpsons ep, "Mr. Plow"

[@jasonvaughn4886]

Friedkin was one of the best filmmakers of the 70s, hands down.

[@shanecochran2491]

of all time!!!

[@jasonvaughn4886]

@@shanecochran2491 Well, his work from the 80s onward has been inconsistent, to say the least...To Live And Die in L.A. is an excellent film, but that's about it...other films, like Killer Joe are uninspired at best.

[@rancosteel]

And 80's. To Live and Die in L.A. was epic.

[@lamentate07]

@@jasonvaughn4886 Killer Joe was his best work in decades though. Overall, I don't think he was in the very top league of 70s directors, but he had his moments.

[@bessarion1771]

I saw it in 1978 and it was my introduction to Tangerine Dream music. It was VERY popular in Eastern Europe. I still cannot believe most people in the US never even heard of it.

[@Wrecklan13]

It got taken out at the box office by star wars so no one really want to go see it, so there was no word of mouth to spread how good the movie was, and therefore today no one has really seen it.

[@perfectallycromulent]

there are a ton of American movies from the 70s and 80s with words like "Sorcerer' in the title, and most of them are garbage about wizards and barbarians. this movie doesn't stand out from the rest because it has a title that is generic and has nothing to do with what the movie is about.

[@bessarion1771]

@@perfectallycromulent True. Also, the beginning of the movie has subtitles, and a lot of people thought it was a foreign-language movie and walked out. In addition, Friedkin was known for Exorcist at that time, and people thought it was a supernatural horror.

[@robdielemans9189]

I was 2-ish at that time, hailing from the low lands. But I do have the album on vinyl.

[@richardmoloney689]

Superman was better

[@Malum09]

Friedkin has easily become one of my favorite Directors from that era. Almost everything he has done is at least worth one watch.

[@jerryschramm4399]

I saw this at a movie theater when it was first released. Amazing. The bridge crossing scene is one of the most tense, harrowing and gut wrenching pieces of cinema ever put on screen. It deserves every bit of the adulation it is finally getting. Then again, I only went once. I saw "A New Hope" at least a dozen times.

[@GandaMelgao]

I saw this film at least a dozen times. When I was a teenager it scared me beyond belief.

[@jedimindtrix2142]

Star Wars hit a cultural vein and flowed through the imagination of society like a drug man. It was something done on a never before seen scale and the special effects/costumes/story was completely unique for it's time. Whereas a movie like Sorcerer was not named appropriately for what it was depicting. I agree with the guy who posted the video on that point for sure. A lot of people probably went in blind, as people often did in those days, expecting something to do with magic and supernatural stuff. So if you go in expecting that and get some criminals riding in a beat up truck in the jungle...I could see how I would be disappointed. Plus when you bring the cultural phenomenon, Star Wars up to the plate at the same time as this movie..well....it simply had no chance. Probably would have done much better if the title and branding of the film was more akin to what it was actually about and they should have pushed the release back as they saw what the competition was doing just a few weeks prior. Just bad marketing and planning doomed it in it's initial days of life. However most all films have been given a second chance at life now and are able to be fairly evaluated based on their merits as a film alone.

[@daniellewillis2767]

Too bad it came out in 1977. That was a bad year for anything that wasn't Star Wars...

[@mysocalledknife07]

LOVE this movie. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, like no other (I miss true thrillers ... they don't seem to make them like this anymore) I saw "Sisu" last night and that was about as close as it got.

[@sillymesilly]

Not even close

[@ghostlightx9005]

Track down Wages of Fear, the original 50s version. It is easily as good and as tense.

[@jorgezarco9269]

Sorcerer(1977) is an underrated film.

[@killbot_factory]

I discovered this masterpiece a few years ago and ever since have basically been stopping strangers on the street and telling them to watch this. It is such an under-appreciated film, and I am so happy that it's starting to get some of the recognition it deserves.

[@davidjames579]

"Stopping strangers in the street". You maybe shouldn't do that.

[@mundi352]

​@David James I would imagine that the comment was slightly hyperbolic

[@jeremyshewell2445]

I love that enthusiasm, bro. I geek the fuck out to. When I went and saw.BEAU IS AFRAID , for a few days, in grocery stores, the LC , etc, I would ask people if they’ve seen it . Just random strangers the odd time I get the weird look. People need to be passionate about things again, and scream it to t the rooftops when something is great. Music , Film , Art , a great boxing match . Let it out man.👍❤️

[@victornmonteiro]

For me it’s the best movie ever made. It’s a class of storytelling.

[@dorklyasmr6017]

This is my favorite movie of all time. My dad was EOD (bomb disposal tech) in the Army in the 60s and 70s and he says that no move ever better captured the constant tension of his job. It sucks that Friedkin never did a commentary track for this movie like he did with all his other classic movies. And it took FOREVER for it to get to blu-ray; the original DVD was an absolute mess; it was full screen (boo!) and encoded so horribly that it feels at times like a 144P youtube video. I was so excited when I was able to finally get a decent copy and watch the river crossing scene on my giant screen with a booming sound system.

[@matthewdaley746]

Can you really blame him, this was supposed to be the film that began a whole new era for his career, instead, it was the decisively fatal blow from which he never really recovered.

[@dorklyasmr6017]

@@matthewdaley746 The thing is he LOVES talking about the movie; someone on reddit posted about attending a screening in the last decade with friedkin in attendance where he talked at length about the insane making of this movie. It's obviously a DVD company issue where they couldn't be bothered to even ask him. I mean he did like two different french connection commentaries AND found time for a disastrous regrading of the color for an "improved release" of the movie... But nothing for Sorcerer. Dang. But what a masterful piece of work. I love the original (wages of fear) but this surpasses it in basically every way... and the first one was basically a masterpiece itself).

[@matthewdaley746]

@@dorklyasmr6017 Yeah, I think, ultimately, he will make a commentary, he just hasn't, seems we'll just have to be a bit more patient waiting for that time, really will, no doubt.

[@Kilian600]

...and remember, the first videotapes in Germany was cut down to 90 minutes, omitting most of the introductions of the 4 main characters.

[@gabrielapetrie]

🎉

[@PrivateIvan]

Great retrospective! I remember being a kid going to wait on line to see Star Wars for the umpteenth time, and there, across the street was Sorcerer, with basically tumbleweeds in front. About a dozen years ago, Friedkin introduced a digital remastering of this flick at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He was still very proud of his work, rightfully so, but ruefully admitted that had he cast Steve McQueen (even to submitting to the demands of including Ali McGraw as a character), he would have had a flick that would have at least broken even, and not shattered his career. After the flick screened, we gave Mr. Friedkin a standing ovation. I would only add that Sorcerer *needs* to be seen in the best circumstances available (at least for your first viewing), whether giant screen blu-ray or 35mm print. Otherwise, I feel you really miss the point. Thanks!

[@iwanttocomplain]

I downloaded it and still enjoyed the photography, I did get a good sense of the jungle.

[@plisskensghost2951]

I have a 70 inch wide screen tv and i can tell you it looked amazing.

[@MarinCipollina]

@@plisskensghost2951 I'm sure that was interesting, but watch on a thirty foot screen if you get a chance. Screen size matters with this one.

[@travisbickle2004]

Excellent film with some outstanding and incredible feat of filmmaking moments. It looks stunning, it reminds me of Apocalypse Now with it’s vibrant greens in particular and also everyone looks like they’re boiling hot. It has a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream too which is memorable. I would say the opening 20 minutes or so might be initially confusing plot wise, there’s also a documentary style to the film and it demands you to pay attention. I say that because some of the people I’ve recommended it too were put off by the films opening, because it doesn’t hold your hand narratively. It all soon makes sense though and it’s a nightmarish adventure to the end. The bridge scene is truly edge of seat and nail biting stuff, I thought it was one of the most technically impressive scenes I’ve ever seen. William Friedkin was at the top of his game when he made this, he’s one of my favourite filmmakers for sure.

[@briggscharleton6139]

I travelled through northern Thailand in the dead of night listening to the Tangerine Dream score. An experience almost as thrilling as this eerie, downbeat masterpiece of a film.

[@empress408]

I’m watching it here again…wonderful film. There’s nothing like the last 3 minutes….

[@chiefscheider]

The wall-to-wall music in this vid is unnecessary and annoying.

[@robertspencer2516]

Remember watching The Wages of Fear with my father at home on a small TV absolutely spellbound. As it was released in the same year I was born. It must have been in the early sixties. Fond memories. Always remembers scene round a campfire and one of the characters had a small amount of Nitro sweat on his fingers. He casually flicked it onto the ground and rocks and there was a small explosion as it landed. Scared the shit out of me. Have both films now in my collection but that scene is not there. I can only think for some reason, maybe damage to the original film stock? Both film are magnificent and if you haven’t seen them. Make sure you do

[@azohundred1353]

It's worth noting that William Friedkin was a bigger fan of John Huston's The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre than he was of Henri-Georges Clouzot's version of The Wages Of Fear, which is is why he doesn't prefer Sorcerer to be compared to The Wages Of Fear. Yes, both were adaptations of the same book, but Friedkin himself said he was inspired more by The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre when making the film in this interview on Turner Classic Movies: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnTXipyBetGYgqs At the end of the day, all three of them are masterpieces and would honestly make a perfect Triple Feature of Action-Adventures highlighting Greed and Corruption. Also, William Friedkin, what a legend. I can't count the number of times I've seen The French Connection, and also To Live And Die In L.A. William Friedkin is always fantastically pushing the envelope in his films, the movie he did with Al Pacino, called Cruising (1980) is an underrated classic that should be a must watch for Friedkin and Pacino fans. Also, Friedkin's most recent film, Killer Joe (2011) was a great crime thriller with an intense performance by Matthew McConaughey playing an unhinged psycho. I'm sure Friedkin and McConaughey were aiming for a performance that was reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart's legendary role in The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre or James Cagney's explosive performance in White Heat. That's another thing that makes William Friedkin so amazing. He's one of the biggest movie buffs to ever become a director, right there in knowledge with the likes of Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich. Using all of this knowledge from the great classic movies that came before him, he ended up becoming a fantastic director himself, and elevated the Action Movie to Oscar-worthy serious film with The French Connection, Sorcerer, etc. much like the great John Ford did with the Western when he made Stagecoach (1939). Then William elevated the Horror movie to Oscar-worthy serious film as well. Only a special director could pull both of that off in such a short period of time. I know William Friedkin is making a remake of The Caine Mutiny with Keifer Sutherland in the Captain Queeg role, which was originally played to perfection(and an Oscar nom) by Humphrey Bogart in 1954, so I can't exactly say this is an easy task, but I'm very confident that Friedkin will make an amazing movie as he always has. I wish him good luck on his future movies and I will always be watching them.

[@matthewdaley746]

Speaking of which, French Connection II is criminally underrated, because it just had absolutely zero chance of living up to the original, blood simple.

[@azohundred1353]

@Matthew Daley Yes, it was a hard act to follow, even when another master director was at the helm. John Frankenheimer directed The French Connection II, who was himself a master of action-thrillers since the 1960s, with classic masterpieces like The Train(1964) with Burt Lancaster, the original version of The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Frank Sinatra, the Elmore Leonard adaptation 52 Pick-Up (1986) with Roy Scheider, and I'm sure most know Ronin (1998) with Robert De Niro. Frankenheimer had that kind of talent. I agree with you, The French Connection II is underrated, and I think Frankenheimer actually did do quite a great follow-up to the first. He took the storyline to France and put Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle in a "Fish out of Water" situation. I do think it was a good action-thriller and it definitely provided closure on the Popeye Doyle vs Alain Charnier storyline.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@azohundred1353 Thank You, unfortunately, John Frankenheimer's career slowed down beginning in the 1980s, and, despite a resurgence on TV, he never quite regained the standing of his early career, just tragic.

[@marsrocket]

Adaptations of the same book? Treasure is based on a book published in 1927.

[@azohundred1353]

@marsrocket William Friedkin doesn't prefer Sorcerer to be compared to The Wages Of Fear because he found himself inspired much more by another movie(Treasure) than Wages Of Fear, even if Sorcerer and Wages are both adaptations of the same book, The Salary Of Fear. I'm sorry, but I think you got confused. I wasn't referring to B. Traven's Treasure Of The Sierra Madre in that sentence.

[@mattmozgiel2111]

Star Wars fucked this movie. And it's a tragedy. It's one of Friedkin and Scheider's best films.

[@henrygoleau]

I saw the French "original" Wages of Fear as a little kid and it made quite an impression on me. Later as a pre-teenager in the 70s Friedkin's Sorcerer came out and I went to see it and thought it was awesome. I watched it again a couple of years ago and, with my initial impression confirmed, I really appreciated how the story of each character builds up, it's just riveting. Then they get thrown together in that end of the earth hellhole in South America for that suicide mission, only to, for the one character that survives it, face his unescapable fate. It was a brilliant movie. The second time I saw it I picked up on some Exorcist references (like the name Pazuzu on one of the trucks at some point iirc, and the "truck faces" eerily reminiscent of demons). Thank you Mr. Friedkin for this and all your other excellent movies.

[@northprime_unlimited]

The soundtrack was my introduction to Tangerine Dream. I heard it before watching the movie. When I watched the movie, I was blown away! It was so raw and unpredictable. It felt like I ran a marathon. Incredible movie.

[@zer0gravity184]

I agree, Tangerine Dream did great. I was pleasantly surprised when they were used for the movie "Legend" (the American version) directed by Ridley Scott.

[@bobcastro9386]

I too heard the Tangerine Dream score before seeing the film and it made an immense impression on me. Would you rather a film be hailed when first shown but sink into obscurity? Or be ignored at first but build to prominence later on?

[@northprime_unlimited]

@@bobcastro9386 That’s a very interesting question. I usually don’t take critics opinions to heart so ignored at first then discovered later. I didn’t hear about Sorcerer till the 90’s so movies at that point were very homogenized and Sorcerer was a breath of fresh air with its realism.

[@grizzlywhisker]

Tangerine Dream is actually what originally turned me onto watching Sorcerer. I was a huge fan of their soundtracks for Thief, Risky Business, Firestarter, Near Dark, and some others so I knew I had to check out William Friedkin's work with them.

[@gulfstream7235]

Loved this movie, only came across it a couple of years ago. William Freidkin was one hell of a movie maker

[@bobsanders9114]

I saw it in NYC in 1977 on its first release. The theater was empty. I couldn't understand why. Other than what I recall as a stylistic mistake - we're talking 45 years ago, and I haven't seen it since - a long infrared "druggy" landscape sequence near the end, which I viewed as excessive and at the same time a little film-school-ish - and I may be misremembering this on a grand scale - I was stunned by the movie. The crowd sequences in the jungle camps were astounding - I kept wondering HOW DID THEY FILM THIS??? - I thought then, "This is a great epic! So why is there no one here?" And then the movie disappeared. (The original "The Wages of Fear" is also brilliant stuff.) But it wasn't until this essay that I realized why the film was named "Sorcerer" to begin with. If it had another big screen release, I'd see it. PS btw, you can have Friedkin's "Cruising".

[@fredloeper8579]

Suffered from a bad title. Title should have been "Four Desperate Men."

[@starshiptrooper2354]

Awesome movie. I was lucking to watch the filming of the early scene of the armor car robbery in Elizabeth NJ

[@midnightmosesuk]

I was one of those people who got mislead. I watched the film without knowing anything about it but, guessing from the name and director, I was expecting a supernatural horror. I was surprised by what the film actually was but, instead of being disappointed, I loved it. It's one of my all time favourites.

[@animeanibe]

A huge Tangerine Dream fan, I was familiar with every note of the soundtrack before I ever saw the movie. It turned out that Sorcerer was as amazing a movie as its soundtrack. Easily one of my favorites, and definitely an underrated piece of brilliance that everyone should see.

[@damirhlobik6488]

agree 100 %

[@MarioVAmaya]

And the recreation of the score, released by Edgar Frose as Tangerine Dream shortly before his passing, is another work of harrowing beauty.

[@Locadel2003]

The best and most underrated movie of the 70s. One of the best performances of Roy Schneider

[@jyesucevitz]

02:21 this was the only factual error I noticed you made. you said in both book and movie: "...if they make one wrong turn and the nitroglycerin goes KABOOM." the book had it going "kablooey". not kaboom". (it's a common mistake.) ;)

[@ajtaylor8750]

One of the best remakes of all-time that I actually prefer over "Wages of Fear." William Friedkin is a truly remarkable filmmaker and one of my biggest influences.

[@matthewdaley746]

Yeah, too bad The Exorcist was An Impossible Act To Follow, To Live And Die In L.A. was another criminally underrated film that he helmed, spectacular.

[@motherplayer]

I don't prefer it over that film myself, but I most certainly will say I do like it has an identity of it's own with it's palpable grit and drama. That bridge sequence was an interesting take on the other when they had to properly straighten the trucks on a ricket bridge in the original.

[@matthewdaley746]

@@motherplayer Hard to believe that as of Boxing Day that film will be fifty years old, Exorcist II was doomed, and, Exorcist III only did better because it seriously couldn't do any worse.

[@petesackett4611]

"Wages of Fear" if memory serves.

[@ajtaylor8750]

@@petesackett4611 Yep. Just caught it.

[@simonwoodthrillerwriter]

I so wanted to love this film because THE WAGES OF FEAR is such an awesome premise. And while Sorcerer has its moments, it's uneven film. Roy Scheider and Bruno Cremer's backstories dominate too much. It could've been great.

[@jyesucevitz]

if McQueen wanted the role and he really didn't want to leave his wife home I don't see how Freidken would object to her just being there on set. seems like McQueen wanted her to be paid regardless.

[@LeonWick526]

Everyone likes to blame Star Wars on why Sorcerer failed at the box office, but the real reason is because Sorcerer is a very bleak film that offers the audience no catharsis after it's tense and torturous ride. The film is so nihilistic and miserable that there're no stakes for it's story. After all, the main characters are all bad people and are screwed from the beginning. Not to mention the film goes out of it's way to show how terrible it is to live in that Central American village.

[@davidjames579]

Sounds amazing.

[@larsliljeblad800]

Sorcerer is an absolute masterpiece! way underrated, so glad its been reevaluated and being recognized as the gem that it is!

[@stanleylaham8932]

Two of the greatest movies of the 70s, Sorcerer and Twilights Last Gleaming, flopped at the box office not because they were not the great masterpieces that they were, but because of the lightheadedness of the summer audiences and the idiocy of the critics that buried them.

[@Colo118]

Star Wars happened

[@BishopWalters12]

Roy was a great actor that did so many great movies in the 70s and 80s. It's too bad that his career took a dip in the 90s and 00s for whatever reason.

[@brettbarton1911]

He did seaquest in the early 90s and retired.

[@BishopWalters12]

@@brettbarton1911 Retire? He did like 20-25 movies after Seaquest and more TV shows.

[@mundi352]

​@Bishop Walters I think your point was just actualized

[@johnran6015]

Sorcerer belongs in the same breath as The Thing, two stylistic nihilistic movies that were too great for their own good and over the heads of cinema goers wanting comfort food. I have a weird history with this movie. I had an uncle that worked at an MCA pressing plant and he was always giving us promo copies of CDs and movies. We just ended up with a VHS promo copy of Sorcerer in our collection, it was a white box with no description and the Sorcerer logo. One summer when I was 12 (1996 or 95) I have watched every single movie we had in the house and I put in Sorcerer. I thought it was a foreign movie with a hyper complex plot I couldn't follow and I'd turn it off after 10 minutes every time. Then one day, out of sheer boredom I said "Fuck it" and decided I would watch the entire movie to the end no matter what, and I was incredibly surprised when about 20 minutes in Roy Scheider showed and it was a guide post of familiarity for me to continue watching the movie but it was very much over my head. I thought this movie had this intense international terrorism plot that I just couldn't wrap my head around, I didn't even know the set up with the trucks and nitro until the movie was damn near over, but it became a film I have been obsessed with my entire life. I am always showing this movie to people and I even think the original Wages of Fear is just as great. Good video, there is hardly anyone talking about this movie. The greats of the past should be kept in circulation, Sam Peckinpah and Monte Hellman are two other tough directors with great, nihilistic dark masterpieces. Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia would be a great video if you haven't done it yet.

[@poposterous236]

A great remake of "Wages of Fear", but what always strikes me about this film was the poster. Holy crap that's one hell of a vibe.

[@glenmoss02]

I've seen The Wages of Fear, but Sorcerer was so much better. When paired with the score by Tangerine Dream, it's a winning combo. I'm glad people are rediscovering this cult classic. Thanks for posting.

[@berndhofmann752]

I love both films: Sorcerer and wages of fear. Both are outstanding. So i bought the videos. 😂😂😂

[@knownpleasures]

A pile of boring crap was Sorcerer and that’s why it flopped. Sad because normally Friedkin was an excellent director

[@AndrewHunterMusic]

Just saw it. Exciting parts. Beautiful scenes. But not super compelling. Unlike Exorcist, there’s no one to care about. “You care more about the truck than the people”. Siskel. Yep.

[@Helvetica_Scenario]

I watched this movie a few years ago, almost randomly. Was captivated the entire run time. It's definitely one of the best movies ever made. You couldn't make something like this today. No one would give a director this much freedom with that much money.

[@markvarga7351]

In an interview Friedkin said (I think with Marc Maron) that the inspiration of the titel is a Miles Davis album with the same name.

[@ke6319]

A guy at work told me about this movie. And once I saw it, it became one of favorites. It has many layers to it, from the great cinematography, to the raw acting, going through the wonderfully soundtrack. That hidden philosophical message of the futility of the man's aspirations and attempts, because their fates were sealed even before setting off. Quite a deep and unnatural film for me

[@jasoncollins5278]

One of my all time favorite movies!

[@damirhlobik6488]

I watched the Exorcist once French connection twice Sorcerer, I can't count how many times I've watched it

[@Terry.W]

It is a great movie...with a superior music score....

[@killbotone6210]

Incredible movie with a brilliant Score and a gripping ending.

[@langrafix]

This film is incredible. I jumped on this as soon as it came up in my feed. The bridge scene alone is so realistic looking that it’s truly terrifying and you don’t know who’s going yo make it…there are one or two scenes particularly in that take that are so blurry with a hurricane rawness that you are completely on the edge of your seat gasping on how they are going to make it across. Awesome of you to give this great film it’s due Eric. Excellent commentary and evaluation.

[@sfitz0076]

I just watched this for the first time a few months ago. It lived up to the hype. Just a forgotten classic.

[@godfreecharlie]

I just rented Sorcerer 3 nights ago. I've seen it perhaps 15 times. I first saw it in 1977 in a theater in Pendleton Oregon. I've been a devout Tangerine Dream fan ever since then also. I didn't rent from KZbin or anything Google yet this came up as a recommendation. First time I have seen anything Sorcerer come up.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I saw this movie last night. A rare instance when a remake can actually measure up to it's predecessor.

[@fathercheese01]

Too bad it's not available to watch for free on one of a thousand streaming services.

[@quietside3734]

One of my absolute favourites. Ruthless and as gritty as it gets, it's a film that lingers in the mind long after viewing. Even though I know the outcome, I still find it nerve-racking and intense.

[@bensneb360]

A very underrated and super gritty movie, like I feel dirty just watching it

[@im3phirebird81]

I literally stumbled across this movie tonight by accident. Never heard of it before, but it had such a high rating and Scheider in it that I thought even though it seems unknown it can not really be bad. What a great movie I just watched! What I love about these old movies is the quick plot overview tells you it's about a couple of guys driving through the jungle with dynamite in their truck. It takes one hour out of 2 total running time until we even get to the jungle part. These guys back in the day knew to tell stories, not just flashy forgettable action for goldfish brains. Really good stuff! Gave me a similar feeling to Bullitt in a way I can't describe, despite the entirely different setting. Funny that Steve McQueen was desired for the leading role.

[@MarinCipollina]

Steve McQueen was a hot property that era. His name meant big box office. Although Scheider delivered a memorable performance, and I can't now imagine anyone else in the role, he lacked the marquee attraction capacity of Steve McQueen.

[@keithgordon3823]

This masterpiece is my mid-evil translation to one of my Sci-fi favorites, "Split Second!" I love this delectable treat-of-a-film!

[@MyITRcom]

I saw it in the theater with my family when it released in 1977, great film even as a kid.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

The marketing for Sorcerer was abysmal. I remember seeing the poster for it in the lobby of the same cinema where I had just seen the premiere of Star Wars, and I had no idea what the title had to do with the truck on the poster and didn't even consider seeing it at the time. Of course I saw it later and loved it.

[@ThatSoddingGamer]

Yeah, between following in the colossus that was Star Wars, and its questionable title, I'm not surprised it didn't do well. I didn't know what this movie was, and figured it must have magic or at least something related to the mystical (even just a sham, or high degree of skill in a particular field, a-la The Wizard). I definitely wouldn't have guessed a rough and tumble crew on a dangerous trucker mission. Looks interesting though.

[@AnyoneCanSee]

I agree that if you've just made "The Exorcist" it is pretty stupid to call your movie "Sorcerer" without realising you are going to attract a crowd hoping to see fantasy. Younger people may not realise that pre-internet you were usually going to see a movie based on a photographic press advert. The only place you even saw a trailer was at the movie theatre. Unless it was specifically featured on a talk show etc. I remember Star Wars coming out. Along with Speilberg, those guys changed movies It was the north of the blockbuster style movie which we still have today with MARVEL movies. Even police movies went from French Connection to Die Hard. It's a simplification but studios realised that audiences preferred big dumb movies over intelligent script-driven movies. Indian jones etc ruled the day.

[@mymymy9452]

This movie was good from the middle to the end.

[@TheVidkid67]

I bought the soundtrack album by Tangerine Dream in 1984 and I'd never ever even heard of the film let alone seen it. I was introduced to Tangerine Dream by my mate when he played the album Ricochet one time. Anyway, I finally got to see the film last year, and I didn't expect it to be so damn brilliant.

[@PinballBob1]

Although I like a lot of TDs music, Sorcerer & Ricochet are their best. Thief is a 3rd choice.

[@TheVidkid67]

@@PinballBob1 I'd say Cyclone is my favourite because it's way ahead of its time, but Instantly fell in love with Firestarter because of the soundtrack. I saw them twice at Newcastle City Hall in the 80's.

[@perfectallycromulent]

let's see, the guy who made a hit movie about exorcism called The Exorcist comes out with a movie called Sorcerer, and it's not about wizards and crap? wow, i can't imagine why this failed.

[@JoBloOriginals]

Should have just called it Wages of Fear. It was called that in Europe

[@eronavbj]

I saw Sorcerer in the theater when it came out. Expecting great things, I was shocked by how tedious, boring, and tiresome this film was. Forty years later, I still find it a bore, Tarantino and other contemporary filmakers notwithstanding. Sorry, but I thought this film was a snooze as a young man, and time has not amended my opinion.

[@andymackie8283]

Got some great set pieces but does not hold together well.

[@hhvictor2462]

Friedkin and Tangerine Dream works well together.

[@blackamerican40]

RIP Roy Scheider 🙏

[@Protoman85]

Great movie!

[@cjlaity1]

I actually saw this in a theater when it first came out

[@shainewhite2781]

NICE I heard about this movie! And I heard that it wasn't a very good movie to film.

[@JoBloOriginals]

A nightmare to film

[@AwesomeBlackDude]

@@JoBloOriginals Absolutely! The production quality of this movie is simply insane. The amount of effort and attention to detail that went into creating it must be truly mind-boggling. It's exciting to see a project that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of cinema

[@rushmore3927]

It became one of the truly greatest movies ever, that's what.

[@petermcgill1315]

And William has to go down in history as the most boring commentary track ever on The Exorcist.

[@aliensoup2420]

Apparently you have never listened to a Tim Burton commentary.

[@salemslotandmore8278]

Thanks for this very informative Video 😀

[@paulj5336]

Star Wars, that's what happened to it.

[@gagarin777]

Sorcerer is a masterpiece men's film. It's much better than it's French predecessor "The Wages of Fear" [1953], which has zero action for the first 75 minutes. I remember I watched both films first time in the 90's as a kid and liked Friedkin's movie very much. That scene with trucks on the bridge is simply epic. I like to rewatch it every ~5 years. Oh and there was also a MacGyver episode that was based on similar plot (truck with cargo of dynamite to extinguish oil fire).

[@MrKahlerHahn]

Action isn‘t everything. The french one has an entire movie taking place even before the main plot starts and don‘t get me started on the pure tension built by a simple bit of broken bridge and a super narrow turn of the road. Sorcerer is good, really good, but wages of fear is out of this world

[@jothishprabu8]

Thanks for the recommendation

[@hdgehog6]

My favorite film of the '70s. I went to go see this the weekend it came out....... I was floored!

[@chrisperry7963]

One of my favorites; stunning technical filmmaking and storytelling. A true classic.

[@atheistcory4174]

It was never going to be mainstream. It was an art movie really. They rarely make any money!

[@plasticweapon]

YES. thank you. i can't stand when people (including friedkin) insist that it would have been a hit if not for x y and z.

[@Ennahdee]

WTF Happened to Fitzcarraldo please

[@idahomike4254]

Holy crap! I totally forgot about this one. Upon watching your review, I remembered watching this waayyyy back in the day. Thanks for jogging my memory!

[@theenchiladakid1866]

Did you forget about the 80s and 90s?

[@davidjames579]

With the drugs I took, yes.

[@janofb]

I finally coughed up $11 to buy the Blu ray in 2018 because I could never find the movie streaming anywhere. I remembered how great it was when I saw it while in High School. Now the Blu Ray is $33. It's even better on Blu Ray. Between the hot steamy location and the stress of driving the nitroglycerin, I sweat along with the characters while watching it. Roy Scheider was the perfect casting.

[@briansmith1055]

Roy is amazing in any movie

[@bikefixer]

Well done! There is a bit of backstory that has never been discussed. In 1972, Friedkin and producer, Phil D'Antoni, discussed a sequel to The French Connection called "The Bunker Hill Boys." It was about the French Connection heroin that was stolen from the police Property Clerk's office and the mobsters who stole it. It would have returned Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider in their original parts. But, of course, Friedkin chose to do The Exorcist first, and D'Antoni made a different cop film called The Seven Ups. Then to top it off, 20th Century Fox made its own sequel, French Connection II, directed by John Frankenheimer, so any Friedkin lensed French Connection sequel was dead. That is, until the early 1990's when D'Antoni and Friedkin did commission a script about the stolen drug caper. That sequel was named "Bump City." But 20 years proved too long a time to return to the material and the unproduced script was as far as the project got.

[@johnpapiewski7022]

Love Sorcerer. Wish I'd seen it when it came out. The TD soundtrack is great... sinister & chilling. The merciless ending is fantastic. Truck on bridge in storm sequences hair-raising. Scheider's final desperate march on foot, delivering the last surviving box of leaky dynamite wonderful. Thanks for this retrospective, very interesting.

[@Save-Our-Souls]

This movie is a one of a kind Experience. Unmatched! Friedkin and his cast plus crew, produced a unbelievable nonstop adrenalin rush. You can feel the near heart attack situation, that carrying the feeling in the movie. Till 2015 only available on stock VHS in 4:3 Pan and Scan. Even the LaserDisc release wasn't any better. In 2015, this Wonder was unleashed again. When the movie got a brand new and glorious Transfer for the upcoming BluRay Release. It's like watching a pristine 35mm copy. The miracle in all its glory for every home cinema!