SORCERER IS THE SHIT.
uh huh
― a CRASBO is a "criminally related" ASBO (contenderizer), Friday, 30 July 2010 10:06 (thirteen years ago) link
well, cuz it's true
The music's good
― tom d: he did what he had to do now he is dead (Tom D.), Friday, 30 July 2010 10:09 (thirteen years ago) link
the scene with the hanging bridge gave me nightmares.
― ☆, Friday, 30 July 2010 10:54 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm halfway through Cruising, first time since the year it came out. Talk about lurid--The Exorcist is like Merchant-Ivory by comparison. I still haven't seen Sorcerer.
― clemenza, Monday, 6 June 2011 15:38 (twelve years ago) link
I started this thread 4 years ago wanting to see Sorcerer... and still haven't seen it.
― Jibe, Monday, 6 June 2011 16:47 (twelve years ago) link
Thing is, I've been holding out to see it in a theatre; I've always had the feeling that whatever's good about it could only be appreciated in that setting. But I'm pretty sure it hasn't screened at any of my city's rep theatres for ages. Cheap new and used copies are readily available on Amazon.
― clemenza, Monday, 6 June 2011 22:10 (twelve years ago) link
There might be a good print availible. According to the imdb, Universal is the current rights holder (it was a Universal/Paramount co-production), and IIRC they had a fire in one of their warehouses a few years back that destroyed many of their rep prints. And probably most of the surviving release prints aren't in that good of shape. The thing is--bar some major Friedkin retro--I'm not seeing why a rep house would want to show it, but obvs. as demonstrated by this thread there's some interest.
― Mucho! Macho! Honcho! (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 7 June 2011 00:44 (twelve years ago) link
the dvd is pan-and-scan i believe. a shame.
― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, 7 June 2011 00:57 (twelve years ago) link
[x-post]
that should read "There might NOT be a good print available".
― Mucho! Macho! Honcho! (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 7 June 2011 01:04 (twelve years ago) link
wonder if friedkin himself has one. but yeah, it's exactly the kind of film for which universal is unlikely to retain good screenable prints. it's unlikely to be revived, original prints are certainly faded, etc.
― by another name (amateurist), Tuesday, 7 June 2011 01:24 (twelve years ago) link
I hadn't even considered that there wouldn't be good prints around...I always figure that if a film costs millions of dollars to make (many, many millions in 2011 dollars), it would occur to someone to put a copy or two away for safekeeping. But that would indeed explain why it's never screened here.
I finished Cruising. Good: 1) For the most part, Pacino's as quiet as he is in the Godfathers; 2) Nicely ambiguous non-ending. Bad: Hard to know where to start, but I'll limit myself to that ambiguity--what is Pacino's confusion and torment towards the end supposed to mean? Is this actually the opposite of one of those lunatic Christian groups that tries to recruit gay people so they can be "made straight"? Has Pacino journeyed in the opposite direction? The world he enters into is presented so sensitively and thoughtfully by Friedkin, you can see where that would happen.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 June 2011 03:26 (twelve years ago) link
Universal probably kept a video master along with the o.g. elements (maybe) and that's it. The problem nowadays is that studios are cutting down there rep libraries to just their most popular titles and--get this--recycling the materials of the stuff that gets retired. And that's if they are still running a rep library--I read in Film Comment that as part of their restructuring deal, MGM shut theirs down (although take that with a grain of salt--Blue Velvet is playing here in a couple weeks and it's an MGM title).
― Mucho! Macho! Honcho! (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 04:04 (twelve years ago) link
I read that FC article, I think? Contrary to Roger Ebert's fantasies, old films are gonna keep vanishing.
― the gay bloggers are onto the faggot tweets (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 11:50 (twelve years ago) link
Well, as recently as January Friedkin did a Q&A after a screening of a new 35mm print of "Sorcerer," so there's that. Personally, I don't like it nearly as much as "Wages of Fear," but it's a ripping, cynical adventure all the same.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 June 2011 11:56 (twelve years ago) link
He's shot an adaptation of Tracy Letts's Killer Joe, probably opening this year or next, with Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, and Thomas Haden Church. Letts wrote Bug, too.
― 27 Dresses, 13 Assassins (Eazy), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 11:59 (twelve years ago) link
Reading this thread quickly makes me think there's a good short film to be made of Cruising Sorcerer.
― 27 Dresses, 13 Assassins (Eazy), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 12:00 (twelve years ago) link
Some more snooping revealed loose confirmation of a 30th anniversary edition, which would be ... next year? But of course a lot of people expected a 25th anniversary edition back in 2007, too. Still, clearly there are workable "Sorcerer" materials. It may just be Friedkin (who is also apparently to blame for the film being pan and scan and DVD, though even then there's some debate as to the original aspect ratio, 1:66 vs. 1:85 - apparently Friedkin almost never worked in 'Scope).
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 June 2011 12:06 (twelve years ago) link
all it takes to strike a new print is
a) somebody who wants to screen itb) who has a good connection withc) a receptive person at the studiod) that person's boss approving a few thou for the new print
so it happens. but if i just called up swank (who handle non-commercial distribution of major studio titles) and asked for a good print of the brinks job? uh-uh.
that film btw is my favorite friedkin.
― by another name (amateurist), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 12:52 (twelve years ago) link
oh man, Swank. We used to rent from them in college back in 198X.
― the gay bloggers are onto the faggot tweets (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 June 2011 14:00 (twelve years ago) link
Peter Falk, right? I think we ran that when I worked as an usher in high school.
I read Eric H.'s DVD review of Cruising (linked to above), and that was helpful in trying to make sense of it. This'll make me sound really stupid, but I don't think I'd considered the possibility that it was Pacino who killed his neighbour--maybe for a second or two. That would definitely make sense in terms of Pacino's "confusion" at the end. I guess I discounted it because it doesn't make as much sense simply in terms of how the narrative unfolds; there's no suggestion of when Pacino would have done this (he's busy trying to bait the other guy), and for all the ambiguity of his expression right at the end, I didn't see the look of someone who just committed a grisly murder. I don't know--if it wasn't Pacino, I don't really have a good alternative. (Doesn't seem like it would have been the guy's prodigal boyfriend.)
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 June 2011 14:05 (twelve years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/yjYTIN3.jpg
― bi-polar uncle (its OK-he's dead) (Phil D.), Wednesday, 30 April 2014 12:43 (ten years ago) link
i wonder what he has to say about exorcist 2: the heretic?
― espring (amateurist), Wednesday, 30 April 2014 23:32 (ten years ago) link
lol
― PLATYPUS OF DOOM (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 30 April 2014 23:39 (ten years ago) link
Sorcerer is incredible
― Gary Synaesthesia (darraghmac), Tuesday, 10 October 2017 22:42 (six years ago) link
It really is.
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Tuesday, 10 October 2017 23:41 (six years ago) link
Killer Joe the series?
http://www.indiewire.com/2017/10/william-friedkin-killer-joe-tv-series-matthew-mcconaughey-1201890168/
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 25 October 2017 20:05 (six years ago) link
Five-film mini-program in July at the Lightbox--the four you'd expect, plus To Live and Die in L.A..
http://www.tiff.net/#series=filmmaker-in-5-william-friedkin
― clemenza, Monday, 18 June 2018 01:27 (five years ago) link
Sorcerer is def worth a watch if you haven't caught it before.
― Simon H., Monday, 18 June 2018 12:23 (five years ago) link
I have--thought it was pretty good, somewhere between its poor reception at the time and the revisionist praise today. I think I'll catch The Exorcist and To Live and Die in L.A.. Wondering if they'll get him to town for a screening.
― clemenza, Monday, 18 June 2018 13:57 (five years ago) link
Shame they couldn't find room for The Hunted in that series.
BTW, the Sorcerer Blu-Ray that came out a few years ago is fantastic.
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 18 June 2018 15:24 (five years ago) link
Had no idea Friedkin did Cruising. I got it this past Xmas but still haven't watched it.
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:20 (five years ago) link
Interesting that its reputation has been reformed enough that it is now one of the obvious picks for a Friedkin retrospective, particularly given that the more “positive” The Boys in the Band is not on there.
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko), Monday, 18 June 2018 17:25 (five years ago) link
I'd argue it's "the four you'd expect, plus Cruising."
― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Monday, 18 June 2018 17:29 (five years ago) link
haven't seen Cruising yet but I'd swap out LA in favor of Bug
― Simon H., Monday, 18 June 2018 17:30 (five years ago) link
I only became aware of it last year, as a bizarre & offensive curio/time capsule, like that Christina Ricci movie Pumpkin.
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:31 (five years ago) link
― flappy bird, Monday, June 18, 2018
"Merry Xmas, son. Here's the lube and DVD of Cruising you asked for. Let's get some egg nog."
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 18 June 2018 17:35 (five years ago) link
ugh jesus lol... actually my brother got it for me haha. along with Pumpkin and Auto Focus
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:36 (five years ago) link
Cruising is also not in print in the US, my copy is region free and Japanese I think
― flappy bird, Monday, 18 June 2018 17:37 (five years ago) link
cruising is worth a watch. good soundtrack - jack nitzsche. unintentionally funny in parts. new york in the 70s looking good on screen as usual. bit of a mess of a film tho - as in narratively somewhat unclear - it's going for ambiguity but lands on incomprehensibility, due to being badly edited.
― ( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Monday, 18 June 2018 17:50 (five years ago) link
Wow, thought you were wrong about this but searched it up and it's print-on-demand from Warner Archive. Maybe I should throw my copy of the 2007 DVD release up on eBay.
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 18 June 2018 18:26 (five years ago) link
You can get very shitfaced very quickly by watching the Cruising retrospective featurette and playing 'Hi Bob' w/the words "Leather Bar".
― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 18 June 2018 18:27 (five years ago) link
The Lightbox series started tonight. Was curious how To Live and Die in L.A. would hold up--well, I'd say. Two or three laughable lines (not that many for the genre) and a long car chase (typically well edited, typically unnecessary), but pretty absorbing most of the way. Brendan Ross talked a lot about William Petersen in his funny introduction to the film, but he didn't mention Dafoe--he's what I most remembered from 30 years ago, and he seemed just as sinister tonight. Tried to answer a question online and just got a link to someone asking the same question: was that John C. Reilly being chased down at one point (one of the film's funnier exchanges: "Why are you chasing me?!" "Why are you running?" "Because you're chasing me!")? Sarris had this third on his year-end list for '85.
― clemenza, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:33 (five years ago) link
when Dafoe opens the $uitcase and coos "You're beautiful"
― flappy bird, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:37 (five years ago) link
First film I ever saw Dafoe in (not technically--he's in Heaven's Gate uncredited). With the possible exception of Affliction, I've never liked him better.
― clemenza, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:41 (five years ago) link
yeah that character is one of the best villains ever, & his performance is stunning
― flappy bird, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:43 (five years ago) link
Really love the symmetry of Chance’s story ending in the completely exact same, uh, “unceremonious” manner as his partner’s.
― omar little, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:46 (five years ago) link
Shouldn't fuss over logic with this kind of film, but I didn't understand why Dafoe went ahead with the sale to Petersen and his partner. He openly mocked the fact that they weren't who they said they were (one of his best moments). Was he just so confident in his infallibility that he'd walk away with the money anyway?
― clemenza, Friday, 13 July 2018 04:54 (five years ago) link
Car chases are never unnecessary.
― Ward Fowler, Friday, 13 July 2018 07:59 (five years ago) link
fun fact: the car cahse wasn't in the script, friedkin just decided he needed one once he started shooting and it needed to be better than the one in the french connection
mission accomplished imo, the whole sequence is absurdly intense
― look, you’re just gonna get gravy on the baby sometimes 🤷♂️ (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 13 July 2018 08:40 (five years ago) link
They also showed The Wages of Fear the same week as Sorcerer, which... cool idea, but I couldn't fathom wanting to watch that story again so soon.
― jmm, Monday, 18 September 2023 18:23 (seven months ago) link