Sorcerer

It took me a while to find this video, as the name is not really related to the story line (it is fun to spot the name during the movie, kind of like spotting Alfred Hitchcock in his movies.) It is a tale of shady men engaged in a life or death struggle in the tropical jungle in the face of tremendous adversity and uncertainty. It's surprising to me how much I remembered in detail of the first time I saw it 45 years ago: the action is compelling, the human drama engrossing, and no character is safe from fate. The cinematography is outstanding. That said, it is a dated film (music, etc,) and if that kind of thing bothers you, don't bother to view it. I hope you like this film as much as I remembered it, and as I enjoyed it a second time around.

The critics hated this film and it came out with a movie at the same time called “Star Wars”. Killed it at the box office. But one of the best by director Billy Friedkin. Great cast of actors. Rent or buy. It’s that good.

If you think your nine to five is hard, step into their shoes. Initally you loath these characters (even the ladies at the brothel). As the movie plays with your nerves you hope for secound chances, for everyone invovled. It's a long movie (very long) but well structured. i promise you once you've seen this movie, you'll never, ever think of 'truck'en" the same way again or go on trails in the jungle.

Buckle up. This film completes the trifecta of William Friedkin's 70s masterpieces (the others being French Connection and The Exorcist). Sorcerer is an unpredictable, nail-biting thriller based on the same source material as the 50s French film classic Wages of Fear (contrary to popular belief, it is not a remake). It was originally “cursed” by its release date just a week before the original Star Wars, which pushed every other major film out of the spotlight, and also because devotees of The Exorcist were expecting another supernatural thriller from Friedkin (the “Sorcerer” title didn’t help, either). Friedkin fought with the studio for three decades to get this film a proper transfer treatment, and now we have it. Fully restored in widescreen, with one of the great early-electronica soundtracks by Tangerine Dream. The plot involves four anti-heroes, including a small-time New Jersey gangster (Roy Scheider) who end up in a Bolivian oil refinery and are commissioned to transport highly volatile dynamite by truck in impossible conditions. It’s one of the most suspenseful films you’re likely to see. Haunting and brilliant. If you love outside-the-box drama, especially 70s American cinema, this is an absolute must-see.

This review is an excerpt from my book “Killer B’s: The 237 Best Movies On Video You’ve (Probably) Never Seen,” which is available as an ebook on iBooks. If you enjoy this review, there are 236 more like it in the book (plus a whole lot more). Check it out! SORCERER: Once the proper adjectives are in place—harrowing, grim, suspenseful—there’s really little more to say. The film knows this: There’s very little dialog, and very little needed. What does stand out in this story of a desperate attempt by desperate men is the nightmarish imagery: A truck with a grill like a grinning skull or death mask mocking them, for instance. The creepy, driving, electronic score by Tangerine Dream also adds an electric charge to the thick atmosphere of menace. Scheider is excellent (as always) as the half-hardened small-time hood who understands the value of life far better than any of his companions on this wild ride—which makes the final irony of the film all the more pointed. If possible, watch this as the second half of a double feature with the original, “The Wages of Fear.” Revel in the superior sense of suspense of the first, enhanced by the superb visual imagery of “Sorcerer.”

Tangerine Dream does the soundtrack….oh yeah!

A remake of the Classic French thriller, The Wages of Fear. Same story about hardened men driving a truckload of nitroglycerin through a jungle. A good remake, but check out the original as well!

Forget politics, that bridge scene had me on the edge. What balls. I think it is still one of the best thrillers ,at least I think so.