Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson June 30, 2025

A panoply of Blu-ray editions of Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) has been released worldwide. We have covered a number of them on our site. My colleague Jeffrey Kauffman reviewed Twilight Time's initial BD-50 in 2014. (An "Encore Edition" followed two years later.) My colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov has critiqued four editions: Italian Koch Media's BD-25, Kino Lorber's first pressing with an older 2K scan, Kino's second Blu-ray pressing based on a 4K restoration, and Imprint Film's two-disc limited edition courtesy of Via Vision from a few years ago. For full details on those releases, please refer to the linked reviews.

Piano player.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Since Kino Lorber currently still owns the North American rights to the regular 1080p Blu-ray, this edition from Shout Select only comes with a single 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. I own Arrow Video UK's two-disc limited edition with the slipcover and booklet from 2017. Since that is the first physical media release to introduce a 4K restoration of the film in 2016, and Shout's UHD is also sourced from the original camera negative, I find it useful to quote from text inside Arrow's booklet about the initial scan:

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia has been exclusively restored for this release by Arrow Films. The film is presented in its 1.85:1 aspect ratio with mono sound.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on a pin-registered 4K Lasergraphics Director Scanner at Deluxe Media, Burbank. Sections of a 35mm interpositive element was also scanned for a small number of shots.

Film grading and restoration was completed at Deluxe Restoration, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and light scratches were removed through a combination of digital restoration tools. Some instances of density fluctuation and photochemical damage remain, in keeping with the condition of the original elements.

All materials used for this restoration were made available by MGM.

Restoration supervised by James White, Arrow Films

Deluxe Burbank/E-Film film scanning services
Cheryl Frohlich, Jeff Gaetano, Larry McQuaide

Restoration and grading services by Deluxe Restoration, London
Colour Grading Stephen Bearman
Restoration Department Managers Mark Bonnici, Graham Jones
Restoration Supervisors Tom Barrett, Clayton Barker
Restoration Technicians Debi Bataller, Dave Burt, Lisa Copson, Tom Wiltshire

Production Credits
Technical Producer James White
QC Manager Nora Mehenni
Blu-ray and DVD Mastering David Mackenzie

Shout claims that its transfer is based on a "new" 4K scan of the OCN. After examining Arrow's Blu-ray and the recent UHD shot by shot on a 4K monitor, I believe a re-scan occurred. Jeff noted in his review of the Twilight Time that the old MGM master used for the transfer has a number of white specks scattered throughout the film. While Arrow's BD-50 was definitely a substantial improvement, I noticed white nicks (however infinitesimal), dirt, debris, and small tears on the disc following close inspection. For instance, I spotted a tiny speck on a bedpost in Bennie's (Warren Oates) room. (See Screenshot #20.) I made an exact frame grab match in #21 on Shout's, who removed the speck. Arrow's transfer reveals some damage marks along the skyline in screen capture #s 22 and 27. Again, Shout has eliminated those as you'll see in #s 23 and 28. In addition, you'll notice a small tear in the sky above a cactus in #36 on Arrow's, which Shout expunged (see #37). Moreover, I want to emphasize Arrow's phrase, "instances of density fluctuation," from "About the Restoration" in its booklet. There are definitely density fluctuations present in its transfer, which I discerned in motion on my QLED. When I popped in the UHD, the fluctuations were gone. Shout's 4K boasts superior image stability. Further, Shout performed emendations to color temperature. For instance, look at how weathered and ruddy the face of the bounty hunter is in Screenshot #16. In frame grab #17 (Shout's), his facial complexion is warm but not over-baked. The Shout handles the day-for-night photography with aplomb. See Kris Kristofferson's biker character in #s 4 and 11. Some of the lighting conditions remind me of similar dimly lit scenes in Straw Dogs (1971).

I made additional graphical comparisons with MGM/UA's 1996 LaserDisc. I found how remarkably clean the print was for this disc. The lone exception is the scene where Bennie's convertible suffers a flat tire. Notice the horizontal lines that mar the image during this scene in frame grab #s 29 and 32. (These lines are analogous to what you would see on a worn VHS tape.) Those lines are absent on both Arrow and Shout's transfers. Even though the back of the LD jacket states the transfer appears in its native 1.85:1, the image is cropped in certain shots at the top and along the right side, which you'll spot in some of my captures.

The Shout has some tiny white flecks that pop up a few times throughout, though not often. There are also two shots where I observed light scratches. I would rate Arrow's transfer a 4.5/5.0 (for standard HD) and Shout's UHD a 4.75/5.00. The latter's 4K has been placed on a triple-layered disc (actual size: 77.1 GB) and presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible).

Screenshot #s 1-15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, & 40 = Shout Select 2025 4K Ultra HD (BD-100)
Screenshot #s 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, & 36 = Arrow Video UK 2017 BD-50 (from a 4K restoration)
Screenshot #s 26, 29, 32, 35, & 38 = MGM/UA 1996 LaserDisc (Deluxe Letter-Box Edition) (upscaled to 720p)

A dozen scene selections accompany the 112-minute feature.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout has applied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1804 kbps, 24-bit). I made direct comparisons with this sound track and Arrow's LPCM 1.0 mix (1152 kbps, 24-bit). The following text appears in Arrow's booklet:

The mono mix soundtrack was transferred from the original 35mm single stripe mag and supplied by Deluxe Audio Services.

Up until about the 32-minute mark on Shout's disc, dialogue is clear, audible, and relatively crisp. But beginning with the scene where Bennie and his girlfriend Elita (Isela Vega) lay aside each other by a tree, and continuing semi-often for the rest of the film, dialogue sometimes rolls off. Evidence of noise reduction is apparent. Arrow's LPCM track is similar but one advantage it has over Shout's mix is a greater demonstration of higher-dynamic range and pitch levels when Jerry Fielding's score rises. Gunshots sound similar on both tracks. I also listened very closely to the PCM 16-bit digital monaural track on the LaserDisc and audio fluctuations, as well as roll-offs, are absent. The scene where Bennie and Elita talk by the tree is also along the lower register but I could discern their words better. I was also impressed when Kristofferson's biker character speaks because it sounded like he was talking very close to a boom mic. (His voice was quite audible on the center speaker.) I also thought that I could hear Bennie better on the LD track. My LD copy has three or four instances where it buzzes momentarily during reel changes and in the middle of scenes (perhaps reflective of a little light laser rot), but it certainly sounds more robust than either the Arrow or the Shout.

The LaserDisc doesn't provide any subtitles for the Latin or Spanish dialogue. (See Screenshot #38 where it could have been inserted.) The Arrow has auto-generated subtitles (see #39) while the Shout does not. (The subs in #40 are from the user-activated English SDH.)

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For remarks on the two recycled commentary tracks, please consult Jeff's review of TT's 2014 BD.

• Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Co-Producer Gordon Dawson, Moderated by Film Historian Nick Redman

• Audio Commentary with Film Historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle, and Nick Redman

• NEW & EXCLUSIVE A Killer's Rhapsody: Revisiting BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA – An Interview with Writer/Film Historian Julie Kirgo (28:08, 1080p) - in this recent program, Kirgo speaks about where Peckinpah was in his career when he made this film, the director's clashes with studio moguls, his relationship with Gordon Dawson, and the Mexican filmmakers who collaborated with Peckinpah on Alfredo Garcia. Additionally, she describes the implications of casting actors Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Robert Webber, and Gig Young as well as what they brought to their respective roles. Kirgo also goes into the film's locations and photographic choices. She delivers her interpretation/readings of some key scenes and Jerry Fielding's score. Finally, Kirgo explains why the film has held up for decades and has been ripe for critical revisionism. Several clips from Alfredo Garcia are intercut with Kirgo's comments. In English, not subtitled.

• Image Gallery (7:32, 1080p) - this slide show presents forty-four distinct images from the production and marketing campaign of Alfredo Garcia. Posters, design concepts from UA's ad campaign, and on-location photographs comprise the bulk of the gallery. This may be the same still gallery that appears on Kino's 2021 Blu-ray.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:58, upconverted to 1080p) - UA's official trailer for the film. It hasn't been restored and is presented in a cropped ratio. If you've never seen the movie before, don't watch this trailer beforehand as it gives away too much.

• TV Spots (3:58, upconverted to 1080p) - six US TV spots (including one teaser) for Alfredo Garcia.

Arrow Video UK Exclusive & Debut Supplements

• Audio Commentary by Stephen Prince - the most unfortunately late Stephen Prince delivers a great feature-length commentary track. He reads Alfredo Garcia as autobiographical of Peckinpah's filmmaking career post-The Wild Bunch (1969). He also delivers a formal analysis of the different camera angles and axial cuts. Prince applies Freudian theory (eros and Thanatos/the death instinct), which I could relate to from my graduate studies. He also discusses the sociopolitical events happening in America at the time, which Peckinpah was well aware of. His criticisms of the picture are well-reasoned and articulated.

• Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1:34:15, 1080p) - Paul Joyce's feature-length 1993 documentary featuring interviews with James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Monte Hellman, Ali MacGraw, James Robards and others, available on home video in the UK for the first time ever.

• The John Player Lecture: Sam Peckinpah (47:23) - audio recording of the director's on-stage appearance at the National Film Theatre

• Man of Iron Director's Cut/Extended Version (10 hours altogether, 1080p) - never-before-seen interviews from Paul Joyce's documentary.

• Collector's Booklet - a 44-page booklet with then-new essays by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Mike Sutton along with reprints of a Film Comment article and a Warren Oates interview. Additionally, there's a credits list and restoration notes.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Warren Oates delivers a brilliant performance as the movie's antihero. I was initially ambivalent about the ending but now I better understand why Peckinpah and co-writer Gordon Dawson chose to go with what they did. The film is nihilistic but one aspect of its story is hopeful. If you owned any of the older Blu-rays or even the 4K-scanned transfers from Arrow Films or Kino Lorber, you should consider picking up this 4K UHD disc. There's no guarantee that Arrow will upgrade this to UHD so Shout's is the best way to experience the film. The new image transfer boasts incremental improvements in clarity, depth, and color saturation for the brighter hues. The lossless monaural sound mix is pretty good but it's been filtered. If the film receives another UHD release, I would strongly urge whichever label acquires it to port over the digital mono track from MGM/UA's LaserDisc from the mid-90s. Shout has retained a few commentary tracks from prior releases and produced a new, solid video interview/essay with Julie Kirgo. True fans will also want to own the Arrow and Imprint Films packages to get the lion's share of supplements. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!