Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Convoy 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 27, 2024

Sam Peckinpah's "Convoy" (1978) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by documentarian and critic Mike Siegel; new program with actor Franklyn Ajaye; archival documentaries; rare promotional and behind-the-scenes material; U.S. theatrical trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Somewhere in Arizona, truck driver Martin 'Rubber Duck' (Kris Kristofferson) and his two buddies Bobby 'Love Machine' (Burt Young) and Spider Mike (Franklyn Ajaye) are pulled over by shady Sheriff Lyle 'Cottonmouth' Wallace (Ernest Borgnine), who demands that they pay him cash if they wish to drive through his town without visiting his jailhouse. The boys pay their dues and shortly after end up in a roadside cafe to celebrate Duck’s birthday.

While Duck is getting ready to enjoy his birthday present -- one of the cafe's naive waitresses -- in the back of his truck, Sheriff Lyle appears and begins harassing the bubbly Spider Mike. Duck is quickly informed, and moments later he and the rest of the truckers inside the cafe give Sheriff Lyle a good beating. The boys then quickly jump in their trucks and head west. Duck is joined by the beautiful Melissa (Ali MacGraw), who has played a nasty trick on another cop after being pulled over in the desert.

Duck, Love Machine and Spider Mike are soon joined by other truckers who have had enough of the area’s shady cops. Sheriff Lyle and a few of his boys go after them, but by the time Duck’s group reaches New Mexico, there are so many trucks that the local news stations send their people to get a good look at the convoy. The National Guard is also mobilized.

After Sheriff Lyle repeatedly fails to stop the convoy, Duck becomes a star. There are people supporting him and his cause (though it is unclear what his cause is) all over the great state of New Mexico. This forces the governor (Seymour Cassel) to join the festivities and meet Duck, hoping that by endorsing his cause he will also secure his reelection. But when Duck refuses to play nice with him, and Spider Mike gets a good beating in a small jailhouse in Texas, all hell breaks loose.

This legendary bad film from director Sam Peckinpah needs more time to join the rest of the it-is-so bad-it-is-actually-good outcasts from the late ‘70s. Maybe twenty years from now the lines its characters utter will sound just as cool as those of many of the bad guys in various early film noirs do, but right now they feel as sloppy as they did when the film was first released in theaters across America.

Two things make Convoy somewhat attractive. First, the big trucks the rebels drive. Kristofferson’s stylish monster, in particular, looks absolutely spectacular in the desert. (According to a short interview included on this new release of Convoy, the truck has achieved cult status amongst real truckers in Scandinavia). The second is the outstanding soundtrack. The title song by C.W. McCall a.k.a. Bill Fries still sounds great. Also heard in throughout the film are Billie Jo Spears’ upbeat “Blanket on the Ground”, Kenny Rogers’ top ballad “Lucile”, Gene Watson’s “Cowboys Don't Get Lucky All the Time”, and Glen Campbell’s classic “Southern Nights”.

Peckinpah has a small cameo in Convoy. Halfway through the film, he appears as a sound engineer next to the bold news reporter who interviews Kristofferson’s character.

Imprint Films' combo pack presents two versions of Convoy: the original uncut version, which is approximately 112 minutes, and a reconstructed extended version, which is approximately 116 minutes long. Only the former is fully restored in 4K and presented in native 4K resolution.

Convoy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Imprint Films' release of Convoy is a three-disc combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc and the two Blu-ray discs are Region-Free.

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of Convoy prepared on behalf of StudioCanal. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR and later spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-18 are from the uncut version on Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #27-30 are taken from the extended version on the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #32-35 are taken from StudioCanal's previous Blu-ray release of Convoy.
Screencaptures #37-40 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The 4K makeover is unconvincing, which is a development that surprised me quite a lot because it was finalized by the folks at Silver Salt Restoration in London, whose record with color films is excellent.

The entire film looks very healthy. All images are stable and there are no age-related surface anomalies. Delineation, clarity, and depth are very pleasing. Unsurprisingly, on a larger screen there is often more to see, especially in backgrounds with diverse nuances. I did not notice any traces of problematic digital corrections. Unfortunately, there are various, rather wild color shifts that alter the film's native appearance. Some of the anomalies are very similar to the ones observed on the recent 4K makeover of The Hitcher. For example, primary blue and blue nuances are frequently destabilized and/or replaced by turquoise/teal. The biggest anomalies emerge during daylight footage, but even darker indoor footage has them and they could be quite pronounced. This is one area on the new 4K makover that is severily affected (as seen in 1080p). This is how the same area looks on the extended version sourced from a 35mm print. And this is how the same area looks on StudioCanal's previous presentation of the film. Again, on the 4K makeover, here you can see how the the color blue is altered on the soldiers' helmets. On the previous Blu-ray release, here the helmets retain the proper color blue. The 4K makeover has many such switches and alterations, and as it is the case with the 4K makeover of The Hitcher, they are not concentrated in a single area, so the film's entire native appearance is affected.

I did numerous comparisons between the native 4K and 1080p presentations because I wanted to see how the HDR grade handles the anomalies. They appear more subdued in native 4K. In 1080p, some of these anomalies look almost like conversion issues, with the most distracting ones emerging during daylight footage, where at times select visuals have an almost glowy neon-esque appearance. A lot of whites are affected.

Ironically, Mike Siegel's extended version of Convoy, which is a reconstruction job, has a much more accurate period appearance. It is sourced from an older Japanese 35mm print, which reveals some inconsistencies and age-related imperfections, but retains many proper priamties and supporting nuances. Also, this presentaiton of the extended version is quite similar to the previous presentation of the film on StudioCanal's first Blu-ray release of it from 2013.

So, what should you make from the above information? While imperfect, the best presentation of the original uncut version of Convoy is on the previous Blu-ray release from StudioCanal. The main attraction on this combo pack release is Siegel's reconstructed extended version of the film.

Convoy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The uncut and extended versions of Convoy are presented with English LPCM 2.0 tracks. Only the uncut version can be viewed with optional English SDH subtitles on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. A French LPCM 2.0 track and French subtitles are included on the 4K Blu-ray as well.

The audio is very clean and sharp. Several of the big action sequences featuring massive crashes sound outstanding. I do not know if any new remastering work was done, but what I heard on my system I liked a lot. The audio is nicely rounded and full, never revealing any traces of aging. The music sounds wonderful, too.

Convoy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - UNCUT VERSION

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Mike Siegel. There is a lot of interesting information here, but as Seigel rightfully points out, some of it is also present in the other bonus features that are included on this release. Siegel explains where different parts of Convoy were shot, why a lot of it did not turn out as it should, and what Sam Peckinpah's cut of the film may have looked like. Also, there are some interesting comments about the historic context in which Convoy was made and the various songs that are used in it.

• Passion & Poetry - Sam's Trucker Movie - the footage in this very informative featurette is from Mike Siegel's outstanding documentary film Passion and Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah. Included in it are various interviews with Kris Kristofferson, the late Ernest Borgnine, Ali MacGraw, EMI executive Michael Deeley (1977-1979), and Peckinpah biographer Garner Simmons, amongst others. An updated version. In English, not subtitled. (72 min).

• Three Lost Scenes - a collection of rare production stills with original text descriptions from the shooting script. These stills are from scenes that did not make it into Sam Peckinpah's final version of Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• In-Jokes, Friends, Cameos - footage and stills highlighting various jokes and showing cameo performances by members of Sam Peckinpah's crew. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Trucker Notes from Norway - in this archival program, Anders Lofaldli, Convoy fan from Norway, explains why the film has achieved cult status in Scandinavia. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Passion & Poetry with Peckinpah in Portugal - Part Two - presented here is footage from a Peckinpah retrospective held in Portugal in 2022. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Promoting Convoy - presented here are posters, lobby cards, promo stills, CD jackets, magazine covers, and photographs from the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Finland, England, France, Italy, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Australia, Thailand, and Japan. With music. (10 min).

• Convoy in Color - presented here is a large collection of color photos from Convoy. With music. (12 min).

• Filming Convoy - presented here is a large collection of behind-the-scenes images. With music.
  
  Part One: White Sands & The Truck Stop. (11 min).
  Part Two: The Trucks are Rolling. (12 min).
  Part Three: Showdown in Alvarez. (12 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered original 35mm trailer for Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• U.S. TV Spot - presented here is a remastered U.S. TV spot for Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• U.S. Radio Spots - four original U.S. radio spots. With stills from the film. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - EXTENDED VERSION

• The Lost Convoy - in this program, Mike Siegel discusses the trouble production history of Convoy, some discrepancies between the original screenplay for the film and its final version, and the reconstructed extended version, which features some recently discovered footage. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

4K BLU-RAY DISC - UNCUT VERSION

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Mike Siegel. There is a lot of interesting information here, but as Seigel rightfully points out, some of it is also present in the other bonus features that are included on this release. Siegel explains where different parts of Convoy were shot, why a lot of it did not turn out as it should, and what Sam Peckinpah's cut of the film may have looked like. Also, there are some interesting comments about the historic context in which Convoy was made and the various songs that are used in it.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by film historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, and Nick Redman. The bulk of the comments address Sam Peckinpah's personal life and legacy, the film's problematic production history, its visual style and unevenness.

• Franklyn Ajaye - in this new program, Franklyn Ajaye explains how he landed his part in Convoy, which apparently happened after her refused to share some of James Caan's cocaine, and recalls his initial impressions of Sam Penckinpah's working methods and other cast members. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• The Lost Convoy - in this program, Mike Siegel discusses the trouble production history of Convoy, some discrepancies between the original screenplay for the film and its final version, and the reconstructed extended version, which features some recently discovered footage. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• The Duck Trucks - presented here are photos of the various trucks that were damaged destroyed during the filming of Convoy, as well as the ones that were later restored. One of these restored trucks is owned by Gerd Albrecht, Germany's greatest Convoy fan, who is interviewed as well. In German, with English subtitles. (9 min).

• Convoy in Color - presented here is a large collection of color photos from Convoy. With music. (12 min).

• Filming Convoy - presented here is a large collection of behind-the-scenes images. With music.
  
  Part One: White Sands & The Truck Stop. (11 min).
  Part Two: The Trucks are Rolling. (12 min).
  Part Three: Showdown in Alvarez. (12 min).

• Passion & Poetry - Sam's Trucker Movie - the footage in this very informative featurette is from Mike Siegel's outstanding documentary film Passion and Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah. Included in it are various interviews with Kris Kristofferson, the late Ernest Borgnine, Ali MacGraw, EMI executive Michael Deeley (1977-1979), and Peckinpah biographer Garner Simmons, amongst others. An updated version. In English, not subtitled. (72 min).

• Trailers - presented here are a couple of original U.S. trailers for Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• U.S. TV Spot - presented here is a remastered U.S. TV spot for Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• U.S. Radio Spots - four original U.S. radio spots. With stills from the film. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Three Lost Scenes - a collection of rare production stills with original text descriptions from the shooting script. These stills are from scenes that did not make it into Sam Peckinpah's final version of Convoy. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• In-Jokes, Friends, Cameos - footage and stills highlighting various jokes and showing cameo performances by members of Sam Peckinpah's crew. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Trucker Notes from Norway - in this archival program, Anders Lofaldli, Convoy fan from Norway, explains why the film has achieved cult status in Scandinavia. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Promoting Convoy - presented here are posters, lobby cards, promo stills, CD jackets, magazine covers, and photographs from the U.S., Germany, Hungary, Finland, England, France, Italy, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, Australia, Thailand, and Japan. With music. (10 min).

Convoy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even though this lavish combo pack introduces a new 4K makeover of Convoy, the best technical presentation of the film remains on StudioCanal's original Blu-ray release of it from 2013. Should you consider acquiring the combo pack, then? If you are a fan of Convoy, yes. It has a previously unseen extended version of the film, reconstructed by Mike Siegel, and hours of excellent exclusive new and archival bonus features. All discs in the combo pack are Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.