The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 6, 2019

For a director who really only made three feature films in his short life, Michael Reeves has attained a cult status that might be a thing of envy for many showbiz types, albeit one tinged with a certain bittersweet quality since part of the reason Reeves is a cult item is because he shuffled off this mortal coil in his twenties. While probably best remembered for Witchfinder General starring Vincent Price, Reeves also directed this quasi-horror outing with another film icon, Boris Karloff. Karloff portrays Dr. Marcus Monserrat, who manages to scrape by as a senior citizen doctor specializing in hypnosis.

Monserrat and his wife Estelle (Catherine Lacey) have a “high tech” (late sixties style) device which allows them to assert mind control over hapless victim Mike Roscoe (Ian Ogilvy). The film documents the Monserrats’ increasing “use” of Mike to do their bidding, since the device also links their senses to Mike’s, allowing the two shut ins to experience thrills like swimming and fast bike riding. Things turn considerably darker when Estelle decides she wants to try something a bit riskier. The film has a kind of "mod" swinging subtext as it ventures out and about around London and includes some scenes in a club, and the device offers a "light show" of sorts that would have been perfectly at home in such Roger Corman efforts as The Trip.

The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Sorcerers is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Anolis and Diabolique Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's no provenance on the source element or any information on the transfer that I could find in the MediaBook, but the film does end with a "transferred at Pinewood" banner. This has some pretty wide variabilities in color temperature, with some sequences looking relatively natural and even warm, but a lot of the transfer tipping pretty noticeably toward yellow, something that can tend to make flesh tones look pretty jaundiced at times. Detail levels are decent, offering precise looks at things like fabrics on the mod sixties costumes. Things do look rather soft a lot of the time, but at least some of that seems to be due to "arty" framings and lighting choices, as well as the exigencies of what was probably a fairly low budgeted shoot. There is noticeable if minor damage on display in the form of typical age related wear and tear like scratches and other nicks. My score is 3.25.

The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Sorcerers features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono in either German or English. Both tracks have a pretty bright high end, with some of Paul Ferris' string cues sounding a bit brash. Dialogue is a bit less boxy sounding on the English track. Fidelity is decent if not fantastic on both tracks, with a relatively full midrange but brittle highs and kind of anemic lows.

The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Dr. Rolf Giesen and Dr. Gerd Naumann is in German.


• Audio Commentary with Uwe Sommerlad and Volker Kronz is in German.


• The Magnificent Obsession of Michael Reeves (HD; 1:26:06) is a really excellent documentary by Diabolique Films covering Reeves' life, with a number of insightful talking heads and lots of clips and vintage archival stills. Diabolique has told me they have hopes for a domestic United States standalone Blu-ray release of the documentary at some point. In English with optional German subtitles.


• English Trailer (HD; 2:23)


• German Trailer (HD; 2:53)


• Paul Ferris, The Sorcerer's Apprentice (HD; 11:06) profiles the film's composer. In English with optional German subtitles.


• German Title Sequence (HD; 3:09)


• German Advertising (HD; 00:46)


• Program (HD; 1:18)


• Gallery (HD; 3:40)

This is housed in an attractive DigiBook which includes writing in German and quite a few stills.

Note: My German is not fluent by any stretch, and I did my best to translate the titles of the extras, but make no claims as to absolute accuracy.

The Sorcerers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is a barber shop in my neck of the woods which rather oddly has a buzzing red neon sign in the window which states, "Hypnotizing". I'm not sure if that's because some people freak out having their tresses trimmed and need a little subconscious calming or something, but if I ever deign to go into this tonsorial parlor, I'll make sure to look around first to see if Dr. Monserrat is one of the stylists. This release has some variable video and slightly brash sounding audio, but a number of interesting supplements for those considering a purchase.