6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An elderly couple (Boris Karloff and Catherine Lacey) use a new method of hypnosis to share the experiences of others. A bored young man named Mike Roscoe (Ian Ogilvy), serves as their surrogate in acts which become more and more amoral and violent.
Starring: Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, Ian Ogilvy, Elizabeth Ercy, Victor HenryHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Michael Reeves' "The Sorcerers" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with actor Ian Ogilvy; new program with editor David Woodward; new program with assistant cameraman Don Lord; audio commentary by film critics Kim Newman and Sean Hogan; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Sorcerers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.
I do not have any other home video release of this film in my library. However, I will be shocked if it is revealed that in the past it has looked as good as it does on this new Blu-ray release. On my system, very large areas of the film boasted the type of quality I would expect to see from an excellent native 4K presentation of it, not a 1080p presentation. (I actually did upscale it to 4K too and thought that I looked sensational). Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to outstanding, and image stability is great. Color balance is fantastic, too. All primaries look lush, very healthy and properly balanced. All supporting nuances look equally convincing, too. Even the trickiest darker footage with plenty of different shadows looks excellent, without ever producing distracting crushing. I was particularly impressed by the club footage, which boasts most of the most impressive primaries. There is only one area early into the film with minor color instability and softness, but given the strength of the rest of the material, I am quite certain that this is an inherited limitation. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. I noticed a few tiny nicks, but there are no large cuts, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
All exchanges are clear and easy to follow. The music in the nightclub sounds great, too. However, if you turn up the volume a bit, you will notice that in some areas extremely light background hiss begins to sneak in. It is never distracting. However, it is there, and I have to mention it because most viewers will probably notice its presence. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.
Can a very talented hypnotist permanently hijack the mind of a stranger and then control it from afar? Back in the 1960s, when The Sorcerers was conceived, the answer to this question would have been very quick and very short. But the truth is that no one really knows exactly what is or isn't possible. If you spend a night with Suspect Zero, you will learn that for years the U.S. government has been secretly working with individuals that can do precisely what Boris Karloff's character does but without a device. While a small film, The Sorcerer looks good and is surprisingly effective, so consider picking it up for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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