• Login
    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    French Connection Collection, The: The French Connection
    Genre:Thriller

    Reviewed In Issue 07 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco.

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 3
    Sound Rating: 1
    Download WSR Review
    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number): 8508-85
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $79.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 104
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1971
    (LD Release Date): 11/01/93
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): William Friedkin
    (Screenplay/Written By): Ernest Tidyman
    (Story): NA
    (Music): Don Ellis
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Ben Kazaskow
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Jerry Greenberg
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): G. David Schine
    (Co-Producers): NA
    (Producers): Philip D’Antoni

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Chace Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): Mag Stereo
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital):
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    The film is set in New York City where the two narcotics detectives, Popeye Doyle (Hackman) and his partner, Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) trace a half-million dollar shipment of heroin to a French drug dealer (Fernando Rey). When the drug dealers learn Popeye’s identity, they target him for assassination. This sets the stage for one of the most memorable scenes in film history, a ten-minute high-speed chase se-quence through the streets of New York.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    Overall, the 1.85:1 picture is soft, darkly hued and grainy.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The most disappointing aspects of the transfers are the soundtracks. The French Connection was produced in stereo yet it is almost impossible to ascertain. The sequel was never released in stereo. At the time of the first film, I had produced and engineered concert recordings for Don Ellis whose jazz orchestral music is featured on both editions. The original master musical score was extremely dynamic, and rich in resolution. The music scores, as are the rest of the soundtrack elements, sound extremely compressed and low-fi, and do not even come close to the presence of the original recordings. Obviously, the original stems were not used which would have dramatically enhanced the sound quality.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
    (Aggressive System Surround):
    (Intense 25Hz Bass):
    (Deep Bass Challenging):
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield):
    (Aggressive Split Surround):
    (Center Back Surround Imaging):
    (Directionalized Dialogue):
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: