Search - The Osterman Weekend

A man discovers that his best friends are actually spies -- or are they? -- in this thriller based on Robert Ludlum's best-selling novel. John Tanner (Rutger Hauer) is the host of a television news show who once a year spends a long weekend with three of his best friends from college, Bernard Osterman (Craig T. Nelson), Joseph Cardone (Chris Sarandon), and Richard Tremayne (Dennis Hopper). Tanner is approached by Lawrence Fassett (John Hurt), a CIA agent who has evidence proving that his three pals are actually agents working with the Soviet Union. With Tanner's reluctant approval, his house is wired with video surveillance equipment so that the CIA can monitor what Osterman, Cardone, and Tremayne say and do over their weekend together in hopes of putting the traitors behind bars. However, Tanner soon realizes that Fassett's agenda is not all that it appears to be. The Osterman Weekend was directed by Sam Peckinpah; it proved to be his last film, as he died a year after its release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Rutger Hauer - John Tanner
John Hurt - Lawrence Fassett
Craig T. Nelson - Bernard Osterman
Dennis Hopper - Richard Tremayne
Chris Sarandon - Joseph Cardone

Sam Peckinpah's final film, The Osterman Weekend, comes to DVD in a deluxe two-disc treat straight from the fine folks at Anchor Bay. Presented in both its theatrical and never-before-seen director's first cut, this edition is sure to blow the socks off of any Peckinpah enthusiast and, at the same time, hopefully bring new eyes to this forgotten piece of film history. The story of the production is a long one, and thanks to the commentary from not one, but four of the director's historians, the viewer is privy to many of the variables that eventually shaped the movie into what it is. If that weren't enough, there's also the 78-minute "Alpha to Omega" documentary featuring producers Peter Davis and William N. Panzer as they chronicle the semi-disastrous road that the film traveled from the very moment they signed the notorious director. Their fascinating tale makes for an incredible slice of Hollywood legend that, up until this point, had rarely been tackled in this arena. Not only is it rare to hear such insight on such an unloved film, but also the fact that Anchor Bay has included the first cut of the film -- which features so prominently in the documentary -- is something special indeed. Presented in its entirety, Peckinpah's initial version of the film is worthy of viewing if only for its dizzying opening sequence that resulted in him being kicked off the film. The opening scene aside, the cut is interesting for its heightened paranoia, with slightly more complicated character arcs added here and there -- nothing too earth-shattering and not much that would change the quality of the film, but essential to include for archival reasons. The footage looks like a tenth generation video bootleg, though the disc's producers should be thanked for the few chapter stops and text that have been included to help the viewer navigate through the smaller changes within this rare cut. Other features include the original theatrical trailer along with a massive still gallery and talent bios on most of the cast and crew. The theatrical cut is presented in a stellar anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen image, while the audio tracks are flooded with a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX track, along with ones for DTS-ES 6.1, Dolby Surround 2.0, and the original mono mix. The release does have one glaring problem, and that's the menu music, which takes the absolute worst saxophone cues from Lalo Schifrin's score, making both discs a never-ending loop of annoying smooth jazz licks. Gripes aside, kudos to everyone involved for creating such a historical document of this little-seen and largely unloved film from arguably one of America's greatest directors. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

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