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Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) poster

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Action, Crime, Drama • 1h 52m

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

UHD Blu-ray

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 6 months ago

Overview

An American bartender and his prostitute girlfriend go on a road trip through the Mexican underworld to collect a $1 million bounty on the head of a dead gigolo.

Release details

Best Audio Release

All pre-4K BDs (Twilight Time US, Suevia Spain, Imprint Australia, Koch Media Germany)

All pre-4K BDs (Twilight Time US, Suevia Spain, Imprint Australia, Koch Media Germany) are the same, and significantly better than the 4K restoration (Shout! Factory, Arrow, Kino Lorber), and a bit better than the MGM NTSC DVD.

TSPDT
2026: #675
2025: #652
2024: #645
2023: #655
2022: #655
Length
112 mins
Type
Movie

More from Sam Peckinpah

See more →

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Plaion Germany Blu-ray

English-Friendly Notes:

Includes Director's Cut and Roadshow Version

Video Notes:

Same master as old WB Blu-ray but better encoding

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion Blu-ray or WB DVD depending on the cut.

Best Video:

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Via Vision Australia or StudioCanal Europe 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Best Video:

Warner Archive

More from Shout! Factory

See more →

Director: John Carpenter

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:
Audio Notes:
  • the only track on Universal 4K, which is in DTS:X, has a mixing error of around 6dB too low on side channels, otherwise very similar to other 5.1 mixes.

Director: Henry Selick

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2D Version: Laika/Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

3D Version: 2011 3D Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2D Version: Laika/Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

3D Version: 2011 3D Blu-ray caps 

Director: Tsui Hark

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray or Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Additional Info:

There is a newer 4K restoration by L’Immagine Ritrovata, which should be of better scan quality. The 4K restoration used on all current 4K disc releases stems from a low-quality Cintel scanner. The newer restoration has yet to be released on home video.

Director: David Lynch

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Censored US version: Shout! Factory or Twilight Time Blu-ray

Uncensored version: old DVD

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray, confirmed to be uncut

Directors: Frank Oz & Jim Henson

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

Shout! Factory's 2.0 is a downmix of the 5.1

Additional Info:

Old Sony DVD has an isolated score

Director: Jim Henson

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Shout! Factory replacement 4K Blu-ray

Sources: lddb.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Shout! Factory doesn't have the low-pass filter that's on the Sony US 4K Blu-ray from 2021 with Dolby Vision (or the worse HDR10 only release from 2016). Shout! Factory retains more high-frequency grain and detail.

Director: Michael Mann

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

88 Films UK Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray upcoming, Director's Final Cut premiering October 3rd; will receive home video release in the future

Best Video:

88 Films UK Blu-ray for both cuts 

Best Audio:

88 Films Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

88 Films Blu-ray is missing Michael Mann commentary for the DC found on other BDs

Director: Joel Coen

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for November 2026 release

Best Audio:

All the same

Director: Oliver Stone

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Theatrical Cut 4K Blu-ray in August

Best Video:

Director's Cut: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: Shout! Factory Blu-ray (included with collector's edition)

Best Audio:

Theatrical Cut: The Shout UHD DTS-HD 2.0

Audio Notes:

Theatrical Cut: The Shout UHD DTS-HD 2.0 seems to be the same mix overall as the 1992 laserdisc PCM 2.0 but its not a straight port.  Even though there are some minor differences, it does not seem to be a downmix of the 5.1.  It could possibly be a new mastering.  It has just a tiny bit more dynamic range than the laserdisc, but the laserdisc has a bit more presence in the lower and midrange frequencies.

Director: Takashi Miike

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2026 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Original matrixed DTS Stereo mix: 2026 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
5.0 surround remix: 2009 Shout! Factory US Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow includes three audio tracks, matrixed stereo, discrete 4.0, and a 5.0 surround remix. Unfortunately, only the first one is usable. The 4.0 desyncs partway through. The 5.0 has incorrect (lower) pitch. Fortunately, the matrixed stereo track sounds great, but it is still a major disappointment.

There has been no replacement disc announced. See nicwood's BR post.

More Action on Blu-ray

Director: James Cameron

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray 

Sources: fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab) · originaltrilogy.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:
  • 2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray (but it's missing the extra scenes in the Ultimate Edition)

  • 2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray and subsequent 4K Blu-rays are notorius for being heavily denoised and smoothened. Alternatively, 35mm scans for the theatrical cut is also available.

  • For the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is the older pre-2017 transfer, but has DNR.

Best Audio:
  • Original Kodak/ORC CDS mix:  Japan Pioneer DVD in DTS/ac3 5.1

  • Original Dolby Stereo SR: USA Widescreen LaserDisc and others.

Audio Notes:

Differences of mixes on various releases: see thread and more info here.

Additional Info:

2017 Blu-ray (which has the DNRed transfer), the 2009 Skynet Edition Blu-ray, and the 2000 Ultimate Edition DVD have exclusive extras. The 2003 Extreme Edition DVD has some exclusive easter eggs.

Director: Michael Arias

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray is a sharpened upscale. Caps

Best Audio:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has a true lossless English dub and correct volume levels for the Japanese audio

Additional Info:

GKIDS has correct English subtitles that change a few lines from the director-approved dubtitles, to match with the Japanese dialogue better while still remaining true to director Michael Arias' intent. The corrected GKIDS subtitles are director-approved.

Director: Roger Christian

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical Version: Mill Creek Blu-ray

Home Video Version: Concorde Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Japan TC Entertainment Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Director: Tony Scott

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Director: James Cameron

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly:

2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Sources: vimeo.com (opens in a new tab) · facebook.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K Steelbook and Mediabook announced for 2026

Best Video:

2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Best Audio:

1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix

Audio Notes:

Comparison between the US and International mixes: https://vimeo.com/246332731

Additional Info:

The 4K Blu-Ray and the 2001 MGM DVD have exclusive extras.

Director: John Woo

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> US Shout! Factory, better encoding by Engine House and redone opening credits, errors present in Shout! Factory fixed

Audio Notes:

Mono is from an alternate higher fidelity source than Shout! Factory.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D version: Paramount Blu-ray

3D version: Paramount 3D Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray on October 26 2026

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D: Spain Emon Blu-ray
3D: US Lionsgate, Germany StudioCanal, or Netherlands Entertainment One 3D Blu-ray?

Best Audio:

US Lionsgate Blu-ray

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Lionsgate Blu-ray

Director: James Wong

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK 88 Films Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Commentary: 88 Films is at a very low volume level. The other BDs like the Sony do not have this problem.

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Researched and maintained by

tyyuxcbc

· last reviewed 6 months ago

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