Road Games (1981) on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[questrider]

I just discovered Road Games (also known as Roadgames) directed by Richard Franklin and starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis is being released on blu-ray region-free (A,B, and C) on July 6, 2016, by Umbrella Entertainment in Australia. After checkout and the conversion from AUS to USA dollars it came out to $21.36 with shipping.

https://www.umbrellaent.com.au/movies/2601-road-games-bluray.html

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Road-Games-Blu-ray/153972/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadgames


I saw it many times in the late 80s and early 90s on pay TV but it's probably been over 25 years! I've been looking for it for a while and my DVR recorded it recently on the El Rey Network but, alas, it was in 4:3 SD. Maybe the film won't hold up after all these years but I was always intrigued by it with its Hitchcockian flourishes directed by Franklin before Psycho II. Apparently it comes from a new 4k scan so it should look considerably better than what I saw back then. I am slightly concerned that Umbrella Entertainment's site lists the aspect ratio as 16:9 when it was originally 2.35:1, but I can't imagine doing a 4k scan and then cropping it. (I'm assuming the still below is from the DVD released back in 2003.)

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my discovery in case anyone else out there was/is a fan of this film, Jamie Lee Curtis, and/or Richard Franklin.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I'm excited about this one as well. It is a very cool film and very much a tribute to Hitchcock.

 

[atfree]

Glad it's region-free....will pick this one up!

 

[questrider]

Here's some stills and a link to a video from the new 4k master posted recently on Umbrella Entertainment's Facebook page.

 

[questrider]

Here's the thread over a blu-ray.com where Simon Sherry, who works for Umbrella Entertainment, has been posting updates.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=12270719#post12270719

The final specs were posted yesterday:

https://www.facebook.com/UmbrellaEnt/

FINAL SPECIAL FEATURES for ROAD GAMES!

Here is the MASSIVE Official List:

• Feature taken from a newly restored 4k master – Including new 5.1, stereo & original optical mono soundtracks
• Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Richard Franklin
• Kangaroo Hitchcock: The Making of “Road Games” Features
• Uncut Not Quite Hollywood interviews with Jamie-Lee Curtis, Stacy Keach, Grant Page, Richard Franklin, Everett De Roche, Vincent Monton & Tom Burstall
• Never before seen 1980 lecture on the Making of Road Games from Richard Franklin, Co-Producer Barbi Taylor & Composer Brian May
• 1981 Interview with Richard Franklin
• 2001 Audio Interview with Richard Franklin
• Exclusive New Audio Interview with Stacy Keach
• Exclusive New Audio Interview with Stunt Co-ordinator & Actor Grant Page
• 4K Scan & Restration Featurette by Roar Digital & Interview with Cinematographer Vincent Monton
• Exclusive Essay by Fangoria writer Lee Gambin & Gallery of Stills, Production Shots, Storyboards, Newspaper Reviews, Promotional & Artwork Materials, & more!
• HD Theatrical Trailer
• Reversible slick with rating-free artwork

 

[atfree]

Just FYI....this one is now available for pre-order on US Amazon, $22.99

https://www.amazon.com/Road-Games-B...1467289416&sr=8-2&keywords=road+games+blu+ray

 

[questrider]

I just got an email from Umbrella Entertainment last night that says its release date has been delayed for a few weeks until July 27.

Thank you for your purchase of ROAD GAMES Blu-Ray.
Unfortunately there will be delay of a couple of weeks for this title and we propose the new release date of July 27th.
However we are hoping to receive the stock before then and will ship it as soon as available.

 

[questrider]

Received this yesterday and I am planning on watching it later this evening. The only disappointment out of the box is that the 5.1 Surround (448 kbps) and 1.0 Original (224kbps) soundtracks are Dolby Digital while the 2.0 Commentary track is PCM (1536 kbps). It's a head-scratcher but since it is on one blu-ray disc perhaps with all of the bonus features there wasn't enough room for DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD tracks. Since it's a 35 year-old low-to-mid budget Australian film with a probably less-than-dynamic originally mono soundtrack, I could let it slide; however, it's a little strange that the commentary track is lossless but the film's soundtrack is not. Why not make the 1.0 Original PCM and the 2.0 Commentary Dolby Digital?

Regardless, I'm looking very much to seeing this film tonight for the first time since the late 80s. And, back then I saw it on pay-TV in 4:3 so tonight will be the first time I'll see it in its original 2.35:1 glory!