Kino Lorber has become the foremost company in upgrading and rereleasing classic movies for home entertainment. In recent years, they have brought back movies like Face/Off, Invasions of the Body Snatchers, Silence of the Lambs, In Bruges, and hundreds of other titles, much to the delight of audiences. Their remastered films generally look terrific, especially in 4K, and, whenever possible, they will add new extras to enhance the previously released material. This month, they have added a fun, cult classic title to their catalog called Road Trip. Originally released in 2000, Kino Lorber has given the movie a refresh in honor of the film's 25th anniversary.
If you have never had the pleasure of seeing the film, here is the synopsis: Road Trip tells the story of Josh (Breckin Meyer; Clueless) and Tiffany (Rachel Blanchard; The Summer I Turned Pretty) who have been together since they were kids. ENTER Beth, (Amy Smart; Starship Troopers), a sexy blonde going to college with Josh. One night, Josh and Beth hook up and make a videotape the same day that Josh plans to mail a video to Tiffany of him talking about college life. The wrong tape gets sent, forcing Josh, along with a few pals, to go to Austin, where Tiffany is, and stop her from seeing the tape, but will they make it in time?
Some of what made Road Trip such a good film was the cast and the script. Written by Todd Phillips (Joker) and Scot Armstrong (Old School), the movie was directed by Phillips, who had a feel for the material. They also assembled a young and up-and-coming cast who were able to deliver their lines well and make the story come to life in the way Phillips and Armstrong hoped. This combination made the film a success at the box office before going on to become a cult classic.
When Kino Lorber decides to release these older films, they 1) typically choose great titles and 2) they do an excellent job of remastering the movie, usually from the original negative whenever possible. Road Trip falls under both categories as it has become a beloved movie that those who know it would love to own, and the remaster is beautifully completed.
The 4K transfer comes from the 35mm original camera negative and is an outstanding representation of the 2000 film. One could easily say it has never looked better as the color saturation has depth, and the clarity of details is extremely well done.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is layered with ample ambient noise being filtered through the surround speakers while the dialogue stays up front and center. The soundtrack, made up of hitmakers of the time, pumps through the speakers, giving the film a heartbeat of sorts while not overpowering the other audio components.
The 4K combo pack includes the 4K and Blu-ray discs and ports over the previously released extras. There is one audio commentary that is new, but unfortunately, it does not include one from co-writer/director Todd Phillips. The extras are: NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment's Joe Ramoni, Ever Been on a Road Trip: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, Eels Music Video: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues, Road Kill: Deleted Scenes, and Two Theatrical Trailers.
Though the movie only runs 93 minutes, it is a jam-packed hour and a half, full of laughs and good times. Almost anyone who went to college or on a road trip, or both, will enjoy the memories the movie invokes and the feeling of being young and free once upon a time.
Kino Lorber once again gives fans what they want and does so with the best technical quality available.
Grade: B+
