laureatedvd.com

[Carl Brenner]

Congratulations to everyone at Laureate for such a superb job of mastering and DVD design on the "Road" movies. They never looked better. Too bad about the bad design of the box - but the discs are superb.

Let's have more of this standard of production.

[P.Rayner]

I just bought the new Roads box set. The quality of picture and sound is far superior to the region 1 version and the production notes are the most informative I've ever read - and without a single inaccuracy. But then, this is what we've come to expect from Ken Barnes and Laureate.

Between region 1 and region 2, I now have all seven of the Road films.
Bali is the one that has come off worst - there must be a dozen inferior versions of this on the international market. Rio fares only marginally better. I disregarded the U.K. Orbit Media version ( after their Bali DVD, I vowed never to buy anything with their name on it ) and went for the
Brentwood Communications version. This is pretty good except for a
sloppy window-boxing effect on the titles with the image moving from one side of the screen to the other. Why was this done ?

The point, I'm coming to is this. Would it ever be possible to package ALL seven films in one box in top-notch Laureate quality with informative extras ?

Peter Rayner

[Phil Jellicoe]

I agree entirely that there should be one de luxe box set dedicated to the Roads. It's a pity that they don't all belong to Universal then they would have had the benefit of a Ken Barnes-Laureate production.

Is this possible ?

[Ken Barnes]

Thanks, to Peter Rayner and Phil Jellicoe for your comments on the "Road" pictures. While the current box set is being very well received critically and,I think, commercially, it was my original hope that we could do it as a comprehensive set of the Paramount Roads ( ending with an expanded director's cut of "Bali"). But it was pointed out to me that this would take too long to arrange and Universal wanted to get a box out in time for Christmas. So that's what we did.

I do hope, in the future, that we can return to the idea. But right now, we'll have to be content with what we've got.

I agree that one should give a wide berth to anything on the Orbit Media label ( I haven't seen their version of "Rio" - which was released without the permission of Columbia, who own it outside of the USA. But if it's anything like their "Bali," it'll be a non-starter ).

The best version of "Rio" is in the States on Brentwood Communications but, as has been pointed out, the window-boxing of the titles is a bit off-putting. Also there are no extras. But it's better than nothing.

Best
Ken

[Carl Brenner]

If the Brentwood Communications release of Rio is the best on the market, then it's time that we had a Laureate version. I've got the Brentwood release and, while the picture is adequate, the sound is
flat and almost muffled. The window boxing at the beginning is completely unnecessary and whoever did the mastering for DVD
couldn't have been concentrating on either the picture or the audio.

It's terrible. I still have a VHS that I recorded off TV that is miles
better than the Brentwood release. Has anyone bought the Orbit Media
version ? I doubt if it could be much worse.

[Ken Barnes]

Hi Carl,

You're absolutely right. The audio on Brentwood's DVD of "Road To Rio" is
truly awful. The DVD generally shows no attention to detail and have simply released as part of The Bob Hope Collection. Apart from a lacklustre Bob Hope biography, it offers nothing of interest in the way of extras. Maybe it should not be recommended.

I may contact Brentwood Communications when next I'm in Los Angeles and see if something can be done to give it a proper DVD presentation.

Thanks for your comments
Ken

[Keith Buckham]

It would appear, from the many different labels and the assortment of dreadful qualiity copies, that Road To Bali is in the public domain.

And now that Road To Rio has appeared on the dreaded Orbit Media label, do we assume that this is also public domain ?

[NORTHWEST]

I have 5 of the 7 Road films on DVD, but would very much like to acquire the other two (Bali and Rio).
However, reading comments here and in other forum sites would I be right in thinking that these two films are offered on DVD in a very sub standard format?

[Ken Barnes]

Hi Nick,

Yes, these two films are mainly issued in sub-standard quality. I must admit I have not seen the current U.K. version of "Rio" on Orbit Media.
But on past performance, this is a label that is not to be trusted.

The best versions of these two films can be found on Brentwood Communications in the USA on region 1. "Bali" offers pretty good quality and while "Rio" comes from the UCLA archives and carries a reasonable picture ( if you can overlook the clumsy window boxing on the titles and bad mastering ), the sound is rather muddy and far from satisfactory.

It's high time that both of these pictures were given a classy DVD release.
Until then, these are your best bet.

Ken

[NORTHWEST]

Thanks Ken.
Another time that public domain titles are given shoddy treatment I think.

[Ken Barnes]

In actual fact, neither Road To Rio nor Road To Bali are in public Domain.
According to the Library of Congress records both were clearly re-registered within the 28 year deadline. So why is it that we have so many companies releasing them - and in such bad condition ?

I can only surmise that this is a case of follow the leader - come one, come all. And the people who own the films ( Pearson TV & Columbia Pictures Television ) are to busy or too lazy to care. Meanwhile, these fly-by-night labels make a profit and the dedicated collectors lose out at every turn.

Maddening isn't it ?

Ken

[F. Devine]

Following my complete satisfaction of your FRED AND GINGER box set, I recently purchased your ROAD TO.. box set and found it equally excellent.
The quality of both picture and sound was excellent and far above the standard of Orbit Media's awful versions of "Road To Bali" and "Road To Rio" Is there any chance that Laureate will do Special Editions of these films in the future ?

[G.Ridley]

It's good to be reminded of "Meet Danny Wilson." I haven't seen it for many years but I remember vividly Sinatra's great vocals on "That Old Black Magic" and "She's Funny That Way" plus other great songs. It was also memorable for his acting - a year ahead of "From Here To Eternity" - which pointed the way to his emergence as an accoml;ished screen actor.

Please, let's see this on DVD.

[Ken Barnes]

Dear G. Ridley,

It looks like you wandered into the wrong forum. But I take your point and recommend that you go to Sinatra and his Films.

Thanks
Ken Barnes