NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (May 2022): Indicator have transferred Chris Cooke's One for the Road to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New restoration from a 2K scan of an original preservation print by Powerhouse Films". Admittedly, this was shot "using early digital cameras - utilising a beer-soaked, cigarette-stained palette" and the transfer is described as an "Authentic cinema presentation of this digital video-originated production". So the image has a decidedly video-like leaning but works with Cooke's immediacy (as described in his commentary) providing and organic quality. It can look vertically stretched and waxy, at times, with very little depth. On the positive - colors appear true and the 1080P is consistent. It is undoubtedly weak, in modern standards, but the HD presentation is likely the best the film will ever get - if not exporting textured cinema values as they don't exist for this production. Overall, it adds somewhat to the intentional voyeuristic vérité quality of One for the Road. 

NOTE: We have added 36 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround or a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (both 24-bit) in the original English language. One for the Road is a modest budgeted production and the audio is weak sharing the consistency with the video. Only a few separations carry to the rear speakers (cars and the Pub etc.). The score is credited to Steve Blackman - of the band Shortwave (one of his three film music composition credits), supporting One for the Road in subtly humorous and introspective tones. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a girth of extras starting with two commentaries - both from 2003. We get writer-director Chris Cooke, producer Kate Ogborn and co-producer Helen Solomon on the first commentary and actors Greg Chisholm, Mark Devenport and Rupert Procter in the second. Both have in-your-face honestly with fondness for the project, tidbits of challenges met and inventive solutions, characterizations, laughs, the short film development, and real-life anecdotes. Nice to hear the lack of pretense. Cooke provides some impressiveness about his intentions and the final product ("colors scheme of tobacco, lager and piss".) Also included as a new (2022) retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cooke, actors Chisholm, Devenport, Procter and Johann Myers, composer Steve Blackman, and camera operator Steven Sheil. There are some workshop videos from 2003 as 'Video diaries' with Cooke and Sheil. There are promotional videos featuring improvised, in-character footage of Devenport and Procter, a trailer and image galleries. There are a handful of short films by Cooke or Devenport; Map of the Scars (1998): short film written and directed by Chris Cooke, starring Andrew Tiernan. It runs 11-minutes and offers a commentary by Cooke. Shifting Units (2001) is another short film written and directed by Cooke. It is about an alcoholic salesman, that served as the inspiration for One for the Road. It runs about 9-minutes. It also offers an optional audio commentary - this time with Cooke, producer Helen Solomon, and executive producer Kate Ogborn. Why I Hate Parties (But Pretend to Love Them) (2003)is 10-minutes and is co-written and directed by Devenport, with photography by Cooke, and featuring cast members from One for the Road. Gary the Rapper vs Stefan Blix (2014) is a 1/4 hour short film co-written and directed by Devenport, with photography by Cooke, starring One for the Road composer Steve Blackman. Whiskers and Jane (2017) is a short written by Devenport and Blackman, directed by Devenport, and starring Procter. The package has a liner booklet with a new essay by Thirza Wakefield, archival interviews, an overview of contemporary critical responses, new writing on the short films, and film credits.

Chris Cooke's One for the Road is highly amusing, if a decidedly dour black comedy. It rides the fence between boozy-Brit depression and poking humor at the pain - having a relaxed view on reality, coping, survival etc. It's very grassroots and I, mostly, liked it. Cooke's debut is scattered but that is a reflection of the character's less-stable existence - and their ineffectual attempts to rectify it. The rehabilitation course is simply a hurdle to get their driver's license back - which has harshly frank overtones of denial. It's a lot about knowing what you want out of life. Probably overlooked by most in 2003 - it certainly deserves a few spins and the Indicator Blu-ray, with it's abundant supplements, will help you garner further appreciation of this. No one out-works them when it comes to complete packages. One for the Road is a film that deserves the deeper examination that is found on this Blu-ray with the extras. Indicator should be commended! Many will embrace the reflective nature, and morose humor, of the film.

Gary Tooze