Wizard of Oz

[droosan]

The crisp picture-quality of DVD already ruins much of the 'movie magic' illusion of The Wizard of Oz .. the cyclorama-encompassed soundstage sets, pancake makeup, and wire-work are all plainly visible -- and would only be moreso, on Blu-Ray (especially with an 8K scan! ). The movie 'plays' much better on SD broadcast television, VHS or laserdisc, IMO.

Not sure whether I'll bother with this one. Call me a 'techno-dinosaur', if you must.

[Rodney]

I don't think I'll be upgrading my copy either. I already got a 4 disc release a few years ago and don't see a reason to upgrade. With some of these older films, I just don't see a compelling reason to upgrade due to higher picture quality. They weren't mean to be seen in such detail, IMO. I had the same issue with Pinocchio a few months back. While I still have not purchased by Blu-Ray player, I was considering the DVD/BD pack. After thinking about it, I just didn't find a compelling reason to watch a 70-year-old film with a higher resolution. DVD was just fine.

[GeorgeC]

Call me a 'techno-dinosaur', if you must.

You're a dinosaur, Droo!

















Stegosaurus, to be exact.

[Dusterian]

After thinking about it, I just didn't find a compelling reason to watch a 70-year-old film with a higher resolution. DVD was just fine.

What about a much better restoration that makes the film look closer to the original?

ALTHOUGH some people, myself included, and for good reason, wonder if the restorations are actually getting closer, or are making them look different than originally intended, even losing some image detail, though I heard Pinocchio amazingly managed to keep all picture detail despite getting rid of all grain.

[Randall]

As a video guy, I find it amazing that anyone would say they don't "need" to see an older film at higher resolution. I agree that one can certainly be satisfied with less, but I'd rather see Wizard of Oz or Gone With The Wind in hi-def than, say, Spaceballs.

All of these films were originally seen "hi-def" in theaters. At the risk of comparing apples and oranges, film itself is "hi-def". The idea that older movies weren't "meant" to be seen at higher resolutions strikes me as pretty silly.

[droosan]

All righty, then, so I'm a silly 'techno-stegosaurus' ..




.. happy now?

[Randall]

:):)

That made my day!

[GeorgeC]

[Rodney]

All of these films were originally seen "hi-def" in theaters. At the risk of comparing apples and oranges, film itself is "hi-def". The idea that older movies weren't "meant" to be seen at higher resolutions strikes me as pretty silly.

I get what you're saying, but these films were also meant to be seen on the big screen. There's a big difference between a large movie screen and my home television. Of course, the bigger the television, the more reason to get a higher definition for home viewing.

[Ben]

I already had this and the GWTW box on my wish list. There are some films you simply need in their best available editions (especially when viewing on an eight foot screen...soon to be twelve foot if my home theater plans pan out!)

[GeorgeC]

http://screenrant.com/wizard-oz-stop-mo ... ie+News%29


Way more Oz films on the way...

A funny thing is that picture accompanying the article actually shows marionettes instead of actual stop-motion puppets!

Yeah, one of the Oz films in development is a stop-motion picture....

All the original Frank L. Baum books are in public domain now. The only Baum books NOT in the public domain are the ones written by a grandson, Roger Baum.

[Daniel]

The Wizard of Oz returns to theaters for Judy Garland's 100th birthday:



Extended musical number has to be Scarecrow's dance scene in "If I Only Had a Brain". Drags a bit, but I like it! Springy fences! Ray Bolger was a legend in that scene.

[Ben]

Or they’ve found the extra bits of the Munchkins singing, shots of which are in one of the original trailers. Plenty of things it could be (oh, gosh…Jitterbugs!?), but you’re probably right, as it exists in fairly A-grade quality (even if it doesn’t quite fit now, given the editing they did to take it out!).

[EricJ]

The Pumpkin Dance-which, yes, does drag on for off-topic ever--is one of the few examples where LB DID know what to cut for time, but it's only of interest to Busby Berkeley fans who already know his showoff musical-number-consultant tricks from the early Warner musicals.

In fact, for Busby fans, you can spot his signature shticks hiding in "If I Only Had a Heart", "The Merry Old Land of Oz", the Munchkin scene, and the March of the Winkies, but that's not who they're pitching it to.
They're pitching it to the same people who paid $5 out of sideshow curiosity to see it in 1994's "That's Entertainment III".

[Ben]

I don’t think I went to That's Entertainment III to see the additional Scarecrow dance. I didn’t even know what was in That's Entertainment III. We just went for the general nostalgia, and I was more wowed by finally seeing a good portion of Invitation To The Dance at the time.

And I think most of the people that actually paid to go see That's Entertainment III — of an average moviegoing age back then — are probably mostly dead! They’re certainly not pitching a two day reissue of Oz to them…!