1939 - MGM
Directed By Victor Fleming
Blu-Ray Review
There are very few films out there that you're safe to say that everyone's seen... but The Wizard Of Oz is one of them. On Blu-Ray it's a completely new experience!
(Like with my recent reviews of North By Northwest and Gone With The Wind, I will toss aside any critical analysis of the film itself and focus on it's recent hi-def upgrade... this being the 3-Disc Emerald Edition of the film.)
When the film switched from its sepia-toned black and white to it's full Technicolor Oz, my jaw dropped. The colors are more vibrant than ever (and the film never looked bad in the first place.)
The 1080p transfer reveals many new details.
Watching when I was younger, I always though the Scarecrow's face makeup was particularly weak. The makeup people did a poor job matching his face to the burlap sack around his neck.
I was amazed to find on blu-ray that the makeup people actually did an outstanding and very detailed job. They completely replicated the burlap texture... just the audience wasn't able to see it in the previous lower-quality television and DVD transfers.
Heck, you can also see some of the Cowardly Lion's makeup lines and parts where some of the latex had started to peel away from his face!
The new clarity reveals the stunning detail in costumes and sets, especially in the crowd scenes in Muchkinland and in the Emerald City.
The special effects remain solid and benefit from the the transfer, especially the tornado and the wizard's floating head.
The audio was remastered for the previous DVD edition and is in Dolby 5.1 and it sounds as good as any modern release.
Disc 1 features the film and several extras.
You can also enjoy the film in new ways with commentary by John Fricke, a film historian, along with some old interview bits with the filmmakers, stars and/or their children. Also included is a sing-along version. The lyrics for the songs pop up as their sung so you can join in.
The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz: The Making Of A Movie Classic - a 1990 TV special detailing the film hosted by Angela Lansbury.
The Art Of Imagination: A Tribute To Oz - Modern filmmakers and actors pay their respects to the film.
Because Of The Wonderful Things It Is: The Legacy Of Oz - The effect of TV on the popularity of the film.
Memories Of Oz -The Munchkins, fans and other cast member's family reminisce in this Turner Classic Movies special.
The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Storybook - Angela Lansbury reads a truncated and lightly animated version of the story.
Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration Of Oz - I believe this is a carry-over from the previous DVD edition covering the restoration of the film.
2-minute bios detail all of the major supporting cast members (even Toto!) These are narrated by Lansbury and feature clips from other memorable films.
Several audio-only extras include radio show versions of the film, promos, and the actual recording sessions for the songs.
A few outtakes and deleted scenes are included, some appear just in a series of still photos. Angela Lansbury is back, narrating intros to these.
Composer Harold Arlen also took some home movies of the set.
Trailers and still photos round out the disc.
Disc 2 features the brand-new documentary Victor Fleming:Master Craftsman that details the life of the director who not only brought Wizard of Oz, but all-time greats like Gone With The Wind and Captains Courageous.
A 30-minute documentary covers the life of author L. Frank Baum.
Another new documentary shows the Munchkins finally getting their star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007. Several of the survivors appeared and are interviewed.
7 earlier visits to Oz are included:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) - The 14 minute short is the first trip to Oz on the big screen.
His Majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz (1914) - written and directed by L. Frank Baum. It runs about 1 hour.
The Magical Cloak Of Oz (1914) - 43 mins. - Produced by Baum
The Patchwork Girl Of Oz (1914) - 50 mins. - Produced by Baum. Future film producer Hal Roach played the Cowardly Lion. He met and befriended Harold Lloyd, who appeared in a bit part. Roach formed his studio the following year and made the films that made Lloyd a star.
The Wizard Of Oz (1925) - 80 min.
The Wizard Of Oz (1933) - a short animated version of the story. It featured a black and white Kansas and a Technicolor Oz... but no Cowardly Lion. The animation is not on the same level as Disney or Looney Tunes.
All of these earlier versions, of course, pale in comparison to MGM's masterpiece but they are interesting, especially how they are trying to be ambitious with very little budgets.
The disc also features the 1990 TV movie The Dreamer Of Oz - a biography of L. Frank Baum starring John Ritter. This is the only flaw of the entire set. The film literally looks like they just dubbed over a worn VHS copy. Watching it on an HD television makes it look even worse. It's terrible when a 1910 film has better clarity than one made in 1990!
And to top the whole package off... on Disc 3 you get the outstanding 1992 6-hour documentary miniseries detailing the entire history of MGM called MGM:When The Lion Roars, hosted by Patrick Stewart. It covers the films and the behind-the-scenes politics of the studio. The disc is a standard 'flipper' DVD.
The only word to describe all of these features is exhaustive!
In the DVD era, Warner Brothers (who now owns Oz) set the standard with it's extras-heavy 2-disc special editions of classics. In the Blu-Ray era, they've moved well beyond that and film fans everywhere are reaping the benefits. Hopefully many more films get this deluxe treatment.
This should be a welcomed addition to any movie collection.
Warner's also released an Ultimate Collector's Edition, which includes all of the above plus:
a Limited-edition 70th-anniversary watch
Original 1939 campaign book reproduction
Behind the Curtain of Production 1060: 52-page commemorative book
Replica of original movie budget
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