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The Wizard of Oz(1939)
Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their home in Kansas to the magical land of Oz. They set off on a quest down a yellow brick road to see the Wizard, who can help them return home. Along the way, they are joined by others seeking the Wizard's help: a scarecrow, who wamts a brain; a Tin Man, who wants a heart; and a lion, who wants courage. For more about The Wizard of Oz and the The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray release, see The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Review published by Kenneth Brown on September 25, 2009 where this Blu-ray release scored 5.0 out of 5. Starring: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke Director: Victor Fleming » See full cast & crew The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray, Video QualityWhat!? Heresy! A 4.5 for a transfer most others are declaring perfect? Bah! Surely a marvelous, faithful, meticulous restoration -- a restoration that brings a beloved seventy-year-old classic to life like never before -- deserves the highest score possible! With that out of our collective system, let's begin. The Wizard of Oz has indeed been blessed with a staggering restoration; one that has renewed its aging frames, reinvigorated its fading colors, and preserved the integrity of its image at every turn. Working from three original Technicolor negatives, scanning each one at the highest resolution possible, and lovingly recoloring and retouching the film, Warner Home Video has produced one of the finest, most impressive restorations in the history of cinema. Thankfully, the Blu-ray edition reaps the rewards with a striking 1080p/VC-1 transfer that boasts exquisite colors, astounding clarity, and crisper details than Oz fanatics have ever seen. The palette oozes primary brilliance, black levels are deep and absorbing, and skintones are flawless (any rosy cheeks you see are a product of the actors' make-up, not some strange technical flaw). Moreover, contrast is bright and vivid, imbuing each scene with convincing depth and dimensionality, edges are refined, and textures are revealing. A field of tiny flowers, individual strands of straw, costume seams, distant Munchkins, the tight pattern on Dorothy's dress, the intricacies of Billie Burke's gown, Garland's freckles, craters on the Witch's nose, wrinkles on the Wizard's face, Toto's hair... I could go on and on. Suffice to say, this is, without a doubt, the definitive home video transfer of Oz. But that's not all. A moderate veneer of grain permeates every frame, granting the picture a filmic appearance purists will be overjoyed to see in tact. I'm pleased to report that I didn't detect a hint -- not a sliver, shred, or slather -- of noise reduction. As it stands, any instance of softness should be attributed to the original source, not the Blu-ray transfer or the restoration team's efforts, digital scanning, or touch-ups. In fact, dear readers, I didn't encounter ringing, banding, aliasing, smearing, or any other debilitating digital nonsense. And edge enhancement? It either hasn't been applied or has been used so judiciously that its presence is nearly untraceable. The entire transfer showcases the quality of Warner's restoration, as well as the immense work that went into creating the go-to presentation of the film. Granted, as technology advances over the coming decades, the studio's 20+ terabyte scans will yield even greater transfers with more detail than a 1080p presentation could ever possibly reproduce, but I doubt anyone will complain about the limits of our current high definition format when they could spend their time soaking in the beauty of Oz. Brace yourselves. There are a few minor issues; issues most viewers will quickly shrug off, brush aside, or overlook altogether. For starters, lingering print damage is visible in some shots. While the damage is infrequent and quite negligible, vertical lines, scratches, blemishes, contrast wavering, and spots still flicker across the screen from time to time. Moreover, faint (I stress faint) artifacting mingles with the grain in several scenes. Eagle-eyed videophiles will spot some in the film's sepia sequences, during Dorothy's initial approach to Emerald City, and in the gray skies surrounding the Witch's castle. Finally, there are moments, particularly in the third act, in which the Witch's clothing fuses with the surrounding shadows; her cloak and hat become one with the darkness. Not worth mentioning? Perhaps. However, had Warner relocated the first disc's special features -- nine hours of standard definition video documentaries, audio-only materials, and other bonus content -- more disc space could have been dedicated to the film itself. Would it have resulted in a perceptible difference? Would it have made the transfer the slightest bit cleaner? Alas, I'm unqualified to answer, but I couldn't help but wonder each time I noticed a fleeting compression anomaly. Even so, such silly shortcomings barely register in the grand scheme of things. The Wizard of Oz looks undeniably fantastic. It not only raises the bar for catalog transfers, it rewards enthusiasts and filmfans alike with a near-perfect presentation of a stirring cinematic legend. The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray, Audio QualityThough it doesn't provide the instant gratification of the film's video restoration or its subsequent Blu-ray transfer, Warner's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track effectively demonstrates the studio's craftsmanship, care, and commitment to all aspects of the film's presentation. Dialogue is warm and intelligible, preserving the distinct tonal personality of its 1939 recordings while giving each voice a fresh, 21st Century upgrade. Likewise, every playful sound effect has been granted renewed fervor, prioritization is impeccable, and each song dances across the soundfield as if it was recorded yesterday. Lyrics and orchestration wax and wane in perfect harmony, and the various score pieces and trumpeted fanfares are sharp and resonant. It helps that rousing LFE output bolsters each musical cue, every thoom of the Wizard's thundering performances, and all of the Witch's eruptions and explosions. The rear speakers are subdued, paying unspoken respect to the film's original audio mix, but still involve themselves in everything from the music to the swirling winds of Dorothy's tornado. Fire crackles with unexpected intensity, a menacing forest rustles with immersive activity, and scrambling monkeys smoothly scamper from channel to channel. As an added bonus, the film's original mono track is available via a 192kbps Dolby Digital mix. It's a bit of a lossy letdown (even for a mono presentation), but purists and completists will no doubt appreciate its inclusion. Could The Wizard of Oz stand its ground in a sonic tussle with a modern Blu-ray blockbuster? Of course not. The very nature of the seventy-year-old production would limit the impact of any lossless track. However, as catalog classics go, it doesn't sound much better than The Wizard of Oz, particularly when you factor its age into the evaluation. I doubt anyone, no matter their disposition, will be disappointed with the results. The Wizard of Oz: Other Editions
The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray, News and Updates• Deal of the Day: Wizard of Oz UCE Blu-ray $36.99 (Expired) - September 24, 2010 This Friday, Amazon has an interesting Blu-ray related deal of the day: up to midnight PST, you can order The Wizard of Oz: Ultimate Collector's Edition on Blu-ray for only $36.99 (56% off MSRP). The price history for the BD edition of this all-time classic shows ...
• Deal Alert: Wizard of Oz Emerald Edition Blu-ray $16.49 - February 14, 2010 The price-tracking tools at blu-ray.com have made it unnecessary to post as many deal-related news as in the past, but this is just too good not to mention. Early today, Amazon dropped the price of The Wizard of Oz (3-disc Emerald Edition) to $16.49, or 67% off ...
• Wizard of Oz Single-Disc Blu-ray Edition Goes Wide - February 10, 2010 Warner Home Video has announced The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Edition for release on Blu-ray on March 16. When Victor Fleming's classic was released on September 29, 2009, this single-disc edition was originally a retailer exclusive, available only at Wal-Mart. ...
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