The Wizard of Oz [70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition] – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: BD-Live, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, Buddy Ebsen, Charley Grapewin, Digital Copy, Frank Morgan, Jack Haley, Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, MGM, Ray Bolger, The Munchkins, Victor Fleming, Warner

has an average rating of 8.3 on IMDb
4×3 1080p in VC-1 on a 50gb disc
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / DD5.1 / Mono
span across 4 discs total with a watch
–
– 1939
– 132 minutes
– Warner (originally MGM)
–
Disc 1 uses 21.1GB for the movie out of 38.3GB total.
Disc 2 uses 17.1GB total.

Overall Verdict – A Spectacular Restoration of a Classic

Buy it for $49.49 @ Amazon.com

— Review by: Justin Sluss & Danielle Byington —

The Movie Itself is #6 in the AFI (American Film Institute) Top 100 Movies of All-time, as of 1998. “The Wizard of Oz” was originally released back in 1939 — 70 years ago. The film was an adaption, done by Noel Langley of the book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” written by L. Frank Baum. Directing the film was Victor Fleming, who would in the very same year, 1939, go on to also direct another MGM classic — “Gone With the Wind” — also coming to Blu-ray Disc, later this year.

Most of the general population is familiar with the story of the young girl from Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland), who lives on a farm with her Auntie Em (Clara Blandick). After an attempt to runaway due to the stern Elmira’s (Margaret Hamilton) distaste of Dorothy’s dog, Toto, Dorothy is caught in the passing of a twister after deciding to stay at home. As the gusting winds unhinge a window from its place, Dorothy is knocked-out, though hallucinates that she is still awake, seeing all the people she knows passing by her window as her house is carried by the tornado.

Once all of the ruckus of the storm is over, Dorothy carries Toto to the door and they step outside only to see that they are no longer in Kansas. The world outside is vivid and dream-like, and Dorothy is soon greeted by Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke). Glinda informs Dorothy that the crashing of her house has killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and she is honorably praised for the act. However, Dorothy merely wants to return home, and after a brief celebration with the Munchkins, Glinda informs her that her best bet would be to ask for the way home from the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) who lives in the Emerald City. By following the yellow brick road, Dorothy embarks on her journey to the Emerald City, and of course along the way she makes three new friends; the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr); though their journey is not as simple as it may seem with the unwelcome appearances made by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).

Overall, looking back on “The Wizard of Oz” 70 years later, giving this movie another watch is simply a reminder of why it is such a terrific film in so many ways. Its themes are genuine and sincere, and its setting is thoroughly candy to the imagination. The unique essence of each character makes for a brew of intriguing storyline, as do the film’s production efforts making a genius play on the aesthetics of makeup, wardrobe, and set design. This film has obviously left its mark on our culture, with quotes and ideas from the film that you will catch in numerous outlets of media from entertainment to advertisements. To sum it up, there is just no doubt that the film as a whole is iconic, and it does not need to be explained that it will continue to be, receiving a “5 Star Rating“.

Video Quality on this release is in full 1080p using the VC-1 codec on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte, dual-layered Blu-ray Disc) in the 1.33:1 (a 4×3) aspect ratio — which means it has black bars on the sides on a Widescreen display.

Below you’ll find four before and after comparisons showing off how much more detail is visible in this restoration.

Another thing that is worth pointing out is that this is in both Black and White (using a sepia tone) and then transitions in one of the first Color (Technicolor) presentations ever. So if you watch the first bit of the film and aren’t really blown away by the vibrancy of the image — just wait til the color transition comes along when “Dorothy” enters the land of “Oz“. Regardless of it being in B&W (sepia) or in Color (Technicolor), it always maintains absolute clarity, definition, that was never present before in previous DVD re-releases and such. This 4K restoration is really worth all the hype that Warner has made about it, it looks simply marvelous — and to think, this is 70-year-old film we’re seeing in this amazing new Hi-Def visual presentation. Absolutely no signs of compression flaws here. I can’t say I see any signs of use of digital filters like DNR (digital noise reduction) or EE (edge enhancement) which is very reassuring I’m sure to purists. Back to the amount of detail found here. There is so much detail present that was never visible before that you’ll actually notice things like Judy Garland’s freckles on her face or the burlap sack applied to the make-up of “The Scarecrow“. The amount of detail is simply breathtaking and I could go on for paragraph upon paragraph about it, but I’ll instead assess some other sides of the visual presentation and the actual 4K restoration itself.

As discussed in the supplement included, “Prettier Than Ever”, it becomes clear how tedious a task it was to restore this film. With its 4K scan, decades of age have been taken off of this look of this picture. The color palette is perfectly vibrant, with out an overdose in the saturation, with all of the exhibits of the “rainbow” present in the land of Oz, from the yellow brick road, the gleaming silver of the Tin Man, and the putrid green of the Wicked Witch’s flesh. This spectacular showcase is all complimented by a solid black level, never being excessive in inkiness, but just enough to make the contrast and definition stand out nicely. Fleshtones are basically only realistically present in Dorothy and Glinda, though they are perfectly accurate; when discussing fleshtones, these are the most balanced I have seen in a film that even touches close to this age, as on this release there is not an overcast of the typical orange hues that are present. An extraordinary amount of effort was put forth in dusting-off this film for its Blu-ray release; frame by frame, the ladies and gentlemen who contributed to this task have removed the scratches, hairs, and other artifacts; these extensive hours of work have brought forth a 1939 to looking its absolute best, overall earning a “5 Star Rating“.

Audio Quality on this release is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 @640kbps and also the “The Original Mono” mix in Dolby Digital 1.0 @192kbps. Just as stated in the supplements by those who contributed to the audio portion of this release, the original audio track stays true to its roots with the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix, as no new foley and what not was added to the track. What you will hear is simply a bright and clean presentation of the film’s music and sound effects, erased of any glitches and pops that were previously present. There is no down-side to the Mono track of this release, if that is the audio track you opt for with classic cinema. However, do not get the wrong impression about the TrueHD mix here; it does a fantastic job delivering the content without ever going overboard or wrongly creating an audio presentation that would be unsuitable to this classic film.

In regard to this audio track (TrueHD), many scenes can now be heard in a way you have never heard, such as the approach of the “twister” that carries Dorothy to Oz, making a very small bit of panning presence in the soundscape with its whirls, and a realistic train-like thunder from the subwoofer. Also, the Tin Man’s presence on-screen makes for a continuous Foley effect with the clanking of his body, and the rusty squeaks from his joints. It also goes without saying that the music of the film sounds great on this TrueHD track, with a strong presence in the front channels, subtle harmonies from the rears, and even a soft bit of bass presence; notably, that ominous melody from the strings representing the Wicked Witch of the West has a piercing clarity. The dialogue, both spoken and lyrical, is conveyed from the center front channel, and absolutely suffers no flaws in giving a nice audible presentation. Overall, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround mix earns a “4.5 Star Rating“, as it does the film’s content justice without sacrificing the enigma of this 1939 film.

Bonus Materials are presented in Standard Definition video quality and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound @192kbps.

The following physical items, or “Collectibles” are included in this box set:

• “Limited Edition 70th-Anniversary Watch with Genuine Crystals” isn’t the world’s most impressive but is still rather cool to be included in a box set with a price tag slightly under $60.
• “Original 1939 Campaign Book Reproduction“
• “Behind the Curtain of Production 1060 52-Page Commemorative Book“
• “Replica of the Original Movie Budget” is a very fun little bit of nostalgia to see included even though it’s just a reproduction of sheet of paper.

Disc 1 includes:

• BD-Live is included on this release which requires the user to be on a “Profile 2.0” internet capable Blu-ray Disc Player. This allows you to access Warner’s BD-Live portal where you can have community screenings with friends, create your own “My WB Commentary” track and even download content such as trailers for upcoming Warner films. Sadly at time of writing this, no title (movie) specific content was available.
• Audio Commentary by Historian John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr, Jane Lahr, Hamilton Meserve, Dona Massin, William Tuttle, Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy and Jerry Maren
• Options Music and Effects Only Audio allows you to listen to just the music and sound effects section of the mix This just like the Mono mix is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 @192kbps sound quality.
• “Jukebox” (70:04) features the audio to all of the songs from the film selectable from a menu with their titles and even some stuff is unreleased like voice tests, rehearsals and such. This is a very nice feature, especially for those who love the musical aspect of the film. These are presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 @96kbps audio quality.
• “Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo” (12:26) is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo @192kbps sound quality.
• “Good News of 1939 Radio Show” (71:02) is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo @192kbps sound quality.
• “12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast” (60:49) is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo @192kbps sound quality.
• “Dolby 5.1 Sing-Along Feature” allows you to sing along with all the songs from the film such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow“.
• “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic” (50:49)
• “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook: Read by Angela Lansbury” (10:27) This has Lansbury from “Murder She Wrote” fame reading which is definitely a cool feature to see included and that homage is paid to the original book itself which varies slightly from the motion picture.
• “Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz” (11:27) takes a look at mainly the video restoration done in 4K but it also takes a look at the new 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Digital mixes made from the original mono source material, plus the original musical and sound effects tracks. This proves to be very informative and I’m glad to see this was included.
• “We Haven’t Really Met Properly… Supporting Cast Profile Gallery” (21:23) takes a look at the other folks in the film aside from the star Judy Garland.
• “Memories of Oz” (27:39) originally aired on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) channel.
• “The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz” (29:45)
• “Because of the Wonder Thing It Does: The Legacy of Oz” (25:05)
• “Harold Arlen’s Home Movies” (4:40) come from the composer of the film’s music.
• “Outtakes and Deleted Scenes” include:
“If I Only Had a Brain” (4:37)
“If I Only Had a Heart” (1:36)
“Triumphal Return to Emerald City” (1:54)
“Over the Rainbow” (2:08)
“The Jitterbug” (4:05)
• “It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister! The Tornado Tests” (8:17)
• “Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt” (2:14)
• “Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power” (10:31)
• “Stills Gallery” is very, very thorough and sure to leave fans pleased.
• “Theatrical Trailer Gallery” includes the following:
“1939 What Is Oz? Teaser” (0:32)
“1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer” (1:59)
“1949 Reissue Trailer” (2:50)
“1949 Grownup Reissue Trailer” (2:22)
“1970 Children’s Matinee Reissue Trailer” (1:35)
“1998 Warner Bros. Reissue Trailer” (2:05)
• “Off to See The Wizard Excerpts” (3:57)
• “Texas Contest Winners” (1:26) in autumn of 1938 they made this little short film about lucky contest winners.

Disc 2 (a BD-25) features:

• “Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman” (34:08) is very informative and definitely worth the watch if you enjoyed Fleming’s other 1939 classic “Gone With the Wind” and/or didn’t know much about his other works and career.
• “L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain” (27:45) takes a look at the author of the original book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” from which the film is based on.
• “Hollywood Celebrates It’s Biggest Little Stars!” (10:23)
• “1990 The Dreamer of Oz” (92:48) is a documentary about L. Frank Baum. It’s not in very good video quality but if you’re interested in the man behind the story — it’s worth a watch. In fact, the late, great John Ritter plays him in the documentary.
• “1910 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (13:18) is a silent film.
• “1933 The Wizard of Oz” (8:13) is a cartoon short in Technicolor done by animator Ted Eshbaugh based on the first ‘Oz‘ book.
• “1914 His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz” (59:07) is a silent film written and directed by the author L. Frank Baum himself.
• “1914 The Magic Cloak of Oz” (43:15) is yet another silent film.
• “1914 The Patchwork Girl of Oz” (50:43) yet again, another silent film.
• “1925 The Wizard of Oz” (71:53) is yet another silent film.

Disc 3 (a DVD) contains:

• “MGM: When the Lion Roars” 6-hour documentary on a double-sided DVD in Standard Definition video.

Disc 4 (a DVD-ROM) contains:

• Digital Copy of the film is included which is compatible with both iTunes and Windows Media — Mac & PC as well as portable devices. As with all digital copies, this will only last 1 year after release date, meaning it will expire on September 29th, 2010.

Overall, the bonus materials we get here are very extravagant as you’d expect with the title and price tag. In total, the amount of bonus content you’ll find here is well over 16 hours. That’s a WHOLE LOT of supplemental content to keep fans busy for almost literally a day or two at least. Now yes that does include audio commentary tracks but hey, that’s what Warner put on the back of the packaging, I’m just repeating their claims.

Blu-ray Disc packaging:

Screenshots:

Not available for this release. Warner has asked that we not included our own shots but only provide you with approved shots which I’ll be adding more of later today. Keep in mind these (approved images) are not our traditional 1920×1080 screenshots, they are in fact the 4K resolution the film was remastered in.

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