HTF REVIEW: The Wizard Of Oz - Three-Disc Collector's Edition (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). - Page 11

I don't see it either, and frankly I don't see a Hi-Def version coming really soon either. The format is still up for grabs and with the 70th anniversary coming in little more than 3 years, I don't see another release until then.

I just watched the new version last night and it looks nothing like the screen caps posted on the internet. It is very film-like, grainy and the colors look muted compared to the 1999 version. The new Ultra-Resolution is not bright, vibrant and razor-sharp like the 1999 version which looked exactly like the screen shots here and on DVDBEAVER. All of the screen caps of the new Ultra- Resolution looked like they had dark brown mud smeared on them. Is it possible the advance screeners were different? Because from what I'm hearing from everyone on this thread, their copies look nothing like the advance screen shots which is puzzling. All in all, when you watch the new Ultra-Resolution you feel like you are experiencing the film as close as possible as to how it looked at the first premiere screening in 1939. It looks like you are watching a film, not a DVD or video. The 1999 version looked like a DVD and had a smooth video-like quality to it which I like. The 1999 version looks like you are watching a live production right in front of your eyes. It does not look like a film. That is the best way I can describe the differences. As far as the packaging on the new deluxe version, it is mindblowing. Go ahead and spend the extra money if you are a fanatic of this film. The chodachrome post cards are stunning! It is an exquisite package that has been embossed on the outside and the inside has a shiny lamination to protect it. Order it from Amazon and get the discount, no tax and free shipping and wait a few days. Also, on my copy I noticed severe cropping on all four sides. It really seems like they zoomed way in on the film frame.

I suspected that, still image screen caps are fine for certain things but images in motion have a different character altogether...well, naturally, that is what film is after all.

Signed,
Captain Obvious. :b

Make sure you listen to the commentary. It is the biggest revelation on the set. Jonathan Fricke knows more about Judy Garland and THE WIZARD OF OZ than anybody breathing. Also Margaret Hamilton is uproarious and has her audience howling at her constant anecdotes and jokes. She is absolutely hilarious. You also get Jack Haley and Ray Bolger talking first-hand about their experiences, as well as Buddy Ebsen who was fired for getting sick and being in ICU because his lungs shut down from the aluminum dust! Also, am I correct in assuming that the video interviews with the stars that was on the previous version is missing here? Hold onto those old discs whatever you do!

Probably because of all the extra booklets etc. Very much worth it IMO.

I thought it was because they had to clean up all those shorts? Who knows. It was worth it to me.

Andy

Would someone please sort of wrap up the differences (extras-wise) between the last Warner DVD, the new 2-disc set, and the new 3-disc set? It's kind of confusing trying to decide which to buy, or whether or not the previous disc is best to hold onto.

The third disc contains:

L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain

The Wizard of Oz (1910 short)

The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914 short)

His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz (1914 feature)

The Wizard of Oz (1925 feature)

The Wizard of Oz (1933 animated short)(U.S. version only)

And:

The Wizard of Oz Comes to Life - Grauman's Chinese Theatre Souvenir Premiere Program (August 15, 1939)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio News - IntraCorporate House Organ/Newspaper for the week beginning Monday, August 14, 1939. Specifically Celebrating the Release of The Wizard of Oz

Photoplay Studies - Rare Secondary Education Scholastic In Honor of The Wizard of Oz. Magazine, Volume V, Number 12 (circa August 1939)

The Studio's Invitation to The Grauman's Premiere That Included Tickets to the Original Opening Night (plus a newly designed commemorative ticket)

Deluxe Collector's Portfolio - Reproductions of Original 1939 Kodachrome Publicity Art - nine portraits and on-set photographs.


Supplements not carried over from the old Warner disc:

1979 cast interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger and Jack Haley.

Cast and Crew bios (text only)

Awards (text only)


Hope this helps. I apologize if I have forgotten something.

John, is it possible they just combined them all into the one section and forgot to remove the 'part one' title card? I don't have my old disc anymore so I can't compare. Haven't found the new one yet, either...have to make another trip this weekend.

does anybody know if the music/effects tracks are seperate tracks or are they combined into one track?

They are combined.....I thought I answered that earlier!

Additional extra feature: More shots from the Harold Arlen home movies; most seen in bits in documentaries like Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Harold Arlen, but now included here. Most interesting: Shots of Dorothy from the Richard Thorpe version in the cornfield with the blonde wig. They're quick, but wonderful.

Maybe you should calibrate your viewing monitor if you haven't done so, yet.

Upon listening to the commentary, there are parts of the 1979 interviews from M. Hamilton and R. Bolger. I watched the interviews the other night deciding whether or not it was worth keeping(decided they weren't). I'm very happy so far with the new version. Thanks Warner!

Really late to the party here.....I was going to pick up the Canadian 3-Disc set at Future Shop tommorrow morning when I read about the missing cartoon in this thread. I'm really thankful I read this when I did....since I'm going to the states this coming week, I guess I can add this to the DVD shopping list. Thanks for the warning guys.

As for Warner Canada, they are really shooting themselves in the foot with their releases lately....first the bilingual issue starting with Batman Begins, then the Adventures Of Superman S1 fiasco with disc 4 being the same as disc 5 and now we have a missing extra on this release. That is pretty damned pathetic.

^ Not to mention the lack of titles altogether like The Warner Comedy Classics Collection and I've still yet to see the Val Lewton Collection hit retail up here. It's really frustrating.

Unfortunately, no. The Part One section on the DVD ends with a still of "Aunt Em" same as the laser. I was hoping to find Part Two tacked on to the end of one of the other still galleries, but so far no luck. It was exactly the same way on the previous Warner DVD.

I read on one site where the audio is the same as the 98 release as well.

All right I'm back to report on the actual DVD if you care to read on!

I have not had time to completely watch the entire film yet but have compared the two discs.

The screen captures of the new DVD I originally compared and ripped on I am glad to say are really bad!

The new DVD color wise is a lot better then I feared, I still wish the Blue Dress was bluer I guess as I am now used to with the Blue tint of the last release and just what I perceive it should be, but over all I feel this restoration is better color wise.

The witch’s eyes that I kept referring to are not blood shot as in the screen shot. The House (both houses I had referred to) are now a lot more white and natural looking lacking the over bearing red tint found in the screen shots.

Although the Colors are better I am not too sure about the cropping that some how has also put 20lbs on the actors, but I think you can only tell this buy doing a side by side comparison.

My first impression of the new DVD is that the old release is a tad bit sharper, but I will have to inspect that some more.

So for now I am fairly pleased with this new DVD and am glad the movie does not look as seen in this reviews screen shots.

Here is some example Screen Shots (not captures) of what I am seeing on my front projection screen with comparing these two DVD's. Again it looks better in real but this will give an idea of the differences.


http://wizardofoz.iwarp.com/photo4.html
and
http://wizardofoz.iwarp.com/photo5.html

Wes

Measure the lollipop in Dorthy's hands carefully on the old version and you will see it is not round. It's taller than it's wide.

Measure the new one and it IS round.

So the old transfer was done on a mis-calibrated telecine and the image is stretched vertically by about an extra 5 to 10%.

Points to the new version for having got the AR correct.

Ted

Good call I hadn't noticed that!


Wes

I noticed that the two stores I went to didn't have the 2-disc set in stock. They each had one copy of the 3-disc version though. The set looks great. I just don't dig the movie enough to pick it up.

^^ Same here, the 3-disc set was in abundance everywhere, and the 2-disc was very difficult to find...this was on Thursday. I have not seen this movie in more than 40 years, so don't really remember it at all...

I think that speaks to the value-pricing on the 2-disc set...and the disparity in pricing between the 2-disc and the 3-disc.

I fully understand big-time fans of the film being pleaed with the pricing on the 3-disc set. I just think they would have sold tons more of the 3-discers to more casual fans of the film if it's price was just a little bit lower.

I kind of agree Mike, though I won't crticise the price of the 3-disc, rather, as you, the price disparity with the 2-disc. If this was a Criterion, frankly the 3-disc would seem like a bargain (a 3-disc Criterion would typically go for double what the Oz one does, here).

And I picked up the 3-disc Titanic for the same price as the 2-disc Oz, or again half the 3-disc Oz price. This was an unfortunate juxtaposition of titles/pricing on the same day and shelf...made me think, a dangerous and not necessarily logical situation...

I think Warner Bros. ends up putting out sets that are virtually Criterions without the Criterion name.

Still, I felt that the $34 I paid at Best Buy was justified. They put a lot of work into the extra disc... the restored '25 film looks almost new and has a wonderful score. Even the cartoon was transfered extremely well, given the poor print. I think it's neat how they went through the trouble to even transfer it progressively.

Don't rub it in, we don't get that cartoon here!

I haven't opened my Oz 2-disc yet, thought I might break down for the 3 by tomorrow, now I'm looking at the American 3...let's just say you aren't helping much...

I disagree - I can't think of anything Criterion's done that compares with the lavish nature of this Oz set. Or the new Titanic 3-DVD package. Or quite a few others. Criterion does nice work in that they give good treatment to obscure titles, but they were passed years ago as the best producers of DVDs. Actually, I don't know if they ever were great at DVDs - they led the LD field, but they've always lagged behind in DVDs in various ways. (Anyone else remember how long they resisted 16X9 enhancement?)

No disrespect to Criterion, but they're don't put out the best DVDs...

We just finished watching the new transfer and spent a little bit of time comparing it to the previous transfer. I have to agree with many of the more recent posts... the screen caps are not representative of what I saw on my own system. Yes... there is a color balance difference between the two transfers. But you don't notice it when watching the film. Nothing looks out of place and the colors don't look too muted to my eyes. Frankly, the new transfer is gorgeous.

BTW, I paid particular attention to comparing scenes with closeups of the Scarecrow's face. WOW!! I'm seeing the burlap texture in his face for the first time!

I also compared the scene were the witch writes "Surrender Dorthy" in the sky. The previous transfer is a mess in this spot (but not as bad as the VERY first transfer) with some (minor) registration issues and a whole lot of uneveness in the lighting. The new transfer cleans this up beautifully.

Big thumbs up on the new 5.1 track. Nothing is spoiled from the original mono track. The 5.1 simply sounds better.

Frankly, in my opinion, fans of the film are best advised to get the new version. If you watch the darned thing and not worry about how "accurate" it is, you will quickly be lost in a wonderful experience of the best looking Oz ever!

Mark

P.S. I got the 2-disc set and I'm prefectly happy. It's got plenty of extras and I loved the lower price!