A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Wizard of Oz -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Irv H]

When my program started there was a title on the screen that indicated that the presentation was in the aspect ratio that audiences saw on original release in 1939. So 1.85 was not possible back then.

Your manager should have been paying more attention!

 

[John Hodson]

Originally Posted by BillyFeldman

I always have to laugh when these digital projection zealots on chat boards try to tell me that it betters conventional projection. I went and saw the new Harry Potter in digital projection - dark, muddy, and pretty rank. And that's been my experience every time I've seen digital projection. And these have been in supposedly state of the art theaters. I don't know if it's the projectors themselves or the source material, but give me film projected properly any day of the week.

I'm no zealot and heaven forfend that I would suggest that digital is actually better than projected film, however, I've only seen four digitally projected films - Dracula, Billy Liar, The Dam Busters and Goldfinger - and much to my surprise each one looked bloody gorgeous, luminous and actually quite film-like.

 

[Irv H]

In regards to Jeff Swearingen's post that the manager thought that 1.85 "looked better": When my program started there was a title on the screen that indicated that the presentation was in the aspect ratio that audiences saw on original release in 1939. So 1.85 was not possible back then.

Your manager should have been paying more attention!

 

[Adam_S]

Originally Posted by Rob_Ray

When the actual movie started, the echo effect went away and the stereo remix was the best I'd ever heard. The transfer itself was lovely with that old-fashioned Technicolor color saturation but, as others who saw it at the Motion Picture Academy a few weeks ago complained, the projection left a lot to be desired. It was dark and muddy-looking. Digital projection just can't yet equal a pristine 35mm print struck from the best sources.

I don't recall anyone else from that screening posting here, but I certainly was not complaining, raving more like it, as it was far and away the best digital presentation I'd ever seen and better than 35mm projected films from this era (and I've seen more than a hundred), for example, the 4K projection was much better than the 35mm print of Gone with the Wind ran at the same theatre earlier in the summer.

 

[Camper]

I don't is if this is the right thread but.............

Digitalbits is reporting Wizard of Oz for $34.99 at Target----without the box of crap.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I can confirm that Steve. It looks like the same discs/content...but without all the extras...for $34.99.

[SIZE= smaller]And I'm not stalking you today or anything (we just seem to be showing up in the same threads)![/SIZE]

 

[Camper]

Well $35 is still high, BUT it is the Wizard of Oz so I'm done complaining and will buy it.

Sure, I could get it later for less probably but it's The Wizard of Oz and they did spend a lot to restore it.
But I'm getting it for my kids anyway.

That's what I'll tell the clerk anyway.


Here's the link to Digitalbits on the subject........

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents


And the actual Target ad..........

http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Target/Paramount/Warner_Brothers__/Disc_Announcements__/Target_Blu-ray_Exclusives_Available_September_29/3499

 

[Mike Frezon]

I hear ya, Steve! It is still a lot, but...

I'd recommend getting there early. Who knows how many copies of these will be available?

 

[dpippel]

If Target is really selling this edition for full MSRP of $34.99 I think I'd rather spring for the extra $15 and get the full-on edition from Amazon. That's not a substantial enough savings for me. Now if the street price is closer to $25...

 

[Camper]

Yes, $15 isn't a great deal of difference unless you just don't want the extras---which I don't want in any way. So spending $15 IS a lot if you don't want something.

And yeah Mike, I'll be there early Tuesday--I have the day off AND a Target card---I don't even need real money to buy it!!

 

[Marvin]

This is tempting but it's about $10 more (plus tax) than my Amazon UK pre-order, so I'll probably wait for that.

Originally Posted by dpippel

If Target is really selling this edition for full MSRP of $34.99 I think I'd rather spring for the extra $15 and get the full-on edition from Amazon. That's not a substantial enough savings for me. Now if the street price is closer to $25...

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by dpippel

If Target is really selling this edition for full MSRP of $34.99 I think I'd rather spring for the extra $15 and get the full-on edition from Amazon. That's not a substantial enough savings for me. Now if the street price is closer to $25...

Would you believe $19.95? Someone is claiming he bought it at Walmart for that much.

 

[Dave Mack]

yep. and has a picture to boot,



http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4774/wizl.jpg

albeit small from a cellphone

 

[dpippel]

Originally Posted by RobertR




Would you believe $19.95? Someone is claiming he bought it at Walmart for that much.

Now THAT I can go for! Thanks for the tip.

 

All these damn exclusives... I don't understand it. Shame I can't order any of them to ship to Australia. The UK 3-disc version doesn't come out for another few months... By the way guys we've already been through all this a page ago.

Also, that WalMart version seems to be based on the German cover art. This is promising; perhaps we all might have access to more concise versions sooner than previously thought. And without sing-a-long banners on the front too!

 

[PatH]

I don't know that they did wire removal on the lion's tail, but I was looking for wires (especially that one) and I saw none. PatH

 

I believe that they did remove the wires on the Lion's tail.

 

[Southpaw]

So we are still not 100% certain that Target's WoO edition will contain every special feature that the UE contains, correct? (such as the MGM documentary) Is it truly the same except none of the trinkets?

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

I think all these posts on teh differ editions etc need to be moved to the other Wizard posts, this one should just be about discussing the image etc of the release. Right? It seems like the thread just spiriled.

 

[JohnRa]

Originally Posted by RobertR

Thanks to those who posted their experiences about the theatrical showing. I was wondering what I might have missed. Now I know that it would likely have been a big waste of time and money.

Yes, RobertR, I think you were lucky.

I saw the showing in Knoxville at the Regal Westown. It was the worst looking movie I have seen in a theater. The Robert Osborne introduction began without sound. After many yells from the audience the sound came on. Shouts to "start it over" went unheeded. The picture was grainy and out of focus. I won't attend any of these "events" in the future.

In spite of all that, there were some positives: the film was in correct aspect ratio; sound was very good - after there was sound; seeing it with an appreciative audience was good; and the film itself is so good that it overcame the bad - almost.

I would think TCM and Warner Home Video would be appalled by such a poor presentation when they are promoting the Blu-ray release. After all, when Robert Osborne said "for the first time in high definition" I would expect that to mean something other than what was shown here.