UHD Review The Wizard of Oz 80th Anniversary UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Worth]

I've seen Oz theatrically on 35mm a few times and don't remember ever noticing the wires, and I'd imagine they would have been even less noticeable in 1939.

I don't think it's so much the increased resolution that reveals details that were never meant to be seen, as it is the stability of digital, though the two are related. The first thing I noticed when seeing digital projection for the first time was how rock-steady the image was. A projected image on film is constantly bouncing around, hiding a lot of imperfections. Sometimes, even DVD exposes issues that 35mm projection smoothes over.

 

[warnerbro]

The 4k looks absolutely stunning. Perfection. It looks like it's happening live before your eyes.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I feel that a change is a change. George Lucas intended Jabba the Hutt to be in the original Star Wars. Adding that scene and character back is not the same as a wire removal but it's still altering the original movie which is the most cited reason that I see when people criticize George Lucas for messing with his movies.

I veer toward "historical accuracy" strongly when it comes to movie presentation, but I'm still A-OK with touch-ups that fix little goofs like that.

Nothing to extremes. For instance, I'm cool with the touch-up that removed the reflection in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but if they'd replaced the real snake with a CG one, that wouldn't have been kosher.

Or if they'd digitally removed the fly that goes into Belloq's. mouth!

 

[Mark Booth]

Wires or no wires, the fact that it's in 4K with HDR and 5.1 now means it's already far removed from anything authentic - this is nothing what it would have looked or sounded like to audiences in 1939.

Of course not. The theater you would have seen it in in 1939 would have been filled to overflowing with cigarette and cigar smoke.

Effective immediately, all pre 1960 films MUST be watched with your living room filled with clouds of cigarette smoke because THAT is how audiences would have watched them in their day.



Mark

 

[TJPC]

I know you are making fun, but I remember when there was smoking in the movie theatre. In my home town theatres, it was always restricted to the last few rows, under the balcony, or in the balcony on either side of the projection booth where rising smoke hopefully would not interfere with the image. — one theatre still has ash trays in the arms of the seats, in the former smoking area as well as a kind of wire thingy under the seats to hold your fedora.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I'd be curious to know when smoking at movies became essentially verboten.

I'm 52 and don't remember a time it was acceptable at all - not even allowed in specific sections.

I remember concert venues and bars and restaurants filled with smoke, of course, but if it was okay in movie theaters, it must've been when I was too young to remember!

 

[MatthewA]

If you can remove the wires, why not put the Scarecrow dance back in.

The most likely reason they didn't want to put that back because they didn't also have any of the other outtakes, such as "The Jitterbug" and the reprises of "Over the Rainbow" and "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead," in anything other than audio form.

 

[Mark Booth]

I'd be curious to know when smoking at movies became essentially verboten.

I'm 52 and don't remember a time it was acceptable at all - not even allowed in specific sections.

I remember concert venues and bars and restaurants filled with smoke, of course, but if it was okay in movie theaters, it must've been when I was too young to remember!

My first experience in a real movie theater (as opposed to a drive-in) was in 1966 (Fantastic Voyage) when I was 10. There were people smoking throughout the theater. By the early 70’s the same theater had a smoking room (with a large glass window) at the back of the theater but smoking was still allowed in the lobby. Needless to say, the place reeked and the smoke didn’t stay in the lobby (or the smoking room). I remember people next to me getting up to go smoke and coming back just reeking to high heaven.

This was in California, the state that was the most progressive at banning cancer sticks in public places. If California still had smoking in theaters in the 60’s, I’d be surprised if any other state had banned it.

People still smoked in grocery stores in the early 70’s. I started as a bagger in 1974 and I had to sweep up plenty of cancer sticks that people snuffed out with their foot on the floor.

Filthy disgusting habit and a really dumb thing to do.

Mark

 

[Colin Jacobson]

My first experience in a real movie theater (as opposed to a drive-in) was in 1966 (Fantastic Voyage) when I was 10. There were people smoking throughout the theater. By the early 70’s the same theater had a smoking room (with a large glass window) at the back of the theater but smoking was still allowed in the lobby. Needless to say, the place reeked and the smoke didn’t stay in the lobby (or the smoking room). I remember people next to me getting up to go smoke and coming back just reeking to high heaven.

This was in California, the state that was the most progressive at banning cancer sticks in public places. If California still had smoking in theaters in the 60’s, I’d be surprised if any other state had banned it.

People still smoked in grocery stores in the early 70’s. I started as a bagger in 1974 and I had to sweep up plenty of cancer sticks that people snuffed out with their foot on the floor.

There probably was more smoking in public in my yoot than I recall. On one hand, I was very conscious of it because my parents hated it and so did it.

Still, I doubt I would've really noticed at the grocery or wherever. I still think smoking at movies was pretty much toast by the mid-late 70s, but that could be wrong...

 

[bujaki]

I moved to Dallas in '88. Smoking was still allowed. When it was finally forbidden, I still had to fight the good fight against people who thought they could hide the smoke and the stench. It wasn't easy (both ways).

 

[TJPC]

There was one mall in Hamilton Ontario (Centre mall) that we called the smoker’s mall, because the entire thing always reeked.

 

[TJPC]

There was one mall in Hamilton Ontario (Centre mall) that we called the smoker’s mall, because the entire thing always reeked.

 

[Brent Reid]

There was one mall in Hamilton Ontario (Centre mall) that we called the smoker’s mall, because the entire thing always reeked.

There was one mall in Hamilton Ontario (Centre mall) that we called the smoker’s mall, because the entire thing always reeked.

So smelly you named it twice!

Hate smoking with a passion – have never dated smokers and don't even hang out with them – and well remember choking in cinema auditoriums full of smoke into at least the late 1980s.

Back on topic, it's a pity Warner didn't remaster The Wizard of Oz BD or include a mono track on the UHD disc, but we are still extremely spoiled to have the choice of two brilliant but slightly different presentations. Or three, if you count the 3D version!

 

[moviebuff75]

The mono on the Blu-ray is simply the stereo version downmixed.

 

[Bryan Tuck]

The mono on the Blu-ray is simply the stereo version downmixed.

I really don't think that's the case. In the restoration featurette on the 2005 DVD and 2009 Blu-ray, they mention starting with the "restored mono track" before making the 5.1. It may be that they made the "corrections" you've talked about at the mono level and considered it part of the restoration. Then they would have expanded the track using the alternate orchestra angles and the music & effects track.

That's speculation, of course, but there are also moments (such as the tornado sequence and the Witch writing out "Surrender Dorothy" where some of the the effects are noticeably louder in relation to the dialogue on the 5.1 than they are on the mono.

At any rate, this particular remix doesn't bother me that much, but the mono should of course have been included on the UHD.

 

[Wayne_j]

Anyone else have audio sync issues with this disc on the oppo 203?

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Watched it on Saturday on mine with no sync problems, though I've found a problem getting it or the TV to recognize Dolby Vision. Had to power both off and on several times to get it to work.

 

[AndrewHardy]

I would have preferred the wires remain but don't consider it a big deal. But I checked my VHS copy from somewhere in the mid 80s and the wires were definitely there on the TV broadcast during the IF I WERE KING number which is the only place I had remembered seeing them so they were visible long before DVDs and hi def TVs.

 

[David Norman]

I'd be curious to know when smoking at movies became essentially verboten.

I'm 52 and don't remember a time it was acceptable at all - not even allowed in specific sections.

I remember concert venues and bars and restaurants filled with smoke, of course, but if it was okay in movie theaters, it must've been when I was too young to remember!

Late 70's early 80's for sure where I lived.

Florida in the mid 80's smoking was outlawed in most places like restaurants, stores, malls, public spaces (though most had smoking areas), I didn't fly too much but I certainly remember 70's and even 80's having to deal with it on planes

Even after just a few years of being away from it and moved to NC 90's -- smoking was allowed pretty much everywhere (I think movie theater didn't allow) -- it shocked me the first time seeing smokers in the Grocery store again, standing line at Fast Food restaurants, most of the restaurants here at most had a no smoking area though it was next to the smoking section so worthless,

Hospitals even allowed smoking in the rooms (private and semi private, kids, obstetrics including rooms with newborns) and waiting rooms/ER. Of course Private room would have nonsmokers following smokers so again pretty worthless.

within a couple years a couple of major lawsuits forced smoking even in NC to the fringes and it became easier to ban smoking completely than design the place to accommodate both for the safety of the nonsmokers.

 

[PMF]

Of course not. The theater you would have seen it in in 1939 would have been filled to overflowing with cigarette and cigar smoke.

Effective immediately, all pre 1960 films MUST be watched with your living room filled with clouds of cigarette smoke because THAT is how audiences would have watched them in their day.



Mark

Now that you've mentioned it, I'm gonna install two red exit signs to be dimly illuminated to the left and right of my display.