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| The Wizard of Oz (1939) | |
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| Topic Started: Oct 2 2009, 04:40 AM (306 Views) | |
| Laughing Gravy | Oct 2 2009, 04:40 AM Post #1 |
Revered in the UK
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I opted for the new big-ass boxed set Blu-ray version of this film; you know how I am. Is there any movie in history more beloved by the public than this one? I don't think so. Certainly not for those of us who grew up on its annual TV showings every spring; it was the biggest TV event of the year, and I'll bet ya'll can still remember where the commercial breaks went (I can, every time I watch the darn film). The box contains, in addition to three discs, the following bonus materials: A Wizard of Oz wrist-watch, emerald green. I tried stuffing it into the Blu-ray player, but it doesn't fit, so I guess I'm s'posed to wear it. It's a nice watch, actually. It is VERY green. A reproduction of the original press book; very colorful, and it compares this film to Disney's SNOW WHITE about, oh, a kazillion times. (SNOW WHITE was not only another Technicolor family movie with songs, but was at the time of OZ's release the #1 box office champ in Hollywood history.) A 52-page color book on the history of the film. I enjoyed reading the memo from the producer explaining that Dorothy needed a song for the Kansas opening to match Snow White's "Someday My Prince Will Come" number. I never knew before that that's where the "Rainbow" started. A bunch of other stuff I haven't looked at yet, including colorful 8x10 stills of the cast. The bonus materials include several other Oz films from the '20s and '30s, a made-for-TV movie with John Ritter as L. Frank Baum, several hours of documentary and bonus footage (the Munchkins get a star in Hollywood!) and the 6-hour "MGM: When the Lion Roars" miniseries. Oh, yeah, the movie... Looks and sounds amazing. I didn't think the upgrade from DVD to Blu-ray was going to be that big of a deal. It is. |
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| CliffClaven | Oct 2 2009, 10:30 AM Post #2 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I wonder if there's a point where, presupposing the elements are pristine enough, a DVD can be TOO good. Matte paintings, effects and even makeup often count on a certain loss of resolution on the screen. While we could almost always see Wizard's painted backdrops and embrace them as part of the fantasy, it's going to be a little disheartening to see the seams in vintage "realistic" films. I recall reading on this board or another that the DVD of George Pal's War of the Worlds is sharp enough to clearly reveal the wires holding up the alien ships. And years ago, when I saw Guns of Navarone in a revival house, a fake ocean effect (not rear projection) was visible in the scene where they're planting explosives around the guns. Maybe I'm just jealous because I'm obliged to watch through the proverbial Coke bottle glasses, but I really think they should have an airbrush mode to allow such films to viewed as really intended. And a bit of snow and bad horizontal hold for those of us who discovered them on late night TV. |
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| Stony Brooke da Mesquiteer | Oct 2 2009, 10:44 AM Post #3 |
Balconeer Creeper
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That brings back many horror-movie memories. We had cable in 1970 when I was 12, but I had a portable black-n-white set in my bedroom, and of course many of the horror movies were on UHF. The rotating aerial on the set was always a challenge (or sometimes, just to heck with it) and was often moved every few minutes. I also had one of those 1960 TV stands....state of the art...The TV stand was not for dinner, it was to set the set on. 
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"She's got style, she's got grace She's got long, long legs, she's got... Savoir Faire" | |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 2 2009, 11:47 AM Post #4 |
Mouth Breather
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Guys, when we first saw these movies they were on screens 40 feet tall and if you were like me you were in the front row. If I could suspend disbelief then, I can now. I don't care that Wizard has painted sets: that's part of the deal. If you don't like it, watch reality shows on TV. Better is better; better is always better. The glass is a hell of a lot more than half full. Thirty years ago, did you even imagine you'd EVER have a copy of The Wizard of Oz? Stony, it's a damn good thing that there little piggy didn't go to Georgia -- they'd be serving him barbecued at the Ga. Pig in Brunswick. |
| We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater | |
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| Frank Hale | Oct 2 2009, 01:09 PM Post #5 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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I agree with Mr. Panzer. Furthermore, the 1080 plasma set I bought last Spring has made me realize just how inadequate most DVD’s really are. Those waves in Guns of Navarone looked phony even in 1962, so I’m not clear on what you could or should do to make them more realistic. And of course once you’ve fixed that, and airbrushed out the automobile from Shane (which was in fact done on the DVD), where do you stop? The wristwatch in The Viking Queen? The wires in Flash Gordon? Many years ago I saw a theatrical print of North by Northwest where the projectionist forgot to mask off the top and bottom of the screen. In the pine forest and Mt Rushmore scenes, you could see the top or bottom of the backdrops and the floodlights lighting up the scene. I loved it! |
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| JazzGuyy | Oct 2 2009, 02:09 PM Post #6 |
Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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This new Wizard looks magnificent. I had already commented on it over in the "Am I Blu" thread. If you've ever thought about getting a Blu-Ray player, this movie alone justifies it. |
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| CliffClaven | Oct 2 2009, 06:02 PM Post #7 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Actually, I enjoy seeing some of the seams in movies like Wizard of Oz, because it's a complete fantasy anyway and it lets you appreciate the sheer skill of everybody who worked on it. Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes and Young and Innocent both have easily spotted miniatures, but the stories are light thrillers and not dependent on convincing you they're actually happening. It's like watching a well-done stage production -- It's clearly not real, but you're eager to play along. The point is, some movies really need you to be a bit more convinced. While intellectually I knew Cary and Eva weren't climbing around the real Mt. Rushmore, what I saw on the screen was persuasive enough to keep me worried. I would be interested to see it with the unmasked edges, but it would definitely diminish the entertainment value. For some reason I think of The Office (American version). While the idea that they're being filmed for some sort of documentary doesn't bear even casual scrutiny, it's just persuasive enough that you resent any "sitcom" moments, no matter how funny they may be in themselves. |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 3 2009, 11:19 AM Post #8 |
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Mouth Breather
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When I first saw the end of North By Northwest I knew it was a set. Didn't everybody? As an adult no play or movie ever has convinced me for a minute. I worked in theater before puberty and made movies as soon as I could buy a camera, and I've known it was all illusion ever since. That doesn't decrease my enjoyment -- quite the reverse. Doesn't everybody see the make-up, the phony costumes, and the phony sets, not to mention the lit'ry scripts and the ridiculous emoting? What is there to convince you -- especially in the context of MGM? Realism on the screen? Show me some. Maybe there are a few realistic moments in Open City, but most of it is opera. No other movie comes to mind. Well, maybe a few scenes in Greed. There's a reason why they call Hollywood Tinseltown. |
| We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Oct 5 2009, 05:12 AM Post #9 |
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Revered in the UK
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I had some qualms about seeing what the makeup in this film looked like in HD, but I needn't have worried; other than an occasional view of Bert Lahr's scalp, it looks quite realistic, actually. The Wicked Witch's green skin is amazing. BTW, I remember as a kid loving all the characters in this film except for the Cowardly Lion, who seemed too much of a ham. Now, Mr. Lahr's performance seems the best in the entire film; just a delight. Wonder what THAT is all about. |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 5 2009, 07:38 AM Post #10 |
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Mouth Breather
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Me too. Maybe it's because the character is all about wordplay, and the wordplay goes right over a kid's head. In any case I agree, Lahr is the best thing in the picture. I wonder if any of his stage routines ever got filmed? |
| We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater | |
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| CliffClaven | Oct 5 2009, 12:19 PM Post #11 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Lahr got to recreate his stage role in the movie version of "Flying High", a film that's out there but I haven't seen. Lahr's previous Broadyway hit -- title escapes me -- was filmed with Joe E. Brown in the lead, and Lahr was forever ticked off that Brown essentially recreated Lahr's performance. A later hit -- "DuBarry was a Lady" -- was turned into a Red Skelton vehicle. Lahr did a movie with Milton Berle, "Leave 'em Laughing," and I think they worked in a few old routines (Lahr played an old-time comic and Berle was the up-and-comer). Lahr was never a major film star, but he did lots of stage work, including "Waiting for Godot". He died during the filming of "The Night They Raided Minsky's", an intriguing mess of a movie. His character is still in the film, but vanishes for long stretches and in a few scenes is replaced by an obvious back-to-the-camera stand in. Look up "Notes on a Cowardly Lion," a very good biography by his son John (who is now a major drama critic). |
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| Laughing Gravy | Oct 5 2009, 02:45 PM Post #12 |
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Revered in the UK
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As a kid, besides the Lion, I knew him best as the pitchman for Lay's Potato Chips: "Betcha can't eat just one!" |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 5 2009, 05:13 PM Post #13 |
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Mouth Breather
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Most of his stage work was in revues, and they were seldom made into movies -- but I'm wondering if somebody didn't slip some of his stuff into some cheap musical like they did with Bea Lillie and her dozan damask dinner napkins. |
| We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater | |
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| Laughing Gravy | Oct 5 2009, 06:45 PM Post #14 |
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Revered in the UK
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No idea if this answers your question, but Warner Archives is offering a 4-pack of what I consider obscure films starring the cast of Wizard of Oz, including: Everybody Sing with Judy Garland and Billie Burke Flying High with Bert Lahr The George White Scandals with Margaret Hamilton and Jack Haley Rosalie with Frank Morgan and Ray Bolger |
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| panzer the great & terrible | Oct 7 2009, 10:24 AM Post #15 |
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Mouth Breather
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An imaginative marketing ploy, but it wouldn't work on me. I've seen two of these movies and don't need to see 'em again. |
| We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater | |
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12:05 PM Nov 27
