The first time I saw this was in a local theater during a re-release sometime in the 1950's, I think. This was before it became a perennial favorite on TV. I bought it (much later) on Laserdisc which was pretty well done for its time. The first DVD issue was a complete misfire from the standpoint of video quality. The second was very good. The third DVD issue, I didn't bother with. The Blu-ray is quite stunning and although in some shots a certain amount of grain is visible, which is to be expected, the over-all impression is delightful. More than ever, you can now clearly see where the sets end and the painted back-drops begin, but, at the same time, the artistic and technical genius that went into this picture is more obvious. The great video quality notwithstanding, I was most pleased by the improvement in the audio quality of this issue. For a soundtrack originally recorded in the late 1930's, it's pretty impressive.
I was glad that the audio feature called "Jukebox" was included consisting of test recordings and various takes for different musical parts of the movie. You get the impression that in those days there was little allowance for wasted time during recording sessions. After a take with only the orchestra, the conductor says: "That stinks! Come on, stay on your toes boys. Let's watch it!" It also becomes clear as to how the speeded up voices for the Munchkins could be combined with the orchestra playing in its standard pitch. Not an easy task in a time when magnetic tape was not yet available.
Overall an excellent presentation of a brilliant film.
(6 customers reviews)
Customers Rating=5.0 / 5.0
More Detail For The Wizard of Oz Blu ray 2009 Limited Issue Single Disc Edition with Classic Blu ray Packaging
- Exclusive Official Single Disc Edition
- Original, Classic Blu-ray Packagin - No Cumbersome Oversize Box or Bulky Extras!
- Commentary Track, Featurettes and more!
No comments:
Post a Comment