 "Die-Hard Fans will Adore this Collection" | 2009-10-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: AKUTEC2J9Z6JP |
| This product is not for those that think "The Wizard of Oz" is an okay film. This is for those that know the melodies by heart, the lines, the sets, the colors, and cherish the story for what it is. Highly recommended. |
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| "Awesome Wizard of Oz" | 2009-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1LXR8ECPO9QP3 |
| I purchased this item for a friend for Christmas. I looked at the product and it looks wonderful. I can't wait for her to open it. She is an avid collector of Wizard of Oz memorabilia, so I know this will be a "have to have" item. |
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 "Great with a couple of disappointments" | 2009-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A33Z2ISB65925S |
This is a great remastered set of Wizard of Oz. Since Amazon mixes these together this review is solely for the 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition(Blu-Ray) with Digital Copy and Amazon Exclusive Set of 4 Collectible 8x10 Character Posters.
The Blu-Ray & Extras
You truely have to commend the digital artists who haver spent years remastering this classic one of a kind movie. However, while the colors are very vivid and pop off the screen on the blu-ray I'm not entirey sure it is blu-ray worthy. You can clearly tell that there is a level of definition that is completely missing from a film this old, the details never existed in the original recording. If you are on the fence between blu-ray and DVD and want to save yourself $10 you can certainly go with the DVD version and you probably wouldn't be missing anything. Beyond the blu-ray the extras in this edition are very comprehensive and outstanding, though I found the menu system they put in a little bit difficult to navigate.
The 8x10 Pictures were my biggest disappointment, I was looking for reasonably displayable pictures that could even be framed and put up on a wall. Unfortunately they ruined perfectly good pictures by superimposing their popular phrases over the pictures, "IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN" or "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME" is plastered right accross the middle of each picture in a terrible looking font. They should have just left it at the pictures, used a smaller font and/or placed that text in a different location along the bottom or elsewhere. |
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| "There's No Format Like Blu-ray" | 2009-10-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3VI2VETB90ZG5 |
I love this "The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Set. The production budget is very cool, and the campaign book is an absolutely fantastic part of the collection - it really gives you a glimpse into the era. The 52-page full-color commemorative book, "Behind the Curtain of Production 1060," is beautifully done and includes some previously unreleased photos. The watch is awesome and comes in a nice little tin with raised graphics - it's a fine quality piece worth the price of this set alone. The Exclusive Amazon 8 x 10 posters make for a really nice bonus too.
As for the feature, I don't think it has been presented any clearer, but it falls a bit short of my expectations. Unless I'm mistaken, this must be a result of the quality of the focus in the original film.
I do notice much more detail than I ever have before. I never noticed the turkey in front of the cage that flew past Dorothy's window as the tornado hits - I'm sure I can make it out on a standard definition transfer now, but until now I had never noticed it because it blended into the background. You can see Dorothy's freckles too. There are numerous details that you catch that you never caught before.
If you expect to see each individual brick of the yellow brick road in distant shots, don't necessarily count on it. Although cleaner than ever before, many images look a bit softer than what you would see in a modern production, but again this is what I blame on the cameraman's abilities, who I would make responsible only because my standard DVD of the last "Gone with the Wind" is from the same era, and the sharp, incredible detail is astonishing enough to easily see the lace on articles of clothing and so much more.
So either they're holding out on this release or it's as true to the original as it will possibly ever be. It does look astonishingly vibrant and wonderful, but just know going into it that this remarkable film is unfortunately shows its age. It is for this reason I deduct the one star (duly justified because the machine smooshed my exterior sleeve for the discs).
The audio, as astonishing as it is, presents a similar situation. The sound is truly magnificent. The munchkin's trumpets blare triumphantly, the witch really explodes into the scene with magnitude, the tornado tears through Kansas with no mercy sending chills down my spine like never before. The higher bit rate of the audio makes such a wonderful enhancement to the film. It also reveals the age in lower ranges such as during dialog, where it sounds somewhat distant, as if listening to an old Victrola. Would it be better to consider it rustic charm? That's what I'll do. On the plus side, there's no ambiguity when it comes to what was said - you can make out every word, as clear as a bell! With what there is to work with, I give the audio five stars, and reason to upgrade alone if you've got any sound system beyond built-in television speakers. I absolutely love how this movie sounds.
I'm not too much of a bonus features guy, but I have so far viewed the MGM standard DVD feature on side one about the historical aspects of the studio, narrated by Jean Luc Picard [Patrick Stewart] in a smoking jacket with a big, poufy handkerchief. It features MGM stars of yesteryear in rare interviews revealing insider details of the studio in its heyday. It makes for a very interesting addition to the package as well, and I do plan on eventually getting around to all the bonus features.
I recommend the "The Wizard of Oz" 70th Anniversary Limited Edition set for the magnificent feature and its wonderful presentation, and for the outstanding bonus materials that accompany it. It's well worth it in value for what you receive, and the experience is as good as it's going to get with the brilliant picture quality and the astonishingly remarkable audio.
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| "In A Word: Fantastic!" | 2009-10-10 |
| - Reviewed By loyalpadme |
| Like every child I was raised with The Wizard Of Oz in my VHS collection. I remember watching it over and over and over to the point where the tape would bounce due to auto tracking. After years of not seeing (or owning) it I decided to buy this dvd...and it was worth it! The clarity is unbelievable, the image is nice and sharp all cleaned up and restored. The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero, and the special features have me intrigued. I give it a full 5 stars, and a good reccomendation. Pick up a copy if you don't have one already! :) |
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| "Dreamer of Oz Shame on you Warners" | 2009-10-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A131KVPK04H8CL |
| I got the Dreamer of Oz in a 2 disc W.O.Z set & had to see what the fuss bad reviews was all about. Well the picture is clearly out of focus for a 1990 movie the 1910 short had a 100% better picture than this tv movie. They had the chance to find a better print now if they could just focus this one. Everyone who wanted a set just for this should be given a new transfer. |
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