Anybody have the MGM DVD of Oz and can compare it to the WB Newly remastered special edition? I Love this movie and it is one of the pinnacles of Cinema. This movie has so many levels and The newly restored version is a beautiful version. The Good and bad thing about the special edition is that it makes the movie look and feel new. I kind of miss that "vintage" feel of the movie when it is shown on television during thanksgiving. The special edition has an extra audio track of Judy garland singing "over the rainbow" that is truly heartbreaking. This movie should be the cornerstone of any Cinema Library. This movie is so ingrained in Movie history it's hard not to get this movie.

Same transfer of the movie - the difference is in supplements.

I have both and I used my favorite scene (If I Were King Of The Forest) as a reference point. The new transfer is not as saturated as the older one, and the 5.1 is used respectfully and not aggressively. I do notice a difference - perhaps not night and day, but at least dusk and dawn.

You can take it to the bank - they are the same transfer of the movie.

classicman, I'm not sure that's true. I believe the WB version uses the restored Technicolor print that was released to movie theaters a while ago. The MGM version uses a transfer that predates that restoration, I believe.

Check out this review at DVDFile.com, which I quote here:

quote:<HR>This is going to be a real challenge for some people who already own the previous MGM release. While that disc had a better picture in terms of consistent overall look, the new Warner special edition has stronger colors. I find either version totally acceptable and a wonderful way to experience this classic film.<HR>

The DVD Savant's review should be up on the DVD Resource Page sometime this week or next. That might be the definitive review to read...

Ed,

No intent to argue, but that is incorrect. Wizard of Oz was restored completely about 3 years ago. The Ultimate Oz (CAV) LD set was the version before the restoration. A new LD was released by MGM (CLV) with the restored version. This restored version was used for the MGM DVD.

I've got the old version and don't like to watch it. I've got FPTV with a 115" 16:9 screen, and its like watching a poor quality VHS. All my other DVDs have a far superior picture.

I do love the movie itself, however, if the newer version uses the same transfer I certainly would not recommend it. At least not for viewers with a big screen.

New version looks MUCH better than older version. The only problem with the new version is that the quality is somewhat inconsistent. A few scenes show their age, but still better than the MGM DVD.

This is really interesting... I'm imagining someone putting two glasses in front of you, and having you pick out which is Coke and which is Pepsi, when they're both the same cola product. You'll probably pick one glass over the other.

So... Which version of Wizard do you like better? The original one from MGM or the "newly restored" one from Warner... Oh, wait, same transfer.

------------------
Stephen Ansley ---- Arlington, VA
>My home page< - >My DVD list<

The differences between these two releases can best be seen in the black and white
(sepia) opening and closing scenes in Kansas.

The new transfer uses footage newly (in the past year) restored digitally to remove signs of wear and tear -- both physical damage and printed into -- these rolls.

The original negative no longer survives and these scenes were taken from fine grain master material. They have been diligently restored by Pacific Title / Mirage for
Warner Bros.

The old and new look nothing like one another, the newer being extremely clean.

Hope this is helpful.

RAH

I absolutely love the new, restored Wizard of Oz on DVD. It's become my baseline of what a DVD should be. I've probably been spoiled, though, as this one is almost too good to be true. The colors are rich and the clarity adds a three-dimensional feel to the scenes in OZ. I've currently sampled both DVD versions on three different player/TV combos. On a 32" Sony TV and a 27" Panasonic, the difference between the two DVDs is dramatic. The original (unrestored) version is clean, but has a level of darkness, particularly in backgrounds. The new version looks uniformly vivid down to the lowest level of detail. The third TV was a 27" JVC and the difference between the two versions was less dramatic but apparent all the same.

I can't remember all the details, but when WOZ was re-released in Nov. 98 there were 2 different prints released to theaters. One was done by Kodak, and I think the other was done by Technicolor (something about the 3 strip Technicolor process?) Roger Ebert mentioned this during his review on his show, and we had a lot of people calling to see which print we had (I don't remember now)

2 different prints of the flick, 2 different transfers of the flick, classicman is wrong...

hey,my theatre class is doing MGM's Oz...can anyone tell me who Mrs. Gulch is and if she has any lines and what she does..if ya can help...my e-mail is [email protected]
I will try to check here asap

Aha, the benefit of doing a search! I was going to ask this and found this topic! Thanks.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by aju86:
hey,my theatre class is doing MGM's Oz...can anyone tell me who Mrs. Gulch is and if she has any lines and what she does..if ya can help...my e-mail is [email protected]
I will try to check here asap<HR>

Mrs. Gulch is the mean woman on the bicycle, right? I believe she is the same woman who plays the Wicked Witch.

Yes, and btw that's Margaret Hamilton.