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This past July SoCalThrills.com was invited to the Warner Bros. studio for a thrilling sneak preview of the Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Collector’s Edition.
Truthfully, this is the Blu Ray release you’ve been waiting for. It is obvious even just from a technical standpoint that Warner Bros has pulled out all the stops for this latest journey to the Land of Oz.
Under the supervision of Ned Price (Vice President of Mastering) and Andrea Fischer (Executive Director of Video Mastering) Dorothy and her friends have all been lovingly transferred into high definition. The recently re-mastered footage was created from the original film negatives, which was then carefully scanned to unlock each frames full Technicolor potential.
For the technologically inclined; this film’s 8k resolution will be enough to make you squeal with glee but for the digital laymen like myself all it took was one look at an exclusive before and after look at the Tinman’s “If I only had a heart” scene. Which showed clips comparing side by side the older footage to the latest edition. The difference is distinct and downright impressive. The quality of the image unlocks something new and exciting about almost every scene, from the ability to finally see this masterpiece as it was intended to be viewed and even the chance to spot Judy Garlands freckles.
Luckily, Warner Bros. is releasing this latest edition in multiple ways for all to enjoy it. The first being, a one-night only theatre release (in select cinemas Sept. 23) followed quickly by the incredible Ultimate Collectors edition available both on Blu-Ray and DVD Sept. 29th. The Ultimate edition is stuff solid with 16 hours of special features (some of which has never been released) and exclusive collectibles.
In truth we all have an Oz story of our own, whether it be as a fleeting memory or as an american entertainment staple. Either case is just enough reason to get those ruby slippers ready for this late-September release, when there really will be no place like home to see the highest quality Oz, this side of the rainbow.
