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Nobody Beats "The Wiz"

One of the most beloved films of all time, "The Wizard of Oz" is getting some additional time in the limelight this month. In celebration of its upcoming 75th anniversary, "The Wizard of Oz" has undergone an extensive restoration and conversion to 3D for an exclusive one-week engagement in IMAX 3D theaters.

You won't find any revisionism at play here -- the film you'll see is precisely the same version that screened in theaters in 1939 -- but now you'll be able to enjoy it on an extremely large screen, with newly enhanced multi-channel sound, and now in three dimensions. The restoration team also hasn't played any games with the film's aspect ratio, presenting it at 1.37:1 as it was composed and presented in theaters.

Restored by Warner Bros from an ultra high resolution 8K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives, the film has undergone extensive audio and video clean-up and enhancement which makes it look and sound even better than it did when first released. After restoration of the 2D version, and creation of a 5.1-channel audio mix from the original mono soundtrack elements with the help of Chace Audio by Deluxe, the restoration team enlisted the help of Prime Focus to assist with conversion to 3D. IMAX then took over to apply its own proprietary remastering to the audio and video to optimize it for the large format IMAX 3D experience.

Conversion of a 2D film to 3D is never a simple process, but having seen the results at a screening in New York earlier this week, I can say that the restoration team has done nice work here. There is a real sense of depth imparted to the film with minimal visible artifacts. Whether it's a blade of straw in front of Dorothy on her Kansas farm, the long pointy nose of the Wicked Witch of the West, or the menacing attack of the flying monkeys, the 3D conversion helps to give the film an enhanced sense of realism. The restoration reveals exquisite details -- the rivet in the tin man's forehead, the texture of the burlap sack on the scarecrow's face, the flowing fur of the Cowardly Lion, even Dorothy's freckles -- which were difficult to appreciate, or even make out before the restoration.

The film's soundtrack has also undergone extensive restoration and enhancement for the big screen.  Previously reworked for the 70th Anniversary Blu-ray edition, the original mono soundtrack has been expanded from the master tapes to a 5.1-channel uncompressed surround sound mix.  But don't be listening for a bombastic reinterpretation of the film's sound. Surround effects are used subtly to enhance the atmosphere, such as adding ambient sounds to a creepy forest scene or enhancing the low end impact of a twister. Tape hiss and distortion are practically non-existent and both the dialog and the memorable musical numbers are presented clearly and articulately.  I noticed this most clearly on The Cowardly Lion's delivery of "If I were King of the Forest." I could hear all the little inflections of his performance, such as the exaggerated rolling of the Rs, in crystal clarity.

According to Ned Price, Warner Technical Operations' Vice President, who led the restoration efforts, the team was able to retrieve not just the composite original mono mix, but select isolated choral and vocal tracks, as well as some effects elements that were discrete from the final mix.  Also, more interestingly, Ned said that the orchestra was actually recorded with two microphones in different locations, which allowed them to create a rich and immersive stereo mix of the music. The net effect of these efforts is that the musical numbers and the score are delivered with more impact and drama (or humor, as the case may be) thereby imparting the film with added emotional power.

Of course, the drawback of such a detailed audiovisual presentation on the large IMAX screen is that some of the film's visual effects don't hold up under the magnifying glass. The rear projection montage of moving images outside the house's window as it is being carried away to Oz, Glenda's floating bubble and the extensive matte painting backdrops appear a little more obviously artificial than I remember. But considering the 74 years that have come and gone, it's remarkable that the film has held up as well as it has. The story itself, now over 100 years old, still packs a positive punch and is sure to capture a new generation of fans.

If you're a fan of the film, or simply want to appreciate a piece of movie-making history in a whole new light, then be sure to check out "The Wizard of Oz: An IMAX 3D Experience." The film begins its exclusive one week engagment at select IMAX 3D theaters this Friday, September 20, 2013.

Related:

• The Wizard of Oz Gets an IMAX 3D Makeover for Its 75th Birthday