Advertisement

Movies & TV

If I only had a marketing gimmick

Last month, when the Toronto Film Festival announced it’d be hosting the world premiere of a new IMAX 3D version of The Wizard Of Oz, my first thought was that surely some of TIFF’s programmers must have objected to screening an altered version of a classic work of American cinema this is, after all, the same festival that debuted a loving digital restoration of David Cronenberg’s Shivers, bless their hearts.

The Wizard Of Oz is a pretty great movie. Beloved by generations, filled with indelible visual moments and delightful songs, capable of scaring the pants off of small children. And for nearly three-quarters of a century, The Wizard Of Oz has been viewed, without exception, in good old-fashioned 2D. Because that’s how it was shot, printed and released.

I will not be seeing the IMAX 3D Wizard Of Oz. You cannot drag me to it. I admit that I’d be curious to see a 2D version in IMAX, since the DMR blow-up process has yielded some terrific results in the past, but that’s not an option here. The 3D conversion is the selling point – an unnecessary, intrusive selling point that needs to be stopped.

“But wait,” says an imaginary reader. “Didn’t you like Titanic in 3D?” I did. But that conversion was supervised by the film’s creator, James Cameron, who’s kind of a nut on the whole 3D thing in the case of The Wizard Of Oz, the filmmakers are long dead this is just a marketing gimmick, an elaborate promotional stunt for Warner Home Entertainment’s upcoming 75th anniversary boxed set, which will be in stores October 1, just days after the theatrical engagement ends. (Hey, it worked great for Disney and The Lion King.)

3D in itself is not a bad thing. Plenty of contemporary movies use it well – Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness used it nicely this summer, and Alfonso Cuarón’s spectacular Gravity, opening next month, marks a high point for the technology. But those films were designed with 3D presentation in mind, even if the process was added in post-production the filmmakers were involved in the decisions and ultimately signed off on the whole thing.

I can’t imagine that the experience of The Wizard Of Oz will be enhanced by watching it in an artificially dimensionalized presentation, wearing glasses that cut down on the luminance of the image. Remember the brilliance of Dorothy’s first moments in Oz? The shimmering wonder of the Emerald City, or the glittering texture of the Yellow Brick Road? Well, turn that down by 20% – or more, if the theatre hasn’t replaced its projector bulb in a while.

Look, if you truly love The Wizard Of Oz, here’s my advice. Instead of paying $18.99 for the IMAX 3D version – which isn’t even playing Toronto screens in real IMAX, but the phony branded rooms at the Yonge & Dundas 24 and Empress Walk – you can pre-order a less ostentatious version of that 75th anniversary Blu-ray for $18.97 over at Amazon.ca. It’s in 2D, it’s gorgeous and you’ll be able to watch it as many times as you like.

Everybody wins – even the marketing guys, since they get to sell the movie all over again. Which is why they’re doing this in the first place, after all.

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted