My very good friend Eric, who I consider a major authority on The Wizard of Oz, went to one of the one night only events last night and had the following to say:

"Saw the premiere of the HD version of The Wizard of Oz tonight, in celebration of the 70th anniversary--one night only in 400 theaters. The theater at Governor's Square was almost full, with people of all ages. Three middle-aged women blew bubbles whenever Glinda appeared. The HD image almost looks 3-D, and I noticed background details I had never noticed before. You can see even more of Judy Garland's freckles than on the last DVD digital restoration. Most of all, it was fun to see it with a roomful of people.

"But I do feel old. I remember the 40th anniversary in 1979, which launched the mega-merchandising, not only of Oz, but of movie-themed merchandise in general. And the 50th anniversary, when they added back the sepia wash to the Kansas sequences. And the 60th anniversary, when they did the first nationwide theatrical re-release in a generation. And now I'm gonna have to buy a blu-ray player, to get the next generation video release this Christmas."

With this and Gone With the Wind coming in a similarly-outfitted edition in November, reactions like Eric's are indicative of what really will sell people on the HD hardware: a repertory presentation experience that most cinemas don't (or can't) provide.