The Wizard of Oz

Buy This Item The Wizard of Oz by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  Available from Amazon  $8.98  on 8-27-2008     When it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, <I>The Wizard of Oz</I> didn't start out as the perennial classic it has since become. The film did respectable business, but it wasn't until its debut on television that this family favorite saw its popularity soar. And while <I>Oz</I>'s TV broadcasts are now controlled by media mogul Ted Turner (who owns the rights), the advent of home video has made this lively musical a mainstay in the staple diet of great American films. Young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and her three companions on the yellow brick road to Oz--the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), and the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger)--have become pop-culture icons and central figures in the legacy of fantasy for children. As the Wicked Witch who covets Dorothy's enchanted ruby slippers, Margaret Hamilton has had the singular honor of scaring the wits out of children for more than six decades. The film's still as fresh, frightening, and funny as it was when first released. It may take some liberal detours from the original story by L. Frank Baum, but it's loyal to the Baum legacy while charting its own course as a spectacular film. Shot in glorious Technicolor, befitting its dynamic production design (Munchkinland alone is a psychedelic explosion of color and decor), <I>The Wizard of Oz</I> may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I><p> <b>DVD features</b> The <I>Wizard of Oz</I> DVD released in 1999 was loaded with extra features, but it's now safe to throw away that version in all its cardboard-package glory in favor of this new two-disc edition. First things first: All the bonus material from the earlier disc is there (with one small exception). That includes the Angela Lansbury-hosted documentary <I>The Making of a Movie Classic</I>; the outtakes and deleted scenes, including Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" reprise and the home-movie recording of "The Jitterbug"; the sketches and stills and composer Harold Arlen's home movies; the audio underscores and radio programs; the 1979 interviews with Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, and Jack Haley; and other items too numerous to mention. (Some text introductions to the features have been replaced by narration by Lansbury, for whatever reason.) Brand-new to the 2005 edition is a sharp restoration using Warner's Ultra Resolution process and an accompanying featurette on how it's done. The technicians also discuss how the sound was remixed, though that would have been more effective had it included surround-sound demonstrations (the featurette is in 2.0). Other features on the new set include a commentary track by critic John Fricke supplemented by vintage cast interviews (he offers a lot of trivia, and debunks the myth that Shirley Temple was ever close to getting the Dorothy role); profiles of nine cast members and clips of other movies they appeared in (including Toto); a lightly animated 10-minute storybook again narrated by Lansbury; 2001 and 2005 behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a 1950 Lux Radio Theater broadcast. Oh, and if you were still wondering about the missing material mentioned above--the 1999 disc included one-minute excerpts of three early treatments of <I>The Wizard of Oz</I>. Those excerpts are not included in the two-disc special edition, but the third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the <I>complete</I> versions of those treatments and more. <I>--David Horiuchi</I> Reader Reviews The Wizard of Oz is a great film for the ages. But, don't be stuck with that ugly 1999 disc, get rid of it! This new 2005 release is the ultimate Oz. Just look at all the stuff it has to offer! 1. Audio commentary 2. Biographies of the cast 3. Deleted Scenes (MUST SEE!) 4. 2 Documentaries 5. Audio & Video vault - A wide selection of audio and video clips from the film. 6. Music Only Track - A song track for the film containing all of the film's songs. 7. Newsreel 8. Short and Feature-length films before the blockbuster 1939 film. 9. Photo Gallery 10. TV Special - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic 11. 8 trailers for the film And so much more! Also, don't buy the 2-Disc version. It only has half the stuff I mentioned above, and besides, the collector's set has everything you could ever ask for about Oz. Besides a great film transfer, you get many cool extras, like reproductions from the original 1939 release, including the invitation and ticket to Grauman's Chinese theater. Small program books and other booklets are included also. The discs themselves are great, the ruby slippers have never sparkled like they do in this release! Awards: Believe it or not, this 3-Disc collector's edition set was actually nominated for 4 satellite awards, winning one: 1. Outstanding Classic DVD - WON 2. Outstanding DVD Extras - Nominated 3. Outstanding Overall DVD - Nominated 4. Outstanding Youth DVD - Nominated Don't take my word for it, pick up this set today and fall under it's spell!

The Wizard of Oz Available from Amazon Price: $8.98 Updated on 8-27-2008.

SPONSORED LINKS