The Wizard of Oz (3-Disc Emerald Edition) [Blu-ray]

Product Details

Review

When it was released during Hollywood's golden year of 1939, The Wizard of Oz 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. 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), The Wizard of Oz may not appeal to every taste as the years go by, but it's required viewing for kids of all ages. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features

- Commentary by Historian John Fricke

- Sing-Along Feature

- Archival, Making-of and Retrospective Featurettes

- Outtakes and Deleted Scenes

- Photo galleries

- Audio jukebox of over 6 hours of recording sessions, radio shows and promos

- Documentary: Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman

- TV Movie Special The Dreamer of Oz

- All-new Munchkins Tribute Featurette

- 7 Short-Subject/Feature-Film Screen Visualizations of Oz!

- MGM: When The Lion Roars 6-hour Award-Winning Studio Chronicle

Product Reviews

(4 stars) - only bad witches are ugly
The movie is truly a classic that more people have seen than any other feature film in the entire history of modern cinema. I give the movie itself 5 stars. So this review is strictly for the new 3-disc WOZ blu-ray set.

I purchased this as soon as it came out because I'm a huge WOZ fan and I heard so many great things about it. It is nice, however I was somewhat let down as the release isn't much different from the '05 3-disc DVD set.

It includes 3 discs (2 with silk screen pictures):
1 blu-ray disc is the movie w/ special features (most of which were on the '05 DVD boxed set)
1 blu-ray disc includes the John Ritter movie and various OZ movies before the '39 classic
1 DVD (not blu-ray) includes the 6-hour documentary "When the Lion Roars" (this is a double-sided DVD)

The packaging and the inside pictures of the discs were somewhat of a let down. They were not as colorful and vibrant as the '05 set. By the way, check out the pictures that I took with my digital camera and posted.

The movie looked amazing and sounded beautifully, I can just imagine what Warner Bros. has in store for the 75th anniversary (something in 3-D?). I recommend the 3-disc blu-ray to anyone who collects WOZ memorabilia and movies as it will be a collector's item (just like the 4-disc boxed set which comes with lots of great stuff). However, if you're just looking for the movie, you may want to get simply the 1-disc blu-ray (if you can find it) or the 4-disc deluxe boxed set as this is less (online) than the 3-disc Emerald Edition.

Remember, only bad witches are ugly.

Popular Searches in DVD