The Wizard of Oz: Two Disc Special Edition DVD Review:

This is one of the most memorable films of all time, and it would be difficult for anyone to claim that they made it through their childhood without seeing it on television at least once. Not only has The Wizard of Oz claimed a home in the hearts of many for generation after generation, but it has also been given a place in film history. This two-disc special edition DVD appeals to both the historical and personal aspects of the film.

It seems silly to even rehash, or review, such a classic film. There is nothing new for me to say about this beloved classic that has not already been said. It is a wonderful film about the importance of home and those we love, and it has been given great treatment in this DVD.

The most striking thing that I noticed at first was the great cover artwork. It captures many of the icons of the film in a colorful display, yet still managing to remain simple. This is how the menus on the disc are as well. They contain simple images, choosing not to crowd the screen with too much information. The greatest part is the soft score playing over the menus. It almost makes you hesitant to start the movie when you can just listen to Judy Garland sing in the menu.

The film looks fantastic and has been restored in such glory that it is amazing and impressive. Aside from that, this DVD has a number of fantastic special features, which are all that can truly be reviewed on this DVD.

Bonus Features:
There are a great deal of bonus features on both of the two discs. There are a large number of photo galleries, theatrical trailers, and over six hours of audio-only features, including radio shows and promo spots. Perhaps one of the greatest features is the commentary track which features film historian John Fricke and a number of audio clips and comments by family, friends and cast members. Obviously, it was impossible to get comments specifically for the DVD from many people involved because they have since passed away, but audio clips form interviews are inserted instead as a great replacement. The commentary is primarily fact-filled, but many will find this extremely interesting.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook:
This is a reading of the beloved story which inspired the film, with a number of illustrations and a musical score as well. The story is read by Angela Lansbury and is about ten minutes long.
Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz:
This featurette goes into great detail to talk about the process which was gone through in order to restore The Wizard of Oz, with interviews by the staff that helped with the restoration. It is amazing to see all of the little details which were lost before restoration of this loved film, and the excitement that the workers have is quite contagious. There are great explanations for some of the terms used while watching the feature so that it is filled with an enormous amount of information. There are also diagrams to show the sound decisions and such. This featurette is around ten minutes long.
We Haven’t Met Properly… Supporting Cast Profile Gallery:
Angela Lansbury lends her voice for narration once again in these short features about the supporting cast and how they found themselves in the cast. The background and historical details given for each actor is astounding, with footage from other roles that they played as well. These two to three minute video biographies are much more personal than most of the written ones I have seen.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic:
This great documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury may not be new, but it is still a wonderful documentary and fantastic edition to the special edition. It features all of the secrets about casting and film mishaps alike. There are all sorts of fun detours such as re-casting and changes made during shooting. There are all sorts of great bits of footage and interviews from the past, showing how timeless this film truly is. The documentary is nearly an hour long.
Memories of Oz:
This Turner Classics Movie special is filled to the brim with memories from all sorts of people. John Waters is the first to speak on his love for the film, so that should give a rather good idea about the variety of people involved in remembering the film. One of the great bits in this documentary is the interviews with the munchkins, dressed in colorful suits and large hats. There are also interviews with family members of the cast and historians. It is a thirty minute documentary.
The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz:
Basically just another version of a documentary about the film, but an updated one as well, this documentary gives many of the same facts with new interviews. The interviews in this documentary include industry workers such as Peter Jackson and Randy Newman. They may not have anything to do with the film, which gives the documentary more of a VH1 feeling to it, but the facts are all there as well. It is slightly less charming than the Lansbury documentary, but good nonetheless. This featurette is about thirty minutes.
Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz:
This is a featurette about the television life of The Wizard of Oz and how it changed history. It also goes into examination of the cartoons, stage adaptations, and other off-springs from the film. This special is narrated by Brittany Murphy, who doesn’t really have a great voice-over presence, so I wouldn’t put this at the top of the list as far as features go.
Harold Arlen’s Home Movies:
Harold Arlen shot 16 MM footage during portrait sittings and visits to the set, some of which is entertaining, but some just feels tiresome. It is mostly of the actor’s making faces as publicity photos are taken. Fortunately there isn’t too much to watch to get bored of.
Outtakes and Deleted Scenes:
The most substantial deleted scene is the extended dance routine from the Scarecrow’s first song. It has since been shown on television, but is still great to see it on this DVD. There are a number of other deleted scenes, but none are as wonderful as this one.
It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister! The Tornado Tests:
The special effects are great, and it would have been even better to see how they did it. Instead, all that is shown is some of the shots which look like they could have been in the film. It is entertaining at first, but quickly gets old.
Off to See the Wizard:
There was once a program for family entertainment on ABC, and it was hosted by characters from The Wizard of Oz and titled Off to See the Wizard. Some of the cartoons from the show are here, with characters from Oz.
Vintage Vault Featurettes:
These short features are vintage films which are in some ways connected to The Wizard of Oz. For historical purposes they are interesting, but not much else can be claimed. It is great that so many small pieces have been collected for this package, even if most of the features won’t be watched by everyone.



Ryan Izay