The Wizard of Oz

Starring:Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick, Terry (III), Thaisa L. Gardner, Colonel Casper, Gracie Doll, Carl Stephan, Frank Kikel, Charley F. Royale, Pinto Colvig, Carl M. 'Kayo' Erickson, Ruth E. Smith
Director: Victor Fleming, Mervyn LeRoy, King Vidor
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

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. And while Oz'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), 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

DVD features
The Wizard of Oz 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 The Making of a Movie Classic; 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 The Wizard of Oz. Those excerpts are not included in the two-disc special edition, but the third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the complete versions of those treatments and more. --David Horiuchi

Description

An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Fricke and multiple cast and crew members.
Biographies:We Haven't Really Met Properly - includes 9 orginal cast biographies
Deleted Scenes:If I Only Had a Brain; If I Only Had a Heart; Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Over the Rainbow; The Jitterbug
Documentary:Memories of Oz -2001 TCM documentary
Featurette:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz; The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We?re Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Music Only Track
Newsreel:Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt - 1939 newsreel
Other:Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power - 1938 MGM short; Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity
TV Special:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic - 1990 TV special
Theatrical Trailer:1939 What is Oz? Teaser; 1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer; 1949 Re-issue Trailer; 1949 Grownup Re-issue Trailer; 1970 Children's Matinee Re-issue Trailer; 1998 Warner Bros. Re-issue Trailer; Texas Contest Winners [1939 trailer]

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz.......2007-06-21

What makes this quintessential fantasy musical the immortal spectacle it is has as much to do with the spirited songs (Garland's signature "Over the Rainbow" was nearly cut!) and heel-clicking dance numbers as it does the phenomenal storyline, lavish Technicolor sets, and punchy performances by the entire cast. For sheer entertainment, you can't beat Ray Bolger's rubbery legs, Bert Lahr's boastful bluster, and Margaret Hamilton's frightening green face, not to mention warbling Munchkins, flying monkeys, an Emerald City, and one highly coveted pair of ruby slippers. King Vidor directed the black-and-white Kansas sequences that bookend the film, but Fleming helmed the rest and took sole credit. Amazingly, the film flopped at the box office, but has since become the most beloved children's classic of all time. If ever a wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is definitely it.

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made.......2007-06-18

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made, staring the world's best performer; Judy Garland!

Couldn't be happier.......2007-06-18

My DVD arrived on-time, and it is in perfect condition.

Disturbing for a G rated Movie.......2007-06-14

This G rated classic is also pretty disturbing because it's too scary a movie for little kids. It scared the crap out of my mom. I wasn't scared but it disturbed me the racist anti-pilgrim content in it as well as it's loaded with subliminal messages. It's sequel Return to Oz is even more disturbing containing even more subliminal messages. They should've made this animated because the wicked witch scenes are very unholy and not kosher, not quite on a level with The Exorcist but like The Holwing II. Too campy for me to be genuinely disturbing not it's just unholy and too morbind for it's intended younger audiences. It's still a 5 star classic.

There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz..................2007-06-11

Growing up in the 60's and early 70's my small town had access to three television channels - and two of them carried shows from the same network! The annual showing of THE WIZARD OF OZ in those pre video days was an eagerly anticipated event for kids that was discussed for days before and after even by jaded fifth and sixth graders. I recently watched the film again with my own child and was amazed by how well the story and the whole production holds up. The film has much to offer still in terms of memorable songs and characters and it is so fun to find the humdrum citizens of Dust Bowl Kansas having fantasy counterparts in surreal OZ. No wonder this movie is and will remain a film legend.

Average customer rating:

Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made
Couldn't be happier
Disturbing for a G rated Movie
There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz...........

The Wizard of Oz
Starring: Judy Garland , Frank Morgan , Ray Bolger , Bert Lahr , and Jack Haley
Director: Victor Fleming , Mervyn LeRoy , and King Vidor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Lady and the Tramp (50th Anniversary Edition) (Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B00000JS62
Release Date: 1999-10-19

Amazon.com essential video

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. And while Oz'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 décor), 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

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz.......2007-06-21

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made.......2007-06-18

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made, staring the world's best performer; Judy Garland!

Couldn't be happier.......2007-06-18

My DVD arrived on-time, and it is in perfect condition.

Disturbing for a G rated Movie.......2007-06-14

There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz..................2007-06-11

The Wizard of Oz (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made
Couldn't be happier
Disturbing for a G rated Movie
There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz...........

The Wizard of Oz (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Clara Blandick , Billy Bletcher , Ray Bolger , Harlan Briggs , and Tyler Brook
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Sound of Music (Two-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition)
Cinderella (Two-Disc Special Edition) (Platinum Edition)
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Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition)
Lady and the Tramp (50th Anniversary Edition) (Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B000ADS64E
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com essential video

DVD features
The Wizard of Oz 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 the new three-disc edition. First things first: All the bonus material from the earlier disc is there. That includes the Angela Lansbury-hosted documentary The Making of a Movie Classic; 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.

The 1999 disc also included one-minute excerpts of three early treatments of The Wizard of Oz. The third disc of the three-disc collector's edition includes the complete versions of those treatments and more. They are four silent films: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1910, 13 min.), "The Magic Cloak of Oz" (1914, 38 min.), His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914, 59 min., written and directed by Baum himself), The Wizard of Oz (1925, 72 min., Larry Semon). The fifth treatment is Ted Eshbaum's 1933 Technicolor cartoon short which has songs and sound, and is the first depiction of Kansas in black and white and Oz in color. The third disc also has a 38-minute biography of L. Frank Baum, and collector's-edition supplements include a gorgeous set of photo cards among other materials. --David Horiuchi

Description

An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by John Fricke and multiple cast and crew members.
Biographies:We Haven't Really Met Properly - includes 9 orginal cast biographies
Deleted Scenes:If I Only Had a Brain; If I Only Had a Heart; Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Over the Rainbow; The Jitterbug
Documentaries:L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain; Memories of Oz -2001 TCM documentary
Featurette:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz; The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz; Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We're Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Music Only Track:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We're Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Newsreel:Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Excerpt - 1939 newsreel
Other:The Wizard of Oz - 1910 short; The Magic Cloak of Oz - 1914 short; His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz - 1914 feature; The Wizard of Oz - 1925 feature; The Wizard of Oz - 1933 animated short; and more
Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity
TV Special:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic - 1990 TV special
Theatrical Trailer:1939 What is Oz? Teaser; 1940 Loews Cairo Theater Trailer; 1949 Re-issue Trailer; 1949 Grownup Re-issue Trailer; 1970 Children's Matinee Re-issue Trailer; 1998 Warner Bros. Re-issue Trailer; Texas Contest Winners [1939 trailer]

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz.......2007-06-21

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made.......2007-06-18

The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie ever made, staring the world's best performer; Judy Garland!

Couldn't be happier.......2007-06-18

My DVD arrived on-time, and it is in perfect condition.

Disturbing for a G rated Movie.......2007-06-14

There's no place like Oz, There's no place like Oz..................2007-06-11

Average customer rating:

What I think of the Muppets' Wizard of Oz
Muppets a Huge Disappointment
GARBAGE, complete garbage.
Disney finally gets it's hands on OZ and this is what they come up with?!?!
Excellence in Family Entertainment

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
Starring: Ashanti (II) , Jeffrey Tambor , Quentin Tarantino , David Alan Grier , and Queen Latifah
Director: Kirk R. Thatcher
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JO4H
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Amazon.com

There were good intentions in this Muppets adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic Emerald City story of Dorothy's journey to see the Wizard with hopes of fulfilling her dream of stardom: the film is a nostalgic nod to the original 1979 Muppet Movie, where Kermit leaves the swamps for Hollywood to become a star, picking up some friends along the way. Grammy winner Ashanti plays Dorothy Gale, an aspiring singer who serves meatloaf to truckers and lives in a Kansas trailer park with her Aunt Em (Queen Latifah). In the ensuing chaos of a giant tornado, she gets dumped in the Land of Oz—along with her pet shrimp, Toto (Pepe the Prawn). Dorothy soon meets the familiar Scarecrow, Tin man, and Lion (Kermit, Gonzo, and Fozzie, respectively) and together they journey to see the Wizard (voiced by Jeffrey Tambor) who promises to grant her celebrity wish if first she defeats the Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy). While the Muppets have survived a few cinematic flops before, this film is bereft of all they represent--the endearing innocence, engaging silliness, and cagey humor of Jim Henson's legendary variety series. Instead, a mean-spirited cynicism with sexual subtext prevails that is not only unfunny, but also mildly offensive. In a desire to appear edgy and culturally relevant by the filmmakers (and executive producers Brian and Lisa Henson), the timeless spirit of the vintage Muppets is missing, as are the signature voiceovers by Frank Oz and Brian Henson. Onscreen chemistry between actors and Muppets feels contrived, not to mention Quentin Tarantino's bizarre cameo. When Kermit delivers a religious joke of questionable taste, viewers might yearn for the swamp years, when Kermit the frog and the Henson Company could do no wrong. (Ages 4 and older) --Lynn Gibson

Description

Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the Muppets as they turn everyone's favorite classic tale into a musical madcap adventure that shines brighter than Emerald City! The fun starts when the Muppets team up with an all-star cast that includes Grammy Award winner Ashanti, Oscar(R) nominee Queen Latifah (2002, Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO), David Alan Grier, Academy Award(R) winner Quentin Tarantino (1994, Best Original Screenplay, PULP FICTION), and Jeffrey Tambor. Ashanti sparkles as Dorothy, an aspiring singer whose dreams of fame and fortune seem worlds away from coming true in the Kansas trailer park where she lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. But when a tornado transports her and Toto (Pepe the King Prawn) to the magical land of Oz, Dorothy meets the Wizard, who promises to make her a superstar -- if she and her wacky new friends, the Scarecrow (Kermit), the Tin Thing (Gonzo), and the Cowardly Lion(Fozzie), can defeat Oz's #1 diabolical diva, the Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy)! Featuring original music, hilarious performances, and 20 minutes of never-before-seen footage, THE MUPPETS' WIZARD OF OZ will lift your spirits and blow you away!

Customer Reviews:

What I think of the Muppets' Wizard of Oz.......2007-07-04

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz was very cute and funny. The Muppets can turn anything into something very funny and entertaining. Like the Muppet Treasure Island, they can turn a classic into a very funny movie. With all the movies that the Muppets are in I would very highly recommend it to all families with children.

Muppets a Huge Disappointment.......2007-04-17

The Muppet Wizard of Oz was a film that didn't have any magic to it whatsoever. It is highly inappropriate to have sexual references, even in regards to Gonzo's nipples, it is not appropriate for little kids to listen to this sort of garbage. What the hell is up with Brian Henson? Apparently Disney is just trying to follow with everyone else in this sex crazed world. There is no more creativity left and that is just wrong.

In response to someone who left a comment saying that in the old variety shows of the 60's and 70's was there any references to nipples back then? I think not, and references of any kind back then was so hard for a little kid to figure out on their own, they were very much more hidden and more dryer. Nowadays it is just like sexual references are the only thing that is funny out there and it is just sick.

GARBAGE, complete garbage........2007-04-10

Boy was I disappointed. And I knew it was going to be bad, but not this bad. I even waited years to buy a copy. What a waste of money! We couldn't even watch the whole thing, and I'm a huge Muppet fan. The whole hip hop Ashanti thing killed the beginning and not even Kermit could pick up the pieces when he finally appeared on screen. Save your money and stay away from this bomb.

Disney finally gets it's hands on OZ and this is what they come up with?!?!.......2007-01-27

Disappointment doesn't even begin to describe my reaction to the film. It all starts with the writing, obviously this was written by someone who knows little about the Muppets and their humor. There is absolutely no charm or class in this entire film. Ashanti is passible at best, the muppets have no real personality, the effects are an atrocious mix of bad lighting and "Sesame Street" like sets. It also would have been nice to have the music composed by someone who knew what they were doing. If you're going to make a musical, get someone who can do some catchy tunes. Bottom line, if you're an Oz fan or a Muppets fan...give it a once over, but no promises. Chances are, you won't be too happy.

Excellence in Family Entertainment.......2007-01-10

This movie is perfect for the whole family. It's a complete movie for once. It has Ashant(II) who is very talented and brings a year 2000 twist on Dorothy and with her aunt and uncle, who would had ever thought but it works well. And one of the most impressive charaters TOTO the Shrimp (Prawn)was absolutely hilarious. I watched the movie with my Son (17) and Daughter (14) and we laughed so hard. I buy 4 family gifts every year for Christmas and with out a doubt this was the BEST!!!!!

Essential Classics - Family Films (The Wizard of Oz / The Goonies / Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)

Average customer rating:

These are 3 great family films!
You're kidding, right?

Essential Classics - Family Films (The Wizard of Oz / The Goonies / Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
Starring: Essential Classic Family Films
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Essential Classics - Romances (Gone with the Wind / Casablanca / Doctor Zhivago)
Essential Classics - Dramas (The Maltese Falcon / Citizen Kane / Ben-Hur)
Essential Classics - Musicals (My Fair Lady / Singin' in the Rain / Gigi)
Essential Classics - American Musicals (The Music Man / Meet Me in St. Louis / Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)
American Movie Musicals Collection: West Side Story/Fiddler on the Roof/Guys and Dolls

ASIN: B000MV9O4K
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Amazon.com

This three-disc set, part of Warner's Essential Classics series, collects three films--The Wizard of Oz, The Goonies, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory--in one inexpensive package. (Apparently, 1985's The Goonies and 1971's Willy Wonka are considered modern classics.) The drawback is you don't get the bonus discs of The Wizard of Oz (either one bonus disc or two, depending on which version you're interested in)--so if you really want the documentaries or the silent films, you'll want to stick with the individual releases. But this set does include the commentary tracks, cast profiles, and any other material that was on the movie discs of the Oz sets, or anything that was on the previous Goonies or Wonka releases. Best of all, The Wizard of Oz has the great remastered picture of the two previous releases. So if you just want the movies looking better than ever with some bonus features thrown in for good measure, the price per movie makes this set an attractive bargain. --David Horiuchi

Description

Disc 1: THE WIZARD OF OZ Disc 2: THE GOONIES Disc 3: WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Customer Reviews:

These are 3 great family films!.......2007-04-12

These are 3 great movies for the whole family. Spanning from the 30's to the 80's, you get some of the most exciting family movies ever made. I'm buying this set the day it is released and showing my entire family.

You're kidding, right?.......2007-04-11

Essential Classics - Family Films? Wizard of Oz, NO argument there. But 'The Goonies'? What reviewer thought that was a family classic? It's good but there are so many other movies that are better (e.g., 'It's a Wonderful Life' - yeah I know it's a Christmas movie, maybe there should be another Essential set called Christmas Classics along with 'Miracle on 34th Street' - the original not the insipid remakes). And 'Willy Wonka'? It's kind of quirky classic, more of a cult film, if you ask me. I think someone ought to go back and put together another three movies better suited to the moniker 'Classic Family Films'.

Average customer rating:

Wizard of Oz Collection
Oz before MGM
Quality lacking
Silent Films
Interesting collection of earlier Oz films

The Wizard of Oz Collection
Starring: Wizard of Oz Collection
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ASIN: B0009XT8ME
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Customer Reviews:

Wizard of Oz Collection.......2007-03-22

We all know of the Wizard of Oz, but many fans aren't aware the author L Frank Baum wrote 13 sequels, and many more were written by Ruth Plumly Thompson and other authors after Baum died.
These black and white short films are silent mini movies of Baum's sequels, and the only screen adaptations of most of them. (Later features "Return to Oz" and "Journey back to Oz" only adapt the first 2 or 3.
Any Ozophile will be glad to own and watch these,
Peter

Oz before MGM.......2007-01-31

These movies are a must have for any Oz fan. Fans who are familiar with the other Oz books will be glad to know that at least one of Baums' sequels was made into a film-"The Patchwork Girl Of Oz". The film "His Majesty,The Scarecrow Of Oz"(1914)actually inspired Baum to write the book "The Scarecrow Of Oz" a year later in 1915. "The Magic Cloak" was based on a story written by Baum that was not directly related to Oz but due to the success of his Oz creation, the movie was to be set in the land of Oz. The 1925 "Wizard Of Oz" is a movie very distant from the book and MGM version, eliminating some main characters in favor of new ones as well as a different storyline; no pairs of ruby slippers, no munchkins, a yellow brick road or even a witch. The new music dubbed into the movie is good, however it is never matched with any of the action or scenes. It's about 2 different songs for each movie that keep repeating themselves when the other is done. Each movie is also tinted. "The Patchwork Girl" is tinted a dark yellow-almost orange. "His Majestey, the Scarecrow" is tinted green, "The Magic Cloak" is yellow and "Wizard Of Oz" (1925) is tinted blue. A fun collection of movies for a generous price.

Quality lacking.......2006-11-06

This is obviously a very old movie. It is a silent film and appears to not have been digitally remastered. It is interesting from an antiquity point of view. 1916 is along way back in time for movie technology. If you keep in mind the age and the acting style from then, you may enjoy this. There are 3 movies on it, I believe. They are short. I only watched one and I think it was only about 45 minutes long. Don't try to compare it to the 1939 version that we all know and love. These versions are vastly different from each other, and the comparison doesn't make any sense.

Silent Films.......2006-09-14

Four Original Silent FIlms "HIS MAJESTY THE SCARECROW OF OZ"
"THE MAGIC CLOAK OF OZ" "WIZARD OF OZ" And "THE PATCHWORK GIRL
OF OZ" Three Films Staring Charles Chapplin's Wife,Fred Woodward, Frank Moore,Larry Semon,Dorothy Dwan,Oliver Hardy,Pierre Couderc,Josef Swickard,Violet M,And Marry Carr...
His Majesty The Scarecrow Of Oz {the new wizard of oz}Tells
The Story Of Kruel The King Commands His Neace To Wed An Unatractive Man While She Falls In Love With Pon A Gardeners Boy When Her Heart Is Frozen Her Scarecrow Tinman Lion dorothy
Button Bright And Pon Have To See The Wizard Also When They
Enter The Tin Castle Tinman Cuts Off Mombi :THE WITCH'S:Head
The WIzard Of Oz Is The Story Of A Farmhand On Kansas Who Is
In Love With Dorothy But Dorothy Likes The Tin Woodman Who Is
A Farmhand They Are Not The Scarecrow Tinman And Lion They
Just Get Costumes To Hide From Kruel This Film Is Not That Good
The Patchworkgirl Of Oz Is The Tale Of Ojo The Unlucky And
Unk Nunkie Finding The Castle Of Emeralds And
The Magic Cloak Is About Fairies Giving A Sad Old Woman
A Cloak That They Made

Interesting collection of earlier Oz films.......2006-06-18

First off, one needs to know that this DVD does NOT contain the famous 1939 "Wizard of Oz" film with Judy Garland. Instead, these are earlier films, all silent, based on the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. The author himself started a film company in 1914 to make these, so 3 of the 4 films here, "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "The Scarecrow of Oz," and "The Magic Cloak," were made in 1914 by his company. The fourth one, "The Wizard of Oz," is from 1925 and is a comedy version that strays a great deal from the original story. It features an early performance of Oliver Hardy, one half of the Laurel & Hardy duo that formed several years later. These silent films are moderately interesting and clever, and often funny. The picture quality varies a good bit, but overall is good considering their age. The special effects are amazingly good for that era too. All the films are tinted in various colors, sometimes overdone for my taste. As is typical with silent films, these are accompanied by on-sceen text for dialogue and explanations, and all have a musical score throughout. Also, this DVD is a great value as it's over 4 hours long. In sum, these 4 Oz films cannot be expected to replace the 1939 "Wizard of Oz" with its sumptuous production values including the unforgettable Judy Garland, but these should be seen as additions to that and are worth seeing in their own right.

WIZARD OF OZ-SPECIAL EDITION (DVD/2 DISC/P&S-1.33/OSLEEVE/ENG-FR-SP SUB)

Average customer rating:

WIZARD OF OZ-SPECIAL EDITION (DVD/2 DISC/P&S-1.33/OSLEEVE/ENG-FR-SP SUB)

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Fantasy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)
Dante's Cove - The Complete Second Season
Full House - The Complete Sixth Season
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Aladdin (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

ASIN: B000ADS630

Description

An All-New Wizard of Oz With State of The Art Ultra-Resolution Picture Quality and Over 10 Hours of Bonus Extras.

DVD Features:
Music Clips:Audio Vault Includes: Over the Rainbow; Munchkinland Medley Rehearsal Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Sequence Recordings; Munchkinland Medley Voice Tests; If I Only Had a Brain; We're Off to See the Wizard; If I Only Had a Heart; If I Only Had the Nerve/We?re Off to See the Wizard; Emerald City/The Merry Old Land of Oz; If I Were King of the Forest; The Jitterbug; Over the Rainbow/Triumphal Return to Emerald City; Kansas Underscoring; Munchkinland Underscoring; and more
Other:Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power - 1938 MGM short; Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo; Good News of 1939 Radio Show; 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
Photo gallery:Oz on Broadway; Pre-MGM; Sketches and Storyboards; Costume and Make-up Tests; Richard Thorpe's Oz; Buddy Ebsen; Oz Comes to Life; Behind the Scenes; Portraits; Special Effects; Post Production; Deleted Scenes; Original Publicity

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Animation Collection

Average customer rating:

Not Bad: Close But No Cigar
Cant wait
very good
Cinar's Oz Cartoon - From TV to Video to DVD
They are 4 movies, it's not the complete series

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Animation Collection
Starring: Morgan Hallet , Margot Kidder , George Morris , Neil Shee , and Richard Dumont
Director: Tim Reid (VII) , and Gerald Potterton
Manufacturer: Lightyear Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Wizard of Oz Collection
Wizard of Oz - The Continuing Story
Lion of Oz
His Majesty the Scarecrow of Oz
The Wizard Of Oz: Were Off To Save The Wizard

ASIN: B0001Z4P3C
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad: Close But No Cigar.......2007-06-05

These are the movie versions of the Japanese animated series Oz no Maho Tsukai from 1984. The series ran fifty-two episodes in its original format and covers four of the Baum Oz books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, and the Emerald City of Oz. When it was dubbed for the American market its Japanese origin was expunged by the American release company right down to the fact that none of the Japanese animators were listed in the end credits. Yes it has Margot Kidder and a fairly good dub cast, but it is too much to ask that this series be released with the Japanese animators being given the credit they so justly deserved. Not a bad adaption of Baum with some major alterations but none that would make me wince . Ironically this series was shown here in America before it was seen in Japan! This series is right up there with another fave of mine a little series called Peter Pan no Boken from 1989. Very good but a release of the episodes in Japanese with English subtitles would be appreciated......yeah and I'm dreaming.

Cant wait.......2007-03-24

This was my favourite show as a kid - i just ordered it - my first purchase of anything over the internet - cant wait!

very good.......2007-01-07

Was a very good treatment and also was quite fast. The conditions of the product were great.

Cinar's Oz Cartoon - From TV to Video to DVD.......2006-07-10

I remember watching this series on TV when I was little, along with many other animes, Oz and not, and I'm glad to have this japanese take of Oz on DVD. I used to borrow videos of 'Wonderful Wizard' and 'Emerald City' when the store/s were open, and of course they're gone now, but that's why I'm grateful for the DVD Collection, even in its *not so good* condition (I'm working on the reviews for the individual DVDs). One of the best things about this animation is that some of it not only goes back to the original books, but some of its characters' appearances pays homage/is modelled after previous Oz (e.g. Tin Woodman is fat just like Oliver Hardy in 1925, Scarecrow's arms are lined up just like Denslow, Lion resembles the costumes worn on stages and in the silent films, Emerald City is white because of the White City in 1893's World Columbian Exposition in Chicago which inspired Baum's Emerald City, etc. - the streets and houses are own the lower level, while the Palace is at the top). As for the designs for the Witches of Oz, they were GREAT!! Glinda (despite being pale and blue all over intsead of red-and-white) looks just like Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, which matches her personality perfectly, the Good Witch of the North and Mombi were both well thought up, the East Witch took up the dark cloak with pointy hat and the Wicked Witch of the West, possibly modelled after the 1973-4 Russian Stop-Motion animated version (which I wish I got the DVD of earlier), with her fingerless gloves, long bushy white hair with red streaks, thick black dress with occassional hood, long pointy red shoes and pale skin, was PERFECT!! I just wish that Dorothy's long brown hair was in braids, just like Denslow's drawings and that Ozma's design be a combination of Dorothy and Glinda, even if it would resemble Emma Ridley's portrayal of Ozma in 'Disney's Return to Oz'. As for the Magic Shoes: when the Wicked Witches have them, the shoes are big, brown, baggy and curly-toed, but when Dorothy has them then they are child-like, with straps, a white surface (possibly silver?) and not-so pointy toes, and they usually glow pink and/or white. More character design descriptions will be in the other DVD reviews.
And, in case you're wondering "Who is Margot Kidder, the Narrator?", she was LOIS LANE during the 1978-87 Christopher Reeve as 'Superman' Movies!! Although many of her lines are unnecessary - she sometimes says things we can already see for ourselves, and it makes the feature seem a bit more childish, it's still okay to listen to - her job possibly came onto the Video release rather than the actual TV Show itself. The fact that there was a lot of editing would explain the gaps and strange bits on the English Videos/DVDs and any deleted bits get a little mention. All 4 DVDs have the same Main Menu Set-up and the same 'Special Features':
* (Main Menu Set-Up) "Searching for a Dream" breifly plays as the (opening) tornado-with yellow-bricks, etc. creates the title of the 'movie', which then minimizes in the top left corner, allowing room for 'Play All', 'Chapters', 'Additional Titles' and a starry-circle that plays stills from the feature to appear on the screen. Except for 'Wonderful Wizard', the Oz DVDs have the opening song play in the main menu - 'Land of Feelings' plays on both 'Emerald City' and 'Wonderful Wizard' menus. The Menus for the Scenes and Additional Titles are silent.
* There are only 12-13 Chapters, having titles that could be from the actual TV Episode titles, although the packaging unfortunately makes some spelling mistakes (Glenda, Dorothy Magic Powers, etc.)
* (Additional Titles) This menu has a look at other Lightyear Entertainment Videos/DVDs, and is on every DVD. These are "People: A Musical Celebration", "My First DVD" and "Stories to Remember", which is animation for families and little children.
Another thing I should point out is the Logo. If I recall the video correctly, 'Wonderful Wizard' had a sneal peak at 'Emerald City', and that started with this 'disco-like' music playing as colourful lights shot across the screen forming a little shooting star. This time on the DVD before the Menu sets up, there is a 'Beating of Drums' as a black page turns over to yellow, as 'Lightyear Entertainment (and its site name)' appear in flashes. Except for the music, it does the same thing at the end of the movies.
These features would be a lot more enjoyable if there had been a bit of better writing, and the videos being cut into 1 hr 45 mins instead of 1 hr 30-5 mins - therefore, we might have been able to have a bit more of the original book bits. Despite having no sub-titles, the same old sneak peaks and not so good picture quality, I am grateful to at least have these to keep.
A GREAT site to visit is 'landvanoz . com' (starts with small 'L', without the spaces), which has a comic strip of the series, showing bits rarely seen in English.
*BUT* . . . if you REALLY WANT to get the COMPLETE EPISODES, then you may be interested to know that the TV versions are avaialble on two different 2-Boxed DVD sets: in French (at 'Manga Distribution' under "Le Magicien d' Oz") and Chinese/Japanese (at 'Yesasia . com' - which is better, because unlike Manga, the online store is in English!). I have the C/J version and therefore the following information: Each box set has a DVD with 2 disks with 5 episodes lasting over 2 hrs. All Disks have the same cover design as the Box-Set they come in, the same Menu (only difference is the volume number) and the same options of looking at other Chinese/Japanese DVDs. Each DVD plays as follows: opening, tile & episode and next ep. preview with end credits. The Disk automatically plays Chinese Audio and Subtitles, but you can change the audio to Japanese. But just like the English DVDs, the picture quality on the Chinese/Japanese DVDs change: sometimes one shot can be excellent, while another can be dark/dim and another can be quite bright. Even in a foreign language I could make out what a character was saying, quite a few bits (e.g. names) sound close to english and easy to hear on the first time. Box Set 1 has 2 DVDs, therefore 4 disks each with 5 episodes, while Box Set 2 has 3 DVDs with 6 disks, but with the last DVD having 6 episodes on the last 2 Disks, resulting in over 2 1/2 hrs. The foriegn music certainly is different to that of the English and sometimes sounds better while a few other times isn't as good, and if you had this collection, you wouldn't be able to watch even 1 minute without finding something cut-out, replaced, moved to somewhere else or even 2 episodes put together. I do wish that 4 of the individual DVD covers had the same pictures as 4 Japanese Cinar Oz videos I saw in the 'landvanoz' fan site as well as having Englsih sub-titles. BUT I do have the original TV Show, and that's all that matters . . . although, having English DVDs of the FULL TV-animation or even 3-4 hr versions would be nice . . .

They are 4 movies, it's not the complete series.......2006-06-28

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for this series. Since many shows of the 80's are now on DVD I thought that these 4 DVD's were the complete series. I bought it anyways and I've really enjoyed it. But there were a couple of things that were a bit of a turn-off. First, it's not the complete series with all the 52 epidoses. Though I saw the complete series on TV a couple of times, some of the very cool adventures are not included, like when Dorothy and the gang goes to the porcelain city. The DVD's have no subtitles, though it's pretty easy to follow the action and such without asking 'what the hey did they just said.' I saw the series in Spanish (my first language) and it would have been nice to have the option to change the languages.

The Judy Garland Signature Collection (A Star is Born / The Wizard of Oz / The Harvey Girls / Love Finds Andy Hardy / In the Good Old Summertime / Ziegfeld Girl / For Me and My Gal)

Average customer rating:

Judy fans will be delighted
This is a good view of her talent
"films of the little girl with a big voice ~ Judy Garland"

The Judy Garland Signature Collection (A Star is Born / The Wizard of Oz / The Harvey Girls / Love Finds Andy Hardy / In the Good Old Summertime / Ziegfeld Girl / For Me and My Gal)
Starring: Judy Garland
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

Signature Collections | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Meet Me In St. Louis (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Easter Parade (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Clock
Summer Stock
The Classic Musicals Collection - Broadway to Hollywood (Easter Parade Two Disc Special Edition / The Band Wagon Two Disc Special Edition / Bells Are Ringing / Finian's Rainbow / Brigadoon)

ASIN: B0001Q4CZM
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Description

Judy! Judy! Judy! Judy Garland: The Signature Collection includes 7 of Judy's unforgettable performances including A Star is Born and The Wizard of Oz! The Collection also includes 4 new-to-DVD titles starring the legendary Judy Garland: Love Finds Andy Hardy, In the Good Old Summertime, Ziegfeld Girl, and For Me and My Gal. A great Mother's Day gift!

Customer Reviews:

Judy fans will be delighted.......2006-11-03

Some of Judy's finest works in great form. "A Star is Born" and "Wizard of Oz" would justify the price by themselves. The rest is great gravy.

This is a good view of her talent.......2004-06-29

Judy was a magnificent talent with personal problems that makes it amazing that she could produce such beutiful prductions. These movies are a very good cross section of her talent. The Andy Hardy series was a wonderful joining of two great talents that represent a part of her career that many have been the happiest. There are many others that could have been chosen, but whatever was put in would require taking something out. I think "The Wizard" was the one waste, since there are much better copies out, and another Judy and Mickey would have been more fun.
But at least these are great, and others can be bought.

"films of the little girl with a big voice ~ Judy Garland".......2004-06-03

Growing up in the midwest, all the entertainment came from the movies ~ "Judy Garland:The Signature Collection", featuring the golden age of musicals starring our favorite female lead at MGM Studio, Miss Judy Garland. Her voice and talent takes you into the world of make believe...are you ready...well here goes!

Let's start with "FOR ME AND MY GAL"(1942), featuring George Murphy and Gene Kelly (with commentary by Garland biographer John Fricke/vintage shorts/radio programs/audio outtakes/theatrical trailer) ~ "THE HARVEY GIRLS"(1945), featuring Ray Bolger, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury and Preston Foster (commentary by director George Sidney/3 deleted musical numbers/music cue sessions/theatrical trailer) and "On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" remixed in stereo ~ "IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME"(1949), featuring Van Johnson, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Spring Byington, Buster Keaton and Nellie Burke (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke/Vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalks Shorts/theatrical trailers of this film, "The Shop Around The Corner and "You've Got Mail) ~ "LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY"(1938), featuring Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker and Fay Holden (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke with Ann Rutherford/Leo is on the air radio promo/Andy Hardy trailer gallery) ~ "A STAR IS BORN"(1954), featuring James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford and Tom Noonan (special features: documentary network telecast of Hollywood premiere and newsrell coverage of Post-Premiere Party/3 alternate filings of "The Man That Got Away"/deleted song "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street"/soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1/theatrical trailers of the 1937, 1954 and 1976 film versions) ~ "THE WIZARD OF OZ"(1939), featuring Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Berlahr, Jack Haley and Margaret Hamilton (behind-the-scenes documentary/"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" & "The Making of a Movie Classic" hosted by Angela Lansbury/vintage movie & cartoon clips/theatrical trailers/outtake musical numbers/cast interviews and much, much more) ~ "ZIEGFELD GIRLS"(1941), featuring James Stewart, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper and Edward Everett Horton (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke/vintage musical short/Our Gang short "Melodies Old and New"/2 outtakes the musical number "Too Beautiful To Last and a deleted "We Must Have Music Finale"/theatrical trailers of this film, "The Great Ziegfeld" and "Ziegfeld Follies") ~ all new digital transfer.

The clarity of picture and the re-mastered sound of each film is overwhelming ~ Garland is at her captivating best ~ each cue is an eye full with behind the scenes that every collector will cherish...gotta love it!

Customer Reviews:

Hmph!! I expected BETTER!! From Video to DVD.......2006-07-04

This 1991 animated less-than-30 mins adaptation, which was previously available on video (which I have reviewed, and is the only DECENT review, as all the others stupidly mistake this to be MGM!!), is now in my Oz DVD collection, replacing the video I had for a while until I gave it away. It may be on DVD now, but it doesn't improve how bad the animation is - the interaction between Dorothy's dress and her legs is just TERRIBLE (sometimes she looks like a skinny-as-a-stick boy in a dress with bad make-up)!! Not to mention how terrible her voice is when she's on the journey or sad, or worried or whatever - a STUPID imitation of Judy Garland, and not sounding young or good at all. And Toto's so ANNOYING, he's Stupid! He jumps out into the cellar during the tornado, his bark and design are horrid, he jumps out of Dorothy's arms for NO REAL REASON during the Wizard's balloon - no cat (and Dorothy just stands around as it rises up).
Also, another review says that the Lion doesn't do anything brave - that's not true: He does carry his friends over the ditch before the Kalidahs appear and he scares away the Winkies when they have to kill the Witch. It is only after the Wizard leaves that Scarecrow thinks of some smart things. And it is good to see how Dorothy confronts/stands up to the Wizard when they see him both times.
I am glad how this animation is closer to the book, but I just HATE how the production company *idiotically* thought to imitate most of MGM's voices and appearances when actually they're following the book - Thankfully very little actually looks like MGM (no green skinned or pink dressed witches). Also, why does the DVD cover change the appearance/colours of Dorothy (height, face, shoes & dress) and make everything else look better than it actually does/n't? Scarecrow looks a bit like Michael Jackson, and Lion looks more like a Bear with a crown on top of lots of hair. This animation also has a bit of resemblance to the 1982 Toho (Aileen Quinn) Anime in the appearance of the Witch's castle on top of a tall mountain and incorrectly saying 'Kalidahs' as "Calidaz" (WRONG!!!!!!).
Whereas the previous Video did not have "The" in the opening title, here on the DVD it appears. It's too bad how there is no cast and crew listing anywhere (for some reason).
It just so happens that with the animation company's adaptation of 'Alice in Wonderland' (I saw the video at 'Dr. What' in Bondi), that version goes for 47 minutes!
You can get this DVD if you like, but there are other Oz Films that are more faithful to the original story (and Much more Better MADE!) than this, like the 1987 TV-Series cut-into Movie and the 1982 anime (which I hope comes onto *DECENT* DVD soon too). If you do decide to get this DVD, be prepared to find a replacement and a back-up plan in case you decide you don't want it after all.

Baum's Book in 26 Minutes.......2004-04-19

I'm always anxious to see any kind of film version of the Oz stories because I love Baum's books. The problem is the film creators usually ditch the details of the Baum books and go for an overall look and feel of the famous MGM version of the "Wizard of Oz". Maybe they think it's what audiences want or maybe it will be more sucessful or whatever.

Goodtimes Entertainment just released this DVD of "Wizard of Oz" which is animated and runs 26 minutes. It's the 1991, Golden Films/South Korean co-production directed by Jim Simon. It was previously only available on VHS and I never got the chance to see it so i was excited to find this little jewel at the video store.

I'm impressed at how much from the Baum book is in there: the Silver Shoes (not Ruby); the Good Witch of the North (not Glenda) and her kiss of protection; the story of the Wicked Witch of the East putting a spell on the Tin Woodsman; the Kalidahs; the Wicked Witch of the West NOT following them throughout their journey; the Winged Monkeys and the Golden Cap. I'd give this movie five stars since they were able to include those things AND the classic parts of the story... all within 26 minutes.

... I'd rate it five stars IF it weren't for the poor animation (which is very jumpy at times), and the fact that the main lessons of the story aren't really conveyed throughout. For example, the Scarecrow is portrayed as genuinely stupid and the Lion doesn't really do much that's courageous yet at the end we're told that they had BRAINS and COURAGE all along and didn't realize it. Also, there's nothing particularly grand about the Emerald City or the Wizard. For those reasons, I'd give it only one star... so I'll average the two scores for a final THREE STARS.

This DVD is definitely worth a view... especially at $5.95!

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Nada

Young & Innocent/The Cheney Vase

Freedom Strike

DVD: The Other Side of Sunday

Otto's Ottifanten - Beach Boys