Belongs in everyone's collection for its magic

Probably the greatest children's/family film ever made is The Wizard of Oz. Everyone of my generation can remember the yearly ritual of watching it on TV, as American as watching the Super Bowl or something. But it is even better on this DVD thanks to fantastic color and excellent special features. In fact it is probably the most packed-to-the-gills DVD I've ever seen, special feature wise, even if the menu is a bit temperamental at the outset (DVD makers need to start putting menus exclusively on dark backgrounds so you can clearly see your choices highlighted, by the way).

The making-of-documentary is quite good. Going into detail about casting choices, costume development, problems with cumbersome costumes, and the special effects tricks being revealed--why, the movie was truly like the Star Wars of its day. In fact, I think the tornado effect still holds up (i.e. the one in the background while Dorothy is trying to get into the shelter while the wind is blowing like crazy). The lady who played the Wicked Witch is actually quite funny in real life, as she recounts when the producer said she would be the witch. "The witch?" she asks. "Yeah, what else?" he replies.

I believe every home collection should have the finest examples of films in any genre, so this one definitely belongs.

True Classic

The Wizard of Oz - directed by Richard Thorpe was released in 1939 yet after 60 years is still a favorite among families and always seems to get better. The movie musical is based on the children's book by L. Frank Baum with added song and dance.

The film starts with Ms. Gulch,(a nasty neighbor who dislikes dogs), who attempts to take Dorothy's dog "Toto" away to be destroyed. Fearful Dorothy Gale(Judy Garland) runs away with Toto to avoid his being taken. An approaching storm that sends her back toward home soon spawns a tornado and unfortunately she is unable to get into the safety of the cellar. She makes it into the house just before it is lifted up by the storm and transported to a strange land called Oz.
Dorothy's house lands on and kills the wicked witch of the East and immediately the local "residents" celebrate their new hero.

Soon another witch, the wicked witch of the West(Margaret Hamilton) arrives and threatens revenge. Dorothy soon learns that she must travel to OZ as her only chance to return home to Kansas. With directions from the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road for OZ, the fabulous city where the famous Wizard of OZ will be sure to help.
Along the way, Dorothy meets the Tin Man(Jack Haley), who desires a heart, a cowardly lion(Bert Lahr) in need of courage and a scarecrow(Ray Bolger) who lacks a brain. Together, they travel to see the Wizard of Oz in hopes that he can help each with their needs. Their travels and adventures are fun, exciting and even frightning at times but sure to please the entire family.
The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic. W/OZ combines music, a cast of not so ordinary characters and interesting plot, to create a movie that is appealing to everyone.
It's difficult to find someone who hasn't heard the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow" or "We're off to see the Wizard".
Oz's TV broadcasts are now controlled by media giant Ted Turner so owning the Video or DVD may be your best options to see it.
Highly Recommend!

The Wonderful Movie of Oz

I have been enchanted as I now watch the movie as an adult. It is not just a story about a girl from Kansas trying to get back home - actually, that was added into the movie: "There's no place like home" wasn't in the book even. I think it was a story of things that we want, and that we imagine these things may be granted by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The scarecrow wants a brain, the tinman a heart, and the lion courage. On their journey off to see the wizard, they encounter the wicked witch of the west - who is determined to get the ruby slippers off of Dorothy's feet. Now, the thing I am puzzled by is at the beginning, Glinda is the one who reminds the wicked witch about the shoes. Then she is the one who places them on Dorothy's feet: "There they are and there they'll stay." Had she not had the shoes, her journey to the wizard would not have been so troublesome. Not to mention that the "good witch" sent Dorothy on a journey to a phony wizard. I wonder now if there was some kind of irony in that - since she was also the one who in the end tells Dorothy that all she has to do is click her heels together and say "there 's no place like home." While the movie is totally a classic I love and will watch over and over again, I am wondering about the book: Were the "ruby slippers" (which were silver in the novel) as magical - and - if there was no "no place like home" in the novel then I am wondering how Dorothy got back to Kansas. I think that because each time I watch this film I realize something new, it will always remain one of my favorite movies ever.