Wednesday, May 10, 2006

THE Must Have of 2005



The land over the rainbow glimmers with more dazzle and brilliance than ever before. The ultra resolution process has done wonders for an already wondrous film. The ruby slippers have never shone rubier, the sparkles on Glinda's dress are mesmerizing, and enough can't be said of the luminous Judy Garland. No matter how many times you have seen The Wizard of Oz, you have not SEEN The Wizard of Oz until you've feasted your eyes on Warner Brothers' new treatment of the beloved classic.


The Wizard of Oz was treated to a lavish three disc collector's edition complete with re-prints of rare magazines, photos, and promotional items. The audio commentary is worth several listens to take in all the trivia and interview clips. The extras will keep even the most casual viewer enthralled for hours.

The movie itself gets and A+. The radiance of Oz defies imagination. The extras I give two grades depending on the audience. For the budding Oz enthusiasts and average film buffs, I give the extras an A. But for the hardcore Oz fans, I give the extras a B-. I loved the extras, but in my opinion the new documentaries were not long enough. As far as I'm concerned Warner Brothers could release a boxed set of Oz documentaries. I thought the absence of a Judy bio was really odd. How could they have a bio of every major cast member except her?

Nit picking aside, Entertainment Weekly's number 1 DVD of 2005 should be part of every DVD collection.