World Premiere: August 1939
Year of Release: October 2005
Country of Production: USA
Distribution: Warner Bros.
No. of Discs: 3
Language: English
I always say it's worth it to wait till they release classic movies in a multi-disc Special / Collector's Edition. That is, of course, unless they've been added to the Criterion Collection in which case they generally release the best DVD editions.
Moving along ...
Warner Bros re-released The Wizard of Oz late last year and filled it with 13 hours of extras including Documentaries, Outtakes and Deleted Scenes. It's one of those things we can appreciate looking back on and realize just how non-sequitor the film actually is.
The two stand out-documentaries include:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic narrated by Angela Lansbury - here we get the entire genesis from concept to screening and the publicity machine that followed it. Interesting tidbit - the original Tin Man got aluminum poisoning from his costume and was unceremoniously replaced.
In Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz narrated by Brittany Murphy we get to see how its pop culture status grew after its television network airings.
Also included with the discs are reproductions of publicity stills, posters, promotional booklets and studio magazines and the original invitation and ticket to its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. (It was screened on a Tuesday.)
All in all, it's definitely a Collector's Edition and one you can proudly display in your collection.
As an aside - With all the talk about its significance in pop culture, it would've been even more interesting/ very cool if they included Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon as an optional soundtrack. - but I guess they wanted to keep it family-oriented -- not to mention the hefty licensing fee.
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Christine Miguel - Breaking free from the academic shackles of Seneca and Centennial College in Toronto, Christine's education solely rests on the experience ...
