Oz fans...
 

WARNER HOME VIDEO PRESS RELEASE:

The Most Beloved Family Film of All Time
Available October 25
in Two Sparkling New Editions!

The Wizard of Oz
Two-Disc Special Edition &
Three-Disc Collector’s Edition DVDs




Film Beautifully Restored with Warner Bros.’ Patented “Ultra Resolution” Process

More than 13 Hours of Special Features, Including:
Five New Documentaries, New Commentary by Oz Historian John Fricke, Original Oz Storybook read by Angela Lansbury, and Reproductions of Rare Original 1939 Memorabilia, Including the Grauman’s Chinese Theater Souvenir Premiere Program

Burbank, Calif. July 11, 2005 –-- Voted by the American Film Institute (AFI) as the Best Family Film of all time, The Wizard of Oz has charmed audiences of every age for more than 60 years. On October 25, Warner Home Video (WHV) will celebrate this beloved classic with two bonus-packed DVD treasuries – a Two-Disc Special Edition and a Three-Disc Collector’s Edition. For the very first time, these versions of The Wizard of Oz boast a stunning new digital transfer of the original film, using Warner’s “Ultra-Resolution” technology, plus a newly remastered soundtrack. As a result, viewers will experience the movie’s Technicolor splendor and unforgettable, award-winning songs and music like never before.

Both DVD editions offer extensive bonus content, including four revealing new documentaries; a new feature-length commentary by Emmy ward®-winning producer and Oz historian John Fricke; an Emmy®-nominated making-of documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury; a Lansbury-narrated onscreen storybook treatment of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with its colorful original illustrations; outtakes and deleted scenes; vintage vault featurettes; and more than six hours of audio-only treasures, including original recording sessions for songs and underscoring and rare Oz radio programs.

The Wizard of Oz Three-Disc Collector’s Edition includes an additional disc of special content, featuring a new documentary about Oz author L. Frank Baum and a newly restored transfer of the 1925 feature-length silent version of The Wizard of Oz starring Oliver Hardy and Larry Semon with a fresh score by Robert Israel. Disc three is also highlighted by several additional rare Oz film features and shorts, originally produced between 1910 and 1933.

In addition to the bonus disc, the Collector’s Edition DVD will include reproductions of the original eight-page Grauman's Chinese Theatre Oz souvenir program from August 15, 1939, and the invitation to that premiere; the sixteen-page Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio News magazine from August 14, 1939, celebrating The Wizard of Oz; nine beautifully restored natural color Kodachrome portraits and publicity photos from the film...and more.

The Wizard of Oz Two-Disc Special Edition will be available for $26.99 SRP
and the Three-Disc Collector’s Edition will sell for $39.92 SRP.

About the Movie:
Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz opened at Loew’s Capitol Theatre in New York on August 17, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman, and Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles, including that of the "wonderful Wizard" himself. Dorothy was portrayed by a 4'11" sixteen year old girl who quickly earned her reputation as “the world’s greatest entertainer” -- the incomparable Judy Garland.

The Wizard of Oz received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and captured two Oscars® – Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score -- plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland.

The Wizard of Oz was an overwhelming popular and critical success upon its initial release and repeated its ability to captivate audiences when M-G-M reissued the film in 1949 and 1955. The film made a new kind of history with its network television premiere in 1956 on CBS. Nearly 45 million people tuned in for this initial telecast, marking the beginning of a tradition. Ever since, The Wizard of Oz has been shown virtually annually on network (and then cable) television; its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.

The DVDs’ Special Features:
The Two-Disc Special Edition
Disc 1:
* New 2005 “Ultra Resolution” digital master from restored film elements
* New commentary by historian John Fricke with selected archival
audio comments by Barbara Freed-Saltzman (daughter of Arthur
Freed), Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Ken Darby
(orchestral and vocal arranger), John Lahr (son of Bert Lahr),
Jane Lahr (daughter of Bert Lahr), Hamilton Meserve
(son of Margaret Hamilton), William Tuttle (make-up artist),
Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy, John Lee Mahin and Jerry Maren
* Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz
* We Haven’t Really Met Properly…supporting cast profile gallery, narrated by Angela Lansbury
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz storybook, read by Angela Lansbury
* Theatrical trailer gallery
* 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack
* Original mono and music-and-effects-only audio tracks
* Languages: English (Both Dolby 5.1 & original mono) & French
* Subtitles: English, French and Spanish (feature film only)

Disc 2:
* Documentaries on the movie’s creation and impact:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic hosted by Angela Lansbury
and Memories of Oz -- two original TV specials
* All-New: The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz, Because of the Wonderful Things it Does:
The Legacy of Oz
* Harold Arlen’s onset home videos
* Outtakes and deleted scenes
* It’s a Twister! It’s a Twister! The tornado special effects tests
* Vintage vault featurettes
* Extensive stills gallery
* More than six hours of audio-only treasures, including an "Oz jukebox" of recording
session materials, radio shows and promos


The Three-Disc Collector’s Edition -- includes Disc 1 and 2 plus:

Disc 3: Four hours devoted to Oz creator L. Frank Baum, who published his first Oz book in 1900.
* New documentary L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain
* Pre-1939 versions of Oz on screen

The Wizard of Oz (1910)
The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914)
His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz (1914)
The Wizard of Oz (1925): restored silent version featuring Oliver Hardy and Larry Semon, with a new, fully orchestrated score by Robert Israel
The Wizard of Oz (1933 Cartoon)
Print Reproductions Include:
* The Wizard of Oz Comes to Life
Eight-page Grauman's Chinese Theatre Souvenir Premiere Program from August 15, 1939
* Studio's Invitation to The Grauman's Premiere and the envelope that included tickets to the original Opening Night -- with a newly designed commemorative ticket
* Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio News
Sixteen-page edition of the studio’s internal "house organ" newspaper, celebrating the release of
The Wizard of Oz for the week of August 14, 1939
* Photoplay Studies
Rare secondary-education study guide to the film -- Volume V, Number 12 (circa August 1939) -- completely devoted to The Wizard of Oz, with articles revealing surprising insights from its
producer, director, cameraman and scenarists.
* Deluxe Collectors' Portfolio
Reproductions of original 1939 Kodachrome publicity stills, including nine portraits and
on set photographs

The Wizard of Oz
Street Date: October 25, 2005
Rating: G
Two-Disc Special Edition
Run Time 101 minutes; $26.99 SRP
Collector’s Edition
Run Time 101 minutes; $39.92 SRP

http://www.thejudyroom.com/news.html

I clicked thinking this was about the HBO series. Damn it... :cool:

Thanks for the info, Brandon.

This is a total surprise to me. I thought the current remastered DVD edition of 'Oz' was definitive, so I never expected it to be re-released yet again (I don't even want to count how many copies of this movie I have now, between VHS and DVD, as each new remastering is "better than ever before").

But the price for that 3-disc set is excellent, so you can bet the Gale's farm that I'll be buying it.

And I LOVE that cover. :D

I actually did, too.

I've never seen the HBO series, but the idea of Chris Meloni and Brian Bloom together.... well, it's a happy thought, that's for sure! :D

Fech. There's nothing sexy about that show. Great show, but damn, it's truly disturbing on so many levels. :laugh:

I pre-ordered the 3-disc Oz set over a month ago for my mother, she's already salivating over it. If only they would give Return To Oz, one of my personal favorites, such a treatment...

Honey - any show that had Rita M., Betty B., and La Lupone is disturbing on MANY levels :laugh:

Haha! That's what I was thinking... although I'm not totally disappointed, I like The Wizard of Oz. The collector's edition will make a nice Christmas present... for me!

I really liked the idea of "Return to Oz"...it was kind of dark n' stuff. Too bad the movie was all that great.

Yep. That is the one that I am getting.

WB needs to get with it though and release more Judy's movies on DVD! If I have to wait any longer for "The Clock".... I'm going to scream!:laugh:

Like a girl, I presume??

No, probably more like I do during sex... :laugh:

That movie kicked ass. I love all of the old, dark Disney movies from the eighties that I went to see as a kid. Return To Oz, Watcher In the Woods, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Frankenweenie, etc. They don't make them like they used to, that's for sure.

Does anybody need more DVDs of The Wizard of Oz? I mean, come on.....there are tons of movies out there that have yet to make it to DVD, but this one gets re-released TWO MORE TIMES? :cool:

Frankenweenie is AWESOME!

Well, I think when you are the most watched movie EVER...you get special treatment...

Oh, so really there will be no girls involved. Gotcha.

Ha. They've managed to release that cinematic masterpiece Lipstick on DVD, yet they still have yet to release Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Go figure.

No, just alyssa milano...whatever you want to call her.

I'm not a fan of excessive violence at all, so I probably wouldn't care much for the series (I HATED 'The Sopranos'), but I'm still intrigued by the idea of seeing Meloni and Bloom showing us all why it's called "the pokey."

How did I not know this was coming out??

Cool... I always thought I was the only one who liked 'Return.' :D

I love it, even moreso than the original Wizard of Oz. It's absolutely pitch black and nightmarish, so unlike anything you'd ever expect Disney to release.

Yeah it was now that I think about it...I really despise the original WofOz...mainly because I loathe midgets.

The Wheelers scared the **** out of me:

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1...wheelers11.jpg

As did Mombie:

http://www.lepconnie.com/willow/archives/starmarsh5.jpg

The Gallery of Heads:

http://www.elsarron.nl/images/rto04.jpg

The Gnome King:

http://www.alicia-logic.com/capsimag...iamsonBalk.jpg

And the electroshock therapy scenes:

http://djuna.nkino.com/movies/r/return_to_oz_2.jpg

They were all little drunks. One of them tried to hit on Judy Garland and ask her out for a date...BWAHAHA! She was like "WTF?" She told this story on the Jack Paar Show in 1967.

I did enjoy that movie. However she is not as easy to look at as Garland.

She's a ten year old child. :laugh:

Yea...I guess that did sound a bit odd considering that! :lol: Judy was 16 so...

I all for the advocation to use midgets as slave labor! YAYY! Three cheers! Er....wait....um....did I say...that...out loud just now?

I'm deathly afraid of midgets. There was an incident.

I'm all excited about the price and contents of the three-disc special edition. Especially since I don't own this movie on DVD (just video) so I'll be buying it. And if Rumours could be re-issued so many times so can the Wizard of Oz.

Add me to the list of guys who thought this was about the HBO prison man-sex series.

Spill bitch :laugh:

If there was a saddle involved, I may have to marry you :xoxo:

Ditto that. I don't give a rip about this movie, but I am glad it is making people giddy.

I must disagree. ANYTHING Chris Meloni is near is sexy by association. Lots of stuff about the show was disturbing, but there were some pretty damned sexy moments.

If you want a darker version of Oz, read Gregory Maguire's 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.' The musical on Broadway is a little lighter, but still carries most of the tome of the novel.
It is the best book ever.

But please skip the sequel 'Son of a Witch.' It was released last Tuesday and it is horrible...

That makes 2 of us! Mine was a traffic incident... :o