December 01, 2009.

The Wizard of the Odyssey.

Rating: 5
I've been thrilled and enchanted by the Wizard of Oz since I was a small child.

This version has MANY advantages over the others available. First, it is playable on ALL DVD players and you can exchange this DVD with friends in other countries, or, play it on DVD players and computers from other countries.

Second, the black and white and color on this DVD are true to the original screen version. (I once saw it on the big screen in Scottsdale in 1989 when an old theater had closed - the Wizard of Oz was the first movie shown at the theater when it opened in 1939).

Third, the version is the true screen version first shown to audiences in 1939. Why is that good?

The first screen version was edited to be a gentle portrayal of the essence and spirit of the book the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

As popular as the movie has been in history, few have read the book.

The book is L. Frank Baum's version of Homer's "The Odyssey" with Dorothy as hero (heroine). Baum was a minor scholar of the Classics (he studied Greek in military school when he was a teenager). He took the story line, conflicts, antagonists and protagonists of the Odyssey, and, put them into a compelling context for readers at the turn of the twentieth century.

Dorothea is, in ancient Greek, the name of the goddess of truth and wisdom. "Toto" (meaning "everything"), the faithful dog, is a metaphor for our "faith" as we journey through life in search of home (as did Odysseus). Brains (the scarecrow), heart (the tin man) and courage (the lion) are what all of us use in our lives to find our home and our soul mate (as did Odysseus - as does Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz).

When Dorothy is in peril in the Witch's castle, she relies upon "Toto" (her faith) to summon her brains, her heart, and her courage.

Many commentators have mused about the name "Oz." I've read some conjectures that border on the ridiculous. (One biographer of Baum speculated that "Oz" came from the O-Z on lower drawer of Baum's two drawer file cabinet).

"Oz" is the correct ancient Greek abbreviation for the Odyssey. In English, and in the Greek from about 400 BC to the present, the abbreviation for the Odyssey would be "Od". However, in attic Greek (from about 800 BC - the time Homer wrote the Odyssey) if the "d" is surrounded by two vowels, it is changed, in ancient Attic Greek, to "z" or "djeta". Hence, the first two letters of the original ancient Greek for the Odyssey are not "Od" but "Oz".

And that's how L. Frank Baum came up with the name of "Oz".

Buy this version. You can't go wrong at this price.

December 27, 2008.

This is a Great DVD!.

Rating: 5
The box is covered in Korean characters, but don't let that scare you from buying this DVD. It's the original "Wizard of Oz" movie that we grew up with! Even Judy Garland's name got goofed up as "Jody Garland" but still, the DVD is clear, crisp, beautiful and sounds wonderful. And it's a lot cheaper than the the "Wizard of Oz" alternative DVD's. You only get one DVD - just the movie, no extras or games or behind the scenes information. But I didn't want any of that. I just wanted the movie.

When you pop this movie into your DVD player go first to "Set-up" and under Subtitles click on "none". The movie is in English since it's the original and there is absolutely nothing about it I can find to complain about. I loved it! Though it took a few days longer for it to arrive than I expected, it was well-packaged and the plastic case is as good as any other DVD case.

December 26, 2008.

Wizard of Oz Inspires Every Generation.

Rating: 5
Every new generation is inspired by the Wizard of Oz, whether it's the movie with Judy Garland or the stage play.

There's hope, there's magic, there's black and white and then color.

The little people are big in the story and the big guy (the Wizard) takes his fall at the end.

But to know that we each need courage, brains, and a heart is vital to our existence.

So... enjoy this movie on DVD.

And if you want to hear Somewhere Over The Rainbow combined with Never Never Land from Peter Pan sung by the up and coming new female singer, Liz Seymour, just go here: http://LizSeymour.com/learnmore

Charlie

December 04, 2008.

Somewhere over the rainbow.

Rating: 5
Another flawless classic that withstands the test of time. Most people have forgotten that the movie starts off in black and white, then turns to color when Dorothy reaches Oz. This is the way it was shown originally in 1939, and that's the way this import version presents. The only minor distraction is the default foreign subtitle. But that's what the DVD remote is for. Click the "subtitle" button a couple of times, and the subtitle is completely gone. Heck, what could be easier. The best thing about this import is it's a lot cheaper than the domestic version. Same quality picture, and sound.