Head off to see this 'Wizard'

With the DVD's quality and extras, Warner Bros is calling it the 'definitive Oz.'
WASHINGTON POST
Most movie lovers have been down the yellow brick road more than once. So why bother owning this latest incarnation of the wonderful "Wizard of Oz"? Because on this DVD, the yellow brick road gleams brighter than ever before.
As the film's restorers explain in a featurette on the three-disc set, they took painstaking care to make this version of "The Wizard" look as pristine as possible.
The prairies of Kansas come through in rich, nostalgic sepia, while the awe-inspiring colors of Oz reflect every spectrum of Dorothy's rainbow.
As for those much-coveted ruby slippers, they shimmer and twinkle like crimson constellations and practically pop off the screen.
Of course, this isn't the first time the 1939 classic has appeared on DVD. Other, more basic editions were released in 1997 and 1999, but Warner Bros. is billing this one, which also comes in a less expensive two-disc set, as the "definitive Oz."
Given the quality of the restoration and the bountiful set of extras, that probably isn't an exaggeration. The DVD was released Tuesday.
Familiar bonus features
Having said that, many of the bonus features may look familiar to owners of previous DVDs. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic," that lengthy 1990 documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury in honor of the film's 50th anniversary, was included on the 1999 disc and has aired multiple times on Turner Classic Movies.
However, five hours of brand new material appears on this set, including a fun documentary on the film's cultural legacy, a fascinating look at the life of "Oz" creator L. Frank Baum and a new commentary track from "Wizard of Oz" historian John Fricke.
It has appeared on previous DVDs, but if you've never heard the audio outtake of Judy Garland's reprise of "Over the Rainbow" -- sung while she is trapped in the witch's castle -- do so. Garland's voice breaks repeatedly with sobs, giving the already emotional song an added sense of melancholy.