Home Is Where Your Shoes Are

Seventy years has passed since L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel debuted to the hearts of moviegoers nationwide with The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Even after so many years, the film maintains its status as one of the most beloved literary classics ever brought to the silver screen.You know the gang: the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, the Tin-Man, and the evils of the world they share that come to life as Dorothy — the one and only Judy Garland — transitions from childhood to adulthood along that yellow brick road. A cinematic wonder of fantasy, nightmares, and the dreams we have along the way, it remains a breathtaking marvel.  Those famous ruby slippers never manage to lose their sparkle!

The Wizard of Oz comes to life once again the way we were intended to see it: on the big screen.  The 70th anniversary marks the release of a newly re-mastered presentation of the film in over 450 theaters (starting September 23rd), coinciding with the release of the ultimate collector’s edition package, which includes that re-mastered version, 16 hours of bonus material, and Toto, too!

Nominated for five academy awards including Best Picture, Best Original Song, and Best Visual Effects, The Wizard of Oz has since been named by the Library of Congress as the most watched film in history, solidifying its testament to time and remaining a cinematic milestone for Hollywood movie making standards of its generation. Throughout the simple story of finding what one’s heart desires or needs: the comfort of home, the strength of courage, the logic of a brain, or the heart to tackle life’s challenges (cue The Wicked Witch), we discover that perhaps we had those things we were looking for all along.

L. Frank Baum wrote “There’s no place like home.” That might be true. But one thing’s for sure: give me flying monkeys, an emerald city, and sparkly shoes (move over Carrie Bradshaw), and I too would  be somewhere over that rainbow far, far away.

– By Eric Zamorez