What's not to like?

Rating: 10/10 (3 June 2008)

"The Wizard of Oz" is without question one of the best films Hollywood ever cranked out. This was one of two films that inspired me to be a filmmaker (the other was the original "Star Wars"). "The Wizard of Oz" was one of the first movies I ever saw, and even to this day it's one of my favorites.
It's a great example of something that's called escapist entertainment, which means that it sort of "sweeps" you away from the cold, ugly world that we inhabit and into the world of the characters. Even in 1939, with America recovering from a harsh economic depression and with World War II escalating, it was definitely an escape.
I think today's movies can and should be more escapist (and artistic) than they are. Now it's mostly about how much cash all the studios rack in per film, which, to me, is a drag. Most of the films I saw back then were REAL investments. They had lots of really nice stuff.
I really love the shot when the film turns from sepiatone to Technicolor (when Dorothy opened the door in her house beaten and shaken up by a twister in Kansas and saw a gorgeous, full-color place called Munchkinland). That was a breathtaking shot.
Someone else on IMDb said this about the original Star Wars by the way: "A kid's fantasy. An adult's memory." The same thing goes for this one as well. This is another movie that I have never seen in theaters to this day. I'd really like to, though.