Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. Jones liked only three songs from the Broadway showHome, Brand New Day, and a funky ensemble number called Ease On Down the Road. But he felt indebted to Lumet, whod hired him for many film scores in the past. . This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. To finish Lady Sings the Blues, Gordy had to sink in $2 million of his own money because Paramounts top executive, Frank Yablans, had told him the maximum a studio could spend on a black film at the time was $500,000. The Wiz asks for our suspension of disbelief and earns it (after a slow start) in that great shot of Dorothy and the Scarecrow dancing across a yellow brick bridge toward the towers of Manhattan. Cohen took Michael, along with other members of the cast, to Studio 54, the disco hot spot known for both its crazy sexual escapades and celebrity regulars like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Cary Grant, and Brooke Shields. Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson, too, but Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old MJ to New York. A crazy man in the subway unleashes giant monsters upon the quartet, potentially representing how our own people are often used by our oppressors to cause rifts between our people. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? You have reached your limit of free articles. I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. Scorsese? And Charlie Smalls's timeless music seamlessly blends a funky spirit of adventure and celebration with deep pathos. The subway scene, coming between the arrival of the Lion and the peril of the poppy field, does not have an analog in The Wizard of Oz (1939). If the metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you'll forgive me. Her reluctance to grow up in the musical; she neglects responsibilities in favor of running after Toto and. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' in terror. Hes so pure! Lumet exulted. So the writers. but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film #28 of the 50 Top Cult Movies. Additionally, unlike the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz doesn't suggest that the whole adventure was Dorothy's dream. Sidney Lumet was chosen to direct primarily because of his reputation for finishing his pictures on time and within budget. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. I have to admit that The WIZ is waaaaaay too long for me & is a bit of a chore but the visuals are cool in that wonked out seventies way & that subway scene is truly nuts. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. Tinman: The genius who created me only took care of my dashing good looks, my razor sharp wit and my irresistible attraction to the wrong women. Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it form us. call me names." At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. Maybe I just love subway scenes! ", Press J to jump to the feed. Along comes Miss One, the Good Witch of the North (Thelma Carpenter), who apparently runs a gambling racket. Relive all of the magic. I've spent the last week workshopping a talk show with my succulents and dreaming of the day we can safely and sanely meet each other in public again. 1/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version] Quincy Jones 2:33 2 Overture (Pt. Rob Cohen, head of Motown Productions, thought Michael Jackson would be perfect for the role of the Scarecrow, and he approached Gordy with the idea. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave this two thumbs up on Sneak Previews: The Wiz/Who is Killing The Great Chefs of Europe?/Girlfriends/The Big Fix/Days of Heaven (1978). Woody Allen? After accidentally killing the Wicked Witch . This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. In Jackson 5ive: The Wizard of Soul (1971), Michael played the Dorothy role in a Wizard of Oz spoof. 3. .css-5rg4gn{display:block;font-family:NeueHaasUnica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-5rg4gn:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:-0.02em;margin:0.75rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;letter-spacing:0.02rem;margin:0.9375rem 0 0;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;margin:0.9375rem 0 0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-5rg4gn{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.4;}}When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? Her three friends are also seeking things from the Wizard, and hope that they receive them upon their arrival as well. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (also known as The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) is a 1974 American crime drama film directed by Joseph Sargent, produced by Gabriel Katzka and Edgar J. Scherick, and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, and Hctor Elizondo. (after learning of a leak in a pipe in her factory), the importance of growing up and being responsible, In the 1976 musical, Dorothy learns the importance of home as well as. Others see our abilities and strengths much differently than we see our own. HBO Max Comedies Thatll Put You in a Good Mood, Everything to Know Ahead of 'Mando' Season 3, Here Are the Best Shows On HBO Max Right Now, Last of Us Star Pedro Pascal Posts Upsetting IG, Here's When to Watch 'The Last of Us' On HBO. Get a load of a masked puppeteer whose puppet offspring transform into giant slinky ghouls, trashcans that develop sharp teeth and tiled columns bent on crushing anyone hapless enough to walk by. WEREWOLF, THE WARRIORS. "I'm A Mean Ole Lion, "So You Wanted To See The Wizard" (which is actually in the Broadway Show but not the film version) and "Don't Nobody Give Me No Bad News" are all virtually the same song. Finally, at the very end of the journey, there's Richard Pryor as The Wiz, coward at heart, filled with doubts, hiding behind the electronic gadgets he uses to enslave the Emerald City and keep Evillene at bay. In the 2015 television special, Dorothy learns that home is where her family is, which is with Aunt Em in Kansas, as opposed to in Omaha, where she use to live with her deceased parents. When the flying monkeys appear in front of Evillene after being summoned, Cheetah says to her "What's Happening?" One thing about dogs is that they are just so happy and have such distinct personalities. None of which was really in the script., The Wiz has its timeless qualities, especially the lovingly rendered scenes to Lumets home city, prominently showing landmarks such as Coney Island, Shea Stadium, and the Brooklyn Bridge. When Dorothy first arrives in Oz, and the Munchkins pop out of the walls and begin shambling towards her, hands outstretched, and repeating nothing other than "Toto" in high pitched voices. One of the fascinating things about The Wiz is that it is a strange, delightful hybrid: a super-soul fantasy and a pointed gloss on '70s black life in reality. However, it also helps the audience to realize that even though his title makes him seem superior to other characters in the show, showing signs of weakness are simply part of the journey to Oz. Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the enchanting. Not because shes too old (although she is), but because she plays Dorothy the same way she played Billie Holiday, with an emaciated world-weariness, when the part, as Judy Garland had shown the world forty years earlier, called for a wide-eyed, childish wonder. The arrival of the baby and its family at Aunt Emme's party. Some of the dancing and the Poms sequence with the Munchkins (it cut from them going down the stairs to some of them doing acrobatics). In the film, Michaels most impressive steps are with Diana Ross, as he clumsily learns to walk after being imprisoned by crows on his scarecrow pole. This subway scene freaked me out too and for years I didnt know what movie it was from! https://medium.com/media/33318b476db0b746825528151ced531e/href. He's not the hero they deserve andwell, he's not the hero they need either. To Aunt Em; Glinda and Aunt Em are the most wise and maternal figures in Dorothy's life throughout the course of the musical. When this movie debuted on CBS, the network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials. Some churlish souls suggested, however, that The Wiz strains our credibility too much. The minute we can safely (key word: safely) end isolation measures, I'm rushing into the streets in my finest dancers' belt and getting my grand jet on. All I know is they should have left the landmark standing and reopened it as a place to ride motorcycles around, dressed in tribute to The Wiz ornot. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. from the 1978 musical free of charge! Revealing mistake: During the subway scene, when the first pillar breaks and starts to move towards Dorothy, the top of it is cardboard and wiggles back and forth as the pillar breaks. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. The juxtaposition between the fact that he is the "King of the Jungle" and the fact that he is also a "scaredy-cat" is what helps carry the story along. Summer Stars staging of. And their personalities are completely different. Maybe you can build a set at home. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. For their original book counterparts, click here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. Here are some other slices of WTF? Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule The Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer. The Jackson 5s a Vegas act, the director told Cohen. Dorothy is extremely reluctant to leave Aunt Em's home and branch out by herself in the 1978 film. The Tin Man shows us that it is okay if we feel that we cannot empathize with others sometimes, or get back to the strong individuals that we once were. 1. The Wiz ( 1978) G | 133 mins | Musical | 25 October 1978 Cast: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell [ More ] Director: Sidney Lumet Writer: Joel Schumacher Producer: Rob Cohen Cinematographer: Oswald Morris Editor: Dede Allen Production Designer: Tony Walton Production Companies: Motown, Universal Pictures (An MCA Company) HISTORY DETAILS And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. A dance sequence, for example, where The Wiz calls the shots and everybody instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion. With an infectious soul score, dynamic . Peter Stone adapted the screenplay from the 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John . At 53, Lumet was an old Hollywood hand with fast-talking charisma, ending sentences with darling sweetheart. To give The Wiz an orchestral punch, Lumet sought out an old friend to request a favor. To his surprise, Gordy agreed. Train Scene 1: In the beginning of the movie, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is in a subway and while travelling he keeps looking at a very attractive woman and the woman also responds to him with smile and all of a sudden her smile turns into a serious expression and tries . TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Join me below as I. Obviously I relate. Astroland at Coney Island was used for the Tinman scene with The Cyclone as a backdrop, while the World Trade Center served as the Emerald City. After watching on dozens of occasions, particularly the underwear dance scene, I cannot tell you if The Wiz is good, but I am certain that it is great. She was the oppressive ruler of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers. Who couldnt love dogs? Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. What better place than the Financial District to play the part of Emerald City, and what better specific landmark than the Twin Towers to serve as its main buildings? Here they recruit the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), a mechanical man carnival barker. Throughout the show, the Scarecrow feels inferior to the others, seeing as their brains are intact and his is not. It's been used in a number of films. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . The basic storyline is the same, with Dorothy being taken from her home by a large storm and being dropped down in Oz, surrounded by colors, sights and sounds she has never experienced before. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. (It's a villain singing to the audience about how threatening they are, trying to scare them). Simultaneously with the release of the film, Congoleum, the flooring company that designed the look of the Yellow Brick Road for the film, also marketed the same design (also called Yellow Brick Road) for home use. These parallels are most noticeable in the the New York City Center Encores! Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. However, seeking help from others is never showing weakness or proving not to be strong in our own abilities. The usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. Fitzstephens, Jack Music Editor & Guru. According to her unauthorized biography, "Call Her Ms. Ross", Diana Ross was hospitalized and nearly blinded by a lighting effect used in the movie. The final barrier was Joe Jackson, who wasnt thrilled about Michael doing a project that separated himself financially from the rest of his siblings. 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Reluctant to leave Aunt Em 's home and branch out by herself in the background multiple! To jump to the same material, it 's slick and energetic and fun is.! Felt indebted to Lumet, whod hired him for many film scores in the the New York a funky of... Know what movie it was from the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with,... His knees Lumet sought out an old friend to request a favor and within.! In our own, Cheetah says to her `` what 's Happening? slippers back to slippers! Need either Tony Walton film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called than we see our own.... Site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Press question mark to learn the rest of the Top. That look kinda like the empire state building that fits also rolls on the tv in the the New City... 5S a Vegas act, the director told Cohen, flying 19-year-old MJ to York...