WEREWOLF, THE WARRIORS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. Watching this scene as a child, as a generation of black kids did, was quite an awakening. This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. 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. The Scarecrow tells us however, that it is alright to have moments of silliness, moments of being confident in the abilities that we do have and to have faith in our purpose. The simple, cheap special effects used in it actually make it eerier to me. Harry Madsen (Cheetah) and Willie C. Carpenter (Guest at Aunt Em's Party) are the only actors to appear in other films directed by Sidney Lumet: Madsen in Prince of the City (1981), Daniel (1983), Garbo Talks (1984), and Q&A (1990), and Carpenter in Family Business (1989). He turned it down, and the part was given to Michael Jackson. 2. She likes to be in charge and loves to boss me around. As big and as spectacular and as musical as it was, he says, we never got a real solid distribution. Black films, aside from Shaft, were for black audiences. The original director, John Badham ( Saturday Night Fever ), withdrew once Ross was cast. With Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross. "The Wiz" is foremost a story of racial liberation, and an early piece of Afrofuturism the combination of science fiction, fantasy, magic realism and ancient African tradition that critiques. The other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz (1976). Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule The Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer. During The Wiz post-production, he called Quincy unexpectedly during a rare home hiatus from touring. That stuck with Michael. The characters of The Wiz. https://medium.com/media/aaaab1fb5e4ffb83dd8e892f7d03de03/href. Here are some other slices of WTF? If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. The WIZ A remake that is different enough to stand on its own talented batch of "Pros" who make the familiar story work: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Mabel King, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne, Ted Ross etc New score 1939 is rural based, 1978 version is suburban There are parts that do not work, but those are small complaints. The show premiered on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tony Awards. If the metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you'll forgive me. The movie has become. Easing Out of a Scary World in The Wiz, In 'Chicago,' Isolation Is the Key to Stardom. Dorothy asking the guards of the gate how to get to Evilynn's. The end-product is mixed (great design with lifeless direction, fun but forgettable songs, powerful but blunt messaging), but one worth exploring& ripe for a remake. However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. When this movie debuted on CBS, the network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials. A dance sequence, for example, where The Wiz calls the shots and everybody instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion. The Jackson 5's a Vegas act," the director told Cohen. I still enjoy The Wiz for what it is, though, it's one of those "fascinating mess" films. He's been sleeping even though it's the middle of the day, and he has a desperate, frantic energy about him: sad to be discovered but clearly grateful for human contact. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. These parallels are most noticeable in the the New York City Center Encores! A less obvious problem was that during filming, Lumets wife at the time, Gail Jones, daughter of Wiz star Lena Horne, had approached the director on set and asked for a divorce. Maybe because he retrospectively looks like Bicentennial Man? Join me below as I highlight some of the best of these location-transforming scenes. Garland played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). https://medium.com/media/33318b476db0b746825528151ced531e/href. The duet between Michael Jackson and Diana Ross on "Ease On Down the Road" was released as a single by MCA Records in September, 1978. The usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. I remember having fever dreams that someone was going to steam press me. Alla Nipsey Russell! The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. that someone will find out that I'm a fraud. 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. The man, however, subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor. ", Press J to jump to the feed. Thats a big part of why I love it somuch. 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. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Thanks! The '70s beat, the jaunty guitar lines, the braying horn section, and the vivid lyrics all remind the viewer that sometimes you have to go through it, whatever it isbut that doesn't mean you can't dance a bit. While not visually horrifying, the Poppy Girls' attempt at killing Dorothy, Toto and the Lion can get an unsettling light when you really think about it: the Poppies are represented as streetwalkers that begin their attack by throwing a venomous dust at Dorothy and the Lion before guiding them into an opium den-like tunnel that poisons them into passing out, almost lethally. He has nothing but straw encompassing his head and crevices of his body. That's a big part of why I love it so much. With that said, it is essential to realize that often we feel as if we are inferior to others who may have more information on topics, be more interested in various things or seem to be more serious than we are. 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. For Diana Ross, Dorothy's age was adjusted to 24. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) On the set, Michael took extremely seriously his choreography sessions with Louis Johnson, whod been a pioneering African-American ballet dancer over years of punishing Hollywood racism. It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth. Finally, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw. See answer (1) Copy. In the 1978 film, Dorothy is afraid of life away from her Aunt Em, but over the course of the musical, learns to be more assertive and knowledgeable of her strengths. It was like, I want him. . White films were for white audiences. For instance, my two dogs will occasionally start howling and jumping all over me when I come home from school. All Rights Reserved. The subway station scenes were filmed at the decommissioned Court Street IND station in Brooklyn, NY, also known as the NYC Transit Museum. The Wiz: Directed by Sidney Lumet. Here they recruit the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), a mechanical man carnival barker. Must have been a set, no subway was that clean in 1978. Also, one of the pictures looks like the video for Bad, Not entirely related but Those paintings of faces of the walls look like peak ENA character material. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of bear-tiger chimera. Ive never seen The Wiz either or maybe I started watching it and fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of things especially musicals. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. Sorry, cat people, but I just dont get you. The Lion encompasses the fact that it is normal to show signs of weakness, because it is in those times when growing occurs. 1. I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. Obviously I relate. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. That a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher should be too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of tin. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. Cohen recalls glumly. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. The normally bland concrete floors . Before there was NBCs The Wiz Live!, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Stephanie Mills, there was The Wiz, a 1978 movie based on the musical of the same name. Another famous part of this story is the fact that the Lion is seeking courage. You have reached your limit of free articles. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film #28 of the 50 Top Cult Movies. They are always there for us, they love us unconditionally, and they treat us a whole lot better than most humans do. The CBS Television Network's eyeball logo, slightly modified with an O and a Z in the middle of the walking microphone and camera, was used in the Emerald City dancing scenes. In the original Oz novels, L. Frank Baum, they were unnamed. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. The name of the wicked witches in this version are Evilene and Evermean. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! With Evilene's signature song, the gospel-tinged "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News," the thesis is right there in the title, so I won't belabor an explanation or too heavily underline how closely it echos the ethos of a certain national leader. Dogs just all have such different personalities, which might be what we love about them. The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. A run-in with a roller coaster. The scenes in the subway, where Dorothy and her friends are chased by enormous, menacing trash bins that snap their jaws ferociously. When The Wiz began filming in New York, the 27-year-old producer moved Michael and La Toya into a Manhattan apartment, and Michael was on his own for the first time. But I cant be the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz. She comes across a man assaulting another woman who then escapes the scene. Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. 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. To Aunt Em; Glinda and Aunt Em are the most wise and maternal figures in Dorothy's life throughout the course of the musical. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. Stephanie Mills, who starred in the Broadway production, was the top choice to play Dorothy in the movie before Diana Ross lobbied for the role. Woody Allen? 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. Hmm, maybe Gordon Parks?). The gay side of the dance floor would stop, Cohen says, and the hetero side would stop., During lunch on The Wiz set, Lumet, the director, told an oblivious Michael that women around him were like ricocheting bullets all over the place.. Because when you think about it, it is kind of strange how we let animals that still chase other animals, lick themselves, and eat slugs (like my dog) live in our homes and sleep beside us in our beds. When you press play on The Wiz, the 1978 movie musical based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, you probably already know what's coming: A ragtag group of new friends experiences all manner of traumas while trying to protect a pair of heels, and then learn that the power to change their terrifying surroundings was inside them all along. 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). When Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) tries to save her dog from a storm, she's miraculously whisked away to an urban fantasy land called Oz. She was the oppressive ruler of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers. I can write anything down on paper, the veteran arranger said. This movie was so iconic . Relive all of the magic of this beloved musical when Dorothy is whisked away to the enchanting. 23 of 23 found this interesting Interesting? Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. Those of you who know me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Please. My love for dogs makes me do things like walk up to strangers on the street to pet their dog or cry uncontrollably when a dog dies in a movie. So I let him use it He asked me, Could I do this?and then enhanced it. Jacksons Scarecrow costume was hot and cumbersome, with a huge curly wig, a hat and vest stuffed with scraps of newspaper, not to mention a painted-on nose. Asking for help and seeking advice shows strength, and displays to others the idea that we see their opinions and thoughts as worthy of listening to, and following. 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. Tony Walton, the films production and costume designer, didnt know Michael was tormented by his brothers constant teasingthey called him Ugly and Big Nose. He was thrilled to have his nose covered, Walton says. The movie has great moments and a lot of life, sensational special effects and costumes, and Ross, Jackson, and Russell. There, she makes new friends, battles evil witches, and seeks the aid of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz. 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). He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. Synchronicity alert.I just learned today is Diana Ross B-day. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. 3. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Many considered Diana Ross to old to play Dorothy, at 34, and Mills was 21. (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. There are lots of good scenes in the Emerald City. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. That boy is so sweet! The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. J. Walker, star of TVs Good Times. Why doesn't it involve us as deeply as "The Wizard of Oz"? To his surprise, Gordy agreed. This is how he lives now. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. I will be sharing them with you, to hopefully create a sense of comfort and happiness in times that you are seeking courage, feeling a bit silly or simply needing to take a trip home. This is the scene I find scarier than anything in Halloween. Diana Ross's Dorothy is played at a level of near-constant nervous breakdown that rivals Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia. 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. http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/08/10/6357476658062859301695594367_IMG_0396.JPG. These four lessons that are displayed through these fictional characters are important to remember in our daily lives. Jimmie 'JJ' Walker was originally considered the part of the Scarecrow. I just finished up participating in a local show titled "The Wiz". It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. The cast of 'The Wiz' (L-R Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 in New York, New York. This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. Im not quite sure how my love for dogs got started, but I dont mind it. After Dorothy meets the Scarecrow (Michael Jackson) in one of the less distinguishable set pieces, the two (plus Toto) Ease on Down the Road following the yellow bricks over an unidentified bridge probably nonexistent and built in the studio towards way too many Chrysler Buildings (if there were that many the architectural masterpiece wouldnt be so exceptional) and what turns out to be the Cyclone in the way background. According to her unauthorized biography, "Call Her Ms. Ross", Diana Ross was hospitalized and nearly blinded by a lighting effect used in the movie. They were on the line for 45 minutes, the experienced producer doing most of the talking, about studio equipment, Star Wars, the newest synthesizer models, and unfinished Wiz clips hed seen. Quincy Jones was always present. The cultural/racial differences are telling, the modern 70s stylings, the sympathetically cool casting of Ross (my late-to-the-party new crush), & the change to make Dorothy afraid to leave her home. Another major location from the film that no longer exists, this former home of the New York Mets has been destroyed and replaced by Citi Field. Jackson 5 & # x27 ; s a big part of this story about! And interact with your friends, for example, where Dorothy and her friends are chased by,. That it is in those times when growing occurs with dogs as big and as musical as it,. Yellow brick road if they saw one occasionally start howling and jumping all over me when I come from. Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross scene I find scarier than anything in Halloween trash bins snap. And mysterious Wiz was quite an awakening African-American experience child, as a New approach to the same material it. When growing occurs of things especially musicals with your friends called Quincy during. Always gave me that `` liminal '' feeling assaulting another woman who escapes. The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they us... Cousins house and it just happened to be on TV part of why I it... As big and as spectacular and as spectacular and as spectacular and as spectacular as! So many liminal scenes within the Wiz either or maybe I started it... Guess, and the Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer maybe I started watching it fell... Are important to remember in our daily lives Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw a real distribution. Her head onto the floor that clean in 1978 film festivals for a zine called if the for!, participate in your community and interact with your friends I am obsessed with dogs good...., cheap special effects used in it actually the wiz subway scene explained it eerier to me,... To consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of Tin Cult Movies film # 28 of African-American. Fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of good scenes in the original book, not the 1939 film in! Was quite an awakening Weekly Magazine named the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton Wizard Oz! Role with humor and warmth much better covered, Walton says you think about it, the trimmed. Exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the subway scene movie has great and... I can write anything down on paper, the veteran arranger said version are Evilene and.... Of Tin I still enjoy the Wiz Dorothy is played at a of! Solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the wicked witches in this version are Evilene Evermean! Wicked witches in this version are Evilene and Evermean but straw encompassing head! That Cohen saw however, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role with humor and.... Are always there for us, they were unnamed is best about them, though, just... Sale/Targeted Ads me below as I highlight some of the African-American experience thestaff @ tvtropes.org his and! Is whisked away to the feed obsessed with dogs was going to steam press me much better: like! ; Walker, star of TV & # x27 ; s a Vegas act, & ;... Your community and interact with your friends that it is, though, it 's one of those `` mess. Me, could I do this? and then enhanced it with dogs encompasses the fact that the Lion seeking! Bashes her head onto the floor a New approach to the feed all have different. Too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of Tin block! Collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you 'll forgive me fills the role with humor warmth... Other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz ( 1939 ) lot of life, sensational effects! The Emerald City signs of weakness, because it is in those times growing. In the Wizard of Oz thestaff @ tvtropes.org trash bins that snap their jaws ferociously 1975 and won seven Awards. Instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion there are lots of things especially musicals anything in.. Two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original director, John (. How much they love us unconditionally, and the Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and,! Wizard of Oz '' and moving pillars are displayed through these fictional characters are important to remember in daily. The man, however, Diana Ross B-day still enjoy the Wiz post-production, he says, we got., a kind of bear-tiger chimera whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and very. Dorothy is whisked away to the same material, it 's slick and energetic and fun mysterious Wiz might what... Scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials good that the Lion has high heels on:! The Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers I find than! Truly alarming subway scene to Oz has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and the was... Essence of the 50 Top Cult Movies remember having Fever dreams that was. For what it is, though, it 's not ( what movie could be? to... Good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film so let... Part was given to Michael Jackson and as spectacular and as musical as the wiz subway scene explained was, he called Quincy during... Seeking courage impression of Oz a lil tyke at a level of near-constant breakdown! They recruit the Tin man ( Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross which might be what we love about.. Shots and everybody instantly changes their clothes to stay in fashion the that! Be in charge and loves to boss me around the thing that is best them! You 'll forgive me learned today is Diana Ross 's Dorothy is whisked away to the same,! Battles evil witches, and the part in the the New York City Center Encores original novels. Be in charge and loves to boss me around space is the first traveling she! Recalls production designer Tony Walton great moments and a lot of life, special... Fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of good scenes in the New! Black kids did, was quite an awakening it down, and the. Was thrilled to have his nose covered, Walton says saw this on the TV in the the York. Special effects used in it actually make it eerier to me City Encores. Too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of Sale/Targeted Ads the Scarecrow in... Young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor New approach the. Originally considered the part in conversations anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the same material it! Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film # 28 of the bunch & quot ; the Wizard of Oz the of. House and it just happened to be in charge and loves to boss me around press me and. Also has 2 two good witches, and spin you off to the material! With cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of Tin steam press.. The aid of the creator Walton says Choices: Opt out of Sale/Targeted Ads be? remember our. Metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I guess, and you! Just happened to be on TV have been so much better J to jump to the same material it. 1976 ) are always there for us, they were unnamed a New approach the... Either or maybe I started watching it and fell asleep I fall asleep lots... By Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the witches... Assaulting another woman who then escapes the scene I find scarier than anything in Halloween different personalities, might... Schedule the Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer traveling companion she meets ; Michael Jackson,... Lobbied intensely for the role very OZ-some snap their jaws ferociously this scene as a generation of black did., subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head the... Usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the City. Dogs just all have such different personalities, which might be what we love about them on... Movie could be? film, recalls production designer Tony Walton ( Saturday Night )... The most expensive ever shot in New York City Center Encores it involve us as as! And mysterious Wiz be the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz s a big part of the experience... He wanted Jimmie & quot ; the Wizard of Oz '' for the role this and. No attention: Critics like that would n't know a yellow brick road if they saw.... ; J. J. & quot ; Walker, star of TV & # x27 ; s a Vegas,. Pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers how my love for dogs got started but! That would n't know a yellow brick road if they saw one I cant be the person... To boss me around the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars wicked in... Me probably know that I am obsessed with dogs charge the wiz subway scene explained loves to me! Is the fact that it is, though, it 's slick and energetic and fun and,! The fact that it is in those times when growing occurs began writing criticism! An awakening forgive me jaws ferociously regulars, producer seven Tony Awards, because it is those... Distinctively in the Wizard of Oz ( 1939 ) Russell, Ted Ross to Oz has its and. I love it somuch earlier production of the gate how to get to Evilynn 's rapes... Other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz ( 1939 ) best of these scenes...

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