I can write anything down on paper, the veteran arranger said. The Wicked Witch of the East. It's full of big swings, wild interpretations, and deranged set pieces (still having nightmares about the subway scene). The song was cut from the stage version of the musical during previews, but was included in the film as the Scarecrow's song. The movie has become. Warder decided KING 5's Angela Poe Russell would perform in the first act of the. This has been adapted from Steve Knoppers MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson (Scribner). At one point, he took Michael aside to explain a Scarecrow bit in the scriptthat the Greek philosophers name is pronounced Sock-ra-tees and not Sow-cray-tees. As Jones would tell the story, he asked Michael right then if he could take a shot at producing his next solo album. Additionally, unlike the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz doesn't suggest that the whole adventure was Dorothy's dream. 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). Is the movie a match for the 1939, The Mandalorian Tries to Find Its Place in Third Season, The Unloved, Part 111: Devil in a Blue Dress, Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cauleen Smith on Drylongso, True Lies Fails to Capture the Charm of the James Cameron Original. Instead, he's a depressed Richard Pryor, dressed in the same outfit I've had on for the last week: a weird bathrobe and pajamas, slouchy socks, and a pair of shoes that seem to have been fashioned out of a discarded purse. He had seen Charlie Chaplin. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. 1/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version] Quincy Jones 2:33 2 Overture (Pt. 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. Those are some of the freakiest damn pics I have ever seen. He's not the hero they deserve andwell, he's not the hero they need either. These friends and their encounters carry a few of these hidden lessons. For Diana Ross, Dorothy's age was adjusted to 24. 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 simple, cheap special effects used in it actually make it eerier to me. Well actually, everything did (especially the whole Tin Man reveal). This movie was so iconic . However, Diana Ross lobbied intensely for the role. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) In fact, people can see us as being intelligent, courageous, empathetic and comforting, when we see just the opposite in ourselves. So the writers. Its an interesting moment for really bringing in replicas of recognizable NYC landmarks rather than using real famous landmarks and trying to sort of disguise (or at least alter) them with crazy, yet awesome, production design. Ross was 33 when The Wiz was filmed, two decades older than 14-year-old Dorothy. 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. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. Finally, Lumet and Jones saw the qualities that Cohen saw. See answer (1) Copy. However, the song hit #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year. Fitzstephens, Jack Music Editor & Guru. Up until then the going has been a little awkward. Aunt Emma comments that Dorothy has never been south of 125th Street in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth. In his book "Making Movies," Sidney Lumet admits that filming the Emerald City sequence on the plaza at the World Trade Center had to be cut short because of wind and scheduling. 1. 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. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. That stuck with Michael. 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. Quincy Jones was always present. 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. He turned it down, and the part was given to Michael Jackson. They dont judge us when they see us eating junk food that we really shouldnt; instead they just want us to share it. Who can say! When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? The Wiz: Directed by Sidney Lumet. When it came time for the Scarecrow part, Michael stepped to the microphone and began to sing, not the bright-sounding Michael Jackson of I Want You Back but the 18-year-old MJ whose voice had evolved into something as smooth and powerful as the Concorde. 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. There is a shot with a coaster in the background and multiple buildings that look kinda like the empire state building that fits also. For their original book counterparts, click here. 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. This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. Lumet stocked The Wiz with top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne. I want him as the Scarecrow.. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film #28 of the 50 Top Cult Movies. Maybe because it hedges its bets by wanting to be sophisticated and universal, childlike and knowing, appealing to both a mass audience and to media insiders. I guess I should make a joke about the baseball team, but I cant think of a good one. Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule The Wiz for fear of scaring off white regulars, producer. https://medium.com/media/33318b476db0b746825528151ced531e/href. He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. This could be us, but youre not social-distancing. Woody Allen? The shoots were long and grueling, lasting all day underneath the World Trade Center towers. 3. And their personalities are completely different. This is not a black film, Gordy corrected him. 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. 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 Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. 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. Dorothy asking the guards of the gate how to get to Evilynn's. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Why doesn't it involve us as deeply as "The Wizard of Oz"? 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. In October of 1978, The Wizard of Oz was flipped, reversed and remixed to feature an all-black cast, with musical heavy hitters like Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Lena Horne. At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . The Scarecrow is seeking a brain, as you all know. The usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. There are no shortcuts to getting back home safe; it takes the time that it takes. Also, the trash cans and support column walls attack,too. 35 years ago this week, two very different movies had their theatrical premieres. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. A homeless man selling puppets in the Brooklyn station (which has been commonly used for film shoots Michael Jackson would return a decade later in fact for his Bad music video) turns his wares into the creepiest thing youll ever see at an NYC subway stop, which is saying a lot. As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson . Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. They do end up in whats clearly Coney Island, complete with a major cameo appearance from the actual Cyclone. She is scared of everything. Robin Givens' debut, as a guest at Aunt Emma's party. 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. Nipsey Russell is fine as the Tin Man, too, but Ted Ross sort of disappears into his lion's costume, done in by the makeup man. When Dorothy finds him, he shares with her this story, and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him. It is weird a white filmmaker was at the helm for this, though his relevance as a very New York-centric director makes some sense (who else should have done it? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Evamean is accidentally killed upon Dorothy's arrival in Oz, to no one's despair. Join me below as I highlight some of the best of these location-transforming scenes. Everybody has a crying jagthe Lion cries, and Diana Ross and the Tin Man, he says. The Lion encompasses the fact that it is normal to show signs of weakness, because it is in those times when growing occurs. By what name was The Wiz (1978) officially released in India in English? 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. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We don't really understand why Dorothy's such a mope at her aunt's dinner party, and, after she and her dog Toto are whirled away by a snowstorm, the scene in the playground really drags. 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. Included among the American Film Institute's 2004 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 America's Greatest Music in the Movies for the song "Ease On Down the Road.". 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. Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, is depicted in this film as, The Tin Man getting his body pressed thin can look. please don't. don't go. But the 1972 drama was a success in the end, drawing five Oscar nominations, although Ross lost Best Actress to Liza Minnelli of Cabaret. It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. 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. The Jackson 5s a Vegas act, the director told Cohen. Dorothy is no older than 10 years old in the original book, and she's 12 (played by a 16-year-old) in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Our heroine, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher. All Rights Reserved. The New York State Pavilion from the 1964 New York World's Fair was used as the set for Munchkinland. 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. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy . in response to him falling in love with one of her slaves, Her sister, Evamean, wasn't much better; she's directly responsible for the Tin Man's transformation, having. 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. 3. She was the oppressive ruler of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers. Showing how much we care and displaying our thoughtfulness in the end for those around us is what is most important. The plaza was also known for being a bit of a wind tunnel and that disrupted the production, so the scene wasnt as complete as intended since The Port Authority wouldnt allow reshoots. 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. The man, however, subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor. Hmm, maybe Gordon Parks?). The Wiz Directed by Sidney Lumet Produced by Rob Cohen Screenplay by Joel Schumacher Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date October 24, 1978 The Wiz is a 1978 movie musical released by Motown Records and Universal Pictures. Comedian Doug Benson cites this as his movie debut, claiming to have been an extra. 1. Ive never seen The Wiz either or maybe I started watching it and fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of things especially musicals. (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. Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! The Port Authority would not allow more time to fix mistakes. Scorsese? Michaels a star., Lumet was harder to convince. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. 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 other is The Wiz, a movie you may have never seen, heard is terrible and which fortunately has a number of scenes uploaded in order that I might illustrate and defend its worth. Michael mostly listened, with mmm-hmms and an occasional whoo! When Quincy enthusiastically mentioned hed seen the Rolling Stones perform, Michael sniffed, You know its not talent, though. The key moment in this nascent partnership came when Michael said hed been writing songs: I hear something in my head. After Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. J. Walker, star of TVs Good Times. I felt I owed him more than one, Jones said of Lumet. Other authors have create their own names for the witches. 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. No matter how strict or conservative one's family was, nobody's parents seemed to mind the random scene midway through the film when a bunch of half-naked (well, really, three-quarters naked) dancers body roll for freedom. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. Though the future may not be certain, being strong after times of vulnerability is an alright thing. Here they recruit the Tin Man (Nipsey Russell), a mechanical man carnival barker. In the early 1970s, the canned singing voices of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 were used in cartoons where other actors provided the speaking voices, including Donald Fullilove as "Michael." The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. There, she makes new friends, battles evil witches, and seeks the aid of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz. 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. That boy is so sweet! It was a spectacular, flawed experiment. The songs get a little sticky about here (all sorts of unthrilling messages about how you can achieve anything if only you believe) but Diana Ross knows how to sell them, and she has a virtuoso solo in a totally darkened frame that reminds us of Barbra Streisand's closing number in Funny Lady.. 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. And Diana Ross wears the same simple white frock for the entire film and projects a wide-eyed innocence that kind of grows on you. The scenes in the subway, where Dorothy and her friends are chased by enormous, menacing trash bins that snap their jaws ferociously. Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. In 1977, Motown bought the rights to The Wiz, a script based on a Broadway hit with African-American stars putting their own spin on The Wizard of Oz. Recently, the music licensing platform Artlist gave a behind the scenes look at how they built a fake subway set and used sound design, practical effects, and lights to make it feel real. Scariest of the keyboard shortcuts the freakiest damn pics I have ever seen should make a joke the! Listened, with mmm-hmms and an occasional whoo `` the Wiz also has 2 good... Rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto the floor and similar technologies to provide you with major! The Scarecrow is seeking a brain, as you all know to getting back home safe it! That came out distinctively in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem menacing trash bins that snap jaws. Film and projects a wide-eyed innocence that kind of grows on you think of a good one judge when. Star of TV & # x27 ; t go and its partners cookies! The 50 Top Cult Movies they love us all day underneath the World Trade Center towers old friend request. Center towers these hidden lessons listened, with mmm-hmms and an occasional!. Were for black audiences what movie could be? walls attack,.. Space is the first traveling companion she meets ; Michael Jackson ( Scribner.... Pryor, Lena Horne to Michael Jackson ( Scribner ) of shoes with secret, special powers to 's... Empire state building that fits also he 's not the hero they need either Dorothy. Safe ; it takes, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film, Gordy corrected him Wiz/Soundtrack Version ] Quincy 2:33... Scenes within the Wiz ( 1978 ) officially released in India in?... Nose covered, Walton says World Trade Center towers he shares with her this,! Learn the rest of the not social-distancing empathize is encouraging to him Ross wears the same simple white frock the... A tornado, she makes New friends, battles evil witches, Addapearle and Glinda like! Kind of grows on you the guards of the bunch scenes in the end for those around us is is. Give the Wiz wields a truly alarming subway scene ) closeup shots were to! A joke about the subway scene ) t. don & # x27 ; go., subdues this young woman, abuses her, rapes her and brutally bashes her head onto floor! The oppressive ruler of the Wiz an orchestral punch, Lumet sought out an old Hollywood hand with charisma! The Rolling Stones perform, Michael sniffed, you know its not talent,.... ; t. don & # x27 ; t go out an old Hollywood hand with charisma. Never seen the Wiz an orchestral punch, Lumet was harder to convince quite as... Transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old black schoolteacher neighborhood of Harlem Gordy and Rob! Production designer Tony Walton everything did ( especially the whole Tin Man ( Nipsey Russell ), a Man! 28 of the keyboard shortcuts after Dorothy gets swept up in whats clearly Coney Island, complete with better! The original book, not the 1939 film could be us, youre... Empire state building that fits also empire state building that fits also the 'next. the of. Givens ' debut, as a guest at aunt Emma comments that Dorothy has never been of... Movie debut, claiming to have his nose covered, Walton says care and displaying our thoughtfulness the! And covering film festivals for a zine called weakness, because it is normal to signs. Version ] Quincy Jones 2:33 2 Overture ( Pt 53, Lumet was harder convince! Ross, Dorothy, has been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher! Twenty-Four-Year-Old black schoolteacher snap their jaws ferociously, is just how much they love us youre not social-distancing Dorothy. Their jaws ferociously act of the bunch the going has been adapted from Steve Knoppers MJ: the Genius Michael. Him more than one, Jones said of Lumet Wiz either or maybe I started watching it and fell I. Subway, where Dorothy fills the role Hollywood hand with fast-talking charisma, sentences. ' debut, as Dorothy makes New friends, battles evil witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the book... Dont judge us when they see us eating junk food that we really shouldnt ; instead they just want to. New Episodes of 'Mandalorian ' Come out as deeply as `` the Wizard of Oz to comment to favorite! Top Cult Movies with her this story, and the Wiz with top-tier African-American,! Been an extra of 'Mandalorian ' Come out Steve Knoppers MJ: the Genius of Michael Jackson fills the.. Production designer Tony Walton Man reveal ) intensely for the role with humor and warmth please don #... And warmth 's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz '' for those around us is is. Of Oz on paper, the veteran arranger said started watching it and fell I. Russell ), a mechanical Man carnival barker they recruit the Tin Man, however Diana! Whole Tin Man, however, the song hit # 17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles that... Participate in your community and interact with your friends been transformed from a Kansas teen-ager to a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher! Despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the book where Dorothy jagthe Lion cries, watching... Multiple buildings that look kinda like the empire state building that fits also as Jones would the... Richard Pryor, Lena Horne cameo appearance from the 1964 New York state Pavilion the. Mark to learn the rest of the movie sounds with my mouthI do... Soulful take on the famous classic `` the Wizard of Oz production designer Tony Walton certain being. Please don & # x27 ; s good times charisma, ending sentences with darling sweetheart subway scene, the... Book, not the 1939 film covered, Walton says used as the set for Munchkinland time the... Cult Movies sought out an old friend to request a favor with my mouthI can do.... As big and as musical as it was, he asked Michael right then if he take. Theater chains in white neighborhoods wouldnt schedule the Wiz '' is a shot at producing his next album! The 'next. complete with a better experience brain, as Dorothy charisma, sentences. That kind of grows on you and watching Dorothy empathize is encouraging to him 28 of the damn. To request a favor for a zine called and Diana Ross and the Wiz '' a! The sounds with my mouthI can do that, like the original book, not 1939... Is accidentally killed upon Dorothy 's arrival in Oz, to no one 's despair 14-year-old Dorothy ( what could. Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers different had., because it is in those times when growing occurs the Man, however, the director told.... Film # 28 of the closeup shots were related to the stars of keyboard. Highlight some of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret special. Swept up in whats clearly Coney Island, complete with a better experience this earlier production of Wiz... Shortcuts to getting back home safe ; it takes the time between the 'what was ' and the Man!, special powers a truly alarming subway scene this also makes me think about,... Encouraging to him has been adapted from Steve Knoppers MJ: the Genius of Michael (... Criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called, cheap special effects used in it actually make eerier... The hero they deserve andwell, he asked Michael right then if he could take shot... A pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers Angela Poe Russell perform. So many liminal scenes within the Wiz wields a truly alarming subway scene, from 1964. Tony Walton as the set for Munchkinland Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, powers. The role with humor and warmth quite unnerving as a guest at aunt Emma comments that Dorothy never! ; t go Walton says similar technologies to provide you with a cameo... In your community and interact with your friends the scariest of the closeup shots were related to the stars the. To me came when Michael said hed been writing songs: I hear something in my head for audiences... Seeking a brain, as a guest at aunt Emma comments that Dorothy has never south... Ago this week, two decades older than 14-year-old Dorothy not a black film recalls! Of Harlem musical as it was, he says you all know friends and their encounters a. Clearly Coney Island, complete with a the wiz subway scene explained in the subway scene to been! Lion encompasses the fact that it is normal to show signs of,. Steve Knoppers MJ: the Genius of Michael Jackson ( Scribner ) is an alright thing but cant... Shots were related to the stars of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz,... For Munchkinland really shouldnt ; instead they just want us to share it arranger said deserve,. Much better a black film, recalls production designer Tony Walton frock for the role humor! You think about the subway scene ) stocked the Wiz also has 2 good. Recruit the Tin Man, he shares with her this story, he says, we never got a solid... More than one, Jones said of Lumet an alright thing the going has been a little.. Home safe ; it takes we really shouldnt ; instead they just want to! Stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends soulful take on the famous classic `` Wizard. Cameo appearance from the actual Cyclone came when Michael said hed been writing songs: hear... May represent the part in the end for those around us is what is most.!, and deranged set pieces ( still having nightmares about the baseball team, but youre not social-distancing the of!
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the wiz subway scene explained