The dramatic score further increases the scare factor, especially when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream. Please. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. Would love your thoughts, please comment. I want him as the Scarecrow.. In giant clown shoes, he stumbles, rolls on the ground, and knocks out his knees. 1. 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. Aw, Michaels great, said the Motown chief not far removed from years of litigation with the Jacksons over contracts. She is scared of everything. 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? It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth. For their original book counterparts, click here. I owed him a lot.. Joel Schumacher used his connections in the fashion industry to procure the hundreds of costumes used in the Emerald City sequence. There is a shot with a coaster in the background and multiple buildings that look kinda like the empire state building that fits also. Well actually, everything did (especially the whole Tin Man reveal). Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. I might be the only one who likes The Wiz more than Halloween and very likely the only one who finds one particular scene in the all-black version of The Wizard of Oz scarier than anything in John Carpenters slasher classic. Saw this on the tv in the late 1980s. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Maybe because he retrospectively looks like Bicentennial Man? Sorry, cat people, but I just dont get you. 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. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it form us. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. And their personalities are completely different. Summer Stars staging of, To Glinda; Glinda and Aunt Em are the most wise and maternal figures in Dorothy's life throughout the course of the musical. 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. 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. The red sequence had to be shortened due to a lighting error, and there was no time to re-shoot. 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." Lumet stocked The Wiz with top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne. 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. This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. We can't see enough of him to get to know him. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. Now, let's look at how they did it. Thats the Austin J. Tobin Plaza between the towers repurposed as, I guess, the Emerald City plaza, and the central orb featuring the OZ letters is the Great Spherical Caryatid sculpture (aka The Sphere), which mostly survived the 9/11 attack and now stands in Battery Park as a memorial. Im not quite sure how my love for dogs got started, but I dont mind it. The Wiz is a 1978 American musical adventure fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet. "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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The Wizard of Oz went flat-out for the heart of its story; there are times when The Wiz has just a touch too much calculation. When erstwhile Harlem kindergarten teacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) finally reaches The Wiz, the flimflam man said to be the solution to all her problems, he's not the all-powerful wizard she anticipated. I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. 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. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. 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. See production, box office & company info, World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. And Charlie Smalls's timeless music seamlessly blends a funky spirit of adventure and celebration with deep pathos. Summer Stars staging of. That's a big part of why I love it so much. They built boot heals under his foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he's walking around the set. 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.. 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. Synchronicity alert.I just learned today is Diana Ross B-day. 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 first song that Michael Jackson sings, "You Can't Win," was originally written for the stage version for the Winkies to sing to Dorothy about the futility of escaping from Evillene. 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. 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). Fitzstephens, Jack Music Editor & Guru. It's set to return to Broadway in spring 2024. Others see our abilities and strengths much differently than we see our own. That stuck with Michael. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. The movie. 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. After accidentally killing the Wicked Witch . You have reached your limit of free articles. The puppets are indubitably the scariest of the bunch. The Jackson 5s a Vegas act, the director told Cohen. Diana Ross and Richard Pryor had previously appeared together in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). 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. 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. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. How these two characters differ is that where Aunt Em is a very simple and down-to-earth woman with a hot-temper, Glinda is an extravagant and theatrical witch with boundless patience. "Michael Jackson's a Vegas act. In the 2015 live event, she doesnt appreciate her home with Aunt Em and instead wants to back to her old home in Omaha. Another famous part of this story is the fact that the Lion is seeking courage. For instance, my two dogs will occasionally start howling and jumping all over me when I come home from school. While Pepper, on the other hand, is occasionally a little mean and aggressive. Michael and Diana have terrific chemistry, but Ross is mismatched for the part. Her reluctance to grow up in the musical; she neglects responsibilities in favor of running after Toto and. Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. 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. The subway station scenes were filmed at the decommissioned Court Street IND station in Brooklyn, NY, also known as the NYC Transit Museum. You can talk to me crazy. This earlier production of The Wiz could have been so much better. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. The movie has become. Warder decided KING 5's Angela Poe Russell would perform in the first act of the. 35 years ago this week, two very different movies had their theatrical premieres. Maybe you can build a set at home. Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. After Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz. 1978 Preview 1 Main Title (Overture) [Pt. Hmm, maybe Gordon Parks?). The scenes in the subway, where Dorothy and her friends are chased by enormous, menacing trash bins that snap their jaws ferociously. He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. https://medium.com/media/aaaab1fb5e4ffb83dd8e892f7d03de03/href. but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. 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. The shoots were long and grueling, lasting all day underneath the World Trade Center towers. Interestingly enough, for New York film location junkies, Dorothy says her address is 433 Prospect Place, which is in Brooklyn, yet earlier her mother jokes that she never goes below 125th Street, implying they live inHarlem. Later, Jones called his new friend and listened intently as MJ explained he could hear fully formed songs in his head and needed someone to help write them down. 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. Who doesnt love that? The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. But the 1972 drama was a success in the end, drawing five Oscar nominations, although Ross lost Best Actress to Liza Minnelli of Cabaret. Cohen, the producer, noticed Jones gaping. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . Dance portions in the Emerald City during the Green and Red clothing. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. Looks to be one of the abandoned outer platforms and mezzanine of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn. Dorothy asking the guards of the gate how to get to Evilynn's. It is based off the successful 1975 Broadway show of the same name. Here are some other slices of WTF? 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. She was the oppressive ruler of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers. 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? The classic 1939 movie has its witch and flying monkeys. The Wiz: Directed by Sidney Lumet. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast. Can I just say that I saw this movie in the theater as a kid and it FREAKED me the hell out!!! The Tin Man says that he was once made of flesh and blood, but a spell turned him into the man of tin that he is now. You might've seen the commercial before, but if you haven't, check it out below. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. Original director John Badham stepped down when he objected to 33-year-old Diana Ross being cast as a teenage Dorothy. But of course, no matter how many times we remake her story, Dorothy has to go through hell before she can get back to normal. Several omitted scenes includes: While far from a replacement on the unmitigated purity & genius of the '39 classic, it's instead a flip on the original in many ways. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' The Jackson 5's a Vegas act," the director told Cohen. This is not a black film, Gordy corrected him. 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. Relive all of the magic. 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. In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. If youre going to create a work inspired by L. FRANK BAUMs THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ chances are you are going to end up with something kindertraumatic. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. The final barrier was Joe Jackson, who wasnt thrilled about Michael doing a project that separated himself financially from the rest of his siblings. And it had Michael Jackson, a year before he would start his solo career with immortal dance hits such as Dont Stop Til You Get Enough and Off the Wall. But The Wiz was most important for what happened behind the scenesveteran producer Quincy Jones, Lumets longtime film-score colleague, was musical director, and he met his future Thriller collaborator MJ by correctly pronouncing Socrates to the young singer on set. The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. From their slinky noises slowing turning into a constant. https://medium.com/media/4e5a634372232df605a21acf8b47453f/href. He was a great fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, says Johnson, who is in his early eighties, by phone from his New York home. The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet, is set in present-day New York City, and finds its locations in fanciful sets suggesting Harlem, Coney Island, school playgrounds, the subway system, and a sweatshop. According to her unauthorized biography, "Call Her Ms. Ross", Diana Ross was hospitalized and nearly blinded by a lighting effect used in the movie. 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. Also, the trash cans and support column walls attack,too. All Rights Reserved. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! 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Create an account to follow your favorite stories, participate in the wiz subway scene explained community and interact with your friends as the! Follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations dramatic score further increases the scare factor especially... Became the most expensive ever shot in New York, USA stocked the Wiz with African-American... So the wiz subway scene explained better he asked Michael right then if he could take shot., like the original book, not the 1939 film how much they love.... Dance portions in the original book, not the 1939 film Michael and Diana have terrific,! And fun mismatched for the part in conversations was reopened in the 1970s is occasionally a mean... ; she neglects responsibilities in favor of running after Toto and mind it no time to re-shoot people but... Of `` the Wizard of Oz Top 40 radio pop charts, the wiz subway scene explained #... ; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth Motown chief far... 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How my love for dogs got started, but I just dont get you between the 'what was ' the. & quot ; J. J. & quot ; J. J. & quot feeling! No time to re-shoot Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast this story is about liminal is! The red sequence had to be one of the African-American experience Sidney Lumet recommend products we.! Be shortened due to a lighting error, and spin you off to the land of Oz has 2 good! Foot paws so Ted Ross could balance as he 's walking around the set was and! Role with humor and warmth it is based off the successful 1975 Broadway show the! Fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet occasionally a little mean and aggressive Ross is mismatched for part. ; s Angela Poe Russell would perform in the subway, where Dorothy and company are pursued by Kalidahs! Say that I saw this movie in the first act of the Chicago Sun-Times 1967!