Dorothy is extremely reluctant to leave Aunt Em's home and branch out by herself in the 1978 film. 2. 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? 4. She then comes across the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion on her journey to Oz, so that she can see the Wizard who will hopefully take her back home again. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. 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. Diana Ross and Richard Pryor had previously appeared together in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. . I live here all alone. There are no shortcuts to getting back home safe; it takes the time that it takes. The subway station scenes were filmed at the decommissioned Court Street IND station in Brooklyn, NY, also known as the NYC Transit Museum. The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. Ultimately, Dorothy finds that, if you believe with all your heart, you can always find your way home. It all happened. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. 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. Ive never seen The Wiz either or maybe I started watching it and fell asleep I fall asleep in lots of things especially musicals. Instead its one of the many wonderful sets built at the newly reopened Kaufman Astoria Studios inQueens. The red sequence had to be shortened due to a lighting error, and there was no time to re-shoot. 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. The Wiz 's metaphors exist beyond an examination of character traits. It's full of big swings, wild interpretations, and deranged set pieces (still having nightmares about the subway scene). 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 The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the citys landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. Must have been a set, no subway was that clean in 1978. 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. 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. The rest of the club took notice whenever Michael Jackson danced. In 1965, Diana Ross and The Supremes performed as a warmup act for Judy Garland at the Astrodome theater in Houston. 2/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Quincy Jones 2:00 3 The Feeling That We Have (The Wiz/Soundtrack Version) Theresa Merritt 3:30 4 Can I Go On? The Wiz is a 1978 American musical adventure fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet. As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. 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. 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. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. Lumet stocked The Wiz with top-tier African-American talentRoss, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne. 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. 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. 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. 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 usually exuberant Lumet became despondenta quality that came out distinctively in the film, recalls production designer Tony Walton. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson . Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Woody Allen? Ease on down the yellow-brick road with The Wiz, starring superstars Diana Ross and Michael Jackson! .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? The dramatic score further increases the scare factor, especially when an unseen lady vocalizes a scream. I felt I owed him more than one, Jones said of Lumet. 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. 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. Why doesn't it involve us as deeply as "The Wizard of Oz"? I li. Looks to be one of the abandoned outer platforms and mezzanine of the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts station in Downtown Brooklyn. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Cohen recalls glumly. Chrysler Buildinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Thats a big part of why I love it somuch. "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". 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. 23 of 23 found this interesting Interesting? The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the city's landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. These friends and their encounters carry a few of these hidden lessons. Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. There are lots of good scenes in the Emerald City. Oooh yeah! Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense, John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV. Those are some of the freakiest damn pics I have ever seen. The Scarecrow, described in one review as looking like he escaped from an especially creepy. How this guy isnt a steampunk icon, I dont know. Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! This is how he lives now. 3. The Jackson 5s a Vegas act, the director told Cohen. I make the sounds with my mouthI can do that. Quincy became excited. All dogs. Michael Martin, known as Iz the Wiz, was a prolific embellisher of New York subway cars, including this one painted in 1982. But the 1972 drama was a success in the end, drawing five Oscar nominations, although Ross lost Best Actress to Liza Minnelli of Cabaret. Relive all of the magic. So the writers. That a twenty-four-year-old schoolteacher should be too sophisticated to consort with cowardly lions and scarecrows and men made out of tin. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. Motown Productions bought the rights to the stage show, intending to cast Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. For their original book counterparts, click here. The New York State Pavilion from the 1964 New York World's Fair was used as the set for Munchkinland. Some churlish souls suggested, however, that The Wiz strains our credibility too much. 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. 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. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! 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. Jones made his move on the set. We often stray off of our paths, and we can't always find our way back easily. Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. Hmm, maybe Gordon Parks?). In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. Any dog. In Jackson 5ive: The Wizard of Soul (1971), Michael played the Dorothy role in a Wizard of Oz spoof. R. Eric Thomas is a columnist for ELLE.com, where he skewers politics, pop culture, celebrity shade, and schadenfreude. But I cant be the only person with an appreciation for TheWiz. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. The characters of The Wiz. I owed him a lot.. It had a great concept (an African-American take on The Wizard of Oz in which the characters dont follow the yellow brick road, they ease on down it), a strong director (Sidney Lumet, whod just done Dog Day Afternoon and Network) and a solid cast (Diana Ross as Dorothy, Richard Pryor as the Wiz, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man). 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). Quincy Jones was always present. 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). Not everyone was appreciative. Michael Jacksons a Vegas act. 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. 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. 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. The Wiz also has 2 two good witches, Addapearle and Glinda, like the original book, not the 1939 film. 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. You might've seen the commercial before, but if you haven't, check it out below. Lots of graffiti people, drawn on the walls, come to life and dance about like a Broadway chorus line (which, of course, they are), and then Dorothy finally finds her first yellow brick. This could be us, but youre not social-distancing. The movie. They just sit there beside you when you have had a rough day and lean over to give you a little lick on the hand just to let you know they are there. 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. However, the dramatic irony of the Scarecrows situation is that he is in fact one of the most knowledgeable characters and he simply does not know it. 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