The Wizard of Oz. What do you think of it?
- Thread starter Dream
- Start date
I watched about twelve minutes of Tin Man while folding laundry and wanted to stab my eyes out.
I agree.
At the most, I thought it was going to be a sequel. It was just a lame re-imagining and after about twenty five minutes I couldn't take anymore.
The chick from HHGtTG was just WOEFUL as Dorothy or fucking DJ or whatever post-modern moniker they wanted to give her.
It was ugly and soulless.
I liked the cast and the production values were nice considering that the budget probably was not grandiose. But the writing could have used a lot of work.
There was something about it that made me think it had the potential to be Farscape-like, except in the fantasy realm rather than sci fi, if it had become a series and had better writing.
Zoe Deschanel's character could have used more definition - was there a reason she acted a bit like an airbrained zombie? If there was a story purpose to it, it might have come off better. I can see the logic behind an alien princess not acting like a normal, common person, but it just needed more thought put into it and better execution.
^ My hubby and I have watched "Tin Man". Not bad, but not as good as the original movie. This is one of my favorite movies, and now it's my daughter's favorite movie. We have the dvd, and I saw that there is a collector's set out there now. Is it worth it?
She has the Marie Osmond Woz dolls, plus she also has the dolls that came out last spring that were apart of the McDonald's Happy Meal collection. I've been thinking of is getting her the Barbie version of the Woz..(it has the 4 main characters, then Glinda, and the Wicked Witch).
I brought her the first book, and I've been reading it to her. This is the first time that I've read the book (seen the movie countless of times), just never noticed how dark the book really is (I'm thinking of the Tin Man), but nonetheless, it's still a good book.
She has the Marie Osmond Woz dolls, plus she also has the dolls that came out last spring that were apart of the McDonald's Happy Meal collection. I've been thinking of is getting her the Barbie version of the Woz..(it has the 4 main characters, then Glinda, and the Wicked Witch).
I brought her the first book, and I've been reading it to her. This is the first time that I've read the book (seen the movie countless of times), just never noticed how dark the book really is (I'm thinking of the Tin Man), but nonetheless, it's still a good book.
The Wizard of Oz rocks. That is all.
Well if it was animated then people wouldn't compare it so much to the original Judy Garland WoOZ. Which might be a good thing and they don't have to go the Jim Henson route of making puppets and full body costumes. While I would really enjoy a live action, I fear that someone like Tim Burton or Del Toro would go and really douche it up and make it some dark, twisted scary ass fantasy and make people go "what the f- did I just watch?"
I mean sure it was dark and twisted and scary, but I don't think we need Goth-Alice and Emo Scarecrow. Probably played by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. With someone like I dunno Jackie Earle Haley playing the Tin Man. Possibly homosexual.
This movie stood on its own and even though it wasn't 100% true to the source, it still held up as a movie that really stood the test of time.
I mean sure it was dark and twisted and scary, but I don't think we need Goth-Alice and Emo Scarecrow. Probably played by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. With someone like I dunno Jackie Earle Haley playing the Tin Man. Possibly homosexual.
This movie stood on its own and even though it wasn't 100% true to the source, it still held up as a movie that really stood the test of time.
Wizard of Oz - Love it!
Tin Man - Barely made it through 15 minutes, blech.
Wicked (Stage version) - Excellent score. So-so book (dialogue)
Wicked (Book) - Lazy writing. The author does this all the time. Taking the point of view of a character from an already existing story. Lazy writing. Cashing in on someone else's imagination and work. Try creating some original characters in an original story. Probably can't.
--Ted
Tin Man - Barely made it through 15 minutes, blech.
Wicked (Stage version) - Excellent score. So-so book (dialogue)
Wicked (Book) - Lazy writing. The author does this all the time. Taking the point of view of a character from an already existing story. Lazy writing. Cashing in on someone else's imagination and work. Try creating some original characters in an original story. Probably can't.
--Ted
Already been done.
Read the first page of "Wicked" and we have the lion and Tin Man laying down in a field of poppies, almost making out with each other.
Come on - you KNOW they were both pretty gay to start off with, right?
Dusty Ayres
Commodore
Let me guess; they also forced you to watch Brian's Song with a couple of other personnel and discuss the themes in it (much like what happened to Colin Powell during his time in Korea in the 1970's)?
I've never read Wicked or seen the musical; I had the chance to see it in London last year with my sister. She had already seen it, loved it, and was open to seeing it again with me, but I wanted to take in a show that neither of us had seen before. We settled on We Will Rock You.If Wicked comes back to Toronto at some point, I may go see it.
Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. If Livent was still around, there most likely might be a local production of Wicked taking up residence at the Canon Theater or at the Princess Of Wales or the Elgin, but that seems likely to happen as the Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, thanks to that dickweed Garth Drabinsky.
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I thought Tin Man was incredible and I loved every minute of it, especially some of the revelations near the end. Although I didn't expect this version to be a musical, it easily could have been considering Zooey Deschenel is an acclaimed singer with the band She and He when she isn't acting, and Alan Cumming is a stage musical actor.
As for the original film, it's always been one of my favorites. It was a perfect storm of talent and music, and whoever had the foresight to make it in color (they didn't have to) deserves a medal since the film has even managed to transcend that one big barrier for many of today's audiences.
The film also managed to avoid some of the real pitfalls that have prevented so many classic films (and I mean that in the proper sense, not the way "classic" is applied by some to anything that is "old") from being accepted by today's audiences. Aside from the B&W issue, lots of films are shunned by today's audiences either because of some element that today is considered racist (i.e. The Jazz Singer because of its blackface performances) or politically incorrect (any film in which a character - horror of horrors! - smokes! Did you know someone wanted an R-rating put on Casablanca because characters smoke? Idiocy.) And the music, while undeniably a product of its time -- Over the Rainbow was as much about the hopes and dreams of people looking to a post-Great Depression future as it was a girl wanting to leave the farm -- has managed to transcend time as well. The one song that might have truly dated the film -- The Jitterbug -- was the one they cut (someone must have borrowed a crystal ball from someplace).
I've tried getting into other adaptations of Oz, but it hasn't worked for me. Return to Oz was just too dark for my taste (though in retrospect I now see it as an early - possibly one of the first - instances of the "BSG-style reimagining" genre). The Wiz had some good moments but missed the mark more often than it hit it. I'm not interested in Wicked so I can't comment on that one.
As for Baum's novels? I read the original book a few years ago and thought it was actually rather dull. Maybe it's the years of conditioning from hearing the Cowardly Lion singing I'm the King of the Forest and seeing Ray Bolger dancing, but without these elements, the book felt lacking to me. And that's a shame because I know the Oz books were the Harry Potters of their day (in more ways than one --just like Rowling's books, they appear to be kids fairytales on the surface but are actually much darker and complex stories. In fact Baum might be one of the first writers to have created his own consistent fictional universe after Doyle). Maybe what I should do is read one of the later stories and then go back...
Alex
As for the original film, it's always been one of my favorites. It was a perfect storm of talent and music, and whoever had the foresight to make it in color (they didn't have to) deserves a medal since the film has even managed to transcend that one big barrier for many of today's audiences.
The film also managed to avoid some of the real pitfalls that have prevented so many classic films (and I mean that in the proper sense, not the way "classic" is applied by some to anything that is "old") from being accepted by today's audiences. Aside from the B&W issue, lots of films are shunned by today's audiences either because of some element that today is considered racist (i.e. The Jazz Singer because of its blackface performances) or politically incorrect (any film in which a character - horror of horrors! - smokes! Did you know someone wanted an R-rating put on Casablanca because characters smoke? Idiocy.) And the music, while undeniably a product of its time -- Over the Rainbow was as much about the hopes and dreams of people looking to a post-Great Depression future as it was a girl wanting to leave the farm -- has managed to transcend time as well. The one song that might have truly dated the film -- The Jitterbug -- was the one they cut (someone must have borrowed a crystal ball from someplace).
I've tried getting into other adaptations of Oz, but it hasn't worked for me. Return to Oz was just too dark for my taste (though in retrospect I now see it as an early - possibly one of the first - instances of the "BSG-style reimagining" genre). The Wiz had some good moments but missed the mark more often than it hit it. I'm not interested in Wicked so I can't comment on that one.
As for Baum's novels? I read the original book a few years ago and thought it was actually rather dull. Maybe it's the years of conditioning from hearing the Cowardly Lion singing I'm the King of the Forest and seeing Ray Bolger dancing, but without these elements, the book felt lacking to me. And that's a shame because I know the Oz books were the Harry Potters of their day (in more ways than one --just like Rowling's books, they appear to be kids fairytales on the surface but are actually much darker and complex stories. In fact Baum might be one of the first writers to have created his own consistent fictional universe after Doyle). Maybe what I should do is read one of the later stories and then go back...
Alex
It's okay. I always liked the books more. The box set DVD release is almost worth getting for the silent film versions alone.
Ditto, though not on the crit of Deschanel.
I once had to do some research into the history of The Wizard of Oz and found out several interesting facts, such as the 1939 film is not the "original" film. It was, in fact, the 3rd remake of the original film, wshich was created in 1910.
Baum's books are pretty universally acknowledged to be poorly written. It's a bit of an overstatement to call them the Harry Potter of their time since Harry Potter is largely distinguished by its popularity and Baum's book languished in obscurity after being published in 1900 until the stage play adaptation in 1902 created a following, which sparked Baum to then write the 13 other Oz books. But they were never nearly as popular as the performed versions, and certainly were nothing like the phenomenon of the Harry Potter books. Baum and Oz have been credited, however, with essentially creating the market for chldren's literature and entertainment aimed primarily at families, which did not exist prior to the stage play becoming wildly popular with that audience.
Let me guess; they also forced you to watch Brian's Song with a couple of other personnel and discuss the themes in it (much like what happened to Colin Powell during his time in Korea in the 1970's)?
I've never read Wicked or seen the musical; I had the chance to see it in London last year with my sister. She had already seen it, loved it, and was open to seeing it again with me, but I wanted to take in a show that neither of us had seen before. We settled on We Will Rock You.
Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. If Livent was still around, there most likely might be a local production of Wicked taking up residence at the Canon Theater or at the Princess Of Wales or the Elgin, but that seems likely to happen as the Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, thanks to that dickweed Garth Drabinsky.
Actually no. He just couldn't believe that someone 24 years old had never seen the Wizard of Oz. And I actually lived when the Wizard of Oz was shown like clockwork every years.
I actually had read the entire series of Wizard of Oz books, but never really wanted to watch the movie. It was usually on opposite of westerns, which I prefered.
...how many others have tried the legendary synch-up trick with Dark Side of the Moon? It's kinda scarily effective, actually.
They actually did that at this famous old movie palace in Richmond, VA when I was living there, but I didn't get a chance to see it.
I keep meaning to.
As someone who read the books early on, I don't know, the musical always struck me as as bit too cutesy for my taste. (Yeah, I'm a grumpy old cuss) About all I remember of the movie from my childhood was watching the annual Sunday night broadcast, only to be dissapointed by the big 'To Be Continued' right in the middle. I'd always forget to watch part 2 the next night.
As for Wicked the book, I'm afraid I kind of stalled a few chapters in. It was just so damn grim and boring.
As for Wicked the book, I'm afraid I kind of stalled a few chapters in. It was just so damn grim and boring.
Years ago there was a biopic film that starred John Ritter as L. Frank Baum. I remember seeing it and liking it at the time but it's been so long I can't recall specifics. I think it showed how real life events (which I'm sure were just made up for the film) inspired him to create various Oz elements.
Does anyone else remember it?
Does anyone else remember it?