the wiz subway scene explained

The movie became the most expensive ever shot in New York City at the time. The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. 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. While Pepper, on the other hand, is occasionally a little mean and aggressive. One of these days Ill get around to seeing the whole flick. 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. The scene in which the Cowardly Lion emerges from one of the statues in front of the main research branch of the New York Public Library was shot on a set instead of the actual location because it was logistically impossible to film an entire scene devoid of people, save the main actors, without traffic and pedestrians getting in the way of the production. This movie changed Dorothy's shoes from ruby slippers back to silver slippers, as in the original L. Frank Baum story. Who doesnt love that? He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. 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. And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. He even breaks free from the sculpture in a way that might make you think of another part of Ghostbusters, near the end. See answer (1) Copy. 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. If the metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you'll forgive me. 1/The Wiz/Soundtrack Version] Quincy Jones 2:33 2 Overture (Pt. A reimagining of L. Frank Baum 's classic 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an all African-American cast, the film was adapted from the 1974 Broadway musical of the same title. "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. I remember having fever dreams that someone was going to steam press me. Alla Nipsey Russell! The thing that is best about them, though, is just how much they love us. 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. The other was the Australian Twentieth Century Oz (1976). Mabel King was then starring in What's Happening!! 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. Cohen, the producer, noticed Jones gaping. When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. 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. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles. 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. 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. 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 no shortcuts to getting back home safe; it takes the time that it takes. In 2003, Entertainment Weekly Magazine named the film #28 of the 50 Top Cult Movies. She comes across a man assaulting another woman who then escapes the scene. (It cut from RIchard Pryor peeking out to the time clock at the sweat shop). 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.. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. 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? 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. please don't. don't go. Stanley Kubrick never directed a musical film probably because as talented as he was, musicals weren't his thing, so I wouldn't be surprised if he would end up doing Lumet's similar mistakes had he ever made one. A 24-year-old woman who had never been south of 125th Street really did get swept up in a tornado on Thanksgiving night, was transported to Oz, did a little caper, and then got sung back to New York by the lung power and sheer vivacity of Lena Horne. With that said, I always feel compelled to seek out these messages when watching or participating in a show such as this. 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. "A liminal space is the time between the 'what was' and the 'next.' Comedian Doug Benson cites this as his movie debut, claiming to have been an extra. It's quite unnerving as a first impression of Oz. You can talk to me crazy. The characters of The Wiz. 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. How this guy isnt a steampunk icon, I dont know. That's a big part of why I love it so much. 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? That boy is so sweet! An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience. 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. It's all sitting on the surface of the film. And their personalities are completely different. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. The Scarecrow, described in one review as looking like he escaped from an especially creepy. .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? My question is about a scene in the movie Shame starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan directed by Steve McQueen.. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/NightmareFuel/TheWiz. He turned it down, and the part was given to Michael Jackson. The characters of The Wiz. Robin Givens' debut, as a guest at Aunt Emma's party. 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 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). It's been used in a number of films. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. It was directed by the great late Sidney Lumet, who is a kickass director but was out of his element when tasked to film a musical, which SHOULD be shot and edited in a more dynamic way instead of having these long shots away from the dancing characters. 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 Tin Man is the last of Dorothy's friends, and he is seeking something that we all seek daily: a good heart. The Wiz: Directed by Sidney Lumet. Diana Ross and Richard Pryor had previously appeared together in Lady Sings the Blues (1972). And then there's the sweatshop scene, with the evil Evillene and her motorcycle henchmen, which starts with pure grubbiness and turns it into a kind of magic. Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. By what name was The Wiz (1978) officially released in India in English? "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. Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) Here are some other slices of WTF? Additionally, unlike the 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz doesn't suggest that the whole adventure was Dorothy's dream. So the writers. Q didnt want to do 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. White films were for white audiences. 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. Cohen mollified Joe by offering roughly $100,000 for Michael to play the Scarecrow. After Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz. She also said she would be able to guarantee Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow if she was cast. but as a new approach to the same material, it's slick and energetic and fun. Along comes Miss One, the Good Witch of the North (Thelma Carpenter), who apparently runs a gambling racket. 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