"The Wiz" Movie and Question

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:23am

Caught the last 30 mins of this movie. What a piece of trash. Gawd. I'm sure the previous hour and a half were no better. Horribly directed and Diana Ross acts like every scene is a big death scene. And what the heck was that Lena Horne fit/seizure/musical number about? Loved the shots of random kids.

Question...were there any legal probs with the Wiz folks adapting the original novel?

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:25am

I don't know if there were any legal problems, but I just wanted to say that the Orginal broadway cast is far superior to the Movie Cast of The Wiz. Though, I liked Lena Horne's song at the end.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:30am

At the time The Wiz was written, the novel by L. Frank Baum was not public domain. The authors secured the rights legally to adapt it.

The novel is public domain now, and has been for several years. No legal rights are needed to adapt the book or use material from it. Just ask Gregory Maguire.

...and I agree that the movie version of The Wiz SUCKS.

But you should know that it bears VERY little resemblance, if any, to the stage show. It was a complete overhaul... and NOT in a good way.

Updated On: 7/4/06 at 12:30 AM

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:57am

I haven't seen it in full..which is probably a good thing.

I just couldn't take Ross singing "Home" straight to the camera and then crying at the end. Gawd. I couldn't even watch her I felt so bad.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:00am

If you couldn't take "Home," then you'd better skip the rest.

Miss Ross cries through just about EVERY number in the movie, except for "Ease On Down the Road."

I wish I was joking, but I'm not.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:00am

I saw the original show, in a pre-Broadway run, in Philadelphia. I classified it as the worst piece of crap, ever! Then, I saw the film.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:01am

I hate Soon as I Get Home in the Movie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:05am

"Soon as I Get Home" -- Miss Ross cries.

Did anyone bother to tell them that this was an UP-TEMPO in the stage show?

Nope. She cries... and cries, and cries.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:05am

I think, as bad as the movie was, it would have been MUCH better had Stephanie Mills been cast as Dorothy, which, from what I read, was SUPPOSED to happen until Ross demanded the role from Berry Gordy (who originally was adamntly against casting her and was very pro-Mills.)

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:07am

the Emerald City Sequence is kinda cool, but it gets very annaying after a while (and defeats the purpose of calling it THE EMERALD CITY).

Does anyone know what is up with that scene in the subway?

[Bret]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:13am

Was in the play last summer. I decided to get the film before rehearsals started, so I could get an idea of the show. It was in the bargain bin, and it was a waste of $5.50. I wasn't a big fan of the stage show, but it was significantly better than the movie.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:15am

The subway scene is a mess. And that freaky guy with his dangling puppets practically gave me nightmares... and to WHAT PURPOSE???

And the Emerald City isn't supposed to be a "stoplight." It's GREEN.

Although, it's even more creepy now, since it takes place at the World Trade Center pavillion.

Since NONE of that happened in the stage show, I haven't a clue.

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:16am

I like to believe that Diana Ross demanded that her character's age (2 be mentioned in the film.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:19am

It was still a fantasy. Miss Ross was 34 when they made The Wiz.

"Announcing" that Dorothy is a 28-year-old school teacher from Harlem, is still better than pretending she's a 12-year-old girl from Kansas.

What WERE they thinking???

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:25am

God, I was thinking she was older than that when she made it. Maybe it was her hairdo. It was not flattering.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:29am

I thought I was the only one that hated this! It's the only musical my mom ever MADE me watch and even at 7, and without seeing a stage version that something weird was going on there.

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:32am

And what ever happend to that guy who played then Scarecrow? He was such a bright talent.

Wasn't he on "Diff'rent Strokes"?

[OzarkElphaba]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:35am

Hate to tell you this Best12Bars, but Oz has been in the public domain since 1958 when the copyright expired.

I actually enjoy the film for cheese factor, I find that a lot of it's elements seem to work better. The Oz in the stage version is still very MGM, and the music feels more NYC. But that's just me. I wish the film re-make that was proposed with Brandy and Queen Latifah would happen.

And I hope the Different Strokes bit is a joke..or else you may have to go to music hell for that. Updated On: 7/4/06 at 01:35 AM

[Mr. Tuttle]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:39am

Did you know the first song Jackson sings, "You Can't Win," was written for the stage version, but cut.

Hmmm..perhaps they should have used the word "cut" more often during this movie.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:43am

Universal made a mess of this film. Then they made a mess out of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". What will they do with "Wicked"?

[OzarkElphaba]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 1:46am

See, I kinda like Whorehouse...but I'm from TX, and grew up watchin g the real Melvin P Thorpe...so ya know.

I agree, You Can't Win needed to stay cut, and I hated the re-arranging of songs to give Nipsey Russell two BACK TO BACK...that's what'll kill the film with me, is that right there. I also miss the songs the Wiz sang...I do not miss the random song in Evillene's Castle from the 84 revival.

[alterego]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 3:11am

Was there a new song for Evillene in the 84 revival?

[TonyaFanatic]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 8:13am

Lena Horne's performance was the BEST part of the whole damn film. i only watch that part.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 8:35am

The source material stinks, too. It's not as if they took this really great stage show and destroyed it. The film is worse, to be sure; but, who cares?

[Candleshoe2]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 11:50am

Who else is freaked out by the man with the puppets in the subway station? THe music... everything about that freaks me out!