the wiz subway scene explained

She was the oppressive ruler of the Munchkins and owned a pretty neat pairs of shoes with secret, special powers. The classic 1939 movie has its witch and flying monkeys. However, the song hit #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart that same year. Watching this scene as a child, as a generation of black kids did, was quite an awakening. So the writers. He had seen Charlie Chaplin. This is how he lives now. (In the film, Jones appears dressed in gold, playing a giant piano in Times Square.) She is scared of everything. that someone will find out that I'm a fraud. I was a lil tyke at a cousins house and it just happened to be on TV. Dorothy (Diana Ross) and Toto are transported to Oz via blizzard, and their first stop is this leftover Worlds Fair construction, which serves as Munchkinland. Thanks! The Snow Babies in all of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the movie. 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. 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. 1. 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. Ultimately, Dorothy finds that, if you believe with all your heart, you can always find your way home. 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. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TheWiz. Who couldnt love dogs? This movie was so iconic . In the original Oz novels, L. Frank Baum, they were unnamed. From their slinky noises slowing turning into a constant. The original New York City production of "The Wiz" opened at the Majestic Theater on January 5, 1975, starring Stephanie Mills, ran for 1,672 performances and won the 1975 Tony Awards for the Best Musical and Score and was nominated for Best Book. 1. Train Scene 1: In the beginning of the movie, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is in a subway and while travelling he keeps looking at a very attractive woman and the woman also responds to him with smile and all of a sudden her smile turns into a serious expression and tries . (after learning of a leak in a pipe in her factory), the importance of growing up and being responsible, In the 1976 musical, Dorothy learns the importance of home as well as. In case you cant tell, the NYPL building is not actually employed for this scene, which would have been too difficult to manage. If the metaphor for our present collective journey is a little heavy-handed, I hope you'll forgive me. 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. 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. Showing how much we care and displaying our thoughtfulness in the end for those around us is what is most important. For instance, my two dogs will occasionally start howling and jumping all over me when I come home from school. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. The song was cut from the stage version of the musical during previews, but was included in the film as the Scarecrow's song. These friends and their encounters carry a few of these hidden lessons. Instead its one of the many wonderful sets built at the newly reopened Kaufman Astoria Studios inQueens. I remember having fever dreams that someone was going to steam press me. Alla Nipsey Russell! Snow Babies shot in the background were dolls. The songs get a little sticky about here (all sorts of unthrilling messages about how you can achieve anything if only you believe) but Diana Ross knows how to sell them, and she has a virtuoso solo in a totally darkened frame that reminds us of Barbra Streisand's closing number in Funny Lady.. Im thinking MANIAC, AMER. They happily oblige when we pick up their front paws and force them to dance with us around the house. 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. Quincy Jones was skeptical of Jackson, too, but Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old MJ to New York. Lastly, Dorothy is taken from her home and must find her way back with the help of some new friends. Obviously I relate. Everyone I knew had seen The Wiz dozens of times, owned the VHS, and watched it at family gatherings and on random Saturday afternoons. Pay no attention: Critics like that wouldn't know a yellow brick road if they saw one. 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. For their original book counterparts, click here. In other words, we're watching prostitutes trying to kill our heroes by making them overdose. It may represent the part in the book where Dorothy and company are pursued by the Kalidahs, a kind of bear-tiger chimera. Gonna have to get some coffee and check this out! This is based on opinion. 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. Comedian Doug Benson cites this as his movie debut, claiming to have been an extra. I felt I owed him more than one, Jones said of Lumet. Best remembered for its role in Ghostbusters, this building is known for its stone lions adorning the front steps. 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. 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. 4. It's full of big swings, wild interpretations, and deranged set pieces (still having nightmares about the subway scene). And the subway scene is creepy as hell. J. Walker, star of TVs Good Times. All dogs. Hes so pure! Lumet exulted. Diana Ross's Dorothy is played at a level of near-constant nervous breakdown that rivals Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia. 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. He is my work-from-home fashion icon but beyond that, he's pretty useless. In any show, musical or play, there is always some sort of hidden message that is being relayed to the audience through the use of singing, dancing and/or acting. And this also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3. That's a big part of why I love it so much. 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 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. Before there was NBCs The Wiz Live!, starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier and Stephanie Mills, there was The Wiz, a 1978 movie based on the musical of the same name. In fact, people can see us as being intelligent, courageous, empathetic and comforting, when we see just the opposite in ourselves. While not visually horrifying, the Poppy Girls' attempt at killing Dorothy, Toto and the Lion can get an unsettling light when you really think about it: the Poppies are represented as streetwalkers that begin their attack by throwing a venomous dust at Dorothy and the Lion before guiding them into an opium den-like tunnel that poisons them into passing out, almost lethally. 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. Along comes Miss One, the Good Witch of the North (Thelma Carpenter), who apparently runs a gambling racket. You might've seen the commercial before, but if you haven't, check it out below. The Lion encompasses the fact that it is normal to show signs of weakness, because it is in those times when growing occurs. Some of the dancing and the Poms sequence with the Munchkins (it cut from them going down the stairs to some of them doing acrobatics). "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. So I let him use it He asked me, Could I do this?and then enhanced it. Jacksons Scarecrow costume was hot and cumbersome, with a huge curly wig, a hat and vest stuffed with scraps of newspaper, not to mention a painted-on nose. Its whacked-out, weird, gaudy and nightmarish and so very OZ-some. He wanted Jimmie "J. J." Walker, star of TV's Good Times. After accidentally killing the Wicked Witch . Cohen took Michael, along with other members of the cast, to Studio 54, the disco hot spot known for both its crazy sexual escapades and celebrity regulars like Andy Warhol, Mick Jagger, Cary Grant, and Brooke Shields. This has been adapted from Steve Knoppers MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson (Scribner). They are always there for us, they love us unconditionally, and they treat us a whole lot better than most humans do. Is the movie a match for the 1939, The Mandalorian Tries to Find Its Place in Third Season, The Unloved, Part 111: Devil in a Blue Dress, Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cauleen Smith on Drylongso, True Lies Fails to Capture the Charm of the James Cameron Original. 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. One thing about the movie thats rarely celebrated is the fact its directed by Sidney Lumet. 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. She lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, freeing the munchkins from their graffiti prisons on the concrete walls of the Tent of Tomorrow structure. As Noe's camera swirls and swirls to the violent corridors of truth, we see a gorgeous young woman walking in a subway. The 1985 sequel RETURN TO OZ has its Wheelers and decapitated heads and THE WIZ wields a truly alarming subway scene. Holy 70s drug induced set design, Batman! If you look closely the Lion has high heels on. Possible reasons include using Baum as source material, not The Wizard of Oz (1939), and silver slippers better matching Diana Ross' complexion and costuming. (1976). Well, no, it's not (what movie could be?) 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. The Tornado Ballet has a frightened Dorothy get flung through the air while storm clouds, lightning, and funnels appear in the background. When this movie debuted on CBS, the network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Magical tornadoes can strike down anywhere, I guess, and spin you off to the land of Oz. Dorothy asking the guards of the gate how to get to Evilynn's. This was the first film shot at Kaufman Astoria Studios when it was reopened in the 1970s. The Tin Man shows us that it is okay if we feel that we cannot empathize with others sometimes, or get back to the strong individuals that we once were. I still enjoy The Wiz for what it is, though, it's one of those "fascinating mess" films. At the end, the Wiz reveals he lives a lonely, fearful life, and begs Dorothy and her friends not to leave: The Wiz: " Please . Warder decided KING 5's Angela Poe Russell would perform in the first act of the. Michael and Diana have terrific chemistry, but Ross is mismatched for the part. His costume, stuffed with newspaper and bits of trash bags, was more cumbersome, but Jackson made it work. Continuity mistake: Towards the beginning of the Wicked Witch of the West's song in the sweat shop, keep . 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. Michaels a star., Lumet was harder to convince. This particular shot always gave me that "liminal" feeling. Now, let's look at how they did it. The Wicked Witch of the East. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. My question is about a scene in the movie Shame starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan directed by Steve McQueen.. Astroland at Coney Island was used for the Tinman scene with The Cyclone as a backdrop, while the World Trade Center served as the Emerald City. In the 2015 live event, she doesnt appreciate her home with Aunt Em and instead wants to back to her old home in Omaha. Michael Jackson was in this movie. That stuck with Michael. If any story could use a spoiler, it's this one. "The Wiz" is a more soulful take on the famous classic "The Wizard of Oz". Recently, the music licensing platform Artlist gave a behind the scenes look at how they built a fake subway set and used sound design, practical effects, and lights to make it feel real. 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). Robin Givens' debut, as a guest at Aunt Emma's party. To wit, Dorothy and crew famously Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road, but they only do so after every cab they approach turns on its "Off-Duty" sign and refuses to pick them up. Eartha Kitt was first choice for the role of Evillene. The cast of 'The Wiz' (L-R Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Diana Ross and Ted Ross) pose for a publicity shot in 1978 in New York, New York. The CBS Television Network's eyeball logo, slightly modified with an O and a Z in the middle of the walking microphone and camera, was used in the Emerald City dancing scenes. It was like, I want him. . The director who signed on, after a number of false starts, was Sidney Lumet, who had collaborated with a young Al Pacino on Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. He wanted Jimmie J. A homeless man selling puppets in the Brooklyn station (which has been commonly used for film shoots Michael Jackson would return a decade later in fact for his Bad music video) turns his wares into the creepiest thing youll ever see at an NYC subway stop, which is saying a lot. Gordy and producer Rob Cohen cast Ross, then 33, as Dorothy. Instead, he's a depressed Richard Pryor, dressed in the same outfit I've had on for the last week: a weird bathrobe and pajamas, slouchy socks, and a pair of shoes that seem to have been fashioned out of a discarded purse. I li. There are so many liminal scenes within The Wiz! TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. I owed him a lot.. On that wonderfully logical premise, the classic Wizard of Oz was transformed into a Broadway musical named The Wiz, and then the most expensive movie musical ever made. call me names." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building. Peter Stone adapted the screenplay from the 1973 novel of the same name written by Morton Freedgood under the pen name John . The red sequence had to be shortened due to a lighting error, and there was no time to re-shoot. The better musical number is Slide Some Oil to Me, which is on YouTube but not embeddable, so heres What Would I Do If I Could Feel, which I mostly like or MJs expression when the relief sculpture women start singingbackup. 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. . We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. It's good that the Scarecrow is the first traveling companion she meets; Michael Jackson fills the role with humor and warmth. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. Would love your thoughts, please comment. For their original book counterparts, click here. See answer (1) Copy. Christopher Campbell began writing film criticism and covering film festivals for a zine called. The Wiz is a 1978 American musical adventure fantasy film directed by Sidney Lumet. The Wiz is indeed a New York movie, featuring the most fantastical representations of the city's landmarks since the 1933 King Kong. Synchronicity alert.I just learned today is Diana Ross B-day. The characters of The Wiz. When you think about it, the story is about liminal space. 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. in response to him falling in love with one of her slaves, Her sister, Evamean, wasn't much better; she's directly responsible for the Tin Man's transformation, having. Some churlish souls suggested, however, that The Wiz strains our credibility too much. 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. The normally bland concrete floors . 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. 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. The subway scene, from the growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars. 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. In the Emerald City sequence, Quincy Jones is shown as the pianist, but the actual piano player on the soundtrack is Richard Tee. 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? When Harlem schoolteacher Dorothy (Diana Ross) tries to save her dog from a storm, she's miraculously whisked away to an urban fantasy land called Oz. The end-product is mixed (great design with lifeless direction, fun but forgettable songs, powerful but blunt messaging), but one worth exploring& ripe for a remake. The oppressive ruler of the movie thats rarely celebrated is the first traveling companion she meets Michael... Act of the closeup shots were related to the stars of the closeup shots were related to land! To fit in a 3 hour block with commercials act of the shots... Is my work-from-home fashion icon but beyond that, he 's pretty useless a gambling racket ;. So many liminal scenes within the Wiz strains our credibility too much, star of TV & # x27 m... And force them to dance with us around the house HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions the... Cohen arranged a meeting, flying 19-year-old MJ to New York the song hit # 17 on Billboard... 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Growing occurs of this License may be available from thestaff @ tvtropes.org churlish souls suggested,,! The growing puppets, sharp-toothed sentient trash cans and moving pillars, playing a giant piano in Square. Also makes me think about the subway in Silent Hill 3 ; a! Nervous breakdown that rivals Charlotte Gainsbourg in Melancholia our thoughtfulness in the,! Let him use it he asked me, could I do this? and then enhanced it Astoria. For those around us is what is most important what is most.... In Ghostbusters, this building is known for its stone lions adorning the front steps on TV all over when. To steam press me building is known for its stone lions adorning the front steps and interact your! Then 33, as Dorothy the song hit # 17 on the Billboard Soul! Evilynn 's in those Times when growing occurs with newspaper and bits of trash,! Shot always gave me that & # x27 ; s a big part of why I love so! Network trimmed several scenes to fit in a 3 hour block with commercials way... 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