The Wiz

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 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. 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.

I have read some of the reviews and I don't see how anyone could praise this movie. To me this was just a vanity piece for Diana Ross. The stage version of the Wiz, was pretty much a straight remake of the original only with a black cast. In this version however, the film was pretty much changed around to fit Diana and her whims. To me, Diana Ross peaked with her first film, "Lady Sings the Blues". This film was a mess and a very schmaltzy for my taste.

...And favorites don't always have rhyme or reason. I can just say that this movie always struck a chord with me. I know that it is dark. I agree that Diana Ross's acting is overwrought with some unknown neurosis. But the music is soulful and the vocal performances make me cry every time. The urban setting (in contrast to the farm that never "clicked" with me) is almost comforting, though not in the parking garage. I agree with the more intellectual reviewers that Lumet's direction could have been better. I'm just a sucker for the gospel-style singing in "the feeling that we have", "believe", and "brand new day". I find this movie much more of an emotional release than the Wizard of Oz.

To be perfectly honest, the best thing about this movie was Michael Jackson. Boy could he sing. I had extremely fond memories of this movie but they belied me. Watching this movie again as an adult I felt cheated in a way. It wasn't nearly as captivating or as good as I'd remembered. But Michael Jackson was. Even as good as he was he couldn't carry this soulful yet warped version of The Wizard of Oz.

The Wiz is an enchanting, mystical, magical, entrancing, and dystopian movie, with the best musical numbers I've ever seen in my life, the ending was perfect and every set piece was immaculate. I am obsessed with The Wiz, and it gets an A+