I am probably going to be one of the few people here who likes "The Wiz" better than the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." I'm not saying these two films should be compared to each other. If you look at them closely you would find the same plot but the expression of that plot in one of the movies is completely different from the other.

I have never been a big fan of "The Wizard of Oz." I never liked it that much as a kid and I still have that same sentiment today. One reason is that there are some parts that are nauseating to me, particularly the Munchkinland sequence. Not only that, I thought it was a film that was geared for the younger people. This is ironic because I didn't like it when I first saw it in the first grade.

"The Wiz" on the other hand, I liked better. I liked it because it was one of those films that made me feel good both during and after watching it. It also wasn't too kiddie for my tastes.

The soundtrack is very original and different when compared to that of the 1939 film but I liked it better. When I see Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion go down the Yellow Brick Road I prefer to hear the more hip song "Ease On Down the Road" as opposed to "We're Off to See the Wizard."

The Wizard of Oz has a great cast. I'll give it that. They were fit for this movie. The problem was that the movie wasn't very fit for me. The Wiz also has a great cast although it is hard for me to understand why put Diana Ross in the role. I'm speculating that they wanted a woman who could sing and was well known. I also like Michael Jackson (in his pre-Thriller years) as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda, and Richard Prior as the titular character.

These two really shouldn't be compared to each other but then maybe they should. To me The Wizard of Oz is old-fasioned, overrated, and boring. The Wiz is appealing to me because of the soundtrack, the excellent cast, (although not as big-named compared to the cast of the original Wizard of Oz) , and because it made me feel great. I don't know of a lot of movies that have done that to me but The Wiz has done it immensely.

You can read my review on The Wiz here. (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?s=&postid=2129317&highlight=The+Wiz#post2129317)

Discuss away.

Originally posted by Brian
I am probably going to be one of the few people here who likes "The Wiz" better than the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Probably ;)

I hated the Wiz. Absolutely detested it. Diana Ross and Michael Jackson in the subway of Oz... :confused:

That show was just so strange and really an all around bad idea. Now I'm no huge fan of the original - in my mind it would be a lot better if the screenwriters had actually bothered to read the book - but it is a classic movie and Judy's signature role.

I suppose my main problem with the Wiz is that they were trying to copy a film that was a poor adaptation to begin with. Well, no, that's not the main problem, but it's a big one.

What I'll never understand is that somewhere back in time, one guy said "Hey, why don't we do a black Wizard of Oz?" and another guy said "That's a great idea!" That conversation never should have happened ohno:

I havent seen The Wiz, so Ill say The Wizard of Oz

I've never seen 'The Wiz' but it's been on my 'films i really wanna see' list for quite some time. But I absolutely love The Wizard of Oz and I could watch it again and again- so i doubt I'd like The Wiz over it.

Originally posted by webuster
I've never seen 'The Wiz' but it's been on my 'films i really wanna see' list for quite some time. But I absolutely love The Wizard of Oz and I could watch it again and again- so i doubt I'd like The Wiz over it.

Just a quick note that may be of interest, a few years back one of the networks i dont remember the one, had a made for tv movie about L Frank baum who was the writer of the wizard of oz. the movie began with stars going to the original opening of the film when it came out and one of the woman there was L frank baums widow and she started telling the story of her late husbands life and how he came to writing the wizard of oz, The actor who played L frank baum was none other than John ritter.

The Wizard of Oz

I love "The Wiz", but "The Wizard of Oz" owns.

The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic, that will more than likely be around long after alot of us are gone :)

I don't think I've ever seen the Wiz, but have heard of it, so I'm going with the Wizard of Oz :)

Originally posted by Flying Dutchman
Just a quick note that may be of interest, a few years back one of the networks i dont remember the one, had a made for tv movie about L Frank baum who was the writer of the wizard of oz. the movie began with stars going to the original opening of the film when it came out and one of the woman there was L frank baums widow and she started telling the story of her late husbands life and how he came to writing the wizard of oz, The actor who played L frank baum was none other than John ritter.

The Dreamer of Oz, with Annette O'Toole. I haven't seen that yet, but I really, really want to.

But I find it strange that it should take place at the premiere of the film, since the film had next to nothing to do with Baum's book :rolleyes:

Sorry, I have issues with this that I need to work through... ;)

Originally posted by Liza
The Dreamer of Oz, with Annette O'Toole. I haven't seen that yet, but I really, really want to.

But I find it strange that it should take place at the premiere of the film, since the film had next to nothing to do with Baum's book :rolleyes:

Sorry, I have issues with this that I need to work through... ;)

Ive read the book.... but completely prefer the movie.
The book is too "chapter like", if that makes any sense.
Something happens here, its over.
Something happens there, its over.
But with the movie theres a sense of an overall connection.

Originally posted by Liza
The Dreamer of Oz, with Annette O'Toole. I haven't seen that yet, but I really, really want to.

But I find it strange that it should take place at the premiere of the film, since the film had next to nothing to do with Baum's book :rolleyes:

Sorry, I have issues with this that I need to work through... ;)

Yes L Frank Baum cant be here to address the issues of rewriting the wizard of oz, I have never read the wizard of oz but i have seen the movie who hasnt, and i have seen return to oz the cartoon with pumpkin head, it was good for kids, maby if I read the book id feel the way you do. atleast in that movie the dramer of oz we got to see John Ritter again in a movie and to me thats always a treat. R.I.P. John Ritter

I actually love "The Wizard of Oz" with Judy Garland from 1939 (two years prior "Snow White" the first Disney animated film ever.) But I usually like the Diana Ross version of "The Wiz". Quincy Jones directed that movie. I used to taped it off of WPIX a long time ago back in 1989 or 1990 and I erased it. The movie was sometime great than the original was.:)

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard Of Oz

The Wiz, no contest, I love the music and the cast.

The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz, no doubt about it. TWOO is my favorite movie of all time.

Originally posted by Kaffeine Kay
The Wizard of Oz, no doubt about it. TWOO is my favorite movie of all time.

The scarecrow was my favorite of the 3.
But somebody around here sort of ruined my image of him....

My fave scene is the whole 'I'm melting' bit- I'll never forget that! Also, the whole Welcome to Munchkinland was spectacular.

I liked 'Return to Oz'- but it's a completely different (and slightly disturbing) movie- very dark. The Wheelies are possibly the creepiest characters ever put into a so called kids film!

I've never read the Oz books- I'm looking out for them though. There's always Oz spinoff cartoons being made- I wish someone would just adapt all the books faithfull into a series of live-action movies, like they're now doing with 'The Chronicles of Narnia'.

Originally posted by webuster
My fave scene is the whole 'I'm melting' bit- I'll never forget that! Also, the whole Welcome to Munchkinland was spectacular.

I liked 'Return to Oz'- but it's a completely different (and slightly disturbing) movie- very dark. The Wheelies are possibly the creepiest characters ever put into a so called kids film!

I've never read the Oz books- I'm looking out for them though. There's always Oz spinoff cartoons being made- I wish someone would just adapt all the books faithfull into a series of live-action movies, like they're now doing with 'The Chronicles of Narnia'.

:nod:

I can't wait for the Narnia ones to come out though - I'm so impatient! But the Oz books - well, there's fifteen of them. That'd be a lot of movies...

Have you read "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire?

Originally posted by Liza
:nod:

I can't wait for the Narnia ones to come out though - I'm so impatient! But the Oz books - well, there's eighteen of them. That'd be a lot of movies...

Have you read "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire?


18 Oz books? Wow. I have The Road to Oz and I know I used to have The Wizard of Oz and Ozma of Oz. Don't know what happened to those.

I missed the first five minutes of The Wiz, because I was too busy taking a wiz. ;)

Originally posted by Brian
18 Oz books? Wow. I have The Road to Oz and I know I used to have The Wizard of Oz and Ozma of Oz. Don't know what happened to those.

Oops. There are actually only 15 that were written by L. Frank Baum (the 15th was completed by someone else after he died). There's a ton more than that that were written by other people, but we tend to ignore those ;)

I haven't read 'Wicked' but I saw some clips from the stage show and it's looks brilliant. Didn't the guy that write Wicked also write a version of Cinderella from the perspective of the ugly sisters (also, was that Cinderella thing the same thing that the Stockard Channing tv-movie was based on?- the movie was called 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister').

15 films isn't too much. The books could be condensed into 7 maybe. I'm gonna try get the 'OZ' books and 'Wicked'- Liza, are the books any good?

Originally posted by webuster
I haven't read 'Wicked' but I saw some clips from the stage show and it's looks brilliant. Didn't the guy that write Wicked also write a version of Cinderella from the perspective of the ugly sisters (also, was that Cinderella thing the same thing that the Stockard Channing tv-movie was based on?- the movie was called 'Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister').

15 films isn't too much. The books could be condensed into 7 maybe. I'm gonna try get the 'OZ' books and 'Wicked'- Liza, are the books any good?

Yep, Gregory Maguire wrote "Wicked," "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister," and also "Mirror Mirror" which is based on Snow White. So far my favorite is Confessions - the movie with Stockard Channing is what made me discover Maguire in the first place. He's my favorite modern writer.

I do highly recommend the Oz books. I own them all, and needless to say, you'll find a few surprises if you've only ever known the films. :) Enjoy :)

Originally posted by barwars
The scarecrow was my favorite of the 3.
But somebody around here sort of ruined my image of him....

Oh suck it up. If you can't take a little political humour, than that's sort of pathetic.

Originally posted by Kay Scarpetta
Oh suck it up. If you can't take a little political humour, than that's sort of pathetic.

Ohh, but I do get it.
I just mean.... that face, :eek: , my eyes still hurt.
Not going too far into the subject.... if only he did have a brain.

Originally posted by barwars
Ohh, but I do get it.
I just mean.... that face, :eek: , my eyes still hurt.
Not going too far into the subject.... if only he did have a brain.

:rofl: my bad. Let me PM you before I get too far.

The Wizard of Oz, no contest. I thought the Wiz sucked to be honest.

I like them both in their own way. The Wiz didn't get the recognition the Wizard of Oz got because it bombed at the movies. It still holds up to me. It was funky and had a great cast to it.

The Wizard of Oz was my favorite. Even though the flying monkeys scared the crap out of me when I was little.

Originally posted by Liza
Probably ;)

Diana Ross and Michael Jackson in the subway of Oz... :confused:





It may seem weird at first but I think that they cast them in this movie because they were singers. If you're going to make a musical like The Wiz you should cast actual singers instead of regular actors, although there have been exceptions (like Moulin Rouge).

I think it was wise of them to cast singers in most of the roles, like Lena Horne, Diana Ross, etc, even though they weren't big movie stars. I'd rather have a cast of great singers in a musical than a cast of big-name actors who haven't been known to sing well or haven't had any music and singing experience.

Though I thought The Wiz was well done,it was no match for The Wizard Of Oz.Judy Garland will always be Dorothy to me.I hope they never colorize the Kansas scenes.That would ruin everything.

Originally posted by Media Lover
I hope they never colorize the Kansas scenes.That would ruin everything.

If the Kansas scenes are ever colorized.... there is no point in the existence of movies.


If The Wizard of Oz were shot today, the Kansas scenes would have most likely been filmed in B&W.