The Wiz Review

The Wiz


Release Date: 23rd August 1979 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures
Motown Productions


Genre: Musical

Rating: G

Runtime: 129 minutes


Budget $24,000,000

Box Office Gross: $13,600,000
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Dorothy, a twenty-four-
year-old kindergarten
teacher born, raised, and
still working in Harlem,
is celebrating Thanksgiving
with her extended family,
but she doesn't seem
thankful for much in life.
She lives a self-imposed
sheltered life; she is shy
and unfulfilled. Things

change for her when she
is caught in a snow-
storm while chasing
after her dog Toto.
They are transported
to the mysterious Land of
Oz, where she is informed
that the only possible way
to find her way back home
is through the assistance
of the powerful wizard in
the Emerald City. As she
goes searching for him,
she befriends some 

creatures who are facing
problems in life just like
her. In their quest to find
and get help from the
wizard, they also face
Evilenne, the equally
evil sister of Evermean,
the wicked witch whom
Dorothy inadvertently
killed when she arrived in
Oz, and who may be their
biggest obstacle in achieving
their goals. (Source - IMDb)


Cast
Diana Ross - Dorothy
Michael Jackson - Scarecrow
Nipsey Russell - Tin Man
Ted Ross - Cowardly Lion
Lena Horne - Glinda the Good
Richard Pyror - The Wiz
Theresa Merritt - Aunt Em
Thelma Carpenter - Addaperle/
Miss One, the Good Witch of
the North
Mabel King - Evilene, the
Wicked Witch of the West

Crew
Director - Sidney Lumet
Based on Novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" - L. Frank Baum
Based on Book of Play - William F. Brown
Screenplay - Joel Schumacher
Produced on the New York Stage - Ken Harper
Producer - Rob Cohen
Production/Costume Designer - Tony Walton
Choreographer - Louis Johnson
Special Make-Up Effects - Stan Winston
Director of Photography - Oswald Morris
Special Visual Effects - Albert Whitlock
Music Adapter and Supervisor - Quincy Jones
Music & Lyrics - Charlie Smalls
Film Editor - Dede Allen


Review
Meaningless but a tad joke, it's very a common disgrace that 'THE WIZ' was unexpectedly a cult movie that it doesn't seem like it's underappreciated. It was the second movie to be adapted from 'The Wizard of Oz' and though I disrespect the film's bleak nature as opposed to the fantasy and lighthearted tone of the original. 'THE WIZ' happened to be based on a black musical, with Joel Schumacher writing the screenplay and has an inexperienced movie director like Sidney Lumet. Young kids of all ages will succumb to the film's cheesiness and blatantly suggestive clothing. 

The only reason I wanted to see it was because of the film's only cornerstone part of not Diana Ross, but only the legendary singer Michael Jackson when doing his good performance as The Scarecrow. It's so upsetting that this was his only feature film role (apart from his cameo in 'MiB II' and short films) when portraying as an original character than himself. Hardly anything else that he had a few of roles and films that he turned them down or were evidently cancelled.

Altogether with so many songs that were implausibly forgettable, I cannot deter myself from watching this horrible musical picture and I must simply watch 'The Wizard of Oz' instead than to re-watch the other film of its poor qualities.

Star rating: (2/5) Bad Movie

Back to Home