Ever since I was a little kid I
have been enchanted by the Story of The Wizard of Oz. It was the classic 1939
movie that really roped me in, they had me at "Somewhere Over The
Rainbow". Since then I have read any book and watched any movie that I
could find that could draw me a little further into the world of Oz. Now that
another movie based in that world is coming out I started to recommend Movies
and books to friends as prep work before seeing it. Here are my recommendations
for getting to know that wonderful world that is somewhere over the Rainbow.
What to Read
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and all of L. Frank Baum's Oz books
The books are pretty great and gives an entirely different insight into Oz. Silver slippers, people made out of China, a princess that swaps heads, and an all girl army are just some of the interesting attractions to be found.
Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of The West, Son of A Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz
This is probably my favorite re-imaging of The Wizard of Oz. All the books present a much darker Oz than we are used too. The world of Oz is full of politics, intrigue, sex, and torture. The stories are told from the point of view of the "villains," and is successful in making you not only re-evaluate the story of Oz but even the stories we are told in the real world. It is fun to read the books and contrast them to events in the real world. Overall I just think that these books are fantastic and definitely are a worthwhile read for the more mature Wizard of Oz audience.
What to Watch
Oz
Ok, I'm just screwing with you. This T.V series actually has nothing to do with the wizard of OZ, the prison/cellblock is just called Emerald City and thus the s how's title. It is a pretty cool show though so I would still recommend you watch it.
Wicked
If you have a chance to see this
fantastic musical, which will soon surely be made into a movie, then go see it.
It is based on the book Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of The
West and this musical will not disappoint you. It is Fantastic!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz T.V series
This is the Japanese anime series entitled Oz no MahÅtsukai and which is based on Baum's first 4 books. For some reason when HBO acquired the show for airing in the U.S. in 1987 they did their level best to hide its Japanese origins. The show actually does a really good job of sticking to the books.
Tin Man
Tin Man is a ScyFy (stupid spelling) channel re-imagining of the land of Oz. Leather jacket wearing DG (played by geeky Zoe Deschanel) is pulled into Oz which is a much darker place than you remember. The Cowardly Lion actual is an Oracle of sorts, The "Scarecrow" only has half a brain, and the Tin Man is a former lawman with a Tin badge and a vendetta. This Oz has a bit of Steampunk vibe to it and does a pretty good job of twisting the land of Oz into a slightly darker place than we have seen before.
Return to Oz
This movie captures just how creepy Oz can get. Electroshock treatment, head stealing witch, and wheelers all make this movie a bit more on the nightmarish than any other version. I even think Dorothy's companions are on a bit of the creepy side. Having said all that, the movie is kind of cool.
The Wizard of Oz
Watch the birth of the "Ruby slippers.” In the books Dorothy wears Silver slippers but it was changed to Ruby slippers for this screen adaptation in order to take advantage of the new Color technologies in the movies. You have to admit that those Ruby slippers sure do pop on the screen. There are also a bunch of urban legends about this film, like the one about the "Munchkin" hanging himself, which add a little extra something to this great movie. Supposedly there were even negotiations to give the now iconic role to Shirley Temple. The songs are fantastic (I am terribly partial to "Somewhere over the Rainbow") and the costumes are lovely. I love this classic movie.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz T.V series
This is the Japanese anime series entitled Oz no MahÅtsukai and which is based on Baum's first 4 books. For some reason when HBO acquired the show for airing in the U.S. in 1987 they did their level best to hide its Japanese origins. The show actually does a really good job of sticking to the books.
Tin Man
Tin Man is a ScyFy (stupid spelling) channel re-imagining of the land of Oz. Leather jacket wearing DG (played by geeky Zoe Deschanel) is pulled into Oz which is a much darker place than you remember. The Cowardly Lion actual is an Oracle of sorts, The "Scarecrow" only has half a brain, and the Tin Man is a former lawman with a Tin badge and a vendetta. This Oz has a bit of Steampunk vibe to it and does a pretty good job of twisting the land of Oz into a slightly darker place than we have seen before.
Return to Oz
This movie captures just how creepy Oz can get. Electroshock treatment, head stealing witch, and wheelers all make this movie a bit more on the nightmarish than any other version. I even think Dorothy's companions are on a bit of the creepy side. Having said all that, the movie is kind of cool.
The Wizard of Oz
Watch the birth of the "Ruby slippers.” In the books Dorothy wears Silver slippers but it was changed to Ruby slippers for this screen adaptation in order to take advantage of the new Color technologies in the movies. You have to admit that those Ruby slippers sure do pop on the screen. There are also a bunch of urban legends about this film, like the one about the "Munchkin" hanging himself, which add a little extra something to this great movie. Supposedly there were even negotiations to give the now iconic role to Shirley Temple. The songs are fantastic (I am terribly partial to "Somewhere over the Rainbow") and the costumes are lovely. I love this classic movie.
Oz The Great and Powerful
The movie comes out this week and I
am cautiously optimistic about it. There are actually quite a few reasons that
I am looking forward to this movie. Firstly it seems to promise greater
character insight into the witches and the "wizard" than any other
film has ever done. I really want to get to know and see these characters in a
different light and so far the only thing that has delivered on that is Gregory
McGuire's book series. Secondly, I think it might introduce mainstream
audiences who haven't read the books to some beloved characters that have been
traditionally passed over. The trailer features a China Girl which means there
is a chance that porcelain china people with their china wall might be in the
movie. When reading the books I liked the depiction of these courageous but
fragile little porcelain people who lived in Oz and I have been disappointed
that they really haven't been utilized before. Another reason I want to see
this movie is for the costumes which look amazing in the trailers. I have no
doubt the upcoming comic-cons are going to be littered with rather fabulous
looking characters from this movie whether it turns out to be good or not. I am
willing to give this movie a shot and I will surely be seeing it this weekend.
Recommended links:
Contributing writer: Rainbow S. Coan
Rainbow Coan is a Sci-fi and fantasy movie/T.V enthusiast and all around nerd. Her hobbies include playing StarCraft II (mainly as Terran), reading Sci-fi & fantasy books, and playing games on Xbox. She has a Zombie Apocalypse survival plan and identifies strongly with Hobbits. Her favorite game of all time is King's Quest 6.
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