decker12

decker12 t1_j1y80w5 wrote

If you're in the mood for more nightmare fuel, check out The Wiz. The Broadway musical was decent, the film adaptation was not.

Dorothy, supposed to be 16 years old, is played by a then 34 year old Diana Ross. Nobody wanted her in this role until strings were pulled and even so, the original director quit based on that decision. Joel Schumacher was the writer for the movie and it was a critical and commercial bomb. Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor's performances are the only things decent about this dumpster fire of an adaptation.

I watched it again recently and was shocked at how off kilter the whole thing was. It had no audience in mind - kids would be terrified by the visuals and confused by the urbanization of the Wizard of Oz plot. Adults would recognize the stars but the music, even though it had that Motown sound, was written for children.

Fun fact, Michael Jackson's performance and work ethic in this movie impressed Quincy Jones enough that he decided to help Michael produce a few solo albums... just some minor little albums called Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad.

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