With word that a major backer has dropped out of Chesterton's Wizard
of Oz Festival, Jared talks with Zach Allen about the future of the
event.
Go to the Facebook Group to see how you can help!
As always, you can listen and download at the podcast site or use the player below.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
'Oz the Great and Powerful' Premiere & New Clips
Happy Friday! Once again, lots of Oz the Great and Powerful news this week.
First, I'd like to mention that we've added a countdown widget to the blog for the movie. Nothing else to say about that, other than the fact that it looks pretty darn cool over there in the sidebar.
Now for the news...
Disney Channel's Movie Surfers interviewed Oz stars Zach Braff and Joey King and showed off a bunch of new footage from the film. You can watch all of that coolness right here.
Two new TV spots as well as a sixty-second promo for the film have just been released online. You can watch them here, here and here.
An in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette was recently released via Yahoo! Movies. You can watch that here. A shorter version of this was aired on Entertainment Tonight earlier this week.
Mila Kunis was a guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Tuesday to chat about Oz. A new clip from the film was shown, but Mila spent most of the time on the show gushing about Ashton Kutcher. The clip has not yet been released or leaked online anywhere, unfortunately.
James Franco was on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night to talk about the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles. You can watch the entire interview, including a new clip from the film, in three parts: here, here, and here.
You can see pictures from the L.A. premiere here.
Check out some of the premiere interviews below from Popsugar, who streamed the red carpet event online through their Facebook page.
Rachel Weisz was on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to talk about the movie, and she brought an awesome new clip from the movie with her. You can watch the interview in three parts, here, here, and here.
Surprisingly, we actually have more news other than just Oz the Great and Powerful stuff this week as well... but, be warned- it's not much to be excited about.
Warner Horizon Television has picked up a new television series called Red Brick Road, which is apparently a dark, edgy sequel to The Wizard of Oz. We don't know much about the plot yet, but the leaked concept art speaks for itself. This looks disastrous. Read more about the planned show at Variety.
That's all for this week! I'm so thrilled that Oz the Great and Powerful is almost upon us, and there's so much news about it lately.
Enjoy the weekend...
First, I'd like to mention that we've added a countdown widget to the blog for the movie. Nothing else to say about that, other than the fact that it looks pretty darn cool over there in the sidebar.
Now for the news...
Disney Channel's Movie Surfers interviewed Oz stars Zach Braff and Joey King and showed off a bunch of new footage from the film. You can watch all of that coolness right here.
Two new TV spots as well as a sixty-second promo for the film have just been released online. You can watch them here, here and here.
An in-depth behind-the-scenes featurette was recently released via Yahoo! Movies. You can watch that here. A shorter version of this was aired on Entertainment Tonight earlier this week.
Mila Kunis was a guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Tuesday to chat about Oz. A new clip from the film was shown, but Mila spent most of the time on the show gushing about Ashton Kutcher. The clip has not yet been released or leaked online anywhere, unfortunately.
James Franco was on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night to talk about the world premiere of the film in Los Angeles. You can watch the entire interview, including a new clip from the film, in three parts: here, here, and here.
You can see pictures from the L.A. premiere here.
Check out some of the premiere interviews below from Popsugar, who streamed the red carpet event online through their Facebook page.
- James Franco interview
- Michelle Williams interview
- Mila Kunis interview
- Rachel Weisz interview
- Zach Braff interview
- Sam Raimi interview
 | |||
| Ryan Jay interviewing composer Danny Elfman |
 | ||
| Ryan Jay interviewing actress Joey King, who plays China Girl |
Surprisingly, we actually have more news other than just Oz the Great and Powerful stuff this week as well... but, be warned- it's not much to be excited about.
Warner Horizon Television has picked up a new television series called Red Brick Road, which is apparently a dark, edgy sequel to The Wizard of Oz. We don't know much about the plot yet, but the leaked concept art speaks for itself. This looks disastrous. Read more about the planned show at Variety.
That's all for this week! I'm so thrilled that Oz the Great and Powerful is almost upon us, and there's so much news about it lately.
Enjoy the weekend...
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
New Oz comics!
The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West #3. I saw the variant cover on eBay and decided to get it instead of the standard cover as a I had all previous issues. Frankly, I liked this one better than the standard cover featuring a Wheeler defying the Field Mice.
In the continuing story of this Old West-themed Oz, Tin Man and Lion meet up with Scarecrow, Tip and the Sawhorse as they head south to see Glinda (so I assume), but along the way, they are ambushed by the Wheelers that Jinjur has sent after them. But never fear! The fierce and fighting Field Mice are here to save the day. Or can they? They are only little creatures after all...
Although I know the pair is up to the task, I wonder how they'll pull off the final issue, since this ends as the Shaggy Man surrenders the Love Magnet to Ozma. This means the next issue will cover the Scarecrow's arrival in the Emerald City, Dorothy receiving the guests (and since this is a visual medium, this means we should be seeing many of these Baum characters), the birthday party itself and the grand celebration, the Wizard's bubbles, and how Dorothy finally gets home again.
Again, while I appreciate they got Eric Shanower to adapt the story as he's clearly someone who understands comics and Oz, the real star of the Marvel series is Skottie Young, visually depicting Oz moment by moment in his own unique and sometimes bizarre style. (Unless you haven't read the books yet. Then it's all new to you. Lucky...)
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Oz Magazines!
I did something a little unusual last Sunday for my Oz collecting: I went to a bookstore. Not a used bookstore where one might find delightful rare Oz items, but to Barnes and Noble.
Normally, I buy Oz merchandise online. However, I needed to get out and do something that wasn't going to work, so Barnes and Noble it was.
My main goal was to look for the Spring 2013 issue of Disney Twenty-Three magazine. Walking into the magazine department, I realized my search might prove a little daunting, as there were shelves loaded with periodicals. However, there was a familiar sight waiting for me...
Famous Monsters of Filmland #266, featuring articles on the Wicked Witch of the West (and the Creature from the Black Lagoon). I initially decided not to get it, but then later, I decided to look through it. To my surprise, on page 1 was a picture of none other than L. Frank Baum himself! Opening the series of articles on the Witch was a piece by Robert Baum about the Witch as she appeared in the book vs. her famous green film counterpart.
I had second thoughts and picked it up after all.
A little searching and looking at a bottom shelf all the way to the back finally turned up Disney Twenty-Three. No secret about why I wanted it on the cover either...
It was sealed in a bag, so I had to buy it to read what was inside.
Walking around Barnes and Noble for a bit makes it clear they time merchandise for films tightly. Some books for Oz the Great and Powerful have been released, but I couldn't find any. However, I did pass and notice a shelf featuring the works of Gregory Maguire with paperback editions of the latter three entries of The Wicked Years placed prominently. In the children's section, where a few copies of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz have been found by myself (yes, I have the location memorized), there were the first two books of Aladdin Publishing's "The Complete Oz" reprints, containing between them the first six Oz books. (However, looking inside, I could find no illustrations, thus I can't recommend them.)
A bit more hopeful were Disney Press' new editions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz. Unlike a picture Angelo had seen on Facebook, the titles of the book were prominent, and recolored art by Denslow and Neill graced the covers, notice of the film being on the back cover only. Wonderful Wizard contains a new introduction by James Franco, and there is also a new introduction in Marvelous Land, but I failed to notice who it was by. I should like to read Franco's introduction (a salesperson asked if she could help me, so I decided to keep my time in the children's section short), but if I add this edition to my collection, I'll wait until I can get it used and cheaply. The Disney editions contain no interior illustrations.
So, getting home, I was finally able to enjoy my magazines. I decided to start with Monsters.
While Page 1 does feature Baum, I was a little dismayed to see that underneath it, they quoted "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." It is attributed to Baum and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, rather than the MGM film, where it was likely written by Noel Langley. I think Baum would have agreed with the statement, but it is not his work. (In The Road to Oz, Ozma says, "But in Oz we are loved for ourselves alone, and for our kindness to one another, and for our good deeds.") Famous Monsters of Filmland isn't the first to make this error, and I'm sure they won't be the last.
Robert Baum again spins a tale of his great-grandfather inventing the character of the Wicked Witch of the West as he examines how the original Witch from the book differs from Margaret Hamilton's immortal performance in the MGM film.
Next up is John Fricke, profiling Margaret Hamilton's career with an especial focus on her Oz role, even mentioning how they softened the character through editing from the original version. Then Jonathan Shirshekan profiles Oz makeup artist Jack Dawn's work for the film, particularly the Wicked Witch, the Winged Monkeys, and the Winkie Guards. Then Lianne Spiderbaby looks at the legacy Hamilton's Witch left behind.
Rounding out the articles are an article about the infamous synching of MGM's The Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and an interview with Mike Hill, who has sculpted lifelike statues of Hamilton's Wicked Witch and her right-hand Monkey Nikko. On the final page of the issue, there is a picture of an elderly Hamilton with a quote about her reaction to being offered the part of the Wicked Witch.
Disney Twenty-Three's issue devotes a quarter of its 60 pages to Oz, with six pages with an all-too-brief story of the development and production of Oz the Great and Powerful, and then three more pages in which the costuming of the film is covered. Curiously, the MGM film The Wizard of Oz is not mentioned.
These articles do what promotional articles do best: tell a nice, glossy story about the film to make it sound wonderful, but this is an old device: people who've watched the special features on any DVD of The Wiz can point out that the promotional special "Wiz On Down The Road" (a regrettable title nowadays) also talks up the film positively. If we hear anything about the film's production a few years down the line, we might hear different stories altogether...
A reminder of such is present in the remaining six Oz pages, which recounts Disney's previous Oz projects (with no mention of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz), including The Rainbow Road to Oz, the Disneyland Record albums, plans for Oz attractions at Disney parks, and, most of all, Return to Oz, which even mentions how Walter Murch was almost fired from the project. These six pages will prove of great interest to Oz fans, featuring a color photo I've never seen before from The Rainbow Road to Oz set, photos of prototypes of Disneyland attractions, photos of props from Rainbow Road and Return, and some behind the scenes photos, including a very flattering picture of the late Michael Sundin, the man who literally made Tik-Tok walk in the 1985 cult classic.
I know there's quite a bit of overlap between Disney and Oz fans, so I shouldn't be surprised if many Oz fans find interest in this issue as well.
I'm sure hardcore Oz fans will want both of these magazines, but be warned if you run to a shop, after tax, the price for just these two magazines was at just under $28. (The print and paper quality is excellent, though. I suppose that if they have to cut costs, they'll have to justify prices by making sure they use quality materials.) However, considering that these may easily become highly-demanded issues, it might be worth the high price tag now for what may soon become a collector's item.
Normally, I buy Oz merchandise online. However, I needed to get out and do something that wasn't going to work, so Barnes and Noble it was.
My main goal was to look for the Spring 2013 issue of Disney Twenty-Three magazine. Walking into the magazine department, I realized my search might prove a little daunting, as there were shelves loaded with periodicals. However, there was a familiar sight waiting for me...
I had second thoughts and picked it up after all.
A little searching and looking at a bottom shelf all the way to the back finally turned up Disney Twenty-Three. No secret about why I wanted it on the cover either...
Walking around Barnes and Noble for a bit makes it clear they time merchandise for films tightly. Some books for Oz the Great and Powerful have been released, but I couldn't find any. However, I did pass and notice a shelf featuring the works of Gregory Maguire with paperback editions of the latter three entries of The Wicked Years placed prominently. In the children's section, where a few copies of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz have been found by myself (yes, I have the location memorized), there were the first two books of Aladdin Publishing's "The Complete Oz" reprints, containing between them the first six Oz books. (However, looking inside, I could find no illustrations, thus I can't recommend them.)
A bit more hopeful were Disney Press' new editions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz. Unlike a picture Angelo had seen on Facebook, the titles of the book were prominent, and recolored art by Denslow and Neill graced the covers, notice of the film being on the back cover only. Wonderful Wizard contains a new introduction by James Franco, and there is also a new introduction in Marvelous Land, but I failed to notice who it was by. I should like to read Franco's introduction (a salesperson asked if she could help me, so I decided to keep my time in the children's section short), but if I add this edition to my collection, I'll wait until I can get it used and cheaply. The Disney editions contain no interior illustrations.
So, getting home, I was finally able to enjoy my magazines. I decided to start with Monsters.
While Page 1 does feature Baum, I was a little dismayed to see that underneath it, they quoted "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." It is attributed to Baum and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, rather than the MGM film, where it was likely written by Noel Langley. I think Baum would have agreed with the statement, but it is not his work. (In The Road to Oz, Ozma says, "But in Oz we are loved for ourselves alone, and for our kindness to one another, and for our good deeds.") Famous Monsters of Filmland isn't the first to make this error, and I'm sure they won't be the last.
Robert Baum again spins a tale of his great-grandfather inventing the character of the Wicked Witch of the West as he examines how the original Witch from the book differs from Margaret Hamilton's immortal performance in the MGM film.
Next up is John Fricke, profiling Margaret Hamilton's career with an especial focus on her Oz role, even mentioning how they softened the character through editing from the original version. Then Jonathan Shirshekan profiles Oz makeup artist Jack Dawn's work for the film, particularly the Wicked Witch, the Winged Monkeys, and the Winkie Guards. Then Lianne Spiderbaby looks at the legacy Hamilton's Witch left behind.
Rounding out the articles are an article about the infamous synching of MGM's The Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and an interview with Mike Hill, who has sculpted lifelike statues of Hamilton's Wicked Witch and her right-hand Monkey Nikko. On the final page of the issue, there is a picture of an elderly Hamilton with a quote about her reaction to being offered the part of the Wicked Witch.
Disney Twenty-Three's issue devotes a quarter of its 60 pages to Oz, with six pages with an all-too-brief story of the development and production of Oz the Great and Powerful, and then three more pages in which the costuming of the film is covered. Curiously, the MGM film The Wizard of Oz is not mentioned.
These articles do what promotional articles do best: tell a nice, glossy story about the film to make it sound wonderful, but this is an old device: people who've watched the special features on any DVD of The Wiz can point out that the promotional special "Wiz On Down The Road" (a regrettable title nowadays) also talks up the film positively. If we hear anything about the film's production a few years down the line, we might hear different stories altogether...
A reminder of such is present in the remaining six Oz pages, which recounts Disney's previous Oz projects (with no mention of The Muppets' Wizard of Oz), including The Rainbow Road to Oz, the Disneyland Record albums, plans for Oz attractions at Disney parks, and, most of all, Return to Oz, which even mentions how Walter Murch was almost fired from the project. These six pages will prove of great interest to Oz fans, featuring a color photo I've never seen before from The Rainbow Road to Oz set, photos of prototypes of Disneyland attractions, photos of props from Rainbow Road and Return, and some behind the scenes photos, including a very flattering picture of the late Michael Sundin, the man who literally made Tik-Tok walk in the 1985 cult classic.
I know there's quite a bit of overlap between Disney and Oz fans, so I shouldn't be surprised if many Oz fans find interest in this issue as well.
I'm sure hardcore Oz fans will want both of these magazines, but be warned if you run to a shop, after tax, the price for just these two magazines was at just under $28. (The print and paper quality is excellent, though. I suppose that if they have to cut costs, they'll have to justify prices by making sure they use quality materials.) However, considering that these may easily become highly-demanded issues, it might be worth the high price tag now for what may soon become a collector's item.
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Making of a Podcast...
Very soon, we'll be releasing the next "Movies of Oz" entry for The Royal Podcast of Oz, and in it, the film of focus is The Wiz from 1978.
A long while back, there was a thread about the movie on Facebook, and many people were discussing the movie, offering opinions of varied knowledge. One guy stood out, though. His name was Garrett Kilgore. He seemed to know quite a bit about the movie and the original play. I remarked that we should have him on the podcast when we discussed the movie.
And that is why we didn't get the podcast out in January. We had to find a time when I could talk to both Sam and Garrett, and when we did, we recorded about three hours of audio. This included a point where we all had to take a break and when we had to stop and restart recording because an odd echo popped up in the audio.
Sam offered to edit this podcast, and having a podcast to edit already, I accepted. He managed to get it down from three hours to two hours and eighteen minutes, four minutes longer than the actual film. (I joked to Garrett that if we sync it up to the movie, we might have some weird moments that match up.) After he sent it to me, I did an editing pass on it, and cut out six minutes.
However, I had to send it to Garrett before I can get it out because while we were recording, his audio would drop out. I had to ask him to repeat many things so we'd have it, but some moments slipped through, and a few couldn't be fixed with just cutting to the next part. He'll re-record some bits on his own, then I'll put it all together and finally get it out.
Which means, yes, we don't mind having a third voice on the podcast, and we are considering inviting third voices for later podcasts. However, before you rush me an e-mail, Facebook message, comment, or whatever, note that the reason why I invited Garrett was because he is very knowledgeable about the film we discussed. (He even knows what was up with the Emerald City song sequence!) We aren't looking for people who are just fans of these films, because that's what Sam and I are. Okay, we do read up on them, but largely, that's what we are.
A long while back, there was a thread about the movie on Facebook, and many people were discussing the movie, offering opinions of varied knowledge. One guy stood out, though. His name was Garrett Kilgore. He seemed to know quite a bit about the movie and the original play. I remarked that we should have him on the podcast when we discussed the movie.
And that is why we didn't get the podcast out in January. We had to find a time when I could talk to both Sam and Garrett, and when we did, we recorded about three hours of audio. This included a point where we all had to take a break and when we had to stop and restart recording because an odd echo popped up in the audio.
Sam offered to edit this podcast, and having a podcast to edit already, I accepted. He managed to get it down from three hours to two hours and eighteen minutes, four minutes longer than the actual film. (I joked to Garrett that if we sync it up to the movie, we might have some weird moments that match up.) After he sent it to me, I did an editing pass on it, and cut out six minutes.
However, I had to send it to Garrett before I can get it out because while we were recording, his audio would drop out. I had to ask him to repeat many things so we'd have it, but some moments slipped through, and a few couldn't be fixed with just cutting to the next part. He'll re-record some bits on his own, then I'll put it all together and finally get it out.
Which means, yes, we don't mind having a third voice on the podcast, and we are considering inviting third voices for later podcasts. However, before you rush me an e-mail, Facebook message, comment, or whatever, note that the reason why I invited Garrett was because he is very knowledgeable about the film we discussed. (He even knows what was up with the Emerald City song sequence!) We aren't looking for people who are just fans of these films, because that's what Sam and I are. Okay, we do read up on them, but largely, that's what we are.
Friday, February 08, 2013
One Month Until 'Oz the Great and Powerful'!
TGIF!
We are one month away from the release of Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful. I am so excited to see this film! Merchandise is starting to come in, which is very exciting for us Oz fans. Let's get right into the news, shall we?
A new TV spot for Disney's Oz aired during the Super Bowl last weekend. You can watch that here.
In conjunction with Disney, Google Chrome has launched a new, interactive website called Find Your Way to Oz. At the end of the games, users are treated to a brand new look at the film with some unbelievable clips. If you don't want to sort through the games, you can watch the video here.
Mariah Carey has recorded a song for the film called "Almost Home," which is due out February 19th. You can read more about that here.
A bunch of merchandise for the film has been added to Disney Store's website, including pricey replica witch costumes, children's costumes, t-shirts, toys, dolls, and more. Be sure to get this stuff while you can, because they are selling out fast!
Last, but certainly not least, my often-mentioned friend Ryan Jay, who is a film critic, is attending the premiere of the film in Los Angeles next week to interview the stars and director and see the movie! He is thrilled to be able to be a part of that, and I'm sure he will be sharing things from his experience on his website (link above) in the weeks leading up to the release of the film.
That's it for this week!
Are you as excited as I am for Oz the Great and Powerful? Let me know in the comments!
We are one month away from the release of Disney's Oz the Great and Powerful. I am so excited to see this film! Merchandise is starting to come in, which is very exciting for us Oz fans. Let's get right into the news, shall we?
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Zachary Ryan Allen |
A new TV spot for Disney's Oz aired during the Super Bowl last weekend. You can watch that here.
In conjunction with Disney, Google Chrome has launched a new, interactive website called Find Your Way to Oz. At the end of the games, users are treated to a brand new look at the film with some unbelievable clips. If you don't want to sort through the games, you can watch the video here.
Mariah Carey has recorded a song for the film called "Almost Home," which is due out February 19th. You can read more about that here.
A bunch of merchandise for the film has been added to Disney Store's website, including pricey replica witch costumes, children's costumes, t-shirts, toys, dolls, and more. Be sure to get this stuff while you can, because they are selling out fast!
Last, but certainly not least, my often-mentioned friend Ryan Jay, who is a film critic, is attending the premiere of the film in Los Angeles next week to interview the stars and director and see the movie! He is thrilled to be able to be a part of that, and I'm sure he will be sharing things from his experience on his website (link above) in the weeks leading up to the release of the film.
That's it for this week!
Are you as excited as I am for Oz the Great and Powerful? Let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
L. Frank Baum's Birthday Podcast 2013
As some of you may know, the Royal Podcast of Oz has presented a special
podcast on May 15th every year since it debuted in 2009.
The first year, we invited Oz fans to record their favorite passages from the Oz books, but the next three years we recorded an L. Frank Baum short story with individual voices for each character. (These have been "Aunt Phroney's Boy," "Tik-Tok and the Nome King," and "The Littlest Giant.")
This year, I'm considering something a little different. The first installment of an audio dramatization of The Enchanted Island of Yew, tentatively titled Prince Marvel. I've been considering how to approach an adaptation for years, and this would be quite different from being just an audio book. (Two versions of which can be obtained for free through Uvula Audio and Librivox.) We'd be starting the story a bit later than the book does. Those who have read the book can probably guess why.
Thoughts? Maybe you want to do a voice? Or an idea for a different story entirely? (The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman from Little Wizard Stories of Oz is my second choice.)
The first year, we invited Oz fans to record their favorite passages from the Oz books, but the next three years we recorded an L. Frank Baum short story with individual voices for each character. (These have been "Aunt Phroney's Boy," "Tik-Tok and the Nome King," and "The Littlest Giant.")
This year, I'm considering something a little different. The first installment of an audio dramatization of The Enchanted Island of Yew, tentatively titled Prince Marvel. I've been considering how to approach an adaptation for years, and this would be quite different from being just an audio book. (Two versions of which can be obtained for free through Uvula Audio and Librivox.) We'd be starting the story a bit later than the book does. Those who have read the book can probably guess why.
Thoughts? Maybe you want to do a voice? Or an idea for a different story entirely? (The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman from Little Wizard Stories of Oz is my second choice.)
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
The Great and Terrible Humbug
In addition to his other morally questionable actions, we should probably consider his sending off a little girl to what could well be her death. I mean, that's basically the case when he sends Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
The MGM movie has him asking Dorothy and company to bring him the Witch's broomstick, to which the Tin Woodman replies, "We'd have to kill her to get it!" Why he assumes this and whether it's indeed true are never addressed, as Dorothy ends up killing the Witch accidentally.
In the book, though, the Wizard just tells the main characters to straight-up assassinate her. It's certainly possible he thinks they won't even try. Really, sending someone off to do a seemingly impossible task is a pretty typical motif in fairy tales and myths. Take Polydectes telling Perseus to bring back the head of Medusa, for instance. The dispatcher always expects failure, but the hero succeeds anyway.
The Wizard does notice that Dorothy wears the Silver Shoes and bears the kiss of the Good Witch of the North, both of which should provide supernatural protection, so he might be holding out some hope that she'll succeed, even if it's not really conscious hope. He's certainly surprised when the party returns bearing news that the Witch of the West is dead, but he also tells them, "When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other Witch."
Still, there remained the very real possibility that Dorothy (who, after all, is a stranger in Oz) would go up against the Witch and fail miserably, which would have to prey on his conscience, wouldn't it?
Regardless, Dorothy doesn't seem to mind, and when she meets the Wizard again in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz she bears him no ill will. And when the characters recap Dorothy's first adventure at the beginning of Ozoplaning with the Wizard, the Wizard's sheepish response to this part of the tale is simply, "But, you see--I didn't know any real magic then. And besides, I needed more time."
All I can say is that Oscar is lucky Dorothy and Ozma are so forgiving.
The MGM movie has him asking Dorothy and company to bring him the Witch's broomstick, to which the Tin Woodman replies, "We'd have to kill her to get it!" Why he assumes this and whether it's indeed true are never addressed, as Dorothy ends up killing the Witch accidentally.
In the book, though, the Wizard just tells the main characters to straight-up assassinate her. It's certainly possible he thinks they won't even try. Really, sending someone off to do a seemingly impossible task is a pretty typical motif in fairy tales and myths. Take Polydectes telling Perseus to bring back the head of Medusa, for instance. The dispatcher always expects failure, but the hero succeeds anyway.
The Wizard does notice that Dorothy wears the Silver Shoes and bears the kiss of the Good Witch of the North, both of which should provide supernatural protection, so he might be holding out some hope that she'll succeed, even if it's not really conscious hope. He's certainly surprised when the party returns bearing news that the Witch of the West is dead, but he also tells them, "When you came to me, I was willing to promise anything if you would only do away with the other Witch."
Still, there remained the very real possibility that Dorothy (who, after all, is a stranger in Oz) would go up against the Witch and fail miserably, which would have to prey on his conscience, wouldn't it?
Regardless, Dorothy doesn't seem to mind, and when she meets the Wizard again in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz she bears him no ill will. And when the characters recap Dorothy's first adventure at the beginning of Ozoplaning with the Wizard, the Wizard's sheepish response to this part of the tale is simply, "But, you see--I didn't know any real magic then. And besides, I needed more time."
All I can say is that Oscar is lucky Dorothy and Ozma are so forgiving.
Monday, February 04, 2013
The Cash Grab Oz DVD Releases Fans WANT
Since Oz is coming back to the big screen next month, there's been announcements of DVD releases that are obvious cash grabs.
The Panmedia anime series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is being re-released to DVD, but don't get your hopes up, it's the movie cuts again, just now on two discs instead of four, and packaged in a single case. If you don't own them yet, or saving space is that important to you, it might be worth a purchase.
What would Oz fans like? To have the entire English dub of the series on DVD. They watch the episodes on Jaroo and YouTube, enjoying the richer storytelling the full 52 episode version offers. I know some fans want any special features possible (yes, I'm looking at you, Sam), but they'd even jump for a bare-bones release. It could easily be done on six discs.
And speaking of Oz cartoon shows on DVD, isn't about time someone released the entire DiC series The Wizard of Oz on DVD? We've had three DVD releases from this 13-episode series, and they only contained 11 episodes altogether. Couldn't someone just release the entire series on a 2-disc set?
And there's the first Oz cartoon series, Tales of the Wizard of Oz. There's been unofficial (and one that seems to have gotten the "okay" from the people at Rankin-Bass) releases, and a variety of episodes are on YouTube, but it would be wonderful to just have all of the episodes on an official release.
And yes, why not a DVD release of the complete series of The Oz Kids?
Not too long ago, I discovered the Russian animated series Adventures in the Emerald City was indeed redubbed and re-edited into an English film by the British company Poseidon Films, titled The Haunted Journey to Oz. It's available on DVD in the UK, but the price of importing it is a little high. Why not bring it to the US?
Also, there's The Space Adventures of Oz, which was re-edited into a bargain bin DVD movie titled The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz. I, for one, would like to see the entire series.
There's also some direct to video (and sometimes TV) releases that could use a DVD: The Wizard of Oz anime film featuring Aileen Quinn, Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz, The Wizard of Oz on Ice and its "Making Of," and the Children's Theater of Minneapolis' adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz.
There are also a wide variety of foreign language Oz films and animated pieces. While Oz fans would like to have ready access to them, I can understand why American companies would be hesitant to try to sort out licensing rights for something with such a limited audience. Here's a list of what these are, though:
There's also been several Oz documentaries over the years. The Smithsonian Channel's The Origins of Oz is getting a tie-in release for the new movie, and the documentary The Yellow Brick Road and Beyond is being re-released, though I understand it's not very good. Sitting in "No DVD" land, there's The Whimsical World of Oz that was part Oz documentary, part "The Making of Return to Oz." There's also Oz: The American Fairyland and In Search of Oz.
The film Journey Back to Oz isn't in print anymore, and could use a re-release, though I suspect most Oz fans who wanted it have it, but a Blu-Ray upgrade might be nice. It seems the kiddie flick The Wonderful Land of Oz is much in the same boat, though some Oz fans might think the less exposure that one has, the better.
Probably the big title that Oz fans want to see on Blu-Ray is Disney's Return to Oz. I heard a rumor that Walter Murch actually supervised the creation of an HD version, so this one might not be so far off. I did wonder, though, what if Disney decides to release an "Oz Legacy" Blu-Ray collection, featuring Return and their new film, with The Rainbow Road to Oz segment from the Disneyland 4th Anniversary Show as a special feature. (It'd be wonderful if they found a way to release the audio from their Storyteller Records as well, though that's not video.) As there will be an article about these past Oz productions in Disney's Twenty-Three magazine, it doesn't look as if they want people to forget about them entirely.
Anyway, for the companies that release DVDs and Blu-Rays, here's some suggestions from the Oz fandom on how to get more of our money!
The Panmedia anime series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is being re-released to DVD, but don't get your hopes up, it's the movie cuts again, just now on two discs instead of four, and packaged in a single case. If you don't own them yet, or saving space is that important to you, it might be worth a purchase.
What would Oz fans like? To have the entire English dub of the series on DVD. They watch the episodes on Jaroo and YouTube, enjoying the richer storytelling the full 52 episode version offers. I know some fans want any special features possible (yes, I'm looking at you, Sam), but they'd even jump for a bare-bones release. It could easily be done on six discs.
And speaking of Oz cartoon shows on DVD, isn't about time someone released the entire DiC series The Wizard of Oz on DVD? We've had three DVD releases from this 13-episode series, and they only contained 11 episodes altogether. Couldn't someone just release the entire series on a 2-disc set?
And there's the first Oz cartoon series, Tales of the Wizard of Oz. There's been unofficial (and one that seems to have gotten the "okay" from the people at Rankin-Bass) releases, and a variety of episodes are on YouTube, but it would be wonderful to just have all of the episodes on an official release.
And yes, why not a DVD release of the complete series of The Oz Kids?
Not too long ago, I discovered the Russian animated series Adventures in the Emerald City was indeed redubbed and re-edited into an English film by the British company Poseidon Films, titled The Haunted Journey to Oz. It's available on DVD in the UK, but the price of importing it is a little high. Why not bring it to the US?
Also, there's The Space Adventures of Oz, which was re-edited into a bargain bin DVD movie titled The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz. I, for one, would like to see the entire series.
There's also some direct to video (and sometimes TV) releases that could use a DVD: The Wizard of Oz anime film featuring Aileen Quinn, Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz, The Wizard of Oz on Ice and its "Making Of," and the Children's Theater of Minneapolis' adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz.
There are also a wide variety of foreign language Oz films and animated pieces. While Oz fans would like to have ready access to them, I can understand why American companies would be hesitant to try to sort out licensing rights for something with such a limited audience. Here's a list of what these are, though:
- Russian live action and stop-motion animated adaptations of The Wizard of the Emerald City
- Several anime productions
- Aysecik and the Bewitched Dwarfs in Dreamland, aka The Turkish Wizard of Oz
- The Tramps and the Wizard of Oroz, aka The Brazilian Wizard of Oz
- A Polish stop-motion animated series
- Fantasia...3
There's also been several Oz documentaries over the years. The Smithsonian Channel's The Origins of Oz is getting a tie-in release for the new movie, and the documentary The Yellow Brick Road and Beyond is being re-released, though I understand it's not very good. Sitting in "No DVD" land, there's The Whimsical World of Oz that was part Oz documentary, part "The Making of Return to Oz." There's also Oz: The American Fairyland and In Search of Oz.
The film Journey Back to Oz isn't in print anymore, and could use a re-release, though I suspect most Oz fans who wanted it have it, but a Blu-Ray upgrade might be nice. It seems the kiddie flick The Wonderful Land of Oz is much in the same boat, though some Oz fans might think the less exposure that one has, the better.
Probably the big title that Oz fans want to see on Blu-Ray is Disney's Return to Oz. I heard a rumor that Walter Murch actually supervised the creation of an HD version, so this one might not be so far off. I did wonder, though, what if Disney decides to release an "Oz Legacy" Blu-Ray collection, featuring Return and their new film, with The Rainbow Road to Oz segment from the Disneyland 4th Anniversary Show as a special feature. (It'd be wonderful if they found a way to release the audio from their Storyteller Records as well, though that's not video.) As there will be an article about these past Oz productions in Disney's Twenty-Three magazine, it doesn't look as if they want people to forget about them entirely.
Anyway, for the companies that release DVDs and Blu-Rays, here's some suggestions from the Oz fandom on how to get more of our money!
Friday, February 01, 2013
'Oz the Great and Powerful' Set Visits & Interactive Website
Happy Friday!
As expected, there's a lot of Oz the Great and Powerful news once again this week.
Entertainment websites like /Film, Just Jared, and Coming Soon have released neat reports from their visits to the set of Oz the Great and Powerful. These reports include on-set cast interviews, some behind-the-scenes pictures, and first impressions. You can navigate through them using the links below.
A new TV spot for the film will air during the Super Bowl this Sunday on CBS. Disney has released an unimpressive sneak peek for the expensive TV spot, which you can watch here.
Next week, an interactive web experience based on the new Disney flick will launch through Google Chrome. You can read more about that here.
The Spring 2013 issue of D23 magazine will feature articles on the making of Oz the Great and Powerful and even Return to Oz and The Rainbow Road to Oz. This Ozzy issue will hit stands February 12th. Check out the cover below, courtesy of Movieweb.
Beginning in mid-February, Oz will be taking over the Muppet-Vision 3D Theater at Disney's California Adventure park! A 4-D twenty minute sneak peek of Oz the Great and Powerful will be showing at the theater periodically leading up to the release of the film. How cool!
That's all for this week! Enjoy the weekend.
As expected, there's a lot of Oz the Great and Powerful news once again this week.
Entertainment websites like /Film, Just Jared, and Coming Soon have released neat reports from their visits to the set of Oz the Great and Powerful. These reports include on-set cast interviews, some behind-the-scenes pictures, and first impressions. You can navigate through them using the links below.
- 35 Things We Learned On the Set of Sam Raimi's 'Oz the Great and Powerful' (/Film)
- Exclusive: Michelle Williams & James Franco: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' Set Visit Interviews! (Just Jared)
- Exclusive: Joey King Talks 'Oz the Great and Powerful' (Just Jared)
- No Place Like Home: The Set of Sam Raimi's Oz The Great and Powerful (Coming Soon)
A new TV spot for the film will air during the Super Bowl this Sunday on CBS. Disney has released an unimpressive sneak peek for the expensive TV spot, which you can watch here.
Next week, an interactive web experience based on the new Disney flick will launch through Google Chrome. You can read more about that here.
The Spring 2013 issue of D23 magazine will feature articles on the making of Oz the Great and Powerful and even Return to Oz and The Rainbow Road to Oz. This Ozzy issue will hit stands February 12th. Check out the cover below, courtesy of Movieweb.
Beginning in mid-February, Oz will be taking over the Muppet-Vision 3D Theater at Disney's California Adventure park! A 4-D twenty minute sneak peek of Oz the Great and Powerful will be showing at the theater periodically leading up to the release of the film. How cool!
That's all for this week! Enjoy the weekend.
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