I know I probably don’t represent your core audience. But as a 40+year old black man, I really appreciate you doing this episode. I hope it may inspire some people to check out this fun movie that was a staple of my childhood. Great job minty!!!
Markos I have a vague memory of The Wiz and I love the level of talent, white and black, that is literally all pumping through it. And you are welcome here as anyone else. Peace and love to you.
My mom worked in the Wall Street area at the time The Wiz was filmed and she saw this scene being filmed. I will never forget when she came home to tell me and my brother about this.
And the song that played in that scene was also sampled and used to make the BGM for the King George Island stage in Tekken, then reused for the Taj Mahal stage in Tekken 2.
Honestly everything in that subway scene that kept coming alive and trying to scare/hurt/kill Dorothy is worthy of being turned into a horror survival video game because it was pretty freakish and scary.
@@rayshawnapoole4050 . Wow yeah it was kinda creepy and Ms.Ross sceen freak me out, but overall it was a Great Film it aged like Wine and now it's a Classic. 👏👏👏👏⭐⭐⭐⭐
i was just thinking this! id love to see it in 4k, i know it’s ridiculous but that like late 70’s haze distracts me somethings. it’s probably the specific emulsion on the film of that era but still.
"what went wrong?" It was an all black retelling of the Wizard of Oz in the 1970's, it's amazing it got made at all, pretty much guaranteed the critics were going to smash it. This movie is a masterpiece.. the cast, the music, the sets... it seamlessly weaves 1970's inner city into the existing fairy tale and gives an entire underrepresented segment of society something that reflected their lives, and it does it with respect and hope. The detail is outstanding and I notice new things every time I've seen it. It's wonderful.
I was three when this movie came out. It was an escape. It was visually stunning. I was mesmerized. My number one favorite movie of all time. As a Black woman (at the time a young girl) to see an all Black cast was mind blowing. Actual representation of us. Our talent fully shown. It will always hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate the time you took to put this together. It deserves ALL the praises 💛
I was 5 or 6 years old when this movie came out but didn’t see it until the end of 1978. What do I remember the most? The music 🎵🎼🎶!! The music stood out in my head and the visual effects were stunning and bedazzling!! I couldn’t get “Ease on Down the Road” “If I Could Feel” “[Don’t You Bring Me] No Bad News” and my personal favorite “The Crow Anthem” out of my head!! It started me on a journey of having music be important in my life and wanting to sing. I don’t sing professionally, but I have an ear for music 🎶🎼🎵! May the ones we lost in this movie and countless others RIH forever 🌹🌷🪷💐🌼🌸❤️❤️!!
I was four, we saw it as a family, I remember the line was long they were doing time entry, we took a ride on the brown line and then went back to watch the movie at a theater downtown.
I was born exactly 20 years after this movie came out! and my mom showed me this as a little girl and I had the same reaction as you! it will never not be my favorite movie of all time ❤
I met Nipsy Russel years ago in Atlanta. An awesome man. he used to work at The Varsity there. The entire cast is nothing but talent. Thank you for this, Minty.
@@AJ17_ I am also a fan of Nipsy Russell’s work. His voice was especially unique. I most emember him from Match Game and Hollywood Squares and liked his role as the principal in Wildcats.
The Wiz is a copy of the Wizard of Oz ,The Wizard of Oz is the classic, it was filmed in 1939. The wiz is the black version of the wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is much better.
@@MarquelCherry-o5q and Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and many other Disney movies are copies of original stories, yet still hold their own as classics. Cut the density and ethnocentrism. It’s a tired trope and shameful that you can’t release it from your being🤮
Wow, I tell youngins that every time The Wiz happens to come up. I told a young college girl such in a record store dampening her spirits letting her know all the major characters were now dead sans Ross.
Yes, of all the PRINCIPAL cast, Diana Ross is the only surviving member, then again, it is a 43 years-old movie. Nobody knows how the wheels of life will turn.
Saying The Wiz has its flaws may please those who cling to the play or the original Wizard of Oz, but truth is it's one of the best movies ever made. The grit of Ross alone helps to make the movie realistic. Again, it's not the Wizard of Oz. It's not a remake and not the play. The Wiz is a brilliant star-studded tribute to a culture and movement that gets overlooked by pale comparisons. I hope more people see and enjoy this iconic masterpiece. It is an evolution of sound, messaging, and well ahead of its time. Whenever something flops at the box office people and critics run from it and are quick to judge, but as stated in several of the comments, for those of us blessed to see and grow up with this film, there is nothing like The Wiz. It is its own movie, story, music, flavor, filled with life lessons and love. This movie didn't ruin Diana Ross' career it defined it. It cemented Quincy Jones as a legend and spring-boarded the second half Micheal Jackson's career, ultimately ending as the greatest entertainer to ever live. - Music is music, plays are plays, movies are movies. This was a message to all willing to receive it. Never let the message get lost for the sake of criticism. Nothing but love for all involved in this timeless classic.
I agree with you it was a wonderful movie but for those of us that saw the play with Stephanie Mills hoped she was placed in the movie. She was so talented and it would have really boosted her career. We hoped Diana would have helped a young girl along whereas Diana was well establish with 3 or 4 movies to her credit already. All I all it was a fabulous movie.
Easily one of my top 5 movies of all time. I didn't grow up on the Broadway show, but this movie was right in that spot (I was born in 74) to not only scare the hell out of me, but also gave me some true moments of inspritation with its design. It's INSANE how much detail is in this movie. I will cry every time I watch it. I just wish we'd get a good 2 hour doscumentary about it, with interviews. Thanks for the vid.
Haha...I also got in trouble in the movie theater because I laughed my ass off when Evillene started melting and disappeared into that giant toilet! I still crack up at that scene even today...
I'm surprised Minty didn't mention The Wiz's connection to Village People. Original lead singer Victor Willis was in the Broadway production before VP, and his 1979 replacement, Ray Simpson, was one of the crows in the movie
That's an awesome piece of trivia. Thanks for sharing. I was a high school senior in '78 & a dyed-in-the-wool "Disco Sucks" rock 'n' roller. But even I and all my R 'n' R weed & beer saturated buddies agreed "The Peoples" were cool as f*ck. I always quote: "WHAT AM I GONNA DO IN A SUBMARINE?" ⁉️🤩❤️👍 Seriously and sincerely, thank you again. Be safe & have a great weekend. 😃
The first time I saw the wiz, was at a slumber party when I was around 9 or 10 years old. We had stayed up super late giggling and what not, and it was like 3am, and a local broadcast station played it. We were all fascinated by it and actually thought at first we had some kind of shared dream, and there was no way it was a real movie. The parking garage scene scared me a bit though. I remember trying to describe this movie to my mom because I wanted to see it again, while awake. Thankfully all it took was saying "Michael Jackson was the scarecrow!" and she knew what it was and bought me the soundtrack shortly after. In the early 90s, I was a huge Jackson fan, so that probably lent a lot to my immediate liking of the movie. Took us a bit to find a rental of it, but it was fun watching it with my mom, who loved musicals and apparently already had most of the songs memorized.
Besides the stars you mentioned The Wiz also had other legends like Lena Horne, Mable King, and Nipsey Russel... did anyone remember that Luther Vandross also had a hand in writing some songs with vocal production: "A Brand New Day". With so much star power in the film most people would have thought that the film would have been better, but besides some scenes running a bit too long, I do love most of the songs and Diana really sung her best. In the liner notes from the 1978 album Quincy Jones was surprised that Ross was able to hit those notes and said she was super professional in her sessions especially with the one take "Home" song. I also love a lot of the sets although some could look a bit campy, it did reflect the style of the movie and as a kid I saw when I was 6, never scared me but I'm also a fan of horror movies so there's that lol
This movie and its soundtrack was my life as a kid. I have the LP soundtrack, VHS, and DVD. It’s on demand now, so I’m happy. I did not, however, know of Quincy Jones displeasure with the movie, especially since he produced the music, and was the piano player in the gold segment of the Emerald City scene
The Emerald City scene was very important to see at the time. A city of very chic Black people strutting their stuff looking incredible. It was sure windy that night they shot that scene. Props to all those dancers freezing their asses off.
@@ericbgordon1575 He recently did The Wizard of Oz and made a joke about Toto's Africa. Maybe he will do a video on Dune next since Toto did the whole soundtrack.
My 6th grade music teacher loved this movie so much she took students to see it in a theater in another town, because I lived in a small town that didn't have it in our theater. She made us learn and sing all the songs everyday in class til the end of the school year.
People forget that during those times for a black woman - Stephanie Mills was not considered as being able to carry the film based on her looks. As a darker skin toned Black woman who also suffered from severe acne & the years of heavy stage make-up made it worse, they were really looking for someone else to front the movie. Diana Ross seemed a better choice because white folks loved her.
whut? i would have never thought people criticized the movie and weren't happy with diana ross' performance. i was OBSESSED with this movie in high school (in the early 2000s). to the point where whenever i would watch it, my family would say, "again?" lol. then in college i definitely had a pair of silver pumps which i called the Silver Slippers. also i agree with the point about the emerald city sequence being a commentary on fashion trends (and we could extend that to consumerism). that sequence is one of my favorite pieces if film ever. surprised there was no mention of the legendary and magical Lena Horne playing Glinda. i wonder if there's a story to casting her for that part.
So glad Minty did a recap/review of this movie. I remember being the only kid in my elementary class in the mid 80s who saw this movie. In fact, none of the kids in my Cincinnati neighborhood knew about the Wiz but i had to school them! The Wiz was filled with an awesome cast of legends in front and behind the camera. Clearly, the critics gave bias reviews because they did not understand the premise and compared it to the 1930s version. The Wiz was fun, friendly, musically satisfying and visually stunning for everyone to watch at least once or five times! Don't get me started on the Emerald City color change scene 💚❤️💛
This is officially my favorite Minty Video! I love Michael Jackson and this is the first version of The Wizard of Oz that I learned about as a little girl! 🤩👸🏾💖
Very interesting (if very flawed) retrospective. "You Can't Win" was NOT written for the movie and was NOT written by Quincy Jones. It was written by Charlie Smalls (who wrote the Broadway score for The Wiz) and it originally appeared in the pre-Broadway tryout version of the show, sung by the Winkies (the Wicked Witch's slaves) just prior to her melting. It was recycled into the movie version for Michael Jackson (and again into the 2015 TV version). Also... The 1939 movie was NOT a "box office disaster". It was a huge hit, yet it failed to recoup its initial cost (of $2.7 million) until its re-release a decade later -- and this was because with such a child-friendly movie, a large percentage of ticket receipts (admission prices were substantially lower for kids) were less than they would have been otherwise. Lastly, "Oz the Great and Powerful" was not "trashed by the critics". It was well-receivied, but it wasn't the hit that they had hoped. "Trashed by the critics" is a gross overstatement!
I've always wondered how Stephanie Mills felt about Diana Ross edging her out of the movie version of Dorothy. While it wasn't commonplace for Broadway actors to be used in the cinematic telling of the story, I'm sure Ms. Mills knew she was a shoe-in if not for Ms. Ross' campaigning. Also interesting to note that even though The Wiz's version of Dorothy is supposed to be older, Diana Ross tries to play the character more in the childlike, Old Hollywood innocence style of Judy Garland's Dorothy instead of the more modern take The Wiz was going for. I think that's where a lot of the "neurotic" notes stem from.
@@thewizboy Um, okay keyboard warrior. I know you're practically foaming at the mouth to prove your point here, but relax. The Wiz isn't the first & only Hollywood film to have years of rampant speculation based on limited (or flat out wrong) public knowledge. It's been long rumored that Diana Ross edged out Stephanie Mills for the role of Dorothy. I didn't make that up myself as evident by the information presented at the 4:00 mark. So apparently Minty got the same memo myself & generations of 'Wiz' fans got. I mean, if you have evidence to the contrary, we're all ears. I know the Internet's m.o. is to 1up or feel you got the drop on somebody, but believe me, it's so not necessary. We're all fans here.
@@thewizboy I disagree. If you listen to Questlove podcast he did an episode with Stephanie Mills. In the episode Mills talks about how she wanted to play Dorthy but she couldn’t win against Diana.
Diana Ross saw the stage play. She actually talked to auntie Stephanie Mills. She told her she wanted to play Dorothy in the movie. She didn’t have to work hard for that role, she was in a relationship with Quincy Jones.
@@auntieMaine Diana Ross never dated Quincy Jones. And the stage play was several years before the film. Long before Miss Ross herself actually knew that she would want to play Dorothy. People pleeease stop making false rumors without facts to back it up geez
AS an 11yr old I seen THE WIZ with Stephanie Mills... The show was actually dedicated to my family by Michael Jackson and giving an 8-track tape recording of it . I was heartbroken when the movie came out and Diana Ross was in it instead of Stephanie Mills. Yes I was one of those who thought Diana Ross was too old for the part as for the songs, I love them all. I'm 56 years old now. I've maked sure all 10 of my grandchildren and any other child that came my way which is a lot, I have over 30 nieces and nephews we all love it. I made sure ALL THE KIDS AROUND ME SAW THE "WIZ" I'LL always ask which one was best Stephanie Mills was MOSTLY the answer 😊
As a 1976 baby, I thought I knew everything on this list (mostly). BUT, I didn't know the 1939 "Wizard of OZ" was also A BOX-OFFICE FAILURE. This gives a new perspective to those people who tried (for decades) to hate on "The WIZ" because it tarnished their sacred, Judy Garland version (which, by the way: the Judy Garland version was the THIRD film version of the book....since the invention of movies).
the dance scene in Oz, the actors wore some kind of reflective white or silver and the production would change the lighting color whenever directed by OZ. which gave off the look that they were changing their entire outfits to match the color of OZ. very genius for early film production and still a tactic I think can be used today.
This was a movie that my family would always watch when it came on KTLA channel 5. It was a family favorite. Ease on down the road was a song we would sing on family trips. It makes me smile just thinking about it. Thank you for giving me a smile today 😁
As children we loved The Wizard Of Oz but watching The Wiz we we’re mesmerized!!! Between the two we prefer The Wiz. With The Wiz it was more captivating and way more creative how they adapted the story to make it more modern in NYC. We really can’t understand how it was criticized so heavily when the cinematography, the fashion and the music alone make it an A+!!!
It is SO HARD to mess with a CLASSIC. I saw a screening of THE WIZ in New York's Bryant Park. The audience loved it. Can't explain it. The filmed WORKED.
I saw the play with Stephane Mills and Watched The Wizard of Oz. I remember seeing The Wiz in the movies with my grandmother and for the first time at home on a 13 in colored tv. We gathered around the tv and loved watching the movie. Til this day The Wiz will always be the BEST movie I've ever seen. I had my children watch it and they bought me the DVD when it came out. So I have it on VHS and DVD :) I love the WIZ.
I am only 22 years old, but I was basically raised on this movie and I LOVE IT. The "too scary for children" comment is kinda true (Those pink voodoo puppet things terrified me) but I think the representation was what really made it for me as a mixed kid. It helped me connect to my black side through music and a traditional story in a way not many other movies have or can. It's a shame it's not super popular, but I know that I'll definitely be showing it to my friends as time goes on.
I seen the wiz before i seen the wizard of oz. I think Diana did great... very relatable to Adult life now. sometimes you get stuck in this emotionless state of not knowing what to do or where to go next. But by the end of the movie you can tell she actually found herself.
Thank you for doing this one! I was 2 when The Wiz was released, and have always loved it! My only critique is that they sang the same song twice at the end.
I saw the wiz in 1998 with my family and after that I was hooked. Just like you the lions song is my theme song along with 2 you mentioned!!!!!! That’s my jam. Wonderful video mate
The whole soundtrack honestly, so hard to decide... Ending theme, Home by Diana Ross. She couldn't blow like Lena Horne, but she put every inch of her soul in that song. Her uncontrollable trail of tears is a testament to how some songs just hit different.
Love this one! You can see Minty put a lot of his heart in this video! I was in 5th grade when this hit the scene so it will always have a special place in my heart!
I was 11 when this was out. It came to our local cable shortly after release and was shown often. I remember this well. I grew up in a city as well, so this resonated.
I love how all these men kept saying Diana wasn’t the right age for the role, but she made it so iconic I couldn’t imagine anyone else in that role. Stop letting your bias stop you from making art
I find it funny that Ross was considered to old for the role and she had to fight for the role, but later after the movie came out she agreed that she was to old for the part. I think that she was old and I would have loved to see the original actress in the role
From my perspective, I have to say I don't recall even once when watching The Wiz, either back when it came out, or last year when I re-watched it, thinking to myself that Dianna was "too old" for the role. Was it a bit crappy of her to muscle-out the stage actress? Yeah leaning toward that, but welcome to the Real World where it's more about WHO you know than WHAT you know. In other words, I found it fascinating that her age even caused someone to leave the production, because it was never an issue for me.
@@CurtBrown420 but she later said that she was to old for the role and should not have been cast. I know she wanted to role and got it but I don’t think she was right for the role I loved the live action one it was great and true to the broadway show
I remember seeing this as a kid (I was 15) and I really loved it. I knew Nipsy Russel from game shows like Match Game and Celebrity Sweepstakes and of course Michael from the Jackson 5. Seems like every film that I have seen that the critics hated, I have loved and this is no exception. I thought it was a cool film and recently found it on DVD so now I can watch it whenever I want! Thanks for this and the Toto jokes!!
I am so happy you did this! A couple months back I was going to ask you to do it, but I wasn’t sure you would do it. This is literally my favorite movie of all time. Thank you ❤️
Russell, Ted Ross, and Jackson were very well cast. I love watching their performances. My favorite number from the movie is "He's the Wiz". I particularly like the cut back to the main theme at the Hula-Hoop bit.
Personally I have no problems with this movie or the fact that Diana Ross was considered too old for the role. The fact she's a school teacher makes things work. It's possible to be someone who is older but afraid of change and so she goes through this adventure which at times is scary and she pulls off the sincerity in this film with her performance. I sometimes wonder if critics just seem to miss the point entirely when it comes to aspects of a character. Let's face it, if we were pulled into a space that is mysterious and weird, we'd be both uneasy and scared as well.
Surprised in the list of big remakes didn't also include the miniseries The Tin Man starring Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough, Alan Cumming, Raoul Trujillo, Kathleen Robertson, and Richard Dreyfuss. It's fantastic. ❤️😍❤️
Haha...it would have combined two of my favorite movies from childhood. The circle would have been complete if they found a way to add something in there from the original Star Wars movie...
thanks for this vid! i am a huge wiz fan! its one of my fav movies! so much talent ~~ mj, miss diana ross, mr quincy jones, mr ted ross, mr nipsey russell, sidney lumet, mr schumacher, smalls, vandross, ashford + simpson, even the small but huge bits by miss mabel king, miss thelma carpenter, theresa merritt, richard pryor + ‘the horne’ (fred g sanford reference!) i have named enough for now, but i just couldnt help to keep adding names because it is oozing so much talent!!
This movie is the epitome of “representation matters” because as a kid I never really had a connection to the original Wizard of Oz. Sure it was bright, colorful and engaging but I never really connected with any of the characters. But then I saw The Wiz and everything changed. Seeing an all Black cast was great and while I came to see people that looked like me I was really there to see MJ. To this day I’ve probably watched the movie well over two dozen times, owned it on VHS, DVD and still have the vinyl soundtrack! The Wiz may not be everyone’s brew of tea but I have nothing but absolute love, respect and adoration for this film. Bravo sir! Bravo!
This was one of my favourite films as a kid in the early 80s. Saw it on tv and instantly fell in love with it, and remains one of my favourite top 5 musical films of all time.
Lena Horne as The Good Witch was brilliant casting. Ted Ross, in full Lion costume, visited some real lions at a zoo. The big male lion was a little taken aback.
The year this movie was released, I think I was either 9 or 10 years old. I remember when my Mom took us to the movies to go see this. My father had just died, and it was just my brother and I. It was epic. I know all of the songs by heart and the “philosophy” you speak of helped to mold me. I loved everything about this movie and I think Diana was iconic. All of them, hold such a big place in my heart. For as long as I live, this movie is in my top 5, and my number 1, with Imitation of Life right behind it. I appreciate your commentary, overall.
I grew up loving both The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz. I love the different takes on the book and I’m sad that Ray Bolger didn’t like it. Most of these facts I already knew, but there were some that were still new to me. Thank you for putting this together and I hope it inspires people to watch it.
I watch the wiz every thanksgiving w my family since I was a child. I’ve loved it more than the wizard of oz. It’s one of my faves the subway part and emerald city are my fave
They should've gave the role to Stephanie Mills. She looked older than 33 and the only reason she got it was because she was sleeping with Barry Gordy and had his child. Thank u so much for your research and time because this was one of my favorite movies as a kid because I absolutely loved The Wizard of Oz. The song "You can't Win" has very telling lyrics about the industry.
I first saw The Wiz on a pay per view cable channel back in the late 70's/early 80's (I can't quite remember. lol) and I loved it. I enjoyed the fact that it took place in an alternate NYC universe and I thought the make up effects for the characters was inspired and incredibly creative. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. 👍
I know I probably don’t represent your core audience. But as a 40+year old black man, I really appreciate you doing this episode. I hope it may inspire some people to check out this fun movie that was a staple of my childhood. Great job minty!!!
Markos I have a vague memory of The Wiz and I love the level of talent, white and black, that is literally all pumping through it. And you are welcome here as anyone else. Peace and love to you.
@@davidaston5773 thanks brother. I appreciate that...
It's my favorite movie it's the 1st 1 I've ever seen when MJ died I purchased it and sang all the songs while crying it's a classic 4 us
@@markosclark You're welcome. Peace.
Minty doesn't have a core audience, the www is his stage and everyone is invited I thought. Peace.
The Emerald city performance was actually filmed between the twin towers. They had to film it at night when it was closed. Epic dance scene!
I would have loved to have been there to see the taping.
That’s my favorite scene in the movie
@@intheclear3492 Mines too....So Chic, Sleek & Fashionable!🖤👈🏾
My mom worked in the Wall Street area at the time The Wiz was filmed and she saw this scene being filmed. I will never forget when she came home to tell me and my brother about this.
And the song that played in that scene was also sampled and used to make the BGM for the King George Island stage in Tekken, then reused for the Taj Mahal stage in Tekken 2.
As a kid, those giant, shaking dolls with the smiles on their faces in the subway scene scared the living hell outta me. 😱
Glad I'm not the only one.
Honestly everything in that subway scene that kept coming alive and trying to scare/hurt/kill Dorothy is worthy of being turned into a horror survival video game because it was pretty freakish and scary.
Me too and the grifitti scene too I was scared of Evilene and the flying monkeys Mrs wyann was my favorite
Facts
Me too! I loved it!!😃
"Too silly for adults and too scary for children". My favourite place.
That basically describes my personality.
Yes
RETURN TO OZ
This is my absolute most favorite movie of all time, but as a kid that scene on the subway scared the hell out of me lol
@@rayshawnapoole4050 . Wow yeah it was kinda creepy and Ms.Ross sceen freak me out, but overall it was a Great Film it aged like Wine and now it's a Classic. 👏👏👏👏⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think The Wiz is due for a 4k blu-ray release. Such an adorable movie!
Hopefully a 4K release would brighten up the visuals.
@@wstine79 A 4K with Dolby Vision HDR restoration like the original Wizard of Oz would be fantasticl!
Agreed!!!
I just wished that Sidney Lumet had lived just a bit longer to have recorded a commentary track! Peace.
i was just thinking this! id love to see it in 4k, i know it’s ridiculous but that like late 70’s haze distracts me somethings. it’s probably the specific emulsion on the film of that era but still.
"what went wrong?" It was an all black retelling of the Wizard of Oz in the 1970's, it's amazing it got made at all, pretty much guaranteed the critics were going to smash it. This movie is a masterpiece.. the cast, the music, the sets... it seamlessly weaves 1970's inner city into the existing fairy tale and gives an entire underrepresented segment of society something that reflected their lives, and it does it with respect and hope. The detail is outstanding and I notice new things every time I've seen it. It's wonderful.
@@sylvesterwest5991 yes I agree with you
@@polly8844 I enjoyed the film. But, Ross was too old to play Dorothy.
@@ericponce8740 if you saw the play in 1970s looking at Dianna in the film was laughable.
@@ericponce8740 If Stephanie Mills had a play to roll it would have been horrible 👎🤣🤣
We're lucky Diana was even interested.
I love both. But The wiz is fire.
I was three when this movie came out. It was an escape. It was visually stunning. I was mesmerized. My number one favorite movie of all time. As a Black woman (at the time a young girl) to see an all Black cast was mind blowing. Actual representation of us. Our talent fully shown. It will always hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate the time you took to put this together. It deserves ALL the praises 💛
Tiffany your comment was bomb😳💯
I was 5 or 6 years old when this movie came out but didn’t see it until the end of 1978. What do I remember the most? The music 🎵🎼🎶!! The music stood out in my head and the visual effects were stunning and bedazzling!! I couldn’t get “Ease on Down the Road” “If I Could Feel” “[Don’t You Bring Me] No Bad News” and my personal favorite “The Crow Anthem” out of my head!! It started me on a journey of having music be important in my life and wanting to sing. I don’t sing professionally, but I have an ear for music 🎶🎼🎵! May the ones we lost in this movie and countless others RIH forever 🌹🌷🪷💐🌼🌸❤️❤️!!
I was four, we saw it as a family, I remember the line was long they were doing time entry, we took a ride on the brown line and then went back to watch the movie at a theater downtown.
I was four and it's my favorite movie of all time as well
I was born exactly 20 years after this movie came out! and my mom showed me this as a little girl and I had the same reaction as you! it will never not be my favorite movie of all time ❤
I met Nipsy Russel years ago in Atlanta. An awesome man. he used to work at The Varsity there. The entire cast is nothing but talent. Thank you for this, Minty.
Oh I'm jealous! I 've been a fan of his since I was a kid. I remember seeing him on game shows in the late 70s and he was always so funny.
@@AJ17_
I am also a fan of Nipsy Russell’s work. His voice was especially unique. I most emember him from Match Game and Hollywood Squares and liked his role as the principal in Wildcats.
thanks for sharing that
I live a few blocks from The Varsity. I remember when he worked there.
Wow did he work at the main varsity or the junior varsity ( now gone and replaced by a storage facility) .
"Toto just wants to hold the line, cuz love isn't always on time."
Epic, Minty, just Epic.
I heard a rimshot after he said this
Toto...Africa...All African American cast. My mind is blown
I was listening to this at work and went "PFFFF*snort*" out loud after that line. Luckily, nobody was around me 😂
Yeah he got me there. Tickled!
@@henryvargas653 Same. I scared my cat I snickered so loud.
The Wiz is a classic in my book.
It is.
The Wiz is a copy of the Wizard of Oz ,The Wizard of Oz is the classic, it was filmed in 1939. The wiz is the black version of the wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is much better.
A classic for the entirety of black America❤️❤️❤️
@@MarquelCherry-o5q and Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and many other Disney movies are copies of original stories, yet still hold their own as classics. Cut the density and ethnocentrism. It’s a tired trope and shameful that you can’t release it from your being🤮
A remake that is better than the original in my eyes!! This Classic film was never considered “underrated” among our community!! 💯🤔
A very sad fact, out of all the principle cast, Diana Ross is the last surviving member.
Oh wow, that's true !
Wow, I tell youngins that every time The Wiz happens to come up. I told a young college girl such in a record store dampening her spirits letting her know all the major characters were now dead sans Ross.
Yes, of all the PRINCIPAL cast, Diana Ross is the only surviving member, then again, it is a 43 years-old movie. Nobody knows how the wheels of life will turn.
Way to ruin a happy joyful moment.
Yep! Sad but true!
Saying The Wiz has its flaws may please those who cling to the play or the original Wizard of Oz, but truth is it's one of the best movies ever made. The grit of Ross alone helps to make the movie realistic. Again, it's not the Wizard of Oz. It's not a remake and not the play. The Wiz is a brilliant star-studded tribute to a culture and movement that gets overlooked by pale comparisons. I hope more people see and enjoy this iconic masterpiece. It is an evolution of sound, messaging, and well ahead of its time. Whenever something flops at the box office people and critics run from it and are quick to judge, but as stated in several of the comments, for those of us blessed to see and grow up with this film, there is nothing like The Wiz. It is its own movie, story, music, flavor, filled with life lessons and love. This movie didn't ruin Diana Ross' career it defined it. It cemented Quincy Jones as a legend and spring-boarded the second half Micheal Jackson's career, ultimately ending as the greatest entertainer to ever live. - Music is music, plays are plays, movies are movies. This was a message to all willing to receive it. Never let the message get lost for the sake of criticism. Nothing but love for all involved in this timeless classic.
❤❤👏🏾👏🏾
I agree with you it was a wonderful movie but for those of us that saw the play with Stephanie Mills hoped she was placed in the movie. She was so talented and it would have really boosted her career. We hoped Diana would have helped a young girl along whereas Diana was well establish with 3 or 4 movies to her credit already. All I all it was a fabulous movie.
This is a very underrated Musical...The cast killed this movie...
You mean, like, their performances were spot on perfect or something?
@@thefantasticretroreviewer3941 exactly. Its an American expression.
@@TheConnonedrum Okay.
Anndd..the cast is almost dead by now😕
@@vinny_the_kidd I know Micheal Jackson is.
I wonder what the others are doing?
Easily one of my top 5 movies of all time. I didn't grow up on the Broadway show, but this movie was right in that spot (I was born in 74) to not only scare the hell out of me, but also gave me some true moments of inspritation with its design. It's INSANE how much detail is in this movie. I will cry every time I watch it. I just wish we'd get a good 2 hour doscumentary about it, with interviews. Thanks for the vid.
I love Stan Winston's makeup effects on the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion.
I find it fascinated that someone else wanted to deep dive into the wiz besides me.
Forget them people. My family watch this every thanksgiving and my grandchildren were fascinated with the movie as well.😅
I appreciate this so much. It's so rare to find anything on The Wiz and it's such a staple of Black culture. Beautifully done. Thank you, Minty! 💗🥰
My favorite song from the movie is If I could feel by the tin man Nipsy Russell. I like the way he delivered it. It was very emotional ironically!
Sooooooo good
💯
My fave character! In all the wizard of oz's..
Yes baby when them ladies sing the background I can’t help but jump in the harmony too
That is my favourite song on the soundtrack along with "You Can't Win"...
I got in trouble when I was a young kid back in the 70s. I jumped up on the table in school and started singing Ease on Down the Road.
Haha...I also got in trouble in the movie theater because I laughed my ass off when Evillene started melting and disappeared into that giant toilet! I still crack up at that scene even today...
@@NativeNYker73 nice one.
Lol
🗣YOU BETTER GO BOY! I would of been ya hype person!
RIP Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson
Ted Ross, Nipsy Russel, Lena Horne, Mabel King... the list goes on ❤️🙏🏾
Sidney Lumet too. The director.
@@taotaostrong Mabel King is AWESOME.
Compare this movie to "The Jerk" and we see the woman had range!
@@auldthymer She is awesome! I also found her to be quite beautiful. Her skin never aged!
And Nipsey Russell!!!!!!!!!
👏🏼👏🏼The Wiz was an integral part of my childhood! ❤️
Imagining a world before “Off the Wall” and “Thriller” is almost impossible to do! Wow!
I'm surprised Minty didn't mention The Wiz's connection to Village People. Original lead singer Victor Willis was in the Broadway production before VP, and his 1979 replacement, Ray Simpson, was one of the crows in the movie
I didn't know!
That's an awesome piece of trivia. Thanks for sharing. I was a high school senior in '78 & a dyed-in-the-wool "Disco Sucks" rock 'n' roller. But even I and all my R 'n' R weed & beer saturated buddies agreed "The Peoples" were cool as f*ck. I always quote: "WHAT AM I GONNA DO IN A SUBMARINE?" ⁉️🤩❤️👍
Seriously and sincerely, thank you again. Be safe & have a great weekend. 😃
The first time I saw the wiz, was at a slumber party when I was around 9 or 10 years old. We had stayed up super late giggling and what not, and it was like 3am, and a local broadcast station played it. We were all fascinated by it and actually thought at first we had some kind of shared dream, and there was no way it was a real movie. The parking garage scene scared me a bit though. I remember trying to describe this movie to my mom because I wanted to see it again, while awake. Thankfully all it took was saying "Michael Jackson was the scarecrow!" and she knew what it was and bought me the soundtrack shortly after. In the early 90s, I was a huge Jackson fan, so that probably lent a lot to my immediate liking of the movie. Took us a bit to find a rental of it, but it was fun watching it with my mom, who loved musicals and apparently already had most of the songs memorized.
I wake up every morning...
with 'No Bad,News' 😊.
… Knock on wood!
Besides the stars you mentioned The Wiz also had other legends like Lena Horne, Mable King, and Nipsey Russel... did anyone remember that Luther Vandross also had a hand in writing some songs with vocal production: "A Brand New Day". With so much star power in the film most people would have thought that the film would have been better, but besides some scenes running a bit too long, I do love most of the songs and Diana really sung her best. In the liner notes from the 1978 album Quincy Jones was surprised that Ross was able to hit those notes and said she was super professional in her sessions especially with the one take "Home" song. I also love a lot of the sets although some could look a bit campy, it did reflect the style of the movie and as a kid I saw when I was 6, never scared me but I'm also a fan of horror movies so there's that lol
This movie and its soundtrack was my life as a kid. I have the LP soundtrack, VHS, and DVD. It’s on demand now, so I’m happy. I did not, however, know of Quincy Jones displeasure with the movie, especially since he produced the music, and was the piano player in the gold segment of the Emerald City scene
The Emerald City scene was very important to see at the time. A city of very chic Black people strutting their stuff looking incredible. It was sure windy that night they shot that scene. Props to all those dancers freezing their asses off.
I love the big dance scene with the different hued backgrounds.
Nipsey Russell played the Tin Man. Always loved his wit and poetry...
I'm pretty sure Minty made this video just to make another Toto joke...lol
That's what I said. 🤣
lol
May not have been paying strict attention, but how many did he make before?
@@ericbgordon1575 He recently did The Wizard of Oz and made a joke about Toto's Africa. Maybe he will do a video on Dune next since Toto did the whole soundtrack.
That's what I wanted to read, @@projectmayhem6898, whether I knew it or not.
As soon as I saw this I couldn't help but start singing "ease on down the road"
My 6th grade music teacher loved this movie so much she took students to see it in a theater in another town, because I lived in a small town that didn't have it in our theater. She made us learn and sing all the songs everyday in class til the end of the school year.
That's awesome
Quincy Jones is truly a musical genius! Thanks so much for doing this one...
Love this movie and soundtrack!!!!!
The sountrack is really great !!
Stephanie Mills would've been an amazing Dorothy in this
Which has me leary on the statement “Dianna Ross had to fight for the role”🤨🤨🤨
Agreed! My mom is a New Yorker and saw The Wiz on stage and in the movies and says the exact same thing!
Absolutely
People forget that during those times for a black woman - Stephanie Mills was not considered as being able to carry the film based on her looks. As a darker skin toned Black woman who also suffered from severe acne & the years of heavy stage make-up made it worse, they were really looking for someone else to front the movie. Diana Ross seemed a better choice because white folks loved her.
whut? i would have never thought people criticized the movie and weren't happy with diana ross' performance. i was OBSESSED with this movie in high school (in the early 2000s). to the point where whenever i would watch it, my family would say, "again?" lol. then in college i definitely had a pair of silver pumps which i called the Silver Slippers.
also i agree with the point about the emerald city sequence being a commentary on fashion trends (and we could extend that to consumerism). that sequence is one of my favorite pieces if film ever. surprised there was no mention of the legendary and magical Lena Horne playing Glinda. i wonder if there's a story to casting her for that part.
What about 10 things about minty? Or "o brother where art thou?"
Oh Brother Where Art Though is an amazing movie. I would also like to see the back stories to that movie. Great idea 👍
This was very underrated. I've never been a fan of musicals, but I enjoyed this one as a kid.
So glad Minty did a recap/review of this movie. I remember being the only kid in my elementary class in the mid 80s who saw this movie. In fact, none of the kids in my Cincinnati neighborhood knew about the Wiz but i had to school them! The Wiz was filled with an awesome cast of legends in front and behind the camera. Clearly, the critics gave bias reviews because they did not understand the premise and compared it to the 1930s version. The Wiz was fun, friendly, musically satisfying and visually stunning for everyone to watch at least once or five times! Don't get me started on the Emerald City color change scene 💚❤️💛
Diana Ross was gorgeous in this film! She still is!
R.i.p. to the rest of the cast!
This is officially my favorite Minty Video! I love Michael Jackson and this is the first version of The Wizard of Oz that I learned about as a little girl! 🤩👸🏾💖
I don’t think I heard you mention Nipsey Russell’s name once. He was one of the lead actors too.
One of the funniest people ever. Him and Richard Pryor.
Very interesting (if very flawed) retrospective. "You Can't Win" was NOT written for the movie and was NOT written by Quincy Jones. It was written by Charlie Smalls (who wrote the Broadway score for The Wiz) and it originally appeared in the pre-Broadway tryout version of the show, sung by the Winkies (the Wicked Witch's slaves) just prior to her melting. It was recycled into the movie version for Michael Jackson (and again into the 2015 TV version).
Also... The 1939 movie was NOT a "box office disaster". It was a huge hit, yet it failed to recoup its initial cost (of $2.7 million) until its re-release a decade later -- and this was because with such a child-friendly movie, a large percentage of ticket receipts (admission prices were substantially lower for kids) were less than they would have been otherwise.
Lastly, "Oz the Great and Powerful" was not "trashed by the critics". It was well-receivied, but it wasn't the hit that they had hoped. "Trashed by the critics" is a gross overstatement!
I've always wondered how Stephanie Mills felt about Diana Ross edging her out of the movie version of Dorothy. While it wasn't commonplace for Broadway actors to be used in the cinematic telling of the story, I'm sure Ms. Mills knew she was a shoe-in if not for Ms. Ross' campaigning.
Also interesting to note that even though The Wiz's version of Dorothy is supposed to be older, Diana Ross tries to play the character more in the childlike, Old Hollywood innocence style of Judy Garland's Dorothy instead of the more modern take The Wiz was going for. I think that's where a lot of the "neurotic" notes stem from.
@@thewizboy Um, okay keyboard warrior. I know you're practically foaming at the mouth to prove your point here, but relax.
The Wiz isn't the first & only Hollywood film to have years of rampant speculation based on limited (or flat out wrong) public knowledge. It's been long rumored that Diana Ross edged out Stephanie Mills for the role of Dorothy. I didn't make that up myself as evident by the information presented at the 4:00 mark. So apparently Minty got the same memo myself & generations of 'Wiz' fans got.
I mean, if you have evidence to the contrary, we're all ears. I know the Internet's m.o. is to 1up or feel you got the drop on somebody, but believe me, it's so not necessary. We're all fans here.
@@thewizboy I disagree. If you listen to Questlove podcast he did an episode with Stephanie Mills. In the episode Mills talks about how she wanted to play Dorthy but she couldn’t win against Diana.
Diana Ross saw the stage play. She actually talked to auntie Stephanie Mills. She told her she wanted to play Dorothy in the movie. She didn’t have to work hard for that role, she was in a relationship with Quincy Jones.
@@auntieMaine Diana Ross never dated Quincy Jones. And the stage play was several years before the film. Long before Miss Ross herself actually knew that she would want to play Dorothy. People pleeease stop making false rumors without facts to back it up geez
Woooooooow.......it's amazing that if you're sleeping with your boss you can be casted as a child even if you're 33 years old.
AS an 11yr old I seen THE WIZ with Stephanie Mills... The show was actually dedicated to my family by Michael Jackson and giving an 8-track tape recording of it . I was heartbroken when the movie came out and Diana Ross was in it instead of Stephanie Mills. Yes I was one of those who thought Diana Ross was too old for the part as for the songs, I love them all. I'm 56 years old now. I've maked sure all 10 of my grandchildren and any other child that came my way which is a lot, I have over 30 nieces and nephews we all love it. I made sure ALL THE KIDS AROUND ME SAW THE "WIZ" I'LL always ask which one was best Stephanie Mills was MOSTLY the answer 😊
This was "OUR" wizard of oz. Thanks for this video
It's one of my all-time favorites...!!!
I still can't believe I've seen this on Disney Channel back in the 80s&90s! Man what a throw back!
prove it
@@mildred714 it was back the disney channel was a pay channel i would say better then
As a 1976 baby, I thought I knew everything on this list (mostly). BUT, I didn't know the 1939 "Wizard of OZ" was also A BOX-OFFICE FAILURE. This gives a new perspective to those people who tried (for decades) to hate on "The WIZ" because it tarnished their sacred, Judy Garland version (which, by the way: the Judy Garland version was the THIRD film version of the book....since the invention of movies).
The Wiz movie was part of my childhood and I've probably watched this movie over 40 times. I simply love it!
the dance scene in Oz, the actors wore some kind of reflective white or silver and the production would change the lighting color whenever directed by OZ. which gave off the look that they were changing their entire outfits to match the color of OZ. very genius for early film production and still a tactic I think can be used today.
This was a movie that my family would always watch when it came on KTLA channel 5. It was a family favorite. Ease on down the road was a song we would sing on family trips. It makes me smile just thinking about it. Thank you for giving me a smile today 😁
As children we loved The Wizard Of Oz but watching The Wiz we we’re mesmerized!!! Between the two we prefer The Wiz. With The Wiz it was more captivating and way more creative how they adapted the story to make it more modern in NYC. We really can’t understand how it was criticized so heavily when the cinematography, the fashion and the music alone make it an A+!!!
Thanks for doing the black version as well sir 🙌🏽😁
Michael Jackson was nominated best actor in the film
It is SO HARD to mess with a CLASSIC. I saw a screening of THE WIZ in New York's Bryant Park. The audience loved it. Can't explain it. The filmed WORKED.
So awesome and very underrated! Great job Minty! This is a absolute classic and so many levels of excellence!
I saw the play with Stephane Mills and Watched The Wizard of Oz. I remember seeing The Wiz in the movies with my grandmother and for the first time at home on a 13 in colored tv. We gathered around the tv and loved watching the movie. Til this day The Wiz will always be the BEST movie I've ever seen. I had my children watch it and they bought me the DVD when it came out. So I have it on VHS and DVD :) I love the WIZ.
🎶🎵NO BODY BEATS THE WIZZZZ NOBODY BEATS THE WIZ🎶🎵
I am only 22 years old, but I was basically raised on this movie and I LOVE IT. The "too scary for children" comment is kinda true (Those pink voodoo puppet things terrified me) but I think the representation was what really made it for me as a mixed kid. It helped me connect to my black side through music and a traditional story in a way not many other movies have or can.
It's a shame it's not super popular, but I know that I'll definitely be showing it to my friends as time goes on.
I seen the wiz before i seen the wizard of oz. I think Diana did great... very relatable to Adult life now. sometimes you get stuck in this emotionless state of not knowing what to do or where to go next. But by the end of the movie you can tell she actually found herself.
Thank you for doing this one! I was 2 when The Wiz was released, and have always loved it! My only critique is that they sang the same song twice at the end.
I saw the wiz in 1998 with my family and after that I was hooked. Just like you the lions song is my theme song along with 2 you mentioned!!!!!! That’s my jam. Wonderful video mate
Which song from The Wiz do you all consider to be the best? For me it's 'You Can't Win'.
Love it!!! I also love “He’s the Wiz”
I don't care if its "preachy" or not, but 'Glinda's Theme" (Believe in Yourself) was a song that needed to be sung.
The whole soundtrack honestly, so hard to decide... Ending theme, Home by Diana Ross. She couldn't blow like Lena Horne, but she put every inch of her soul in that song. Her uncontrollable trail of tears is a testament to how some songs just hit different.
Home. I love them all, but Home gives me goosebumps and tears every single time!
definitely "You can't win"
Love this one! You can see Minty put a lot of his heart in this video!
I was in 5th grade when this hit the scene so it will always have a special place in my heart!
I loved this version as a kid, still do. it's dated, but I was 12 and that moment in the time of the '70s, is priceless
I was 11 when this was out. It came to our local cable shortly after release and was shown often.
I remember this well. I grew up in a city as well, so this resonated.
I'm 47, and watch this movie every year on my birthday for as long as I can remember... 2 weeks before Christmas...one of my holiday traditions 😊
I love how all these men kept saying Diana wasn’t the right age for the role, but she made it so iconic I couldn’t imagine anyone else in that role. Stop letting your bias stop you from making art
I find it funny that Ross was considered to old for the role and she had to fight for the role, but later after the movie came out she agreed that she was to old for the part. I think that she was old and I would have loved to see the original actress in the role
From my perspective, I have to say I don't recall even once when watching The Wiz, either back when it came out, or last year when I re-watched it, thinking to myself that Dianna was "too old" for the role. Was it a bit crappy of her to muscle-out the stage actress? Yeah leaning toward that, but welcome to the Real World where it's more about WHO you know than WHAT you know. In other words, I found it fascinating that her age even caused someone to leave the production, because it was never an issue for me.
Stephanie Mills is a much better vocalist, but Ms. Ross was sleeping with Barry Gordy, so...
I'm not a Diana Ross fan so I find this film hard to watch. Great film in general, though.
I never thought she was too old. I just thought she was playing an adult character with issues
@@CurtBrown420 but she later said that she was to old for the role and should not have been cast. I know she wanted to role and got it but I don’t think she was right for the role I loved the live action one it was great and true to the broadway show
I remember seeing this as a kid (I was 15) and I really loved it. I knew Nipsy Russel from game shows like Match Game and Celebrity Sweepstakes and of course Michael from the Jackson 5. Seems like every film that I have seen that the critics hated, I have loved and this is no exception. I thought it was a cool film and recently found it on DVD so now I can watch it whenever I want!
Thanks for this and the Toto jokes!!
And, ironically, it was once thought that a 16 year old Judy Garland was too old to play Dorothy.
What???
I loved this movie when I was a kid. This has made me wanna watch it again! I hope it's streaming somewhere :)
I am so happy you did this! A couple months back I was going to ask you to do it, but I wasn’t sure you would do it. This is literally my favorite movie of all time. Thank you ❤️
Russell, Ted Ross, and Jackson were very well cast. I love watching their performances. My favorite number from the movie is "He's the Wiz". I particularly like the cut back to the main theme at the Hula-Hoop bit.
It's about dang time you did this movie! This is my 3rd Favorite Movie of All Time! 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
Woah woah woah... don't leave us hanging... what's your number 1 and number 2?
@@moonscar119 #1 Moonwalker and E.T.
#2 MMPR: The Movie
@@tj112286 you have my approval haha
@@tj112286 I love MMPR The Movie and Moonwalker
I was probably about 10 years old when I watched Wizard of Oz around 1970. That is my all time favorite
Saw this as a kid on a school field trip!! It was FANTASTIC!
The WIZ was an amazing movie. I still watch it every time it comes on.
Personally I have no problems with this movie or the fact that Diana Ross was considered too old for the role. The fact she's a school teacher makes things work. It's possible to be someone who is older but afraid of change and so she goes through this adventure which at times is scary and she pulls off the sincerity in this film with her performance. I sometimes wonder if critics just seem to miss the point entirely when it comes to aspects of a character. Let's face it, if we were pulled into a space that is mysterious and weird, we'd be both uneasy and scared as well.
Minty. As a 43 year old black man, MAJOR props to you for covering the BEST version of the OZ story. My generation follow this movie faithfully!
The soul of this musical is in the songs. What would I do if I could feel...
Surprised in the list of big remakes didn't also include the miniseries The Tin Man starring Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough, Alan Cumming, Raoul Trujillo, Kathleen Robertson, and Richard Dreyfuss. It's fantastic. ❤️😍❤️
Watched this movie, i always thought itd be funny awesome if The Warriors show up at Coney Island
A witch is after you? Come on guys, let’s help her out!
*Warriors advance on the witch, switchblades in hand*
Haha...it would have combined two of my favorite movies from childhood. The circle would have been complete if they found a way to add something in there from the original Star Wars movie...
thanks for this vid!
i am a huge wiz fan! its one of my fav movies!
so much talent ~~ mj, miss diana ross, mr quincy jones, mr ted ross, mr nipsey russell, sidney lumet, mr schumacher, smalls, vandross, ashford + simpson, even the small but huge bits by miss mabel king, miss thelma carpenter, theresa merritt, richard pryor + ‘the horne’ (fred g sanford reference!) i have named enough for now, but i just couldnt help to keep adding names because it is oozing so much talent!!
The whole cast are legends
@@palaceofwisdom9448 That would have been awesome!
The wiz has always been my favorite version of the wizard of oz❤
This movie is the epitome of “representation matters” because as a kid I never really had a connection to the original Wizard of Oz. Sure it was bright, colorful and engaging but I never really connected with any of the characters.
But then I saw The Wiz and everything changed. Seeing an all Black cast was great and while I came to see people that looked like me I was really there to see MJ.
To this day I’ve probably watched the movie well over two dozen times, owned it on VHS, DVD and still have the vinyl soundtrack!
The Wiz may not be everyone’s brew of tea but I have nothing but absolute love, respect and adoration for this film.
Bravo sir! Bravo!
Aw thank for doing this movie a big part of my childhood. I'm glad my grandmother got me into it. Still watch it I'm 33
This was one of my favourite films as a kid in the early 80s. Saw it on tv and instantly fell in love with it, and remains one of my favourite top 5 musical films of all time.
I wish Stephanie had played Dorothy in the film as well!!!! She was born for it ❤
Lena Horne as The Good Witch was brilliant casting.
Ted Ross, in full Lion costume, visited some real lions at a zoo. The big male lion was a little taken aback.
This movie has always been in my top 10 favorite movies. My favorite scene was the tin man “slide some oil to me”!! I love that 🧡🧡🧡
The year this movie was released, I think I was either 9 or 10 years old. I remember when my Mom took us to the movies to go see this. My father had just died, and it was just my brother and I. It was epic. I know all of the songs by heart and the “philosophy” you speak of helped to mold me. I loved everything about this movie and I think Diana was iconic. All of them, hold such a big place in my heart. For as long as I live, this movie is in my top 5, and my number 1, with Imitation of Life right behind it.
I appreciate your commentary, overall.
I grew up loving both The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz. I love the different takes on the book and I’m sad that Ray Bolger didn’t like it. Most of these facts I already knew, but there were some that were still new to me. Thank you for putting this together and I hope it inspires people to watch it.
I love this movie so much. Every scene is great and the song at the end is my favorite 🥰
I watch the wiz every thanksgiving w my family since I was a child. I’ve loved it more than the wizard of oz. It’s one of my faves the subway part and emerald city are my fave
This is one of my dads faviorite childhood movies I remember watching it with him when I was younger and being freaked out by the subway scene.
Boing Boing Boing Boing [Puppets slowly turns into monsters]
Even the artwork on the walls were nightmarish - cutouts of skull-like White folk.
That's how an actual New York subway is!
Just watched the Wiz the other day luved this movie as a kid & still do
Imagine JJ from Good Times as the scarecrow LOL!
Thanks for reviewing this movie this is one of my favorite movies of all time I like all of the songs you rock Mark.
A Minty video about The WIZ? I'm so happy, I could cry "Tee Na Tee Na Tee Na."
😂🙌🏾
Don’t rust up, or we’ll have to ‘slide some oil’ to ya...
Lol!
They should've gave the role to Stephanie Mills. She looked older than 33 and the only reason she got it was because she was sleeping with Barry Gordy and had his child. Thank u so much for your research and time because this was one of my favorite movies as a kid because I absolutely loved The Wizard of Oz. The song "You can't Win" has very telling lyrics about the industry.
I first saw The Wiz on a pay per view cable channel back in the late 70's/early 80's (I can't quite remember. lol) and I loved it. I enjoyed the fact that it took place in an alternate NYC universe and I thought the make up effects for the characters was inspired and incredibly creative. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. 👍