Reply With QuoteWell, seeing as how it was the disco era & some of the music was disco & it starred Diana & Michael, it could have featured more disco locations. The Wiz could've been a DJ.
Underground Hit [Level 5]
I love the music from The Wiz, but how do you think the movie could have been better?
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Well, seeing as how it was the disco era & some of the music was disco & it starred Diana & Michael, it could have featured more disco locations. The Wiz could've been a DJ.
...ya gotta beat the street......
Gold Record [Level 7]
Myself ,I do not love most the music from the film
With Nick and Val being a major force in the song writing aspect of the film I would expect more and agree with Ms Dee that the music should have been more geared towards the Disco crowd seeing it was 1978 and Disco was at it's peak..
Of course I LOVE "Home "It's DIANA" and "If You Believe" It's Lena Horne".. but the rest of the soundtrack left me bored..The soundtrack did TRAGICALLY on the charts only reaching 41 on Billboard Hot 100,It's all about timing and they didn't take advantage of the fact that a majority of people who would be seeing this movie were mainly African American ,Gay or just straight white people with good taste.lol..
These same people were the majority of Disco fans..Take away the soundtrack from "Thank God its Friday",what do you have? a mess..
Most music oriented films that have a good soundtrack will do good at the box office,say a "Footloose" FlashDance" Fame" etc..Example of a more recent film."Donnie Darko"..The movie wouldn't have worked without the fabulous soundtrack ..So I say Disco music would have been box office gold..
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
I agree Dayna that the music to the Wiz is no great shakes. I love 'Ease On Down The Road' & 'Home' but everything else left me cold; I like the film but in some ways it was a missed opportunity to be fabulous rather than just likeable.:icon_confused:
...ya gotta beat the street......
Chart Hit [Level 6]
The soundtrack to "The Wiz" reached #19; "Ease On Down The Road" by Diana and Michael peaked at #41.
It's been said that "The Wiz" is one of the worst movies of all time. I remember back around 1983-84 reading "Michael!", a paperback mini-autobiography on Miss Michael and his brothers that the reason why "The Wiz" faltered was because it was way overproduced. That's only part of it. Did anyone really think that a large segment of the American population was going to take a black version of "The Wizard Of Oz" seriously?
"Everyone knows the real reason why you got that part it was the time you spent on that casting couch"--Antoine Merriwether
"Excuse me, Miss Thing, but both of us spent time on that couch"--Blaine Edwards
Gold Record [Level 7]
Thank u for clarifing that billboard mistake,I misread..Originally Written by Salsoul1975
AS for not taking it seriously.It was a FANTASY film,it wasn't meant to be taken seriously..plus in a time that minorities of all kinds were searching to find characters that they could identify with on film be it black characters that weren't pimps,ho's druggies ,maids etc..I would assume this film would have given some lighthearted warmth as apposed to the alternative cliche's.
Chart Hit [Level 6]
It could have been a better movie by keeping the Dorothy character a child.
I think Diana performed as well as any adult could have in the role. But it changed the entire tone. You need to experience it through a young Dorothy.
I would have loved Stephanie Mills. But she was probably too old by then (you can get away with it onstage, but on camera, your age shows.) Maybe they could have found an unknown actress. A black Charlotte Church?
It makes me think of the black adaptation of Cinderella. Brandy was so charming in that. But imagine if Whitney had insisted playing the lead.
"Because there's music in the air."
Gold Record [Level 7]
Chart Hit [Level 6]
True. And it had only been a few years since her acclaimed performance in Lady Sings The Blues. It must have looked good on paper.
Some blame has to go to the director, Sidney Lumet, who wasn't exactly known for his musicals. And thank god Berry Gordy didn't step in. Maybe Bob Fosse could have saved it. Or Ken Russell even.
"Because there's music in the air."
Acetate [Level 1]
YouTube - Home
that's the one thing that the movie was missing.
Gold Record [Level 7]
Granted Stephanie is a HIGHLY gifted and talented vocalist and can out sing Diana "in the technical sense"..BUT,she doesn't have the presence nor grace that Diana posseses.
She wouldn't have translated well on film..as oppose to Diana whom we all know shines on stage and the silver screen:icon_biggrin:
Indie Release [Level 4]
I completely agree- and her performance of "Home" in the movie probably was one of her most emotional performances ever! Love it!!!
Chart Hit [Level 6]
Sorry to disagree with y'all on this one but while I have nothing against Diana Ross, she was terribly miscast in this movie. She was waaay too old to play the part - I think she was in her 40's when the movie was made - and there are moments in the movie where her acting as well as some of the other cast was quite horrendous. About the best part of the movie was Michael Jackson who was great as the Scarecrow as well as some of the others co-stars. Nipsey Russell was a poor Tinman too. The sets and the dance number were great, but for some reason, the play did not translate well to film. Another thing about the movie I think it was a bit too long - wasn't it something like 2.5 to 3 hours? I know it was over 2.
DISCOTERIA - www.live365.com/stations/cdnbob2
DISCOTERIA BLOG - www.discoteria.wordpress.com
FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/groups/351541188209975/members/#!/groups/351541188209975/
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
OK. since Cdnbob opened that can of worms...I have to agree that Diana was miscast as Dorothy.Factually, Diana was born in 1944--so when the movie was released in 1978--she was 34--not in he Forties, Bob!!!
There are impressive musical numbers, especially Mabel King's as the "bad witch," and some of the supporting performers are good--But the overall effect is just that it doesn't work. It's dreary and depressing. I saw it on stage and it was colorful and great fun--but on screen I just wanted it to be over. Sad but true.
And ya know I love Miss Ross. But this movie ended her big screen movie career. There was talk about her doing "The Bodyguard" with Ryan O'Neal--but it never happened until Whitney & Kevin Costner did it. Then she was gonna do the Josephine Baker story for years --until HBO filmed it in 1991 with a younger actress, Lynn Whitfield. What ever happened to her??? :icon_eek:
Miss Ross did a couple TV movies in the Nineties and was very good as a schizophrenic woman in "Out Of Darkness" (got a Golden Globe nomination for that) and then did "Double Platinum" with Brandy in 1999.
No acting gigs since which is a shame because, although untrained, she is a very resourceful instinctive actress--never better than as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings The Blues"-- for which I think she should have won the Oscar. Liza was great in "Cabaret" and at the time I thought Liza deserved it--but now I think Diana should have won. Diana was favored to win--Liz Smith (afterthought, maybe it was Rona Barrett???) picked her to win in an appearance on the Dinah Shore show. But the rumor is that Berry Gordy's over-campaigning for Diana caused a backlash that saw Academy voters giving it to Liza, who was the descendent of Hollywood royalty (Judy Garland & director Vincente Minnelli)--not an upstart outsider from the recording industry.
Liv Ullmann, who was also nominated for best actress that year, describes that Oscar night in her book Changing.
She doesn't name "names" but describes "the confident one" who, after presenting an award on stage in one outfit [ a silver tuxedo, as I recall], changes into another gown to await her name to be called. But then-- surprise-- another name was called.
I can't believe I actually found the passage in the book--but I did!
"Name after name is called out. Every branch of the film industry is to be rewarded. Only near the end the camera turns on five pale women's faces.... The Heroine (Ullman referring to herself) is just wondering about one of the other nominees, who has gone out and changed her dress in the middle of the proceedings. She feels it must make an eventual disappointment all the greater if you dress for victory in advance.
The winner's name is called--and it it neither the Heroine nor the Confident. She sees tears come to the other's eyes--a despairing star who collapses against someone's shoulder. Suddenly, the Heroine understands that much more has been at stake here than what she herself is going through. Slowly she is filled with a wonderful sense of relief, while she applauds the winner on stage."
I interpret the "much more at stake here" to be that Diana would have been the first Black actress to win the Best Actress Oscar in 1972---something that didn't happen until Halle Berry won it for "Monster's Ball."
I should also add that another Black actress was nominated that year: Cicely Tyson for "Sounder."
Last edited by markydefad; May 26th, 2009 at 03:03 PM.
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Gold Record [Level 7]
hello~!!!!!!!ok. Since cdnbob opened that can of worms...i have to agree that diana was miscast as dorothy.
There are impressive musical numbers, especially mabel king's as the "bad witch," and some of the supporting performers are good--but the overall effect is just that it doesn't work. It's dreary and depressing. I saw it on stage and it was colorful and great fun--but on screen i just wanted it to be over. Sad but true.
And ya know i love miss ross. But this movie ended her big screen movie career.the fact that there were no good roles "given" or written for.. African american women might have something to do with that,not the wiz..if that were the case many an actress's career would have ended because of a role that wasn't in some peoples opinion"up to par"."the main event" didn't end barbra's career:icon_eek:. there was talk about her doing "the bodyguard" with ryan o'neal--but it never happened until whitney & kevin costner did it. Then she was gonna do the josephine baker story for years --until hbo filmed it in 1991 with a younger actress, lynn whitfield. What ever happened to her??? :icon_eek:
Miss ross did a couple tv movies in the nineties and was very good as a schizophrenic woman in "out of darkness" (got a golden globe nomination for that) and then did "double platinum" with brandy in 1999.
No acting gigs since which is a shame because, although untrained, she is a very resourceful instinctive actress--never better than as billie holiday in "lady sings the blues"-- for which i think she should have won the oscar..i agree 100% diana was robbed. Liza was great in "cabaret" and at the time i thought liza deserved it--but now i think diana should have won. Diana was favored to win--liz smith picked her to win in an appearance on the dinah shore show. But the rumor is that berry gordy's over-campaigning for diana caused a backlash that saw academy voters giving it to liza, who was the descendent of hollywood royalty (judy garland & director vincente minnelli)--not an upstart outsider from the recording industry.
Liv ullmann, who was also nominated for best actress that year, describes that oscar night in her book changing.
She doesn't name "names" but describes "the confident one" who, after presenting an award on stage in one outfit [ a silver tuxedo, as i recall], changes into another gown to await her name to be called. But then-- surprise-- another name was called.
I can't believe i actually found the passage in the book--but i did!
"name after name is called out. Every branch of the film industry is to be rewarded. Only near the end the camera turns on five pale women's faces.... The heroine (ullman referring to herself) is just wondering about one of the other nominees, who has gone out and changed her dress in the middle of the proceedings. She feels it must make an eventual disappointment all the greater if you dress for victory in advance.
the winner's name is called--and it it neither the heroine nor the confident. She sees tears come to the other's eyes--a despairing star who collapses against someone's shoulder. Suddenly, the heroine understands that much more has been at stake here than what she herself is going through. Slowly she is filled with a wonderful sense of relief, while she applauds the winner on stage."
i interpret the "much more at stake here" to be that diana would have been the first black actress to win the best actress oscar in 1972---something that didn't happen until halle berry won it for "monster's ball."
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Well when I first watched it I had this same reaction but then I watched it years later & found I enjoyed it alot more.:icon_confused: Maybe I just got over the initial dissappointment, or maybe the enjoyment of this film depends on the mood the viewer is in? But I know what you mean, after that first viewing I just thought how can such a camp/fun, over the top, glamorous film starring such fabulous people be so dreary; it put me off watchiong it again for years but I was glad when I did.
...ya gotta beat the street......
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
Dayna,
Granted the roles were probably not there--however, if "The Wiz" had been a success, I firmly believe that a role would have been written or re-written to suit her talents. Without "heat"... the movie business forgets about you.
Diana was a superstar in the performing/recording arena--but her acting career stalled after "The Wiz"....she was forever going on about the Josephine Baker story--but they could never get the financing or the script or the director or whatever--and she never got to do it, which is a shame because I bet she would have been brilliant.
Let's face it, it's harder for actresses in Hollywood than actors to maintain career longevity. Goldie Hawn had the great line in "First Wives Club" about the stages of an actress in Hollywood: "First you're a babe, then you're lady district attorney, then you're "Driving Miss Daisy." :icon_lol:
Streisand had a track record, so a failure didn't do her in --but even she had to become a director to do "Yentl"....and the roles in movies thereafter seemed to depend on her own creation of them. Liza Minnelli's career peaked with "Cabaret" and she had a few successes thereafter ("Arthur")--but many more failures ("Lucky Lady," anyone??) Bette Midler also had her career stalled after the success of "The Rose" with a bomb titled "Jinxed"---only Disney, in their search for performers who "worked cheaper" than the A-list--brought her back with a series of comedies tailored to her talents. But that well ran dry eventually. Now she does "cameos"--which are bit parts played by name stars!
When you are a Black actress, it is even harder. (Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier all had limited success--but couldn't sustain it--later Lonette McKee, Irene Cara, etc.). Black actors (Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman) have become major movie stars in the past several decades--but only Halle Berry has even approached becoming their female equivalent and her career is kinda "iffy" at this point, I'd say. She may have another film triumph, but I kind of doubt it. Maybe she will star in a TV series....but over-40 actresses in Hollywood have a limited shelf-life--unless you are one of the acting greats like Meryl Streep--who seems to be having the luck of a Katharine Hepburn career of being a leading lady in films from ingenue to old lady--few make it beyond a decade or so.
Think of the Seventies when Jill Clayburgh was a big movie star until the early Eighties--now, when she works, she plays supporting roles. There are tons of other examples: Faye Dunaway, while continuing to work, never recovered from the campy "Mommie Dearest"; Jane Fonda retired; Marsha Mason divorced Neil Simon, who wrote most of her roles, and found herself retired by lack of Hollywood interest, Glenda Jackson went into politics; Cybill Shepherd & Candice Bergen & more recently, Sally Field, went into TV. [Sally Field is a good example of what happens: in 1988, she was the love interest of Tom Hanks in "Punchline"; in 1994 whe was playing his mother in "Forrest Gump"!--from "babe" to "Driving Miss Daisy" in just 6 years!] A few, who became big in the Seventies, prevailed to the present day: Streep, of course, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek continued to work....but they were the exceptions. Now Streep and Keaton still work regularly in movies in lead roles, the others do leads in cable movies or supporting roles in features; Hawn was on "Hardball" last week doing a charity thing...so she may have entered the Elizabeth Taylor charity lady stage of her career (Sharon Stone seems to be there also.)
Yet Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Robert Redford and a bunch of others continue to star in movies to this day. Now granted several of these guys work less these days--but their careers are not over. Warren Beatty seems to have retired, however.
Last edited by markydefad; May 27th, 2009 at 12:30 PM.
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
Ok, SanDee, you convinced me--I'll put it in my Netflix queue and give it another chance!
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Gold Record [Level 7]
I respectfully agree to disagree,I'm aware of Hollywood politics and thank you for the synopsisDayna,
Granted the roles were probably not there--however, if "The Wiz" had been a success, I firmly believe that a role would have been written or re-written to suit her talents. Without "heat"... the movie business forgets about you.
Diana was a superstar in the performing/recording arena--but her acting career stalled after "The Wiz"....she was forever going on about the Josephine Baker story--but they could never get the financing or the script or the director or whatever--and she never got to do it, which is a shame because I bet she would have been brilliant.
Let's face it, it's harder for actresses in Hollywood than actors to maintain career longevity. Goldie Hawn had the great line in "First Wives Club" about the stages of an actress in Hollywood: "First you're a babe, then you're lady district attorney, then you're "driving Miss Daisy." :icon_lol:
Streisand had a track record, so a failure didn't do her in --but even she had to become a director to do "Yentl"....and the roles in movies thereafter seemed to depend on her own creation of them. Liza Minnelli's career peaked with "Cabaret" and she had a few successes thereafter ("Arthur")--but many more failures ("Lucky Lady," anyone??) Bette Midler also had her career stalled after the success of "The Rose" with a bomb titled "Jinxed"---only Disney, in their search for performers who "worked cheaper" than the A-list--brought her back with a series of comedies tailored to her talents. But that well ran dry eventually. Now she does "cameos"--which are bit parts played by name stars!
When you are a Black actress, it is even harder. (Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier all had limited success--but couldn't sustain it). Black actors (Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman) have become major movie stars in the past several decades--but only Halle Berry has even approached becoming their female equivalent and her career is kinda "iffy" at this point, I'd say. She may have another film triumph, but I kind of doubt it. Maybe she will star in a TV series....but over-40 actresses in Hollywood have a limited shelf-life--unless you are one of the acting greats like Meryl Streep--who seems to be having the luck of a Katharine Hepburn career of being a leading lady in films from ingenue to old lady--few make it beyond a decade or so.
Think of the Seventies when Jill Clayburgh was a big movie star until the early Eighties--now she plays supporting roles. There are tons of other examples:Faye Dunaway, while continuing to work, never recovered from "Mommie Dearest"; Jane Fonda retired; Marsha Mason sort of retired, Glenda Jackson went into politics; Cybill Shepherd & Candice Bergen & more recently, Sally Field, went into TV. [Sally Field is a good example of what happens: in 1988, she was the love interest of Tom Hanks in "Punchline"; in 1994 whe was playing his mother in "Forrest Gump"!--from "babe" to "Driving Miss Daisy" in just 6 years!] A few, who became big in the Seventies, prevailed to the present day: Streep, of course, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek continued to work....but they were the exceptions. Now Streep and Keaton still work regularly in movies in lead roles, the others do leads in cable movies or supporting roles in movies; Hawn was on "Hardball" last week doing a charity thing...so she may have entered the Elizabeth Taylor charity lady stage of her career (Sharon Stone seems to be there also.)
Yet Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Robert Redford and a bunch of others continue to star in movies to this day. Now granted several of these guys work less these days--but their careers are not over. Warren Beatty seems to have retired, however.
Dosen't matter anyway our girl Diana gave us "The Boss" and "Diana"..soon after this venture was over so kudo's to you girl.
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
But in her case, wasn't it also due to her being blacklisted in the USA for daring to tell Lady Bird Johnson "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot."?
Triple Platinum Record [Level 10]
Yeah, well she did do that later--but her career as a movie leading lady consisted of a debut in the film version of the Broadway revue "New Faces Of 1954" (also introducing Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, Carol Lawrence, Ronny Graham & Robert Clary, later of "Hogan's Heroes" fame.)
Then came 3 female leads in dramas or dramas with music:
1) "The Mark of the Hawk" opposite Sidney Poitier (1957)
2) "St. Louis Blues" opposite Nat King Cole (1958)
3) "Anna Lucasta" opposite Sammy Davis, Jr. (1959)
Then it was mostly TV guest spots, most notably a stint as Catwoman #2 in 1967-68, when Julie Newmar either wasn't available or played hard to get.
The Vietnam War statement was in 1968.
from IMDB:
Was virtually exiled from the United States after making anti-war statements during a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson in 1968. However, she was welcomed back to the White House by Jimmy Carter who took office in January of 1977.
In 1968, she suffered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon. It was reported that she made Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady at the time, cry when she bluntly told her, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the street. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam." The public reaction to Kitt's statements was even more extreme, however, both for and against her statements. Professionally exiled from the U.S., she devoted her energies to overseas performances for nearly a decade.
After that she was older and did more character roles--or campy, vampy older cougars or was it a slinky, sleek black panther (?) in her case."Meeeeoooooooowww!"
or "Grrrrrrroooooooooooowl"
"Lost inside adorable illusion...."
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
To add to the Eartha info.(i hate to feel left out!
...ya gotta beat the street......
Gold Record [Level 7]
I felt the same way...I recently watched a mini Diana-marathon (Lady sings the blues/Mahogany and The Wiz) - and I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. :icon_biggrin:
KRIS
Gold Record [Level 7]
Gold Record [Level 7]
:icon_lol:OOOH,
that's a crack binge to me.. LOL:icon_lol:..
You bet !!!
I almost had a diva-overdose...
Thank God Di sported the very short wig in The Wiz...
KRIS
Permissions
Bookmarks