After sitting up until almost midnight the other night, I realized that there was a VERY important topic that I have yet to discuss on my blog.This subject is something that has affected and amused me my WHOLE life.
The Wizard of Oz.
I admit, if there’s a movie I like I’ll watch it over and over again.
It amazes me that many people don’t understand that concept. They watch a movie once, love it and move on.
(shaking head)
They just don’t it.
Every time you watch a movie, you notice something new.
Even now when I watch Oz, I’ll see something that I haven’t seen before. I’ll focus in on a different character and just watch how they move through a scene. Their corny expressions, their body language or, in the case of last night, I was trying to figure out what was pinned to Ms. Gulch’s dress on the right side of her chest. Or what shoes was she wearing, how was her hair done? Do that next time it comes on, it’ll keep you intrigued.
My cousin Sharon had an album of the movie and I remember playing THAT over and over again. This was before they started showing it more than once a year on TV.
I remember her brother David had written ‘I Love you” in crayon next to Dorothy’s picture. Obviously, she was his first crush.
From that album I learned to recite the whole movie. A dubious distinction I know. It will get me no where but it’s a fact and I’d be willing to prove it to anyone, anywhere, anyhow.
There are so many things about that movie that I love. I’m almost envious of Dorothy sometimes. I want to dance with the Scarecrow, hang out with the Munchkins and have a work day like the people in Oz did. (“We get up at noon and go to work at 1. Take an hour for lunch and then at 2 we’re done..jolly good fun!”)
I have some questions as well; I wonder why The Wizard used the same colored smoke as The Witch did when she exited a scene on her broom? Why does the Scarecrow knock on the door to see if that was the room Dorothy was locked in? Where were all the flying monkeys during the chase scene in the castle? Were the Winkies wearing masks or were they related to the witch what with those pointed noises and green skin? If the witch was allergic to water, why was there ANY laying around the castle? Did Glinda and the Munchkins think Dorothy was ugly? (‘cause Glinda said that only bad witches are ugly and she actually ASKED Dorothy if she was a good witch or a bad witch)
I have Oz “stuff” all over my apartment. A beautiful pencil sketch that my niece bought me for Christmas last year. (She was an Oz freak too….when she was little) A few of the Shelia’s figurines (basically Oz characters or scenes painted on carved pieces of wood), a wicked witch of the east door blocker complete with ruby slippers and striped socks to keep out drafts, a Making of Oz book, a Oz Cookbook, Oz Monopoly, Oz trivia game, a Wicked Witch bobble head and this beautiful half Oz/half Kansas music statue by the San Fransico Music Box Company that my Mom gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. One side is black and white and the other is color complete with Dorothy and Toto on both sides.
The cutest Oz reference I have is how my niece Nikki wanted to name her baby sister Emily because she wanted her kids to have an Aunt Em. This coming from the mouth a 3 year old!
So every time this movie comes on all I can think is "Oh joy...rapture!!"
Now if they'd only re-release it to the theatres; wouldn't that be somethin?
