Well this page has been really quiet pretty much throughout all of March. Planning to get back to it and update as soon as possible. My Masters has kept me so busy I barely have time for a Cup of Tea. Will be continuing My Top 10 Episodes of My Top 10 Favorite TV Shows posts and then doing some detailed posts on My Top 10 Favorite Films and why each one of them is so awesome. I also want to do some Book Blogging about some of my Many Favorite Literary delights.
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For over 80 Years the enduring magic of The Wizard of Oz has captivated, enchanted and touched the hearts of audiences. It is the kind of film you could watch again and again and never fail to be enchanted by its endearing story, colorful characters, and beautiful music. The immortality of the film also lies in its universal themes of friendship, love, home, and adventure, themes that connect any film with an audience I absolutely loved the film as a kid and even more now as an adult. The touching heartwarming message behind the movie touches you even more deeply as an adult and you like Dorothy realize there’s no place like home or the people there. As this marks my second blog post honoring the films 80th anniversary I felt like writing a reflective or looks back piece if you will
The Wizard of Oz remains embedded in our hearts and minds through the many iconic moments and images that come to mind when we think about the movie, Dorothy entering Munchkinland, the Munchkins, The Flying Monkeys, The Wicked Witch, the Emerald City and the Journey of Dorothy and her friends down the Yellow Brick Road to meet the Wonderful Wizard himself and of course Toto too. Like any great classic of that era, The Wizard of Oz is also well remembered for its many iconic lines of dialogue – “Toto I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”, “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too”. Basically, as this could go on for ages everything about this Movie is beautiful and complete perfection.
The Cast deliver performances that are nothing short of phenomenal and which cements them as the memorable characters we know and love. Judy Garland is undoubtedly beautiful in her performance as Dorothy, her journey in Oz and the friendships she builds along the way resulting in how she truly learns why there is no place like home is both emotive and moving and a lesson even we as an audience can take in. Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, and Jack Hayley deliver performances that make us laugh and each brings his own unique talents to his role in particular to their musical numbers but their scenes with Judy Garland remind us why we love our friends. The friendship between Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tinman and the Lion is heartwarming and even this blogger sheds a few (manly) tears when Dorothy departs.
Billie Burke shines as Glinda the Good Witch and acts as both Dorothy’s sort of Fairy Godmother and guide and by sending Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road she helps Dorothy truly understands why there is no place like home. This really touches on how in modern life with some guidance we understand what really matters. Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West reminds us why every movie needs a good villain and still sends a chill down audiences spines. Her performance is nothing but despicably wicked and she dominates the screen during her scenes with her wicked presence rivaling Judy Garland.
So what else can we say makes this movie even more magical, why the Music of course. The score is a work of art and helps move the story along. Like the dialouge, the music is so memorable and helps to move the story along and give us a chance to sing along too. Out of all the song’s the one that stands out so strongly is Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Today’s kids can keep their Pitch Perfect and other crap because to me there is nothing more beautiful than Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow. The way she puts her heart and soul into the song is pure and beautiful as she believes in the sentiment and meaning behind the song, Garland would go onto sing it all her life and to her was the closest melody to her heart. No other singer’s version will EVER be as beautiful as the one in the movie. It’s the mark of any great musical if you remember every song from the movie, all someone has to say is Oz and we remember Over The Rainbow, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, If I Only Had a Brain/Heart/The Nerve. Heres hoping they release a Sing A Long DVD soon so we can all along.
If there is one memorable defining moment within the Movie it is that iconic moment when Dorothy steps out from the grayness into the technicolor Wonderland of Oz. It is the moment everyone remembers so well from the film. Remember that this movie came in 1939 was recovering from the great depression so Oz brought a sense of escapism and hope to 1939 audiences. Today’s films are layered no bathed in CGI effects so to see something so simply achieved as a transition from grayness to Technicolor without any CGI/special effects is an amazing achievement
The film of course still holds relevance today through a deeper meaning we better understand watching the film as adults. Dorothy’s journey down the Yellow Brick Road is about self discovery, making new friends and that home no matter how far away we are is something close to our hearts (getting meaningful in my old age).
Well, I think I’ve covered everything that makes this Movie a Magical Experience. Overall despite the chaotic creative process, everyone involved put their heart and soul into making the movie happen and bringing L Frank Baum’s story to life. 80 Years of Oz have had audiences falling in love with it time and time again, so here’s to another 80 years of going Over The Rainbow with this timeless classic.
Hello Fellow Bloggers
Well, we are 13 Days in 2019, it has been a Month since I updated or wrote on this and due to getting masters assignments done and a terrible case of the Flu I haven’t had the chance to and I enjoy blogging on this. Well, let’s get down to business I have had a few ideas on posts for the up and coming future. As I am getting through Masters Assignments I will write some post some tips for getting through exams and essays. I will also be writing some posts about my Favourite TV Shows and Movies. In terms of this, I will be picking out the Top 10 Episodes from each of my Favourite TV Shows (Mammoth Task Eh) and of course picking out favourite scene from my top 10 Favourite Movies. So stay tuned for upcoming posts
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The Blog of Bill 