Turner Classic Movies aired the 1939 all-time great movie, "The Wizard of Oz", last night. I was not among those watching (or even DVR'ing). By almost every critic's and film historian's account, "The Wizard of Oz" is in the Top Ten, if not Top Five, of greatest American movies ever made. You won't find me giving it those kinds of kudos.
Why is that? Well, once upon a time, before cable TV and Ted Turner, "The Wizard of Oz" was shown on television once, and only once, each year, and the network that aired it made a big deal over it. Well, when I was in second grade, our teacher, Rose Plutnicki, gave us our one and only homework assignment for that particular weekend, and that was to watch "The Wizard of Oz". Well, I watched it alright, and it scared the bejeezus out of me...those flying monkeys, that god-awful witch, Dorothy tied up with the sands of the hour glass running out on her, those creepy munchkins....I tell you, I hated it, and I could never bring myself to watch it again.
After I was married and well into my twenties, I figured that I should get over my childhood nightmares, and make myself watch what everyone says is one of the greatest movies of all time. So I did. And I wasn't all that impressed. Oh, it is cool how the movie goes from black and white to color and then back to black and white, and "Over the Rainbow" may well be the best song in a movie EVER, but other than that, I don't care if I ever see this movie again, and I have Rose Plutnicki to thank for those feelings!
Oh, and those munchkins are still really creepy.
I know that others, MANY others, will disagree with me on this for "The Wizard of Oz" has a loyal following that is almost cult-like. I remember working with a lady at Highmark who was a full-fledged Oz-aholic. She had a Wizard of Oz calendar in her cube every year, various pictures and figurines on display, and every couple of years, she would travel to somewhere in Indiana or Kansas or someplace like that to some annual Wizard of Oz Convention. I found it odd, but, then again, I'm a member of SABR, so I guess I shouldn't be casting any stones!
Would be curious on your thoughts of 'The Sound of Music' should it come out on Turner Classic Movies. Me, I own a DVD of 'Sound of Music'; but do not own one of 'Wizard of Oz'.
ReplyDeleteBest to the Pirates. They're doing way better than the Rox.