The Wizard of Oz: On the Big Screen!

When I was a kid The Wizard of Oz was one of those movies that seemed to show on television once a year. Perhaps it was considered a holiday style movie. I cannot say I was ever a huge fan, but it wasn't a bad movie either and I tended to tune in. However, with the movie originally coming out in 1939 and me coming out of the womb in 1982 the chance to see it at the movie theater, up on the big screen, was never presented. ..until now.

The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic and one of the rare films that I will watch that not only has singing, but was made before the 80's. I am not a fan of classic cinema. However, with nothing better to do on a Thursday night I noticed a special showing of The Wizard of Oz would be playing at a theater in Ventura, California. By 7:30 Pm I was seated in a rundown movie room with a large screen and a lot of other people. Oh, how I missed stadium seating.

This was the first time I had seen The Wizard of Oz in full since I was a kid. This time around all of the characters seemed a bit more gay; I mean that both ways. However, the jokes were still fairly spot-on and good grief those guys representing the lollipop kids should fuel nightmares until the end of eternity. Yes, they were creepier than the witch or even the flying monkeys.

At many times the acting felt like an over-done stage play, though for the most part done quite well. In a modern movie no one would really be buying into any of the performances, even the witch would be considered a ham, but The Wizard of Oz bypasses such modern tastes and endures. Another aspect of the movie that remains impressive is the special effects. Yes, the plants in Oz look plastic, but that tornado was cool.

The film itself was a bit grainy and in the front portions of the movie there were some warped sounds conveyed over the audio, but as the film progressed the picture was endurable and eventually even smooth looking. In fact I did not mind the aged looking picture so much because it helped heighten the overall experience and nostalgia.