
The Wiz
Director: Sidney Lumet Run Time: 133 min. Format: 35mm Rating: G Release Year: 1978
Starring: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King
Adapted from a 1975 musical of the same name, The Wiz is an urban retelling of Dorothy’s journey to the wonderful world of Oz. In this re-imagining, Dorothy Gale (Diana Ross) is a young schoolteacher in Harlem who find herself in Oz after becoming swept away in a magical snowstorm. Cue all the familiar characters but on a different bent: graffiti taggers, the Scarecrow played by Michael Jackson, the flying monkeys motorcycle gang. There’s also a lot of New York references here (New York Public Library, The World Trade Center, Harlem) and the songs, well, you’ll be clicking your heels…