Talk me out of it!”

This is my favorite line from one of the most classic movies of all time.  If there is one person within posting range who has never seen the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, I would seriously have a hard time believing it.  The scene involves Scarecrow and Tin Man attempting to bolster the Lion’s courage as they are about to enter the Witch’s castle to rescue Dorothy.  Just as he is on the verge of charging into the Lion’s den, the feline returns to his old ways.

Back in the days when cable television was in its infancy, I remember well a Friday night around Halloween when the movie was played annually.  Friday night because The Dukes of Hazard and Dallas (ho hum) were preempted.  Tonight, it was shown on Turner Classic Movies so this was my yearly trip down the Yellow Brick Road.  It’s funny, I can almost remember where all the commercial breaks were inserted.  Yet another classic I wish I could see again for the first time.  A five year old screamed with delight and a four year old hid her eyes whenever “the green witch” was on screen.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of assisting in the production of the musical for EHS.  Although very faithful to the cinematic version, there were a few additions.  There was a covered bridge that the quartet and Toto attempted to cross; however, the Wicked Witch of the West enchanted the bridge making it revolve so Dorothy and her companions got nowhere fast.

Another addition was the Jitterbug sequence which was actually cut from the movie.  On screen, the Witch  makes mention of the insects as she sends her army of winged monkeys to the Haunted Forest.  The dance sequence was filmed and put on the cutting room floor.

I know there is at least one person who would possibly (if not probably) agree that Oz would make a good addition for a community theatre season.  If we are looking for famous, well-known name shows, is there any more famous, well-known, sure to get butts in the seats and people to audition (ahhem).  Just a thought.

Last night (after C and taylhis‘ recommendation), I watched The Orphanage, a brilliant, suspense filled movie that just held your attention the entire time. So much so that to go into detail would almost certainly ruin it. Totally much more suspenseful than gory which is always a plus (but I think my favorite scene was probably the most twisted scene of the entire film). I also thought the use of the burlap mask was well conceived; harkening back to the Scarecrow’s face in Batman Begins which was also creepy. I think the idea to use a burlap face for our haunted attraction is a great idea. The Orphanage was in Spanish with English subtitles but (although necessary unless you are fluent in Spanish) was not a huge distraction.

Guillermo del Toro, producer of The Orphanage, is in the process of writing the two film prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He will also direct The Hobbit films (the first of which is set to be released in 2011). Peter Jackson, who was largely responsible for bringing the original trilogy to the big screen will share writing duties with del Toro. My experience with the adventures of Bilbo Baggins is limited to the Tolkien novel and the Book and Record (remember those?) set that was released with the 1977 animated feature. I never saw the animated versions of the novels. But, I will definitely see these two films.

So, I HIGHLY recommend checking out The Orphanage; oddly enough it is not available through Blockbuster.com