1264 - The Wiz (1978)

1264 - The Wiz (1978)

From Random Acts of Cinema by Mike Noyes and Charles Peterson

February 23, 2026 · 1h 34m · Season 7 · Episode 347

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of the film The Wiz, directed by Sidney Lumet, highlighting the contrast between perceived good and bad elements of the movie.

The more you learn about this movie, the more clear it becomes that what you'd think to be the good parts are the bad parts, and that the bad parts are really the good parts. Making movies is hard. Sidney Lumet directs a visually stunning reimagining of the Wizard of Oz and then some other stuff is in it too. *Come support the podcast and get yourself or someone you love a random gift at our merch store . T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers, and more! If you'd like to watch ahead for next week's film, we will be discussing and reviewing Budd Boetticher's The Tall T (1957).

Topics covered

  • The Wiz
  • Wizard of Oz
  • film analysis
  • Sidney Lumet

Keywords

  • visual storytelling
  • film critique
  • musical adaptation

Mentioned in this episode

Products: T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, stickers

Books & works: the Wizard of Oz, The Tall T

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