Why Oz the Great and Powerful Is A Major Step Back For Witches and Women

Why Oz the Great and Powerful Is A Major Step Back For Witches and Women:

When it comes to adapting the wonderful world of Oz, Hollywood is, admittedly and regrettably, in a bit of a bind. All things Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City are so tightly linked to the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" that trying to venture back into L. Frank Baum's mythology is treading on the memories of millions of fans.  The film is such a massive piece of film iconography that it has become the definitive version of this tale, and outstripped the Baum book itself. It doesn't matter that it's a loose adaptation of Baum's work, it is *the* adaptation, and any filmmaker itching to make a more authentic version has their hands permanently tied. The outcry — "How dare you remake The Wizard of Oz!" — would be deafening, no matter how illogical the idea  ("Hamlet" can survive a hundred versions, but not the adventures of Dorothy!). More »