Off to See the Wizard...

On Sunday, I went to see the Fathom Events screening of The Wizard of Oz with and handful of the members of the newly formed San Diego TCM Backlot Chapter. It was a good turn-out at the screening. I go to a fair number of the Fathom TCM Screenings, and this was the biggest crowd I've seen for one of their events since, Gone with the Wind, several years ago.


The crowd was definitely into it. They applauded a few times during the screening and again at the end of the film. Not a TCM Classic Film Festival audience, mind you, but better than the other Fathom Events screenings I've been to lately. Most of the applause was for Toto, but I'll take what I can get. There were a handful of kids in the theater who were too young for the film or possibly for the theater-going experience. Still, you kind of have to expect that with a film like The Wizard of Oz.

I know that a lot of people in the classic film community don't like that Fathom Events shows as many modern classics as they do. While I agree to a point, of the fourteen films they are showing in 2019, I've only seen six in the theater. The breakdown by decade is as follows:

• 1930s – 1
• 1950s – 1
• 1960s – 5
• 1970s – 2
• 1980s – 4
• 1990s – 1

I honestly don't have an issue with the newer films. I tend be a bit more generous in with the age parameters of what is a classic than most classic film fans. If people come out for The Shawshank Redemption and realize that they can see, The Godfather Part II, isn't that a good thing? The Godfather Part II, by the way, is one of the ones I haven't seen in the theater. I'm in my mid-fifties, but I was only 12 when it came out. I didn't get to see many R-Rated movies at 12.

If I have a complaint, I would just like to see them dig a little deeper. I would love to see them play something like Strangers on a Train or Stalag 17 or Pillow Talk. Still, it's a getting betting. Many of the films are being shown three days instead of two. I'm going to call that a win for classic film.

I am looking forward to seeing My Fair Lady next month, another film that I have not seen on the big screen. I had a chance to see it in the theater on a re-release with my mom and sister, when I was about twelve. Being twelve, and male, I said, "Nah, I don't want to see a musical." I'm glad I'm getting to rectify that soon. 

Earlier this week, I heard that The Wizard of Oz made over a million dollars in ticket sales on Sunday. Not bad for an 80-year old movie. It was just $40,000 shy cracking the top 20 for the weekend. Again, not bad. While I was writing this post, I noticed that they added two more Encore screenings on Sunday, February 3, and Tuesday, February 5. If you missed it, you have another chance.