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Wizard of Oz Party
We're sure that all of you out there know of the movie The Wizard of
Oz. In fact, most of you have probably seen it at least once. The sweet
tale of Dorothy and Toto on their quest to get home and the characters
that they meet along the way. The Scarecrow looking for a Brain, the
Tin Man looking for a Heart and the Lion looking for Courage. What could
be more pure, honest, wholesome? It is a true American Classic.
In our tradition of finding ways to pervert that which is good and wholesome,
we bring you the Wizard of Oz Party. We know what you are probably thinking,
have everyone dress as their favorite  character,
decorate the house as the movie, invite over some midgets, blah, blah,
blah. While you can certainly do that, and we're sure you'll have a
grand time, it is not what we were thinking.
Our Wizard of Oz party entails having everyone come over to watch the
movie and listen to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Strange,
the thought never crossed your mind? Well, after you read the rest of
this you will want to check it out for yourself.
According to sources, (sort of like,"they say") there is a connection
between the movie The Wizard of Oz and The Dark Side of the Moon. According
to the band there is no connection, however there is speculation that
former band leader Roger Waters planned the whole thing without telling
the rest of the band. You will need to have a TV and VCR, a copy of
the movie The Wizard of Oz and a copy of the Pink Floyd's Dark Side
of the Moon on album or CD.
Here's how it works. You start the album at the exact moment when the
MGM lion finishes its third and last roar. It might take a few times
to get everything lined up just right. Then, just sit back and watch.
Here is some of what is supposed to happen:
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Floyd sings "the lunatic is on the grass" just as the Scarecrow
begins his floppy jig near a green lawn. The line "got to keep the
loonies on the path" comes just before Dorothy and the Scarecrow
start traipsing down the Yellow Brick Road.
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During "Breathe," Dorothy teeters along a fence to the lyric: "balanced
on the biggest wave." The Wicked Witch, in human form, first appears
on her bike at the same moment a burst of alarm bells sounds on
the album.
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During "Time," Dorothy breaks into a trot to the line: "no one
told you when to run." When Dorothy leaves the fortuneteller to
go back to her farm, the album is playing: "home, home again."
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Glinda, Good Witch of the North, appears in her bubble just as
the band sings: "Don't give me that do goody goody bull shit."
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A few minutes later, the Good Witch confronts the Wicked Witch
as the band sings, "And who knows which is which" (or is that "witch
is witch"?).
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The song "Brain Damage" starts about the same time as the Scarecrow
launches into "If I Only Had a Brain."
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Songs end when scenes switch, and even the Munchkins' dancing is
perfectly choreographed to the song "Us and Them."
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During the tornado scene, the wordless singing in "The Great Gig
in the Sky" swells and recedes in strikingly perfect time with the
movie.
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When Dorothy opens the door into Oz, the movie switches to rich
color and at that exact moment the album starts in with the tinkling
cash register sound effects from "Money."
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Side one of the vinyl album is the exact length of the black-and-white
portion of the movie. And then there's that iconic album cover,
with its prism and rainbow echoing the movie's famous black-and-white-into-color
switch not to mention Judy Garland's classic first song.
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The end of the album, tails off with the insistent sound of a beating
heart. What's happening on screen? Yep, you guessed it: Dorothy's
got her ear to the Tin Man's chest, listening for a heartbeat.
Maybe it's just a string of coincidences. Maybe the mind is just playing
some really cool tricks. Maybe some people just have waaaay too much
time on their hands. Or maybe, as Pink Floyd sings to close out the
album, everything under the sun really is in tune.
We must admit that we have never had the opportunity to partake  of
this little adventure ourselves, or that we came up with the idea. There
are even a couple of Web sites devoted to this "Phenomenon." We just
wanted to bring you, our devoted readers, all of the wondrous experiences
that we can.
You can also turn the party into a game. Have all of the attendees choose
a main character, there can be doubling up, and have them drink whenever
that character is on screen or speaking, whichever you prefer. This
should not only enhance your experience, but help it seem even more
amazing! Let us know if you try it and it actually works.
Check out these site for more information:
Music: Duh! Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
Location: A house with a large screen TV, VCR and Stereo. Plenty of
couch space is also a bonus.
Food: Animal Crackers. That's it, nothing more.
Underwear: Perhaps some nice lace panties like Dorothy would wear. Costumes
are optional.
Games: You can turn watching the movie into a game where everyone chooses
a character and drinks while that character is either on the screen
or talking. Playing other games during the movie would defeat the purpose
of the party. |
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