The Wizard of Oz

As a writer, my A to Z challenge is going to be about books, characters, TV shows and movies that have impacted me somehow. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Lee’s blog to find more bloggers taking on this challenge!

The Wizard of Oz

(I know, I know – we don't normally count The, but I filled up my W already! Shhh!)

The movie. I liked the books well enough as a kid, but for me, this is one example of the movie surpassing the book. I remember watching it on TV every year growing up. I couldn’t wait for it to come back. I loved it all – even the flying monkeys! Judy’s voice blew me away and the magic of Oz was undeniable. And the scarecrow? Best of all. I still get a thrill when Dorothy opens that door into a world of colour and wonder.

Do you have any movies that were favourites when you were a kid that you still love today? Or movies you like better than the book(s)?

The Movie Dirty Dozen

Alex J. Cavanaugh has initiated The Movie Dirty Dozen blog hop. Great idea! Who doesn't love the movies? :) Make sure you click on Alex's link above to check out his post and find the links to everyone else involved. It's sure to be a lot of fun to compare our faves :)

So, without further ado, here are my top 12 favourite movies!

12. Can't decide: To Kill a Mockingbird. Singing in the Rain. White Christmas. Rocky Horror Picture Show. Toy Story. Chicago. Miracle on 34th Street. Miss Congeniality. Oklahoma. :)  ... *sigh* (I know, all over the place!)

11. Blind Side. Incredible story. This one touched my heart. I've only seen it once, but several scenes are pretty much engraved in my brain. I've taught kids in pretty tough situations, but thankfully none in as difficult a situation as Michael. This story of perseverence, courage and above all love really touched me.

10. Planet of the Apes (the original). I loved this entire series when I was a kid. The scene at the end with the Statue of Liberty was such a Wow! moment. Made me want to be an astronaut and believe in time travel. Love it!

9. The Matrix. Great concept. Loved the idea of the phone entry, the fake reality, and the moves. Lots of fun in this one.

8. Bourne Identity. I enjoyed the entire trilogy, but the 2nd and 3rd movies are so vastly different from the books that they kind of drive me crazy. I keep wanting to say, "But that shouldn't happen..." Nevertheless, I enjoyed this fun adventure. Damon's great and the action is fun!

7. The Sound of Music. Yeah - most of my pics are fantasy & science fiction, but I've loved this movie from the first moment. The music and the story line get me each time I watch it. Powerful stuff in there. I do believe I can sing every word. Not well perhaps, but I can sing them! My mom has this record album - yes, record! - and I listened to it repeatedly growing up.

6. X-Men. #1. Love the characters. In fact, I love the entire concept. Mutants. Will this be the way our futures will look? And will it be deliberate or accidental? Hmmm.... :)

5. Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home. I love Star Trek - always have. I think this is my favourite movie of them all. Even though some of the movies are bad, really bad :), they're Star Trek so that means I love them! This one has great humour and a sense of fun. My favourite scene? Spock on the bus! Or maybe Spock swimming with the whales. :)

4. Serenity. This Josh Whedon series (Firefly) is amazing. Great characters, fun story lines that always say more than they seem to say, and great humour. Although I always tear up when they land ... no spoilers, but if you're a fan you know the scene I'm talking about. Breaks my heart every time.

3. Star Wars - the orignial trilogy. I grew up with these movies and love them more than #1-3. Lucas is amazing. His technologies and special effects are mind boggling - as is his imagination. Favourite character? R2D2. Who knew you could say so much and feel so much with no words and no heart? :) Or maybe, Chewie...

2. Wizard of Oz. I've always loved it. The monkeys scared my sister and she wouldn't watch it with me when we were little. It used to come on once a year, and my family always let me watch it on our one TV, even though no one else loved it. The magic, the power of home/family/love and the message that kids can have some power too - awesome! And we get to hear Judy sing!

1. Lord of the Rings. And, yes, I'm cheating and taking the entire trilogy :) I was so worried when this movie came out. I don't like when they make movies of my favourite books. The movies rarely live up to the mood or the theme or the characterization or the... Even though these movies are different from the book - obviously they had to be - otherwise the movies would have been days long! - I think they did a great job staying true to the voice of the books. I think Tolkein would be quite happy.

So there you have it. My favourite movies. At the moment. :)

What's your all-time favourite movie? The one you watch every time it shows up on TV?

Find the Fun!

Oddly, The Wizard of Oz has been cropping up a lot in my life lately. It is one of my all-time favourite movies (as you'll see in the upcoming Dirty Dozen Blog Hop hosted by Alex J Cavanaugh), but it's been popping up all over my life.

I figured fate was telling me something, so I gave in and shared the movie with the students in my class. We'd had a tough week of government testing so I decided they deserved a treat. Almost half the class hadn't seen it before. The movie worked its magic - the kids were enthralled.

This is a movie made in 1939. Not one kid was bored, everyone enjoyed it. When I asked what they like about it, they kind of shrugged, not sure. When one student said, "It was fun," the rest all nodded in agreement.

It was fun.

Fun is important. As adults, it can be easy to forget that. We have all the pressures of the real world surrounding us.

So many bloggers lately seem to be overwhelmed, sad, frustrated, disappointed, worried, apologetic and stressed. I worry about my bloggy friends & I hope everyone can remember that we all do this writing thing because we love it. Because it's fun. Don't lose the fun admist all those pressures. If you're not enjoying it, it's going to show. And, honestly, if you're not enjoying it, why do that to yourself? Find the fun again!

Take a breather, slow down, relax, read, enjoy your family & friends. Find the fun! And if you need some help finding it, take a bit of time and follow that yellow brick road. Really listen to the words - the writing is terrific! Catch those inside jokes and the nuances.

Or just enjoy the Cowardly Lion - he's always going to make you feel better!

On another fun note... On June 10th, I'm lucky enough to be hosting L. Diane Wolfe. She's going to be blogging about writing a series. Make sure you drop by - she's got tons of great advice! :)