aprii 2. 2004 ■
FILM
s he famous cinematic journey down the yel
low hrick road seems to have been taken
away from us by this cruel modem world.
Once the exclusive province of the
queer, the queer-at-heart and those too naive to
recognize the layers of gayness that permeate the
entire affair, the colorful, giddy classic The Wizard
of Oz now seems most prominently appreciated as
a reclaimed stoner flick. (The potheads found out
you could turn down the sound and cue up Pink
Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon to achieve an
eerie synchronicity, apparently an earth-shattering
experience when one is properly “relaxed.”)
Now, instead of being The Movie T hat
Indirectly Inspired Stonewall, it’s The Movie
T hat Indirectly Inspired the Munchies.
The stoner version relies on home technolo
gy that didn’t exist when this writer was a young
ster, though. Remember the pre-VCR days when
we had to wait for the networks to show old
movies? Well, I’m proud to be a member of what
was possibly the very last generation to experi
ence The Wizard as an annual televised event.
No amount of commercial interruption am id
have diminished the prospect of its broadcast in
the eyes of my feverishly anticipatory self
between the ages of 4 and 11. It inspired a sense
of expectation, a devotion unmatched even by
the routinely scheduled and, therefore, less
special television I staunchly refused to miss:
Wimder Woman and The Golden Grris.
My blissfully ignorant parents had never
heard of gaydar; if they had, I picture a sort of
gaydar-alarm going off at top volume to the
tune of “O ver the Rainbow.”
O f course, all of us— gay, straight and every
thing in between— were affected by the film
when we were children, but when it comes to
the formative-gay-experience factor, it wasn’t
Ding-dong!
Come out, come out, wherever you are
for Sing-a-Long W izard o f Oz
by
C h r is t o p h e r M c Q u a in
about just liking it hut about
loving it to the point of identify
ing in a way that could make
one quite reckless.
For example, how else can a
young lad unabashedly descend
on his playmates wearing a
Burger King crown, waving a
“wand” (actually a depleted
paper towel roll) and trilling,
“I’m G linda, the G ood W itch
of the N o rth ” than if his head
is somewhere in the magical
land of Oz? This is according to
the experience of, um...a friend
of mine.
The film plays like a secret
metaphorical preparatory manu
al for children on the common
places of queer experience: Oz is
like a great big gay bar where a
W hat a bitchy queen w on’t do for a good pair of shoes.
little girl from Kansas, who hap Sing-a-Long Wizard of Oz Gay N ight, complete with
pens to he a fag hag ahead of
costume contest, is April 17.
her time, learns all about strictly
platonic friendships with polite yet irrepressible
of the West, who’s mean to Dorothy because
men who have a ready show tune on hand for
she’s cuter and has better shoes).
every occasion.
It’s, frankly, an invaluable resource for gay
She runs across a gruff-on-the-outside,
children who may otherwise learn too late
tenderhearted-on-the-inside “bear” (the Cow
about the special appeal of tiny little dogs or
ardly Lion) and queens prissy (the Tin Man),
that getting groomed, primped and made over
dizzy (Glinda) and bitchy (the Wicked W itch
beforehand is vital, even if one Jias come to a
H
giviag aid
your desires
■ ■
"
m ) : s I P p p P II 1 m
C e le b ra tin g
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Portland • April 24-
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city to obtain o ne’s missing vital organs, or
th at striking up a rousing sing-along is a per
fectly appropriate way of coping with one’s
fear of evisceration by lions, tigers and bears
(oh my).
Speaking of sing-alongs, the time has come
for those of us who know what it feels like for
the world not to understand one’s childhcxxl
craving for sparkly red footwear (or perhaps a
later inclination to follow in the footsteps of
the Tin Man by hitting up random strangers for
lubrication) to come together in a context that
will actually encourage us to belt along to our
favorite Wizard of O z numbers.
After the unequivocal success a few years
ago of Sing-a-Long Sound o f Music (I’m told
that flick has a few gay fans, too), Cinem a 21 is
bringing to Portland a sing-along version of the
great and powerful O z April 9 to 18.
H ere’s the best part: A pril 17 is Gay
N ight, featuring a costume contest. N ot only
will you once again get to follow the yellow
hrick road, you and your friends will also be
following th at on-screen bouncing hall to an
ecstatic height you’ve only previously experi
enced by “ruining” th e movie for fussy fellow
viewers who simply couldn’t appreciate the
heart and soul you pour into your own stun
ning renditions.
A nd you’ll do it in a gingham dress. Have
fun, munchkins.
in
S ing - a -L ong W izard of O z plays 7 p .m ., plus
2 p.m. weekend matinees, April 9 to 18 at
Cinema 21, 6 1 6 N .W . 21st Ave. Gay Ni^ht is
7 p.m. April 17. Tickets are $10 for opening
night, $12-$16.50 all other times from the box
office or www.ticketweb.com. See Page 44 for a
special contest only for Just O ut readers!
■49