12 Great Soundtracks In Otherwise Terrible Movies

Here’s a picture which actually could benefit from a modern remake. Loosely adapted on the 1974 Broadway musical of the same name, The Wiz has all the right ideas for an outstanding movie. Not only does it have a refreshingly all-black cast but it stresses the value of home and showcases a broad range of interesting visual ideas.

Most importantly, there is a truly underrated collection of songs to be enjoyed in The Wiz. The soundtrack is a brilliant fusion of motown, jazz and pop with great artists like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson to bring it alive.

“Ease on Down the Road” is synonymous with road-trip adventure, many of the songs bring a lump to your throat, such as “The Feeling That We Have” which reminds us about the importance of family, or Dorothy’s tear-jerking “Home”. And Evillene’s villain number is nothing short of perfect.

Unfortunately, all these neat concepts were left in the hands of the wrong people, because Sidney Lumet simply wasn’t cut out to direct the musical genre.

The choreography is uninspired, the camera work is lazy (most notably in the “Soon as I get home” section which just films Dorothy from a far distance) and the lighting is either too bright or too dark.

And whilst Diana Ross is an incredible vocalist, she’s no actress. The role of Dorothy was adjusted from a young girl to a mid-20s kindergarten teacher specifically for Ross and yet she stills seems too old for the role. The majority of her performance is her whining and gurning for the camera.

With a different director, a fresh look at the story and use of modern technology, 1978’s The Wiz could certainly use a revamp.