Day 3 – It’s Fraktastic!
Yes, Tin Man just aired in December of 2007 so some people have already watched it. However, I think a lot more people skipped it simply because it was on the SciFi Network. Yes, my fellow Battlestar fans are scoffing at the mere possibility of this, but for the general public there is somewhat of a stigma still attached to programs on this channel. Well, now the whole kit-n-kaboodle will be out on DVD next Tuesday (March 11), so I’m hoping this will spark wider interest in this wonderful miniseries. And this show was only six hours to begin with, subtract commercials and that’s what? 45 minutes in the real world? (Okay, closer to four and a half hours, but still easily digestible…)
What’s it all about? For those of you who haven’t already heard, this is a modern retelling of “The Wizard of Oz” with a few major twists. This isn’t just a remake, folks – it follows much of the same framework as the original (four strange traveling companions, each in search of something, with a witch hindering their every move), but beyond that it’s a whole new ballgame. In this version, Oz is morphed into the O.Z. – The Outer Zone – a realm that has been taken over by the witch Azkadellia. The land has been overrun by the witch’s forces, and most of its former beauty is replaced with barren landscapes.
Who are the players? Our story follows our heroine DG (played by the amazing Zooey Deschanel, she is looking for her parents and some clues as to why she can’t remember mum or dad), Glitch (whose brain has been stolen, and may have a few secrets to share – he just can’t recall), Raw (a “viewer” who can read minds, but may be short on courage) and finally, Cain (a former “Tin Man” – the name for members of the police force in the O.Z., pre-witch-y badness – who is looking for revenge, but may just need his heart repaired). “Toto” even turns up in this craziness, but not as you’d remember him…
There is a great core story at work here that adds to the original mythology - the overriding themes of betrayal, often by family, make this interpretation seem much more personal. And obviously, nearly seventy years after the classic film telling, on-screen effects are a bit more believable (although the original flying monkeys still scare the bejesus out of me). But the best way of all to view this story is without comparison – it’s hard to beat something you’ve built up in your mind since you were a child. Watch Tin Man with the same childlike wonder and you may find a new masterwork to cherish.
Go grab this next Tuesday – I’ll be back tomorrow with one last pick.
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