Why North Carolina’s Land of Oz should Host a Screening of The Wizard of Oz

On August 25, 2019August 19, 2019 By 18cinemalane10 Comments

One day, when I was on Pinterest, I came across a post that mentioned a theme park called Land of Oz. In this post, it was written that even though the park closed down in the early ‘80s, it was open on special occasions. I’ve read, watched videos, and seen photos of abandoned theme parks from all over the world. The fact that Land of Oz was only partially abandoned fascinated me, as I’ve heard about theme parks that were either completely abandoned, demolished, or restored. When I did more research about North Carolina’s precious gem, I learned that the park hosts a few events throughout the year. Their most popular event is Autumn at Oz, which, according to the park’s website and as of this post’s publication, now has two out of three sold out tiered ticket sections! While looking through the website, I noticed that there were no planned screenings of The Wizard of Oz. On the list of scheduled events during Autumn at Oz, there will be a movie exhibit in honor of the film’s eightieth anniversary. However, because of the anniversary, it seems like a screening of the film would be an obvious choice. This list is dedicated to explaining why North Carolina’s Land of Oz should host a movie screening of The Wizard of Oz. If it weren’t for the cultural impact of this film, this theme park wouldn’t exist. So, paying recognition to the thing that started it all would be a good thing for Land of Oz to do.

The Wizard of Oz Blogathon Banner — The Wizard of Oz Blogathon banner created by Rebecca from Taking Up Room. Image found at https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/announcing-the-wizard-of-oz-blogathon/.

Plenty of Opportunities

Land of Oz is a privately-owned space that hosts a few events throughout the year. These events give enthusiasts, families, and locals an excuse to explore this semi-abandoned amusement park and experience the festivities that are offered. Because of how broad the topic of The Wizard of Oz is, there are so many event ideas that could be implemented, including a screening of the film. With this, Land of Oz could provide another opportunity to open their doors to new and returning faces. It would also be a good way for the people associated with Land of Oz to make money, so that Land of Oz can continue to host events. If the people involved with Land of Oz chose not the host a screening of The Wizard of Oz as a stand-alone event, they could incorporate it into one of their existing events. For example, the screening could be included on the list of events for Autumn at Oz. For the guests, this screening would give them an opportunity to visit one of North Carolina’s most unique locations. While returning guests would be more than happy to come back to the “yellow brick road”, the screening could encourage new guests to visit the park. If the event were successful, the number of customers would continue to grow.

Taking Advantage of Nostalgia

At several theaters and through Fathom Events, screenings of pre-released films have become a common staple in the world of cinema. This is to capitalize on nostalgia and introduce people to films that are new to them. Everyone has that one movie that they hold close to their heart. For a large number of people, that film would be The Wizard of Oz. Hosting a screening of this film would let them relive memories and create new experiences. People who have never seen the film can witness it in an environment that makes the world of Oz seem like it’s coming to life around them. Fathom Events held a few screenings of The Wizard of Oz back in January. That’s because the people associated with Fathom Events realized the two aforementioned purposes that would make a film screening work. This screening would also show guests just how vast this cinematic property is. The film itself is not the “end all, be all” when it comes to this story. Land of Oz is just one example of how The Wizard of Oz can be incorporated into various media and outlets.

Child Carousel — Carousel image created by Daviles at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Backgroundimage created by Daviles – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/carrousel-with-sky-background_954546.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

A Charitable Contribution

Sometimes, movie screenings are held in an effort to raise money for a local non-profit. Events like this can be organized by larger groups or businesses. If Land of Oz wanted to get involved in helping their community, there are plenty of worthy causes to choose from. While guests are attending the park for the screening of The Wizard of Oz, they can become educated about the non-profit that they are choosing to support. Supporters will be enthusiastic about having their favorite charity represented by a business that cares about the cause like they do. This would be a win-win-win situation for Land of Oz. First, they would be given a chance to help out their fellow neighbor. Next, by assisting a local non-profit, they could create a positive image for themselves. Finally, a fundraiser and movie screening of The Wizard of Oz held at the Land of Oz would be great advertising for the business.

More Than Just a Screening

In my review of Jurassic Park, I shared that I had attended my very first Fathom Event screening. Within the introduction, I stated that the screening itself fell short of my expectations. This is because I was led to believe that the screening would be an event, complete with giveaways and announcers getting the audience excited about the film. For a screening of The Wizard of Oz, Land of Oz could create a whole event out of it. On their website, the park hosts an event during Autumn at Oz called Dining with Dorothy. People who purchase a ticket to this experience will get to share a meal with Dorothy herself. This specific event could also be included with the movie screening, if the people involved with Land of Oz chose to do so. There could also be contests and various activities, such as trivia and carnival games. Since Land of Oz has never hosted an event like this, the sky would be the limit! Through “trial and error” and listening to guest feedback, the event can grow as time goes on.

Print — Financial donation image created by Rawpixel.com at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by rawpixel.com – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Reaching the Emerald City

So, now that I’ve explained the reasons why North Carolina’s Land of Oz should host a movie screening of The Wizard of Oz, it’s time for me to summarize all of the main points that I’ve made. If the people associated with Land of Oz were to organize an event like this, I think there would be a lot of positives involved. It can be beneficial for both the business and its customers. Local non-profits could also benefit from this kind of event, as a portion of the money can go toward the charity of Land of Oz’s choice. Based on everything I’ve said, a movie screening of The Wizard of Oz held at Land of Oz has so much potential. The event could be stand-alone or incorporated with another event. The incentives that Land of Oz could use to encourage people to attend would be quite interesting. Looking back on what I know about this theme park, it seems like it has a growing fanbase. With new ideas and opportunities, that fanbase can continue to expand.

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

If you want to learn more about Land of Oz, visit their website at https://www.landofoznc.com/.

A Movie Blogger’s Bucket List

On February 27, 2019March 9, 2019 By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

On Valentine’s Day, when I published my review of The Story of Us, I published my 150^th post! Because I’ve been busy with blog related matters lately, I wasn’t able to talk about this accomplishment as soon as I had wanted to. During that time, I had given some thought as to how I was going to celebrate this special occasion. Recently, I came across a video on Youtube called “My Bookish Bucket List”. The creator of this video, a dash of ash, talks about the book related things that she’d like to do in her lifetime. This got me thinking about the movie related things that I would like to do. So, I’ve decided to make a movie themed bucket list! For this post, I will be talking about the movie related things that I have always wanted to do! I have never talked these things before, so this list will, hopefully, be an exciting read for my readers and followers. Since a dash of ash discussed eight items on her bucket list, my list will feature five items. In honor of publishing 150 posts, let’s start talking about my movie themed bucket list!

Cinema Background Illustration — Coming soon movie image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

For my blog to make a difference

One of my favorite quotes is from the book, Wonder, when Auggie says “Everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their life because we all overcometh the world”. While I have brought this quote up on more than one occasion, it has become an important part of 18 Cinema Lane’s identity. Whether it’s a movie review or a movie news story, I try my best to give the people, things, or topics that I care about the “standing ovation” that I feel they deserve. However, there’s only so much I can do as an independent blogger. For instance, I said last December in a post called “A Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish-List” that I would really like to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Hallmark Hall of Fame team up to create a Christmas movie musical that features and weaves Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s music in the story. But all I can realistically do is talk about my thoughts and opinions. If Hallmark were to make this movie a reality, I would feel like 18 Cinema Lane did its job. It would mean that what I had to say truly helped someone or something receive the “standing ovation” that they had probably worked very hard to earn.

539193-PJKZ86-388 — Movie time image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food photo created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

One of my favorite books becoming a movie

Speaking of Wonder, I was so excited when this book became a movie! However, this was the most recent time when one of my favorites books was adapted into a film. Also, Wonder was a popular story before the film’s release, so that factor helped it become a theatrical movie. There are several books that I love which I think would make great movies! One of these books is The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight. In my post called “I completed my Small Challenge for The Blog Complainer’s Appreciation Award!”, I talked about how much I loved this book. I also said that this particular story would work well as either a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film or a Hallmark Hall of Fame film. If this book did become a movie, I would be really happy and excited to see the project!

Books Seamless Pattern — Old-fashioned books image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/books-seamless-pattern_1539033.htm’>Designed by Macrovector</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Go to Planet Hollywood

I’ve always loved the idea of a movie themed restaurant! So, when I learned about Planet Hollywood, I knew that I had to go there one day! Seeing the various movie artifacts displayed throughout the facility is something I look forward to. It would also be interesting to see if the meals are named after well-known films. Someday, when I do go to Planet Hollywood, one of the first things I’ll do is get a Planet Hollywood t-shirt!

517091-PIIJ0M-968 — Restaurant waitress and guest image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Have a sleepover at a movie theater

Several years ago, I heard of a contest where the grand prize was a sleepover at a movie theater. Ever since then, I’ve always loved this idea! Bringing some friends along to spend the night at the cinema (in the literal sleepover sense) sounds like so much fun! Because there are several key parts that make up a movie theater, different activities could revolve around them. An example is a scavenger hunt to highlight the importance of these areas. It would also be interesting to learn more about movie theaters while spending more than a few hours in one. I think this would be such a great experience to have this new adventure at the movies!

Healthy Sleep Concept Flat Banners Set — Sleepover guest image created by Macrovector at freepik.com.<a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/infographic”>Infographic vector created by macrovector – http://www.freepik.com</a> Image found at freepik.com.

Host and organize a movie screening fundraiser

Over the years, I’ve heard of movie screening fundraisers that have benefited various non-profit organizations. Sometimes, there are activities at these fundraisers besides the movie screening itself, such as a fancy dinner. This concept has interested me for a long time. In fact, after hearing about these fundraisers, it made me want to host one of my own someday. There are several non-profit organizations that mean a lot to me. Combining that with my love of film would a meaningful way for me to give back. I also think that this would be a good opportunity to express my creativity. There are so many theme and design ideas that I have for an event like this, so I would really like to see them come to life someday!

What do you think of my list? Which things would you put on your bucket list? Tell me in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen

If you want to watch the video that I referenced in this post, type in “MY BOOKISH BUCKET LIST” into Youtube’s search bar or you can visit a dash of ash’s Youtube channel.

Take 3: Jurassic Park Review + 25 Follower Thank You

On September 19, 2018 By 18cinemalane10 Comments

Two weeks ago, I received 25 followers on 18 Cinema Lane! Like I’ve done with my other blog follower dedication reviews, it’s time for me to review a film that was released 25 years ago (in 1993). Because Fathom Events coordinated a special 25^th anniversary screening of Jurassic Park, I decided to pick this movie for my 25-follower dedication post! This was my first time attending a Fathom Events screening, so I was pretty excited to partake in a new cinematic experience. However, the actual event itself was not as special as I had expected. Before attending this screening of Jurassic Park, I thought it was going to be more of an event than it ended up being; from announcers getting the audience excited about the film they were about to watch to contests with cool prizes and giveaways (such as Jurassic Park themed gifts, movie theater gift cards, etc.). This entire experience was just a typical weeknight screening of a well-known film. As thankful as I am that Fathom Events gives movie-goers these unique theater experiences, my experience left more to be desired. So, what about the movie itself? Did the film make me feel the same way my theater-going experience did? Keep reading my review of Jurassic Park to find out!

Jurassic Park poster — A special poster for a special screening. Picture taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Things I liked about the film:

The acting: The acting from all of the cast members was great! Everyone’s reactions and emotions appeared and felt so genuine as well as believable. I liked how this cast was multi-generational, as it allowed for various perspectives to be incorporated into this narrative. Each character has such a unique personality and a set of characteristics that made them interesting. Each actor’s portrayal of their character brought these personalities and characteristics to life, which helped to establish a likability to their character. This allowed for memorable character interactions that added to the intrigue of the story.

The special effects: The special effects in Jurassic Park are like a fine wine: it ages well with time. All of the dinosaurs in this movie looked so realistic, like they actually co-existed alongside the human characters. Sometimes, an action/adventure movie can either rely too much on special effects or put too much focus on the human characters. In Jurassic Park, however, there was a nice balance between featuring both the human characters and the dinosaurs enough to satisfy the audience.

The cinematography: This movie has really good cinematography! One of my favorite shots in Jurassic Park was when DNA codes from one of the computers were projected on a dinosaur. This not only looked cool on screen, but it provided context and significance to the film’s narrative. Shots like this make me, as an audience member, feel like the creative team behind this movie put a good amount of effort and care into the project they were creating.

The soundtrack: The music that was found throughout this film was fantastic! Though most of it is instrumental, the music effectively conveyed a particular scene’s tone and added to the atmosphere of the film. The musical talents of John Williams help Jurassic Park and the dinosaurs within it feel larger-than-life. These pieces of music definitely fit in the overall context of the film.

The suspense: There are several suspenseful and intriguing moments throughout this film. It definitely left me on the edge of my seat and kept me invested in the story. Sometimes, Jurassic Park feels like a horror film, with the movie relying on atmosphere, tone, and a few jump-scares to get a reaction from the audience. This movie also has the right amount of excitement that is usually expected in an action/adventure film. I think the combination of thrills and excitement worked really well in this film.

Various animal toy figures in a colorful background — Colorful dinosaur image created by Rawpixel.com at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/various-animal-toy-figures-in-a-colorful-background_3011200.htm’>Designed by Rawpixel.com</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background image created by Rawpixel.com – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

What I didn’t like about the film:

A delayed introduction to the dinosaurs: In Jurassic Park, it takes about 20 minutes for the movie to give its audience a good look at any of the dinosaurs. While this time was used to introduce the characters and provide the film’s exposition, it made the movie feel like it had a slow start.

The under-utilization of some of the characters: While Jurassic Park has several likable characters, there were some of them that seemed to be under-utilized. Two examples are Malcolm and Tim. At the beginning of the film, Malcolm was introduced as a rock-star-esque mathematician. Because of this introduction, I found Malcolm to be an interesting character. Unfortunately, he was never given an opportunity to use those math skills to resolve some of the conflicts within this film’s narrative. Tim’s interest and enthusiasm about dinosaurs was such a great component to his character. However, Tim was never really given a chance to apply this knowledge about dinosaurs to help the characters around him.

205649-OZBGT0-509 — Dinosaur birthday image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/birthday-background-with-elements_1718067.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

My overall impression:

The Jurassic Park logo. Without even trying, this logo has become a cinematic symbol of the possibilities of film-making, hope for the future of cinema, and the wonder that can come from the magic of the movies. I never knew how much I would love this movie until I saw it for the first time (yes, you read that right). While there were a few things I didn’t like about the film, there was far more to love about it. After watching Jurassic Park, I can now fully understand the success of Jurassic World. However, I don’t understand how Jurassic Park, a movie with a definitive and well-executed ending, could have been the basis for sequel films. Since I haven’t seen these films, maybe there is a way to continue this story that I’m not familiar with. Thank you so much to all of my 25 followers as well as my readers! Like always, this review and 18 Cinema Lane would not be possible without you!

Overall score: 9 out of 10

Have you seen any of the Jurassic Park movies? What do you think is the best movie from 1993? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section!

Have fun at the movies!

Sally Silverscreen