A 1978 Motown production of a Universal Picture based on a Broadway musical reinterpreting L. Frank Baum's children's book, adapted by Joel Schumacher (!) and directed by Sidney Lumet (!!), starring Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale, Richard Pryor as the titular character, Lena Horne (Lumet's mother-in-law at the time) as Glinda, and the littlest member of the Jackson Five as Scarecrow. That Jackson kid almost didn't get the part because Lumet thought Jimmie Walker from Good Times should have it, and besides, the Jacksons were kinda has-beens, weren't they? Anyway, nothing in this film is as weird as the '70s actually were, but the music is really good. by Bobby Roberts