The Yellow Flick Road

By Antonio Jacobs

The Yellow Flick Road carefully presents the theory that all movies are based on the MGM classic The Wizard of Oz. Released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the film's initial release.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312450837

Book preview

The Yellow Flick Road

THE YELLOW FLICK ROAD

ANTONIO JACOBS

Preface: Why I Love The Wizard of Oz

I don't remember precisely when I become so obsessed with the works of L. Frank Baum. Like many people, I watched The Wizard of Oz on CBS annually and enjoyed it like it was my very first time watching it. After all these years, it still feels like an original thing. Whenever I get a chance, I watch it, or read the book.  

Baum was interested in making the quintessential American myth. He also was a prominent feminist, which led to his choice of Dorothy as the main protagonist. In a world dominated by old men, Baum was able to use Dorothy as a means of dispatching the status quo.  I respect that, because, I have always believed the world is in a state of dangerous imbalance. Too much machismo - not enough femininity; men have dominated the planet for too long.

Baum is like many authors who have tried to demonstrate this imbalance through fiction. Anne Rice talks about it in her Vampire books; Stephen King blatantly shows the imbalance of reality in The Dark Tower.  Dan Brown discusses the Holy Grail legend, which also provides nods to nearly every controversial and influential work of art produced in the past five hundred years.

The way Baum demonstrates the idea of balance is exciting and captivating. The monotheistic religions get it wrong; there is duality in everything, so there must be a duality in God as well. By making God a man, we have eliminated an important ally in our spiritual development - woman. Like the great creators, Baum seeks to return us back to that ideal, and by making Dorothy a young girl, he provides us with the time to develop and mature into that balance.

Look at the signs - Dorothy lives in two worlds, dispatches two witches and shuts down a despot in charge of a realm with a two letter name. Baum got the name Oz from his file cabinet - it was broken into two shelves labeled A-N and O-Z. The world knew the first part, at least in Baum's mind; they needed to know the second part as well.

As a writer, I feel that good writing is incomplete without its partner, reading. Since duality exists in nature, it is only natural for it to exist in our beliefs - a trinity feels like it is trying too hard and hence the confused state of the world.

The Wizard of Oz has always been about duality. Reality and fantasy, good and evil; it is a matter of absolutes. I find stories that follow this particular model ring unpretentious. The Wizard of Oz knows when to stop, and that is why its influence is so encroaching.

Antonio Jacobs

August 2014

Introduction

Scoff if you must.  Do whatever it takes to reconcile yourself to the idea.  Take as much time as you like, but the story remains the same.  Not only is The Wizard of Oz the greatest movie of all time, it is also the template for every film ever made.  No matter what movie you pick, I can prove without a shadow of doubt that it is based on The Wizard of Oz.

How did this begin?  I first began to develop my Wizard of Oz theory after seeing The Matrix, possibly one of the best movies ever made.  The thought that one person had the capacity to reshape reality intrigued me; I wanted to investigate how many times and how many ways this had been done in the movies. Being a movie fan, but not necessarily a movie buff, I began to watch movies in a different way. I first looked for the connections, the parallels, and any indicator that would tell me how the film I was watching was related to The Wizard of Oz. Who was Dorothy? Where was Emerald City? Where did the Yellow Brick Road go? At first, it was a hobby and a conversation starter; I made a lot of mistakes along the way, and placed my foot in my mouth a number of times. But the more I looked at it, the more I was convinced I had something.  So I did some research and learned a little more about L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I read books about mise en scene and other film theories. I started watching movies. All the time. Call it an obsession, but now I can watch the worse movie ever made and get some truth out of it.

Experts, film critics and the film community are bound to see the flaws in the theory, but this theory is not for them.  What I offer is a way for moviegoers to enjoy going to the movies again without cynicism, the disappointment and unrealistic expectations consumers have developed in recent years. I suggest greater care in the making of films is needed, but we must also be reminded that film and reality are not the same thing.  So focusing on a film that provides us a taste of reality and fantasy, at a 10/90 ratio (that’s 10% reality, 90% fantasy) such as The Wizard of Oz is valuable as a way of cleansing the palate. Going to the movies used to be fun, an escape from the day-to-day doldrums of stressful life. So my challenge is this: if you can look at a movie without finding elements of The Wizard of Oz, then I haven’t done my job. I’m not claiming that my theory is the end all and be all; it is merely another way to enjoy the movie going process. This is to ensure that our childlike sense of wonder remains intact.

Why is the Yellow Flick Road valuable? I believe the movie industry has a lot of potential, and I believe the quality of movies can be improved upon, and by getting audiences to pay attention to the details a bit more, perhaps the average moviegoer will begin to demand more value for their buck.

Antonio Jacobs

March 2003

WELCOME TO THE YELLOW FLICK ROAD

The Wizard of Oz is a template for all movies, especially musicals, dramas, comedies, action movies and ensemble movies.

We’re Off to See The Wizard

The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful story filled with adventure, intrigue, horror, and suspense. It stars Judy Garland as Dorothy, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, Burt Lehr as the Cowardly Lion, and Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tinman, Billie Burke