I have a feeling we are NOT in Kansas anymore! - Oz The Great and Powerful Movie Review! #ozthegreatandpowerful

On Wednesday, March 6th I got the chance to attend the New York City Screening of Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful. I'm glad mother nature held up and the NorEaster Snow Storm we were expecting didn't hit!

I have to start by warning you this is NOT your mama's Wizard of Oz!

What you won't see:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Dorothy
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Tinman
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Scarecrow
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Cowardly Lion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ruby Red Slippers

What you won't hear:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Characters spontaneously bursting into song, there's no 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' song or 'We're off to see the Wizard'.

ABOUT:

When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

My Take:

I do want to remind everyone that this is NOT a remake, it's a 'pre-quel', we learn how The Wizard gets to Oz, and get more back story on all the witches. I think it's important for folks to keep this in mind before going to see it. You need to evaluate this one it's own strengths and weaknesses and stop trying to compare it to a movie that they are NOT actually trying to re-make. They do pay homage, but are not trying to re-create the iconic classic we all know and love, that being said, here are MY perceived strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BUTTERFLIES! - Thankfully someone at Disney seems to share my fascination with Butterflies. All of their movies have a butterfly sighting, this one had not just butterfly sightings throughout but an entire butterfly tree! In one scene you see a tree with unusual leaves and suddenly the leaves fly off the tree and you realize they are not leaves at all but a flock of beautiful butterflies!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 3D and CGI - The special effects are truly magical on the big screen. The 3D in some spots not only comes at you, but during some moments comes from behind you forward!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Disney Lessons - The power of good versus evil and the little man (no pun intended munchkins) conquering obstacles to succeed and triumph in the end.

Weaknesses:

James Franco as Oscar Diggs aka 'Oz' in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - James Franco - That perpetual smirk he always has on his face is super annoying, thankfully here Oscar aka 'Oz' for short is a bit of a snake oil salesman and con artist, so that annoying smirk of his is actually put to good use here. (I pray the movie Gods keep him busy and he never returns to General Hospital ever, ever, ever again, but I digress...) I hear Robert Downey Jr dropped out and Johnny Depp turned it down. I would have loved to see Johnny Depp take this on for sure! Johnny Depp might have made you root for Oz for a bit more than you end up doing with James Franco in the lead role.

Left: Rachel Weisz as Evanora and Right: Mila Kunis as Theodora in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm definitely a fan but am sorry to report that Rachel Weisz just didn't cut it as Evanora, her performance fell short for me and my feelings on Mila's performance were a bit mixed, I think as naive Theodora she was strong, but when Theodora goes 'Wicked' (while I get the why), I don't think she pulls off the Wicked Theodora in the way the original actress Margaret Hamilton did.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Making this a more modern tale also makes it a bit darker and in my opinion not the movie you want to take a little one to see, this isn't your typical Disney fluffy, light, family-fare, it's dark, it's intense and it's long, making it a movie you want to take a tween or older to see.

Standout Characters:

Zach Braff as Finley in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Zach Braff as Frank the bumbling assistant back in Kansas and as Finley the sweet hearted flying monkey in Oz gives a strong performance!

Joey King as 'China Girl' in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Joey King as the girl in the wheelchair and the 'China Girl' in Oz also brings heart to the performance as both characters!

Joey King and Zach Braff are definite scene stealers. They both deliver a consistent performance that adds warmth to the movie.

Sidenotes:

This is my place to share thoughts inspired by the movie, that have nothing to do with my final or overall opinion of it!

Mila Kunis as Theodora in Disney's Oz The Great and Powerful

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - While other critics panned the costumes as making the time frame less believable, from a Fashionista's standpoint, Theodora (played by Mila Kunis) wears a super fab opening outfit, her cranberry colored peplum jacket, black leather pants, and red lip (you know how much I love a red lip that is my signature daily lip color (well I custom blend mine but it's red!) was kick butt cool, and definitely me from a long time ago, I need to revisit that me! While it seemed to bother other people, I wanted to know where she got that outfit, it was FIERCE!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I have no qualms about admitting just how much I love my gaming/gambling trips, I love slots and spent much of the time in the movie thinking I was in a bonus screen for the Wizard of Oz slot machine. This movie is going to make a fun addition to the already popular slot machine, I wonder if WMS is already working on the new machine? (It's bad enough that it's hard to get on the original one, I just can't imagine how much harder it will be when the new one comes out!) I think I am LONG overdue for a vacation! Vegas Anyone?

On the whole I'd say 'Ticket', but don't bring the little ones. Take the older children to this one, it's darker, and it's running time is a bit longer than a very young child may feel comfortable sitting still.

Have you seen Oz The Great and Powerful yet butterflies? What did you think, ticket or skip it?

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: I attended a screening of Oz The Great and Powerful, this did not influence my opinion of the film, all opinions are 100% my own. This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share our movie review.

Today is National Cereal Day! Find out how Cereal, Wine, Tina Fey and me are connected! #admission #hellocereal

Admission Theatrical Poster and vignette of General Mills Cereals - Hello Cereal Lovers!

March is certainly a busy month, and I keep finding fun facts for the month of March, did you know that today is National Cereal Day?

Are you a cereal lover?

How many mornings do you get to spend with Movie Directors, Celebs, Mimosas (aka MOMosa's for those in the know) and combine them with creative cereal pairings? Morning MOMosa anyone? Just another  Tuesday morning for us bloggers in New York City!

I think you all know just how much I enjoy the Mamarazzi® events hosted by The Moms, and this one definitely delivered! Just look at how we were welcomed:

MOMosa Anyone?

And then we were offered some pretty unique eats to pair with our signature MARTINI Wines 'MOMosa's', CEREAL! I don't know about you butterfly, but I had never paired my cereal with Sparkling Wine and OJ before! Have you?

There were tables with treats on display:

Cinnamon Toast Toffee Crunch Bars

Little Lucky Whoopie Pies

And even once we were seated cereal was delivered directly to us at our seats!

Your pick of General Mills Cereal delivered directly to your chair!

I mean seriously, how can you say no to that smile? I have never had Cereal brought to my chair during a movie before, NEAT! And in our cupholders we found Mayan Chocolate Chex Mix in cute little popcorn bags:

Guess which Cereal I chose! :)

I thought it was super creative, and so you know I had to make a cute little vignette and get a shot of it all before I dove in! Now this is the way to put together a Movie Screening! If only all of them were this creative, fun and organized!

And before the movie began there was a Questions and Answers Session with Director Paul Weitz and Actress Tina Fey! Here is the YouTube video so you can get in on the fun too:

Here are some of my pictures (sorry butterflies, my camera battery was going wonky and my pics are a bit blurry, so I'm going to include some pro shots so you don't have to strain your eyes too  much!):

Left: Director of Admission Paul Weitz, Actress Tina Fey, The Moms Melissa Gerstein and Far Right: Denise Albert

Left: Director of Admission Paul Weitz, Center: Actress Tina Fey, Far Right: The Moms Melissa Gerstein

Thankfully the pros got good shots! Doesn't Tina look awesome  in her blue wrap dress?

Event Sponsors MARTINI Wines, Hello Cereal Lovers, The Moms and Focus Features Admission put together one very enjoyable movie screening!

This event was actually featured recently by Perez Hilton, because you know, that's how I roll, Page Six here I come!

ABOUT ADMISSION:

Admission Theatrical Movie Poster

Every spring, high school seniors anxiously await letters of college admission that will affirm and encourage their potential. At Princeton University, admissions officer Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is a gatekeeper evaluating thousands of applicants. Year in and year out, Portia has lived her life by the book, at work as well as at the home she shares with Princeton professor Mark (Michael Sheen). When Clarence (Wallace Shawn), the Dean of Admissions, announces his impending retirement, the likeliest candidates to succeed him are Portia and her office rival Corinne (Gloria Reuben). For Portia, however, it’s business as usual as she hits the road on her annual recruiting trip.

On the road, Portia reconnects with her iconoclastic mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin). On her visit to New Quest, an alternative high school, she then reconnects with her former college classmate, idealistic teacher John Pressman (Paul Rudd) – who has recently surmised that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), a gifted yet very unconventional New Quest student, might well be the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption years ago while at school. Jeremiah is about to apply to Princeton.

Now Portia must re-evaluate her personal and professional existences, as she finds herself bending the admissions rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the future she thought she always wanted – and in the process finding her way to a surprising and exhilarating life and romance she never dreamed of having.

RECIPES:

Want to make the cool treats we got try out at the screening? Here are the recipes butterflies:

Mayan Chocolate Chex Mix

Mayan Chocolate Chex Mix:

3 cups Corn Chex Cereal
3 cups Chocolate Chex Cereal
2 cups Cinnamon Chex Cereal
1 cup Whole Cashews
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and cashews
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, chili and red pepper uncovered on high about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in Vanilla. Pour over Cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
3. Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after every minute. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Break into bite-size pieces; stir in chocolate chips. Store in airtight container.

Tips: Pecan Halves can be used in place of the Cashews!

Little Lucky Whoopie Pies:

Little Lucky Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

Cake

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe chocolate cake mix

1

cup water

1/3

cup vegetable oil

3

eggs

Frosting:

1/4

cup vegetable shortening

1/4

cup butter

2

tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2

teaspoon pure mint extract

Green food color

1

tablespoon milk

2

cups powdered sugar

1

cup marshmallows from any size package Lucky Charms® cereal

• 1Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• 2In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, and eggs on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• 3On a parchment lined baking sheet, drop heaping tablespoons of cake batter two inches apart.
• 4Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in the center of a cake.
• 5Allow cakes to cool on parchment for 10 minutes on a wire rack.
• 6In medium bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes.
• 7Reduce speed to low and add granulated sugar, mint extract, food color and milk.
• 8Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until smooth.
• 9Spread a small spoonful of mint frosting between two cakes and decorate the edges with Lucky Charms® marshmallows.

Cinnamon Toast Toffee Crunch:

Ingredients:

4

cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal

1

cup butter

1

cup packed brown sugar

1

bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

3/4

cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds, toasted

• 1Heat oven to 350°F.
• 2Line 15x10x1-inch pan with heavy-duty foil. Spray foil with cooking spray. Spread cereal evenly in pan.
• 3In 2-quart saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar. Using whisk, mix butter and brown sugar together as butter melts. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Boil 2 minutes without stirring. Immediately pour mixture evenly over cereal in pan.
• 4Bake 12 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate; top with pecans. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set chocolate; break into pieces. Store covered in refrigerator up to one week.

MY TAKE:

The Official Website sums this film up perfectly - It's about the surprising detours we encounter on the road to happiness.

My friends it really is about the journey, it just takes some of us longer than others to realize it. There are also great lessons about learning when to let go in this movie. We sometimes hold on to things that no longer serve our higher purpose, and while it seems difficult, sometimes you really have to close a door forever for the better one to open.

And as always, Lily Tomlin is BRILLIANT! Gloria Reuben also does a perfect job playing that office back-stabbing rival that we all will end up confronting at some time or another!

It was also fun learning some creative ways to use cereal in recipes and mix it up a bit!

ADMISSION hits theatres March 22! (Hmmm... if you read yesterday's 'Seriously, it's Celebrate Your Name Week!' post you'd know why it's totally ironic to me that this movie is being released on the 22nd!)

Butterflies once you've had a chance to check out this film, please come back here and let us know what you thought! And don't forget to tell us which Cereal you rang in National Cereal Day with!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: I attended a special New York City Screening of the Movie Admission, Gift Bags were provided to attendees, however all opinions are 100% my own. I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." See our Full Disclosure Policy HERE

Find out what The Fitzgerald Family Christmas starring @Ed_Burns have to do with @themoms and @pagesix! #fitzmas #Mamarazzi

Theatrical Poster for the movie 'Fitzgerald Family Christmas'

So Ascending Butterfly finally gets invited to a Page Six worthy event, and she couldn't attend! What's a Butterfly to do? Research Last Minute Cloning Options, Make a rally cry to the heavens? Never to fear, Mama Butterfly is always near and she stepped in for me and covered a very special Mamarazzi event for the movie screening of Ed Burns latest movie release The Fitzgerald Family Christmas which he also wrote the screenplay for AND directed! 

Synopsis/About Fitzgerald Family Christmas: 

With The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, Ed Burns returns to the working-class, Irish-American roots of The Brothers McMullen. Reuniting with McMullen co-stars Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), and Mike McGlone, along with Noah Emmerich (Little Children, Beautiful Girls) and Kerry Bishé (Newlyweds, Red State), Burns seamlessly weaves an ensemble story of adult siblings dealing with the desire of their estranged father (Ed Lauter, The Artist, The Longest Yard) to return home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago. Family rifts emerge, and like with any family, Christmas brings a mixed bag of complicated emotions and dynamics. Alliances form, old wounds are reopened or glossed over, and the possibility for a new hope and forgiveness emerges.

Con la Navidad de la familia de Fitzgerald, quemaduras vuelve a las clase trabajadora, raices de irlandes-estadounidense de los hermanos McMullen. Reencuentro con co-estrellas McMullen Connie Britton (de Friday Night Lights) y Mike McGlone, junto con Noah Emmerich (ninos pequenos, las chicas guapas) y Kerry Bishe recien casados (rojo), quemaduras perfectamente teje una historia de conjunto de hermanos adultos relacionados con el deseo de su padre (Ed Lauter, el artista, The Longest Yard) para regresar a casa para la Navidad por primera vez desde que salio de su familia hace 20 anos. Surgen divisiones familiares, y como con cualquier familia, la Navidad trae un grup heterogeneo de emociones complejas y dinamicas. Formulario de alianzas, reabrio viejas heridas o alto, y surge la posibilidad de una nueva esperanza y perdon.

Pre Screening Excitement:

 

We got the chance to try out some awesome teas and got bags of very delicious popcorn! Cheese flavored, Salt and Vinegar Flavored and Wasabi!

Left: Melissa Gerstein Right: Denise Albert

The Questions and Answers:

Left: Melissa Gerstein, Center: Ed Burns, Right: Denise Albert

One of my favorite parts of Mamarazzi movie Screenings with The Moms is the opportunity the bloggers in attendance get to ask questions of one of the film's stars! It reminds me of my 'pro' film critic days on Press Junkets, but thankfully with much less travel because the screenings are much closer to home! It's definitely been a month of 'hollywood hunks' here at Ascending Butterfly this month, first getting to interview Gerard Butler regarding his new movie Playing for Keeps and now getting the chance to ask Ed Burns questions about The Fitzgerald Family Christmas!

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

Q. What did you draw upon in your own personal life that came out on film and in the writing of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas?

Ed Burns: "A lot of people think these films, especially “The Brothers McMullen” are autobiographical. It is in fact that the Fitzgerald family comes from the exact same place that I came from — working class, Long Island, Irish-Catholic from that neighborhood. So certainly, who I am, how I was raised and the people I was friends with are a big part of who these people are. That said, any of the major plot points I never pull from my family's experience for the simple reason that I don't want a Christmas like this one!"

There are some little things that I pulled from my family and extended family. For example, my wife's tradition, which I never heard of before, is to all wear matching pajamas on Christmas Eve. So I was like all right, I'm going to steal this for the film. And it's something we do now with our kids.

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

Q. Would you ever put Christy in your movies?

Ed Burns: Christy said on our very first date: 'Look, for the last 10 years I've been offered dozens of parts in movies. I don't want to be an actress so if you want a second date promise me you won't ever ask.' So I never have.

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

 

Q. Is it true that you're going to do a 20th reunion of “The Brothers McMullen?

Ed Burns: We're going to do a sequel, I just started writing the script. The plan is that the first movie came out in 1995 and ideally we'd like to get it out by 2015. It's going to be a good one.

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

Q. What inspires you to write your films?

Ed Burns: They come from different places. I acted in a movie last year with Tyler Perry called “Alex Cross” and he had just re-watched 'The Brothers McMullen.“ And he said your first two movies were so successful that had to do with these Irish-Catholic families and you haven't gone back there in 15 years. Take a look at what I'm doing, the empire I'm building. You have to super serve your niche. Your audience loved those two movies, give them another one. The minute he said it I knew he was right so I started writing the screenplay for “The Fitzgerald Family Christmas.“

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

Q. Do you think your focus has changed making movies, writing since having kids?

Ed Burns: To be quite honest, I've never sat down and thought about myself as a husband and a father when I was writing a screenplay. So now my oldest is 9 years old, so this will be the first script that I'm really looking at fatherhood, marriage, child-rearing. That said, there's no way that being a father and a husband hasn't changed the way I thought about my parents, my friends' parents and the challenges they must have experienced and what all parents must deal with. That definitely shaped the writing in this but it wasn't something that I consciously sat down to do.

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

Q. How do you balance it all?

Ed Burns: Both of our jobs require us to travel. And I made a decision at a certain point that if I want to be the dad I want to be that means I have to stay in New York. So that means I have to focus more on my filmmaking, which I can control and keeps me in town. But I sort of said, I won't go take an acting part that will take me to Australia for four months. And I'm lucky that I'm not just an actor because having to make those decisions would be difficult

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

 

Q. When you're on the set and your kids have something and you're late, do you ever feel guilty as a working dad?

Ed Burns: All parents these days feel guilt. When you're the director, you call the shots, so if there is something that is very important that I need to be at, we schedule around it. I also think you have to have the healthy perspective that kids want to see their parents work, be engaged, happy and satisfied, even little kids. We don't need to be there as much as we think we need to. They're OK.

Ed Burns being interviewed during a Questions and Answers Sessions post  film screening of The Fitzgerald Family Christmas in New York City

 

Q. Would you let your two children follow in your footsteps? 

Ed Burns: The rule is after 18 we'll help them do what they want to do. Get through high school, get into college. While you're in school, if you want to pursue acting or modeling or photography, we'll help you. But nothing until 18. 

Check Out The Video Here:

Fitzgerald Family Christmas is available on Video on Demand and in theaters starting December 7th!

If you want to get Social about The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, you can follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #fitzmas

Special Thanks to Mama Butterfly for covering for me! Here is a picture of my mom with Ed Burns (Cool right?) I think my fellow Beauty Mavens will understand when I post about exactly where I was instead! ;-)
 

Left: Mama Butterfly! Right: Ed Burns!

 

  ˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received by Ascending Butterfly to share our recap of the movie or our experience, we attended a private Press screening and had the opportunity to interview Ed Burns at that time.