Audio round: The Wizard of Oz

I've reneged on my promise to regularly upload various BQT audio rounds to the blog, but hey, here's something: The Wizard of Oz–themed edition from last October. Name the title and artist for each song, with some kind of Oz association. E-mail info@bigquizthing.com for help/answers/good deals on vintage ruby slippers.

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BQT Wizard of Oz audio round

The longest tie breaker EVER!

Maybe, perhaps, who knows? It was eight questions total. We had Steve (short for Stephen, a.k.a. Ph), of returning champs Fantastic Fournicators, squaring off with Steven (a.k.a. V), of Gerard Depardouche. I still can't believe neither one of these guys was geeky enough to know what kind of animal fought a zombie in the 1979 horror movie Zombie. People really can surprise you. But 'Douche man V took it by knowing who, in 1948, was the lead researcher behind the groundbreaking work Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. We cover the gamut, my friends.

Otherwise, I'm going to keep it brief, since in 13 hours I leave for the most trivial land of Puerto Rico. The Movie Quote Thesaurus was a great mess of giggles, and the Wizard of Oz audio round fulfilled a childhood dream of mine; will Alice in Wonderland be next? Finally, in an effort to thwart the testosterony Fantastic Fournicators, I inserted (heh) a four-part question about feminine hygiene products (attention anyone reading this who did not attend the show: this is true). As I say, the gamut is covered at the BQT.

And the standings:

1. Gerard Depardouche: Nails were bitten!
2. The Fantastic Fournicators: Questions about tampons barely slowed them down.
3. Strippers for Stephen Hawking/Incontinental Congress (tie)
5. Birds of Ill Omen

October 26 we're back: We're going to be "Crawling with Real Live Insects!," which I'm pretty excited about (some entomology knowledge is helpful but hardly required). See you on the other side.

Wizard of Oz…the truth revealed!

As requested, the answers to yesterday's Wizard of Oz trivia questions. Hey, while we're at it, if you want to be a traitor to the Big Quiz Thing, there's another screening here in NYC on Monday, October 12, at the Academy Theater on East 59th Street. Watching this film on the big screen grants the temporary illusion that all is well in the world.

In The Wizard of Oz, what does the Wicked Witch of the West skywrite above the Emerald City?
A: "Surrender, Dorothy." Bold!

What was the original published title of the book commonly called The Wizard of Oz?
A: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, though later editions cut the Wonderful

Four-part question: Wizard of Oz urban legends.

a. The members of BLANK totally made their album to sync up with the movie

b. A depressed actor who played BLANK can be seen hanging himself onscreen

c. As Miss Gulch, Margaret Hamilton utters the then-scandalous word of BLANK.

d. That guy from The Beverly Hillbillies had to drop out of playing the Tin Man because he was allergic to BLANK.

A: a. Pink Floyd, naturally
b. a Munchkin. Bullshit; it was actually a big bird.
c. "Damn." She actually said "damage," when she's pissed about Toto and threatens to bring a "damage suit."
d. makeup, the silver makeup specifically. This one is true.

In 2004, Bravo counted down “The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.” The two live-action children's movies on the list were The Wizard of Oz and what else?
A: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That boat ride scene, when the chicken gets its head chopped off, totally freaked me out.

What trademarked name for a dessert comes from a 1939 movie?
A: Munchkins, meaning Dunkin' Donuts. I'm not that keen on this question, since lots of people eat Munchkins for breakfast and not dessert. But it worked for us once upon a time…long ago…somewhere over the rainbow…

We're off to see…

Look at that beautiful picture… As I announced at last Monday's show (and here), at the next BQT, October 12, we'll be doing a Wizard of Oz–themed audio round, something I've been mentally cooking up for quite some time. And as I promised, no Wizard of Oz knowledge (or at least very little) is necessary. To explain: It's pop songs that are thematically linked to the mythos of TWOZ, if only tenuously. I don't want to give anything awaym but here's something: I considered including a song by the band Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore's post–Deep Purple band (get it? "Rainbow"). I decided otherwise, partly because the band was just a touch too obscure for my purposes (though "Since You Been Gone" rocks). But you get the idea.

Plus, we had a Wizard of Oz four-parter last Monday. Yes, I've had the film on the brain lately, but so have a lot of people: It was released 70 years ago last month, is being issued on a new deluxe DVD and all that. But it's also one of my absolute favorite films, and deserves all the attention it gets. It's the nearly perfect movie: Funny, clever, great for kids and adults, well acted and beautifully designed, with spectacular music. The special effects look great seven decades later, particularly the makeup, which accomplishes the rare feat of making the actors look otherworldly without impeding any emotional expression. My favorite song:

BTW, I know it's Dorothy—from Kansas—who utters the name, but I love the implication that people in Oz know who Abraham Lincoln is.

Also, I must say, I'm a fan of the whole Dark Side of the Moon legend/rumor/bullshit; I find it amusing. I've tried the synchronized screening a total of three times, and it worked only once—it's very tricky to get it right—but it's an interesting exercise in the juxtaposition of sound and image, an instructive from a media studies point of view. (the moment when Dorothy goes from black and white to color is worth two bong hits all by itself).

Finally, some BQT Wizard of Oz trivia through the years. Are you sure I'm not gay?

In The Wizard of Oz, what does the Wicked Witch of the West skywrite above the Emerald City?

What was the original published title of the book commonly called The Wizard of Oz?

Four-part question: Wizard of Oz urban legends.

a. The members of BLANK totally made their album to sync up with the movie

b. A depressed actor who played BLANK can be seen hanging himself onscreen

c. As Miss Gulch, Margaret Hamilton utters the then-scandalous word of BLANK

d. That guy from The Beverly Hillbillies had to drop out of playing the Tin Man because he was allergic to BLANK.

In 2004, Bravo counted down “The 100 Scariest Movie Moments.” The two live-action children's movies on the list were The Wizard of Oz and what else?

What trademarked name for a dessert comes from a 1939 movie?

See you October 12: We get our courage, finally.