I Don't Think There's Anything I Need To See More Than The Wizard Of Oz At The Sphere

Some childhood memories stick with you forever. Like your first little league home run. Or the first time you rode your bike to the corner store (Lynch's) by yourself, disobeying your mom's orders, and catching a subsequent beating when she inevitably found out. Or the first snow day when you didn’t have to fake a cough to stay home. For me, there's another random moment ranking up there that you might not agree with, but it's the first time I watched The Wizard of Oz. 

That moment when it flips from dusty sepia Kansas to full-blown Technicolor Oz? It’s one of those life-altering, sit-up-on-the-couch moments. Pure movie magic.

Now there’s this new version of it at the Sphere in Vegas, and from everything I’ve seen online, it’s like they’ve taken that moment and cranked it up to eleven. And I’m losing my mind because I need to see it more than anything right now.

CBS Sunday Morning did an awesome behind teh scenes look at what went into creating the experience.

The Hollywood Reporter and USA Today are both saying the same thing- that it’s a full-body experience. 

They talk about sound so crisp and powerful, you feel like you’re standing inside the orchestra pit. They say that the visuals literally wrap around you. They say people are flat out gasping before the movie even starts, just from the opening credits sequence.

And the social media clips are fucking insane. They’re basically my drug right now. There’s one of the Kansas tornado scene that give you chills. Papers flying everywhere, wind roaring, the whole damn room getting sucked into the storm while the crowd clutches their seats like they’re on Space Mountain. 

In another clip, the entire dome explodes into this glowing wash of emerald green as the Emerald City rises up around the audience.

If this is what it looks like and feels like from an iPhone video, imagine standing in the middle of that madness in person.

The Sphere is already one of the most insane venues ever built- it looks like an alien mothership parked on the Vegas Strip. Seeing The Wizard of Oz there feels like the perfect storm. In a world where everyone is stuck watching stuff on their phones, alone, this is a shared experience. It’s a chance to relive a story everyone knows, but on a scale so massive it basically breaks your brain. Critics are calling it "groundbreaking", saying the Sphere uses all this futuristic tech not to mess with the original movie but to drop you right into it.

Now, full disclosure, I am a giant slut for everything Oz-related. Loved Wicked the musical on Broadway, and I loved the film almost as much. Loved The Wiz. (Never saw Return To Oz and don’t want to because I heard it’s nightmare fuel). So yes, I might be a little biased.

But, this isn’t just some nostalgia cash grab. 

They haven’t altered the filM or plot in any way. They’ve just expanded upon it. Using AI to format the screen, touch up imagery, and add moving parts and bells and whistles to make the experience fully immersive. 

Like this -

Complete with poison apples dropping down from the ceiling 

And 700-mph wind gusts with leaves blowing everywhere 

The reactions online aren’t polite claps and “that was neat” comments. People are coming out of this thing looking like they just came back from war. Laughing, crying, hugging strangers. Even the snarkiest corners of Twitter are like, “Yeah, this thing rules.” 

That’s how you know it’s legit.

I keep flashing back to that moment when Dorothy opens the door and everything turns to color. Imagine seeing that- but the colors are blasting out of every wall, the music is rattling your ribcage, and you’re surrounded by thousands of people all losing their minds at the same time. 

That’s what this promises. It’s not just a movie, it’s a time machine back to the first time you ever felt wonder.

That’s what I’m chasing at least. 

I’ve been lucky enough to visit The Sphere now twice- for two incredible shows. The opening U2 residency, and Dead and Co. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t counting the days until I can get back to Vegas, step inside that glowing alien spaceship, and let it completely wreck me. 

Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by flying monkeys, glowing poppy fields, and a tornado so real you have to hang onto your drink for dear life?

I’m all for them attempting to jazz up films to try to get people back to enjoying movies in theaters by any and all means. If that means The Sphere, then so be it. Movies were made to be enjoyed in theaters, with a bucket of popcorn, loud booming sound, and amongst a crowd. Sure, watching whatever you want whenever you want on your couch is convenient but it’s ruined the experience and the last thing we need is another reason not to leave our houses. 

Next up they should do Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Interstellar (would be epic), Dune, just off the top of my head.