MU Radio brought the Emerald City to Marquette students…with a bit of a twist. Of course, Dorothy, Toto and the Wizard were all invited, but there was one more guest: Pink Floyd.
“The Dark Side of the Rainbow is a mash-up of Pink Floyd’s album “Dark Side of the Moon” and MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz,” said Suzanne Sando, general manager of MUR. “The album plays over the entire movie about three times, and no one really knows why it syncs up as well as it does.” A rumor began several years ago circulating the idea that when the album is played in sync with the film, there are several uncanny coincidences between the two. However, nothing has been proven to be fact. Pink Floyd denies the occurrences to be intentional in any way, but some find this hard to believe. For example, Floyd’s song “Brain Damage” can be heard when the scarecrow croons about his desire for a brain.
On the other hand, some skeptics believe the power of suggestion influences the mind to pick up on patterns and coincidences that are not really present between the music and the movie. It is difficult to say – all seems to be a matter of opinion. Therefore, MU radio decided to let the Marquette campus decide for itself. Is there something to this? Are there really uncanny similarities between the album and the film?
The venue was particularly fitting for the event. The Annex provided the perfect space and atmosphere to set the tone. Although the showing began almost ten minutes late, the opening seemed to be promising. The novelty of the idea drew the audience in immediately. It gives this classic movie a whole new perspective. We have all seen “The Wizard of Oz” numerous times since the age of six; however, muting the sound and replacing it with Pink Floyd brings out a whole new aspect of the movie.
“It really heightens your other senses because the familiar dialogue has been taken away. I began to notice little details about the movie I had never seen before,” said College of Arts and Sciences freshman Sara Burnworth.
A technical glitch in the middle of the movie caused a bit of a delay for the audience. The classic “DVD skip” occurred for approximately five minutes, forcing the radio staff to make some changes.
The ten-minute intermission caused by technical difficulties interrupted the flow of the movie. However, once the problem was corrected, it was smooth sailing.
At this point, the album had finished for the first time and began again. Somehow the effect was just not quite the same (perhaps it would have been better if I were high).
The connections between the movie and the music that were so new and eerie the first time around seemed to have lost some of their luster the second time. Regardless, those entranced by the entire experience did not seem to care in the least.
It seems to be an event everyone should have once in his or her life. Pink Floyd really puts the film in a whole new light. Judy Garland would have been proud!
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