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"Oh, for the love of Oz"
My picspam entry for Seasonal Challenge Three at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
tm_challenge .
(Warning: Spoilers for all three parts contained herein.)
My picspam entry for Seasonal Challenge Three at
tm_challenge .(Warning: Spoilers for all three parts contained herein.)
The Outer Zone
"Used to be a piece of heaven, too... until Azkadee got her claws into it."
I think my love of the O.Z. as it is comes deeply embedded in my childhood. I love the raw feel of it, compared to the shiny-plastic version that is MGM's vision. There is no sparkle in the Outer Zone. Nothing is forgiven or forgotten. All that remains is faded beauty, leeched of vibrant colour and worn down to the metal plates.
If you've read one of my stories (or skimmed them), you'll know how much I love to build upon what the miniseries showed us of the O.Z. It's truly a fantasy world, where you visit the mountain peaks and hear sad violin music on the wind, to sprawling cities, ancient living forests; the people of the world come in different shapes and sizes: small, angry tree-dwellers; sage-like Viewers; twisted, feral Papay; and of course, the best and worst of humans.
The Old Road
"Did you just say 'Old Road'? That's what the locals call the Brick Road."
Call it what you will, 'Old Road', 'Brick Route', 'Yellow Brick Road', what have you... there was not enough of it in the miniseries - although that is just my humble opinion. I did love the look of it, abandoned and overgrown, the wilds of the Outer Zone seeking to claim it as part of the land. It reminded me of the road of yellow brick in 'Return to Oz' (I'd also like to point out that the very, very short sequence of the road in 'Return to Oz' was probably my favourite part of the entire movie).
After the road takes them to Central City, I am almost certain - feel free to refresh my memory or plain out show me I'm wrong - that it disappears from the storyline, which is a downright shame. It was difficult to find shots of the road that I liked, so please bear with me that they aren't the best.
Central City
"Looks like the shining city on the hill is starting to tarnish."
I don't think there is a better term to describe the look of Central City than 'tarnished'. What little part of the miniseries is set in Central City left a mark on me that I can't easily ignore. The very first glimpse of the city, DG's watercolour painting on her attic bedroom wall, reminds so much of the Emerald City it's based on, but darker, weathered, and aged.
Inside the city always fascinates me. I could go on and on with speculation of what the inner structure of the city is like, where there are roads and where the buildings are too crowded together for anything but pedestrian traffic. I imagine multiple levels, and the nicest places to live are on the wall overlooking the lake, the best view the entire Outer Zone has to offer.
While not much of the story takes place inside the city walls, it is a landmark that is revisited again and again. The outside view of the city is probably one of the most lasting, and even though we aren't shown a great deal of the inner workings of the metropolis, we are left with the impression of grandeur.
The Tower of the Sorceress
"It kind of boggles the noggin to think that we're going in there with all guns blazing."
One only needs to look at where I'm from to know why the Tower fascinates me so. A part of me thinks it is absolutely beautiful, a marvel of mechanics. It makes me wonder if the Tower was always a part of the Sun Seeder's design, or if the Sorceress had her fortress constructed to hide the machine and her intention.
While forming this pic-spam, there was one fact that became abundantly clear: the Tower, and by rights Azkadellia, receive all the best of the sky shots in the miniseries. Clouds and sunsets stretching out into forever, colours that blend and bleed into one another to create some of the most spectacular skies Tin Man.
The Queen's Prison
"I put her away for safekeeping, like any good daughter would."
To go from being the Queen of a bountiful, majestic kingdom like the Outer Zone, to being Queen of a dessicated, barren island prison... the Queen's plight always tears at my heart. Sitting day after day for nineyears annuals, to see nothing but muddy water, dead trees, and jagged stones.
One of my favourite shots from any part of the miniseries (yes, I say this a lot), is the Queen's 'throne' on her island. The tangled roots of an upturned tree is the only thing she can rest her back against, whether out of weariness or a need for support against the witch that comes to torment her, hiding behind her daughter's beautiful face.
The Realm of the Unwanted
"My father's here? How odd."
Who doesn't love a land where outcasts and criminals are sent to do their thing? You can imagine it as a place where all sorts of nasty dealings and underhanded goings-on take place. At the same time, do you wonder: do thieves steal from their own? I'm sure that if the Unwanted rose up against the Sorceress - if they were ever to stand up united against anything - the Resistance would have won more ground and made a bigger difference - hence, the recruitment poster.
(Please note, the green "Cynthia" advertisement above the wanted poster.)
Finaqua
"You were right about the magical waters, DG. That's what Finaqua means in the Ancients' language."
Our first glimpses of Finaqua are part of DG's memories - we see cool water, verdant fields, and mountains reaching up to an endless sky. We don't need to be told the place is magic to know that there is something special about the water, about the air, and about the women who are fortunate enough to call this home. They are magic - it only makes sense.
(This, by the way, is my absolute favourite ensemble ofKathleen's Az's wardrobe.)
By the time the heroes reach the land beyond the maze, they - and we, the viewers - are devastated to find a forest that has been 'scorched', as Cain rightly says. It's an assault on our eyes, on our hearts, the knowledge of what was at odds with the visual of what has happened. I actually like the burned out old growth feel, but I'mCanadian weird. I was honestly a little disappointed that DG was able to restore it.
Part of what inspires me most about Finaqua is the dual-nature of the place. Even when the lake was pristine and the land was untouched, the woods outside the place were a wild and vastly forgotten place. Kind of like the Western Wood in the Chronicles of Narnia, where men feared to go.
The Northern Island
"Bad things; bad things happen here."
Architecturally, I don't think they conceived a more stunning place than the Northern Island(which I've since subsequently named Iceisle, because it sounds better). I love the open halls, the cold pillars, the winding stairs. I could go on for quite a while about the windows, digressing into long-winded praise of the colour of the glass and the - oh, just look:
(The greatest tragedy in the miniseries is that Cain breaks one.Oh, that and Adora... and the Queen and Ahamo's sacrifice... and the Mystic Man...)
The sequences of the mirror-vision at the end of Part One, and DG's dream at the beginning of Part Two give us the only glimpses into the type of life that DG was born into. I love the pale, comforting colours, the lace and delicate trinkets, the rich furnishings; the warm scene of the Queen putting a child DG to bed breaks my heart every time.
(Drive by rec: The Soap by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
erinm_4600 )
"Used to be a piece of heaven, too... until Azkadee got her claws into it."
I think my love of the O.Z. as it is comes deeply embedded in my childhood. I love the raw feel of it, compared to the shiny-plastic version that is MGM's vision. There is no sparkle in the Outer Zone. Nothing is forgiven or forgotten. All that remains is faded beauty, leeched of vibrant colour and worn down to the metal plates.
If you've read one of my stories (or skimmed them), you'll know how much I love to build upon what the miniseries showed us of the O.Z. It's truly a fantasy world, where you visit the mountain peaks and hear sad violin music on the wind, to sprawling cities, ancient living forests; the people of the world come in different shapes and sizes: small, angry tree-dwellers; sage-like Viewers; twisted, feral Papay; and of course, the best and worst of humans.
The Old Road
"Did you just say 'Old Road'? That's what the locals call the Brick Road."
Call it what you will, 'Old Road', 'Brick Route', 'Yellow Brick Road', what have you... there was not enough of it in the miniseries - although that is just my humble opinion. I did love the look of it, abandoned and overgrown, the wilds of the Outer Zone seeking to claim it as part of the land. It reminded me of the road of yellow brick in 'Return to Oz' (I'd also like to point out that the very, very short sequence of the road in 'Return to Oz' was probably my favourite part of the entire movie).
After the road takes them to Central City, I am almost certain - feel free to refresh my memory or plain out show me I'm wrong - that it disappears from the storyline, which is a downright shame. It was difficult to find shots of the road that I liked, so please bear with me that they aren't the best.
Central City
"Looks like the shining city on the hill is starting to tarnish."
I don't think there is a better term to describe the look of Central City than 'tarnished'. What little part of the miniseries is set in Central City left a mark on me that I can't easily ignore. The very first glimpse of the city, DG's watercolour painting on her attic bedroom wall, reminds so much of the Emerald City it's based on, but darker, weathered, and aged.
Inside the city always fascinates me. I could go on and on with speculation of what the inner structure of the city is like, where there are roads and where the buildings are too crowded together for anything but pedestrian traffic. I imagine multiple levels, and the nicest places to live are on the wall overlooking the lake, the best view the entire Outer Zone has to offer.
While not much of the story takes place inside the city walls, it is a landmark that is revisited again and again. The outside view of the city is probably one of the most lasting, and even though we aren't shown a great deal of the inner workings of the metropolis, we are left with the impression of grandeur.
The Tower of the Sorceress
"It kind of boggles the noggin to think that we're going in there with all guns blazing."
One only needs to look at where I'm from to know why the Tower fascinates me so. A part of me thinks it is absolutely beautiful, a marvel of mechanics. It makes me wonder if the Tower was always a part of the Sun Seeder's design, or if the Sorceress had her fortress constructed to hide the machine and her intention.
While forming this pic-spam, there was one fact that became abundantly clear: the Tower, and by rights Azkadellia, receive all the best of the sky shots in the miniseries. Clouds and sunsets stretching out into forever, colours that blend and bleed into one another to create some of the most spectacular skies Tin Man.
The Queen's Prison
"I put her away for safekeeping, like any good daughter would."
To go from being the Queen of a bountiful, majestic kingdom like the Outer Zone, to being Queen of a dessicated, barren island prison... the Queen's plight always tears at my heart. Sitting day after day for nine
One of my favourite shots from any part of the miniseries (yes, I say this a lot), is the Queen's 'throne' on her island. The tangled roots of an upturned tree is the only thing she can rest her back against, whether out of weariness or a need for support against the witch that comes to torment her, hiding behind her daughter's beautiful face.
The Realm of the Unwanted
"My father's here? How odd."
Who doesn't love a land where outcasts and criminals are sent to do their thing? You can imagine it as a place where all sorts of nasty dealings and underhanded goings-on take place. At the same time, do you wonder: do thieves steal from their own? I'm sure that if the Unwanted rose up against the Sorceress - if they were ever to stand up united against anything - the Resistance would have won more ground and made a bigger difference - hence, the recruitment poster.
(Please note, the green "Cynthia" advertisement above the wanted poster.)
Finaqua
"You were right about the magical waters, DG. That's what Finaqua means in the Ancients' language."
Our first glimpses of Finaqua are part of DG's memories - we see cool water, verdant fields, and mountains reaching up to an endless sky. We don't need to be told the place is magic to know that there is something special about the water, about the air, and about the women who are fortunate enough to call this home. They are magic - it only makes sense.
(This, by the way, is my absolute favourite ensemble of
By the time the heroes reach the land beyond the maze, they - and we, the viewers - are devastated to find a forest that has been 'scorched', as Cain rightly says. It's an assault on our eyes, on our hearts, the knowledge of what was at odds with the visual of what has happened. I actually like the burned out old growth feel, but I'm
Part of what inspires me most about Finaqua is the dual-nature of the place. Even when the lake was pristine and the land was untouched, the woods outside the place were a wild and vastly forgotten place. Kind of like the Western Wood in the Chronicles of Narnia, where men feared to go.
The Northern Island
"Bad things; bad things happen here."
Architecturally, I don't think they conceived a more stunning place than the Northern Island
(The greatest tragedy in the miniseries is that Cain breaks one.
The sequences of the mirror-vision at the end of Part One, and DG's dream at the beginning of Part Two give us the only glimpses into the type of life that DG was born into. I love the pale, comforting colours, the lace and delicate trinkets, the rich furnishings; the warm scene of the Queen putting a child DG to bed breaks my heart every time.
(Drive by rec: The Soap by
erinm_4600 ) In the end, there are a few places I left out, namely Kansas, the Cain homestead, and the Eastern Guild village.
Screen-caps by
tiny_prayers because I was too lazy to make my own.
