Oz The Great and Powerful

The countdown to Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful” has officially begun.

This updated classic tells the story of how 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 and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” opens in U.S. theaters on March 8, 2013. I wish I could buy my tickets now!

“The Help” needs no help! Check out this week’s iTwinsDay for a chance to win “The Help” prize pack.

It’s been a LONG while since I’ve seen a movie that made me feel good. The Help did just that.I took my mom to see The Help last week, since both of us had heard so many good things about it. Since I had run the trailer for the movie a few months ago, on the Twiniversity website, I was hooked.

The Help was a book that I’ve wanted to read since it was published in 2009. Since it was the same year Twiniversity launched, I never had the time. So when the movie came out, I couldn’t wait to go.

The afternoon we got to the movie I got myself a medium popcorn and soda, (yes, I ate it all, and I don’t share! It’s my one condition on movie dates!), and sat through some AWFUL previews of some movies, that I would rather not discuss, but let’s just say, one is a remake of a great 80’s classic!

As the movie started, I already liked it. The setting in Jackson, MS, was the most picturesque backdrop to introduce Skeeter, a young, single, ‘wanna-be’ writer, who gets her first job writing for a local newspaper’s domestic column.

Reaching out for some household tips from the local ‘Help,’ Skeeter turns to career maids, who live a very different life then her own. The movie takes place during the start of the civil rights movement. You can’t help but to sympathize with these working women. And so the tone is set…The women can take care of, love and raise the children of the employers; but they aren’t able to use the same toilet as them, and are still pushed to the back of the bus.