The Wiz (film) as the film was Ross's final theatrical feature. In his book "Blockbuster", Tom Shone referred to "The Wiz" as "expensive crud". In the book "Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood", the author criticized the script, noting, ""The Wiz" was too scary for children, and too silly for adults." Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow in the 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" film, did not think highly of "The Wiz", stating ""The Wiz" is overblown and will never have the universal appeal that the classic MGM musical has obtained." Jackson's performance as the Scarecrow was one of the only positively reviewed elements of
The Wiz (film) Bassett, or they might have taken longer to emerge." "The Boston Globe" commented, "the term 'black film' should be struck from the critical vocabulary. To appreciate just how outmoded, deceptive and limiting it is, consider the following, all of which have been described as black films, . . ." and characterized "The Wiz" in a list which also featured 1970s films "Shaft", "Blacula", and "Super Fly". Despite its lack of critical or commercial success in its original release, "The Wiz" became a cult classic, especially because it features Michael Jackson in his first starring theatrical film role. Jackson later starred