5 Things To Do Before Seeing 'Oz The Great And Powerful'

by Jessica Marshall

Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful" hits theaters this week and we are so off to see the wizard.

"Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi helms this "Wizard of Oz" prequel in which James Franco plays a younger, hotter version of Oz, the powerful man behind the curtain, back in the days when he was just a womanizing circus magician from Kansas. When he gets swept away in a tornado to a mystical world whose inhabitants are convinced he's a wizard sent to save them from ruin, he has to prove that he's more than just a two-bit huckster. Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis co-star as the witches of Oz, who by turns help, thwart and woo him.

But before you check out of Kansas for that somewhere over the rainbow, here are five things you should do to prepare yourself for "Oz the Great and Powerful."

Watch "The Wizard of Oz"
The 1939 technicolor tale of the plucky gingham-wearing girl who gets swept away to a magical land of munchkins, flying monkeys and yellow brick roads has captivated audiences for more than 70 years. "Oz the Great and Powerful" is meant to be a prequel to this beloved film, so prime yourself for some more primate aviation and more ogling of Oscar "Oz" Diggs with a viewing. And if you're feeling brave, follow it up with a screening of the irrationally terrifying 1985 sequel, "Return to Oz." (Or don't.)

Go see "Wicked"
This hit Broadway musical is still making the rounds after almost 10 years on stage. Its catchy music and fun plot detail the life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West in the land of Oz before Dorothy and her little dog come along. If you can't make it to the theater, read the book it was based on (Gregory Maguire's "Wicked") or listen to the soundtrack, featuring the vocal stylings of Kristin Chenoweth and "Glee" alum Idina Menzel.

Go "Gingham Style"
Channel your inner Dorothy Gale and don some blue gingham when you head to the theater. The iconic fabric makes a cameo in "Oz the Great and Powerful" too, proving that it still hasn't gone out of style. And while you're at it, throw on a pair of ruby slippers. You know, for the trip home after the movie.

Learn a magic trick
Practical magic and sleight-of-hand come in very handy for the would-be wizard in "Oz." While you probably won't need to outwit any wicked witches anytime soon, you can certainly impress your friends with a little card trick—or if that fails to impress, a disappearing act.

Go for a hot air balloon ride
Oz narrowly escapes a serious beat-down by jumping into a hot air balloon during the film, only to get caught in the tornado that transports him to Oz. Despite major turbulence during the storm, the view is breathtaking. This is definitely a bucket-list-worthy activity—even though the real world doesn't quite have the same glitter as the computer-generated landscape of Oz, a view from the basket of a hot air balloon will be well worth it. Just make sure you check the weather before taking flight.

Related:
+ The Wonderful Witches Of 'Oz': Get The Look
+ The 8 Creepiest Moments From 'Return To Oz'

Do you plan to see "Oz the Great and Powerful" this weekend? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!

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HTC Support confirms HTC Rezound Android 4.0 update coming before the end of July

By now, many of you are already looking forward to the Android 4.1 update for your device – but let’s not forget that there are quite a few people still craving for a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0). Verizon’s HTC Rezound owners are among those who still have not received the Android 4.0 update which was promised to them even before the handset hit the market last fall.

After a few misguided hopes  of getting the update earlier in the year, it looks like HTC will be keeping its word by rolling out the Android 4.0 update before the end of July. The latest confirmation comes from HTC support, responding to an email from a concerned HTC Rezound owner.

The ICS (Android 4.0) update will be released for the Rezound by the end of this month (July) with final pushes in August. HTC

What category do you fall into? Are you waiting patiently for Jelly Bean or are you hoping refreshing taste of Ice Cream Sandwich before the end of summer?

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Android 4.0 only on 11% of Android devices weeks before Jelly Bean release

The Android Developer site has just released their latest dashboard which paints a picture of operating system penetration. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was announced back in October of last year, and in the 9 months since launch has only managed to find its way onto 11% of Android devices. Frankly, that’s an abysmal figure and points to the failures of the so-called Android Update Alliance.

But let’s ignore throwing blame around, for now; after all, there’s plenty of that to go around. Last week, Google took the wraps off of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which is set to launch to Nexus-caliber devices in the coming weeks. Will it be another 9 months until the masses a treated to their favorite jelly bean treat? We’re hopeful that the answer to that question is a resounding no.

Google and its partners are very keenly aware of the adoption problem, and have released the Platform Development Kit, which will be made available to handset makers a good two to three months before new Android releases are made available to the public. In theory, manufacturers have had access to Jelly Bean for a few months now, and with such early access could more rapidly build the custom UI elements they believe differentiate their devices and add support for component drivers, which should result in more timely upgrades for consumers.

Hopefully we’ll see more timely upgrades starting with Jelly Bean, but we’ll have to wait to see how it all pans out in the next few months. Jelly Bean will provide the first true test of the PDK and its effect on the Android ecosystem.

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