History NightmareFuel / TheWizardOfOz

* When the Wicked Witch has our heroes cornered, she's positively gleeful about how Dorothy is going to watch each of her friends die before her. And then, with evil cheer, she says "How about a little ''fire'', scarecrow?" as she sets the terrified Scarecrow alight and he's ''screaming'' in fear. Thankfully Dorothy's able to put him out, but that is harrowing.

** Especially later when Dorothy sees Miss Gulch cycling past her window and transforming into the Wicked Witch of the East.

** Especially later when Dorothy sees Miss Gulch cycling past her window and transforming into the Wicked Witch of the West.

For the original books, see [NightmareFuel/LandOfOz here]].

** Especially later when Dorothy sees Miss Gulch cycling past her window and transforming into a witch.

* Testing the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" rumor - that is, playing Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' over the film - might summon some coincidences in how the two sync up. However, as a side effect, the music can radically alter the tone of the movie for the viewer, enhancing the despair of some of its bleaker moments while making the happier parts (like Dorothy's first few moments in Oz, accompanied by the track ''Money'') seem almost sadistic.

* The urban legend about one of the munchkin actors [[DrivenToSuicide hanging himself]] onscreen has been disproven The popular moment that's most identified as the hanging body is actually an exotic bird bobbing its head in the background of the woodman's cabin set. But it looks so convincing to some people, and the very concept of an actual death corrupting the film is so disturbing, that the movie will probably never fully shake the foreboding rumor.

* It may not be a horror film, but Creator/MargaretHamilton's performance as the Wicked Witch still runs on pure, unfiltered NightmareFuel. Everything about her is insanely terrifying if you're a kid, and still thoroughly unsettling if you're an adult. The acid green skin, the eerie shrill voice, the not-quite-human face...and admit it, the creepy laugh has made everyone shiver at least once. And with all the scenes of her flying through the sky on a broomstick, teleporting instantly in a ball of fire, and watching the heroes through her crystal ball, there's the implication that she can find you and hunt you down wherever you are! If anything, the fact that it's a family film makes her scarier: she's obviously a sadist with vast magical powers, but we never see her doing anything that violent...[[NothingIsScarier our imaginations get to fill in the details]].

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!!'''2011 musical'''
* Act One's ending, when Dorothy and her friends meet the Wizard of Oz, is a lot more darker this time around. The song "Brink Me the Broomstick" has him grow larger and sing in an evil tone about the coming second act.
* In several productions of [[Theatre/TheWizardOfOz the musical]], the witch actually briefly [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou comes out into the audience]]. Where she appears depends on the location, as she could appear in either the front row or a high balcony, right next to a hapless audience member.

* In several productions of [[Theatre/TheWizardOfOz the musical]], the witch actually briefly [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou comes out into the audience]]. Where she appears depends on the location, as she could appear in either the front row or a high balcony, right next to a hapless audience member.

!!'''Meta'''
* After the scene where The Wicked Witch throws a fireball at the Scarecrow, the group resolves to persist towards the Emerald City together. As they sing happily down the road, an object can be seen hanging from the trees in the background in the very center of the screen. [[UrbanLegendOfZelda Urban Legend]] holds that an actor who played a Munchkin committed suicide for various explanations. There are even claims that Judy Garland saw this and broke character briefly and did a double take. Given the treatment that handicapped people received in those days, on top of the nightmarish working conditions on set, the theory can be viewed as plausible at least. However, later home releases edited the object out and added a large bird near by, leading people to claim that [[https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hanging-munchkin/ it was never a suicide but a poorly edited bird]]. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Debate rages to this day]] and countless videos can be found on either side of the argument. There is no denying, however, that the idea of dead bodies being left in the film, in full view of the camera and actors, can ruin the entire experience, you're childhood, your weekend, your every sleeping dream....

* In several productions of [[Theatre/TheWizardOfOz the musical]], the witch actually briefly [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou comes out into the audience]]. ''The front row'', no less.

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* It may not be a horror film, but Margaret Hamilton's performance as the Wicked Witch still runs on pure, unfiltered NightmareFuel. Everything about her is insanely terrifying if you're a kid, and still thoroughly unsettling if you're an adult. The acid green skin, the eerie shrill voice, the not-quite-human face...and admit it, the creepy laugh has made everyone shiver at least once. And with all the scenes of her flying through the sky on a broomstick, teleporting instantly in a ball of fire, and watching the heroes through her crystal ball, there's the implication that she can find you and hunt you down wherever you are! If anything, the fact that it's a family film makes her scarier: she's obviously a sadist with vast magical powers, but we never see her doing anything that violent...[[NothingIsScarier our imaginations get to fill in the details]].

* It may not be a horror film, but Margaret Hamilton's performance as the Wicked Witch still runs on pure, unfiltered NightmareFuel. Everything about her is insanely terrifying if you're a kid, and still thoroughly unsettling if you're an adult. The acid green skin, the eerie shrill voice, the not-quite-human face...and admit it, the creepy laugh has made everyone shiver at least once. And with all the scenes of her flying through the sky on a broomstick, teleporting instantly in a ball of fire, and watching the heroes through her crystal ball, there's the implication that she can find you and hunt you down [[FridgeHorror wherever]] [[ParanoiaFuel you are!]] If anything, the fact that it's a family film makes her scarier: she's obviously a sadist with vast magical powers, but we never see her doing anything that violent...[[NothingIsScarier our imaginations get to fill in the details]].

** Even worse, in the same scene, Dorothy sees an image of Aunt Em in the crystal ball, hopelessly looking for her. No sooner does Dorothy fail to communicate with her than Aunt Em's image is replaced by the Wicked Witch who mocks Dorothy and threatens her, [[FridgeHorror "I'll give you Auntie Em, my pretty!"]] And if THAT isn't frightening enough, the Witch then turns to cackle ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou directly at the audience]]'' [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou as if to tell us "I'm coming for YOU next!"]]

** Especially that [[LaughingMad laugh!]]

* For those who don't live in countries affected by tornadoes, the first half of the Cyclone sequence is an entirely alien, terrifying experience. What seems at first like a particularly blustery storm escalates with frightening speed into absolute chaos, flattening fences and ripping trees from the ground, all while the wind grows to a deafening roar. Even seeing the twister emerge from behind the farmhouse for the first time is chilling.

* In several productions of [[Theatre/TheWizardOfOz the musical]], the witch actually briefly [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou comes out into the audience]]. ''The front row'', no less.

* The scene where Dorothy attempts to pick an apple...and the gets promptly smacked by a living, talking, tree.

** In addition to the performance, Hamilton's makeup job is really an awesome achievement for the movie's production staff; there are so many ''overtly'' horrific elements to the Witch's design that you might not notice some of the subtler details that just make her seem slightly...[[UncannyValley "off"]]. Like, while you're focused on the bright green skin and the shrieky voice, you might not notice that [[http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WnXAl1ntt_4/hqdefault.jpg her nose and chin]] are far sharper and more pointed than anything on a real human face. Or that [[http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2222114/images/o-WICKED-WITCH-OF-THE-WEST-facebook.jpg her nails are so long and pointed]] that they practically look like ''claws''. Or that her face paint is visibly lighter around her eyes--which makes her eyes pop, and gives you the unsettling feeling that ''she's staring right into your soul''.

* Testing the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" rumor - that is, playing Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon'' over the film - might summon some coincidences in how the two sync up. However, as a side effect, the music can radically alter the tone of the movie for the viewer, enhancing the despair of some of its bleaker moments while making the happier parts (like Dorothy's first few moments in Oz, accompanied by the track ''Money'') seem almost sadistic.