Top 5 at the Twister Museum

Previously: 

Top 5 Smokey Bear

Top 5 at the Dick Tracy Headquarters  - -  Top 5 at the CRC Car Show

Top 5 at the Banjo Museum  - -  Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center  - -  Top 5 at the Museum of Osteology

There are several contenders for "Great Oklahoma Films" but nothing holds a more special place in my wind swept, debris-strewn heart more than the 1996 F-5 of a film, Twister!  It was filmed primarily in Oklahoma with a few scenes showcasing the town of Wakita.  And that's where the Twister Movie Museum has been ever since.  

Since this year is the 25th anniversary of the film, I thought it was time to go back for a visit for the first time in several years.  And since I was there, why not pick another Top 5 List?

5.  Twister Pinball Machine

This eye-catching piece is near the entrance and sets the tone for visitors.  I would have it much higher on the list but it's not functional.  Which is a shame, because you just know it had plenty of movie sound effects like wind, shouting and maybe that evil weatherman getting his face smashed in and whatnot.  For now, we'll just have to imagine.

4.  Twister the Ride Smashed Penny

Anybody that knows me knows that I love to smash a penny or two.  While the museum doesn't have its own penny smashing machine, it does have this smashed beauty from Universal Studios' Twister ride.  They shut the ride down in 2015 but it's nice to have a tiny little memento from it on display.

3.  Twister Trading Cards

The main reason I included these is because I'm constantly looking for them on eBay and can never find them.  They're a throwback to the days when just about everything got their own collectible trading card set regardless of their level of success or popularity.  I'd still like to pick some up if I ever see them in the wild, if only to finally get ahold of that Philip Seymour Hoffman rookie card.

2.  Twister Storyboards 

The makers of the film donated several items to the museum from the production including several storyboards.  It's a nice way to see what they envisioned for a few scenes and shows some of the talent involved in movie making before they ever start rolling cameras.  

1.  Dorothy

Yep, there she is.  The most famous Oklahoma movie prop is front and center when you walk in.  There were a few Dorothys used by our ragtag weathermen heroes and several Dorothy props made for the film.  The nice museum lady said this was the "Damaged Dorothy" and was used for scenes when the old girl took a beating.  

Nothing beats a small town, roadside museum and there's nothing better than a small town with a cool gimmick.  The Twister Movie Museum combines the best of both.  And as an added bonus, here's another visitor I spotted who showed up for the 25th Anniversary:

Top 5 at the Harryhausen Exhibit

Previously:

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center  - -  Top 5 at the Museum of Osteology

The smART Space section of Science Museum Oklahoma is committed to showcasing the convergence of art and science.  New exhibits rotate throughout the year and bring unique works of imagination and innovation to Oklahoma city crowds.

The most recent exhibit to inhabit the space is "Ray Harryhausen – Mythical Menagerie" which celebrates the work and innovation of legendary special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen.  If you don't know the name, I can guarantee you that his talent has influenced the work of some of your favorite filmmakers.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the Top 5 pieces on display in this menagerie of monsters:

5.  Skeleton Soldier (Jason and the Argonauts, 1963)

One of the most famous visuals of Harryhausen's work may the the sight of the sword wielding skeleton army in "Jason and the Argonauts."  A few of these guys survived and are on display as well as some partial pieces.  They were a part of an incredibly ambitious action sequence:

4.  Storyboards (Various)

Storyboards are one of the more underappreciated pieces of the artistic processes in film making.  A lot of time, effort and talent go into creating them and then they aren't seen by the movie audience.  This one is from "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" but there are several more on display.

3.  Medusa (Clash of the Titans, 1981)

The incredible details of the Medusa model doesn't fully come across in the movie.  So this is a great opportunity to really get a close look at the work that goes into a piece like this.  Just don't look at her eyes...you'll turn to stone.

2.  Bubo (Clash of the Titans, 1981)

Our friend Bupo here stands out from the pack since he's not your typical Harryhausen "monster," but instead, he is kind of/sort of a robot.  Or at least he's a mechanical creature created by one of the gods to be comic relief.  This model was used for close ups (something different was used for the flying effects seen below).

1.  This Crazy Walrus (Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, 1977)

This is another example of of an uncommon type of "monster" in Harryhausen's body of work but I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be my #1.  Look at this thing.  We typically think of walruses as essentially big sea sloths but when you lay eyes on this guy you know you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

The exhibit runs until Dec 3rd so there's plenty of time to go see Hollywood history live and in person.  Take the kids and show them what movie monsters used to look like before computers took over.

Top 5 at the Oklahoma History Center

Previously:

Top 5 Bones at the Museum of Osteology 

The Oklahoma History Center has multiple floors filled with artifacts and exhibits chronicling Oklahoma's distant and not so distant past.  Beautiful Native American artwork sits side by side with a Jim Thorpe Wheaties box.  Well, maybe not side by side but the collection is very eclectic and very far reaching.

But since this blog is "Oklahoma Pop Culture," I decided to make this Top 5 List a list of the best Pop Culture items on display...or rather the five pop culture items I liked when I saw them on my last visit.  So without further ado...

5.  Pokey Hand Puppet

We may all be a little too young to remember the HoHo the Clown show (or various KOCO-TV shows) but several decades ago HoHo and his sidekick Pokie (along with a huge rotating cast of characters) would be welcomed into the homes of Oklahoman baby boomers via black and white TV.  While HoHo may have gone to that big circus in the sky, Pokie, in all his homemade sock puppet glory, remains on display.

4. One of Roy Clark's Outfits

Singer, actor, musician and favorite son of Oklahoma, Roy Clark, was many things.  But first and foremost, he was a showmen.  So flamboyant outfits like this one were in the regular rotation during his time co-hosting "Hee Haw" (hey kids, go ask your parents what Hee Haw was...you won't regret it) or at one of his many live musical performances.

3.  Decades Old Sonic Bag

It's always nice to see something that was meant to be thrown in the trash actually be preserved.  It's the mundane pieces of memorabilia that really help to paint a picture of day to day life in the past.  I think this is from the 60's but I'm positive that its previous owner had the foresight to realize that in the future people would want to look at a sandwich bag in a museum.  Good job, old school Sonic customer!

2.  89ers TV Cards

These days when you watch a game on TV there are any number of technological advancements that allow you to immerse yourself in the competition.  But back when the Dodgers where known as the 89ers, the TV station had to literally hold up cards like these in front of the camera to advertise ticket sales.  We've come a long way...now the NFL has their own robot.

1.  3-D Danny Costume

Well, we started with a local kid's TV show and we'll end with one.  3D Danny (Dan D. Dynamo) was the alter ego of Oklahoma broadcaster Danny Williams who portrayed the standard 50's scifi hero that had adventures and was friends with a robot.  His cool super suit remains as inspiration for today's youth who would also like to befriend a robot some day.

This is just a surface scratching assembly of the huge collection of Okie memorabilia on display at the center.  When you get a chance go stop by and make your own Top 5 List.  Tell 'em 3D Danny sent you.