Post by Salzmank on Apr 16, 2018 18:00:17 GMT
There’s a Blair Witch-esque movie that came out in 2010 called YellowBrickRoad; I found it while researching folklore, and it has an interesting “fakelore” backstory, but otherwise it doesn’t quite seem like my cup of tea.
However, I’m writing about it here because that backstory intrigued me, and I’m wondering if anyone here may be able to help with a [possible] related puzzle.
According to Wikipedia, YellowBrickRoad’s backstory runs thus: “In 1940 the entire town of Friar, New Hampshire, 572 people, abandoned their town and walked into the wilderness with only the clothes on their backs after a viewing of The Wizard of Oz, a film that the entire town was obsessed with. No one has ever been able to explain why they did this.”
OK, that’s a neat story, but it’s obviously fiction—even leaving aside the fact that there is no town of Friar, New Hampshire. We know that the filmmakers made up that tale, just as the Blair Witch people made up an elaborate backstory for their movie. OK, fine, swell.
Then why is this from 1948?
It’s a mystery about an old New England family, in a small Vermont town, who abandon the town and “walk away” with only the clothes on their backs. The plotting isn’t particularly similar, but the general set-up seemed remarkably close to me, though I doubt the makers of YellowBrickRoad have read Wilders Walk Away.
So my question is… Is there a q-source that links these two, a real New England legend I don’t know? I suppose it’s possible that both the YBR people and Herbert Brean hit upon a nigh-identical plot about a New England town, but it would be amazingly coincidental. The only thing I can find that is the legend of Dudleytown, CT, though that’s very tenuous. As always, thanks in advance, everyone!
However, I’m writing about it here because that backstory intrigued me, and I’m wondering if anyone here may be able to help with a [possible] related puzzle.
According to Wikipedia, YellowBrickRoad’s backstory runs thus: “In 1940 the entire town of Friar, New Hampshire, 572 people, abandoned their town and walked into the wilderness with only the clothes on their backs after a viewing of The Wizard of Oz, a film that the entire town was obsessed with. No one has ever been able to explain why they did this.”
OK, that’s a neat story, but it’s obviously fiction—even leaving aside the fact that there is no town of Friar, New Hampshire. We know that the filmmakers made up that tale, just as the Blair Witch people made up an elaborate backstory for their movie. OK, fine, swell.
Then why is this from 1948?
It’s a mystery about an old New England family, in a small Vermont town, who abandon the town and “walk away” with only the clothes on their backs. The plotting isn’t particularly similar, but the general set-up seemed remarkably close to me, though I doubt the makers of YellowBrickRoad have read Wilders Walk Away.
So my question is… Is there a q-source that links these two, a real New England legend I don’t know? I suppose it’s possible that both the YBR people and Herbert Brean hit upon a nigh-identical plot about a New England town, but it would be amazingly coincidental. The only thing I can find that is the legend of Dudleytown, CT, though that’s very tenuous. As always, thanks in advance, everyone!