RETURN TO OZ is nightmare fuel * FIRST TIME WATCHING * reaction & commentary

[@ChainedPhantom]

Dorothy was always SUPPOSED to be a child, not a young adult. Judy Garland was really a lot older than the role would have called for.

[@RedwoodTheElf]

Yes, this movie is more of a sequel to the book rather than the MGM movie.

[@stephaniefox896]

In the wizard of Oz Dorothy is supposed to be 11! And they tried to get Judy to look younger but it did not work I always saw her as 16

[@schneeqqeule]

@@stephaniefox896 I believe Judy was 17 when she did Wizard of Oz. Because Shirley Temple was under another contract and couldn't do it.

[@TheMKCrab]

and the character designs for Tin Man, Scarecrow, etc, are more faithful to the original book's illustrations

[@jdogjohnson382]

​@@schneeqqeuleshirley temple would've been great to.

[@largo778]

Ashleigh, the really sad thing about the Scarecrow and Tin-Woodsman design: they ARE the original designs, as based off the original artwork from the OZ novels

[@TxSonofLiberty]

I actually came here to say this exact thing. Along with mentioning the fact that this is a more accurate version of Dorothy's age.

[@gpk1982]

I was watching this on my tv and I came on my phone to look for this comment. Thank You! ☺️

[@cathyvickers9063]

She prefers the redesign!

[@araneljones]

Yup, they're cute in the books, which there are over 20 of them. In the movies, not so much. This one terrified me as a child. Still does, honestly. And girl, I hate ET, so comparing Scarecrow's hands to his was on point.

[@Hinatachan360]

You beat me to it, but you are right. I had read the books when I was a little girl. The drawings were cute except for that Bumpy Man. He looked disgusting.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

One of the things i love about Tick-Tock is that inlike most robots in fiction who want to be "real" or "alive", he is perfectly happy being a machine. Being comfortable in your own skin is a good message.

[@carnybusiness7432]

Agreed. I love good AI characters like Data who inspire to be human, but it's also valid when an AI character is content being themselves. Not only is it a positive message about self-acceptance, but I think it also shows sentience doesn't have to be necessarily defined/limited to being human/organic.

[@DanSolo0119]

There's nobody I'd rather be but me.

[@CalliopePony]

Dorothy in the books is consistently described as a little girl. Her age is never given, but the way she's written seems to be around ten years old or thereabouts. The MGM movie aged her up by casting Judy Garland who was (I think) seventeen, but Fairuza Balk is closer to how Dorothy was in the books. When the gnome tells his king that Dorothy has a small army with her he's not exaggerating. Tik-Tok is a one-robot army. L. Frank Baum wrote a series of fourteen Oz books, but the first one (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) is the only one that many people have heard of because of the runaway success of the 1939 movie. Walt Disney was interested in getting the movie rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but MGM beat him to it. However, many years later Disney did get the rights to adapt the sequels, which is how Return to Oz happened. Return to Oz itself is an extremely weird blend of source materials. The took some elements from the second book in the series (The Marvelous Land of Oz) and some elements from the third book (Ozma of Oz). They also took some elements that were created for the 1939 movie with no basis in the books at all, and on top of that they created some entirely original plot points. Jack Pumpkinhead, the Gump, and the siege on the Emerald City are all from The Marvelous Land of Oz. Dorothy's return through the water, Billina, Tik-Tok, and the Gnome King are all from Ozma of Oz. Princess Mombi is a combination of Witch Mombi from the second book and Princess Langwidere from the third. The ruby slippers and the real-world counterparts to the Oz characters are from the 1939 movie. The electric shock therapy was an original creation. With all these different bits and pieces getting mashed together it's amazing that this movie came out as coherent as it did. One more interesting thing to note is that the overall tone of this movie is closer to the tone of the books. L. Frank Baum had a lot of really dark elements, like the Tin Man chopping himself to pieces with a cursed axe, Princess Langwidere keeping Dorothy prisoner in order to harvest her head, the Deadly Desert being instantly fatal to anyone who touches it, etc. The 1939 movie made everything a lot brighter and cheerier and generally softened it. For example, in the movie the Wizard tells Dorothy to bring him the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. In the book he straight up tells Dorothy to kill the witch, and that he won't help her get back to Kansas until the witch is dead.

[@kurtbarlow9402]

Nice breakdown of the books. I read the first 3, didn't learn until decades later that there were more books. Definitely would have read them all

[@CalliopePony]

@@kurtbarlow9402 I would certainly recommend reading the first six. Baum made a sort of story arc over the first six books, introducing a lot of characters, getting them to Oz in various ways and setting up a resolution at the end. He tried to end the Oz books there and move on to other things, but the series was so popular that he ended up just writing more books in Oz. You can tell in some of the later books that he wanted to write stories set in other lands and he just tied them in with Oz tangentially. Even at that, some of the later books are pretty good.

[@labyfan1313]

Thanks for the information. I never got around to digging more into the backstory and origins of The Wizard of Oz I knew they're based off of books but how much of Return to Oz came from what sources or how close to the books it was I didn't know. I also wonder if the character designs for Return to Oz was closer to the books. I agree with Ashleigh that I don't like how the Scarecrow and Tin Man look in this movie compared to the original. The Scarecrow looks creepy to me anyway but I figured it's more of how they looked in the books.

[@mehim2893]

Have you ever heard of the spin off books? One , called Wicked, is about the life story of the wicked witch. Another is about the cowardly lion. Awesome books that I wish they would make movies out of.

[@CalliopePony]

@@mehim2893 Well they did make a Broadway musical out of Wicked, although it departed from the book quite a bit.

[@MadisonCarter]

That whole little era of "Fantasy Quest Family Films" that were stuffed with nightmare fuel was great. This, Labyrinth, Legend, Neverending Story, Dark Crystal, Last Unicorn...lotta therapy ahead for the generation that were kids for it.

[@rtracy1216]

You just listed several of my favorite movies I grew up with! Total slumber-party fare. All those plus the secret of nimh makes up my childhood staples.

[@TheHomerowKeys]

As a 92 Millennial raised by a 63 parent Boomer and 85 sibling Millennial, I am ride-or-die for all of these movies. They fill me with happiness especially for practical effects.

[@hugoluna5319]

. you forgot " legend " 😐

[@rtracy1216]

Nah, op listed legend. Right after labyrinth

[@hugoluna5319]

. ! ? . OK ! ill admit i need glases 🤓

[@Sam_on_YouTube]

This is somewhat more of a direct adaptation of the sequel of the book rather than a proper sequel to the movie. That's why Dorothy is so young. She was always supposed to be young. Shirley Temple nearly was cast in the original, but they ultimately gave it to Judy Garland despite being older. There are many sequel books and several of them have adaptations in one form or another, mostly very weird and unrelated to each other. This one was made by Disney. They didn't have the rights to the 1939 MGM film. But the books were public domain. And they licensed the ruby slippers, which are silver in the books.

[@DavidSmith-pg1ob]

Yep, Dorothy is supposed to be a little girl, not a grown ass woman pretending to be a little girl. Also, notice that Auntie Em and Uncle Henry don't have 3 farmhands to help them, which is just like in the book.

[@DeconvertedMan]

its two or three books if I recall right

[@jasonnunez6411]

@@DeconvertedManlike 11 or 12 books. I read them all a couple times.

[@DavidSmith-pg1ob]

@@jasonnunez6411 He probably meant this movie takes material from 2 or 3 of the Oz books. Tik Tok of Oz and Ozma of Oz were 8th and 3rd respectively.

[@jasonnunez6411]

@@DavidSmith-pg1ob true. It did combine characters and change them because Ozma was a girl that was turned into a boy as a baby but turned back into a girl when she became a teen. Basically the curse was lifted.

[@lizan2678]

Walter Murch, the director, said in an interview, “The subtext of the film is you must defend your dreams; you can’t let the world take away your dreams from you, that’s your most prized possession.” And I think that's a beautiful message. I've always seen this film as doing all it can to validate children in a scary and uncertain world, and celebrating how their imaginations can help them in difficult times.

[@tommcewan7936]

A powerful and important message, and I think the script does a *perfect* job of representing what it feels like to dream, as the plot develops through Oz - the only other film I can think of offhand that captures that surreal feeling of "dream logic," and speaks so directly of what precious things dreams are, is The City of Lost Children.

[@vanessawhitneypro]

Also the message of "WISH" ... Nobody is the "gatekeeper" of your dreams and wishes and imagination... They are YOURS.

[@mightisright]

I love Murch. He's a brilliant film editor and advocate for the craft.

[@medalion1390]

Don’t let your dreams be dreams! Just _DOOOO_ it!!!

[@robertballard2998]

"In The Blink of an Eye"@@mightisright

[@insomnaholic]

I grew up reading the Oz books. I remember at 7 being VERY annoyed when I watched the Judy Garland movie saying, "That's not what happened!" frequently. This movie I loved, as it was much closer to the books I read. Princess Mombi was always a favorite, played by Jean Marsh, who also played Bavmorda in Willow.

[@vanessawhitneypro]

I loved BOTH the books AND the original movie for what they were on their own... One Summer, I remember I read ALL of the OZ books!

[@davejay6855]

Anyone can write words down on paper. “The quick pink fox jumped over the alien spacecraft” but that doesn’t mean it “actually happened”… …but to get something on FILM? Visual AND Aural in addition to the words (subtitle, screenplay, etc.)??? Now THAT? That actually happened and we can see it happening, hear it happening, and if you turn on subtitles, can even read it happening as well. Books are just ideas that haven’t been fully constructed or realized.

[@MrW781]

Exactly! This used to be a children's library staple for 3rd & 4th grade. Back then, lots of kids were into the books still. Those books are still pretty fun. I hate it when people talk like EVERYONE wanted Judy Garland and the MGM version.@@vanessawhitneypro

[@kelly6491]

⁠@@davejay6855guess that’s where the bible went wrong. Those folks shoulda waited for VHS.

[@elfi643]

I also grew up with the books and didn’t really watch the Judy garland movie till I was 16. O absolutely cannot stand what they did to the munchkins. And that horse, that damn rainbow horse which breaks multiple rules of ozone and specifically the emerald city. I hate that horse

[@joshuaschulz3897]

The job of stories is not to protect kids from fear, but to help them move past the fear by finding the bravery in themselves. Return to Oz and The Neverending Story do that perfectly... Because they're scary.

[@busterchops]

The movies and shows I remember most fondly from childhood are the ones that were pretty "dark". I always liked the fact that they did not speak down to me and trusted that I could handle the material. Return to Oz, Neverending Story, Black Cauldron, The Dark Crystal etc... were all great about that.

[@Johnlindsey289]

Labyrinth too

[@Blackarachnia1996]

This is not a sequel to the 1939 musical, it is a sequel to the 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The only thing they used from the musical were the Ruby Slippers as they were silver in the books. There were 14 books total written by the original author, and Dorothy’s age, the designs of the original trio, and overall tone better matches the second and third books better than the 1939 movie matched the first book.

[@DarkOverlord96]

To be fair, it was made as a semi-official sequel of sorts to the 1939 movie.

[@turbopokey]

It was the “Harry Potter” of its time, but I don’t think they made any more movies from the books. Right?

[@Johnlindsey289]

Yup and Harry Potter got darker

[@hashtagfilm]

This is a severely underrated and underappreciated sequel. I adore it. The vision of this is actually the most accurate to the original illustrations from the books. Magically dark, and I love it.

[@tree6787]

Ditto ❤

[@shut_up_james]

And because the practical effects are so incredible, the movie is kind of timeless. It’s a shame it was received so poorly because I heard the Director never made another movie after this, and I feel like he could’ve had a very promising career!

[@jetnight88]

It's because it's not that good they should have not done it at all

[@captin3149]

@@jetnight88 Poor take.

[@donkey3187]

You already said that. l ol

[@GregDaniel78]

You know something wild? Walter Murch had read a controversial study of childhood fears, which detailed 40 of the things children are most afraid of. And these covered such things like hospitals, storms, failing a test, falling, wild animals (even rocks). And he managed to include almost all of them. It's absolutely no surprise at all it scared the bejeezus out of kids... Still would.

[@noodles2459]

I find it odd since children love spooky things like FNAF

[@hugoluna5319]

. Well we liked it

[@ElviraCondomine]

I wish Disney still had the guts to make dark children's films like they did in the 80s & 90s. Its one of my favourite films and watching as an adult, I appreciate it even more. The acting, cinematography, animation, puppets, costume and score are all outstanding. I'm still surprised when I meet people who have never heard of it. Im still in search of a lunch pail tree.

[@GeminiWolfstarGaming]

Wholeheartedly agree. Return to Oz, along with Something Wicked This Way Comes were two of my favorites when I was kid, and still are.

[@vanessawhitneypro]

Too cheap to pay folks anymore... All they care about is "stockholders"... Sad state...

[@Fufobyafo]

Lunch pail tree or lunch box tree.

[@Bfdidc]

@@GeminiWolfstarGaming Something Wicked This Way Comes is a favorite of mine too.

[@pete_lind]

One of those films where studio makes it because they are going to lose the rights back to original rights holder. Spielberg and Lucas did a bit spoil it, they are the reason why US has PG 13 rating, Temple of doom may 1984 , PG 13 June1984

[@whotookthedoor]

Whenever you said you didn't like Jack, a part of my soul died. He's ADORABLE.

[@nathan8418]

Her reaction to Jack calling Dorothy "mom" cracked me up 😂

[@jonnaking3054]

Jack sorta filled the role of the Scarecrow and TickTock filled the role of the Tinman imo

[@shemgreenwood8927]

Ashleigh needs to do Hook! That's another great storybook-adjacent movie (in many ways more faithful to the book/play than the Disney cartoon) and it's even sort of a Christmas movie! Julia Roberts! Dustin Hoffman! Bob Hoskins! Maggie Smith! AND ROBIN EFFING WILLIAMS!

[@Tirnel_S]

Excuse me. But did you just leave Dante Basco off this list? You dissing on Rufio? 😂Jk, but I do love Dante Basco. He even did a Rufio short fanfilm on his channel.

[@katherinedinwiddie4526]

Oh yes!!

[@EditDeath]

@@Tirnel_S Bangarang!

[@JeremyCheuvront]

And Glenn Close

[@EditDeath]

Also Carrie Fisher and George Lucas, though you'd never know it. They're the couple Tink flies over while taking Peter to Neverland

[@gerstelb]

Fairuza Balk, who plays Dorothy, has had a pretty wild film career. She’s probably most recognized as Nancy from “The Craft,” but she was also in the less well-known adaptation of “Dangerous Liasons,” which was called “Valmont,” and featured Colin Firth and Annette Bening. The only things the filmmakers invented for this movie was the stuff about Dorothy’s “treatment,” and Ozma being trapped in a mirror. Billina, the Wheelers, Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead, the princess with multiple heads, the Gump, the Nome King (and the fear of eggs), all that was a mashup of books #2 and #3 in the series, “The Land of Oz” and “Ozma of Oz.” Of course, where Mombi (who was a Wicked Witch, not a princess; the princess with multiple heads was named Langwidere) really hid Ozma (no spoilers) would’ve fit right in with the rest of the weird stuff in this movie.

[@faded1to3black]

She was great in American History X, despite the smaller role.

[@sarahfranklin8934]

She was in waterboy to with Adam Sandler

[@gothnate]

I loved her in The Craft! But she's more widely known as Vicki Vallencourt from The Waterboy.

[@biguy617]

She was in Blade Trinity

[@toxicginger9936]

And 'Valmont' is SO much better than 'Dangerous Liasons'. Just the casting alone made it superior... in every role!

[@vanessawhitneypro]

LOL... We 70s/80s kids got ALL the glory and terror of practical effects... Hooray for You for watching, Ashleigh! Much love!

[@tubekulose]

😁👍👍👍

[@leeannmcdermott8313]

lol I know, I tried to get my daughter to watch E.T. , hoping she would love it the way I did. She was terrified of him, I scarred he for life! I thought he was adorable 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@toxicginger9936]

It's why we're cut completely different from those after us.

[@tubekulose]

@@leeannmcdermott8313 No way! I watched "E.T." in the movie theatre back then when I was five to six or so. I immediately loved this guy.

[@ianobrien3248]

GenX kids got horror movies for kids films. From Disney.

[@richardb6260]

When I saw this in the theater, there was a couple in front of us with their young son. When the headless body of Mombi ran down the hall, the kid got up and said "I'm leaving" and proceeded to walk out the emergency exit. The parents sat there and looked at each for a couple of seconds and then went after him. They never came back. One thing I love about this movie is that the character designs are based on the illustrations by William Wallace Denslow for the first editions of the Oz books. The Gnome King was created with claymation by Will Vinton, an animator best known for animating the California Raisins. You should check out some of his Oscar nominated/winning short films. These characters are better known to the people who read the Oz books. There are 14 of them. People who only knew the Judy Garland movies were probably disappointed. Many were critical of the film for being too scary. But when you were a kid, the Wicked Witch of the West was pretty damn scary too.

[@danbryson3491]

That was my response watching this a kid. There were movies that scared me, but this was the first one I turned off because I couldn't watch anymore. The first time I watched it, when I was probably about 6 or 7, I got as far as Jean Marsh chasing Dorothy through the rain and I was like, "Nope, I'm out." I didn't go back and watch it all the way through until I was 12, and even then, it made me peek around the corners of doors to make sure there were no wheelers. It still mystifies me how anything so packed with nightmare fuel got greenlit as a kids' movie. I love rewatching as an adult, though!

[@lemmyelk]

I had already seen all the friday the 13ths and nightmare on elm st movies by 6. You were a wussy. 80s kids were the coolest

[@jennifervalentine8955]

The exact part I saw at home and was promptly scarred emotionally

[@JonCombo]

Gnome or Nome?

[@kevenbassett7323]

? or Knombe or Pnume@@JonCombo

[@DataCab1e]

"Claymation" is Will Vinton Studios' brand name for their particular style of stop-motion animation. It's their "Kleenex" to the rest of the industry's "facial tissue." As it happens, Will Vinton did the animation for this film, so both terms are applicable.

[@Bocchi-the-Rock_]

Except it's long been used to refer to any general "putty" or CLAY animation, and Will Vinton might have coined a term but I wouldn't say he invented or even revolutionized clay animation, Gumby was already being made when he was still in the single digits to be fair

[@GanonGhidorah]

What Ashley needs to learn is that the original Wizard of Oz was made by MGM, whereas Return to Oz was made by _Disney._ The costumes and design for Scarecrow, Tinman and the Cowardly Lion - while the most iconic versions of them - are subject to copyright. (It's like how the most iconic version of Frankenstein is the Universal Version) Basically, Disney couldn't use those designs of the characters, even if they could get actors who looked similar enough to the original performers. So when designing the characters for this movie, Disney really had no choice but to go back to the Source Material for inspiration on the characters - hence, why these versions are more _book accurate._ The technology to make them like this didn't exist back in the 30s. It's ultimately a mixed bag... On the one hand, the puppets and costumes for the characters in this movie are much more impressive than in the 30s - which were really just men in make-up. But on the other hand, those versions of the characters are the most iconic renditions of said characters. That MGM movie will _forever be_ the exact _center_ of all Oz Media in history. And yet, those versions of the characters could potentially remain forever under lock and key, unless MGM decides to make another Oz movie or allows the likenesses to be used. Let's not fool ourselves; a straight remake of Wizard of Oz _is inevitable._ It's been staved-off because of the film's reputation, and Disney wanting to experiment with prequel ideas - like that Oz the Great and Powerful movie. But now, with studios doing adaptations of "Wicked," which drew a lot of inspiration from the MGM versions of the characters, it seems only a matter of time before the original movie gets remade...If it's done more faithful to the book, or a straight remake of the film is yet to be seen.

[@gkragen1]

This movie is actually a combination of two Oz books and is there somewhat more accurate than the Wizard of Oz. It always bugged me there that they turned everything into a dream. You commented that Dorthy should stay in Oz. in the later books she does and Ozma brings Auntie Em and Uncle Henry to leave with her there. All the characters, except the Nomes look exactly like the illustrations which is why those of us who loved the books love the movie.

[@GeminiWolfstarGaming]

If I remember correctly the movie is adapted from both Ozma of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz, the latter being more of a direct sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

[@markhuber8105]

Watched it as a child. I still get the chills when Mombi’s original head wakes up and screams, “Dorothy Gail!!!” I adore the production design as it harks back to the original illustrations from the books.

[@danielbretall2236]

Yes, this one scene gave me nightmares for years! Love this film for its incredible use of dark subject material in "semi" kid friendly ways.

[@haleyleahann8296]

The moment you start freaking out before Dorothy even backs to OZ I am just sitting here laughing about how well the rest of this movie is going to go.

[@endersdragon34]

To be fair, the hospital was scary AF

[@jcalz216]

Fun fact: in the original books they weren’t the Ruby Slippers, but the Silver Shoes. Lyman Frank Baum, the author, was writing a kids’ fantasy on the surface, but underpinning it is a satire of, and on, America as he saw it. One popular interpretation of this is that the Scarecrow is a metaphor for rural American farmers, strong and sturdy but with heads full of straw. The Tin Man represents the Industrial Revolution and the dangers of too much mechanization, hence why his desire for a heart compliments the Scarecrow’s desire for a brain. And the Cowardly Lion is all about how the American military-in particular around the Spanish-American War-talks tough but is often lampoonishly ineffective. Also, the Yellow Brick Road MAY correspond to the Gold Standard, the Emerald City MAY be a commentary on how cities thrive on what we’re known at the time as “greenbacks,” and Baum wrote 14 of these.

[@peterdennis4394]

I'm so glad you're watching this. So much closer in tone to the books than the Judy Garland version, as fantastic as she was. Oz is a dangerous place.

[@davejay6855]

Almost as good as “The Wizard of Oz 3: Dorothy Goes to Hell”

[@ballerinafromtheblock]

Although the books were darker can we stop acting like they were THIS dark lol.. this is a great INTERPRETATION of the original novels but I don’t think Baums intention was to be scary. A lot of oz is whimsical and not scary, even the wheelers. Dorothy quickly realizes that they couldn’t hurt her.

[@k.s.k.7721]

The effort taken to reproduce characters from the early illustrations of the Oz books is phenomenal - even Ozma's headdress and gown are from the original drawings! My dearest friend from my childhood had an original set of all the books and I think I read most, if not all of them. The one about Ozma of Oz is perhaps my favorite - it tells of how she came to be queen. And if Ashleigh wants another Piper Laurie film where she has a leading role, I highly recommend "The Grass Harp". It's based on a wonderful, sentimental story by Truman Capote.

[@JohnRandomness105]

Actually, it's "The Marvelous Land of Oz" that tells how Ozma came to be the Queen of Oz.

[@nicholedavis2689]

Dorothy was always a child. It's just that the film industry has a long history of having young adults play kids and teens. But yes, Return to Oz is the sequel of Wizard of Oz. And it's a combination of the next two books in the Oz Chronicles by L F Baum, the Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, if I recall.

[@Kendow20]

As a child, this movie terrified me. But it grew on me and I kept going back to watch it because of how well the movie was designed. The character design, the costume design, the stop motion. Everything was so creative and well-made. Chef's kiss.

[@Cauti0nSeaman]

the sheer level of detail and quality of this movie always leaves me in awe. The sets are soo gorgeous omg Oz has truly never felt so real.

[@LiirThropp2687]

I vividly remember the first time I saw this movie. When Dorothy is reaching into the cabinet and that severed head says "Dorothy Gaaaaale", I proceeded to wet my pants. I freaked out. The first movie didn't bother me at all. Return to Oz? Yeah. My mom was like "Nope! No, sir." It was awhile before I finished the movie.

[@jasonmiller3543]

My sister and I LOVED this movie growing up. We watched this one, Labyrinth, and Never Ending Story 1 & 2 so many times. I loved the imaginative movies back then with all the practical special effects. So glad you watched this one and didn't hate it.

[@sweetauntbuddy]

I have my grandmother's original Oz books and was always fascinated with the lunchbox tree and the Wheelers. This movie's characters pay homage to the original illustrations.

[@goldilox369]

My brother and I always wanted something from the lunch pail tree! So freaking cute!

[@Stratelier]

I remember my mom read us the entire series of books.

[@meganjackson7372]

I saw this as a kid and the 90s and the Wheelers scared the crap out of me then. Showed this to my husband in 2020 and he finally understood why I’m still terrorized by this movie. But I don’t regret voting for it. If I got traumatized by it, then others can be too. LOL That said, it does take a unique look at mental illnesses at a time when they weren’t looked on kindly at all.

[@araneljones]

We're all trauma bonded over this movie.

[@Musicita]

Just adding to the chorus of “I watched this as a kid, and it fueled my nightmares, and I love it.” Heads in glass cases stayed with me for ages. There was a time when I thought I had imagined parts of it becuase it wasn’t as easy in those days to look up or rewatch movies when you only remembered snippets. When I finally saw it again, it was a moment of, “Ah! That’s where it came from!” The 80s had so many dark fantastical movies they just let us kids watch….

[@Johnlindsey289]

The 80’s was a golden age of fantasy

[@prettyfast-original]

The Wizard of OZ was not very popular when it came out in the 1930s. It wasn't until the 1970s when the movie was played on TV around Christmas that it became iconic. By the 80s, the children that grew up watching the movie had nostalgia for it, prompting a sequel from the movie studios. That is why it took 50 years to get a sequel.

[@Johnsrage]

It's not that it wasn't popular, reviews were very good and audiences loved it, and the soundtrack became the second most successful soundtrack album ever (Snow White was the first) the problem was that this movie was so expensive to make that it didn't make its money back until it was rereleased in theatres after WWII, and even then, it didn't take on its "classic" status until it was shown on television and it became an annual event.

[@oaf-77]

Wizard of oz was a success for its 1949 theatrical rerelease

[@ksavage681]

First movie in color wasnt it?

[@albertjimeno5315]

@ksavage681 No, not the first. I can think of 4 earlier ones I’ve seen for examples, “A Star Is Born” the original from 1937, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” from 1937, “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” from 1936, and some segments of “The Hollywood Revue of 1929” from 1929 (1929 was the first year Technicolor was introduced).

[@anzaeria]

I don't know why people keep saying that The Wizard Of Oz was the first colour movie. It was far from the first. It was a three strip Technicolor production and it wasn't even the first three strip Technicolor film. And before three strip Technicolor, there was a two colour process that was used in some earlier movies.@@ksavage681

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

I'm Soooo incredibly glad this movie finally made it :D thank you to all who remained persistent and kept voting for it. And YES Dorothy's Mother here indeed was played by the amazing late great Piper Laurie. Who also played the Mother in "Carrie" and was also in "Twin Peaks" :) Dorothy was played by Fairuza Balk who later appeared in "The Craft", "American History X" and also in the panned by critics "The Island of Dr. Moreau". She also voiced Mercedes Gomez in the game "GTA: Vice City". And i think Fairuza was PERFECT as Dorothy. Yeah the age difference between both movies is ofc a problem when you watch them in series but since this movie is a sequel to the book and not a direct sequel to the MGM movie from 1939, you can basically read the first book and then watch the movie and then it works. When i watched it as a kid it kinda confused me but didn't ruin the movie experience at all. The lady who played Mombi was the amazing Jean Marsh, who is a real veteran actress who appeared in The Twilight Zone as well as Doctor Who (the original run from 1963 to 1989), The Waltons, Willow (the 80s movie and the sadly terrible streaming show) and many other british and american TV shows and Movies.

[@Antropologopt]

Yes, the commentary about the actress playing a crazy mother better than someone else cracked me because of Carrie!

[@weirdbeard2244]

I was watching Upstairs Downstairs and was wondering why Jean Marsh’s name sounded familiar.

[@Stinger2578]

Fairuza was also in The Waterboy

[@tjfrizzi5965]

PIPER Laurie was "Aunt" Em. She's in a weird 70's horror movie called "RUBY". She's chews the heck out of the scenery in that! 😎

[@Johnlindsey289]

Piper was also a guest in the 80’s beauty and the beast show, the eighties twilight zone revival and the faculty

[@paul16451]

I loved the Oz books as a kid and read a great number of them before this film came out, so it really didn't creep me out as much as many other commenters. In the books, Mombi was a wicked wizardess (it was made a point that Glinda forbade any other witches in Oz, so she could not be called one), but she did not change heads. She instead dealt with forbidden transformation magic for both herself and her victims.

[@LeChaunce]

Yeah, the witch who changed her heads was a different character altogether.

[@mdroid7755]

When Ashleigh says she wants the original versions of the characters I was just like, "Those... those ARE the originals LOL" Faithful to the book illustrations. Actually kinda surprised to hear people find this scary. I watched this all the time when I was little and was never bothered by the imagery. But then I was also never bothered by watching slasher films young either LOL

[@mdroid7755]

Also love the Gump X3

[@unfabgirl]

The 1939 version wasn't even the original Oz movie, as the author tried his hand at filmmaking in the silent movie era and the designs were even more whack

[@mdroid7755]

@@unfabgirl Right. And the predecessors, apart from the animated one, were made in a more theatrical style as well since they were so early. And going by the 6 out of 9 surviving pre-MGM Oz films, only a few of them were even feature length.

[@HemlockRidge]

Dorthy is played by Fairuza Balk. Her and Neve Campbell starred in "The Craft".

[@Xonslaught1]

Faruza Balk also starred in a series called The Worst Witch, which had a lot of similarities to Harry Potter, and the first episode had a spectacular piece from Tim Curry

[@uttula]

Considering that the worst witch -books are from the 70s (even though the show is quite recent) it might be more correct saying that Harry Potter has a lot of similarities to them ;)

[@TheMyrmo]

This is one of the better adaptations of the books, IMO. If you haven't read the books, this is more along the lines of what they were. You know... kid's stuff.

[@jimhaggard7436]

Return to Oz is a direct sequel to The Wizard of Oz book. It takes place in October 1899, whereas The Wizard of Oz was set in April of 1899. Fairuza was ten years old, while Judy Garland was 16. Dorothy was supposed to be younger than sixteen, but they couldn’t find a younger actress and better singer than Judy.

[@albertjimeno5315]

Why 1899?

[@jimhaggard7436]

@@albertjimeno5315 that’s just when the first two books were set. The movie with Judy Garland could be set in 1939, with Dorothy around twelve-fourteen years old.

[@unfabgirl]

They almost went with Shirley Temple, who was younger and could be considered an equal singer (iirc, the negotiations between studios fell through. Temple was under contract at another studio and were being asked to lend her to MGM)

[@Kimothy80]

@@unfabgirlshe was under contract with Fox.

[@unfabgirl]

@@Kimothy80 Yep!

[@pirategirl9989]

This movie is so nostalgic for me! My parents were pretty strict about what we watched so I’m honestly surprised we watched it so much as kids. But even though it was creepy, we loved it! I always loved TiK Tock.

[@Grimsded]

Also just gonna leave this here but I actually watched this as a child and I as a kid who was scared of everything, I loved how terrifying and eerie this movie was. Absolutely adored it.

[@muppetsstoogesfan1]

Disney had the film rights to Oz for a time and they sat on it for a good LONG while. So much so that it was about to expire. So they made this in a bit of a rush. They combined the plot lines of two of the original Oz books. There are 14 Oz books by the original author btw and about 40 other canon Oz books.

[@kimwatchesstuff]

With so many Oz books, I'm kind of surprised no one has ever done another movie.

[@awhartig5847]

I'm a child of the 80s, there was a time when as a young adult, I remembered this movie as a fever dream "Did they really make that?". I eventually found confirmation this half remembered kids film was real...80s children's cinema was built _different_ .

[@gutz1981]

Fun fact, Ruby Slippers from the original film is NOT part of the original fairy tale. In order for this production to be allowed to include it into this film, Disney had to pay rights to previous film company of the original, along with getting the right to make this film from the estate of the original story. If you want the best full adaptation of the story of OZ, it is worth seeking the 80s Anime (doubed in English and narrated by Margot Kidder) called Th Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It covers most of the events from the books and not just one story.

[@Gators1138]

No the slippers are in the first book. However they are silver not ruby.

[@gutz1981]

@@Gators1138 I know, but the idea of them being ruby were made to show off the idea of colour in the first film as it was part of the reason the film was made, given the story was based heavily on colour in its concept, Yellow Brick Road, Emerald City and so on.

[@MrWhatdafuBOOM]

Als fun fact, they're called FAIRY tales.

[@gutz1981]

@@MrWhatdafuBOOM Noted and will be corrected.

[@majkus]

@@Gators1138 Actually, in the book they are 'silver shoes' (never 'slippers') and Dorothy chooses to wear them instead of her leather shoes because they will not wear out on the long journey ahead. Remember, the appearance of the Wicked Witch of the West as an ongoing nemesis is an invention of the movie. By 1985, the first four Oz books were already in the public domain. I do not know if they paid rights to use the ephemeral images of other characters like the Frogman from later books.

[@Johnlindsey289]

I think it’s an underrated gem! Enjoyed it since childhood and it’s a sequel to the Oz books on film despite using ruby slippers from mgm. Lyle Conway who worked on Aughra in dark crystal, Audrey ii in little shop of horrors, and The Blob from the remake did creature effects. Will vinton did great on the claymation

[@oscardiggs246]

This has always felt like the inspiration for American McGee’s Alice. Not the story, but the premise of the main character being in an asylum and being cast back into a dark version of the story.

[@calbert630]

It has left scars on me as a kid growing up in the 80s. Just like all good 80s kid movies.

[@STOCKHOLM07]

Yes.

[@samgreenbergart]

As a huge fan of the Oz books as well as the stunning illustrations, I am in love with this film. The stunning costumes, set design, and character designs are very true to the books, and the gorgeous score is one of my favorites. Personally, I've never found this movie scary, but maybe it is because I had read the books before.

[@NeelTheSphynx]

Although Judy Garland was 16 for the filming of The Wizard of Oz the character of Dorothy is meant to be more like 8 to 10.

[@wrdreacts4247]

One of my absolute favorites of all time! Whenever I see something fancy and green, I have to touch it and shout "OZ!!"

[@anioti5114]

I do something similar; I drive a Lexus and the logo is like that key "O...Z...Oz!"

[@Serai3]

Oh, I love this movie. I was already a big fan of the Oz books, and had the whole original collection in paperback. Other than the framing device about Dorothy and the doctor, the story comes straight from the second and third books, "The Land of Oz", and "Ozma of Oz". And yeah, the books really are that strange and dark at times. Hell, the 1939 movie was dark and scary at times, too. And the witch doesn' threaten to kill Dorothy in the book; she doesn't want to harm the magic shoes (silver in the book). She just enslaves the girl, and eventually Dorothy figures out how to get away. (There are a number of things left out from the book. There's a land that's inhabited by living porcelain figurines, for instance.) This film also does a great job of depicting the Art Nouveau style of John Neill, who illustrated the books. (The design of the 1939 movie was Art Deco.) It's a pity the movie fell through the studio-changeover hole and got no publicity. It would have been wonderful to see a whole series of Oz films adapted from Baum's classic books. There are a lot of fun stories in there.

[@Kazeneko]

I WAS a small child when I saw this and YES the nightmares haunted me for months. I appreciate it for what it is now, mostly because as I aged, I completely forgot about it until I was much older. Watching it again was like a fever dream. I do love the effects they had for the time. Headless Mombie still crawls into my nightmares sometimes, but I like the movie.

[@Gargess]

My little sister and i were terrified of this movie but at the same time i couldn't stop watching it! I was absolutely obsessed with the aesthetics and the costumes of Mombi and the head nurse. It was also my first introduction to the Art Nouveau movement in decor, art, and dress.

[@tommcewan7936]

MMmmmmmmm, Art Nouveau...

[@Bfdidc]

That's the talented Jean Marsh as the female attendant at the sanitarium and as Princess Mombi. She was Queen Bavmorda in Willow, one of the creators and actresses in Upstairs, Downstairs, and on early Dr. Who, among other things.

[@DocLathropBrown]

I love the 1939 film--it's a rightful classic. This film, however, is in my top five favorites. Beneath it's dark tone is the story of a young girl conquering her fears and, in a sense, fighting for her right to have an imagination. It's actually kind of a very optimistic film, in that way--and Fairuza Balk powers this entire film with her performance. Add to that the tremendous special effects and the lovely musical score--I think Return to Oz has long been underappreciated.

[@Matacron]

Last week, when you told us you would be watching this movie, I felt nothing but worried for you, because I knew that you started this channel to help you cope with your anxiety, and this film produces NOTHING BUT.

[@dracoargentum9783]

Sometimes the best way the best way to get over is through.

[@YouLousyKids]

As a reader of the Oz books before it came out, I was in the minority that could appreciate the illustration-accurate version that they were going for. It really suffers from the dark fantasy mood that was in at the time due to The Dark Crystal (which you STILL haven't seen), Neverending Story, Laybrinth, etc. Opening with Dorothy getting electroshock therapy because of her "fantasies" sets this off on a miserable tone, and then you have the woman who decapitates the beautiful ladies as statues to steal their heads, etc. It's way too dark. As you say: nightmare fuel.

[@kelaarin]

Don’t forget Time Bandits.

[@manuelvillacana9284]

P.s Yeah in the original wizard of oz it was supposed to be shirley temple But her manager messed it up for her.

[@NikkieTwix]

This movie terrified me when I was a kid so naturally I was obsessed with it 🤣

[@mr.narrator6781]

The designs of all the characters in this movie are more book accurate than the 1939 film. I love both the Wizard of Oz and the little mermaid were my two favorites growing up, and of course Return to Oz. I never got nightmares from these movies. But hey I also loved Willow and The Dark Crystal as well.

[@auntvesuvi3872]

Thanks, Ashleigh! 🌈 Yes, that's Piper Laurie, well done. The little actor who played 'Dorothy' is Fairuza Balk. Be sure to see her, a little more grown-up, in VALMONT (1989). ⚜

[@xBucket13x]

also " The Craft and Water boy"

[@auntvesuvi3872]

@@xBucket13x Yes, those come a little later in her career... but both very worthy of watches.

[@schapman411]

And "The Worst Witch" with Tim Curry! Although it is only about an hour long, so its not quite a movie.

[@auntvesuvi3872]

@@schapman411 I love that *Charlotte* *Rae* was in that one, Stephanie!

[@shesemerald2011]

Delightfully terrified me as a child. My Mom left my sister and I home alone and popped this in the VCR. She came home to two kids scared AF 😂.

[@majkus]

The 1939 film was the one with the 'revisionist' art design; the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman are actually quite reminiscent of the illustrations in the Oz books, as others have said. The 1939 costumes were somewhat reminiscent of the 1902 stage musical versions of the characters, though a bit more naturalistic. This film takes little from the 1939 film save the ruby slippers (not silver shoes; and for probably the same color-film reason) and the allusion to 'there's no place like home'. The final shot of Ozma looks so much like the pre-title shots used by Baum in his Oz Film Company silents. This is probably not an accident. Tik-Tok was walked by an acrobat (Michael Sundin, 1961-1989; RIP) bent double at the waist to fit in the sphere, and walking backwards to move forward. Amazing work.

[@SE7ENFX]

This film used to terrify me as a kid. My mum was an extra in a few scenes so I watched it when I was way too young. How it’s a kids film I’ll never know. 😂

[@dunwichmanor]

This movie is definitely closer in spirit to the books, they were surprisingly dark at times, but quite bizarre and entertaining

[@ccochran4191]

My mom took me to see this in theatres when I was five. I was an 80s fantasy kid to the max. Legend, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Neverending Story. All traumatized me, but I loved them. I still break out this one around Halloween every year.

[@nedzed3663]

When homeboy was like "no, my slippuhz" and then raised up his robe to show off wearing the Ruby Slippers, I laughed so hard. He was fabulous

[@alrego3885]

This movie has thrown many people off guard, because they're all use to the original with Judy Garland. This movie actually follows the book a little bit more. Especially in the beginning where Dorothy explains how the Tin Man was made, is how it was explained in the book. I was 6 or 7 when I first saw this movie, and I was really fascinated by it. Especially the headless girls scene. I'm sorry, but I was raised on old school Disney, when they had the guts to go darker. This movie did start Fairuza Balks movie career, and she actually did her own stunts.

[@nahkohese555]

This was a sequel (a mashup of books 2 & 3). However, there was a prequel made. Most Oz aficionados hated it because it was not from any of the original Oz books. It did, however, stay true to the Oz storyline and create a backstory for the Wizard and the Witches. It also created an interesting link between Dorothy and the Wizard, which was cute and quirky, but not crucial to either this or the original Oz movie or books. It had mixed reviews with the critics, but I thought it was pretty good. It's called "Oz the Great and Powerful" (2013). You probably put it on your list of prequels and sequels.

[@firedoc5]

It's hard to believe that 'Dorothy' was Fairuza Baulk, who was known to play mostly goth chicks in films like "The Craft", "The Waterboy", and "Almost Famous". This is more closely to the original books, especially the illustrations. One of my best friends whose mother was also our 8th grade English teacher, had the complete book collection of L. Frank Baum. One I remember was "Ozma of Oz".

[@ryneambrose7819]

Fairuza was also in the 1996 horror/sci-fi movie, 'The Island of Dr. Moreau.' She was a half cat half human creature. 🐈‍⬛

[@albertjimeno5315]

Well sure the age difference, but she kept the darkness.

[@Johnsrage]

The claymation in this movie is very good because it was supervised by Will Vinton, the originator of the claymation brand.

[@oaf-77]

Vinton was a genius. Still watch claymation Christmas every year and ‘Mark Twain’ was another nightmare kids movie that I absolutely loved

[@creech54]

And yes, Ashleigh, Claymation™is stop-motion.

[@gawainethefirst]

35:00 Well, it was said of him “The Gnome King, having never tried to be good, was very, very bad indeed. Edit- Sorry, folks. This was supposed to be its own comment.

[@rmhartman]

A lot of people never read the books, and were taken by surprise at this movie, which was very closely modeled after the books (although it took bits from more than one). The only part that wasn't from the books is the framing device of putting her in an asylum.

[@Ladyhoneybun242]

This movie was so good! This is what some of the oz books were really like. They had a darkness to some of them and had some crazy characters. This movie is based more on 2 of the oz books; The land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. It’s based more on Ozma of Oz but took jack pumpkin head, Mambi, and the story line that Mambi enchanted Ozma to hide her so no one would find the true ruler of Oz from The Land of Oz. The only difference is that in the book Ozma is turned into a little boy named tip instead of being enchanted into the mirror.

[@O_Towne_Bear]

The Dorothy actress is Fairuza Balk, she's in The Waterboy, The Craft and Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead.

[@Travelinmatt1976]

As a kid I was amazed by the ornament collection. I thought it would be so much fun to explore the room.

[@corringhamdepot4434]

Reminding you that Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) was used in the movie "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest ". Film is a nice example of great British actors turning up as villains in Hollywood movies. Call out to Jean Marsh, and Nicol Williamson.👍🙂

[@jamesmartin3095]

I want to start a new drinking game... every time Ashleigh says, "I HATE IT" you must drink. Thank you, Ashleigh for always entertaining us!!!!

[@Redfern42]

Most would die from alcohol poisoning before the end of the reaction/review! 🤪

[@trevburnard]

I saw this before I starting the video, grabbed a drink, wish me well!

[@centurycountess4949]

i gotta say it... can we please get a series or mini movie on Belina and her life in Oz, this chicken was hilarious

[@Grimsded]

Lmao we went thru the whole cycle with belina. ' I am belina' 'poor chicken' 'belina shut the hell up' 😂😂🐔🐔

[@itzakpoelzig330]

For Christmas, I recommend Little Women (the 1994 version) which will make you cry, but is also super heartwarming and fun. Also, now that you've met Fairuza Balk, I know a lot of people would be happy if you watched The Craft.

[@zvimur]

Well, apparently it's been a whole year since you watched "Willow", so the nurse/Momby(?) is Jean Marsh who played the Witch/Queen in Willow.

[@Enshohma]

So excited to see you tackle this one! Also, apologize in advance! Yes, I personally love this movie but I know it's also a hard sell for even people who think the scary 1980s family movie aesthetic is cool.

[@wolphintv]

Before I even watch this, I have to tell a story. I think I'm one of the maybe 150 people who saw this during it's original run in theaters, before Disney buried it. I don't even know if I had seen "The Wizard of OZ" yet; that's how young I was. So while I didn't have a basis for comparison, and I don't remember having nightmares, I do remember being freaked out and fascinated in equal measure. I still have a soft spot for it (this kind of stuff sticks with you when you are seven) but I also completely understand if newcomers do not like it. Edited to add: The "drugs" they were on were the original printed-page OZ books by L. Frank Baum and others, of which this is a much closer adaptation. They include such madness as a witch with interchangeable heads, a desert that turns you into sand (fun side-note, Baum assures us that nobody can die in OZ -- which only means that you are *very aware* of suddenly dissolving into sand), and the Tin Man's origin story (and everything else involving the Tin Man really).

[@albertjimeno5315]

Ok but the shifting rock faces and the Alice in Wonderland-like sequence of Dorothy falling through the spiral are pretty psychedelic, you gotta admit…

[@eowynsisterdaughter]

Oh yeah, all the attempts to "soften" the world ended making it more horrifying

[@tremorsfan]

Interesting fact about the original novels. Originally Princess Ozma was kidnapped as a child but put under a curse and raised as a boy. When she got older she realized that she was a girl trapped in a boy's body. So in a way she's one of the first transgender character in literature.

[@zSteve1231]

No your misremembering that, never once did Ozma/Tip feel like he/she was a girl trapped in a boy's body. Also I don't think you should use Ozma as trans representation since she was kidnapped and transitioned against her will, groomed/raised to think she was boy, and then later decided to detransition when found out the truth. It kind of sends the wrong message.

[@tremorsfan]

@@zSteve1231 Than I guess it's more like the story of David Reimer.

[@tremorsfan]

@@zSteve1231 Although it does seem she's been embraced by the trans community.

[@zSteve1231]

@@tremorsfan I feel like the whole David Reimer situation often gets ignored because he doesn't fit a certain narrative. Ozma being used as trans representation doesn't surprise me, certain extreme members insert their ideals in places when it isn't even there to begin with and this harm the image of everyone else.

[@kimwatchesstuff]

The actress who played dorothy is also in a nineties movie called The Craft. She was amazing! Maybe you could watch for next hallowbean's.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Still one of the BEST movies Disney has ever produced, back when they still had the balls. I remember seeing this one for the first time back in the early 90s on German Television during the weekly Disney Filmparade. The production design of this movie is absolutely incredible and "Return to Oz" is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a shame it is not as appreciated as it deserves. The Wheelers scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid and i LOVED that whole creative design. The Lunchbox tree is also something i wish was a real thing :D

[@Jimdlux]

It's not a sequel to the film, The Wizard of Oz. It's a sequel to the Wizard of Oz book. That's why Dorothy is depicted as so much younger. Also when you see Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion, they are depicted as the illustrations from the book instead of people from the film. Think "Dr. Sleep" being a sequel to the "book" the Shining...

[@mattater8779]

This was so much fun to watch with you!! It’s definitely a wild kids movie. Two of my favorite parts: 12:14 - your face and saying “don’t point with your little chicken foot” 14:01 - you mimicking the way he pronounced “Mombi” 35:15 - loving the greyhound statues 😂❤

[@gawainethefirst]

35:00 Well, it was said of him “The Gnome King, having never tried to be good, was very, very bad indeed.”

[@ckrowne]

Haha - I LOVE your reactions, Ashleigh. YOU deserve a raise for this one. I remember when this was released in the 80’s and all the “controversy” about its dark tone. It IS nightmare fuel but I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.

[@celticson]

This movie is a combination of, if I recall, Ozma of Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, and The Land of Oz. By the time I got around to seeing this (my parents wouldn't let me see it in the theater) I had already read Ozma of Oz which had the Wheelers. In that book, Tick Tock was like "The Wheeler's ain't shit, they can't follow through on any of their threats, they gots no hands!" (not a direct quote) So I wasn't scared of them. The head though, goddam.

[@celticson]

If I may nerd dump for a moment, Mombi, Jack, Ozma the Gump, and the powder of life are from The Land of Oz (2nd book). Tick Tock, the Wheelers, the lady with many heads, and the Nome King and his...hobby were all introduced in Ozma of Oz, the third book in the series. And then the tunnel under the deadly desert is, I think the only element from one of the other books. The Emerald City of Oz, which was the final Oz book written by Baum himself. (I think)

[@jeremymlad]

@@celticson LF Baum wrote 14 Oz books during his life, and The Emerald City of Oz was only the 6th.

[@celticson]

@@jeremymladI stand corrected.

[@stevensauer8539]

All of what you saw as differences (younger Dorothy, different looks for the old friends) are really them being faithful to the wonderful illustrations from the books. And all of the weirdness in this movie is pretty much straight out of the books.

[@rodseitz4947]

They also made a cartoon in 1972 called "Journey back to Oz". In which, Liza Minnelli, whom was the daughter of Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale actress in the original wizard of Oz) voiced Dorothy Gale.

[@majkus]

It was recorded in about 1964, when Liza Minnelli was still quite young. It kind of sat in production hell for years.

[@DravenGal]

Yeah, this movie terrified me as a kid! My dad took me to see it, and he was pretty horrified too! Especially because he blamed himself for me seeing it. Poor daddy. I miss him so much! But your love is always with me Dad! Anyway, I wonder if I'm the only one who feels like the more person-ified version of the Gnome King looks a lot like the Ghost of Christmas Past from A Christmas Carol.

[@calebbrown551]

Not a sequel per se. But it IS the most faithful Oz adaptions to be produced. Return to Oz is a film combination of the second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz, and Ozma of Oz. Land of Oz is where we get Ozma, Mombi, Jack, and The Gump. Ozma is transformed into the boy Tip by the old witch Mombi. Tip and Jack escape to the seek refuge in the Emerald City. All while General Jinjur and Mombi teak up to take over the Emerald City. Glinda then tells that there is an heir to the throne, Ozma. Mombi transform Tip back to Ozma and rules the land of Oz inder Glinda's guidance. Ozma of Oz is where Dorothy returns to the fairyland of Ev which is the geographical neighbor to the land of Oz, with Billina the talking hen. In it she meets TikTok and Ozma and joins her, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion to help save the Royal Family of Ev from the Nome Kings ornament spell. Now to get some confusing bits over with. The witch Mombi is a combination of the old witch Mombi from Land of Oz, and the lazy and vain but well meaning Princess Landwidere from Ozma of Oz. Her favorite pass time is going and admiring her 30 beautiful head in her room of mirrors

[@MrWhatdafuBOOM]

This has to be one of the most overlooked and underrated 80's movies out there. I actually grew up with this movie before the original and got instantly hooked. The fact that it didn't have to be bright and bouncy all the time and yet still captured that innocent, childlike glee you'd expect from a fantasy world like this. I love the characters. Fairuza Balk is outstanding as *Dorothy.* She's always highly expressive and emotional without ever getting annoying or boring. People need to mention her more often when talking about good child actors. *Bellina The Chicken* is probably my least favorite member of the team. Not that I dislike her, but her voice can get a little annoying over time and other than a couple snarky remarks and sometimes giving Dorothy a clue, she doesn't contribute much to the story overall until the end. Speaking of which, the Nome King's weakness is both a funny reveal but also smart when you compare it to the old Oz movie: Both main villains get defeated by super regular and simple things (The Wicked Witch Of The West by plain water and the Nome King by a single egg), so it's kind of a neat call back. *The Wheelers* are terrifying, especially when you're a kid. They were one of my first introductions to geniune danger in a film. And even though I later started to question what they could even do to Dorothy (they don't have any hands), their freaky attitude, cackles and noises they made still made them highly intimidating. Good god, that squeaking of the wheels gave me goosebumps even while watching this video. *Tik Tok* was my childhood hero for putting the wheelers in their place. I love his oldschool gentleman soldier personality and that he keeps coming up with good ideas. His weakness of having to be wound up regularily is both a good weakness and allows him to use it to his advantage (like when he faked to be run down just to get Dorothy in the room with him). Plus, I find his design to be the movie's most iconic one. I remember seeing a pringles can and the monopoly guy for the first time and asking myself both times: 'Is that... Tik Tok?' *Princess Mombi* is a great take on vanity made literal. I bet there are some people out there so obsessed with beauty, if they could change heads whenever they wanted, they would. I love her spiky dress and her playing the mandolin like a boss. I like that they didn't play into the trope of 'Princess = Nice/Queen = Evil' like in so many Disney movies prior. Here, Mombi is the Princess and the kind Ozma the Queen. And of course, there's that scene that is most often mentioned when talking about this movie, where her head wakes up, followed by all the others, they all start to scream and her headless body jerks up from the bed. In the words of Animat: 'That is one horrifying alarm system'. *Jack Pumpkinhead* is by far my favorite example of the lovable, naive character type. The fact that he's so frail and shaky looking really makes you wanna look out and protect him. So much so that even lines like 'May I call you mom?', which would normally sound kind of creepy, actually work perfectly in his case, because they nailed his childlike cluelessness. I can definitely see Jack Skellington from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' being inspired by him (The scrawny, tall body, the big round head, the big round eye holes and big smile, the soft-spoken voice, the fact that he's called *Jack* the *Pumpkin* king and the fact the first time we see him he wears a *pumpkin* on his *head).* The older I get, the more I realize that *the Gump* is my spirit animal. He's basically the Eeyore of the gang, sprinkling bits of dry humor and sarcasm inbetween, trying to adapt to his new life as a 'thing'. And even though he seemed reluctant to help and even apathetic at times, he ultimately cared enough to help by playing the Nome King's game to get the Scarecrow, despite not even having any personal stakes. I realize he's definitely a grump with a good heart underneath, sort like Archimedes from 'The Sword In The Stone' or Kamaji from 'Spirited Away'. The scene where he flies for the first time is my favorite of the movie and I'll be damned, if I could choose to own one single prop from this movie, it would be the Gump head. *The Nome King* is delightful as a villain. You can tell Nicol Williamson is having a ball with the role. The Nome King enjoys being evil, superior to others and messing with them. Like when Mombi asked why he didn't just petrify Dorothy and her friends immediately, to which he just replies that it's more fun that way. The way he (and his servants) can morph through the rocks is very creative and visually stunning, almost like he's less a rock creature himself and more of an entity that can only possess and exist within the rock from the environment. It makes sense then he would want to become human and be free of the mountain. On that note, whether in claymation or in costume and prosthetics, the Nome King always looks great. Especially that final form where he looks like a demon. Imo, that scene actually rivals Mombi's screaming head scene in terms of scariness. Except whereas the head scene was powerful yet brief, the angry Nome King scene went on for a good bit and let that looming feeling of dread really sink in (motherfucker ATE a sofa). And finally, *Queen Ozma.* While she didn't appear all that much in the movie, the way she was shown as a silhouette in the mirrors is very memorable. This next bit is mostly speculation but I think her real life counterpart died during the flood. Queen Ozma is what Dorothy manifests her as in her mind. She's the one who saved Dorothy (namely her mind and imagination, and with that Oz itself) from the electro therapy, therefore becoming its rightful ruler. Not only was Ozma sealed in a mirror, she also sees Dorothy off one last time through a mirror. I like to think her connection to mirrors seems to imply that she is basically an idealized mirror image of Dorothy herself, a role model so to speak, not only for rescuing her, but to show her that having a vivid imagination isn't something to be ashamed of or something that needs to be 'cured', to be proud and grateful you still have the things that make you... you. (The fact alone that you can speculate and theorize so much about this movie is a testament to it being a truly worthwhile film, even decades later.) Speaking of cure, I think the reason why the nurse was locked up at the end is because as Ozma's real life counterpart told Dorothy when escaping the facility, there were test subjects locked away in the basement, likely victims of the Doctor's 'therapy'. So when the building was hit by lightning and the people were evacuated, it's likely the authorities found out about their little experiment and arrested her as an accomplice. Had Dr. Worly not died trying to save his machines, he likely would be sitting in that police wagon with her. This may sound sacrilegious, but presentation-wise I find this movie far superior to the old Wizard Of Oz movie. One thing that bothered me about that film was that the characters (Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion) always were just people in makeup, making the entire thing look more like a stageplay (which granted I think was the idea behind it, but it's just not my thing). So l really enjoyed that in Return To Oz, the Tin Man actually looked like a machine man, the Cowardly Lion actually looked like a lion (with a cute little bow in his mane, I think that's so perfect for his character, this fierce looking animal with that one little accessory to make him look cute and funny), and for as derpy and creepy he may look at times, the Scarecrow actually looks like a scarecrow now. People on KZbin always go on and on about how scary it is, but honestly, it's so much more than that. It's clever, subtle, funny, charming, insanely creative and only scary when it needs to be. In my opinion, this movie will forever be one of the four cornerstones of 80's Fantasy: - *The Neverending Story* - *The Dark Crystal* - *Labyrinth* - and *Return To Oz* And If you've read this far, thank you for taking your time to read this, god knows it's taken a while to type it all down.

[@majkus]

The Wheelers are terrifying to kids even in the book. There was a magazine article years ago written by one person who had found the Wheelers frightening when the story was read to them as a child. They recounted the time that the doorbell rang, and their father went to the door. Delighted to see some old friends of his there, he called back, 'It's the Wheelers!' The writer of the article hid under the bed.

[@droppedelbow]

Got a little frustrated with the constant " this is nothing like the original" comments. The books are the originals. The Judy Garland movie wasn't even the first film version of the story.