The Jim Henson Company did an amazing job creating the Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, TikTok, and Jack Pumpumkin head. They are so very close to the illustrations from the books by John R Niel.
People forget that in the MGM movie, The Wicked Witch Of The West was planning to kill Dorothy for the slippers. Dorothy couldn't take them off as long as she was alive.
Yes, it seems quite tame nowadays, but if you look at “horror” from the 1960’s or earlier, most of it is quite laughable, so many of the scenes would certainly have made a bigger impact on the audiences back then.
The fun thing is that Return to Oz is way more close to the actual dark atmosphere of the novels and it´s actually a good adaptation of some of the best moments in the initial two sequel books. The novels are so violent that nowadays they would be totally censored or re-edited by upset editors if they ever came out; which i doubt. The Oz world in the books is a unique dark strange world with no hint of musical keys in sight. ;) Return to Oz is totally close to the real mood of the novels. The original classic musical fooled generations into thinking OZ was like a cute happy place when in fact it never was in the books. It was just the classic movie that created that idea. For example in the books Dorothy even tells the TinMan to go kill some innocent wolves in the distance because they were ugly and scary; and then the TinMan goes and chops every wolf with his axe ( for no other reason at all - the wolves were scary ) in a real gory bloody scene. That wouldn´t be exactly a good scene to have a cute musical number in the classic movie. :) But its funny how the classic musical movie created the wrong idea on people that never got to read the books. People were in for some serious trauma if they really knew the novels well and that was what happened with Return to Oz which was brave enough to actually translate the books well into screen and of course people totally freaked out !!! I still love Return to Oz for that, as I´m reading the original novels currently and I love that this "scary" sequel actually captured the real OZ world present in the books and was brave enough to not try to replicate the fake cute and happy mood of the classic musical. :) The casting of Fairuza Balk was just outstanding. She was absolutely incredible and totally fit with the original books too, minus the hair color as in the books she´s blonde. But the little girl was incredible in this movie.
Yeah whenni was a kid she was cute but now I'm 40 and she's like 12 in this so....good deep cut of a film, people don't believe me when i tell them about it
@@wrdreacts4247 Quite the hustle she pulled, huh? It'd be one thing if she basically won the lottery with her own original ideas, but using someone else's really speaks to her character. Too bad she has some rational thoughts about gender roles and whatnot.
Oh gawds...I used to put plastic cups on my hands and feet and would wheel around on the carpet making screeching sounds. Loved this movie as a child. Loved the Dark Crystal as well...but I'm pretty sure I used to hide behind the couch when the Garthim showed up.
you are dark :P Jokes aside, that was one of the worst movies of all time, not because it was dark, but because it shouldn't have even been made, its just terrible. But some people like Liver and Onions as their favorite food, some people like eating raw bacon. So I am not judging you, just the movie.
I've always loved the OZ books. This movie is a compilation of book "Marvelous Land of OZ" and "Ozma of OZ". This movie has some of the best claymation and stop motion animation that exists. Been a favorite of mine always. Awesome movie!
My brother & I used to watch this on repeat when I was 5 and he was three, absolutely loved it. Watched it again as a 30 year old and was absolutely terrified. Still love it. 🤘🏾🤘🏾
Man, Fairuza Balk should have got an acting Academy Award for her performance in Return to Oz. Think of all the things she had to put up with! Mechanical puppets that were a chicken, the Gump and Jack Pumpkinhead. Acting with green screens that would later become the Gnomes and the fearsome Gnome King. She was really alone and by herself with special effects almost the whole movie. Great job Fairuza Balk!
@@jamesdheel1568 : History of the Chroma Key Green Screen "The green screen, also known as chroma key, is a visual effects technique that has been used in the film and television industry for decades. It allows filmmakers to superimpose one image or video over another by replacing a solid-colored background with another image or video. The green screen was first introduced in the 1940s, but its popularity took off in the 1980s with the advent of affordable computer graphics. One of the earliest uses of the green screen was in the 1940s, when it was used to produce special effects in the film industry. During this time, bluescreens were also used, but green was found to be a better color for chroma keying as it was less likely to be present in the subject being filmed and was easier to key out in post-production. The first use of green screen in a feature film was in the 1950s when it was used in the film "The Ten Commandments." In the 1980s, with the advent of affordable computer graphics, the green screen became more popular. This allowed filmmakers to create more complex and realistic special effects, as well as making it easier to superimpose one image over another." www.projectorscreenworld.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-chroma-key-green screen#:~:text=In%20the%201980s%2C%20with%20the,superimpose%20one%20image%20over%20another.
I don't think a lot of adults, even today, give credit to children for having a more sophisticated taste then they (the adults) think they have. Jim Henson knew that very well, which is why the original Muppet Show appealed to a wide age range, and even though Dark Crystal and Labyrinth were about as well-reviewed as Return to Oz, all of them are now definite cult classics, because so many of us did in fact love them when we were kids. Not all kids like spooky or scary things, but how many of us were drawn to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, or even Stephen King, when we were young? I remember being obsessed with the horror movie box art at the video store too.
Its weird, innit? When I was 5, I was terrified of courage the cowardly dog, the mummy scared me, but ever since, I was always hunting weird stuff. I loved invader zim, I even watched dark crystal on repeat, couldn't get enough.
I absolutely love this since I was a kid even more than the original. I remember tripping out that Faruza Balk plays Dorthy when she was so iconic as the witch Nancy in The Craft!
Never saw The Craft but it tripped me out when I learned she was Dorothy after seeing her as the trashy girlfriends in The Waterboy and American History X.
@@MidnightSonnet Same here! I remember first seeing it in the theater with one of my best friends and then getting the soundtrack which is still a 90’s classic!
I watched Return to Oz before the original and man did it mess with my head in a unique way. What was even better is on a tour through one of the major film studios, I was so excited to see the Moose head! The guide had moved its mouth, freaking all the adults out, while i was jumping excitedly. Thanks to this movie I worked in haunted houses, helped make props and did minor puppeteering.
I want those Return to Oz dolls, those look awesome! I was a bit confused by this movie as a kid thinking it was a more direct sequel to the first and wondering how Dorothy got younger, but I've always loved its darker tone and get a kick showing it to people who don't know about it or what to expect.
The 1964 cartoon Return To Oz is what I watched growing up. I had it on a tape with 3 other movies. In this order: Jumanji, The Aristocats, Return To Oz, and The Mask. I was just unaware of the 1985 movie as a kid. I watched it as an adult and loved it! I would have loved it as a kid too. The creepy scenes remind me of the creepy scenes in the original Watcher In The Woods.
Yeah, but looking at them now they might not have posed any real threat to anyone. I mean they have wheels for hands and feet and act freaky, but that seems to be about all they can do.
@@leviblevins513uh, are you sure you meant non poisonous? Anyway, the wheelers weren’t shown to have any abilities that would make them dangerous to anyone who could fight back. To me, they’re like small yipping dogs that act tough but cower and run away when their target goes on the offense.
I was in the Navy, and had just finished reading the DEL REY paperback reissues of the original books. I was familiar with Murch's sound in American Grafitti. Stoked to go see it, I immediately, saw the genius of combining the books to get over the Lack of Dorothy roadblock. The theatrical sound was very echo-aden in the Gnome Realm/caves. Great job, Minty!
I'm a HUGE fan of the Wizard of OZ,! When I was growing up, I had it on VHS and I played it none stop. I love everything about it! I thought that the Return to OZ was brilliant and is still one of my favorite movies of all! ❤️
L. Frank did put some dark and scary things in his books so Return to Oz was a little more faithful to his material.😊😮...he would have probably liked it.
I love how the tagline on the box for Return To Oz isn’t something like “Dorothy returns to the Land of Oz!” but instead “Can Dorothy SURVIVE her return to Oz???” haha
I can honestly say that I've watched Return to Oz more times than The Wizard of Oz... and I enjoy it more. It definitely hits harder, especially back in the day! My wife and I talk about this film fairly regularly, it really resonated with us... especially being freaked out by The Wheelers! Great video, Minty 👍😎 Kudos for having a real "Billiner" 👌😉
You might also notice that the man who is the primary wheeler is also the assistant pushing the squeaky wheeled gurney in the beginning. Also, if you look closely, the Ozma girl is carrying a small Jack-o-lantern, a quiet nod to Jack pumpkin-head, which Jack reveals that Ozma is his real mom. She built him to scare Mombi as a prank. They side stepped the Tip storyline.
you valentine this film? Thats not what a heart looks like, so you can't be saying you heart this film...that wouldn't even make sense. I organ that pumps blood this film? Hipsters make no sense at all. One day you will stop talking in hyperbole and learn how to speak real English. Using words, where you use them because of their real definition and not whatever added connotations you have added to it. the symbol you call heart is closer related to the human Butt...again that has nothing to do with emotions or even the organ you call a heart, so you must be one of those....tools? we were taught about in school. Bunch of brain dead people here in youtube huh
I LOVE The Return To Oz, plus it being Fairuza Balk's first film is REALLY COOL TOO! I've always wanted to make a wheeler costume. I want to wear rollerskates with it. I think it would be SO KILLER! This was packed full with A LOT of interesting information thanks Minty!
@MidnightSonnet agreed My idea for the arms would involve crutches strapped to the arms, and wheels at the bottom, then I'd probably cut feet off of stripped nylons to cover the crutches. I really think it could work!
As someone who was born in the 2000s, I first discovered this flick from Cinemassacre's review in 2011 and then we found a DVD at a gas station that a clerk really seemed to know about. I was a little scared at first before watching the movie because I heard how creepy it was. (But I also watched The Exorcist at that point too. So nothing can't be that bad.) After watching it, I wasn't scared at all. It actually reminded me a lot of James and the Giant Peach as a "dark whimsical" movie with a lot of surreal visuals and genuinely loveable characters like Jack, TickTock and the Gump. It's a loving tribute to the books and probably the only live action Oz to capture the books' tone, characters, designs, and aesthetic. Now it's become one of my favorite movies and I hope it gets as much attention as the original movie because it's really not that bad or that scary.
@@shirleymaemattthews4862 It was all narration. But the clips of the movie he was showing tried to make it look like it was the most disturbing thing ever. And the scene with the hall of screaming heads, he went "Hoolllyyy shiiiiittttt!!!!"
GLORY!!!'m favoured, $140K every 3weeks! And I am retired i can now give back to the locals in my community and also support God's work and the church. God bless America 🇺🇸 ❤️
YES!!! That's exactly her name (Kate Elizabeth Becherer) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her Brisbane Australia🇭🇲
Funny, as a child I plowed through the books and was in love with the characters and setting. When Return came out my kids were 1 year old and so I never saw it. A local theater showed the Wondeful Wizard of Oz musical, by then the kids were about 3, it was the first movie they saw in a theater, the storm and Miss Gulch made them afraid, the colorful parts did not. Possibly it is time to see this one, thanks Minty for the analysis.
I didn't see this film until I was an adult but a lot of my friends have fond memories of watching it as children. It's genuinely great and you're right in saying that Fairuza Baulk was perfectly cast. Also impressed Minty got a real chicken for this vid!
This was when directors didn't doubt the intelligence of kids. I saw it in the theater and i loved it. The books are much darker than the original movie.
I was 30 when this movie was released and loved it immediately. Because it proved such an embarrassment to everyone involved, info about it wasn't available at the time. Thanks for the deep dive. Always worth a watch, this film, for all ages over 8 or so. Visually an absolute treat.
Still love this film over 40 years later. Having grown up watching the 1939 wizard of Oz movie, yes it was enjoyable but return to oz was made for my generation who liked more dark and weird stuff.
I've loved this movie since I was a kid. It is one my most favorite childhood movies growing up in the 80s with Poltergiest, The Neverending Story, and Flight of the Navigator. I loved Jack and Tic-Toc from the movie. They were my favorites from it. And the actress that played Dorothy was great. I felt she acted like we were along with her during the journey she was on in that movie.
Such a misunderstood movie for the times. I loved it so much. The sad sorrowful soundtrack, darker storyline (loved seeing Oz and the YBR destroyed and dismantled simply for the aesthetics and haunted looks) and new characters to root for was everything my little heart longed for. Brings about bittersweet feelings and memories mixed with excitement and loss. So many feeling at once
"Dotty" is an adjective for a mad person in old English BUT it's actually a nickname for "Dorothy" and that's what they meant in the film. It's a nickname that a loved one has given someone called "Dorothy" and is very common in England (where I live), not because they are mad.
It was and will always be some of the best realised Oz movies to date...so much care and dedication went to its production and I'm Thankful it Exists and I watch this every Halloween and it continues to mesmerise me. Thank you Minty and my regards to Billina 🎃
The one thing is that the little girl has full access to the facility and teleports around like she's a ghost. The nurse reported two girls had escaped but never is shown to identify the other girl, meaning she just thought the girl was another of the patients, which the little girl may have been at sometime before her death. This leads to the notion that Oz isn't just in Dorthy's head as she could not have escaped the facility without Ozma's help. But Ozma's counter part is a ghost and because of the curse Ozma could not be active in Oz nor go there with Dorthy. One other take away is if the plot follows other ghost stories then the little girl was replaying how she died in the river trying to escape, which adds to the movie's dark tone. This some what goes with the 1939 version as Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Almira Gulch are one and the same and able to cross dimensions as seen when she transforms in the tornado.
I discovered Return To Oz 2 years ago... I loved it! I think it's better than the other Oz films. I love the dark vibe it has (I love horror films lol)
80s and 90s Burton would've made this movie great, too. The dark atmosphere is right up his alley. He made the first Batman movie epic and gritty (I grew up with a Batman that kills, so the whole idea of him suddenly having a no kill oath confused me in later films, lol), so I have no doubt that he would've made this movie even darker than it already was.
Minty, I have not seen this movie and was a teenager in the 1980s. I hardly remember anything about this movie, hearing about it, or anyone talking about it. From the clips you've shown so far, it doesn't really make me want to see it but there seems to be a lot of positive comments and folks who DO love this movie.
They were intense, raw and vulgar. Wonderful to revisit but a bit overwhelming and unfriendly at the time. Societally, many conventions were breaking down and a creative anarchy ensued, with no clear line between child and teen, leaving us with timeless gems such as this.
A masterpiece ahead of time. One of my all time favorite films. I cant count how many times I rented Return to Oz and The Witches. The authentic realism of makeup and special effects dont come near to modern day cgi. Only Guillermo Del Toro could remake Return to Oz.
I think it's better then the wizard of oz. Ancle henry's house was half complete then fully complete when Dorothy got back too Kansas so how long was Dorothy gone for in oz.
Can't handle dark fantasy with no handle bars? This movie is the GOAT of its genre Whoever created this movie deserves a standing ovation for not being a general cookie cutter and for thinking so far outside the box and executing it so well. My only squabble is that I want more and will never get it as no one has the balls or creatively or backers to ever re-create anything like this ever again, the optimistic whimsical feel good moments are so much more rewarding when hatching out of this dark world that feel us all with so much more gratification which this movie has plenty of
I am in my mid 40's and I have always loved this film. The same is true for my partner, my sister, and the majority of my friends. I actually have a rare collectors addition of the film on VHS. SO GREAT!
I didn't grow up in the Anglo sphere, so "The Wizard of Oz" had very little cultural impact here. That means I got to se "Return to Oz" before I ever even heard of Oz and little me loved it. I still remember it fondly and I think it's the reason I like creepy horror stories now.
This was not a sequel to the 30's movie. This was an adaption of the books of the same name. Return was a compilation of Ozma of OZ, Marvelous land of OZ, and some of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. And if you read the books you know that this movie was a fairly accurate description as the books for childrens books are rather dark but its presented in a cutesy dark way. Such as the Tin man hacking off his own arms is reminisced as comical and playful instead of horrific. I loved this movie as a kid.
This movie really embodies Don Bluth's philosophy that kids can handle anything in a movie as long as you give them a happy ending to the story.
Secret of Nimh and Watership Down were pivotal stories of my childhood.
Absolutely, to both your comments!
Yeah, my 5 year old niece jumped for joy when Jack Torrence froze to death at the end of The Shining
Although as a kid at 9 till now i love the thing 1982 and not e.t.
Amen that's a good philosophy truth be told from Don Bluth himself.
I have read all of the Baum Oz books and love Return to Oz. They did a great job combining those books and it is what an Oz movie should be.
Agree
The Jim Henson Company did an amazing job creating the Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, TikTok, and Jack Pumpumkin head. They are so very close to the illustrations from the books by John R Niel.
Agree, I have read all of Baum's Oz books as well as many from the books return by Ruth Plumly Thompson and others as part of the 40.
People forget that in the MGM movie, The Wicked Witch Of The West was planning to kill Dorothy for the slippers. Dorothy couldn't take them off as long as she was alive.
Yes, it seems quite tame nowadays, but if you look at “horror” from the 1960’s or earlier, most of it is quite laughable, so many of the scenes would certainly have made a bigger impact on the audiences back then.
The fun thing is that Return to Oz is way more close to the actual dark atmosphere of the novels and it´s actually a good adaptation of some of the best moments in the initial two sequel books.
The novels are so violent that nowadays they would be totally censored or re-edited by upset editors if they ever came out; which i doubt. The Oz world in the books is a unique dark strange world with no hint of musical keys in sight. ;)
Return to Oz is totally close to the real mood of the novels. The original classic musical fooled generations into thinking OZ was like a cute happy place when in fact it never was in the books. It was just the classic movie that created that idea.
For example in the books Dorothy even tells the TinMan to go kill some innocent wolves in the distance because they were ugly and scary; and then the TinMan goes and chops every wolf with his axe ( for no other reason at all - the wolves were scary ) in a real gory bloody scene. That wouldn´t be exactly a good scene to have a cute musical number in the classic movie. :)
But its funny how the classic musical movie created the wrong idea on people that never got to read the books. People were in for some serious trauma if they really knew the novels well and that was what happened with Return to Oz which was brave enough to actually translate the books well into screen and of course people totally freaked out !!! I still love Return to Oz for that, as I´m reading the original novels currently and I love that this "scary" sequel actually captured the real OZ world present in the books and was brave enough to not try to replicate the fake cute and happy mood of the classic musical. :)
The casting of Fairuza Balk was just outstanding. She was absolutely incredible and totally fit with the original books too, minus the hair color as in the books she´s blonde. But the little girl was incredible in this movie.
Yes I've never got why people were shocked. It's quite close to the books-even down to the illustration
It's faithful to the oz books
@@icreateworlds hopefully the prevalence of new AI tools will make it easy for some creative amateur to create an unrevised movie of the novels then!
@@icreateworlds it would possibly make a great horror game in the vein of Alice and Alice: Madness Returns
(Tin Man) 🎶 Oh I'm chopping heads off wolves now-- see me chop chop !🎶
I saw this in the theater as a kid. My mother was appalled but I LOVED every moment of the movie! Still love RTO to this day.
Absolutely one of my favorites growing up and of course Fairuza Balk.
Its funny when u read the back of the movie case, The Waterboy, it does say "Fairuza Balk (Return to Oz)" and I was like I thought she looked familiar
Yeah whenni was a kid she was cute but now I'm 40 and she's like 12 in this so....good deep cut of a film, people don't believe me when i tell them about it
@@nickmontoya3001OMG! Wow! Ok, I need to rewatch Waterboy.
As a kid, still, she did Worst Witch with Tim Curry. Which was basically ripped off by JK Rowling for Harry Potter.... LOL
@@wrdreacts4247 Quite the hustle she pulled, huh? It'd be one thing if she basically won the lottery with her own original ideas, but using someone else's really speaks to her character. Too bad she has some rational thoughts about gender roles and whatnot.
I'm a child of the '80s and me and my brothers grew up on this movie. I think we watched it more than the original wizard of Oz.
Same one of my absolute favorites
Me and my bros too
Same here
Me too. You never got the felling Dorothy was in danger in the original. Almost everying including the flipping sand wants her dead in the sequel.
I’m a kid of the eighties and early nineties too
From The Never Ending Story to this. All my favourite movies. Minty, you're awesome! Thank you 😁❤️
Even as a child I was warped, this was AWESOME to me and I loved how dark it was . I rate it higher than the original
Same here, always liked this one more. Also enjoyed labyrinth, Legend, Dark Crystal, Nimh, Willow, lots of great stuff around that time.
I agree such a great movie.
A return to oz
Flight of the navigator
The never-ending story
@@jordanthegill2069 Wow, can't believe Navigator and Never ending escaped me at the time 🔥💪👍
Oh gawds...I used to put plastic cups on my hands and feet and would wheel around on the carpet making screeching sounds. Loved this movie as a child. Loved the Dark Crystal as well...but I'm pretty sure I used to hide behind the couch when the Garthim showed up.
you are dark :P Jokes aside, that was one of the worst movies of all time, not because it was dark, but because it shouldn't have even been made, its just terrible. But some people like Liver and Onions as their favorite food, some people like eating raw bacon. So I am not judging you, just the movie.
Thanks so much for doing this one. Was super excited when I saw it posted. I grew up with Return to Oz and still love it to this day.
I've always loved the OZ books. This movie is a compilation of book "Marvelous Land of OZ" and "Ozma of OZ". This movie has some of the best claymation and stop motion animation that exists. Been a favorite of mine always. Awesome movie!
I loved both for how completely different they are but how they also stick to the source material.
One of the best days of my life was finding this movie on Blu-ray!!
where !?
I absolutely loved Return to Oz when I was a child ('84 baby here), heck I still love the movie. 🖤💜🖤
'82 baby sounding off! 😀
My brother & I used to watch this on repeat when I was 5 and he was three, absolutely loved it. Watched it again as a 30 year old and was absolutely terrified. Still love it. 🤘🏾🤘🏾
It was one of the first movies my daughter watched as a child, and she still loves it.
Man, Fairuza Balk should have got an acting Academy Award for her performance in Return to Oz. Think of all the things she had to put up with! Mechanical puppets that were a chicken, the Gump and Jack Pumpkinhead. Acting with green screens that would later become the Gnomes and the fearsome Gnome King. She was really alone and by herself with special effects almost the whole movie. Great job Fairuza Balk!
Don't think there was green screening in the 80's man. She was there with props and puppets the whole time
@@jamesdheel1568 : History of the Chroma Key Green Screen
"The green screen, also known as chroma key, is a visual effects technique that has been used in the film and television industry for decades. It allows filmmakers to superimpose one image or video over another by replacing a solid-colored background with another image or video. The green screen was first introduced in the 1940s, but its popularity took off in the 1980s with the advent of affordable computer graphics.
One of the earliest uses of the green screen was in the 1940s, when it was used to produce special effects in the film industry. During this time, bluescreens were also used, but green was found to be a better color for chroma keying as it was less likely to be present in the subject being filmed and was easier to key out in post-production. The first use of green screen in a feature film was in the 1950s when it was used in the film "The Ten Commandments."
In the 1980s, with the advent of affordable computer graphics, the green screen became more popular. This allowed filmmakers to create more complex and realistic special effects, as well as making it easier to superimpose one image over another." www.projectorscreenworld.com/blogs/news/history-of-the-chroma-key-green screen#:~:text=In%20the%201980s%2C%20with%20the,superimpose%20one%20image%20over%20another.
I don't think a lot of adults, even today, give credit to children for having a more sophisticated taste then they (the adults) think they have. Jim Henson knew that very well, which is why the original Muppet Show appealed to a wide age range, and even though Dark Crystal and Labyrinth were about as well-reviewed as Return to Oz, all of them are now definite cult classics, because so many of us did in fact love them when we were kids.
Not all kids like spooky or scary things, but how many of us were drawn to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, or even Stephen King, when we were young? I remember being obsessed with the horror movie box art at the video store too.
Its weird, innit? When I was 5, I was terrified of courage the cowardly dog, the mummy scared me, but ever since, I was always hunting weird stuff. I loved invader zim, I even watched dark crystal on repeat, couldn't get enough.
80''s cover art is everything. I used to post it on my Tumblr very often. From horror films to Heavy Metal album covers.
I’m an 80’s baby, and have always loved horror.
I absolutely love Return to Oz, I feel like it's a much better film than the first one, I love the dark vibe :D
Scared the crap out of me as a kid, but I just couldn't stop re-watching it!
so happy to see Billina making a surprise appearance. I thought she was headed straight to the KFC after filming the movie!
I still love this movie so much. A masterpiece
I loved this movie.......and I`m not saying that because the room full of screaming headless woman scarred me for life!
I love Return to Oz as a kid. The Wheelers, the Death Desert, TikTok, and the claymation stone sequences were awesome.
Deadly Desert
Wizard of Oz = MK Ultra Program!!!
One of two scenes that scarred me for life was the wheeler turning to sand......so EPIC!
Jack Pumpkinhead is my favorite, he's so sweet and innocent. I adore how he calls Dorothy "Mom" awww
A criminally underrated classic in my view!it's by far the most faithful adaptation of the Oz books on film.
I absolutely love this since I was a kid even more than the original. I remember tripping out that Faruza Balk plays Dorthy when she was so iconic as the witch Nancy in The Craft!
Never saw The Craft but it tripped me out when I learned she was Dorothy after seeing her as the trashy girlfriends in The Waterboy and American History X.
@@rossbooth4635 Haha! Oh yeah I forgot she was in those movies too! She’s had quite a different variety of roles!
@@mspears_bobobuddytheseniorcat omg she’s Nancy!!! I never realised! Somehow, this connection makes both movies even better!
The Craft is such a classic. Nancy freaked me the hell out as a kid/teen.
@@MidnightSonnet Same here! I remember first seeing it in the theater with one of my best friends and then getting the soundtrack which is still a 90’s classic!
As a child, this was my favorite fantasy movie. Saw it several times
I watched Return to Oz before the original and man did it mess with my head in a unique way. What was even better is on a tour through one of the major film studios, I was so excited to see the Moose head! The guide had moved its mouth, freaking all the adults out, while i was jumping excitedly. Thanks to this movie I worked in haunted houses, helped make props and did minor puppeteering.
I want those Return to Oz dolls, those look awesome! I was a bit confused by this movie as a kid thinking it was a more direct sequel to the first and wondering how Dorothy got younger, but I've always loved its darker tone and get a kick showing it to people who don't know about it or what to expect.
This movie is a great example of how practical effects can be superior to cgi.
The 1964 cartoon Return To Oz is what I watched growing up. I had it on a tape with 3 other movies. In this order: Jumanji, The Aristocats, Return To Oz, and The Mask.
I was just unaware of the 1985 movie as a kid. I watched it as an adult and loved it! I would have loved it as a kid too. The creepy scenes remind me of the creepy scenes in the original Watcher In The Woods.
Those wheelers scared the crap outta me as a kid. Still do. Thanks for the memories Minty. 😶🌫️
Yeah, but looking at them now they might not have posed any real threat to anyone. I mean they have wheels for hands and feet and act freaky, but that seems to be about all they can do.
@@doctorwyvern9992 Your reasoning is preposterous. By that logic small non poisonous spiders are also no threat. I beg to differ.
@@leviblevins513uh, are you sure you meant non poisonous? Anyway, the wheelers weren’t shown to have any abilities that would make them dangerous to anyone who could fight back. To me, they’re like small yipping dogs that act tough but cower and run away when their target goes on the offense.
I was in the Navy, and had just finished reading the DEL REY paperback reissues of the original books.
I was familiar with Murch's sound in American Grafitti.
Stoked to go see it, I immediately, saw the genius of combining the books to get over the Lack of Dorothy roadblock.
The theatrical sound was very echo-aden in the Gnome Realm/caves.
Great job, Minty!
I'm a HUGE fan of the Wizard of OZ,! When I was growing up, I had it on VHS and I played it none stop. I love everything about it! I thought that the Return to OZ was brilliant and is still one of my favorite movies of all! ❤️
L. Frank did put some dark and scary things in his books so Return to Oz was a little more faithful to his material.😊😮...he would have probably liked it.
I love how the tagline on the box for Return To Oz isn’t something like “Dorothy returns to the Land of Oz!” but instead “Can Dorothy SURVIVE her return to Oz???” haha
I can honestly say that I've watched Return to Oz more times than The Wizard of Oz... and I enjoy it more. It definitely hits harder, especially back in the day! My wife and I talk about this film fairly regularly, it really resonated with us... especially being freaked out by The Wheelers! Great video, Minty 👍😎 Kudos for having a real "Billiner" 👌😉
You might also notice that the man who is the primary wheeler is also the assistant pushing the squeaky wheeled gurney in the beginning.
Also, if you look closely, the Ozma girl is carrying a small Jack-o-lantern, a quiet nod to Jack pumpkin-head, which Jack reveals that Ozma is his real mom. She built him to scare Mombi as a prank. They side stepped the Tip storyline.
I had the read along storybook! It was my favourite thing to listen to 😂
Never heard of this Minty. Thanks so much for sharing this movie with us. Going to watch it soon
Wheelers. Head collection. Sanatorium. I was equally scared and intrigued by this movie! 😂
That poor kid being taken to electro shock therapy deeply disturbed me as a youngster
Love this movie! So much closer to the actual books!
Yes! I saw this in the theater when I was 11 years old and I absolutely loved It. Thank you for your video on it 👍
I 🖤 this film when I was a little guy. Thanks for the memories.
you valentine this film? Thats not what a heart looks like, so you can't be saying you heart this film...that wouldn't even make sense. I organ that pumps blood this film? Hipsters make no sense at all. One day you will stop talking in hyperbole and learn how to speak real English. Using words, where you use them because of their real definition and not whatever added connotations you have added to it.
the symbol you call heart is closer related to the human Butt...again that has nothing to do with emotions or even the organ you call a heart, so you must be one of those....tools? we were taught about in school. Bunch of brain dead people here in youtube huh
I still love how dark this movie is. It is a classic. Thanks for covering it Minty.
Such a weird and wonderful film - love it 😊
I LOVE The Return To Oz, plus it being Fairuza Balk's first film is REALLY COOL TOO!
I've always wanted to make a wheeler costume. I want to wear rollerskates with it. I think it would be SO KILLER!
This was packed full with A LOT of interesting information thanks Minty!
A Wheeler cosplay would be so badass if it was worn in short bursts. I can only imagine the strain on the limbs the actors went through.
@MidnightSonnet agreed
My idea for the arms would involve crutches strapped to the arms, and wheels at the bottom, then I'd probably cut feet off of stripped nylons to cover the crutches. I really think it could work!
As someone who was born in the 2000s, I first discovered this flick from Cinemassacre's review in 2011 and then we found a DVD at a gas station that a clerk really seemed to know about. I was a little scared at first before watching the movie because I heard how creepy it was. (But I also watched The Exorcist at that point too. So nothing can't be that bad.) After watching it, I wasn't scared at all. It actually reminded me a lot of James and the Giant Peach as a "dark whimsical" movie with a lot of surreal visuals and genuinely loveable characters like Jack, TickTock and the Gump. It's a loving tribute to the books and probably the only live action Oz to capture the books' tone, characters, designs, and aesthetic. Now it's become one of my favorite movies and I hope it gets as much attention as the original movie because it's really not that bad or that scary.
What was Cinnemasacre's reaction like?
@@shirleymaemattthews4862 It was all narration. But the clips of the movie he was showing tried to make it look like it was the most disturbing thing ever. And the scene with the hall of screaming heads, he went "Hoolllyyy shiiiiittttt!!!!"
@@brandonspain12345 what about the gnomes coming out the rock to eat Dorothy?
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Excuse me for real?, how is that possible I have struggling financially, how was that possible?
Thanks to my co-worker whom God used to give a great opportunity of crossing paths with 'Mrs KATE ELIZABETH BECHERER'.
She's a licensed broker here in the states🇺🇲 and finance advisor.
YES!!! That's exactly her name (Kate Elizabeth Becherer) so many people have recommended highly about her and am just starting with her Brisbane Australia🇭🇲
I have heard a lot of wonderful things about Kate Elizabeth Becherer on the news but didn't believe it until now. I'm definitely trying her out
Funny, as a child I plowed through the books and was in love with the characters and setting.
When Return came out my kids were 1 year old and so I never saw it. A local theater showed the Wondeful Wizard of Oz musical, by then the kids were about 3, it was the first movie they saw in a theater, the storm and Miss Gulch made them afraid, the colorful parts did not.
Possibly it is time to see this one, thanks Minty for the analysis.
I LOVED this film as a kid. Loved it.
Always loved this movie. 👍
I didn't see this film until I was an adult but a lot of my friends have fond memories of watching it as children. It's genuinely great and you're right in saying that Fairuza Baulk was perfectly cast.
Also impressed Minty got a real chicken for this vid!
Wish I had seen this in the theater as a kid. My sister and I loved this movie. We'd watch this one, Labyrinth, and Never Ending Story 2 quite a lot
loved this movie when i was a kid and still do to this day 30+ years later
The actual chicken took me off guard amazing lol
Same
I remember my father taking me to see this movie. I still love this movie ❤
It was a great movie
This was when directors didn't doubt the intelligence of kids.
I saw it in the theater and i loved it. The books are much darker than the original movie.
I was 30 when this movie was released and loved it immediately. Because it proved such an embarrassment to everyone involved, info about it wasn't available at the time. Thanks for the deep dive. Always worth a watch, this film, for all ages over 8 or so. Visually an absolute treat.
Still love this film over 40 years later. Having grown up watching the 1939 wizard of Oz movie, yes it was enjoyable but return to oz was made for my generation who liked more dark and weird stuff.
You mean likeDark Crystal, Labyrinth, Willow, Neverending Story and more?
@@Johnlindsey289 yes
I loved this movie as a kid!!! Have rewatched it a few times in adult hood and still think it’s great!
I preferred it to the first film. To my understanding it was closer to the books
This is one of my guilty pleasures. Loved it.
I've loved this movie since I was a kid. It is one my most favorite childhood movies growing up in the 80s with Poltergiest, The Neverending Story, and Flight of the Navigator. I loved Jack and Tic-Toc from the movie. They were my favorites from it. And the actress that played Dorothy was great. I felt she acted like we were along with her during the journey she was on in that movie.
I loved this film. Jack was so sweet!
My family used to hide my VHS copy of return to oz from me because i watched it so much as a kid. Now in my late 30s i love it even more ❤❤
Minty, we gotta have a few at the pub and talk about all the freaking movies we saw as kids. You always bring me back.
I had an Aunt Dotty whose real name was Dorothy.
Such a misunderstood movie for the times. I loved it so much. The sad sorrowful soundtrack, darker storyline (loved seeing Oz and the YBR destroyed and dismantled simply for the aesthetics and haunted looks) and new characters to root for was everything my little heart longed for. Brings about bittersweet feelings and memories mixed with excitement and loss. So many feeling at once
"Dotty" is an adjective for a mad person in old English BUT it's actually a nickname for "Dorothy" and that's what they meant in the film.
It's a nickname that a loved one has given someone called "Dorothy" and is very common in England (where I live), not because they are mad.
This.
With a blockbuster hat and a talking chicken you win the thumbs up for today. Great job and commitment minty!!!
Loved this film!!!!!
Minty, I love you!!!!! Thank you for this! ❤
One of my favorites movies
One of my favorites as well.
This was a really good fun film return to Oz got some scary stuff in this film
It was and will always be some of the best realised Oz movies to date...so much care and dedication went to its production and I'm Thankful it Exists and I watch this every Halloween and it continues to mesmerise me. Thank you Minty and my regards to Billina 🎃
i loved this movie...i used to pretend to be a wheeler....and then rollerblades became popular and it was like my wheeler dreams come true lol
The one thing is that the little girl has full access to the facility and teleports around like she's a ghost. The nurse reported two girls had escaped but never is shown to identify the other girl, meaning she just thought the girl was another of the patients, which the little girl may have been at sometime before her death. This leads to the notion that Oz isn't just in Dorthy's head as she could not have escaped the facility without Ozma's help. But Ozma's counter part is a ghost and because of the curse Ozma could not be active in Oz nor go there with Dorthy. One other take away is if the plot follows other ghost stories then the little girl was replaying how she died in the river trying to escape, which adds to the movie's dark tone. This some what goes with the 1939 version as Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Almira Gulch are one and the same and able to cross dimensions as seen when she transforms in the tornado.
This movie scared the bejesus out of me as a child, it had such scary imagery, unlike the original.
I'm now gonna watch Return to Oz before i get ready for work!!!
I discovered Return To Oz 2 years ago...
I loved it! I think it's better than the other Oz films. I love the dark vibe it has (I love horror films lol)
Such an underrated masterpiece of a movie, it would be a huge hit if it were released today and marketed correctly. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉.
Lol was just talking about this movie last week to my wife and friends.
Your original Return to Oz video was what initially brought me to your channel, so it is great to see you have more for us to share!
Tim Burton: awww that’s a pretty movie mind if I touch it. You know just put my fingerprints all over it?
He actually confirmed Jack Pumpkinhead was the inspiration for Jack Skellington because he was also a storyboard artist with Henry Selick.
Nicely done😊
@@brandonspain12345 I SO wish to see his and Henry Selick's art for this film! 😭
80s and 90s Burton would've made this movie great, too. The dark atmosphere is right up his alley. He made the first Batman movie epic and gritty (I grew up with a Batman that kills, so the whole idea of him suddenly having a no kill oath confused me in later films, lol), so I have no doubt that he would've made this movie even darker than it already was.
@@MidnightSonnet How will he portray the Nomes and wheelers?
Minty, I have not seen this movie and was a teenager in the 1980s. I hardly remember anything about this movie, hearing about it, or anyone talking about it. From the clips you've shown so far, it doesn't really make me want to see it but there seems to be a lot of positive comments and folks who DO love this movie.
gen x had all the best movies growing up.
Born 1982, i'm a Xennial and i grew up in the 80s and 90s and it ruled
They were intense, raw and vulgar. Wonderful to revisit but a bit overwhelming and unfriendly at the time. Societally, many conventions were breaking down and a creative anarchy ensued, with no clear line between child and teen, leaving us with timeless gems such as this.
Love it!! I had the Golden Book as a kid. This and Young Sherlock Holmes are underrated 80s gems
A masterpiece ahead of time. One of my all time favorite films. I cant count how many times I rented Return to Oz and The Witches. The authentic realism of makeup and special effects dont come near to modern day cgi. Only Guillermo Del Toro could remake Return to Oz.
I saw this at radio city music hall when I was a kid. They had a show and then the movie played. Great experience. I loved this as kid.
I think it's better then the wizard of oz. Ancle henry's house was half complete then fully complete when Dorothy got back too Kansas so how long was Dorothy gone for in oz.
Can't handle dark fantasy with no handle bars? This movie is the GOAT of its genre
Whoever created this movie deserves a standing ovation for not being a general cookie cutter and for thinking so far outside the box and executing it so well. My only squabble is that I want more and will never get it as no one has the balls or creatively or backers to ever re-create anything like this ever again, the optimistic whimsical feel good moments are so much more rewarding when hatching out of this dark world that feel us all with so much more gratification which this movie has plenty of
My favorite film of 1985. a masterpiece, a horror film disguised as a children's film. Great video as always Minty!
Back to the Future is my favorite of 1985 but this is one of my faves of1985.
I am in my mid 40's and I have always loved this film. The same is true for my partner, my sister, and the majority of my friends. I actually have a rare collectors addition of the film on VHS. SO GREAT!
I didn't grow up in the Anglo sphere, so "The Wizard of Oz" had very little cultural impact here. That means I got to se "Return to Oz" before I ever even heard of Oz and little me loved it. I still remember it fondly and I think it's the reason I like creepy horror stories now.
Anglo sphere as opposed to what? What bubble did you grow up in?
For reals what kinda shit is that!?
Oh, this built my love for the later American McGee's Alice insanity arcs
This was not a sequel to the 30's movie. This was an adaption of the books of the same name. Return was a compilation of Ozma of OZ, Marvelous land of OZ, and some of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. And if you read the books you know that this movie was a fairly accurate description as the books for childrens books are rather dark but its presented in a cutesy dark way. Such as the Tin man hacking off his own arms is reminisced as comical and playful instead of horrific. I loved this movie as a kid.
Agree