Return to Oz (1985)

Director:

Walter Murch

Writers:

L. Frank Baum (novels)
Gill Dennis (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

An all-new adventure down the yellow brick road.

Plot:

Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful.

Plot Keywords:

Wizard | Acute Insomina | Princess | Friendly Doctor | Mysterious Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Fairuza Balk	...	Dorothy
Nicol Williamson	...	Dr. Worley / The Nome King
Jean Marsh	...	Nurse Wilson / Mombi
Piper Laurie	...	Aunt Em
Matt Clark	...	Uncle Henry
Michael Sundin	...	Tik-Tok
Tim Rose	...	Tik-Tok
Sean Barrett	...	Tik-Tok (voice)
Mak Wilson	...	Billina
Denise Bryer	...	Billina (voice)
Brian Henson	...	Jack Pumpkinhead (voice)
Stewart Larange	...	Jack Pumpkinhead
Lyle Conway	...	Gump (voice)
Stephen Norrington	...	Gump (as Steve Norrington)
Justin Case	...	Scarecrow

Also Known As:

Oz (USA) (working title)
The Adventures of the Devil in the Sky (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

113 min | Finland:109 min (cut) | Finland:110 min (uncut)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-10 (uncut) | Netherlands:MG6 | Finland:K-8 (cut) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | UK:U (original rating) | Australia:PG | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

EMI Studios, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

BMI (No. 9) Ltd.

Trivia:

Leo McKern, who bore a strong resemblance to the character in the original Oz illustrations, was the first choice for the role of the Nome King. McKern turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts.

Goofs:

Continuity: Tik-Tok's thinking mechanism is activated by winding the key under his left arm, and his talking is activated by winding the one under his right arm. However, when he asks Dorothy to wind his thinking key before entering the ornament room, she winds the one under his right arm.

Quotes:

Billina: Some place for a chicken coop! How big is this pond anyway?
Dorothy: I don't think it's a pond, Billina. When did you learn to talk anyway? I thought hens could only cluck and cackle.
Billina: Strange, ain't it? How's my grammar?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Beetle Juice (1988)

Not that bad ( in fact pretty good)

I saw this for the first time when I was under ten and wasn't scared at all. In fact I loved it, but because it was on television I forgot about it for a long time. I recently rediscovered the movie and even as an adult I still love it. Yes, the movie is considerably darker the Wizard, but in my opinion it is a better and more interesting story. In light of the violence in movies today I do not think it is out of the question to allow a ten year old to see it and if you are a teenager or older I would certainly recommend this film. If you found Wizard of Oz too cutesy for your taste you may be pleasantly surprised by this underrated film.