Return to Oz (1985)
Director: Walter Murch
Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh
Synopsis:
Six months after returning from Oz, Dorothy suffers from insomnia and an exasperated Aunt Em takes her for experimental psychiatric therapy, only for her to escape and find her way back to Oz, which has fallen into decay in her absence.
Impressions:
No small number of children of my generation have been traumatized by this film, and once I decided on a Wizard of Oz-themed week, I knew I needed to revisit this. It has been close to 35 years since the first and last time I saw this and it was interesting reviving those old hazy memories. If you come into this off the '39 version, the fall of Oz hits hard. The antagonists here are more disturbing and the moody feel is quite effective. This is Fairuza Balk's feature debut and she delivers a solid performance as Dorothy, and Nichol Williamson is very good as the Nome King. The trio of Tik-tok, Jack and the Gump feel like a second-string replacement for the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, which may or may not be an issue for you. Will Vinton and his people do the claymation effects, so that's always welcome. For being such a striking entry in the Oz cannon, I definitely recommend giving this a watch, maybe even consider adding it to your collection.
Watch It