Return to Oz

Director: Walter Murch Walter Murch

Overview

"Get ready for a strange voyage back to a strangely familiar fantasy land with Disney DVD's release of this belated sequel to The Wizard of Oz. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image is clean and nearly flawless. Sporting solid blacks, even skin tones, and little evidence of edge-enhancement, this disc will look great no matter how it's viewed. The Dolby Digital 5.1 remix rings through loud and clear, with no hiss to speak of, offering a great showcase for David Shire's wondrous score. Of course, Return to Oz wasn't exactly a box-office phenomenon when originally released in 1985, but that hasn't stopped Disney from including some interesting extra features. It's great to hear Fairuza Balk recollect her first major role in a candid and easygoing interview, and it's obvious that everyone involved in the production truly believed in the film. In addition to addressing issues of stratospheric audience expectations, Balk also talks about her longtime relationship with director Walter Murch and the grueling audition process she endured to land the coveted role of Dorothy. Though original TV spots and a theatrical trailer are also included, the television spots are in particularly poor shape and appear almost completely desaturated in addition to sporting onscreen timecode."

Product Details

Release Date:	02/03/2004
UPC:	0786936233780
Original Release:	1985
Rating:	PG
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:50:00
Sales rank:	9,891

Special Features

Fairuza Balk Returns to Oz" interview; Original TV spots; Original theatrical trailer; French-language track

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Fairuza Balk	Dorothy
Nicol Williamson	Dr. Worley / The Nome King
Stewart Larange	Jack Pumpkinhead
Jean Marsh	Nurse Wilson / Mombi
Deep Roy	Tin Man
Piper Laurie	Aunt Em
Matt Clark	Uncle Henry
Michael Sundin	Tik Tok
Tim Rose	Tik Tok
Mak Wilson	Billina
Steve Norrington	Gump
Justin Case	Scarecrow
John Alexander	Cowardly Lion
Emma Ridley	Ozma
Sophie Ward	Mombi II
Fiona Victory	Mombi III
Pons Maar	Nome Messenger/Lead Wheeler
Bruce Boa	Policeman
Susan Dacre	Actor
Geoff Felix	Actor
David Greenaway	Actor
Swee Lim	Actor
Rachel Ashton	Wheeler
Robbie Barnett	Wheeler
Alisa Berk	Wheeler
Peter Elliott	Wheeler
Roger Ennals	Wheeler
Michele Hine	Wheeler
Mark Hopkins	Wheeler
Colin Skeaping	Wheeler
Ken Stevens	Wheeler
Phil Tan	Wheeler,Wheeler
Robert Thirtle	Wheeler
Nicola Roche	Actor
Cheryl Brown	Actor
Alison Lynn	Actor
Sarah White	Actor
Sean Barrett	Tik Tok
Denise Bryer	Billing
Brian Henson	Jack Pumpkinhead
Lyle Conway	Gump
Tansy the Dog	Toto
Sadie Corré	Actor
David Shire	Composer

Technical Credits

Walter Murch

Gill Dennis

Ken Kolb

Walter Murch	Director,Screenwriter
Gary Kurtz	Executive Producer
Paul Maslansky	Producer
Ian Wingrove	Special Effects
Gill Dennis	Screenwriter
Marci Liroff	Casting
Susie Figgis	Casting
Ken Kolb	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

A dark fantasy-adventure, Return to Oz follows in the tone of the original L. Frank Baum books, Ozma of Oz and Land of Oz, rather than posing as a sequel to the classic of all family films, The Wizard of Oz. While seeming pretty creepy for younger viewers, older audiences may just be disturbed at the faded post-apocalyptic settings and bleak story when compared to the cheery and bright Technicolor of the 1939 Judy Garland Hollywood version. Opting for depressing and evil characters in lieu of the beloved simple types of the first is only one example of how a comparison puts this new version at a disadvantage. However, Return to Oz is stylistically compelling, doing its best to cinematically render Baum's original character drawings of the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. Will Vinton (creator of the stop-motion California Raisins) did some award-winning work on some of the creatures and special effects. By avoiding the musical genre trappings and casting a Dorothy (Fairuza Balk, in her first screen role) of actual kid age, it doesn't seem to patronize the youth audience with sugar-coated moralizing. Not known for his work in family entertainment anyway, writer/director Walter Murch previously worked as an editor and sound designer for Apocalypse Now and The Godfather. By offering a family-friendly way into a nightmare fantasy, Return to Oz is one of the few creature-laden '80s movies that allowed curious kids to venture into the dark side.