It seems only fitting to celebrate one of the most horrific children's films of all time on the birthday of it's star, Fairuza Balk.
Despite being produced by Disney, "Return to Oz" is an amazing example of how dark children's films can really be. If you like headless princess, electroshock therapy, turn of the century asylums and cross-dressing stone men, then this is the film for you (or your maladjusted child).
The 1985 film is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's novels 'Ozma of Oz' and 'The Marvelous Land of Oz' , two novels in the thirteen book series. While it was marketed as a sequel to MGM's 1939 box office behemoth, 'The Wizard of Oz', it has very little in common with Judy's technicolor nightmare.
Picking up six months after the events of the MGM film, we find Dorothy, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry rebuilding their tornado ravaged farm. Concerned about their nieces increasingly bizarre rants about the strange Emerald City she visited, they do what any reasonable adult at the dawn of the 20th Century would do and they cart her off to an insane asylum for a cutting edge and experimental "treatment". Given that the film is set at the dawn of the era of electricity, this exciting new treatment is the completely child appropriate and at the time largely untested, electro-shock therapy.
Arriving at the incredibly sinister "hospital", Dorothy is greeted by the malign Nurse Wilson and the suspiciously comforting Dr. Worley, a pioneer in the field of electro-therapy. Once she's strapped down on the gurney and said Doctor is about to zap her back to health, a storm hits, cutting the power and plunging the hospital into chaos.
With the help of a mysterious young patient, Dorothy escapes the hospital. Falling into a nearby river, she loses consciousness and wakes up in Oz with her trusty hen, Billina. Finding the previously magnificent Land of Oz destroyed, she sets off to see the two antagonists responsible, The Nome King, who has stolen all of the Emerald City's Emeralds and imprisoned it's rulers, and his second in command, Princess Mombi.
Pursued by the evil Wheelers, a band of roller skate-limbed punk henchmen, Dorothy picks up friends along the way such as TikTok; a robot soldier from the former Royal Army of Oz, Gump; a talking hybrid moose-sofa and Jack Pumpkinhead; a 10ft scarecrow with a gourdy jack-o-lantern for a head.
They first meet Princess Mombi (pictured right with Dorothy) who, in similar style as the MGM film, is portrayed by the same actress that played Nurse Wilson. Mombi has the not very Disney friendly hobby of collecting the decapitated heads of beautiful women and keeping them in a viewing gallery so she can wear them as she pleases. Realizing Mombi's evilness, Dorothy and co head off to find the Nome King and ask him to return Oz to it's former glory and restore the monarchy that he overthrew.
Finally finding the Nome King (aka Dr Worley), he tells them he has turned all the former residents of Oz into statues in his treasure room. He tells Dorothy that if she can guess which ornaments are her friends, he will free them. In typical Evil Villain style, he welches on his promise. Dorothy and her friends engage in shenanigans and, to cut to the chase, Dorothy frees her friends and the baddies get their comeuppance (in Oz and Kansas).
What makes this film great (apart from everything previously mentioned) is that it doesn't condescend it's child viewers. It's dark, bleak and horrific, all within it's appropriate rating and still managed a Disney seal of approval. It didn't fare well at the box office, but has developed a cult following and is easily obtainable on DVD.
"Return to Oz" is a steam punk fantasy, a nightmare world sapped of colour and warmth, presenting real evil in it's characters.
They don't make children's films like this anymore, and that's sad.
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