Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1980s
    Movies - 1980s Movies - R 3 Mins Read

    Return to Oz (1985)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    This belated sequel to the classicΒ TheΒ Wizard of Oz (1939) begins with Dorothy (nine-year-old Fairuza Balk) – six months after her original trip to Oz – being taken by Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) to a horrific Victorian asylum for electric shock treatment to rid her of her fantasies (pictured below).

    Dorothy then proceeds to a nightmare version of Oz where the Yellow Brick Road is covered in weeds, Emerald City is deserted and covered in graffiti, and the mad Princess Mombi (Jean Marsh) and the evil Nome King (Nicol Williamson) are destroying everything that makes the magical land beautiful.

    The Nome King has turned everyone to stone and Mombi is after more human heads for her collection.

    Dorothy swears to restore Oz with the help of some new friends – a mechanical man called Tik Tok (played by Michael Sundin and voiced by Sean Barrett) who looks like a cross between Teddy Roosevelt and R2-D2; Jack Pumpkinhead (played by Stewart Larange and voiced by Brian Henson) – faintly reminiscent of Ray Bolger’s Scarecrow; and the Gump (played by Stephen Norrington and voiced by Lyle Conway), a flying apparatus made up of two sofas and a Moosehead.

    The group are chased by some disturbing new villains – watch out for the Wheelers (pictured below right), they’ll haunt you for life! – and the special effects are outstanding, as are the sets, the lighting, the costumes and the characters.

    Despite the presence of a talking chicken (Billina), this is a frighteningly grim and sinister fantasy.Β There is no safety in Oz, no security at home, no joy anywhere and a lack of any warmth or affection.

    The events and characters are quite macabre and the heavier andΒ darker tone of the film is perhaps not even suitable for the Disney-target group.

    Return to Oz was nominated for five Oscars. It won none and vanished completely for 20 years.

    Dorothy
    Fairuza Balk
    Dr Worley/Nome King
    Nicol Williamson
    Nurse Wilson/Mombi
    Jean Marsh
    Aunt Em
    Piper Laurie
    Uncle Henry
    Matt Clark
    Tik-Tok
    Michael Sundin
    Tim Rose
    Tik-Tok (voice)
    Sean Barrett
    Billina
    Mak Wilson
    Billina (voice)
    Denise Bryer
    Jack Pumpkinhead
    Stewart Larange
    Jack Pumpkinhead (voice)
    Brian Henson
    GumpΒ 
    Stephen Norrington
    Gump (voice)
    Lyle Conway
    Scarecrow
    Justin Case
    Cowardly Lion
    John Alexander
    Tin Man
    Deep Roy
    Ozma
    Emma Ridley
    Mombi II
    Sophie Ward
    Mombi III
    Fiona Victory
    Lead Wheeler
    Pons Maar
    Wheelers
    Rachel Ashton
    Robbie Barnett
    Ailsa Berk
    Peter Elliott
    Roger Ennals
    Michele Hine
    Mark Hopkins
    Colin Skeaping
    Ken Stevens
    Philip Tan
    Rob Thirtle

    Director
    Walter Murch

    Related Posts

    • Hope and Glory (1987)
      Hope and Glory (1987)
      Hope and Glory is director John Boorman's autobiographical look at growing up as a young boy in London during the…
    • Willow (1988)
      Willow (1988)
      Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley star in a tale about a baby whose safekeeping will overthrow an evil empire, but…
    • Sleeping Beauty (1959)
      Sleeping Beauty (1959)
      Based on Charles Perrault's enduring fairy tale, this was Disney's most expensive cartoon to date, costing $6 million and taking…
    • Shock Treatment (1981)
      Shock Treatment (1981)
      On the drawing board for almost four years,Β Shock Treatment is notionally a sequel to the 1975 cult classicΒ The Rocky Horror…
    • Robin and Marian (1976)
      Robin and Marian (1976)
      The popular image of Robin Hood is of a young adventurous rogue, but in Robin and Marian, our hero and…
    • Class Of 1984 (1982)
      Class Of 1984 (1982)
      Perry King stars as Andy Norris, the new music teacher at run-down Abraham Lincoln High School who takes the law…
    • Teen Wolf Too (1987)
      Teen Wolf Too (1987)
      The original Teen WolfΒ (1985) was a big hit, although that was probably more to do with the fact that star…
    • Dr Caligari (1989)
      Dr Caligari (1989)
      Without doubt one of the strangest films of all time,Β Dr CaligariΒ is akin to an acid trip through the darkest recesses…

    Disney
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleMann’s Best Friends
    Next Article Vixen! (1968)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Kansas City Bomber (1972)
      The highs, lows and pitfalls of being a roller derby queen are […]
    • Ballyskillen Opera House, The
      1 9 8 1Β (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes Billed as a cross between a […]
    • Film Fun
      1 9 8 2 – 1 9 8 3 (UK) 28 x 30 minute episodes Derek […]
    • Super, The
      1 9 7 2Β (USA) 10 x 30 minute episodes All Joe Girelli (Richard […]
    • Richard L. Bare, β€˜Green Acres’ Director, Dies at 101
      28 March 2015 Richard L. Bare, who wrote and directed hundreds […]
    • Taking Of Pelham One, Two, Three, The (1971)
      “You’re trapped like rats in an underground tunnel. […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-64558222 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    David Bowie's handwritten Jean Genie lyrics sold for £57,000

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The handwritten sheet was given to the founder of the inaugural David Bowie fan club by the star.
    9 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html

    More sad news 😒
    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dead at 75 | CNN

    edition.cnn.com

    Cindy Williams, the dynamic actress known best for playing the bubbly Shirley Feeney on the beloved sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," has died, according to a statement from her family, provided to CNN by a...
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64442824 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Television frontman Tom Verlaine dies at 73

    www.bbc.co.uk

    His band rose to fame in the 1970s New York punk scene, scoring UK hits including Marquee Moon.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news πŸ˜ͺ

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid πŸ˜‚

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😒

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear πŸ˜₯ rest in peace πŸ™ πŸ•Š xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😒

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright Β© 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.