Return to Oz

Director: Walter Murch

1985 / 113min / 35mm

For his first and to date only film as a director, Murch brought Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk, stepping into the ruby slippers of Judy Garland) back to the world created by L. Frank Baum for a film whose poster promised “Disney adventure and magic,” but in fact delivered a dark, disquieting vision of Oz, its denizens menaced by Nicol Williamson’s Nome King, Jean Marsh’s head-swapping Princess Mombi, a terrifying stop-motion animated mountain spirit, and other assorted baddies, like the fiendishly cackling Wheelers. Having the temerity to entirely reimagine such a beloved property brought Murch into conflict with studio brass, but there was only so much they could do to lighten up his bleak interpretation of Baum, resulting in a film admired by an ardent cult for its unstinting eeriness as well as ingenious art direction and use of practical effects.

Distributor: Swank Motion Pictures