Forgotten Disney 'horror' sequel that terrified a generation is 'one of scariest' children's films ever made
Decades after the Wizard of Oz hit screens, an unofficial Walt Disney sequel was made which quickly earned itself an eerie reputation.
Return to Oz is a dark fantasy film following Dorothy's return to the Land of Oz. Instead, it follows an unfortunate twist when she arrives and is welcomed by mainly rubble after it was conquered by a cruel king.
The children's movie instead was branded a 'horror' and was dubbed 'one of the darkest children's films ever made', with a number of creepy scenes including in a psychiatric ward and involving a headless princess which kept a collection of children's heads.
It didn't perform at the box office when compared with the $28 million budget, but later became a cult favourite.
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It became notorious for terrifying young audiences, as Dorothy Gale becomes trapped in Princess Mombi's chamber of disembodied heads.
It also features the Wheelers, a pack of evil creatures with wheels for feet and scenes where a young Dorothy has her memories of Oz erased by a creepy doctor.
Released in 1985, it had its first premiere in the United States, but the critical reception was largely mixed. At the time, reviewers Siskel and Ebert labelled it 'trashy' and claimed it was likely to terrify children.
The Guardian said the film exists today 'largely in the nightmares of fortysomethings', but praised the 'devastatingly dark movie' for a 'dizzying sense of ambition and a dazzling central turn'.
However American film editor and director Walter Mulch told a documentary on its 40th anniversary that he disagreed with the sentiment, saying: "People said this is too scary for kids.
"I thought, well, kids are looking at films with heads being chopped off and blood gushing everywhere, and nothing like that happens in this film.
"No-one even touches anyone else to hurt them."
That may be true, but viewers certainly didn't feel like the film was without its unsettling moments.
In one scene, a young Dorothy played by Fairuza Balk sees her sneak into Mombi’s collection of severed heads to steal the Powder of Life. But the heads wake up, scream her name, and then Mombi’s headless body chases her.
Other scenes include the Wheelers, a group of bizarre characters than have wheels instead of hands and feet along with freaky faces on their helmets.
In one Reddit forum, viewers claimed they were 'traumatised' by the odd characters which were 'creepy'.
And in another unsettling scene, before Dorothy's return to the Land of Oz, she is taken to a psychiatric institution because she insists that Oz is real.
There, the doctor intends to treat her with electroconvulsive therapy in a bid to make her forget her memories.
After discovering the fantasy land famed in the original film, along with the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City had been destroyed, Dorothy with her new friends, including Tik-Tok, Jack Pumpkinhead and the Gump, she must defeat the evil rulers and restore Oz to its former glory.
Disney itself describes the Wheelers as 'creepy' and Princess Mombi as 'head-hunting', but the official listing bills the film as adventure, family and fantasy.
However in an article by the BBC, it was described as one of the 'darkest children's films ever made.'
In one Reddit forum discussing the movie, it was dubbed 'absolutely terrifying' as one user wrote: "I still find it absolutely terrifying, and I’m 29. Anyone find this film a scary ride?"
"Even the good guys are kind of creepy in their ways," another said. "Like Jack asking Dorothy to check if the inside of his head is starting to rot was unnerving to young me.
"Imagine the inside of your head doing that. And the Gump being a kind of Frankenstein monster of assorted household objects."
A third chimed in: "I always found it scary, even the things that weren't meant to be - like the severed head attached to a sofa they rode about. It was all so weird. The Wheelers were the worst though."
As a fourth commented: "The movie begins with Dorothy being committed to an asylum and then set up for electro-shock treatment, and that's all before all the stuff in Oz happens."
Despite this, over the years it has become a favourite and gained a new generation of fans. It has a rating of 71 percent on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 50,000 ratings.
And, American Cinematheque's Walter Murch retrospective included Return to Oz in a programme celebrating the filmmaker's career.
Topics: Film, Entertainment
James Holt