Return to OZ

[countdowntoblastoff]

The best movie ever in the best home video format ever.

Give it up, Disney!!!

[tron3]

Oh man. I worked for Radio City Music Hall in 1985 when that was released. Disney came. They did a show and showed the movie. I have seen that DOZENS of times. Excellent claymation.

Yes, I know about the deadly dessert, the Wheelers, the rock people and how eggs are not allowed. Had some great effects. Like when the Wheeler bit the dust.

[Uuah]

Possibly one of the best special effects pictures of all time

[Sean4000]

If we touch something green it will show up on Blu!

Loved the ham sandwich plants and the activating tick-tock scene!

Awesome movie and definitely a day one purchase if we ever get it in HD. Funny, the last format I remember it released on was early VHS, did it ever make it to DVD?

[Barbie-Shrimp]

Originally Posted by Sean4000

...did it ever make it to DVD?

Yes, very recently. Like, a year ago.

[Sean4000]

Originally Posted by Barbie-Shrimp

Yes, very recently. Like, a year ago.

Hmm, then it could quite possibly have an HD master. How was the PQ Barbie? I only recall the quality of my ancient top-loading VHS player.

[Barbie-Shrimp]

Originally Posted by Sean4000

...How was the PQ? I only recall the quality of my ancient top-loading VHS player.

average.

[Sean4000]

"Average"

Boy you said it. Average at best.

[Red Hood]

I would love to have this one.

[Sean4000]

Absolutely would like to have this one even if the image isn't the best possible.

[iori]

I really would love to replace my dvd copy with a blu of this. Anybody else?

Any chance of disney ever putting this out?

[TheZoof]

That movie freaked me out. I remember the skater guys and tic tock. It was scary too the witch with her heads. Oh my...

I would be interested in this too(but WoO first).

[iori]

Yeah it def freaked me out when I first saw it. Love the wheelers though.

[Flanger-Hanger]

Freaky indeed, but good none the less.

It would make sense to release a 25th Anniversary Edition next year to capitalize on the 70th Anniversary re-issue of 1939 Oz film this year but I doubt Disney is smart enough to do something like that or even care.

There are lots of extras already made that could be included such as the TV special on the making of the movie (which has been posted online and is a great watch) that would add up to make a wonderful set.

[FindYourWay]

Totally bizarre movie. I hear this film is closer to the books, which I have never read.
I have it on SD, but a blu would be super cool and super creepy.

[Me-Hostage]

The release of Wizard of Oz has come and gone, and still no love shown for this movie. I hope they do release it one day though. Until then I will stick with my DVD, but I doubt Disney will release any time soon. They don't seem to care about their vintage classic films unless it's animated.

I remember watching it as a kid on Disney channel once, and it scared the crap out of me (same with Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass), but I came to love it and watch it every now and then. I was actually watching it tonight, which is what lead me to search it up on the site to see if there was a BD released for it.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by FindYourWay

Totally bizarre movie. I hear this film is closer to the books, which I have never read.

Obviously--The books are, in a word, ANTI-creepy. Baum's Oz-logic is an optimistic thing you will not find in this movie.
Well, you might have found it in the script before Walter Murch got his hands on it--Murch, OTOH, scares the children literally and figuratively.

(And in the real world, Disney has written this one so far off, it's one step away from being in the Archive ghetto.
The money it lost was a major Bay of Pigs for the studio in the pre-Eisner 80's, and we've got a better chance of seeing Hunchback and Hercules on Blu than we do of this one.)

[BluAtreyu]

Originally Posted by EricJ

(And in the real world, Disney has written this one so far off, it's one step away from being in the Archive ghetto.
The money it lost was a major Bay of Pigs for the studio in the pre-Eisner 80's, and we've got a better chance of seeing Hunchback and Hercules on Blu than we do of this one.)

I'm not so sure about that. This movie received 2 DVD releases (granted, the first was from Anchor Bay, but then Disney released one themselves), and as recently as last month a HD version of it was running on SHOWTIME HD, so clearly some attention has been paid to it. I'll agree that it's probably not one that Disney is rushing to put together a huge release for, but I would say that it's got enough of a cult fan base and 80s nostalgia push behind it to eventually see the light of Blu.

Also, Herc and Hunchback will clearly be coming to Blu before long. If Disney has released "Fox and Hound" which seriously underperformed and has never been a huge seller, they'll get around to Herc and Hunchback in the next few years.

[I-C-Blue]

Dang it just borrowed a copy from the library and realized it's released by Anchor Bay. I'm guessing the one by Disney is a bit better in quality?

Either way, would love to see this on the blu. This was one of my first movies to watch as a kid and I appreciated so many little things with it. And yes it was scary but I loved it.

EDIT: Crud it's letterboxed widescreen.

[The Mad Kiwi]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Obviously--The books are, in a word, ANTI-creepy. Baum's Oz-logic is an optimistic thing you will not find in this movie.
Well, you might have found it in the script before Walter Murch got his hands on it--Murch, OTOH, scares the children literally and figuratively.

I actually do find Return to Oz is closer in tone to Baum's novels than the MGM musical is (and I say that as someone who puts the Garland film in his top 5 favorite films). The books are surprisingly unfeeling. I don't mean to say they're necessarily cold, but Baum wrote in a very matter-of-fact way, and his character motivations reflected that. Dorothy in the books is in stark contrast to Judy's Dorothy. She not very emotional at all, and the few times she does manage to muster up something, she gets over it quickly. Disney's Return to Oz (and Fairuza Balk's performance) reflect that. There's not as much "ooh la la" gaping at everything as there is, "hmm, okay" type of reactions.

I'm willing to bet we'll see Return to Oz released to Blu-ray next year to coincide with Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful. They'll probably pull a Tron and wait till the new film is released to BD before releasing the old one. I doubt they'd put together as interesting bonus material as the folks at the Return to Oz YouTube Channel have. Those guys managed to get a hold of a workprint of the film and posted deleted scenes along with television specials and other vintage materials.