Return to Oz

Friday, July 20 - Saturday, July 21, 2012

Dir. Walter Murch in person Fri 7/20 at 12:05am show!

Chosen by Todd V. (manager) & James S. (concession staff)

35mm print “Walter Murch’s 1985 adaptation of the second and third Oz books couldn’t have less to do with the MGM classic: in the vein of such underground classics as Invaders From Mars and The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, it’s bleak, creepy, and occasionally terrifying. It opens with a depressive Dorothy (Fairuza Balk) receiving shock treatment at the hands of a mad doctor (Nicol Williamson); a lightning storm propels her to Emerald City, now dominated by a cruel princess (Jean Marsh) with a gallery of interchangeable heads and a malevolent mountain spirit (created by clay animator Will Vinton). Unlike brassy Judy Garland, Balk is distressingly natural and defenseless, lost in a landscape of nonhumans (read: adults). Studio pressure apparently forced Murch to back off from the full fury of his conception, but this is still strong stuff. Like the Oz of Baum’s books, the dazzling art direction is based on Chicago’s Columbian Exposition.” – Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

• Country USA
• Rating PG
• Year 1985
• Running Time 113 minutes
• Director Walter Murch

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.