Monster of the Day #3357

Updated on March 10, 2022 By Ken Begg 10 Comments

Return of Dr X (in no way a sequel to Dr. X) led to Showdown in Little Tokyo. I remember not liking it much way back in the day–maybe because of the constant jokes about how big Dolph Lundgren’s dick was–but the Chads gave it very high marks, so you might want to give it a look. Then they got Return to Oz, a film I never saw and have now missed seeing on a big screen, worse the luck. People didn’t like it back in the day, because it was very dark and they nearly all knew Oz only from the 1939 film. It’s gained a bit of a cult audience since then, though.

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  • Beckoning Chasm

    Return to Oz is pretty fascinating, though yeah, it’s dark. The claymation stuff is outstanding. You’ve never seen rocks with such easily interpreted expressions.

  • kgb_san_diego

    It is pretty bat-^&*( crazy. Yeah, I kinda love it.

  • The Rev.

    If you remember a bunch of jokes about Dolph’s dick, that could be part of the problem; I only recall there being one. Although there’s a pretty bad joke after his sex scene, too, which isn’t about his dick but kind of in that ballpark. Comedy was definitely not the movie’s strong suit, although it had its moments.

    I saw RtO when I was young and remembered tiny bits of it over the years. I quite enjoyed it this time around. Some wonderful practical effects throughout, fine performances, definitely some weirdness…my subconscious may have filtered some stuff out as I didn’t remember the head-collecting witch or how horrifying the Scarecrow is. On the other hand, the Wheelers were less creepy, because I had recalled that their masks were their actual faces.

  • I saw Return on its original theatrical run and as I had already read the books, I enjoyed seeing them actually incorporate so much from Ozma of Oz specifically. But the changes did make it a lot darker and I’ve always been the sort of person (yep, even as a kid) that gets irritated at book adaptations that wildly rewrite plots (the framing story has no even vague equivalent, but I guess being washed off a ship in the middle of the night during a hurricane force gale and surviving by climbing into a floating chicken coop with no idea of how one would survive was too cheerful), so I was on the fence about it on first viewing, but even then appreciated the spirit being so much closer to the Oz of story. Since then I’ve come to really appreciate what an excellent film it really is.

  • Eric Hinkle

    I’m one of the fans of this movie. Yes, it’s dark, but in a way that kids can manage. I also read the novelization and the extra characterization it gave to both Mombi and the Nome King. Those two had what was probably my favorite scene in the film: “You had her, and you let her escape!” “It’s not my fault… This was your idea!” (Complete with a giant ‘Oh, crap!’ look on Mombi’s face when she realizes what she said.)

    And has anyone else read Tv Tropes review where they state how the film is ‘obviously’ about homophobia and Dorothy’s gay awakening? (Really guys, about a little girl? Eeewww…)

  • Gamera977

    OMG, I’ve GOT to find a copy of this now!

    Guess I should read the original ‘Oz’ stories first though. I’m one of the normies that have only seen ‘The Wizard of Oz’ film…

  • Ken_Begg

    I haven’t read them in decades, but I think they’ll hold up pretty well, in that reading Robert E Howard or Edgar Rice Burroughs sort of way.

  • Definitely read at least the first two books. I can’t say anything about Return to Oz, but the Garland Oz, good as it is, doesn’t really do justice to the series.

  • Gamera977

    Thanks! I found copies of eight out of the ten or so books online and downloaded them. Now it’s just a matter of finding the time to read them.

    People told me for years about how good ERB and REH were and yet it took me forever to get around to reading them. I like ERB but Howard is DAMN, that’s some amazing writing!!!

  • Ken_Begg

    It’s like reading Hammett or Chandler (although the latter was a bit more literary). Just gorgeously clean, simple writing. Seriously, though, if anyone hasn’t read Hammett’s short fiction, do so. Start with the Continental Op stuff.