Return to oz merch?

[disneygoof1]

I just finished watching Return to oz, and knowing that its Disney, how come there is no merchandise for the movie in the parks? No pins, stuffed animals, even no soundtrack for the movie, it has great music. Why don't they sell anything from this movie?:shrug:
Any thoughts?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

because Disney doesn't really care for their older live action releases (except for Mary Poppins). This means they get zero merchandise, except for the occassional pin and low quality DVD releases. The Vault Disney line (of DVDs) is an exception but that died a while ago. Your best bet for merchandise is ebay.

 

[LorangeJuice]

WOW! Now that is a blast from the past!!! And here I thought that nobody would ever get it when I would touch something green and yell "OZ!" at the top of my lungs.....

 

[Craig & Lisa]

The other possibility is that the movie sorta bombed in the theater, the only name I remember from the movie was a new comer named Farusa Balk.

 

[Rob562]

Oh god! Flashbacks! Noooooo!!!!! [Runs and hides under my bed....]

Return to Oz scared the crud out of me as a kid! I was maybe 8 or 9 when it came out, and we saw it in the theater (one of the few movies I actually remember seeing as a kid). That was one freaky movie for an impressionable kid (with a wild imagination) to see. Dorothy getting shock treatment to "cure" her of her dreams about Oz? The yellow brick road in ruins? Everyone being turned into trinkets? Princess Mombi changing her heads? And then when the headless Princess Mombi goes after Dorothy? [SHUDDER]

A few years back, I saw it on clearance on VHS and decided to buy it, because I was *sure* it couldn't have been as bad as I'd remembered it. Nope, still just as disturbing as before.

While the movie had great costumes and (most) sets, they killed the budget on those, so the special effects were a bit lacking, even for the mid-80's when it was made. I'm sure it's one of those movies that Disney would rather push aside and pretend they hadn't made it...

I don't think I've ever seen any merchandise for it.
EDIT: A search on ebay found mostly DVDs, but a couple posters, a book, a puzzle and a board game.


-Rob

 

[Figment82]

Isn't the castle located in one of the Storybook Canals? I remember seeing it at either Disneyland or Disneyland Paris.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Disneyland Paris does have a Return to Oz section. Also the Main Street Electrical Parade had a Return to Oz float with costumes used in the movie. And Yes Return to oz is creepy as hell, which is why it failed at the box office (to many parents expecting it to be like MGM musical).

 

[Jerm]

The other possibility is that the movie sorta bombed in the theater, the only name I remember from the movie was a new comer named Farusa Balk.

SORTA!!!!! It was BAD, while I enjoy the film most people thought it was the sequal to Wizard of Oz not a top notch film that is a mix of some of the best parts of the books. When it came out the studio was really behind it, but it was such a bomb the studio sold away rights to release it on DVD till a few years ago when they got it back. If you look for the first dvd release of it, it was put out by Anchor Bay that has not a thing to do with Disney. Then when it made some money as a "cult" film and Disney got it back and started putting out almost the exact same DVD just under their brand.

This is a good site about all things RoO http://www.waltdisneysreturntooz.com/

J

 

[Greenlawler]

We have a vhs copy. We are fans of the book series. Return to Oz combines parts of the second and third books, but mostly the third book in the series, I believe (its been a while).
-The sequal to Oz actualy featured the exploits of Ozma (while she was magincaly disguised as a boy, by the witch Mombi), and the war General Jinjur declares on the Emerald City. Dorothy, is not in the sequal, but characters like Jack the pumpkinhead and the Gump are. As well as some characters that are not in the film.
-The third book featured Dorothy, Tick Tock (in his debut) and Ozma who teamed with the Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Woodsman to square off with the Gnome King. Which is the main story of the movie Return to Oz.
As with most books to film, we prefered the books.

 

[maelstrom]

Probably because the movie would terrify most kids.

Fairuza Balk <3

 

[Figments Friend]

Wow....i have not heard anyone bring up this movie in ages!

Yeah, the mid 80's were not good or Disney ( the exception being "Splash").

I remember when Return to Oz was being promoted before release. There was a huge mega-million marketing campaign in full swing as Disney was certain this one was going to be a winner with families. They had a funny way of choosing "family film" material back then...( RtO, The Black Cauldron..). As much as i like these movies, and enjoy them or their "dark" content/feel...i can easily understand WHY they flopped. They scared the crap outta the kids big time!

I have fond memories of visiting WDW in 85' and seeing the promotional onslaught for RtO in the Parks ( only two then!). I remember vividly walking inside somewhere ( maybe Commuicore at EPCOT?) and there was a large cardboard standee similar to the in-theatre displays set up in the hallway. I remember it as i always liked the poster art for Return to Oz. Drew Struzan's (sp?) work is stunning and the movie poster art was awesome.

I have some old magazines still with articles about RtO, as well as a read-along 7-inch record, lots of gum cards ( trading cards), stickers, and the novel version of the Disney film ( well worth finding too..). I was such a freak over it i even clipped out the newpaper ads for it. I also made a puppet of The Gump, who was the strange creature Dorothy and friends literally pieced together to escape Mombi's tower.

The Black Cauldron and Return to Oz, along with Splash were big faves of mine back when they were originally released. Glad to hear someone is still enjoying this quirky live action film!