This week on Total Movie Recall, we acknowledge that The Wizard of Oz is, yes, a classic. However, it’s missing a certain je ne sais quoi, and we try to put our fingers on exactly what it needed. We conclude that classic, whimsical children’s film needed more childhood lobotomy, forced imprisonment, Queens pulling their own heads off, and Veruca Salt. Or Fairuza Balk? Potato potato.
Return to Oz (1985)
d. Walter Murch
Based on books by L. Frank Baum
Starring:
Fairuza Balk as Dorothy
Nicol Williamson as the Nome King
Jean Marsh as Mombi
Piper Laurie as Aunt Em
Brian Henson as Jack Pumpkinhead
Dorothy discovers she is back in the land of Oz, and finds the yellow brick road is now a pile of rubble, and the Emerald City is in ruins. Discovering that the magical land is now under the control of an evil empire, she sets off to rescue the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion with the help of her new friends.
Things discussed in the show:
Electroshock Therapy / Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
The Willies - Labyrinth - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Ozma of Oz
PEN15 (Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman)
Booksmart (Olivia Wilde, Emily Hal
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.