The Goonies & Return to Oz (40th anniveraries)

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Straw Hut Media.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hey you guys, it's your host, Mark J. Parker and
this is the one hundredth episode of Release Date Rewind.
Thank you so much for celebrating this special milestone with
me and checking out this podcast where we celebrate milestone
anniversaries in film. Now, normally I would have my microphone,
but I'm visiting my family in New Jersey where I

(00:26):
grew up watching many of these movies that we've discussed
on this podcast, including the movies we're about to discuss
in this episode. So normally I sound a little bit better.
But I'm right now in this big field that I
grew up going to all the time, and it felt
kind of appropriate to go outside. It's summer, and it's
the one hundredth episode, and this place holds a lot

(00:48):
of special memories for me personally, so I thought, why
not start this special episode in a special place. This
is an indie self produced show and as part of
the straw Hut Media Network and the u UN Podcast
Network and is AI free. Whether this is your first
listen or your one hundredth. I'm a film lover and
a filmmaker, and each time I bring on a friend

(01:10):
or two or three to honor and discuss movies we
love from the past. And for this unique milestone episode,
we have a memorable Summer nineteen eighty five double feature,
The Goonies and Return to Oz, two intense adventures that
have stayed in our hearts and minds for forty years.

(01:30):
So grab your friends, wear your pirate gear and your
ruby slippers, and if you'd like to watch or rewatch
these movies before listening, Return to Oz is streaming on
Disney Plus in the US, but The Goonies is sadly
currently not streaming right now, so you can rent it,
borrow it, or find it on some random site. All right, kids,

(01:51):
we're not in Kansas anymore, so grab the treasure map
because it's time to rewind. I love her so much.
She's back on the pod. Solana Sorrento is in the house. Hi, Salama, Hello, Hello.

(02:16):
It's so great to not only see you, but to
see you for another eighties double feature. Cause Solana, you
were on this podcast literally like a year ago. I
looked in our emails when I was emailing you the
directions for today. So June eighties double features. Last time
it was Ghostbusters of course, and Gremlins.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Oh shit, I'm a.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Joe lighthouse lous there and I want to report from.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Just like that last prank about all those little creatures
that multiply when you throw water on them.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Now it's Goonies and return to Oz. I just feel
like it's meant to be, like you're my eighties queens, right, yeah,
like you were born We were born in the eighties,
so it just makes it, you know, And these movies
are so much I already knew they were so much
fun after all the rewatches, but on these latest rewatches
that I just was doing this week, God, there's so

(03:07):
much fun. Do you still love them?

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Yes? I do. I do, and I see them differently
now that I'm older, especially returned to Oz. Yeah, yeah,
I think I watched that.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
It is so weird and twisted and actually very creepy.
I mean, you and I that is so up our
alley as adults and as kids. So we were loving it.
But I understand why it wasn't you know, the biggest
hit forty years ago, right, yeah, the Goonies, and you
know the Goonies we know is much more family friendly,

(03:41):
although you know, there's definitely some intense moments for sure.
Both of these movies have some you know, surprising like,
oh they're going there, you know what I mean those moments, right.
But the Goonies I had just watched probably five years
ago for maybe it's thirty fifth anniversary. It hasn't been
very long since I rewatched it. But on this latest rewatch,

(04:02):
especially because I like to watch with the subtitles on
just so I can like catch every line, you know, yead,
It's so funny. These kids are so funny. The script,
the dialogue, there's so much sass, so much shade. I
love it. It was making me laugh by myself, you know,
I know, yeah, so good. But before we nerd out everybody,

(04:22):
I just saw this lovely lady. On my birthday two
months ago, we saw Death becomes Her. Not eighties, but
it feels eighties early nineties. We saw Death becomes Her
on Broadway, which was so much fun that Thank you again,
Salona for meeting me in New York. It was such
a good day, rights so much fun, so fun. We
had a quick lunch and really like a snack and
Broadway and I wasn't able to be there on your

(04:44):
birthday a month later, but I at least was able
to be there vicariously. Yes, I was there in spirit.
You went to a really cool what was it called?

Speaker 1 (04:53):
It was the Paranormal Museum, and you loved it. I
loved it. You pictures?

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, oh yeah, you Sai with your mom? And did
your mom like it? Because I'm sure she's like, I
don't need to go in there.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, she was like worth more. Mark needs to come
to Salem.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
I know. Yeah, you're gonna be in Salem in October again, right, Yes,
when you go to Salem, you go all week, baby,
I do you maximize your time there? What a good
little witch.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
And then we have to do our our annual It's
gonna be now our annual dinner.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
At bell You let me know which night is for you.
I will go there, you me, your mom, the housewives.
I will go there at least once a year.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
I love that place to sit in the corner where
Ramona danced on the table.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Which I've sat there before. And yes, if we if
we can like make our reservation, say we want that table,
they will, they should. They let me sit there a
couple of years ago. Oh my god, yeah that.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
Oh, I'm sure they were like you were here last year.

Speaker 4 (06:02):
Steven Spielberg presents the Goonies a Richard donnerh.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
The Goonies definitely feels like summer. Return to Oz maybe
because they talk about Halloween. The Return to Oz does
not feel summer to me. Do you do you agree?
It's got such a fall vibe, although you know the
Goonies also, it's so funny. These movies both came out
in June. But the Goonies also they mention that it's fall.
They say, why why is someone like going into that?
That's like a summer place. The restaurant where the Fertellis are, right,

(06:37):
that's a summer place. Why is anyone going in there
in the fall? So that's funny. I guess it is
a fall movie, but it just feels so Spielberg summer.
The bikes, you know, like I was thinking, like the
Goonies walked so that stranger things could run with the
bike action. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Exactly? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (06:54):
Right?

Speaker 1 (06:55):
The Lost Boys that and the Lost Boys I think
may string.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Oh yeah, sure, yeah, yeah, you know I was thinking
rewatching these movies and maybe you agree, like, man, this
was such an exciting time for I'll say, kid focused.
I don't want to say family friendly, because you know,
these movies had some dark moments, but kid focused like
adventure fantasy. Like this was June of eighty five. Everybody
forty years ago. The year before, the summer before was

(07:22):
Never Ending Story, right Back to the Future was about
to come out. These movies came out just a couple
weeks before Back to the Future. The year after was
Labyrinth and Legend, which I love with Tom Cruise Tim Curry.
So like just really a very fun time where like
we had some really iconic eighties movies each year around

(07:42):
this time, you know, yeah, yeah, memorable stuff.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Right like Ghostbusters I think was June.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, but not that, and Gremlins was exactly the year before,
one year before these absolutely yeah, like Chris Columbus had
Gremlins and then this a year later, and like then
a couple of years after Home Alone, Like, it's really
amazing to see the streak that some of these people.
Steeden Spielberg the year before Goonies last May I talked

(08:10):
about on the show was oh gosh, now I'm blanking
Indiana Jones and uh, oh my god, which Indiana Jones
was it? Not? Raiders of the Lost Art, Temple Go
uh huh exactly brain yeah, right, our age is showing.
But right, so like and there are so many Indiana
Jones moments and the Goonies, Like having Indiana Jones fresh

(08:31):
in my mind, I'm like, oh my god, like you
can feel Spielberg all over the Goonies, right, you know
what I mean? Oh yeah, yeah, the booby traps and
things falling and rolling. I'm like, this is so Indiana, right. Yeah,
It's really amazing because like earlier this month, I saw
the new Mission Impossible uh in theaters, and even that

(08:52):
has become sort of like a modern day Indiana Jones.
Like it's pretty amazing how that character those movies from
the eighties Indiana Joe. It's really like inspired a lot
you see that DNA and a lot of movies now,
even like it seems like even Scarlett Johanson and the
New Jurassic Park is giving like some Indie you know,
with like yeah, climbing and like, you know, it just

(09:14):
feels like that DNA has really expanded into a whole
bunch of franchises, you know.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, I think because everybody in them, well mostly they
they're probably like close to our age, so like they
grew up with that, so that's what they probably.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
Yeah, these creators, you're right, are totally inspired by like
the great movies of their youth around like us. Right. Yeah,
so let's first talk about the Goonies. So when did
you first see The Goonies? Do you remember?

Speaker 1 (09:44):
I was probably I was probably like four or five.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yeah, you probably watched it at home, yeah.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
Yeah, because that's around the time. I think like I
probably watched like Indiana Jones, so I was all into that,
oh yeah, and anything with like kids, of course.

Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah. They were close in our age, right that most
of these kids, I feel like we're probably around like
twelve right ish. Yeah, I know Josh Roland was seventeen. God,
what a cutie. Oh my god. I still have a
crush on him in this movie. The old I mean,
all the kids. The cast is so damn good, but
the older kids are just so cool, you know, him

(10:24):
and the girls, Martha Plimpton, Carrie Green, Kerry Green. Yes,
such a cutie. Oh my god, what a dream girl.
Right yeah, what do you think of the cast? Who's
your favorite? Who's your favorite goony.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
Chunk? Oh my god, the chunk. I'd be the one
that everybody got away but me, I'd be suck.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
You are fuddy. I feel like you are chunk because
he's he's nervous. I mean, I'm I'm very chunk. He
was nervous about like daddy long legs and like you know,
he doesn't want to get in trouble with his mom,
like he his panic. His anxiety is so funny. Yeah, god,
he's so funny. Oh my god. Every one of them
is so good. Chunk is so good. Who would you
say is your least favorite or the least like you

(11:10):
out of the group.

Speaker 1 (11:13):
There was like me, Martha Linton.

Speaker 2 (11:16):
Oh yeah she is. Steph.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, you feel like Okay, I love so much glasses. Yeah,
because if I lost my glasses, I would I wouldn't
be able to see Oh.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah definitely, yeah yeah. And I like how
when she meets her parents at the end, when when
we meet all their parents, she's like, I lost my glasses,
and her dad's just like, you're alive.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, actually her or Andy, because I was not the
high school cheerleader.

Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yeah, you're right. Andy's pretty far away from us. Yeah
she was. She seems pretty popular. It's actually kind of
funny that Andy and Steph are so close because they
seem pretty different. Like I get the vibe the two
of them, they're supposed to be maybe what sixteen, let's
say seventeen, because I think Josh Roll in his character
Brand also just brand. What what a hot name? Are

(12:04):
you kidding? Brand? And you look like that. I was like,
that's not fair. But like they felt like right, like
maybe junior seniors, and then the rest are like, I
don't know, seventh grade, eighth grade.

Speaker 1 (12:16):
You know what I meant.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
You're right, You're so right. The DNA of the Goonies.
Now that I have it so fresh in my mind,
it is all over Stranger Things speing a Broadway, Salana,
you gotta go back. I'll see it again. You have
to see The Stranger Things musical. I told you I
saw it that night after I hung out with you.
After Death becomes Her. Wow, and it's actually scary. It's

(12:40):
so good.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
I saw something on TikTok y. It looks scary.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
It's oh yes, oh yeah, I try not to see anymore.
I want you to go into a blind so that
like you can get some surprises, but there are some
amazing effects. Yeah, yeah, but yeah, you're so right. The
Goonies with the with the younger batch the older batch
so much like Stranger things, Like Brand is like Steve

(13:08):
kind of you know, and Nancy is like Andy.

Speaker 1 (13:12):
Right.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
I guess Barb back in the day season one was Steph,
but now Steph is sort of Robin. I think is
her name, right, Maya Haw. That's sort of a Steph
character now right? Oh love him? I would say, yep,
Chunk is such an icon but I feel like I
love them all. They're like my children, Like truly, this
movie puts such a smile on my face. But when

(13:35):
I am watching the kid, I get the kick out
of the most and I feel like is maybe most
like me is Mouth Corey Feldman. I love Mouth. He
is such a brat. He's such a shitster, such a troublemaker.
I mean when he when he speaks Spanish with Rosalita.
I love Rosalita. She is a scenestealer. That actress, I'm

(13:57):
pretty sure is the actress that plays Selena's killer and Selena.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
That's what I thought. I thought, that's her.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
That's her two iconic roles, right, but she is so
funny and when early on, right when when Mikey's mom
is asking Mouth uh to speak Spanish and translate. Oh
my god, it's so funny. The cocaine, the cockroaches, the
sex torture devices and the attic. Oh my god, it's

(14:27):
so funny. And he's and he's the one that introduces
us to the truffle shuffle. He won't allow Chunk in
until Chunk does this awful degrading like what would how
would you even describe that? Just like a shaking of everything? Right? Yeah, god,
And it's so Spielberg for them to have like this

(14:48):
contraption to let Chunk in through the fence, right, it's
like the bowling ball, this that the chickens egg. Oh
my god, it's so much fun. Right, and Dana, I
love them all, Solana, I really do. Will be right back.

Speaker 5 (15:08):
Whow you guys realize what we could do. I don't
want to go on anymore. You're crazy.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
Goony Pictures one an iconic group of characters. You know.
This was written by Chris Columbus, story by Steven Spielberg.
He produced it as well, directed by Richard Donner, who
had made hits, Big Hits, Superman with Christopher Reeve, the
Omen like he's done some big movies of various genres.
Right right before this, Richard Donner directed Lady Hawk, which

(15:37):
I have never seen, but I know that was a
big eighties fantasy film. Michelle Pfeiffer, Rucker, Howard, I think
Matthew Broderick, but like he had done lots of things
more adult focused. I mean the omen you know, Killer Kid,
I mean, how iconic. God, what a good movie. But
I mean this movie had pedigree behind the camera, right,

(15:58):
I mean, and and for data key hoy Kwan. He
was just in Temple of Doom with Steven Spielberg the
year before. He was on a ride, right, so the
casting and the crew.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
I know, And you know what I read somewhere. I
couldn't find it, but I read it a long time ago.
Steven Spielberg brought Michael Jackson to the set to meet
all the kids.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
I did hear this as well, Yeah, what do you think?
I guess it's true.

Speaker 1 (16:27):
I think that's when Corey Feldman became like best friends
or I don't know what they mean.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
I know, Oh yeah he was there. Wow, I see
a great photo bring the bubbles? Oh, oh my god?
Did he I don't know, I don't know. I haven't
heard that oh geez, oh wow, it's him and it
looks like LaToya Jackson in this photo posing with with Sloth. Wow.

(16:54):
So Michael Jackson, Yeah, he's with he's with Data, He's
with Chunk and how funny. Okay, now that makes sense
because Chunk has a joke in the movie about Michael Jackson.
He says, you know, early on, they're like, you said
that Michael Jackson like visited your house and used your bathroom,
and he says, no, he didn't, but his sister did.
Oh my god. And now here's a picture, right, So

(17:15):
that must have been a little meta inside joke.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
Oh yeah, wow, wow, wow.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yeah. Kind of a scary movie for Michael Jackson to visit.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
Yes, I mean, you know.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
We've heard all the stories. We've that documentary was so
interesting and really amazing from a few years ago with
his accusers. So I mean, a yikes, that's these pictures
of him holding on to the kids. I feel, yeah,
not so good. But anyway, on a lighter note, they
also met Cindy Lauper. I see there's a really good

(17:49):
picture of Cindy Lauper with the group, and I love
the Cindy Lapper song. Goonies are good enough. And I
remember very well that she's on TV and they're watching
her on TV, which is also just such a fun
kind of like time capsule. Of course these kids would
be watching Cindy, but I forgot that. Yeah, the song
that she made for the movie is in the movie.

(18:11):
I think that's pretty fun and meta of her to
do that, you know, and I love I love that
whole scene when they tie Brand up with his stretchy
workout things, and then that great shot of them getting
on the bikes and running off as you hear her
like doing her like I can't do it. You know,
she does those like you know Cyndi Lauper noises this movie.

Speaker 4 (18:32):
You know.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
I also have to say I love the setting. We
really feel the Pacific Northwest. You know, they're in Astoria, Oregon.
I mean it's beautiful, the hills, the trees, the beach.
Really love the scenery, like you feel like you are
transported with the goonies. You know, because I guarantee a
movie like this made today, a lot of it would

(18:53):
be on a studio, which I'm sure a lot of
this was on like a sound stage, but like even
the neighborhood. It wouldn't feel feel so real and interesting.
It would feel much more like yeah, anywhere USA, you
know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
Yeah, but I'm glad that.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Like, you know, they they really added like a special
vibe to the story.

Speaker 1 (19:14):
The ship was real, like they really that was like
a real set. And then nobody wanted it, Like I'm
surprised Steven Spielberg like didn't yeah want it. I'm surprised,
like tore it up.

Speaker 2 (19:26):
Wow, I am shocked. We actually never got a Goony's
theme park at the very least a goonie section of
Universal Studios. Like, yeah, that is weird, like a pirate
ship and like caves you can go in like this
movie a slide, like it could be part of the
water park. It's so obvious, right, Like, yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:45):
They have a casino, a slot machine. I would play
it all the time.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
Yeah, is everyone on it or all the characters on it?

Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yeah? I think so. And I think like if you
get like Sloth or something that's like the Jackpot or
something like that I haven't played in a long time.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Oh my god, you you should totally next time you
go take a selfie, send it to me. I'll post it.
But like, you should go dressed up as Ma as
Ma for Telly, Like can't you imagine, like if she
was still alive, Anne Ramsey, what an actress? Like the
slot's smoking and it's like her on the slot. I

(20:26):
love the for tellis what a fun very dark but like, yes,
what a fun you know trio, Well, I guess we
with slow Sloth is a good guy, but you know,
it's just so sad they have him chained up. I
mean it's dark. I know, I know it's so weird,
like the other ones are running around having fun, but
Sloth they chain him up. I guess because like it's

(20:48):
never really told, but I guess we can understand, like
it's because he can get violent, he's not safe to
be around. And then how you know, Ma, later on's
like Sloth, how do you get out? Like it's just like, well,
I mean he deserves to, like I don't know, get
fresh air right right. It's actually quite sad and disturbing
when you think about it, when you really stop and thinking,
like yeah, they just have them chained up watching TV

(21:09):
giving him a tray of food like this poor guy,
you know, so scary. But anyway, let's hold the slot talk.
I want to hear from you, Solon, I'm gonna throw
it over to you in your own words. I know
we've already started ranting and raving about the goonies, but
for anyone out there living under a rock deep in
these caves, tell us in your own words. It can
be short. What's the goonies about? What's the what's the

(21:30):
log line? What's the plot?

Speaker 1 (21:31):
Uh, it's about a group of kids. The two brothers
are going to lose their house and so they're, you know,
trying to think of ways to save it. They go
upstairs in the attic they find a treasure map and
they Mikey, the youngest brother, figures, like, if we find

(21:53):
the treasure, maybe we could use that money to save
our house and then we won't have to move and
then we could stay friends and you know all that stuff.
And in the meantime, Uh, there are these I guess
they're like bank robbers, I guess that's what. Yeah, and
murderers whatever, they're just criminals. They escape the jail, which

(22:15):
is at the very very beginning, and then they meet
up with the group of kids along the way, and
then they find out about the treasure, and then they
want the treasure and the kids want the treasure.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
And yes, now what's sort of unclear for me, And
I've seen this now a bunch. I guess the Fortellies
are there because they also know that One Eyed Willy's
treasure is apparently somewhere there, right or is it sort
of accidental and they're just hiding out there?

Speaker 1 (22:44):
Doesn't doesn't chunks say it when when they're like confessed,
like why are you here?

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (22:51):
And then he's and he says, my friends are looking
for the treasure from One Eyed Willy. And I guess
in the town everybody knows about One Eyed Willy. Yeah,
So then they figure out, you know where, because like,
don't they see like something spills and don't they say
or no, the kids, the.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
Kids, yeah yeah, the water chunk breaks the water jug yeah,
yeah yeah, and they can hear a trickling and falling
somewhere exactly.

Speaker 1 (23:17):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah. I just wasn't like totally sure. And I've seen
this so many times, like are they there just to
hide out, because if so, they found the chain and everything,
unless they just carry the chain around for sloth, you know,
and sloth wasn't in the beginning, So maybe they've been
hiding out there and don't know that there's treasure, or
maybe they are hiding out there because they do know
this urban legend of the treasure. Like it's a little vague,

(23:41):
you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, and I mean I think they were just hiding
at first, Yeah, because they had nowhere else to go.
I guess after they escaped. But wait, who was taking
care of sloth? That's what I want to know when
they were in jail, because the mother was in jail too.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Well, when we meet Ma and the one brother, hold on,
let me get their names right. We have so Jake
is the one which right off the bat well first
of all, real quick, I just have to say, it's
kind of weird that this movie starts so quietly. I
thought like something was wrong with my TV, like the
Skull and Crossbones, the title, it's silent. I'm like, it's
really quite weird, right, I'm like, where is like the

(24:22):
score or like some funny sound. But yeah, we start
with a very you know, disturbing image of Jake seemingly
hung himself in jail. So like, it's kind of crazy
that this is like a kid's movie when it's like
the first thing we see right, So that's Jake. He's
the one that they're breaking out. There's Francis, Joe Pantoleona
who's done a lot of stuff, and Ramsey's Mama, and

(24:44):
then and then yeah, there's Sloths. So when we meet
Mama and Francis, they're already out picking Jake up. So
like Ma has that iconic first shot, she's in the car,
in the driver's seat. So I think, yeah, I think
the just there to get Jake. So maybe Mama and
Francis have been taking care of Sloth, you know, and

(25:06):
just like left him chained up so he doesn't get
into trouble. And I mean, okay, maybe maybe that makes sense.
Maybe chain him up so that it doesn't get in trouble,
doesn't scare away anyone. They have to be on the
down low. Okay, I guess I get it, but I
don't know. It's just so disturbing to see him like
his hands are tired, he's screaming, and they're just like singing,
like Jake just loves to sing opera. I'm like, this

(25:27):
is weird. I think this movie actually started making me
a little scared of opera because between the screaming and
then they like Italian, oh, you know, as chunky screaming.
I'm just like, ooh yeah, scary, you know, I know. Yeah,
And it's actually quite a sad motivation for these kids.
They really don't want to lose their homes, so they

(25:47):
call themselves the Goonies because of the goon Docks, like
they're kind of neighborhood that they live on near the water, right. Yeah,
and everything is about to be sold the next day
to these rich fools, you know. So Troy's dad, Oh
my god, Solana, I was looking up the cast, the
actor playing Troy, the douchey guy who's such a good,

(26:07):
you know, jerk. I your mind is gonna be blown.
So that actor, first of all, I found his picture.
I'm like, oh, whoa, he has had a work done
to his face. Oh whoa. His name is Steve Anton.
He wrote and directed drum Roll Please, Burlesque with Cher
and Christina Guilera. He's the writer and director of burlesqe

(26:28):
is that not so beautifully random? I'm like the jerk
from the Goonies who infinitely says and you goony you
He wrote and directed Burlesque. Isn't that wild?

Speaker 1 (26:45):
I'm crazy?

Speaker 2 (26:46):
My jaw dropped. I had a pause movie. I'm like,
wait a minute, what. Yeah, and he's produced Oh, he
produced Young Americans, which was a short lived WB show.
He's done stuff with the Pussycat Dolls. Wild how random?

Speaker 1 (26:59):
Right? O, Wait a minute. Anton isn't his is his
brother the hairstylist They used to have a have a
reality show.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
Oh really, I don't know. Let me look this up.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
And then the sister was like the choreographer of the
Pussycat Dolls.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
I think, oh, that's so interesting. I don't know anything
about this.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, huh, I think so. I don't quote me, but
that name, last name sounds familiar.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
That's so interesting.

Speaker 1 (27:30):
Yeah, I can't think of let me say.

Speaker 2 (27:33):
Let me see sister. Let's see what. Robin Anton is
a well known figure. Yeah, she's the founder and creator
of the Pussycat Dolls.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
Solona what Yeah, brother is the hairstyle They have another brother,
I think, let me see he cuts I remember he
cuts Harry Hamlin's hair.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Jonathan Anton and Neil Anton. Over a minute. Oh, John
Than Anton is a celebrity hairstylist. Okay, Neil Anton, what
does he do? Oh? Anton is Oh my god, Salana
Jonathan Anton was on Bravo's Blowout, the reality show. Yes, yes, wow, okay,
this is really interesting. And here they are in a
picture at the burlesque premiere. Wow. Yes, Steven, he was

(28:21):
so cute and I mean he looks good, but yeah,
he has had a work done. That face is tea okay,
all right anyway, but I had to share that. How
funny it all comes back to share and pop music.
And by the way, because we're talking about the eighties,
and because I'm with Salana Sorrento, I had to wear
my Madonna I love it. The top song at this
time was Everybody Wants to Rule the World, one of

(28:43):
my all time faves from Tears for Fears, which feels
very appropriate for the goonies. Everyone wants their gold, everyone
wants their treasure. And like I said, the next big
movie that was about to come out was Back to
the Future, but this was not number one. This opened
at number two, and the number one movie was Rambo
First Blood Part two, the sequel with Sylvester Stallone. So

(29:05):
there you go. And this also came out. I've never
seen this, maybe you have the same day this came out,
a movie called Perfect came Out with Jamie Lee Curtis
and John Travolta thrusting their hips in Workout Fast. I've
never seen it, have you?

Speaker 1 (29:18):
No, I've never seen only that scene, like only that
one scene.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
Oh yeah, it's such a meme it's been I mean,
Jamie Lee Curtiss was even on Jimmy Fallon recently redoing
that scene. I saw the clip, so like that was
a very meme worthy movie. Apparently not so good. Didn't like,
you know, make a ton of money. But that was
also a big thing at the time. But anyway, so on,
so let's talk more about the Goonies. Now, I know

(29:42):
we've already set up the beginning. Let's jump around because
then I know we got to talk about return to Oz.
What are some of your favorite moments lines, scenes from
the Goonies that we haven't talked about.

Speaker 6 (29:57):
Meet Mikey another fast friend and game shit.

Speaker 2 (30:07):
The tongue that's disgusting, you know, I can't even love most.

Speaker 1 (30:11):
Yeah. I like the part when they're figuring out the
the music notes and they're on that like organ phones. Yeah,
that part. I like the whole part once they get
like through through the cave and leading up to the

(30:32):
uh the slide. I like that because it just reminded
me of like Indiana Jones and like blues and and
don't step on that it's a booby trap and yeah
and all that.

Speaker 2 (30:42):
Yeah, and I love I forgot and I love that.
A common theme throughout the movie is different characters say
the wrong things booty traps, booby traps. I forgot, even
like Mike and Brand's mom gets things wrong. You know.
It's a funny, very random, but like very real like
thing that we do. Because, like I noticed early on

(31:04):
the movie, his mom calls Brand Mikey and and he
brand to say it's Brand. And my mom for years
would call me Nancy because that's her sister's name. And
I'm like, who is Why are you calling me Nancy?
Like she's like Nancy Mark, you know what I mean.
Like it's so I just feel like that is such
a mom thing to call people the rock right, But

(31:25):
I love the mom. I love her so much. And
back to Roselina, I just the opening is so iconic
for me. I love most of the movie. I have
to say something that is gonna be a little controversial,
a little polarizing here. I don't know what it is.
By the time we get to the big ship, like
the big finale, I kind of lose interest. I don't

(31:46):
know what it is. And still even earlier today, when
I was finishing the movie, I noticed that, Like then
I'm like googling things. I'm like, oh, yeah, I know
what happens. I'm gonna like research. I don't know what
it is because the movie is so good from start
to finish everybody, but I think about the ship. It
almost feels too big for me now, like the movie
feels very small and contained in a good way, and

(32:07):
now we're like in the water ship the gold I
don't know. I always ever since I was a kid,
I always kind of dip out a little bit, but
then come back in when they're safe outside with family.
You know, do you feel that way about this movie
at all or does it work for you completely?

Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yeah? Yeah, I know. You mean, like at the end
I noticed I was like on my phone like scrolling
and yeah, I almost.

Speaker 2 (32:31):
Think, you know, not that it's too long, but I
think it could be tightened up a bit, Like I
know Mikey has that heartfelt moment with one eyed Willie's
skeleton and he gets emotional. I forgot about that. He says,
you're the first bonie, which is really cool. But I'm
kind of like at this point, let's like, you know,
I don't think we need to like slow things down,
do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (32:50):
Yeah, well I did read that they cut out a scene.
I don't know if WU was probably there, but like
with like a giant octopus. Well, okay, I had to fight.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
I'm so glad you brought that up.

Speaker 1 (33:01):
It makes sense.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Okay, I'm so glad you brought that up because then
at the end when the reporters are asking the kids
when they're saved, and you know, luckily Rosalita coming and
strong finding those jewels. God, I love it's such a
good script. Salana and I do scenes from this in
my classes with kids sometimes, but I haven't in a while.
And now are you watching. There are so many good

(33:22):
scenes even for adults. I have to do this this
script more. But I love that it brings back Rosalita.
She saves the day by finding those jewels. And then
the reporters come swooping in and the kids are talking
about like this crazy story you know that they just experience,
and Data says the octopus was so scary and I'm like,
and I remember that. I'm like, why do you talk

(33:43):
about this octopus? Like that's not real? So, yeah, I
wonder why they cut it out? Do you know why
have you?

Speaker 7 (33:49):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (33:49):
I don't know why they just because I saw a
scene like a picture and it said like cut delete
it scene from the Goonies. Now, being that it's the anniversary,
I don't understand why. You know, how they do like
extended version or like directors cut. They should you know
what are they waiting for?

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, yesh, i'd see what you did there. I know
what you did last summer. Yes, like for real, they should,
like that's what's That's the bummer about streamers is like
I would love some streamers like Max, which this is
currently on. They do some of them have like a
director's cut or like special features, but I wish all

(34:28):
streamers had like a deleted scenes option, like once you
keeck on the movie. It'd be so nice. I know
that's like more storage and all that stuff, but that
would really be cool. At least you're right, at least
for these big anniversaries to say, like on the home screen,
Goonies now watch special features for the month of June, right.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
Right, or I'm thinking because I read that they might
do Goonies too.

Speaker 2 (34:50):
I don't know how they're going to do that, But
what do you think, because like we've been hearing it
for a while, the rumors, they've been talking about it
for a while. But I'm pretty sure and I'm going
to google it to confirm. I'm pretty sure it is
now official, Like they recently really did make an announcement
right in the news. Let me just see a variety
reported in February. Yeah, Gooney's two officially in the works,

(35:11):
with Steven Spielberg producing. So, I mean, you know, it
could fall through, but this seems like it has the
most real momentum yet. What do you think can It's.

Speaker 1 (35:23):
Like it has to be somebody good. Don't change it, like, yeah,
what's his name? The guy that did the Halloween movies?
Don't Yeah, just don't go like a different route, stick with,
you know, and like they have to get everybody from
the original life. Maybe it's their kids.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
Now, that's what I'm thinking. Maybe some of them have kids,
you know, maybe like Mikey and maybe not. Maybe they
don't all need kids, but like maybe a few kids.
And then they come in they're the parents now the
kids going on adventure. It could be kind of if
maybe one of the adults, like if Chunk goes on
the adventure with the kids or something, you know, that

(36:06):
would be kind of or I mean, here's the other thing. Okay,
that's one option. What if the other option is the
adults go on the adventure they do it again, right,
like maybe one.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Of them or something.

Speaker 2 (36:20):
Like kids save them? I like that, Salona, Yeah, that's
a good idea.

Speaker 1 (36:26):
You have to they have to stick to like the storyline,
like they can't go off a different trail and like
make it, you know, because that's how like sequels.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
I know, when it's it's it's that fine line. It's
like you don't want to just remake it, right, It's
got to be a little different. There's gotta be some
progress in the story. But then when you do these
strange kind of tonal shifts, like like the Halloween movies
recently did I'm like, why are these funny moments and
then brutal in the next moment? Right, these take they
take turns and like the extra cyst and like and

(37:01):
it's just like, uh, we're going off track.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yeah, right, they have to get a good writer. Yeah,
at least maybe.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
They should bring Chris Columbus back. Yeah, you know, he's
still working on movies. He randomly just produced No Sfaratu,
which is I thought was so random of he And yeah,
Robert Eggers, the writer director, is very like Chris Columbus
has been his mentor for years. So Chris Columbus produces
his like weird dark horror movies. You know. But so

(37:28):
the article does say, yeah, Steven Spielberg's back, Chris Columbus
is back to produce. Let's see Lauren Schuller Donner, Richard Donners.
I believe daughter is it producing. There is no director
attached to the sequel yet, so that's a risk you gotta.
I mean, Steven Spielberg should just do it, or Chris Columbus.
Chris Columbus has directed amazing, memorable movies with kids. I mean,

(37:53):
I see, that's the thing. I'm like, I don't even
know if you need to add in a new voice.
Just you still got the strong voices here, you know
what I mean?

Speaker 1 (38:00):
Stick stick with what you know, yeah, because sometimes when.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
We add in these people it might seem good, but
now it's right.

Speaker 1 (38:08):
Like yeah, I don't know, but I mean, I'm still
gonna say it and totally yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:14):
It could be fine.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
It was too good. I think it would do pretty
good in the theaters because you'll have that whole generation
that like Stranger Things exactly.

Speaker 2 (38:25):
Yeah, yep, yep, yeah, I think it could be really interesting.
It's just like, what's the conflict. Is it one eyed
Willy's treasure again, like in a different place, is it
something else? Like there are so many routes to go,
and so that's what makes it a risk, you know, like, yeah,
they gotta really make it make sense. You know. The
biggest star of the cast now, I kind of feel like, well,

(38:48):
Key Quoit Kwan just won the Oscar a couple of
years ago. It's been huge, But I mean, Josh Brolin's
a big movie star. Sean Aston is still really popular
speaking Stranger Things, you know again the DNA and that
that's a pretty great casting for that show. That was
so sad when his character bit the dust with those
demo dogs. Martha Plimpton's pretty well known, but you know,

(39:12):
and Corey Feldman of course, I mean, so you know
a lot of them are still in the pop culture conversation,
you know, right, Yeah, it's really interesting. I really wonder
it's risky. Every time I hear it, I'm like, it is, Oh,
that is one of the riskier sequels you could do,
you know, more so.

Speaker 1 (39:29):
Than I know. And a lot of them do, like
the like the comic cons and stuff like that, like
the not so popular one. So people do remember them
and know them.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Yeah, so uh huh, absolutely, And I know some of
them were united because he was just in that movie
Love Hurts that came out in February. I don't think
it really did that well. I was like an action comedy,
but some of the cast was there with him, and
I let me see, it's one of the most asked
questions in my life. I would for it to happen.
The reunion like a movie. Corey Filman said, all I

(40:03):
can say is get us all together. Everybody is looking good,
Sean's looking good, Josh is looking good. We're all looking good,
and we're all alive. Goonies never say die. There's hope.
And honestly, for Corey Feldman to say that, who I mean,
he's had a tough life, you know, yeah, Like he
brings up a good point. They're all alive, so okay,
let's do it, I guess, and just make sure it's great.

(40:24):
I mean, it worries me, but as long as it's
as funny and as clever and as fun as the
new one, like it could be. Really, the more I
think about it, the adults should be on the adventure
because like seeing like growing up Sean Aston like screaming
and falling through stuff. I mean, and Josh Berlin's already

(40:45):
very action heavy, so I mean he jumping around like
that's maybe the way to go, not kids, and the
adults are just like, oh my god, you know which,
of course, they'd have more to do this time than
the adults in this movie. You know, we really only
see them the beginning of the end, you know, and
like maybe the new kind of like villains, I mean,
I don't know, we gotta have who could be a

(41:05):
new Mama, right, Like they gotta be very careful, oh man,
you know.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
Unless unless the sons are still alive and are like
doing it in honor of her. Yes, she died in
like real life.

Speaker 2 (41:20):
Right yeah, yeah, and Ramsey passed away. The guys are
still around for sure, but yeah, Ann Ramsey passed away,
oh gosh, not long after this nineteen eighty eight, so
she died only a few years after this. Yeah, oh wow, wow, Okay,
what an iconic lady. Oh my god, she is like
such an interesting and I just laughed because I remember

(41:43):
as a kid, I was like, and I know this
sounds awful, but as kids, you know, we're innocent. I
was like, is that a man in drag? Like I
really couldn't write. You probably thought the same thing, right, Yeah,
And one of the kids in the movie even says, yes, sir, yes, man,
I mean ma'am you know, so like she was just
a very interesting tough and it's so funny because the
villain in Return to Oz, which we'll get to in

(42:03):
a second, Mom be right, she also at times has
they made her voice very deep and like masculine. So
it's funny how the June eighty five adventure movies had
some scary, you know, tough women as the villain, right,
Like what was going on there? A little bit of

(42:24):
you know, queer phobia, transphobia, a little bit you know,
not to make it too.

Speaker 6 (42:28):
Heavy, steady data and chunk fuck.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
But yeah, I can't remember when I first saw the Goonies,
but much like you, I saw it at home. I'm
pretty sure it must have been on TV. I saw
it young. I can't really remember it all. I wish
I could, but it was it was just on and
I instantly felt a connection with I mean, who doesn't
if you this movie, you were riding your bike around
the neighborhood, you were looking for adventure, right, you know.

(43:05):
It's so it's like, like I said this all the
time on the show. It's such a nice, warm, cozy blanket.
It's immediately nostalgic, right, and it looks good. It still
looks really good on TV. You know, like some of
these eighties movies look so dated, but this one because
it was such a hit. I mean, the cameras, they
used Spielberg money. I think it was edited on George Lucas.

(43:30):
I'm pretty sure. I know he was a special thanks
on Return to Oz. I think he was a special
thanks as well for this, Yeah, you know he was.
I mean, George Lucas was involved with like every action
fantasy film of this era. You know, you either used
him or his facility Industrial LIGHTE Magic. So you know,
it just it really holds up well, I think, do
you think?

Speaker 1 (43:51):
Yeah? I think so, And I think because they used
actual like sets so it doesn't look fake. Yeah, yeah,
it looks real. And it actually looks like they bring
caves and.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
Yeah, you know, right yeah, and like things are falling
on them and and I just love, oh my god,
the bats. The bats is such a great moment. And
I realized maybe that's where I started getting my fear
of bats, because it's just so funny. Oh my god,
they're screaming rabies and they go through the air and
you know, but I do love that. It's it seems
like it's visual effects of some sort with a lot

(44:29):
of them, or maybe they're real, I don't know, but
then they're so obviously fake ones that are really dangulating
around their faces. I love it. It feels so like,
you know, even though it's Spielberg, it just feels so homemade,
you know, with some real stuff, you know.

Speaker 1 (44:44):
And it's like Indiana Jones with like Temple of Doom
with the bugs, you know yeah yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
Yeah, and they were all real, right yeah yeah, crazy crazy, yeah, God,
so great. But I really wonder how the octopus would
have fit in asume it would have been at the
big finale with the ship, right and like in the
water we obviously don't need it, you know, Like, so
it makes sense to cut it. It starts to feel
maybe a little too sci fi, a little too Jaws.

(45:12):
Maybe that was his nod to like Jaws ten years prior. Yeah,
I don't know, you know, but we're certainly not missing anything,
you know. If anything, we could probably even trim a touch,
you know, to get a little short.

Speaker 1 (45:23):
Yeah, And maybe that's why they cut it. Maybe it
was already it already.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
Kind of felt, yeah, like a little long, and this
feels a little out of place. Maybe it looked too fake,
you know. Yeah, but I just feel like to introduce
a major threat so late in the story, it's like, right,

(45:50):
we're never gonna get out of here, you know.

Speaker 4 (45:51):
I know. Yeah, they call themselves the Goonies. They've stumbled
onto a legend, but they're not alone.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
Chunk. I hope that was your stomach.

Speaker 1 (46:15):
Sounds like calm.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
I love the whole Well, uh with with Troy, you
know where Mikey has his big monologue that I've had
some students, do you know, it's our time down here,
It's our time. Goonies never say die, you know. And Andy's,
of course, like many of us, she is ready to go.
She's about to climb on this well, and Troy's up
there with his goons, his like dumb guys, like being like,

(46:40):
oh I wish for Andy, and here she is blah
blah blah.

Speaker 1 (46:43):
You know.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
But I love that whole sequence. And then she just
sends him his jacket back, you know. Yeah, that's a
really great scene where Andy she says right before that,
she's like, but I'm not a goony, you know. But
then by doing that, Yeah, she and Steph are now
part of the group, you know, which I love.

Speaker 1 (47:02):
Yeah. Oh, I forgot about the when they broke the
statue and they were trying to fix it.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
Oh my god, the funniest. It's so funny. And you know,
we don't really get to the restaurant, We don't really
get to the adventure until close to like half an
hour in. It's because we have such fun stuff at
the house. Oh my god, the statue. And I have
to look at my notes. I wrote down so many
great quotes from the script that these actors say. I
almost feel like a lot of it has to be improvised.

(47:28):
It's just so funny. That's my mom's most favorite piece
is the piece that falls off the penis, Oh my god.
And then how Chunk puts it upside down.

Speaker 1 (47:36):
It's like it looks right for me. Movies An Emeralds, Diamonds,
The Lost Map.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
The Attic is so cool where they find the map
and that feels very never ending story to me, you know,
like with the Thunder and the eighties music and like
you know in that one, he's up the like reading,
you know. So it's just fun to see all the
little connections to these other great movies at the time.

Speaker 1 (48:06):
You know, yeah, I have in my notes. Uh the
scene where he tells them about one Eyed Willie, where
is it? It was all improvised.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
Oh okay, really.

Speaker 1 (48:18):
Yeah, they I forget I can't find somebody told Sean asked,
and oh the legend of what I Willy was improvised.
They like gave him a short version and like told
them like how you were telling no way a story
and so they're like, okay, whatever you remember, just tell
the story that way.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
And you know what's so funny real wow, salon, Okay,
you know what's so funny, this is my brain. I
noticed it on this rewatch that when Mikey is really
telling the story for a lot of it. He's like
really looking up, like cameras here, and he's kind of
looking up and first blits like I thought, is he
reading a cue card? And maybe since it's improvised, maybe
maybe he's just remembering like the big points, or maybe

(49:02):
they did jot down like right, that's so interesting, maybe
because he was struggling to memorize a lot of stuff.
I don't know. Yeah, right, it's surprising such a big
part of the lore, you know, to just make Yeah.

Speaker 1 (49:18):
I think they wanted it to seem like he's really
telling the story, like yeah, so like if you're passing
along a story and you're not reading it from a book,
they wanted, I guess, to seem real. I don't know,
and I forget who. I didn't write down who told him,
but I'm probably Steven Spielberg.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
I'm sure probably you know Spielberg. I mean this obviously
came after et like we forget because Spielberg makes such big,
you know, movies, but we forget he is such a
great director of kids. He knows he knows good kids
when he sees them, and he really gets great performances
out of them. It's amazing, you know, And I know
he didn't direct this, but but just producing, you could

(49:57):
feel like much like Poltergeist, which I've talked on the show,
when when Spielberg is producing, especially back in the eighties,
you feel his energy, right, Yeah, you feel him in
every scene, so which I'm sure might be annoying for
some of these directors, like I know Toby Hooper for
Poltergeist it was a little contentious. But you know, but
Richard Donner, I mean he was already, like we said,

(50:17):
he's already made such big, important movies that you know
he probably felt. Yeah, I hope he felt under control.
I mean, oh my god, the dead body in the
ice cream freezer, yes, oh my god. That and that
and honestly, I mean I'm just looking at this as

(50:38):
when I first watched it as a kid. I mean,
when that guy turns around and he's fallen towards camera,
it's spooky. It is spooky. Yeah, you know, there's no denying, right,
I know, and keeper just like they screamed, but then
they're just like pushing him back in there. I'd be like, Okay,
we have to go. We are out of here.

Speaker 1 (50:55):
Yeah, right, I know, And I can't believe we watched
it so young and just like, I don't know, we
weren't affected.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
I don't think it was anything. We were like give
me more. We're like, give me, give me more more bonies. Yeah,
I mean sloth. Sloth was very intense and we don't
really see his face, which is smart. We just see
the back of him and hear his screams. We don't
see his face. I looked until close to an hour in.
That's when Chunk is face to face with him, and

(51:26):
I mean for a little bit there, you are nervous
for Chunk for sure, you know, yeah? And I love oh.
I love the reveal that leads to the big monologue
where Chunk's like, Okay, I'll tell you everything, and he
really tells him his life story, which is so funny,
and the puke at the movie theater.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
So many new things.

Speaker 2 (51:43):
But I love the reveal when Chunk does get out.
He actually gets out and escapes and is looking for help,
but it's pulled over by the for tellies. And I
love that reveal because we see the rear view mirror
in the shot, but it's dark and then the light
turns on and so we see we see Jake Fritelle,
but we're still on Chunk Shocked, and then I just
left how Chunk starts like praying in Hebrew.

Speaker 1 (52:07):
Yeah, it's so funny.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
Oh it always gets me. I just love it because
he's just like praying to God, like, ohh God. Right,
But then we have that scary opera music. Again, I
don't know what it is. Jake singing opera just gives
me the he be gbis.

Speaker 6 (52:24):
Join the Adventures.

Speaker 4 (52:28):
As Steven Spielberg presents The Goonies, a Richard Dunner film.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
And then another favorite moment is the accidental kiss. When
Andy's starting to really feel herself. It's like, oh, brand
I'm in the dark with my eyes closed, but in
comes Mikey and she grabs him and they kiss, and
Steph is watching. I love that whole moment. That's really sweet,
you know, but again, they're kids. I mean, I don't
know how old Carrie Green will let me see real quick,

(53:00):
because I am just very curious. Okay, so she was
when they were shooting this, probably like seventeen, so I mean,
you know, it's all very pg, very sweet. But I
mean she and Josh Brolin are kissing and.

Speaker 1 (53:14):
Arms are around each other.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
I'm just like can you imagine being seventeen on a
big movie set having to kiss and flirt and like,
I don't know, I'd be nervous. I'd be like, you know,
those are the scenes that would make me nervous, right,
And the whole like does does Brand wear braces? You know?
And what does Steff says, She's like next time kissing
with your eyes open. It's a whole different. It's so cute,

(53:37):
Like the lines. The dialogue is just I forgot. You know,
we think of the adventure, we think of the visuals,
but the dialogue is actually what makes the Goonies so
important and so special.

Speaker 1 (53:50):
Yeah. Right, so that has to be important too for
the second one, like they have to have like yeah.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
I agree. Oh one quick thing. I love it again
early on the movie. It's touching. It's so touching. I
always like feel little something. I love when Brand and
Mikey hug on the porch because they're emotional about moving
and Brand comes back out and he says Mikey and
it's just so nice because again, also forty years ago,
I mean you know, like there was obviously like homophobia.

(54:19):
I mean it's still a big thing, but you know,
like guys you know, were too cool to like hug
it out. So it's really sweet to see some real
brotherly love. I love that. And another touching moment is
at the very end when Data's dad says, uh, you
are my best invention. Because Data and his dad have
all these crazy inventions right, which are so fun that
I know it might be sappy. I'm just like, oh

(54:41):
my god, I love it. I love it. So this
movie has obviously some great heart as well. And then
it ends with that iconic shot of the ship sailing
off you know that ship you were talking about. Yeah,
and it's mysterious because it's like, who's sailing the ship?
The spirit of One Eyed Willie is gonna, I guess,
bring it back to the waters where it came from. Like,

(55:04):
it is pretty cool, and I like how it adds
mystery again because everything is so real, you know that
now we do have a little bit of spiritual supernatural
something going on, right.

Speaker 1 (55:17):
You know, I'm surprised they didn't make a sequel right away.

Speaker 2 (55:20):
I know. I know because according to box office Mojo,
which I have right here, I mean, it was it
was a hit. Like I said, it didn't come in
at number one, but it says on box office Mojo,
it says it made sixty one million worldwide, And let
me just look real quick on Wiki. Sometimes Wiki has
the better, more accurate info. Okay, box office says one

(55:40):
hundred and twenty five million, so that must be maybe
worldwide and it's sixty one million. No, I don't know.
I don't know what's It's always hard to tell with
some of these older movies. But if we're to believe Wikipedia,
one hundred and twenty five million bucks everybody. So, yeah,
it is really surprising they didn't want to make a
sequel right away, I'm sure or the studio who was it,

(56:02):
Paramount maybe No, I forget Warner Brothers, of course, since
it's I'm sure they were like Steven Chris Richard, let's
do a sequel. But I'm sure they all were really
busy and they probably thought lightning doesn't strike twice, you know. Sorry, Yeah,
it is surprising there wasn't something. I'm sure. I mean,
we got a lot of merchandise. We got like, you know,

(56:23):
the casino slot machines, pinball machines, T shirts. You know,
I'm surprised there's not like a stage musical like spoof
or something, you know, like I could easily there will
be right, they could easily do something fun, whether it's
a serious show or like a small you know, off
Broadway like spoof kind of thing with like eighties music

(56:45):
that could be fun, you know. But were there any
other fun facts, any trivia that you wanted to share
about the movie that you haven't been able to share
because I've been talking so much.

Speaker 1 (56:54):
No, I think that I think that was it. I've
read that Steven's work directed some scenes in the movie.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
Okay, that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (57:06):
And like I I mean I could probably figure out
which ones, like the slide definitely, like probably more of
the action ones. He probably directed it. I think it
probably was like a group effort kind of thing. Yeah,
it seems like just all on set and why don't
we do this? Why don't we you know, yeah kind
of thing.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
And I know Richard Donner, I remember reading he has
said that it was both great a pleasure to work
with the kids, but also difficult. So like I was saying,
like that's what I'm sure he's like, Steven, talk to
these kids for me, like ye direct them because you know, hey, Rewinders,
I'm pausing our chat for just a moment to thank

(57:45):
you for listening to this show, which is part of
the U Run podcast network. Check out other fun pods
that are part of this community, like Horror Friendly. The
horror Friendly podcast is hosted by Katie and Chantelle, who
explore horror and wine through the female eye, with recent
episodes focusing on us Rocky Horror, Henry Portrait of a

(58:06):
Serial Killer just to name a few. Now back to
the eighties to keep celebrating the Goonies and Return to Oz.
Here are more of my friends who love these movies.
They are Shelley, Matt, Josh, Jeff, Brian and Ot. Thank
you all for making the cameos. Listen to them right now.

Speaker 8 (58:25):
Hi, Mark, it's Shelley here from Towles Point Our book
Club on Instagram. Before I discovered Point Horror in my teens,
I think one of the earliest memories I have are
of watching Return to Oz and The Goonies over and
over on repeat. I must have been around seven or
right when I discovered Return to Oz. We entered it
on VHS from the local video store. Another Dorothy Adventure,

(58:46):
Yes Please. I sat so close to the TV screen
my mom would say, my eyes would go square. But
instead my eyes went on a journey of terror. There
were doctors strapping Dorothy down to give her electric shot.
There are creatures in I was called the Wheelers who
with their nails down a chalkboard, sound effects on all
fours and looking terrifying and still are the stuff of nightmares.

(59:11):
My mind has never forgotten the many heads of the
evil Mombie that she's decapitated from her victims and putting
display cases to wear at her leisure. And that's not
mentioning the Nome King and being turned into an emerald trinket. Oh,
this film left ever lasting scars in my memory from
that first watch and to this day, rewatching it brings
back all that childhood trauma at its finest. On the

(59:34):
other side of the coin, we have The Goonies, an
absolute classic that taught me a lot about friendship and
having adventures and if I'm on this made me a
little obsessed with wishing wells. My brother and I used
to go on lots of adventures in wood searching for
one eyed Willie treasure, creating core memories that will last forever.
And nothing beats the feeling of excitement here in those
opening bars of music from the Goonies and every rewatch

(59:57):
like visiting old friends.

Speaker 3 (59:59):
Here goes a This is Matt Sullivan here, filmmaker and
executive director of mc Media, Community Media Center located in Mamaronick,
New York, and Gooni's was my first venture into filmmaking
and the journey and ride of all things fun. It's
my favorite movie of all time. It was my first

(01:00:19):
movie that we ever bought on VHS and I still
have that original copy from Star Video in Larchmont, New
York with the sticker on it. And I don't think
that there's ever been a film that is just encapsulates
what it means to grow up and to have fun
and to be going on adventures for the first time,
and it's youth. It's just the beautiful film that encapsulates

(01:00:42):
all of those things and has a lot of fun
doing it. We're having a fortieth anniversary screening in Mamaronick,
New York at the beautiful Mamernick Cinemas on August fifth
at eight pm, and for anyone who'd like to join
us there, if you're in New York, in Westchester County
or elsewhere, we'd love to see you guys. Tickets are
available at Mamarnickcinemas dot com. You can also look at

(01:01:06):
lmcmedia dot org and look at our video vault where
we'll be screening other films as well. So for those
of you who are out there who have seen Goonies,
Hey you guys, I see you. For those of you
haven't go and seen the.

Speaker 9 (01:01:19):
Movie, Hey, this is Josh Orlando, Florida, and the movie
Return to Oz completely terrified me and traumatized me as
a kid. I love the Wizard of Oz so much
and so Returned to Oz should have been a fan favorite.
But the scene where Mommy takes off her head in
the Hall of Heads and then chases Dorothy around gave

(01:01:41):
me nightmares four years to come. Even now watching it
as an adult, it creeps me.

Speaker 10 (01:01:46):
Out my thoughts on Return to Oz. It's probably one
of the first movies I remember seeing as a kid
that literally gave me nightmares. From the sanitarium scenes to
Mumby and her heads, to the Jack o' lantern talking

(01:02:08):
and things like that. Oh and the Wheelers. Can't forget
about the Wheelers. Yeah, gave me nightmares for at least
twenty two thirty years. I still think about it. Now,
but I love that movie. It has a special place
in my heart and I wish it was more I guess,
more popular, more well known. Anyway, Thanks Hi, This.

Speaker 11 (01:02:30):
Was Brian, and I just want to talk about how
when I was a kid, I had such a crush
on Jack Pumpkin Nud because he's just like so tall
and he has such a sweet voice and I don't know,
I mean it's weird. Definitely as an adult it's more

(01:02:51):
about TikTok. He's got those gorgeous blue eyes, and he's
got a mustache, kind of a daddy vibe, so loyal,
and he could, you know, protect you, and he you know,
has to shut down for a while so you know,
then you can get your alone time. Definitely marriage material.

(01:03:15):
I also had a crush on the Scarecrow when I
was a kid, both in the Wizard of Oz. Maybe
in Return to It was more about Jack Pumpkinhead. I
don't know, but definitely TikTok is more marriage material now.
The only one that's like definitely gay though, is the
Gnome King. You know, he did look really cute in

(01:03:38):
those ruby slippers. There might be something wrong with me.

Speaker 7 (01:03:43):
Hey, Mark, I'm so excited that you're covering Return to
Oz on the pod. It was my favorite movie growing up.
I'm a bit of an asthmatic. I've read the series
and collect the books. I even name one of my
daughter's Ozma. The film masterfully weaves together elements from many
Oz novels into a cohesive story, honoring Bomb's text. In
addition to the nome king wearing those fabulous ruby slippers,

(01:04:04):
Ozma is one of the first instances of a trance
character in American lit. She was born a girl, but
momby puts a spell on her to hide her identity
and changes her into a boy named Tip. Happy Pride Everyone.

Speaker 12 (01:04:23):
This summer, Walt Disney Pictures presents a motion picture fantasy
adventure beyond your finalist imagination.

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
Let's switch gears Everybody. A couple weeks later, Returned to
Oz came out June twenty first, eighty five, so just
about two weeks after this one. So it also was
not number one. Not surprising since this was a little
bit of an odder film, right That one came in
at number five. I believe the number one movie that week.

(01:04:54):
Oh no, I'm sorry. That one came in at number seven,
so a little bit lower. Returned to Oz made only
two point eight million. Of the time, I'm definitely more
two porn eight. It was different in nineteen eighty five
than this in twenty twenty five. But the number one
movie was Cocoon. Do you ever see Cocoon? That was
like a hole? Yeah, of course with Steve Guttenberg who
was so cute. So Cokuon was the number one movie.
The Goonies was number three the day Returned to Oz

(01:05:14):
the weekend it came out, so the Goonies of course,
was still doing pretty strong. Return to Oz definitely a
strange film, but Salana, I love it so much. It
is so clever. I love the risks it took, the
twists it took. It's basically a remake. Like everyone's kind
of playing a role we've already seen, Like Jack Pumpkinhead

(01:05:39):
is basically the Scarecrow. I know, the Scarecrow plays a
role in this, you know as well later on, and
the Scarecrow's kind of scary. Everyone's kind of scary. But
like we kind of have a new Scarecrow. We kind
of have a new tin Man with TikTok who's so cute,
you know, we have a new cowardly lion with the
sofa moose head kind of thing. We have a new
Toto with Ballina the Chicken. Yeah, so funny because now

(01:06:00):
she talks, which is a clever addition, you know, because
Toto couldn't talk in the original, So now we have
a talking bird. You know. You have a new Wizard
of Oz with the Gnome King. We have a new
Witch with Momby. We have Ozma, who is like very
much a new Glinda. Right. We have Annie Emma's Bagpiper
Laurie from Carrie. I totally forgot she was in this.

(01:06:22):
She is so darn cute. So you know, we have
some returning characters, but any new characters kind of fit
those types we had seen in the classic, do you
know what I mean? Which I kind of forgot because
I hadn't rewatched this one in a long time. I
own it on DVD, but it's been years since I've
seen Return to Oz. How about you? Has it been
a long time?

Speaker 1 (01:06:43):
Yeah? Today was the first time.

Speaker 2 (01:06:46):
Yeah, wait it like you saw it before?

Speaker 1 (01:06:49):
Seen it? Yeah? They used to play it on the
Disney Channel.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
Yes, I was young exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
After it first came out, and that's when I used
to watch it, and I remember my mom bought me
a record that went with the book, so you played
the record and read the book, and I still have
it somewhere. I was going to try to look for
it today.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
But that's so cool. I love that. Wow. I wonder
what it would sound like now, if it would sound
old and grainy, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:07:17):
Yeah, I have to find it.

Speaker 2 (01:07:18):
Yeah, you're so right. They would play it a lot
on the Disney Channel. I think that's how I discovered
it as well.

Speaker 1 (01:07:23):
Yeah, as a kid, and I watched it, and I
remember at first I was disappointed because there was no Toto.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
He makes an appearance in the beginning. Yeah, yeah, but.

Speaker 1 (01:07:31):
It's not like the same kind of dog like Toto's
a Karen Terrier like Dill did I watched.

Speaker 2 (01:07:38):
Yeah, you are Dorothy and he is your Toto. You're
so right, little Dill.

Speaker 1 (01:07:41):
Yeah yeah yeah, but uh yeah, I remember watching it
like I must have been four, like three or four.

Speaker 2 (01:07:54):
Were you scared?

Speaker 5 (01:07:56):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:07:56):
I liked it because it was scary. Yeah, I'm telling you,
I know loved it.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
It drew me in more right, because it was so
strange and bleak and just fucking weird. It's so weird.
This is so scared.

Speaker 1 (01:08:12):
It was like the regular Wizard of Oz didn't scare
me at all, but like this one I liked because
it had like heads and.

Speaker 2 (01:08:20):
The heads of the women. The wheelers.

Speaker 1 (01:08:22):
Wheelers are wheelifying.

Speaker 2 (01:08:24):
Still to this day when we first see them, oh
my god, and see they're the kind of the new
flying monkeys. They're the new like winkies. Which when I
was in Wizard of Oza production years and years ago
as a kid in summer theater, I was king of
the Winkies. And I remember I'm making my own staff
with we put like a toy for McDonald's on the top. Whatever.
It was summer theater, so it wasn't much of a budget.

(01:08:45):
You just made whatever you had to. But I was
the king of the flying monkeys. Oh we oh or no,
the Winkies were different than the flying monkeys, but I
was doing that whole chance. So that's my little Wizard
of Oz claim to fame. But yeah, like that, they
they are like them.

Speaker 1 (01:08:58):
I used to think the wheel were vampires and the
old reason why.

Speaker 2 (01:09:03):
It looked pale and like right.

Speaker 1 (01:09:05):
Yeah, and because like the two head Wheelies. I used
to watch this other movie called One Bitten.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Oh my god, I love one Spitten. I might talk
about that on the pod later this year. Yeah, that
also turns ports.

Speaker 1 (01:09:19):
Yeah, so I used to watch that all the time.
And then like the vampires that were like Lauren Hunton's like, yes,
like the other ones they looked like the Wheelies.

Speaker 2 (01:09:32):
Oh my gosh, I know exactly that we're talking there
the actors similar.

Speaker 1 (01:09:37):
Yes, yes, so I used to think that they were
because I was I was young, so what do I know?
And they were vampires so.

Speaker 2 (01:09:44):
Much, you cannot. I love this because you are in
my head. I thought the same thing. Wow, I love that. See.
That's what's so amazing about these great movies is like
so many of us are noticing these things and catching
the same connections, you know, because I can literally picture
the actor from Once Bitten, who you're talking about, that
looks like the yep with like kind of whiskey hair,

(01:10:06):
and these guys have that kind of red whiskey hair.
For a second, I thought he might be in this movie.
But I don't think he is. I don't think no,
I don't think no.

Speaker 1 (01:10:15):
But I always thought that was them, just like the
guy from the Burbs. You another, like they all look
the same. So I always was like, oh, yes, vampires.

Speaker 2 (01:10:29):
Right, vampires, Yeah, because they're and I mean the helmets
they wear because they look down yeah, faces freaky. Oh
my god. I was thinking, like this fall, maybe I'll
like try to paint that on a pumpkin because that
is a freaky face. And also just her bodies. They're
they're already skinny guys, but like the way their arms

(01:10:49):
look long, you know, with the wheels, and they're hunched
over like they are freaky creatures. It's pretty amazing and
shocking that Disney said yes to this, do you know
what I mean? I know, but Disney was more daring
back in the day. I mean Disney, you know with
with some of those early Tim Burton movies. You know,
they weren't afraid to embrace some of the darkness. They're

(01:11:10):
not really like how.

Speaker 1 (01:11:11):
It is no you know around yeah, around no, around
that time, like they did remember mister Boogety.

Speaker 2 (01:11:18):
Oh yeah, that popped up from on Disney Plus when
I was watching Return.

Speaker 1 (01:11:23):
Yes, so that was all like.

Speaker 2 (01:11:26):
They weren't afraid and you know, you've been on the
show for hocus Pocus, even a little bit of hocus Pocus.
They embraced some darker looks, some darker jokes. Right, So yeah,
they were not afraid to actually show like death or
darkness or really weird twisted stuff. I mean, there's no

(01:11:47):
blood or anything in this movie, but I mean Momby
is scary. Jeane Marsh what an actress. Her features. She
is a perfect villain. I mean, the wicked Witch of
the West, Margaret Hamilton and the Orige don't get me wrong, iconic,
But Gene Marsha's Momby is I would say equal in
terms of very memorable, scary, kind of paralyzing like villain.

(01:12:12):
She is spooky with her with her point, almost like
peacock type, like a cloak that she wears. Yeah, it's amazing,
It's really amazing. Right, So let me tell you real
quick before I tell you about the director, I want
to hear from you. We've already started talking about this.
It's pretty obvious. Return to Oz. Now it's your turn, Salona,
tell me in your own words, what is this movie about?

Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
This is about after the tornado, Dorothy's still having dreams
and still talks about Oz, and Auntie m who is
played by Piper Laurie, thinks that you know, there's something
wrong with her now and they want to send her
to a mental institution and give her electric shock therapy,

(01:12:58):
which that went totally over my head.

Speaker 2 (01:13:00):
Oh child to watching it this time, my jaw dropped.
I was like, oh, we're going there, like they're gonna
mess this girl up. Yeah I know.

Speaker 1 (01:13:08):
Yeah. And then she escapes. Another patient helps her escape,
which is that's awesome ozma yeah right yeah, and then
they end up in a river and then all of
a sudden, Dorothy's in like an ocean, and all of
a sudden she's back in Oz, right yep, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:13:29):
All of a sudden she's from a river to the
ocean to OZ. And now like when she gets to Oz,
it's like kind of like a desert, Like it's what's
interesting is and it's a sequel, but it kind of
to me is really kind of like a remake in
a way because it's just so different, like we're we're
we're just in such a different role, Like this does
not feel anything like the Oz we knew, which makes

(01:13:50):
sense because the Gnome King, you know, the bad guys
have like changed a lot of stuff, which is smart
story wise, because I mean, you're not gonna be able
to recreate the amazing sets from this from fifty years prior. Basically,
you know, so it makes sense, but like like we
see desert, we see woods, like this is an oz
we don't we're not familiar with at all. But I

(01:14:12):
like that. I like that. It's a wholly different vision,
do you know what I mean? And like, yeah, the
yellow brick road is now all chopped up, like we're
not even on the brick road for long and all,
like that's not important to the story, you know, like
some iconic moments from the original are a mention, you know,
but we're moving on to like we got weird stuff

(01:14:32):
to talk about.

Speaker 12 (01:14:37):
You'll be transported miraculously back to the enchanted land of ours,
that magical kingdom beloved by young and old for generations.

Speaker 2 (01:14:46):
Critics were mixed on this one, you know, as we're fans,
most fans I think that love it, love it, you know,
like I love it. Do you would you say? Do
you love this movie?

Speaker 1 (01:14:54):
Yeah? I do. I do, because it's it's creepy, it's
so you know, it's it doesn't hold back different.

Speaker 2 (01:15:02):
Yeah, but some critics were especially upset to not have music.
And it's interesting. I was really reading they were like,
we're really missing the songs, like we're missing musical numbers
like the original hand right, it's funny. Yeah, I've never
missed them. I've watched this a bunch again, hadn't seen
it for decades really, but I've never missed songs in
this because it just doesn't feel like I don't know,

(01:15:23):
they would feel kind of weird because this movie's so
weird that I think we don't even need musical numbers,
you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (01:15:30):
Right, do you feel like you need? Yeah, as a child,
I wanted it because that's all I knew was the
regular Wizard of Oz.

Speaker 2 (01:15:37):
But Rainbow all those times.

Speaker 1 (01:15:40):
Yeah, but now no, it's it's fine without it.

Speaker 2 (01:15:44):
It could have been cool, actually, if like the cut
songs like the Jitterbug, the songs that didn't make I know,
I love it too, right, and you can of course
see it the deleted scene, but that wasn't in the
original movie that was cut, So it could have been
interesting if, especially in nineteen eighty five, we didn't really
like have access to like deleted scenes that easily, you know,
So that could have been cool if they took songs

(01:16:05):
that didn't make the cut and put them in this
one that could have been interesting, you know, but who knows.
Maybe it was a rights thing because Disney didn't have
Disney had the rights of course for this one. I
don't know if they had all the rights to The
Wizard of Oz that was MGM, so like never know, right.

Speaker 1 (01:16:23):
Yeah, they had to pay to use the Ruby slippers,
like pay for the rights to use that. And I'm thinking,
I don't know the exact year, but The Wiz I
think came out around that time. Yeah, so I think
maybe that's probably why they didn't want to do music
because it'll be too similar.

Speaker 2 (01:16:42):
Excellent point. You're sorry, because yeah, the Ways I think
it might have been ten years prior. Was that seventy five?
Let me look, it was in the seventies. It was
seventy eight, seventy eight. A lot of good movies came
out seventy eight. But you're so right, that was only
what seven years before this, so they probably thought, yeah,
how are we gonna beat Diana Ross Michael Jackson. I
mean the ways is. I love the Wiz as well,
and the Wiz also gets kind of scary and creepy,

(01:17:03):
you know, like, yeah, the Wizard of Oz stories of
this era were not afraid to lean into some dark,
strange visuals for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:17:12):
Yeah. Well, I think the books were really scary, like Scarier.

Speaker 2 (01:17:16):
I used to have like the original book, like l.
Frank Baum, like the original story, and I can't remember
much of it, but I do remember reading it and
remembering like, oh, this is different than the movie, like yeah,
and that it was a series. I'm pretty sure there's
a few books, so I can't remember if I had
them all. Did you ever have the books? No?

Speaker 1 (01:17:33):
I have Wicked?

Speaker 2 (01:17:34):
You have Wicked? Yeah the book?

Speaker 1 (01:17:36):
Yeah, and Son of a Witch. Oh, supposed to be
the son of Piero and Alfa or something.

Speaker 2 (01:17:43):
I wonder if they'll turn that into a movie. With
the success of Wicked.

Speaker 1 (01:17:48):
Might be smart, right, yeah, you know yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:17:51):
And yeah, it's fun to watch return to oz now
with like Wicked being so popular, you know, like it's
a fun time for this anniversary to hit. I love Wicked.
Did you love it?

Speaker 1 (01:18:01):
Yeah? I did. I finally saw it when it was on.

Speaker 2 (01:18:03):
Pack Okay, good, Yeah, I want to be watch I
really enjoyed it from start to finish the ending.

Speaker 1 (01:18:09):
See it on Broadway.

Speaker 2 (01:18:10):
I saw it on Broadway with the original cast. I
was very lucky to see Idina and Kristen and Tay
Diggs was filling in for Fierro because at the time
he was with Idina, he was I still remember him
dancing and like, oh yeah, I forget who was he
was filling in? Four Maybe was it Norbert Leo? Buts
or was Heah?

Speaker 1 (01:18:30):
That was the original Fiero.

Speaker 2 (01:18:31):
Okay, so he was feeling in for him for just
like a month or so around the holidays. Yeah, something
like that. Yeah, oh so iconic, iconic from stage to screen.

Speaker 1 (01:18:41):
Yeah, you saw it on with Megan Hilty Glinda and
who was of Bean? Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:18:50):
Okay, she was a big one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:18:52):
She was Alphabaka and I'm trying to think. I don't
think there was any Oh I know, I tried to
see it with Room Planahan, but I never won the
lot the lottery.

Speaker 2 (01:19:04):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I love you did that
And then I know Carol Kane did that role as well,
which is really fun, and you know, I can't remember.
I hope I'm not making this up. I feel like
I also saw Joel Gray as the Wizard, so you
saw it like oh like early on? Am I making
that up? Let me see. I want to make sure

(01:19:25):
I don't want to say the wrong thing here, because
you know sometimes like memory play. No, no, it was.
It was back in like two thousand and three, you know,
it was early on.

Speaker 1 (01:19:35):
Yeah, that's when it came out.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
He was in the original. Okay, so I saw Joel.

Speaker 1 (01:19:39):
Yeah, so you saw almost the original, like you probably
saw the original cast, except for except for Fiero.

Speaker 2 (01:19:46):
Yeah, that was just a that wasn't like a permanent replacement.
I'm pretty sure I remember, if I remember correctly, And
the playbuilt said Tay Diggs is filling in for a
few weeks, and everyone thought that was cool because you know,
they were together at the time, but they knew each
other from Brandon and they were a Broadway couple. I
still upset that they're not together anymore. Idea they were,
they were half together, right, Yeah, but yeah, no, it's

(01:20:08):
it's cool to rewatch Return to Oz while Wicked is so,
you know, the trailer just dropped for Wicked part two,
so that'll be huge, you know, Wicked for good. So yeah,
it's just cool because like this, this is obviously part
of the same world, same DNA. Of course, we see
the Ruby slippers. I love that the nome King like

(01:20:29):
just reveals he's wearing the ruby slippers. But I'm like, okay,
happy pride nome King, Like yeah, it's so And even
as a kid, I always thought that was funny. I'm like, oh,
he's just wearing them, Like he just reveals. He just
pulls his robe away and he's like, they're mine now,
and he's like Wiggley's toes. I'm like, okay, all right,
you're a friend of Dorothy, but uh, you know, so

(01:20:49):
we have the same DNA. But it just feels so different.
But I it worked. That works for me. I'm sure
many people were like, this is not at all what
I wanted. I could totally see many people being turned off.
But for me and you, it works. I need another
version of the original, Like I know, I did see
Oz the Great and Powerful with James Franco. I remember

(01:21:11):
liking it. I've only seen it once. It was sort
of sleepy. It was sort of basically Wicked. It was
a prequel to show, you know, how the witch you know,
becomes evil and how he becomes the wizard. So, I mean,
it was a cool, interesting prequel, but it was just
a little sleepy you know.

Speaker 1 (01:21:29):
Yeah, is that the one where she cries and her
tears burn her face?

Speaker 4 (01:21:33):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (01:21:34):
I think so, yeah, okay, yeah, and yes.

Speaker 2 (01:21:37):
Williams is Glinda. Rachel Weist is the other sister that
the house falls on. I can't okay, yes, and then
Mila Kulis is the Wicked Witch.

Speaker 1 (01:21:49):
Okay, yeah, I did see that. I saw it once too.

Speaker 2 (01:21:52):
Yeah, I know that now that we're talking about it,
I don't know. I might like put it on someday
just to like, you know, enjoy the return Oz and
Wicked craze, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:22:01):
Maybe sometimes on TV.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
Yeah, and I saw it's also on Disney Plus as well.
Like it popped up for me after this, I was like,
do you want me to, you know, continue following the
Wizard of Oz train? And I remember I remember hearing
Disney paid a lot for the rights, because you know,
the rights lapse, you know, so they had returned to Oz,
then it probably lapsed and went somewhere else, and then
they bought it back again. I remember hearing for Oz
the Great and Powerful, and I remember they just spent

(01:22:27):
so much money and that was sort of a dud.
And I feel like they wanted to do more like
theme parks, which would have made a lot of sense,
you know, Like again how we're saying the Goonies could
have had a theme park returned to Oz. Absolutely could
have like a Halloween Horror Nights, yeah, I mean mirrored
halls with the heads right right, the caves with the

(01:22:47):
nome king I mean. And also just and this movie's
Oscar nominated. I didn't know it's nominated for visual effects.
And these effects were amazing, Like the faces in the rocks,
the hands really cool, I mean, and it's funny this one.
I mean, we know Wizard of Oz is basically Alice
in Wonderland, you know, but this movie, I love that
it really leaned into some Alice in Wonderland visuals with

(01:23:09):
like fruz of box falling and like it's very psychedelic,
Like it really made me think of Labyrinth, which again
came out the year later, but like Alice in Wonderland,
like those kind of classic images, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:23:23):
Yeah, and the clamation, like absolutely every eighties movie had
to have some kind of claymation in it, and.

Speaker 2 (01:23:31):
It's so beautiful. I love it. I want clamation and
everything now. I don't want it to disappear, you know,
what I mean, like, it looks so good and it
looks real, you know, even the chicken. The chicken, I'm
pretty sure it's it's pretty obvious that it's like animatronic.
But I'm just so happy because the movie now, it
might be animatronic, but then the chicken's gonna be cgi
and right, you know, it's just not gonna feel the same.

(01:23:53):
You know, it's not gonna transport you, right, So let
me tell you a little bit about the writer director.
This is so interesting, Salona. Maybe I'm sure you might
have seen this too, but this is the only He's
worked on a bunch of movies, but this is the
only movie he has directed and written. Oh, he did
write a couple other movies later in life. He's still alive,

(01:24:14):
but the only movie he's directed, which is a bummer
because I think he can make great movies. But he
is mostly like in the sound department, he's mostly a
sound mixer, sound re recording. So, oh my god, he's
he's been nominated. He's worked on The Godfather one and
two and three, Apocalypse Now. He worked on Apocalypse Now

(01:24:36):
before like before doing Return to Oz, right, he worked
on Ghost. I Love Ghost, The English patient, the talented
mister Ripley all doing sound mixing. He's an editor as well,
so he would edit some of these films. So I mean,
major talented guy. His name is Walter Merch. Walter Merch.
He's still alive, he must be. Yeah, he's eighty one

(01:24:59):
and he's he's Argentinian, so he's not American. So that's
probably why the movie is so cool and interesting and artistic.
Is an American didn't do it? You know?

Speaker 1 (01:25:08):
Well, I'm sure he knows now that it does have
a following. Oh I feel like now it's more popular
than it was back then.

Speaker 2 (01:25:16):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:25:17):
Yeah, it's just a yellow book. No, Bllina, you don't understand.

Speaker 5 (01:25:23):
This was for you, Bick alone.

Speaker 2 (01:25:26):
For Zebell, who I mean, Oh my god, what a dream,
what a great I mean, we love her so much stuff.
She's an almost famous which has a big anniversary this
year as well. But everything from the crash she's played,
which he rolls many times. But what a great Dorothy.
She looks great, her eyes, but she's also so good
And it was interesting to have a truly age appropriate

(01:25:49):
Dorothy because in the books me as a kid, you know,
in the original film Judy Garland was a kid. You know,
she wasn't even eighteen, I'm pretty sure, but she looked older,
you know, she she did seem like a young adult.
But here we got like, let me see how old
was for Russa balk I gotta look it up. She
was born in seventy four. Oh my god, so.

Speaker 1 (01:26:09):
She was turning she was like nine or ten.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
Yeah, oh my god, she's she was only nine eight
maybe when they filmed it. Whoa, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:26:18):
She's smart at that age. She's such a good actress.

Speaker 2 (01:26:22):
Yes, and the year later she's in one of my
all time faves. Also played on Disney Channel a lot,
The Worst Witch, remember that one?

Speaker 1 (01:26:28):
Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:26:31):
Very close to this. So she's great. But no, she said,
I want to read this quote that I found online.
She said, it's a different story and a different picture.
And I didn't try to copy anything Judy Garland did.
It's not that much scarier, but it isn't as bright,
so that's interesting. She didn't find it scarier than the
first one. I feel like it is the first one
is not really scary at all. I mean, the Wicked

(01:26:52):
Rich can be scary to some kids at that time
like no, but but she does say it isn't as bright.
But she enjoyed working with the cast of thirty Chickens,
So there were some real chickens obviously, you know, on
the farm and everything, describing them as really sweet and
praising their acting ability. And then Geene Marsh said she
thought Returned to Oz would be easy to film. She said,

(01:27:12):
I thought this picture would be a breeze, but it's
difficult to hit it absolutely right. So she trusted the
director and making his dream a reality, describing him like
a mad vague professor. He's totally original. So that's interesting
because you know she's got a lot to do, but
she's pretty supporting. You know, Perusa's got she Perus's in
almost every scene, you know. But for Geene Marsh to

(01:27:34):
say it was difficult, you know, these fantasy films, I
think we forget like you know, sometimes you're not actually
looking at the thing you're talking to. You're looking like
at a wall or whatever. So you know, I know,
like actors today say, it's very hard sometimes, like where
you're acting with just a cgi like green screen, you know,
to really so I get it. It's tricky.

Speaker 12 (01:27:54):
You'll share with Dorothy Gail, the shock of finding everything
mysteriously changed Everyboddy.

Speaker 1 (01:28:01):
I do like the scene ironically because I fell today
during this scene. Yeah, so I'm okay, I have ice
on my name right now. Yeah, whole time. If you
see me moving the scene where she like takes the
key off of her hand, she's momy sleeping, yes, and

(01:28:24):
she tied like unties the key and then she turns
and moves and takes the key and she runs down
the hall and then she gets the life powder or
life uh huh yeah, and then her then her eyes
open and then all the other heads start screaming.

Speaker 2 (01:28:43):
It's very body snatchers. It's very like, yes, like an
alien movie. She what does she? I didn't know until
recent until like today with subtitles, because I was like,
what is mommy's moaning? But she goes doll girl and
that everyone else she says her name Darth Gail. But yeah,
it always sounds like some spell or some mother like yeah,

(01:29:04):
I thought she.

Speaker 1 (01:29:04):
Was doing a spell, like yeah, like yeah, she.

Speaker 2 (01:29:09):
Is so scary and all the heads are screaming right
and and even before that, when when Dorothy you know
understands that you know, when the younger momby takes her
head off like that, this is going to be more
appropriate for the afternoon. And then she's holding the dark
haired head and that is such a spooky image.

Speaker 12 (01:29:29):
It is amazing, and you will delight with her discovery
of four wonderful new friends who bend together against a
wicked queen and the dreaded lone King.

Speaker 2 (01:29:44):
Maybe, you know, I don't know how much of this
is actually from the books, do we know?

Speaker 1 (01:29:50):
I think from the books the whats.

Speaker 2 (01:29:53):
The pumpkins name Jack pumpkinhead Jack.

Speaker 1 (01:29:57):
Okay, so he was from the books. Uh TikTok was
from the books. Okay, Lena was from the books.

Speaker 2 (01:30:04):
Yeah, gump is the uh is the uh like moosehead thing,
which is funny because he's on the post. The poster
for this even has the lion, the cowardly Lion, which
is very funny because he's not really in it. But
I guess they wanted to, and so is Man, so
they wanted to still like include you know those iconic characters.

Speaker 1 (01:30:24):
Like I know the book that I have that I
wish I could find. If I could find it, I'll
send you a picture of it. It has the ending
scene where they're like having like the parade for them.
And if they're all in the moose and the lion
is is there, the tin Man, the Scarecrow, TikTok, all
of them are together, that is on the cover, so

(01:30:45):
you think they're in the whole thing, but they're not.

Speaker 2 (01:30:47):
Yeah, it's a little bit of false advertising. I have
to say. I mean, Scarecrows in it the most out
of the original trio, but he's barely in it. You know,
it is cool that they're like saving him, Like it's
cool that. Yeah, an iconic character from the original is
back in an important way, you know, like she's trying
to help her friends. Oh, okay, yeah, it's based on

(01:31:08):
here's the books. The specific books that it's based on
are The Marvelous Land of Oz, which was in nineteen
oh four and Ozma of Oz in nineteen oh seven.
So yeah, let me see real quick. I'm just curious.
I used to know this the books. How many books
are there? Oh wait, Wonderful World of Oz is the novel,
the original novel in nineteen hundred. Yeah, I used to

(01:31:30):
have the original book with the illustrations. It was so cool.
Editions sequels, okay, sequels list of Oz books. Here we go,
Thank you wiki we got Oh wow, there's a lot.
Oh my god, it's a lot of there are fourteen books.

Speaker 1 (01:31:44):
Whoah my god.

Speaker 2 (01:31:46):
Wow, So they really it actually is surprising that we
haven't gotten more Oz sequels, right, because there's a lot
of source material. Surprisingly, the last book is Glinda of
Oz in nineteen twenty Dorothy and Glinda try to stop
a war in the Gillikin Country. This was Baum's Baum's
last Oz book and it was published oh posthumously, so

(01:32:07):
he had died by the time. It was interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:32:10):
Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do like a series.

Speaker 2 (01:32:17):
We get so many of these, like Lord of the
Rings series all this. I would love a Wizard of
Oz series. Oh my god, that's what they should do,
because you know they're inevitably gonna want to do another sequel,
another remake or whatever. They should do it as a show. Yes,
Ozma of Oz was the third book returned to Oz.
Is based on Marvelous Land of Oz and okay, so
this movie is based on the second and third books,

(01:32:39):
so they were really following story order. But then like
the eighth book is TikTok of Oz. Scarecrow of oz
comes back in the ninth book, So, I mean, these
characters are in it for a while. Princess Ozma is
in a lot of these books. Wow. Interesting. It was
surprising I thought rewatching the movie that Glinda doesn't come
back in any way. You know, she's still alive at

(01:32:59):
the end of you know, with oz So it was
sort of surprising. In the parade, she doesn't really get
a clear you know, cameo or anything. You know, I
wonder what happened there. But Ozma is basically Glinda Junior.

Speaker 12 (01:33:13):
I mean great, yeah, you know from Wolf Disney Pictures
Comes of Entertainment.

Speaker 2 (01:33:20):
This movie introduced me to what a lunch pale was.
I'm like, well, a lunch pale, like.

Speaker 1 (01:33:24):
I know, I wrote that down to.

Speaker 2 (01:33:26):
Right, lunch pale, the lunch pail tree, you know, the
lunch pail is sort of like a thing. And I'm like, huh.
And I remember like saying to my dad lunch pale
and my dad I remember said, yeah, we would have
to bring those to school, and my dad would bring
his lunch pale to work. I'm like lunch box, lunch bag, yeah, right,
funny like an old.

Speaker 1 (01:33:44):
I wrote that down lunch pale tree.

Speaker 2 (01:33:47):
I love TikTok even as a kid. He's just so
cute and he's such a great little soldier. And I
kind of love that he like loves not being alive.
What's the quote, it's kind of believed. He says, I
am not alive and never will be. Thank goodness. I'm like, okay,
good But also it's funny how like the chicken is
such a big part of this story with it sets.

(01:34:11):
The Wheelers are so like, coming here chicken, like they
want the chicken, and I completely forgot the nome King
disintegrates because the chicken lays the egg in Jack's pumpkinhead, right,
and it falls and drops into the nome King's mouth.
Like completely forgot how important the chicken is because I

(01:34:31):
guess it's like the chicken is from our world and
doesn't exist at all in Oz. So it's this strange
creature that everyone wants but also can.

Speaker 1 (01:34:41):
Like mess these up, right, Yeah, pretty clever up.

Speaker 11 (01:34:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:34:45):
So, like is the whole thing a dream though? Right?

Speaker 2 (01:34:48):
Like yeah, And this movie really hits it on the
head that like it's all a dream, and like the
original is all a dream. She's crazy, She's just got
her imaginary friends, which which makes sense. But it's very
like mature that way. It's very grounded in reality, even
though it's a crazy fantasy film, you know, whereas like
the original, I mean, yeah, it's obvious as adults like

(01:35:09):
we know, like, yeah, it's all a dream. But as
a kid, I was always like, well was it? We
don't really know? You know, this makes it more obvious,
like yeah, this girl's back to the woods. She was
just knocked out in dreaming, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:35:23):
Yeah, it's like, let the poor girl live. I mean,
come on, she was just in a tornado. I know,
she got hit on the head and like whatever happens
during the day she dreams about, Like yeah, and tis times.

Speaker 2 (01:35:35):
You're already tough in the early nineteen hundreds for a girl,
so it's like, of course she's gonna go to her
fantasy land, right, But they're treating her like this psycho.
They're like, you haven't slept, and I think I think
it starts with they say it's been six months since
the tornado. So they're like you you are a night owl.
You it's one o'clock in the morning, Like you're not sleeping,
You're talking about these weird things. We need to get

(01:35:56):
you to the clinic, you know, so it is it
is like also, she's like eight years old, like she's
supposed to have imagination. So yeah, an em is a little.

Speaker 1 (01:36:06):
Tough, I have to say, right, yeah, but it's.

Speaker 2 (01:36:10):
I do love how this one much like the original.
You know, you see all the characters in oz you
see most of them in the real world, Like Mommy
is the creepy, strict like kind of a mental asylum nurse,
I guess, you know, yea, And like we said, Ozma's
a patient there and so and and I read that

(01:36:30):
even the nome King is played by the actor who
plays the doctor, which is very interesting. Going back to
the visual effects, I loved also like how the nome
King has like his watcher, you know, like there's the
rock face, you know, like spies on them, like just
so perfectly eighties. It's just so beautiful in its creativity.

(01:36:52):
And it's maybe a little rough around the edges. It's
not as maybe smooth as what we have today, but
it's better that way, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:36:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:36:59):
Emeralds is very spooky because it's all so decrepit and broken,
and like the statues, it's spooky, like I would love
to walk around. You know, there is you probably know this.
I think it's in one of the Carolinas or somewhere Virginia.
Somewhere in like the southeast. There is an abandoned, closed
down Wizard of Oz theme park. Have you ever heard

(01:37:21):
of this?

Speaker 1 (01:37:22):
Oh? I heard of it.

Speaker 2 (01:37:23):
But yeah, and I think people can still go in,
or at least walk. The yellow brick road still exists.
It looks like shit, but it's still You can still
see some yellow bricks, but it's shut down. It didn't
last very long. I think it wasn't as successful as
they wanted it to be, of course, But yeah, So
there is a Wizard of Oz theme park, and since

(01:37:45):
we're Jersey kids, I don't know if it's still there.
But growing up in Mullica Hill, a town in South Jersey,
not all that far from where I grew up, it's
kind of weird when I talk about it, when I
explain it. But a person turned their house and lawn,
their yard in to their own little Wizard of Oz
theme park, and we would go sometimes. It was very cool.
Inside was a bunch of Wizard of Oz memorabilia, a

(01:38:07):
lot of decorations, toys, but outside were all these amazing decorations.
They built their own yellow brick road. I'll try to
send you some pictures because I'm sure I don't know
if it still exists. I don't think it does, or
if it does, it's not what it used to be.
I'm sure it's smaller. But it was cool and like,
even as a kid, I kind of knew like, Okay,
this person's kind of weird to do this, but I

(01:38:28):
really like it. And it was like rough around the edges,
so it had that kind of return to oz like
imperfect perfection, you know what I mean. Yeah, So yeah,
it's if it's still there, we should totally try to go.
Oh my god, that'd be such a blast in the past. Yeah,
I got to look up the Real Amusement Park because
for a long time people would go hiking there and

(01:38:49):
take pictures and it like, I feel like every picture
of it is foggy, so it just looks like a
place like yeah, right, it's so up our alley each Mountain,
North Carolina.

Speaker 1 (01:39:02):
Okay, from North Carolina.

Speaker 2 (01:39:03):
Yeah. It was operated from nineteen seventy to nineteen eighty,
so it closed before this movie was out. Yeah, mm hmmm.
It was called Land of Oz. M Oh yeah, okay,
current operations. That's how I knew it. They still do events, Solana,
Oh my god, Solana, we have to go. They still
do Autumn at Oz every year, Autumn at Oz, which

(01:39:26):
features immersive experiences, character meet and greets, and live performances.
It must be the weirdest thing. It must be like
a Renaissance fair, but even weirder.

Speaker 1 (01:39:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:39:34):
It's the main event taking place in September, where parts
of the park are revived and you can experience the
Land of Oz. It was impacted by Hurricane Helene in
twenty twenty. When was that? When was helene efforts to
improve long term sustainability for its decision to remain closed
for twenty twenty five. Okay, so yeah, it's not it's not.

(01:39:56):
I mean the website works. It's kind of working. Nice website.
March fourteen, twenty tw Oh my gosh. Wait. We understand
this is disappointing, but it is necessary step for the
continued success of Autumn of Oz. So what's going on.
Our goal is to reopen it. Okay, So this year
they're not doing Autumn of Oz because of hurricanes. That's
a bummer. So I guess I really got messed up.

(01:40:17):
But they have every intention of doing it next year.
Solana six Autumn OZ, September twenty twenty six. Everybody, let's go.
That would be so much fun. I don't know what
else is going on in Beach Mountain, North Carolina, but
whatever we'll get on Airbnb. We'll get some hotels. But
if you google it you will see interesting old photos.

(01:40:39):
It's kind of creepy. Yep, there's a video on YouTube
from twenty twenty two. Someone was there recently, probably at
Autumn at OZ, walking through. I've actually watched this before.
Oh my god. Yeah, okay, I watched this late at
night while HI like a year ago. That's so funny.
I'm like, wait, it says I've watched this before. Yes,
you can walk through see oh yeah, oh my god,

(01:41:00):
it's spooky.

Speaker 12 (01:41:02):
This is the ours you haven't seen before, and this
is the ours you'll want to visit again and again.

Speaker 1 (01:41:09):
I've read that they had a gymnast that that was
inside of TikTok oh and when he was walking like this,
like because it was a gymnast walking on their hands.

Speaker 2 (01:41:25):
Wow, wow, that's amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:41:27):
That's why he was walking because and then he would
walk backwards on his hand and that's how he looked
like he was wabbling.

Speaker 2 (01:41:34):
That's like, really so cool to hear that kind of
stuff because it just reminds you how much work goes
involved in these movies, you know, like, yeah, even even
the people you don't see are are bending over backwards
to do Yeah, really cool stuff. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:41:49):
Just the electric shop therapy part that like really got
me because she's eight, she's she's a little girl, and
they're like, oh, I won't hurt yeah, and she's you know,
so innocent.

Speaker 2 (01:42:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:42:02):
And then the wheel that wheely sound that booky yeah,
and that's the same sound the wheelers wheels make.

Speaker 2 (01:42:11):
M M and gives me think of like Freddy Krueger,
like the squeaky right that like it's speak Yeah. Yeah, Yeah.
I do love even though it might be pretty obvious
now as an adult, but I do love how they
realize that the green objects, the green ornaments, are what
help them get their friends back. So you know, she

(01:42:32):
she touches each green thing ahs, and then each each
old and new friend comes back. You know. Yeah, that's
really cool. Yeah, And the ending the parade is really beautiful,
you know, lots of great decorations. Yeah, it's a really
really cool film. I mean, I know there are people
that haven't seen it. Man, you're missing out on a
wild adventure. I'd say, right, yeah, it holds up really well.

Speaker 1 (01:42:57):
It does. And I mean, like, and I don't don't
know if it was on what I was how I
was watching it because I found it somewhere on the internet.
But it is black and white at the beginning, right, No.

Speaker 2 (01:43:10):
At least the version that's on Disney Plus isn't. But
the version you saw its black and white.

Speaker 1 (01:43:15):
Yeah, the version I saw was black and white until
she wakes up and is in the middle or or no,
the ocean, like dreams or whatever, and then they're on
the sand. Then she's in color. Because I thought, oh,
this whole movie is going to be in black and white,
because I was watching with some I don't even know,
I found it and I started watching it.

Speaker 2 (01:43:37):
That's so interesting.

Speaker 1 (01:43:39):
Yeah, and then when she wakes up again at the end,
it was black and white.

Speaker 2 (01:43:44):
Okay, No, the version that's on Disney Plus, and I'm
pretty sure every version I've seen, I only remember this
in color. So I wonder if someone did that themselves.
Do you know what I mean if some fan, which
is pretty cool, you know, although I feel like maybe
CPIA would have been better, like more brown and white,
because the original was more kind of brown and white
than the color. Oh, the color in the original is

(01:44:06):
just some of the most beautiful stuff you'll ever see.
This one is definitely less colorful. It's it's got color,
of course, like some things are beautiful, but the reds
aren't as red the great you know, like that that
original is saturated, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:44:21):
So yeah, I think I think a fan must. I
don't know, I'll have to send you her.

Speaker 2 (01:44:25):
I watched it, Yeah, I wonder, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:44:30):
And I was trying to remember. I was like, I
don't ever remember this being black and white. I remember
her being in the mental hospital, and I don't remember
it being black and white when I was when I
watched it when I was younger, but today it was.

Speaker 2 (01:44:45):
It is an interesting choice too, because because it's so bleak,
her life is not great in this movie, like WHOA,
it is an interesting choice to keep it color and
not do more of the switch. Maybe they thought that
felt to been there done, that it's too too much
like the original. I don't know.

Speaker 12 (01:45:06):
I don't just fly back to Kansas too.

Speaker 2 (01:45:15):
I just love that this movie is an Oscar nominee
for Best Visual Effects, so well deserved because you know,
it only made I'm seeing here it was a twenty
eight million dollar budget, which again twenty eight million and
forty years ago was a lot. It's not you know,
it's a lot now, but it was definitely more like
fifty you know, back then or more. But it only

(01:45:35):
made eleven million at the box office, so it did
not make its money back, so it really was not.
I really it's so interesting because I feel like God,
so many kids and adults would have been like, whoa,
I gotta see that on the big screen. But I
guess the ads for it, the commercials, whatever, just were
not helping. But you know, knowing that that it wasn't

(01:45:56):
a hit, I'm still glad it got at least awards love,
you know, and of course now it's a true cult film.
I mean people, yeah, people remember this movie, and I'm
glad they do.

Speaker 1 (01:46:08):
The producer he wanted to it, says he wanted to
retire from the film, meaning like I guess he wanted
to quit wow, And so he did, and they were
going to get George Lucas, but then something fell through, wow,
and then they got it. Then he came back on.

Speaker 2 (01:46:26):
Oh oh interesting, Okay, yeah, I mean, you know, there
is definitely some star wars like DNA and some of
these shots. Yeah, right, for sure. But it's interesting because
I see here online that in nineteen fifty four, Walt
Disney bought the film rights to the remaining OZ books
to use in a TV series. So how funny that
you and I are on the TV series Kick. The

(01:46:48):
series was just Disneyland. I guess it was just an
idea of all Disney shows, you know, or Disney property
and stories and all that it did air. It then
turned into the Wonderful World of Disney, which I did
love growing up. Oh my god, all those movies. But
so they got the rights, and then this led to
them proposing a live action film called The Rainbow Road

(01:47:08):
to OZ, which was never completed. So then our writer,
director Walter Merch, who also wrote this with Gil Dennis,
another writer. But Merch was the one that said in
nineteen eighty I guess he was working for Disney or
said why don't you try making it into a movie now?
So yeah, Disney approved the project because they were about

(01:47:29):
to lose the rights, so again, rights kind of go
in and out right. So yeah, and even though MGM
was not involved, Disney did have to pay a large
fee to use those ruby slippers, like you said, so,
but it's worth it. I mean, it's very hard to
have an OZ movie without ruby slippers? Are you kidding?

Speaker 1 (01:47:44):
I know?

Speaker 2 (01:47:45):
I mean, I know, like the yeah, yeah, we don't
even know. We can get away with like not seeing
the Emerald City like towers. We can get away with
total nothing in the movie for long, but like the
ruby slippers gotta have a cameo. So and it's so funny.
I was just in November. You gotta go sometime. I
was just seeing the real ruby slippers with my own

(01:48:05):
eyes at the Academy Museum in LA. They're in a
glass case. It's an awesome museum. It is so awesome.
We were there for like hours, didn't even see everything.
We didn't even get to one wing. There's so many
great I mean, the coolest things are seeing the real
oscars and seeing the real props and costumes and makeup.
Oh my god, the real scripts of some movies are

(01:48:26):
there in cases. It is so worth the flight out there.
And the ticket to go. It's great.

Speaker 5 (01:48:34):
Are you sure you didn't come back for these hepe
oh li ruby slippers?

Speaker 2 (01:48:45):
You know, I did think at first the Nome King
his voice sounded so much like James Earl Jones that
I'm like, look at minm dB. I'm like, but I
guess it wasn't, but it sounds so much like him.
You know, they really were. I don't know if I
was James Earl Jones, I'd be like, Okay, you are
absolutely copying me, and you're trying to make people think
that I'm in this movie, right. I do love that

(01:49:06):
Jack Pumpkinhead, which is such a great character and such
a fun preview for Jack Skellington in Nightmare Before Christmas. Yes, right,
you probably thought that too, And that was Disney a
few years after this, not even ten years later, So
like it is funny to see some of the things
that carry over and like they're darker stuff, another iconic character.

(01:49:26):
But I do love how he always calls her mom.
It's so weird, I know.

Speaker 1 (01:49:31):
Mom, Mom, Mom.

Speaker 2 (01:49:34):
And then when he finally sees Ozma, who I guess
is his mom, he screams mom, Like it's so weird,
Like very strange, very strange, and she it's interesting because
we think Momby is so bad, but she really works
for the Nome King, you know. So it's always fun
to kind of see the pecking order of the bad guys,
you know.

Speaker 1 (01:49:51):
Yeah, and then like when she wakes up in reality,
the Momby or whatever her name was, in the real life,
she's too taken away. I guess.

Speaker 2 (01:50:03):
Yes, she's in the carriage. Yes, so she's also yeah,
so very like dream imitating art imitating dream. Yeah. Yeah,
she's so scary. Jean Marsh. What else I know she's
done something? I know she actually just passed away a
couple of months ago, just recently in April. Yeah, oh yeah,
she was in Willow Another great a lot of a

(01:50:24):
lot of British stuff, the Changeling. So she's done some
very memorable eighties stuff. But upstairs, downstairs, yeah, she's done
a lot. Jean Marsh. Wow, what an interesting actress. Great casting, great,
great casting. I don't have emerald crystals, but I do
have the crystals that you have given me. Salon has
given me so many great quarts. And what's this celenite selenite? Yes,

(01:50:49):
I might not have all the rubies and all the
one eyed Willie Gold. But I do have these amazing
black Obsidian, all these great amazing duels and yes, all
these great things that Solana knows so well. So they're
right here next to me. Yeah, yep, I got and
I got a little pouch. Look at the seat. They're
all right here.

Speaker 1 (01:51:08):
Oh yeah, yep. See got you covered.

Speaker 2 (01:51:13):
Good luck, Charms And that's my one hundredth episode. Wow.
I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Thank you everybody for listening to or watching this episode,
and thank you for supporting indie podcasting because release date rewind.
This show is a truly indie podcast. I know I
have a distributor. I'm on a couple of networks and

(01:51:35):
they are great and they have absolutely helped me. But
this is a lot of work, as many of you
know out there who podcasts do or know this kind
of thing. Thank you to all my guests for almost
five years of doing this thing and doing your share
of the work as well, because this podcast would not
exist without all these great friends of mine. So thank you,

(01:51:55):
and thank you to my guest for this one hundredth episode,
Solana Sorrento, my girl, for going on this perfectly weird
and fun adventure with me for episode one hundred. Thanks
also to my cameo pals Shelley, Matt, Josh, Jeff, Brian Ot.
Thank you all for your great cameos and for supporting
the pod. Please everybody spread the word about this show.

(01:52:17):
Leave a rating on your favorite app, a thumbs up
on YouTube if you'd liked this episode, and follow me
on Instagram at release date. Rewind if you haven't yet
to see more footage from this conversation and from these
great movies and more that we love. Thank you straw
Hat Media, the Run Podcast Network, Kyle Motsinger for this
great theme song, Greg Clements who created the initial logo

(01:52:41):
for this podcast almost five years ago. And thank you
Portland Media Center in Maine for airing some of these
episodes on TV and online. Next on release date, Rewind everybody,
we are going to Amity Island to take a bite
out of Jaws for its fiftieth Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:53:00):
Huston bast

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