Until then,
Welcome to the Bookish Ambition
Summer Drive-In
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| The Circle Drive-In from my childhood. Still open and now with double features on two screens! |
Now Playing:
Return to Oz
Ozma of Oz written by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neill
Originally published by Reilly & Lee, 1907
Ages 8-12, Lexile 1070L
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| Return to Oz, Disney 1985 Poster by Drew Struzan |
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| First edition Ozma of Oz, Reilly & L, 1907 |
Highlights from the book?
- A whole new Baum land to explore
- Billina's feisty role in the story
- The lunch pails
- The return of classic Oz characters
- Tongue-in-cheek writing
Highlights from the movie?
- Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead
- Dazzling array of special effects still holds up over 30 years later
- Costuming by Raymond Hughes
- Spectacular claymation both fascinating and creepy
- Faithful continuation of Oz series
Opening:
"The wind blew hard and joggled the water of the ocean, sending ripples across its surface. Then the wind pushed the edges of the ripples until they became waves, and shoved the waves around until they became billows. The billows rolled dreadfully high: higher even than the tops of houses. Some of them, indeed, rolled as high as the tops of tall trees, and seemed like mountains; and the gulfs between the great billows were like deep valleys."
Movie Trailer:
Movie Trailer:
Return to Oz is based on two books by L. Frank Baum, Ozma of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz. The film picks up where the MGM classic leaves off. Dorothy has helped the Scarecrow and her other friends reclaim Oz from the witch and travelled home by means of the ruby slippers. Back in Kansas, Dorothy and her family must rebuild the farm after the tornado's destruction. None of the adults in Dorothy's world believe her tales of Oz. This sets up the meeting with the Kansas villains who have Oz counterparts played by the same actors. After a storm, Dorothy finds herself back in Oz. She battles Princess Mombi and the Nome King to rescue the Tinman, Scarecrow, Lion, and Ozma from their clutches.
Return to Oz combines the best parts of the two books and includes an array of creative characters. The movie incorporates most of the settings in the book, changing them to be parts of Oz itself. Where Ozma rescues Dorothy in the book, in the movie rescuing Ozma becomes one of Dorothy's goals, placing her squarely in the role of heroine. Mombi is actually a combination of Langwidere and Mombi. The Gnome King is a fabulous villain, part claymation, part prosthetic. His transformation of the residents of Oz, as opposed to the royal family from the book, is a clever confrontation. The movie combines Henson puppetry, clay, costuming, green screen, animatronics, and other special effects to provide a seamless fairy land experience which holds up even after thirty years.
I would note that this film can be frightening to kids, as was The Wizard of Oz before it. The wheelers' comic appearance heightens their fear-factor (think scary clowns or dolls.) The Princess Mombi has a terrifying secret. Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead in particular face very dangerous moments. And in classic Oz style, Dorothy's misadventures in a mental institution back in Kansas are extremely unnerving.
Of course, those scary moments are what make this such a great adventure film. Fairuza Balk's believable performance as Dorothy, truly magical moments where gumps fly and metal men battle, comic highs, terror-filled lows, and sparkling sets and costumes, complete the cinema experience. Watch. This. Film. You won't be sorry. It's a masterpiece of kidlit come to life.
Visit Our Snackbar!
Snackbar food isn't always conducive to a healthy diet. Chicken fingers are kid-pleasing and a healthier choice than standard fare.
Plenty of parents make their own chicken fingers, but I admit I'd rather buy them frozen or fried from the snack stand. I highly recommend SimpleBites chicken dip made with just three ingredients. We serve it with fries and chicken (and anything else we can think of.) You'll find their chicken finger coating and their easy Honey-Mustard dip on their website.
Nostalgic for a drive-in movie?
There are over 5,000 drive-in theaters across the U.S. mapped for you on Cinema Treasures.
Not many theaters show cartoons anymore. If you're longing for a taste of the fifties, watch the 1939 Disney short below, The Little House, another children's book-turned-movie, this one based on The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.
Have you seen any screen adaptations of L. Frank Baum's works? What's your opinion?
Check out the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday review of Ozma of Oz, coming August 21, 2017.
Return to Oz combines the best parts of the two books and includes an array of creative characters. The movie incorporates most of the settings in the book, changing them to be parts of Oz itself. Where Ozma rescues Dorothy in the book, in the movie rescuing Ozma becomes one of Dorothy's goals, placing her squarely in the role of heroine. Mombi is actually a combination of Langwidere and Mombi. The Gnome King is a fabulous villain, part claymation, part prosthetic. His transformation of the residents of Oz, as opposed to the royal family from the book, is a clever confrontation. The movie combines Henson puppetry, clay, costuming, green screen, animatronics, and other special effects to provide a seamless fairy land experience which holds up even after thirty years.
I would note that this film can be frightening to kids, as was The Wizard of Oz before it. The wheelers' comic appearance heightens their fear-factor (think scary clowns or dolls.) The Princess Mombi has a terrifying secret. Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead in particular face very dangerous moments. And in classic Oz style, Dorothy's misadventures in a mental institution back in Kansas are extremely unnerving.
Of course, those scary moments are what make this such a great adventure film. Fairuza Balk's believable performance as Dorothy, truly magical moments where gumps fly and metal men battle, comic highs, terror-filled lows, and sparkling sets and costumes, complete the cinema experience. Watch. This. Film. You won't be sorry. It's a masterpiece of kidlit come to life.
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| Reminisce with intermission commercials from Captain Bijou on You Tube. |
Snackbar food isn't always conducive to a healthy diet. Chicken fingers are kid-pleasing and a healthier choice than standard fare.
Plenty of parents make their own chicken fingers, but I admit I'd rather buy them frozen or fried from the snack stand. I highly recommend SimpleBites chicken dip made with just three ingredients. We serve it with fries and chicken (and anything else we can think of.) You'll find their chicken finger coating and their easy Honey-Mustard dip on their website.
There are over 5,000 drive-in theaters across the U.S. mapped for you on Cinema Treasures.
Not many theaters show cartoons anymore. If you're longing for a taste of the fifties, watch the 1939 Disney short below, The Little House, another children's book-turned-movie, this one based on The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton.
Have you reviewed any Oz books? Please leave your link in the comments below. Thanks!
View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.
View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.
