Return to Oz: The Joy That Got Away

Return to Oz is a film that deserves more attention than it gets, and this film finally gave it some of that well deserved attention. It centers around a nice variety of fans who give their own views on the film, both what makes it work and what doesn't. It's a very honest approach that sheds all the reality of how the film came to be and how and why it met it's demise with the box office. It is inter-cut with some nice footage of scenes from the film, and other films, and even some behind the scenes material from a rare documentary. The only thing that could have possibly made it a further joy to watch would have been to get someone involved in the film to have participated, as hard as that would have most certainly been. As it is, it is a great documentary on the film from a fan perspective, much akin to something like "Indyfans" or "Trekkies". I'm glad Return To Oz has something like this!

This documentary provides many behind-the-scenes details that watchers of Return to Oz undoubtedly thirst for. It contains a very interesting interview with Oz historian John Fricke, who provides a great centerpiece for the documentary with his endless knowledge about all things Oz. The documentary also contains interviews with numerous fans of the film, who often have very interesting and thoughtful opinions on the work. The documentary also deals with the constant change in management at Disney, and how this may have affected the film. Overall the documentary is very nicely done, and I highly recommend it to anyone.