Sorry for not blogging in so long. I promise I will try to get a message in here more often.
Now that aside, how has everyone been? Well the RTO message board has been dead, so I am guessing you are all out having lives. Hopefully it will pick back up. We are a community people! Just kidding, but I have been a little weary about making updates. Does anyone even see them? Well if you have not read lately we did an interview with Mak Wilson, who was the puppeteer for Billina. He told us a very interesting story about a scene that was cut. You should read the interview:
http://www.waltdisneysreturntooz.com/Art_Mak.htm
http://www.waltdisneysreturntooz.com/Art_Mak.htm
We have also uploaded some new documentaries, as well as.....tuda...a Return to Oz Store! I get a lot of emails asking about where to buy Return to Oz stuff. And mostly the books are hard to find....but since I have been collecting (for what seems like forever), I sort of have become an expert. So I will do all the work for you and all you will have to do is just buy.
I apologize the beginning of this post has been mostly about updates... but it helps me feel you guys are caught up.
About the Movie:
Has anyone watched Return to Oz lately? Well I did with my best friend's children. They are 3, 5, & 6. So...I skipped the beginning....I know...but the shock thing. I thought they were too young. So we started when Dorothy wakes up in the coop with Billina. So we were all sitting on my couch and I was catching them up. "How did they get to Oz?" one asked. I simply said, "A storm blew Dorothy there in a chicken coop." "A chicken coop?" 
She giggled. So everything is going good until the 3 year old sees the rocks. His eyes got all big and he said "him scary...he's a bad guy!" "He is a bad guy." I said. So far no one was scared. The 3 year old's eyes would always get huge any time the Nome King's messenger would come on the screen. So we get to the Emerald City..and I am afraid that when they see the wheelers they are just going to scream! But no....it was fine. The oldest looked up at me in amazement and pointed to my (wheeler) tattoo, and said " A Wheeler...." Then the kids really stated to realize that there was Return to Oz stuff all over my house. They kept asking questions like "How much was that?" "Too much" I usually answered. So I tried to keep there minds on track, they were happy to see Tik-Tok beat up the evil wheelers. And then Mombi came. They were very confused by her. I had to explain about her switching heads. They would ask "Did she cut off 
those Lady's heads?" Or "Why does she have them all locked up in boxes to their necks?" After the Mombi explain, they liked Jack, and when Mombi was screaming with hout her head... that was enough for the middle child. She said "Can we watch a different movie?" I wanted to say "no we can not watch a different movie, is is the best there is." But I only pretended to ignore her. And she calmed down as soon as the gump flew away. During the flight the same girl said "They should have just walked across the rocks to the nome King's mountain" I had never thought of that... I 
said, "well maybe there weren't enough rocks" And when the Gump was falling apart she said, the heavy one should just jump off!" I quickly retaliated, "But they he would be turned to sand." "Well," she explained, "he could have saved his friends." Good point. So they got a kick out of the chicken being in Jacks head. And surprisingly the Nomes and the Nome King did not scare them one bit. And in the end they just loved the coronation scene. The oldest said "Is there a sequel? I want to see more like the end of the movie... the rest was kind of scary." I asked "Did you like it?" They all said "Yeah". And we all had a really good time.
I think that if parents back in the 80s would let there kids watch this film, they would realize it was scary. But it still entertains children. I encourage you to watch the film again with a child or children who have not seen it before. It is a real riot. And please share it with us! Either on a comment or on our RTO message board. You will be glad you did.
She giggled. So everything is going good until the 3 year old sees the rocks. His eyes got all big and he said "him scary...he's a bad guy!" "He is a bad guy." I said. So far no one was scared. The 3 year old's eyes would always get huge any time the Nome King's messenger would come on the screen. So we get to the Emerald City..and I am afraid that when they see the wheelers they are just going to scream! But no....it was fine. The oldest looked up at me in amazement and pointed to my (wheeler) tattoo, and said " A Wheeler...." Then the kids really stated to realize that there was Return to Oz stuff all over my house. They kept asking questions like "How much was that?" "Too much" I usually answered. So I tried to keep there minds on track, they were happy to see Tik-Tok beat up the evil wheelers. And then Mombi came. They were very confused by her. I had to explain about her switching heads. They would ask "Did she cut off 
those Lady's heads?" Or "Why does she have them all locked up in boxes to their necks?" After the Mombi explain, they liked Jack, and when Mombi was screaming with hout her head... that was enough for the middle child. She said "Can we watch a different movie?" I wanted to say "no we can not watch a different movie, is is the best there is." But I only pretended to ignore her. And she calmed down as soon as the gump flew away. During the flight the same girl said "They should have just walked across the rocks to the nome King's mountain" I had never thought of that... I said, "well maybe there weren't enough rocks" And when the Gump was falling apart she said, the heavy one should just jump off!" I quickly retaliated, "But they he would be turned to sand." "Well," she explained, "he could have saved his friends." Good point. So they got a kick out of the chicken being in Jacks head. And surprisingly the Nomes and the Nome King did not scare them one bit. And in the end they just loved the coronation scene. The oldest said "Is there a sequel? I want to see more like the end of the movie... the rest was kind of scary." I asked "Did you like it?" They all said "Yeah". And we all had a really good time.I think that if parents back in the 80s would let there kids watch this film, they would realize it was scary. But it still entertains children. I encourage you to watch the film again with a child or children who have not seen it before. It is a real riot. And please share it with us! Either on a comment or on our RTO message board. You will be glad you did.
