"Return to Oz," dir. by Walter Murch (1985)

Much of the time, the word "enchanting" carries a gloss of lightness and delight. But like most adjectives rooted in magic, it has a mirror-meaning that is much more twisty and strange. That is the kind of enchantment I felt as a child watching this movie. It was scary and engrossing–a Dorothy who had wonderful adventures disbelieved by her family, an Oz in ruins. I had gobbled up all the OZ books in old editions scrounged at yard sales and loved that the off-kilter visual world of the movie was the world shown in W.W. Denslow's original illustrations, with all of its ornate curlicues and oddities, like mechanical men and head-swapping witches, deadly deserts and spying rocks. I'm looking forward to rewatching it this week, a little Halloween treat, curled up on the couch to be chilled, as ever, by the horrible hospital (with design influenced by Wisconsin Death Trip!) and a girl dressed like a flower trapped in the mirror.