The Wonderful Land of Oz

This mess was actually advertised as having "So Many Thrills You'll Be OZIFIED." Stupefied is more like it. Made by slumming soft-porn schlockmeister Barry Mahon, and starring his talent-free son Channy, it's like watching Ed Wood's idea of a children's film. And even THAT'S too high a praise. Based on one of the later OZ books, it throws in several pathetic songs which would have stopped the 'narrative' cold--had there been one to begin with. Even the supporting cast hasn't the heart to liven things up by mugging shamelessly--all they do is recite their lines off cue cards, all the time looking as if they'd rather be anywhere else. And so will you, after about five minutes. This film was exhumed for DVD a couple of years ago, paired with (believe it or not) an even worse co-feature, Mahon's poverty-row rendition of "Jack And The Beanstalk." Filmed at a now-defunct Florida amusement park, called 'Pirate's World', it can't honestly be said that "Jack", awful as it is, makes "OZ" look good by comparison, but it IS even funnier. Watch both at your own risk!