The scary Disney film that became a cult classic

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The scary Disney film that became a cult classic

Warm-up

Have you ever watched The Wizard of Oz? (Yes, it's about...)

Vocabulary Match

destroyed •• next film
released •• ruined
electric therapy •• came out
unforgettable •• hard to forget
cult classic •• shock treatment
sequel •• popular over time

Vocabulary Answers

destroyedruined
releasedcame out
electric therapyshock treatment
unforgettablehard to forget
cult classicpopular over time
sequelnext film

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In 1985, Disney ________ Return to Oz, a ________ to The Wizard of Oz. The film was very different from the 1939 classic. It was not a musical and had a much darker story. Dorothy returns to Oz and finds it ________. She meets new friends like Tik-Tok, a robot, and Jack Pumpkinhead.

Many children found the film scary. One scene shows Dorothy being taken to a clinic for ________. Because of these dark themes, the movie did not do well in cinemas. However, over time, it became a ________. Some people now love it for its strange and ________ story.

In 1985, Disney released Return to Oz, a sequel to The Wizard of Oz. The film was very different from the 1939 classic. It was not a musical and had a much darker story. Dorothy returns to Oz and finds it destroyed. She meets new friends like Tik-Tok, a robot, and Jack Pumpkinhead.

Many children found the film scary. One scene shows Dorothy being taken to a clinic for electric therapy. Because of these dark themes, the movie did not do well in cinemas. However, over time, it became a cult classic. Some people now love it for its strange and unforgettable story.

Quiz

  1. When was Return to Oz released?
  2. What was different about the film compared to the 1939 classic?
  3. Who are two new friends Dorothy meets in the film?
  4. Why did the movie not do well in cinemas?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. In 1985.
  2. It was not a musical and had a much darker story.
  3. Tik-Tok, a robot, and Jack Pumpkinhead.
  4. Because of its dark themes.

True or False

  1. Return to Oz was a musical like the original. T F
  2. Dorothy finds Oz destroyed when she returns. T F
  3. The film was an instant hit in cinemas. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Conversation

A:Dorothy, welcome back to Oz!
B:Thanks, Tik-Tok! But what happened here?
A:It's a mess, isn't it? We need your help.
B:I'll do my best. Let's find Jack Pumpkinhead.
A:Good idea! He's always got a plan.
B:And maybe a pumpkin pie, too!

Discussion

  1. Who is your favorite character from The Wizard of Oz?
  2. What are some well-known film sequels? Were they good?
  3. What scary films or books have you seen or read?
  4. What unforgettable films have you seen?

Further Reading

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250616-the-darkest-childrens-film-ever-made

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