The Watcher in the Woods

Amazon.com

Ghost story meets paranormal mystery in Disney's PG family spookfest, a rare kid-friendly scary movie that still manages to frighten. American girls Lynn-Holly Johnson (Ice Castles) and little sister Kyle Richards move into a secluded British manor cradled in a mist-shrouded forest, home to a ghostly guardian angel and a decades-old mystery that still haunts the place. Director John Hough (whose Legend of Hell House is a classic of supernatural suspense) delivers all the right shiver-inducing ingredients: flashes of light, whispers in the wind, eerie visions of a blindfolded little girl lost (the long-lost daughter of withered widow Bette Davis) reaching out from mirrors, as if trapped behind them. Though tame by today's bloody standards and a flop on its original release in 1981, this handsome little gothic ghost story has become something of a cult film for its suggestive direction, impressionistic imagery, and spooky sense of the unknown. Ages 9 and up, although more sophisticated younger kids should enjoy this. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Legendary actress and two-time Oscar(R)-winner Bette Davis (DANGEROUS, 1935; JEZEBEL, 1938) stars in this frightening and atmospheric thriller. When an American teenager joins her family in an English country house, she experiences strange and supernatural occurrences. Mrs. Alywood (Davis), the kindly caretaker, knows the dark secret behind the happenings ... and prepares for the return of a young girl who died mysteriously some 30 years earlier! THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS weaves a haunting, riveting tale that stays with you long after the explosive ending!

Customer Reviews:

Minor but intriguing thriller.......2007-08-15

This Disney thriller is unique, in that it may be one of the earliest attempts from the studio to do straight horror. That the film is a compromise is probably as much due to the climate of the times as it is to their reluctance to be too intense and frightening. A good supporting cast is unfortunately subjugated to the pretty but unimpressive Lynn Holly Johnson, whose performance doesn't quite convey the desperation or depth that might have made the film more compelling. Bette Davis seems curiously restrained. The film might be a good companion piece to "Burnt Offerings" another Davis film in which a family comes across a mansion that's "too good to be true" for a summer rental. "Watcher" is infamous for its aborted first release, in which the film's finale was hastliy assembled. After negative reviews and some tampering, it was releasd again, but the damage had been done. This DVD version includes all three (!) endings to the movie, and this may be its biggest value for fans. The print is clean and the image sharp. I am guessing by all the positive reviews posted here that "Watcher in the Woods" was a sleepover favorite for young girls, and it still might serve that function, in that it's a spooky movie without much to offend younger viewers. Ah, but what it might have been! Worth checking out for fans of Disney, of Johnson, Davis, and the genre, but this handsome little chiller somehow fails to register, despite some artful camerawork and earnest performances from the strong supporting cast.

"Hammer Films" Lite for a Younger Audience.......2007-08-15

Screenwriter Brian Clemens was responsible for much of what made the TV series "The Avengers" great, and his touch shows here. It's too bad that nobody could decide precisely how to end this film, because up to there it's a very nice atmospheric suspense/mild horror film, very much in the grand Hammer tradition. Quite a departure for Disney at the time. Lynn Holly Johnson (who made about three films, playing an ice skater in two of them - wow what a stretch) is fine, and the rest of the cast are more than adequate, particularly the great Bette Davis as a Scary Old Lady With A Secret.* Well worth while, though none of the alternate endings actually work perfectly; the book's ending was a little tricky to translate to visuals, apparently. *One touch i greatly appreciated when first i saw the film was that, for the flashback, they didn't try to find an 18-year-old who looked like the young Bette [or use make-up to make a young actress look like her], but rather they seem to have found someone who, years later might well look like Davis in her later years. A subtle distinction, but nicely done, and not nearly so takes-you-out-of-the-moment as going "Wow - that girl looks just like Davis did in 'Petrified Forest'!"

THIS is the version you want, even if it's used!!.......2007-04-04

The other versions don't include all the bonuses this one has. Even if you're not interested in the director's commentary and such, you will be interested in the strange and creepy alternate endings that Disney first had attached to this film, endings you cannot see anywhere else unless you buy this discontinued version.

Well worth it. :)

Beautiful & Spiritual 80s Dark Fantasy!.......2007-04-04

As a major lover of all things eighties, I was shocked when I recently heard of this movie in comparison with "Escape To Witch Mountain," one movie which I'd seen as a child and was wanting to see again now, as an adult. But I'd never even HEARD of "The Watcher In The Woods," so after seeing the many glowing reviews, I was determined to download it and see it as soon as humanly possible.

I just finished watching this excellently crafted movie from 1980 and must say, it REALLY stands the test of time. Though it actually feels set in the mid-Seventies (probably was filmed around 1978, which fits), it really holds up incredibly well close to thirty years later. It started off feeling quite a bit like a horror film, then started moving into territory closer to that of the recent gem "Pan's Labyrinth," introducing a decidedly magical element that really got under my skin, and stayed there for the remainder of the movie.

I totally agree with another person's review stating that Disney really doesn't make films like this anymore. It's a shame, too, because they SHOULD. The way the world is these days, a little magic and spiritual feel injected into their movies could really help things and bring back some of the long-lost feeling of beauty and wonder in our lives. Though I never managed to see this film as a child, I can't help but imagine what a major influence this would've been on me if I HAD seen it back then. It's really a great movie, and it's only a shame that Disney has wandered so far away from their original path of actively and passionately exploring our imaginations.

Fortunately we still have plenty of creative geniuses out there like Guillermo del Toro, Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and others who determinedly follow their hearts and continue to create stunningly passionate visions that simply and powerfully resonate within our souls. "The Watcher In The Woods" is one such vision, and although I wouldn't go so far as to call it a MASTERPIECE, it's definitely a great piece of movie-making history, and one which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to any fans of dark fantasy or magical fiction. [ Peace - Love - Unity - Respect ]

Scared of going into the woods? You should be..........2007-03-21

Yes, this is an "eerie" movie. Yes, some scenes will give you the creeps. But you can enjoy it without being scared. Look at it this way;
!SPOILER WARNING! The "Ghost" is good( it saves people's lives), nobody dies, there are no "badguys," and nothing bad happened to Karen(Katherine Levy.) I found it entertaining, with just the right amount of scaryness. I hope you do to!

I recommend Disney's "Child of Glass" to anyone who liked this movie.

Average customer rating:

Great ghost story!
Still trying to wash the STINK off
YAWN............
Another Clock Watcher
a sequel that surpasses the original

Ghost Watcher 2
Starring: Marcus Dreeke , Julia Pickens , Anita Horwath , Ariana Almajan , and Seregon O'Dassey
Director: David A. Cross
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B000ARTMRK
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

A revenge plot that may be directly connected to the events that transpired in her life years ago brings Laura Kove, the agoraphobic from GHOSTWATCER I, back to face her past. In a race against time, Laura must rush to stop a ghost's wrath and avert the catastrophe that will take hundreds of lives, including her own.

Customer Reviews:

Great ghost story!.......2006-10-09

I love the Ghost Watcher movies, some of the scenes are really creepy. In the 2nd Ghost Water the acting is better, the effects are good, and the script is not cheesy. It amazes me how good movies like this are left unnoticed where pieces of teenybopper crap like the fog remake and boogeyman get good ratings. Those movies are sellouts and are not original where movies like Ghost Watcher are original with great plots and are unfourtuantly neglected. If the writer/director of the Ghost Watcher movies is reading this make another one, make the series a trilogy, I want more Laura Kove!!!! BTW super music too.

Still trying to wash the STINK off.......2006-05-15

Whew! Unlike the others below, I hadn't seen "Ghost Watcher One," but was unlucky enough to pick this up at the library. I think the only thing that works in this film (looks like it was shot on video) is the sound recording. Directing, acting, cinematography and story are all uniformly bad, along with ridiculous makeup. "The Dude" below, is one of the actors in the film as no sane person who would ever see this piece of excrement as anything other than a painfully low talented effort at filmmaking. And what's with the towel over the bedroom door??? Attention Aspiring Filmmakers: you should watch this as inspiration that you don't need an Academy Award winning script to get your movie made. It will make you feel like your Francis Ford Coppola, David Lean and Steven Spielberg all rolled into one. Wish I could write more, but I'm still trying to get rid of the stench this video left.

YAWN...................2006-03-03

If this sequel is supposed to be worst than part one, well I surely won't be watching part one anytime soon!!! This movie is very boring and makes you wish for the end to come. A girl begins getting nightmares and starts hearing voices giving her the names of people who are going to die. She seeks the help of a "Ghost Watcher" in a desperate attempt to stop the voices. Poor acting and stupid! I wouldn't even recommend renting this movie. Save your money for a Good movie!

Another Clock Watcher.......2006-01-17

WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead...

After the horrible experience I had while watching the original Ghost Watcher, I was seriously considering just leaving this one on the shelf. I guess I was in a masochistic mood, because I rented it anyway. Thankfully, this sequel is nowhere near as rotten as the original and I was able to sit through the whole thing without falling asleep or throwing my television out the window. The bar was set pretty low after the last one, so I can't say that I'm surprised that this was a better movie, but better doesn't necessarily mean good and this one still had me watching the clock to see when it was going to end.

In Ghost Watcher Deux, this Goth chick gets into a car accident with her mother in which the mom is killed, but the Goth girl survives because she can somehow heal unnaturally fast. After the accident, Goth chick starts hearing voices. She has all these nightmares during class and she's not sleeping well. Her dad is worried about her, so he calls the Ghost Watcher for help. For those of you who didn't see the first movie, the Ghost Watcher a female Ghostbuster who goes around helping people cope with their spectral issues. With the Ghost Watcher's help, the Goth girl finds out that she's actually hearing the names of people who are going to die. From that point on, this movie becomes a low budget version of the Mothman Prophecies.

This sequel is not much of an improvement from a story standpoint, and the acting is just as bad as it was in the first Ghost Watcher movie. However, the production values on this one are slightly better, and it seems like the director is learning something about how to shoot a horror movie. There were a couple moments in this movie that were almost scary, but it never really got there. And points taken off for the use of really horrible music by struggling local garage bands. If the writer/director continues to improve exponentially, maybe by Ghost Watcher 5 or 6 I'll be willing to write a more positive review. For now, the Ghost Watcher series is still a one-star wonder.

a sequel that surpasses the original.......2005-10-06

I thought the original GhostWatcher was a pretty good film with some fun scares and an interesting story. But, with its low budget and inexperienced cast and crew, it left a lot of room for improvement. Well, with GhostWatcher II, the improvements have been made. Without giving anything away, it's safe to say that the film looks better, sounds better, has a better story, better characters, better acting, better scares, better jokes, better lighting, better wardrobe, better set design, and better credits than the original. Long story short, the whole thing's better in every way. So, go check it out.

Average customer rating:

Minor but intriguing thriller
"Hammer Films" Lite for a Younger Audience
THIS is the version you want, even if it's used!!
Beautiful & Spiritual 80s Dark Fantasy!
Scared of going into the woods? You should be...

The Watcher in the Woods
Starring: Bette Davis , Lynn-Holly Johnson , Kyle Richards (II) , Carroll Baker , and David McCallum
Director: John Hough , and Vincent McEveety
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Scary Movies & Mysteries | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00003ETIS
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Minor but intriguing thriller.......2007-08-15

"Hammer Films" Lite for a Younger Audience.......2007-08-15

THIS is the version you want, even if it's used!!.......2007-04-04

Beautiful & Spiritual 80s Dark Fantasy!.......2007-04-04

Scared of going into the woods? You should be..........2007-03-21

DVD:

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