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:

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
Similar Items:

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

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 [Region 2]
Starring: Bette Davis , Lynn-Holly Johnson , Kyle Richards (II) , Carroll Baker , and David McCallum
Director: John Hough , and Vincent McEveety
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0001KZNEC

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:

DVD

DVD