The Watcher in the Woods (1980) User Reviews

Disney meets Lovecraft, sort of.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 15 June 2012]

"The Watcher in the Woods" was made at a time when Disney was getting ambitious, making PG rated films and dipping its toes into different genres; other efforts, of course, include "The Black Hole", "Tron", and "Something Wicked This Way Comes". Co-written by Brian Clemens ('The Avengers', "Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter") based on the novel by Florence Engel Randall, it tells a story with a very atmospheric feel. As others have said, it has the appeal of a fairy tale. An American family comes to live in an isolated English country estate owned by a lonely recluse, Mrs. Aylwood (screen legend Bette Davis). In no time at all, the two daughters, teen aged Jan (Lynn-Holly Johnson) and younger Ellie (Kyle Richards) are besieged by other worldly forces, and Jan realizes something must be done to resolve the case of Mrs. Aylwood's daughter Karen, who'd disappeared many years ago when she was Jan's age. Director John Hough and crew make this something worth watching with their moody and stylish presentation. Sometimes some cheesy effects get utilized, and they do tend to stick out a little too much. The reasonably compelling, and never too complicated, story does a good enough job of pulling the viewer in, along with especially strong lighting by Alan Hume and camera-work by Jack Lowin and Malcolm MacIntosh. Right from the start these individuals help to create a very weird feel to the proceedings. Carroll Baker and David McCallum don't get a lot to do as the parents, especially McCallum, but the other adults are all fine, including Richard Pasco as the frightened Tom Colley and Ian Bannen as the cantankerous John Keller. Ms. Davis is wonderful as the distraught old lady who realizes that she could finally find out the truth behind her daughters' disappearance, while Johnson, despite being appealing enough, really overdoes it in terms of her characters' hysteria. What's interesting is how many times the ending was altered during the history of this film. It was originally shown at 100 minutes, with an abrupt ending, then given an elaborate special effects based finale, then reworked again for the films' re-release the following year. The alternate endings are available on the DVD for fans to check out. It's not particularly memorable, but it's pretty enjoyable while it lasts. Seven out of 10.

Decent...if you are into this sort of thing.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 17 October 2011]

I have very little interest in movies about the supernatural. Subjects like ESP and other psychic powers just don't interest me. You should keep that in mind, as I am sure this had an impact on my enjoyment of the movie. So why did I watch it? Bette Davis. It's one of the only films she made that I have never seen--this one and "Return to Witch Mountain"--both of which are considered kids' films. However, I noticed that at least in the case of "Watcher in the Woods", it has appeal for all ages and isn't just another Disney family film. No, it has a bit more of an edge and apparently was a deliberate attempt by the studio to branch into PG-rated films for the first time--with this film and "The Black Hole" (a film I really disliked). Apparently, pre-screenings for "Watcher" were not good, so the studio decided to release "The Black Hole" first--though in hindsight, I think "Watcher" was a much better and less 'kiddie' oriented.

The story begins with a family moving to a home in England. Almost immediately, weird things start happening involving the oldest daughter. She starts having what appear to be spooky visions--and they are quite frightening and also sometimes warn her of impending disasters (more than once saving her life). Soon, her little sister starts hearing things--and all this is too coincidental not to mean something is seriously wrong. See the film to find out what happens next.

All in all, a mildly diverting film but one that didn't have a huge impact on me. It's not bad--but lacks scary qualities that might have made it better--like the film sometimes pulled its punches. Still, it's worth seeing.

Frightening , suspenseful and eerie movie about fantastic events that have a link to an occult happening

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 September 2021]

This typical teen gothic plot about a family who moves into an old house and then biizarre things start to happen . It deals with Mrs. Aylwood (Bette Davis) , a distraught mother since her daughter, Karen , vanished in the Welsh countryside 30 years ago. When the Curtin family (David McCallum, Carroll Baker , Lynn Holly Johnson , Kyle Richards) move into the Aylwood manor for the summer, strange occurrences begin to unnerve the family and Jan (Lynn-Holly Johnson) begins to suspect that they are linked to Karen's disappearance . As Jan needs to find out what is going on in the woods before it has a permanent effect on her sister Ellie (Kyle Richards) . As Jan unravels the dark past hidden by the townspeople , she delves further into the mystery and deeper into danger, but now it might be too late to escape the Watcher in the Woods. Scared of going into the woods? You should be ...What can't be explained, must be explored. A Masterpiece Of Suspense! Something Is Watching. Something Unknown. The Most Legendary Monster Of All Can Now Be Seen For The First Time .As You've Never Seen It Before . It was just an innocent game... until a young girl vanished for thirty years.

This is a mysterious and creepy film about the classic plot regarding ghostly appearances , as once a family moves into the Aylwood house amazing things begin to happen and along the way , Jan hears whispers in the woods , Ellie is sleep talking/screaming , and mirrors are breaking. This is a chilling adaptation based on an assortment of ghouls , ghosts and weird apparitions . It is an interesting and completely obscure film and ends by defiantly refusing to explain itself . Middling budget makes for big scary scream-feast and frights . Based on The Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat ; however, being rated ¨Parents Guide¨ because of minor violence and some very terrifying scenes . This film is better than its new remake (2017) and strikes a cord of fear and kindness effortlessly. It's fun to watch and it dissects a dark past and its connect connection to Karen's disappearance. This movie leaves no question unanswered and uses the landscape masterfully . Stars the beautiful teen Lynn Holly Johnson and the attractive little girl Kyle Richards along with a good support cast as Carroll Baker , David McCallum , Benedict Taylor , Richard Pasco , Georgina Hale, Ian Bannen and special mention for the great Bette Davis .

The picture was very well directed by John Hough . He often uses visual and sound recourses , echos , zooms and imaginative camera movements . He's a craftsman with eclectic and long directing career . Beginning in television series (Avengers, Protectors) , making Hammer films (Twins of Evil) , Adventures (Island treasure, Black arrow) , wholesome Disney fare (Return and escape to witch mountain) , regency romantic drama (Duel of hearts , Ghost in Montecarlo , Hazard of hearts , The lady and the highwayman) and Horror movies (Howling , American Gothic , Bad karma) and his best film , Legend of Hell House .

It had an inferior remake also titled The Watcher in the Woods (2017) by Melissa Joan Hart with Anjelica Huston , Tallulah Evans , Nicholas Galitzine , Rufus Wright and Benedict Taylor.

Incredible film that holds up well to age

[hushicho · 21 September 2004]

When I was younger I saw this film for the first time and it made an impact, although with age of course the memories faded. However, when I spotted the recent release DVD of this title I had to get it. I felt compelled, and so I snatched it up. When I sat down to watch it, I was instantly drawn into a world of eerie mystery that's surprisingly well-done, especially for a film that bears the name of Disney, notorious for their sanitized, 'family-friendly' fare. This certainly wasn't anything like most of their films, and it was a welcome change. I found myself putting together the mystery a bit faster than the characters, although I was indeed thrown a curve by the ending, which was still quite impacting. The thing about it is, even the alternate endings included on the DVD are still just as impacting, each in its own way. Each one makes quite an impression, and each one resolves the story without tying up each loose end in an impossibly pat way. The 'default' ending is abrupt but poignant, whereas the others are more drawn-out and overtly horrific. But the buildup makes it so, and the buildup is absolutely faultless, especially with the inclusion of the understated and brilliant Bette Davis.

I was absolutely floored by it. Watcher in the Woods is every bit as brilliant a horror film as any other much-discussed title, if not better. It's reminiscent of Lovecraft in many ways and yet gives a distinct impression of a dark, dark fairy tale. The acting is very good, the cast excellent, and the settings simple and isolated yet stunning and evocative. Every fan of film, horror fans in particular, must see The Watcher in the Woods. The DVD release is something that collectors too will enjoy, with the trailers and alternate endings cleaned and clarified for their magnificent DVD presentation. This is a film that should, and will, live in history as one of the hidden gems of film.

collapsing church crushes cutie

[deheor · 7/10 · 9 October 2006]

A family moves in to a lovely country home owned by Bette Davis and immediately the older daughter (cult favorite Lynn Holly Johnson) begins to sense something evil waiting out in the woods.

This classic Disney effort came at a time when the company first began courting older audiences and their nervousness about this film was evident in the original trailer that featured a warning to parents to check out the film themselves before bringing the young ones. Although a bit of an over statement this film is quite suspenseful in parts and may be a bit much for the more timid children.

The story itself involves a kids game that leads to a disappearance. It has been thirty years since Bette Davis' daughter has vanished but she has begun to appear to the girl who has moved into her home. The new girl must cope with haunting visions of a blindfolded blond girl which keep showing up in different reflective surfaces (mirrors, pools of water) as well as reoccurring symbols of overlapping circles. The mystery angle makes it quite involving for children as they can try to figure out the story before the protagonist does although how the story actually works out depends entirely on which version of the film you watch. Disney continued to tinker with the film after its release and several endings are available. If you watch the excellent recent DVD you can decide which one you like for yourself as they are on it.

Thanks to some strong acting, a terrific score and solid direction by the reliable John Hough you have a effective little thriller that is suitable for family viewing but you may want to watch it first for yourself, just in case.

Dark Disney.

[Coventry · 6/10 · 10 April 2008]

This is a movie I'll always remember as one of the ones that sparked my interest for the horror genre, and yet, I only saw it just now from start to finish for the very first time. There's a nice (albeit totally irrelevant) story behind that. Back in my grade school years, it was tradition for the entire class to watch a movie on the Fridays before each major school holiday. After enduring multiple gentle Disney movies, like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Robin Hood" and "Mary freaking Poppins", our second grade teacher suggested to watch a slightly more mature and serious film, this being "The Watcher in the Woods". Personally I was very enthusiast, but several of my wimpy classmates got too scared during the opening credits already and the teacher decided it would be better to turn it off. Darn soft kids! The atmospheric and unsettling opening sequences (showing images of a forest guided by remotely eerie music) were exactly what fascinated me, and I'm sure these brief images contributed a lot to my current obsession with everything that involves horror. For some reason I never saw it again until now, nearly 20 years later, and that's quite a shame because "The Watcher in the Woods" is a movie you're supposed to see at young age. It's primarily a fantasy film, and those are far more appropriate for child-audiences because their imagination is far more vivid and the substantial defects are easier to overlook.

These are two fundamentally required characteristics when watching the movie, by the way. You need to have a vivid imagination and complete the story in your own mind (because the script is full of holes and suffered from drastic re-writes) and you definitely need to look past a lot of shortcomings. It's basically an ordinary supernaturally themed mystery, but obviously without shocking death sequences and complex undertones because it's a Disney film. The model Curtis family moves into an ancient English countryside mansion bordering on an immense forest. The owner, the peculiarly behaving Mrs. Aylwood, is very strict regarding her tenants, but she welcomes the Curtis family because the teenage daughter Jan reminds her of her own daughter Karen, who inexplicably disappeared nearly 30 years ago. Almost promptly, the youngest girl Ellie starts hearing silent voices and Jan notices a frightening presence as if someone's constantly watching her from within the woods. Jan develops the impression that Mrs. Aylwood daughter might still be around and that her spirits is trapped in the woods.

The finished product clearly suffers under the massive amount of re-edits, re-shoots and re-writes of the script. It looks as if the creators realized at a certain point that the movie was too sentimental and/or not suspenseful enough, so the quickly added improperly elaborated hints towards alternate dimensions, solar eclipses and bizarre initiation rites. The last 15-20 minutes are a messy hodgepodge of ideas and, eventually, you're left to your own devices to copy and paste the conclusion together. "The Watcher in the Woods" is at its most effective when talented director John Hough uncannily trolleys his camera through the thick and sinister woods, or when Bette Davis gives a one-woman-show as the intriguing Mrs. Aylwood. The music is excellent and the special effects showcased during the finale are guaranteed to astound young viewers with a healthy interest in the macabre.

Seeing it without the benefit of nostalgia

[daffyphack-634-295132 · 6/10 · 19 May 2020]

I was a little too young for this one, so I had not seen it until today.

If I had seen it as a child, I would have doubtlessly been scared, and I would appreciate it more today as a result.

On its own merits, it's not particularly remarkable. The acting is not great. The majority of the interactions with the younger sister consist of her doing something under the influence of the spirit, and then when she's asked any follow-up questions, she snaps out of it and says she was never doing the things she was doing. I really wanted to like Lynn-Holly Johnson, but I found her to be whiny more often than not.

And the movie's cardinal sin is that it cannot wait to end. As soon as the third reveal act happens, everything falls into place so easily, and the second we get the payoff, the movie just ends.

I admire what this movie was trying to do, and I wish it had been more successful, but this feels like a misstep for Disney, and was doubtlessly a setback to advancing darker family stories.

Stylish visuals, but not much else

[Libretio · 3/10 · 26 December 2004]

THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS

Aspect ratio: 1.75:1

Sound format: Dolby Stereo

An attempt by Disney to lift itself out of the doldrums following a creative and commercial downturn in the 1970's, THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS takes its plot from a Young Adult novel by Florence Engel Randall in which an American family takes residence in a creepy old house in the English countryside. Almost immediately, the eldest daughter (former ice-skater Lynn-Holly Johnson) experiences weird visions linked to the disappearance of a teenage girl under mysterious circumstances many years before. The film has visual style to burn (cinematography and set design are especially eye-catching), and there's a couple of terrific PG-level scares, but all the technical gloss in the world can't make up for a listless pace and repetitious plot line, and Johnson's one-note performance transforms a strong, resourceful heroine into little more than a whining goody two-shoes. Worse still, co-stars Bette Davis, Carroll Baker and David McCallum are given almost nothing to do, and there's much evidence of editorial tampering during some of the opening scenes.

Originally slated to conclude with an ambitious visual effects sequence, the version which premiered in 1980 was basically unfinished and led to scornful reviews which doomed it from the outset. Realizing their mistake, Disney pulled the film and reworked the ending, without the participation of several key personnel (including director John Hough!), most of whom had moved on to other projects. This revised print - running 16 minutes shorter than the 100m original - made it into theaters the following year, sporting a 1981 copyright, and is the version which has prevailed ever since. For a detailed report on "Watcher"s troubled production history, see Paul Talbot's superb article in 'Video Watchdog' 88.

The scariest Disney movie ever!

[mrdewoody · 9/10 · 20 August 2005]

This movie terrified me as a child. So I ran across it and had to buy it. I was expecting it to be horrible and cheesy as an adult, but I was wrong.

This movie has some scary parts, even to adults, and I've watched hundreds of horror movies. This one still creates a few chills.

The basic plot is that a family moves to a new house next to some spooky old lady. One of the daughters starts seeing weird things, like a blind-folded girl in the mirror. She also learns the spooky old-lady neighbor had a daughter that disappeared about 20 or 30 years ago. She investigates this mystery despite the scary things that happen.

I promise this movie will at least give you a few chills. The creepy girl in the mirror still freaks me out. It's hard to believe this was a Disney film.

The film where Baby Doll meets Baby Jane.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 24 September 2018]

A few pro's overshadow the con's here in a gripping mystery that still leaves some unanswered questions. It is too bad that there are some reels of this film where top billed legendary leading lady Bette Davis completely disappears. The premise of the film reminded me of "Burnt Offerings", the 1976 Dan Curtis haunted house movie where Ms. Davis played the aunt of the family moving in to an old secluded mansion. Here, she's the owner of the mansion, living in the large guest house on the property, renting to David McCallum and Carroll Baker who bring their daughters Lynn Holly Johnson and Kyle Richards out to the country to get them away from the city. The glorious face of the legendary Davis is now older and somewhat cynical, griping that she expected a phone call before visitors and potential renters showed up. Once Davis looks on at the face of the sweet looking Lynn Holly Johnson, though, it is apparent that she has more than just money as a motive for renting to the family. Could she be like the town matriarch in "The Dark Secret of Harvest Home" where her character had sinister movies? Or is she an innocent bystander involved in a situation that took away her own daughter 30 years before in a way that was beyond anybody's control?

The watcher in the woods appears to be a light coming from beyond the forest that makes Johnson break the glass on the window pane she is touching at that time. The sight of a blonde look-alike in the mirror has her convinced that the spirit of somebody is trying to get her help. Davis, at first, seems like that cranky old recluse that nobody wants anything to do with, but as Davis and the young girls begin to connect, it is apparent that there is a bond there and that Davis's character is hiding years of loneliness and a lifetime of loss through a snarky demeanor. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Davis's daughter involves the mother of Johnson's new boyfriend, a drunken hermit and a doberman owning recluse who lives in a church like structure that looks like something out of either "Dark Shadows" or a Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe based movie.

Excellent photography and special effects turn this from just another Disney movie into something very unique and helped Disney get away from all those sitcomish like Kurt Russell movies of the 1970's. The presence of two time Oscar Winner Davis, Oscar nominee Baker and veteran actor McCallum helps deflect from the rather generic acting of Johnson, the star of "Ice Castles", who isn't embarrassingly bad, but just rather ordinary. Surprisingly, Kyle Richards holds her own amongst the veterans and comes off very well. The film has several truly spooky moments, including one scene where Davis appears to be drowning Johnson, another with a nasty thunderstorm where Baker and the girls try to escape from the house, and another scene where Johnson, Richards and all the participants from an event that aided in Davis's daughter years before recreate that day. While I had a feeling of what was coming in the conclusion, I found it to be quite touching and had to dab away a few tears as to the emotional ending. Davis had another decade of films ahead, so this was far from her swansong. It was a nice transition for her into the type of actress she always insisted that she was: a character actress.

Curious but muddled Disney thriller...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 16 November 2015]

Florence Engel Randall's book "A Watcher in the Woods" becomes abysmal, dumbed-down entry in Grand Guignol territory by the Disney people, an unusually bland ghost story offering special effects galore but nobody to care about. Young girl's spirit haunts an isolated manor, with Bette Davis doing just-OK work as a spooky neighbor who helps the new residents unravel the mystery. Supporting players Carroll Baker and Lynn-Holly Johnson are acceptable, but the film's major set-pieces, designed for chills, fail to come off due to pedestrian handling. This is a thriller made by people who don't understand the genre, although the production values are up to Disney's high standards. Film is hurt overall by post-production tinkering; the finale, reworked twice due to poor audience reactions, is simply unsatisfactory. *1/2 from ****

Absolutely Petifying

[russtem_1 · 9/10 · 12 April 2006]

I watched this film when I was about 7 I think and I am not joking when I say it had a profound effect upon me and many of my friends. I was terrified of the dark for years and even scared to look in the mirror in case there was someone else staring back. Quite how this film was shown at 6pm on a Tuesday has always baffled me. It was a shocking decision by the BBC and they would never get away with it now. I met a guy at university who had also been traumatised by this film and I think we bonded over it because we are still very good friends! My memories of it are quite hazy but I'm sure I started crying half way through and didn't stop until the end; would have turned it off but my 10 year old sister wanted to watch it or rather wanted to watch me cry and I was too scared to leave the room. I'm giving it a 9 for fright value. It was a good film and a good idea.

As Scary as Disney Would Dare to be

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 25 November 2019]

The Watcher in the Woods is a scary movie... or as scary as Disney would dare to be.

Shortly after a family moves into a mansion in the woods of England, the two girls begin experiencing strange occurrences. There is definitely something paranormal going on surrounding the disappearance of Karen Aylwood some 30 years prior.

The performances weren't anything special, especially that of Lynn-Holly Johnson playing Jan. I was never convinced of her being frightened, worried, upset, or any other emotion. She just raised her voice and looked wild-eyed when there was something of importance happening.

The conclusion of the movie did do something to save it. It didn't make it good, but it saved it from being bad.

Disney Horror Mess

[FilmFatale · 3/10 · 30 October 2008]

A family with two daughters moves into an English country house. Things start to get weird when both girls are contacted by a presence from the woods. Does it have anything to do with the mysterious disappearance of the homeowner's daughter years before? Well, of course it does! Or there wouldn't be a movie. And as it is, there isn't much of a movie anyway. I tried to be forgiving since it's a Disney pic from the 70s (the studio's creative low point), but there's only so much a girl can bear. Too many plot contrivances, plus the final twist at the end is so ridiculous I won't even try to go into it. And really, HORRIBLE accidents keep nearly befalling my teenage daughter and I'm gonna just stay at the lovely home? Probably not. Bette Davis and most of the cast are okay but Kyle Richards is just screechy and annoying as the little sister. And there's a special place in the annals of bad acting reserved for Lynn-Holly Johnson. Had she not been so terrible, I could have probably enjoyed this one a little more.

72yo Bette Davis in a Disney Family Suspense-Thriller

[semioticz · 18 October 2007]

It's an interesting contrast to experience Bette Davis in a Disney family suspense thriller--maybe the scariest Disney flick ever made. If anyone could have been more mysterious & bewitchingly secretive, I can't imagine who. I have the 1998 VHS that has a cover with a marvelous photograph of Davis on the back.

Florence Engel Randall's plot in her novel, "A Watcher in the Woods," goes like this: The Curtis family, Helen (Carroll Baker), her husband Paul (David McCullum), & their 2 daughters, Jan (Lynn-Holly Johnson) & Ellie (Kyle Richards), rent an old English manor from it's owner, Mrs. Aylwood (Bette Davis), who lives in the guest cottage. The lady of the manor seems to be haunting, mean & eerily eccentric.

Jan experiences some paranormal events immediately after moving into the manor. For one thing, she can't see her own reflection in a bedroom mirror. Then, Jan begins to strongly sense that someone is watching her in the woods. Neither Helen nor Paul are keen about the girls spending time with Mrs. Aylwood. But, as Jan becomes more scared & curious about who or what is in the woods, the pre-teen begins investigating, starting with Mrs. Aylwood.

After Jan goes into Mrs. Aylwood's cottage to talk with her about the mysterious phenomena that she's noticed, the secret of the woods starts to be revealed by Mrs. Aylwood. Although she's very reluctant to talk about it, Mrs. Aylwood tells Jan the story about her pre-teen daughter's disappearance in the same woods 30 years ago.

The supernatural cinematic effects are well done. Bette Davis' subdued performance as a mysterious older woman makes the show a spine-tingling thriller. The suspense builds to a climax that is not predictable. The settings are spot-on & befitting for a haunted mood.

Keeping in mind that the genre of this movie is a family suspense suitable for children, I found it to be excellent.

So-so

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 6 January 2003]

An all-American family (mom Carroll Baker, dad David McCallum and daughters Lynn-Holly Johnson and Kyle Richards) move into a beautiful estate in Britain watched over by the houses owner (Bette Davis). But Johnson feels something watching her from the woods surrounding the house and little sister Richards is acting VERY strange. And how about Johnson looking just like Davis' daughter that disappeared 30 years ago?

Weird hybrid of ghost story and sci-fi from Disney. This was one of their failed attempts to make PG films in the 70s and 80s. This movie isn't totally horrible--it's well-directed with some very creepy scenes--the forest scenes are spooky and atmospheric and there is a very scary hall of mirrors sequence. The main problem with this is that the final explanation of what's going on makes no sense and Johnson is a lousy actress. Also father McCallum disappears completely halfway through and the ending (which Disney changed THREE times) is an absolute mess.

So, it's OK but (sadly) doesn't hold up.

Fantastic Piece Of Film

[Chad-37 · 7/10 · 12 May 2000]

Oh yeah! This movie is in my "Films To Save If The World Blows Up Archive Capsule"! It is an instant classic! I want the car that Jan's family has in this movie. It'z great. Let me tell ya. This movie has quotes that my sister and me still use to this day, even though we saw it years ago. Just listen to the quality dialogue when you watch this gem. It'll stick with ya. Even though my sister and me consider this movie a comedy (because we laugh at it so much), it is still very eerie! You'll love it if you like those cult classic movies. Like "Attack of the killer tomatoes" or "Die blackula die!". It is worth seeing, you will laugh you boody off! It's great!!!!! (10 stars!)

The woods are alive with the sound of eeriness

[Vomitron_G · 6/10 · 4 September 2010]

It's not exactly that "The Watcher In The Woods" let me down. I mean, I knew beforehand that it's a Walt Disney horror film, so it's safe to say that it's not aimed at die-hard horror fans. In other words, nobody dies or even gets hurt in this flick, and above all things, it's got an extremely irritating happy end that's quite the head-scratcher too. At least they didn't glue on a sappy happy epilogue where everybody is happy, smiling and sitting in the garden drinking orange-juice or something. Other than that, it's well made and adequately directed by John Hough. It's a bit hard to imagine that this is the same Hough who made "American Gothic" (1987) and "Incubus" (1981), the latter being a favorite of mine. These films are much darker and disturbing. I must say, however, that "The Watcher In The Woods" movie is pretty good in what it wants to be: a horror-flick for kids. A (girl) friend of mine even recommended it to me because it scared her stiff as a child. And I can understand this. Some scenes are downright scary, the woods look creepy and Bette Davis could scare the bee-jeebies out of every little kid just by looking at it. The plot, mildly intriguing but very unoriginal, is extremely predictable and you'll always be one step ahead of this movie. This movie might very well be a total yawn-fest for nowadays late teenagers and early twenty-somethings. But it might still be very much fun (nostalgia-wise) for young parents who saw it as a kid (and can now watch it with their own kids). It's really meant to scare children and succeeds in such a way. For that, I can only appreciate it. I think "The Watcher In The Woods" would make a very good double bill with "Lady In White" (1988). Watch them in this order, as the latter is also the better film. That one's not really aimed at kids, so it gets a bit more serious and creepier. Enjoy!

Scary has been sedated on sugar coated pills

[thomasellery · 5/10 · 3 January 2022]

It's the 80's not even Disney is dodging the horror craze and is attempting a scare for those whose age is still single digits.

What happens when wholesome meets horror? A lot of foliage blowing in the wind, the little girl babysat for in Halloween getting mildly possessed and lots of shrieking when lightning bolts strike.

Seven year old me found this on tv in the middle of a run of Disney films in the 1980's, so after weeks of sickly sweet, this did stand out and I can remember finding it spooky - that's spooky not scary.

That made me the exact audience this was for, unfortunately it's so exact it only really works if you're watching this pre your 10th birthday somewhere around 1984.

It's not a bad film for something that's only a few degrees away from Scooby Doo. Rewatching this 35 years later as an adult I still made it all the way through without getting to bored as there's an 'okay' plot going on.

I will say Bette Davis is fabulous wondering around like a bitter witch looking for her vodka and the rest of the cast pull it off without putting to much effort in.

Make sure you YouTube the alternative endings, it's like the acid just kicked in they really want to try and scare the bejesus out of the kids.

Overall it works as a nostalgic flick for background noise for adults and there maybe a few kids out there that can get over it's early 80'sness and watch it til the end.

Not bad, not good but short n sweet.

Horror fans this will take you to the point where you're 0.5 degrees away from not watching a horror, but you might like the soft copy catting - children writing messages backwards I'm looking at you The Shining. Creepy man in the woods with caged birds and dead animals nailed up, hiya Texas Chainsaw - so at least Disney was trying all it could!

Not a masterpiece, but a sadly overlooked horror gem from Disney

[Barnes-3 · 9/10 · 13 June 2000]

Along with Orca the Killer Whale and Jaws, this was among one of the first films I ever saw on video - back in about 1983, when I was three years old!

I remember watching this film practically every evening and going crazy when my elder brother taped over it! I didn't see it again until I was 14 and although it didn't have the same impact, I still think it is a highly imaginative chiller.

It is a shame that this film seemed doomed from the moment the cameras started rolling. To add to all the distribution problems, Bette Davis was reportedly bored rigid on set and thought Lynn-Holly Johnson was a lousy actress, often commenting on how much she'd wanted Diane Lane to star as Jan Curtis instead.

The atmosphere of the film is undeniably creepy, largely thanks to the music featured in it - both the score and the tune from Mrs Aylwood's music box are first rate. Alan Hulme's brilliant cinematography is a wonder to behold. Had The Watcher in the Woods been a box-office hit, I'm sure Hulme would have been nominated for an Oscar.

Johnson is not "lousy" (as Davis reportedly said), she is adequate in the leading role. Much better is adorable Kyle Richards (who had previously appeared in the horror film Halloween and as Alicia Sanderson Edwards in TV's Little House on the Prairie) who plays Johnson's younger sister. However, it is a shame that Davis, Carroll Baker and David McCallum are all sadly underused - the last named has hardly any screen time at all.

Definitely one to see, IF you DO manage to catch it, which is unlikely - the film was never available to buy on videotape in England and has only been on TV about twice in 20 years!

NOTE: The film did get a fabulous special edition DVD release in 2001, with all three endings so fans of the movie could FINALLY see the deleted scenes with the alien watcher of the title!

A childhood movie I remember clearly

[katrenne5 · 7/10 · 13 April 2019]

I was a kid in the 80s and this movie was very creepy to me. Years later I'm 38. I want to watch it again because it was good from my memory, but it kind of scarred me as a child. I feel from what I remember as a child this movie would be best for children over the age of 10 or 11. It's very evil. I remember it vividly and my parents said they don't even remember letting me watch it. Google "watcher in the woods trailer 1980." I can't wait to watch it as an adult, but parents beware, this movie could be scary for your child.

Weak Effort but not all bad

[crooow-2 · 4/10 · 27 September 2007]

I can see why kids like this film and can even understand why adults who saw it as a child could be sentimental for it. But if you are over 14 and haven't seen it, I think you would be pretty disappointed. First off, the acting. Bette Davis and David McCallum are good, the rest are pretty bad although Kyle Richards gets a pass due to her age and her creepy performance in the original ending. The special effects are weak even for that period. The storyline is very weak as you can see every setup and turn coming a mile off (Narek indeed, the overlapping circles). So what was good? The directing - the pacing of the film is perfect - and it does reasonably hold your interest by revealing little bits and pieces are regular intervals. The cinematography is also good and the music. The sets were well chosen.

But, and here come the spoilers, the biggest problem is that it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Bette Davis will only rent to the right people which means a family that has a daughter who looks like her lost daughter. And she talks to the entity in the woods about whether this is what it wants (I guess you can accept that she's somewhat psychic). Even though Bette has no idea why she should have someone like this around (you think it would be painful). Then there are all the scenes where the entity seems to be trying to hurt Jan (e.g. at the pond, on the bridge). How does three kids doing some club initiation open an interdimensional wormhole? Or is that just the biggest coincidence in the world (lightning and the eclipse and the ceremony)? If so, why do they have to do it again - what does it really accomplish? Why does breaking the circle matter? Why was Karen frozen but the entity could move around in our world? If the entity was just trying to prevent Jan was leaving so she could be at the ceremony, why would they be in danger at the bridge? And the motorcycle accident scene - yet another giant coincidence or is Jan the girl most likely to die in freak accidents? Sorry folks, just way too many "huh?" moments in this to make it watchable.

And the alternate endings are horrible. Stick with the original (84 minute version) as at least it leaves you with a sense of wonder.

Boo

[pensman · 8/10 · 26 October 2010]

This film doesn't run too often which is a shame. It is well done and provides some nice scares along the way. I recall showing this film (DVD) to some classes of "sophisticated" eighth graders brought up on Saw and other such gore fests; they watched and as they were drawn into the story--this film has one--they screamed as they were caught unaware by a well timed scene.

This is probably one of the best Disney films as it treats the audience as if they are intelligent and capable of following a plot. The DVD has multiple endings so you can decide which you like. And you get to see a young David McCallum and watch Bette Davis steal scenes.

The Watcher is still worth watching

[misbegotten · 6/10 · 19 July 2009]

Not many people know that Disney once made a horror film. Sort of...

Historically, the majority of Disney's live-action movies have been comedies and fantasy films, all intended for a family audience. Well known examples include MARY POPPINS, BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, SON OF FLUBBER, THE SHAGGY DOG, ONE OF OUR DINOSAURS IS MISSING, the HERBIE movies, etc. However, in the late Seventies and early Eighties, the House of Mouse flirted with making slightly more serious and darker family films. The spy/action thriller THE London CONNECTION, sci-fi bandwagon jumper THE BLACK HOLE, the WITCH MOUNTAIN series, and the surprisingly bleak and gritty Depression-era road movie THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN were produced during this period. Which brings us to THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS.

Based on a novel published in 1976, WATCHER was filmed in England and tells the story of an American family who move into a country cottage and make the acquaintance of their elderly next door neighbour, played by Bette Davis. The oldest of the family's two daughters (portrayed by teenage professional ice skater turned actress Lynn-Holly Johnson) starts to notice some strange events in the surrounding woods (lights and unexplained sounds) which swiftly escalate into a series of un-nerving visions and seemingly paranormal phenomenon. Johnson comes to believe that these events are connected to Davis's daughter, who vanished without trace several decades earlier. It eventually transpires that an occult ritual carried out by the local children as a dare during a solar eclipse caused a portal to open to another dimension. Davis's daughter was sucked through, while an alien creature was deposited here, and both have been trapped ever since. With another eclipse fast approaching, the phenomenon are the creature's attempts to persuade Johnson and the original children (now middle-aged and still traumatised to varying degrees by their friend's disappearance) to re-create the events of that night, so that the creature can return to it's own dimension and rescue Davis's daughter.

Unfortunately, having agreed to make a dark, supernatural movie, Disney then appeared to chicken out, and the shoot was apparently interrupted by many heated arguments between the producer and various Disney executives, with the latter calling for the material to be softened and made lighter. To make matters worse, Disney also decided to bring the films release date forward, to capitalise on the 50th anniversary of Bette Davis's first movie. As a result, WATCHER's climax, a fifteen minute long special effects sequence in which Johnson and the creature travel into the other dimension and discover Davis's daughter, unaged and in held in suspended animation inside a wrecked spaceship, couldn't be completed in time. Disney decided to leave this sequence unfinished and instead substituted a six minute long ending in which the creature and Johnson both vanish, with the latter promptly returning with Davis's daughter a few seconds later, without any proper explanation of what just happened or where Davis' daughter has been for all those years. Upon the film's release in 1980, audiences found the ending too confusing, so Disney swiftly yanked WATCHER out of cinemas and re-released it in 1981 with yet another ending, in which the creature is just a pillar of light, and Johnson remains in our world, with Davis's daughter simply re-appearing out of thin air. It is this 'official' version of the film that has been subsequently shown on TV and was released on VHS.

A few years ago, Anchor Bay hoped to release a Director's Cut of WATCHER on DVD, with the previously-unseen 15 minute original ending restored, but after much interference from Disney, the DVD (sadly only available on Region 1) eventually featured the 1981 'official' version of the movie, with the original ending and the 1980-release ending included as extras. The 1980 ending can be seen on YouTube, and although the creature is clearly an elaborate puppet, it's still bloody creepy and genuinely otherworldly.

Dated, tame PG 'horror'

[psyberwyche · 3/10 · 15 July 2012]

I rented this movie last night mainly based on all of the 9 and 10-star reviews on IMDb. Seriously guys, I'm starting to lose faith in the movie-reviewing public! The positive reviews all use the same clichés: (a) it's aged really well, (b) the acting is great, (c) the scenes with the girl in the mirror are really creepy, even by today's standards.

Umm... no. (a) It hasn't aged well. It looks awful, the special effects are below par even for it's time considering it's Disney (it was the year after Star Wars and Jaws...), the plot is very sparse and very linear. (b) The acting is wooden at beast. The supporting cast are awful, David McCallum is underused, Bette Davis looks bored, and she was right: Lynn-Holly Johnson *is* a lousy actress. (c) The scenes with the girl in the mirror are tame - it's an ordinary girl, looking all 'fuzzy' and 'ethereal'. If the people who think this is frightening ever sit down to watch Ringu or the Woman in Black, they'll probably die of fright.

But the most dire thing about this movie is the plot and its conclusion. It starts out a bit like Poltergeist or Amityville, but then becomes so repetitive and simplistic that it's just boring. In those movies, you have one parent who's a sceptic, one who's worried about the kids, and the kids themselves who're possessed. In this feature, one parent is never present, and one is completely oblivious to the danger her kids are in until she sees the possession for herself, at which point she does an immediate u-turn and tries to get outta dodge. No tension or character development whatsoever.

There is no real logic as to how our heroine, Jan, actually works out that the hauntings aren't caused by a ghost, but by an interdimensional being. Then there's no logic as to why she messes up trying to send said being home - by putting herself in the same position as the victim all those years ago, then surely she's destined for the same fate? Sure enough, she is - she's *that* stupid.

The saving graces of this film are that it's short, and the musical score is good. Unless you're desperate to relive the dubious side of 80s cinema, however, I'd give this one a miss.