The Watcher in the Woods
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Movie Reviews of The Watcher in the Woods
Movie Review: spooky Disney fare with Bette Davis and Lynn-Holly Johnson
Summary: 4 Stars
Based on the novel by Florence Engel Randall, THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS is a finely-crafted Disney thriller with Bette Davis and a great cast.
The story is about an English-American family (David McCallum, Carroll Baker, Lynn-Holly Johnson and Kyle Richards) who move into a creepy mansion in the English countryside. The estate also includes Mrs Aylwood (Bette Davis) who acts as a caretaker of sorts. Mrs Aylwood's daughter Karen mysteriously died in a fire many years ago and she has never really come to terms with her grief.
Once the new family moves in, strange things begin to occur. Eldest daughter Jan (Lynn-Holly Johnson - ICE CASTLES) senses something watching her, and starts seeing a blindfolded girl in mirrors. Younger daughter Ellie (Kyle Richards) adopts a little dog and calls it 'Nerak' ('Karen' spelled backwards). Everything that happens seems to lead back to Karen Aylwood and her mysterious death. Jan and Ellie join Mrs Aylwood in a race against time to stop the hauntings and hopefully find out what really happened that fateful night...
Bette Davis gives a mesmerizing performance as Mrs Aylwood (with Georgina Hale also fine as the younger Davis during the flashback sequence). David McCallum sadly doesn't get much to do as the father, though Carroll Baker impresses in her relatively-small role as the mother. Lynn-Holly Johnson (following her breakout role as Lexie in ICE CASTLES) is a knockout as Jan and Kyle Richards is just plain spooky as Ellie.
Filmed entirely on location in England, the tense and eerie atmosphere is perfectly carried throughout the whole movie. Also featuring Eleanor Summerfield, Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco, Frances Cuka, Benedict Taylor and Katherine Levy.
Movie Review: 4 Stars
Back in the good ol' days of Disney before putrid sludge like High School Musical and Hannah Frickin' Montana, you got cool little movies like The Watcher In The Woods. This was back when you could make a "family" horror film and have it work. Watcher deals with a family moving into a nice new home near the woods. Bette Davis, the previous owner of the house, still lives on the grounds and becomes interested in the older daughter, Jan, who reminds her of her daughter who had disappeared under bizarre circumstances in the woods many years ago. Jan starts to notice bizarre goings on with the woods like flashing lights, eerie messages from her younger sister, and images of a blindfolded girl who seems to be begging for help. This starts Jan on an investigation to find out what happened to this girl and how to help her, whether she's alive or dead. This movie was quite good, and with alot of the plot points I can't help but think that recent movies like The Ring, Stir of Echoes, or any of the other billion movies that deal with a ghostly child, have in some part been influenced by this movie. This manages a great sense of spookiness throughout with practically zero violence or death. You're not gonna be lying trembling under a blanket with fear crying for mommy or anything, but to create spookiness with what is practically G-rated material is impressive. Then in the last five minutes or so of the film, there's a big zinger thrown at you that shifts the entire plot. This twist, which jumps right into sci-fi almost, may seem a bit corny, but you gotta admit it's original. This forgotten classic from the Wonderful World of Disney is well worth checking out. It's a helluva lot better than a That's So Raven marathon, that's for sure.Movie Review: "THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS" A DISNEY SUSPENSE CLASSIC
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Watcher in the Woods" is a first rate suspense movie that can also be enjoyed by young viewers, thanks to the film's creators at Disney. Lynn Holly Johnson teams up with Kyle Richards (Kim Richards' real life sister) as sisters that move into an English mansion with their parents for the summer. Strange things begin to happen, even on the day that they're moving in. Lynn is determined to unravel the mystery that is beginning to haunt her and Kyle. Bette Davis co-stars as a mysterious elderly lady that lives in the guesthouse of the estate, and Lynn soon discovers that all of the supernatural phenomenon that's been occurring surrounds the disappearance of Davis' long lost daughter. The dvd has a nice clean transfer and great audio. Special features include the film's original trailer and a nice addition of alternate endings to the film. Also of special merit, is the co-starring of Carroll Baker (Baby Doll, Giant, The Carpetbaggers) as Lynn and Kyle's mother. I highly recommend "The Watcher in the Woods" to fans of suspense and the supernatural, and especially to Disney live-action film enthusiasts. It's not scary enough to give you nightmares by no means, however, it's very entertaining and a nice addition to any Disney or suspense collectors dvd library.Movie Review: Enjoyable suspense for the younger crowd
Summary: 4 Stars
An English-American family rent a summer home in the English countryside, enabling the father/musician to work on his upcoming opera. As luck would have it, their landlady/neighbor is the reclusive old woman known as Miss Aylwood, played with conviction by the legendary Bette Davis, who appears to be slightly eccentric and rather mysterious. Soon, strange dreams, strange visions, near-death accidents, the appearance of a mysterious girl-in-white, and an unsettling feeling of being watched coming from the woods next to the family's house, all begin to occur. Just what does this loving family have in store for them this summer?
One of Disney's first non-G-rated productions is rather enjoyable, if not rather hokey. Nonetheless, it does a fine job in maintaining a gloomy atmosphere, which no doubt heightens its suspense level. Altogether, a fine little Disney ghost story which should satisfy the kids (and the kid in us all) on Halloween night.
Movie Review: Worth the vigilance - in the darkling farrest
Summary: 4 Stars
Watch for those Eyes - Bette's - she's looking - are you? between the sheets? The Watcher is not always in the wood - I've seen this movie at least 3 times throughout my life and still have not quite figured out (let alone remembered) how it is 'resolved' at the end - and it doesn't matter - it's the Way, The Journey there, the tale told that grips and touches the watcher (on the couch) - having first seen this film in the movie theater when it came out (I was about 12), a distinct sense of nostalgia is there for me when watching it - (and back then, was in the movies with my 2 younger sisters - my Mother was shocked that Disney would make such a scary film... *G* my poor sisters... apparently had nightmares for days/wks. afterwards... *G*) I know I was damn frightened in the big, 'ole movie theatre in Toronto...
Enjoy the slowness, the subtly growing puzzlement - a riddle whose answer only the Watcher knows (I keep forgetting it... )