The Watcher in the Woods (1980)

When a family moves to a country home, the young girls experience strange happenings that have a link to an occult event years past.

Director:

John Hough

Writers:

Brian Clemens (screenplay), Florence Engel Randall (novel),

Stars:

Bette Davis, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Bette Davis	...	Mrs. Aylwood
Lynn-Holly Johnson	...	Jan Curtis
Kyle Richards	...	Ellie Curtis
Carroll Baker	...	Helen Curtis
David McCallum	...	Paul Curtis
Benedict Taylor	...	Mike Fleming
Frances Cuka	...	Mary Fleming
Richard Pasco	...	Tom Colley
Ian Bannen	...	John Keller
Katharine Levy	...	Karen Aylwood (uncredited in the shortened 1981 release)
Eleanor Summerfield	...	Mrs. Thayer
Georgina Hale	...	Young Mrs. Aylwood

Storyline

When a normal American family moves into a beautiful old English house in a wooded area, strange, paranormal appearances befall them in this interesting twist to the well-known haunted-house tale. Their daughter Jan sees, and daughter Ellie hears, the voice of a young teenage girl who mysteriously disappeared during a total solar eclipse decades before...

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Plot Keywords:

past | occult | eclipse | solar eclipse | country home | 

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Taglines:

A Masterpiece Of Suspense!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 1982 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Az erdei kápolna titka

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was to be Disney's first PG-rated movie. However, poor test screening convinced the studio to re-shoot the ending and hold the release until April 1980 (and it bombed). Thus, The Black Hole became the first Disney movie with a PG rating.

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Goofs

When Jan and Mr. Keller are in the chapel waiting for the rest of the people to come she looks through a stained glass window. It is a big missing piece she looks through, but when they show the rest of the people coming it shows the lead in the glass minus the stained glass rather than one big missing piece.

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Quotes

Mrs. Aylwood: [to unseen presence in the woods] She's going to stay here. Is that what you wanted?

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Connections

References The Legend of Hell House (1973)

User Reviews

Kids Flick

Ok, it might not be the greatest movie out there, but I really enjoyed it when I was a kid. And because of that the few times since then that I have watched it, I have held a kind of fascination with it. But alas, my opinion is tainted by childhood. That scary (oh so scary) scene in the fun house haunted me for a long time. And Bette Davis, she is awesome.