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.

Directors:

John Hough, Vincent McEveety (uncredited)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Bette Davis, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards

1 win & 4 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
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:

occult | haunted house | psychotronic film | teenage girl | solar eclipse | 

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Taglines:

The Most Legendary Monster Of All Can Now Be Seen For The First Time

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Genres:

Family | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Watcher in the Woods

Filming Locations:

St. Huberts, St. Huberts Lane, Gerrard's Cross, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director John Hough was not involved in the the re-shoots and additional photography of the movie's ending.

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Goofs

When Jan goes to see Mr Keller she leans her bike against the right hand door post, but when she leaves she collects her bike from the opposite door post.

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Quotes

Ellie Curtis: Boy, Mrs. Aylwood sure is creepy.
Paul Curtis: How comforting to know we're the "right sort of people."
Ellie Curtis: I've seen the iciest of old ladies melted by your charm.
Mrs. Thayer: I think it was your daughter who did the trick.
Ellie Curtis: Me?
Mrs. Thayer: No, dear, not you.
[to Jan]
Mrs. Thayer: She had a daughter about your age.
Jan Curtis: Had?
Mrs. Thayer: Mm, lost. Many years ago. Perhaps you reminded Mrs. Aylwood of her.

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Alternate Versions

A scene was re-shot where Jan is screaming hysterically when they return home after the family car goes off the bridge. Helen tries to calm her down, and when all ends fail, slaps her. Disney thought it too violent and intense, thus re-shooting the scene where Jan's mother shakes her.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Halloween II, Priest of Love, Chanel Solitaire, The Watcher in the Woods (1981)

User Reviews

Absolutely Petifying

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.