The Watcher in the Woods

1980

Action / Family / Horror / Mystery / Thriller

17
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 57% · 25 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 57% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.2/10 10 7735 7.7K

countryside country house supernatural solar eclipse haunted house english countryside

Plot summary

After an American family moves to an old country manor in rural England, one of the daughters is tormented by the spirit of the owner's long lost daughter, who mysteriously disappeared 30 years ago during a solar eclipse.

Director

John Hough Photo
John Hough

Top cast

Ian Bannen Photo
Ian Bannen as John Keller
Carroll Baker Photo
Carroll Baker as Helen Curtis
Richard Pasco Photo
Richard Pasco as Tom Colley
Lynn-Holly Johnson Photo
Lynn-Holly Johnson as Jan Curtis
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
764.64 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 23 min
Seeds 2
1.53 GB
1920*1072
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 23 min
Seeds 11

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by thomasellery 5 / 10

Scary has been sedated on sugar coated pills

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!
Reviewed by deheor 7 / 10

collapsing church crushes cutie

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.
Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

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

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.
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