The Watcher in the Woods | 
 enlarge | Directors: John Hough, Vincent Mceveety
Actors: Bette Davis, Lynn-holly Johnson, Kyle Richards (ii), Carroll Baker, David Mccallum
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.20
You Save: $8.79 (44%)
New (46) Used (13) from $9.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  103 reviews
Sales Rank: 5979
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 83
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DISD33653D
UPC: 786936234220
EAN: 0786936234220
ASIN: B0001I55UQ
Theatrical Release Date: 1981
Release Date: August 3, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: *5 STARS SELLER!!* Brand New AUTHENTIC *beware of counterfeit* DVD, Sealed from Publisher!!!
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Amazon.com
Ghost story meets paranormal mystery in Disney's PG family spookfest, a rare kid-friendly scary movie that still manages to frighten. American girls Lynn-Holly Johnson (Ice Castles) and little sister Kyle Richards move into a secluded British manor cradled in a mist-shrouded forest, home to a ghostly guardian angel and a decades-old mystery that still haunts the place. Director John Hough (whose Legend of Hell House is a classic of supernatural suspense) delivers all the right shiver-inducing ingredients: flashes of light, whispers in the wind, eerie visions of a blindfolded little girl lost (the long-lost daughter of withered widow Bette Davis) reaching out from mirrors, as if trapped behind them. Though tame by today's bloody standards and a flop on its original release in 1981, this handsome little gothic ghost story has become something of a cult film for its suggestive direction, impressionistic imagery, and spooky sense of the unknown. Ages 9 and up, although more sophisticated younger kids should enjoy this. --Sean Axmaker
Product Description
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 08/03/2004
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| Customer Reviews: Read 98 more reviews...
 A timeless classic! September 14, 2008
I have loved this movie since I was probably 12 years old, and it still gives me the willies every time I watch it! It's good clean scary fun.
 Cozy and odd horror movie... September 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As a family movie Watcher in the Woods has a fun and cozy vibe about it. It never gets very scary, except for Bette Davis whose presence is probably most genuinely intense thing about the movie.
The ending is awkward and a little anticlimactic, but mostly it's an enjoyable ride.
It's a good movie, but if you love it or hate it really boils down to your age (good for most kids), or if you are an adult it depends on whether you want to be amused...or genuinely scared.
In other words, fans of Saw might do well to stay away, but those who like other Disney horror/action like Something Wicked This Way Comes, should love it.
Reliving childhood memories with daughter September 7, 2008
I used to watch The Watcher in the Woods when I was little and it scared me so much. I have a daughter who loves stories and when I can't come up with one using my own imagination I resort to telling her old movies that I used to love as a child. We have had to buy all of them so far. So this is why I purchase The Watcher in the Woods for us. It was great to get to watch it with my daughter. She got scared too. The special features are cool. The ending that the movie has is the best one. I also bought a copy of this for my cousin, who is several years older then me, for her bithday. She was speechless and so happy to get such a gift.
A Childhood Favorite ... Still Creeps Me Out as an Adult! August 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Honestly, even though I LOVED this movie as a 10-year-old kid -- it scared me to death, no joke! So parents, don't underestimate this movie's powers to give your kids nightmares. (Seriously, a trianglar crack in a mirror containing a blindfolded girl reaching out to you and mouthing "HELP ME!" is FREAKY, no matter what age you are.)
However, this is a great film for slightly more mature kids, as it really fires the imagination and will stick with them for years. I will always love this movie, despite its early 1980's appearance, outdated special effects, and some of the more annoying moments of Johnson's (Jan's) whiny voice and overacting. I still love it because the premise of the story is so fascinating, and there are moments and aspects of it that I STILL FIND SCARY!
For example (I won't give away too much, don't worry):
I love the eerie lullaby that Jan and Ellie hear in the woods, it's so whimsical and innocent-sounding that its juxtaposition with the frightening elements of the story is utterly creepy. I love the way it gets played at the very end, it makes the movie end on a note of unease, despite the resolution -- and I really like that sense of the unsettled and unresolved at the end of this creeeepy story. I don't want to see any other alternative ending!
I LOVE BETTE DAVIS in this role, she is such a leading lady, and her character is so haunting. She perfectly conveys the loss and loneliness that an old widow would feel if her beloved daughter had mysteriously disappeared many years ago. The part where she looks at the forest and says "They're going to stay...is that what you wanted?" gives me chills just thinking about it -- because it's at that point that you realize she KNOWS there is something out there in the woods, and she too is confused as to who or what it is, and perhaps even thinks it IS her daughter out there in spirit form. (Jibblies!)
Jan looking in the large dresser mirror -- unable to see herself in it. I always imagine myself in her shoes at that moment, and I think I would run screaming at what happens next, or at least think I was going absolutely crazy. I love that moment.
Ellie writing backwards on the bathroom mirror in the dark, talking to herself. Yeeeee.....
That strange, glowing blue triangle that appears at the foot of the stone coffin in the chapel... and especially the way it disappears with a wipe-motion is so creepy, creates such a great tension for when Jan approaches it. Seeing Karen inside of the coffin still freaks/weirds me out. And when I was a kid I was petrified!
And there are many more great scare-elements. I highly recommend this film! It's a classic with a one-of-a-kind paranormal plotline.
*Creepy -The Watcher In The Woods* April 10, 2008
A very creepy movie that keeps you interested.It definitely holds your attention.I am glad I finally got to see it.I think it is a movie that more people would like if they watched it.
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