Needs Remade - The Watcher in the Woods (1981) Discussion

[–] WFazzaniUK-1 18 years ago

i think a remake would totally destroy this film...i saw it again recently and in its original form it scared the hell out of me as a kid and it is still extremely creepy now. modernising it would take away the film's power. i remember being scared by this film as a kid and because of that it still has the power to scare me and besides they dont make films like this now...
remake it? are you mad it would be like remaking the goonies too good in its original form to ever be remade

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[–] MisterDenton 18 years ago

I have only seen parts of this movie, but I can say without a doubt that it should be remade. The special effects are clearly outdated, and if the story DOES have something to do with aliens, that needs to go. I think Dinsey would benefit from remaking this as a top of the line modern ghost story.

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[–] MovieGal237 18 years ago

Yes, I think it could potentially be a great remake, too. Just watched it for the first time and thought Lynn Holly Johnson's performance was incredibly mediocre! And the ending was so cheesy. I was intrigued for the first half and then lost interest.

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[–] Mr_Ectoplasma 18 years ago

I agree. I love this film, and while it isn't a perfect horror film by any means, the nostalgia factor is what makes me enjoy it so much. But I definitely think a remake wouldn't be a bad thing. This movie does have a few problems, and I agree that it would be much creepier had the whole alien element been removed. If they remade this today, with a little reworking of the script, it could seriously scary.

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[–] mamamiasweetpeaches 17 years ago

I usually hate remakes and will say "No" to the idea...but I watched this with my nieces when they were little and there WERE some things in it that were scary and "worked"...but my God! the ending! And the alternate endings stank too! If they could just somehow make a decent ending that flows with the rest of the film.....yeah! Yeah, they SHOULD remake it!

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[–] nhtucker91360 17 years ago

A remake would be a good idea because the storyline can easily be updated to fit the times.

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[–] amberlee 17 years ago

I agree; a remake, if it were done well, would be awesome! This is one of my favourite movies. However, I liked the "being from another dimension" part. It felt totally original. I don't think anyone could make the story make sense without the "switch". What would have made Karen disappear? Who would be haunting Ellie and Jan, watching them from the woods? The way they made the being/"ghost" so abtract and invisible was what made the movie so frightening.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Belletrist0 17 years ago

Disney should remake it, and this time hire a lead actress who can act. For anyone who has not read the original novel- the book had a storyline that was much more creepier than the film. However, it had to be toned down for Disney (no surprise there), and it created a sometimes poorly crafted script. In the end, the director did not even know what alternate ending to use, which just shows what mistakes they did.

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[–] jonathanmarklund 16 years ago

Why, the movie is good as it is, and it certainly don't need to be upgraded to some pop cultural-reference-rubbish Lindsey lohan style of disney movie, that they inevitable would do.

I think this movie is a remarkable historical document and should be kept as it is.

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[–] gshaunm 16 years ago

Actually I thought the other dimension angle was a great and logical twist. I am just glad they didn't ever show the watcher and left it up to the theater of the mind.

Shaun of South Carolina

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[–] VinnieRattolle 16 years ago

If Disney were to remake this today, it'd wind up along the same lines as the atmospheric but addlebrained "The Haunted Mansion" movie, complete with zany one-liners and the Disney princess of the moment (these days, that'd be Miley Cyrus). Disney made a lot of ballsy films like this one during that era, but they wouldn't touch anything like it nowadays. Hell, they wouldn't even allow the original opening sequence to appear on the "Watcher" DVD, so that doesn't give me much hope that they'd do a remake any sort of justice.

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[–] gshaunm 16 years ago

What sequence are you referring to? It is as I saw it.

Shaun of South Carolina

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[–] harfordamanda 15 years ago

i'm patiently waiting for the day it gets re-made which i hope will be sometime soon. I've loved this movie since i was a kid but the back story and "the watcher" plot always confused me and frankly still does. It would make an EXCELLENT ghost story and be waaaayyyyy better than the "alternate dimension,alien whatever" thing-a-mahoo that it is. sigh, one day....

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[–] alouette1977 15 years ago

I woulnd't mind a remake, because we've never seen the complete version of this film. Disney cut 20 minutes out, and Ron Miller was always pushing behind the scenes to make it less scary. Since Disney hasn't been willing to release that footage for another re-edit...

And I like the hook with the alien/other dimension idea. Keep it.

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