Наблюдатель в лесу: История создания и альтернативные концовки

1980 film by John Hough and Vincent McEveety

The Watcher in the Woods is a 1980 Americanefn|Though shot in England, the film was an American production, per its inclusion in the American Film Institute's Catalog of Feature Films. Brian Clemens adapted the novel into a screenplay. However, Disney decided that Clemens' version—which had a different conclusion than that of the novel—was "too dark and threatening and black," Miller recruited John Hough to direct the film after seeing his previous movie, The Legend of Hell House with Roddy McDowall. When the film was pulled from theatres, several new endings were penned by various writers at Disney to substitute for the original. In addition to the work of studio writers, a number of science fiction writers, including Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman, and the Niven/Pournelle team, all working separately, were brought in and paid for alternate endings, but apparently none of those were used. Harrison Ellenshaw, the visual effects designer, later stated that there were "roughly 152" possible endings. Davis was 72 years old at the time. Upon viewing the tests, Hough cued for the crew to leave the screening room, and said, "Bette, I don't think you've made it". After taking one long drag from her cigarette, Davis replied: "You're goddamn right". British actress Georgina Hale ended up taking the role of the younger Mrs. Aylwood; according to Hough, she took the part largely because of her admiration for Davis. In casting the leading part of Jan, Diane Lane had been the initial choice, but she declined. The part eventually went to Lynn Holly Johnson, who had gained attention in the United States as a professional figure skater, as well as for her acting role as a blind ice skater in the 1978 film, Ice Castles, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. Carroll Baker, who was living in London at the time, was asked to play the part for Hough (who had long admired her work). She accepted the role. Eleven year old Kyle Richards who played Ellie, the youngest sister in the film had previously worked with Hough on Escape to Witch Mountain in an uncredited role as a younger version of her sister, Kim Richards.

Principal photography for The Watcher of the Woods began in August 1979, on a budget of approximately $7 million. The film was shot primarily at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, and the surrounding areas. St. Hubert's Manor, the house used in the film was located near Iver Heath;

The film's original intended ending featured an appearance by the growling Watcher, a skeletal, insectoid alien, which picks Jan up in the chapel and disappears. At this point, the two were supposed to fly across an alien landscape to the Watcher's crippled spacecraft. Inside, Karen was trapped in a pyramidal prism. According to Sam Nicholson, the visual effects supervisor, "For some reason, the girl who disappeared imbalanced this alien's craft when she went through this portal. Which in turn caused this alien to crash." Jan reached out to Karen, and when the two embraced they were teleported back to the chapel. The girls then returned to the manor, where Mrs. Aylwood and her daughter were reunited. As they walk arm in arm, Jan explains everything to Ellie: the Watcher – who was switched with Karen by accident during the eclipse – needed Jan to free the girl. The visual effects for the "other world" scenes were not finished in time for the release because the film was rushed out to coincide with Bette Davis's 50th anniversary as a film actor in 1980 (Davis was first hired by Universal Studios in 1930). Rather than finish the existing effects shots, Disney opted to rewrite and reshoot the ending, toning down the references to the occult. featured only part of the original ending, eliminating the "other world" sequence and replacing it with Helen's interrogation of Tom, Mary, and John at the chapel, after Jan disappears during their re enactment of the séance. It did, however, include the appearance of the alien creature as it picks up Jan and disappears into thin air. After critical backlash during the film's limited theatrical run in New York on April 17, 1980, the film was pulled from theaters and reshoots of its ending began without director Hough Initially, the studio had planned to expand the film's release to between 600 and 700 theaters by June 1980. and other scheduled screenings were canceled. In its place, Disney re released Mary Poppins (1964). The film was re released eighteen months later on October 9, 1981, after extensive reshoots and the addition of an entirely new ending. Promotional material for the film presented it as a straightforward suspense film aimed for more mature audiences, a new endeavor for Disney; the film's theatrical trailer began with a title card reading:
The re release was regionally staggered, with the film opening on the East Coast first, and expanding to the West Coast in late November 1981.

During its original April 17, 1980 run in New York City, the film grossed only $40,000 before being pulled from theaters due to poor audience response. and grossed $1.2 million during its opening week. It went on to gross a total of $5 million domestically, Anchor Bay released the film three years after their initial announcement, on April 2, 2002. of the film in early 2004, and in the United States on August 3, 2004. Hough's audio commentary commissioned for the Anchor Bay release is not present on this disc.

Vincent Canby of The New York Times panned the film during its original 1980 theatrical run, writing: "I challenge even the most indulgent fan to give a coherent translation of what passes for an explanation at the end." He also criticized the special effects, noting that the creature in the film's finale "looks as if it had been stolen from a Chinese New Year's parade." Gene Shalit of Ladies Home Journal also criticized the film, writing: "The Watcher in the Woods wastes the talents of Bette Davis and wastes our time with the non talents of two children who speak in monotones This dreary Disney movie may scare some ten year old girls who enjoy teenage mysteries, but parents and other adults will be exasperated. In a review published in Essence, Bonnie Allen noted: "I could not figure out what audience the film was made for. The plot has no new twist on the haunted English mansion scenario. Bette Davis, as the mother of the hauntee, is not enough to legitimize this horrid horror. As a matter of fact, The Watcher in the Woods is best left unwatched." Jim Wright of the Hackensack Record similarly felt the film was unoriginal, and that "when the payoff arrives   it is filled with absurdities rather than answers." A review published in Variety gave the film a middling review, noting: "The acting and writing are barely professional but the art direction, especially Alan Hume’s stunning camerawork, gives the pic a gloss." At the time, producer Miller stated he felt the film had fared poorly with critics and audiences because "most of the film is a mysterious suspenseful movie but ends with a sci fi twist. We're now looking for a more clever ending." The Central New Jersey Home Newss Ted Serrill noted that the film was "entertaining without let up" and praised its cinematography, concluding that it "will do as a tasty forerunner of The Shining, which is to come next month." Christopher John reviewed The Watcher in the Woods in Ares Magazine #3 and commented that "It must be put on record that for a studio unused to being totally serious, this is a big step forward. The Watcher In The Woods takes its creators quite a distance from the syrup of Disney's past. It is just unfortunate that a baby's first steps are usually awkward, stumbling ones."

The film's second theatrical run with a brand new ending garnered it some critical praise, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it a "A rattlingly good suspense yarn. The ending is seamless, satisfying, resolving the mystery. The film is genuinely eerie and scary." An article published in The New York Times commented on the revised version of the film, writing: "The early good reviews for the revised Watcher in the Woods do not, by any means, solve all of Disney's problems. The PG rated (Parental Guidance Suggested) movie is tense and scary enough to appeal to the teen age audience that the studio has been trying to woo for the last four or five years. But can any film with a Disney label attract teen agers?" Michael Blowen of The Boston Globe was also critical, deeming Davis "sour faced," adding: "Everything in the filmdirection, acting, writing, music arrangements, and editingis as transparent as Casper the Friendly Ghost." as of March 2024, The Watcher in the Woods holds a rating of 52% based on 25 reviews with the consensus: "The Watcher in the Woods boasts plenty of spooky atmosphere and a typically strong performance from Bette Davis, but it builds to a conclusion so dissatisfying that it undermines all that came before."

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref. (Reference) 1982 Saturn Awards Best International Film The Watcher in the Woods Best Supporting Actress Kyle Richards Young Artist Awards Best Young Motion Picture Actress