The Watcher In The Woods
Special Edition
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT - DV10832
STATS
Widescreen (1.85:1) 16:9 Enhanced, Color, Dolby Digital EX 5.1, Dolby Surround 2.0, DTS ES 6.1, Languages: English, Subtitles: English, Chapters: 23, Running Time:83 mins., Rated PG, Price: $19.98
VISUAL
This is an amazing difference from the IMAGE ENT. laserdisc offered years ago. Although grain is apparent in some scenes the overall look, color and contrast wonderful. The reds especially are right on target. Everything about this film is very non-Disney – and it’s better for it. The 1:85.1 ratio opens the picture up in scenes with multiple actors and in the wood setting itself. The digital authoring handles the, at times, dark, moody lighting with barely a trace of noise. Even in those moments flesh tones are captured well.
AUDIO
The original 2.0 Dolby Surround is made available along with a newly expanded mix in 5.1 and DTS ES 6.1. The main difference is the slightly more directional presence of the effects track. All dialog is Centered. Music is well places in the Front but sound effects of the woods, animals, breezes, wind, are placed totally around the viewer. This is a simple and quite soundtrack which creates a low-key environment – it works all the same. The .1 LFE Channel pounds in as the audio representation of the unseen “Watcher” with some nice mid-bass results. It is unfortunate we weren’t allowed open access to the DISNEY archives to get the individual sound stems for “The Other World’ sequence, or the two alternate endings which would have allowed ANCHOR BAY to re-mix in 5.1 and 6.1.
EXTRAS
TRAILERS (3), TV Spot. – An interesting point concerning the TV Spot. After the actors are presented the film’s title is shown. A keen viewer may notice the different narrator reading the title. ANCHOR BAY was forced to lifted the film’s Title from one of the Trailers. Unfortunately what the viewer now misses is the film’s title superposed over a color representation of the TV Spot’s “ink blot” effect with the “Watcher” hidden in the expanding, unfolding, flowing image within the ink blot. This is due to an edit made on the commercial by DISNEY when the spot was originally presented as part of the package to ANCHOR BAY. Back then (about 3 years ago when we first started this project) all reference to WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS had to be excised from all promotional materials – just watch the trailers for THE BLACK HOLE and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES on the ANCHOR BAY DVDs. On SOMETHING WICKED the WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS credit is actually cut off by cropping the top portion of the image with a black bar masking off the credit and making the letterbox ratio more servere. Luckily this insanity ceased by the time the three trailers were given to ANCHOR BAY for this release. Even more amazing - these Trailers are from the original proposed theatrical release which contained the warning that parents should pre-screen the film before allowing small children to see it! This was another aspect of the original version of the film ANCHOR BAY was told not to approach – hence it has been air brushed out from the original poster artwork reproduction insert card. (it was originally located on the very bottom of the ad)
AUDIO COMMENTARY: Director John Hough supplies a commentary not only during the film, but on each of the alternate endings. This was done in England early in the production of the dvd release. The film, and the two endings were run for him separately. It should be pointed out to the viewer that it was originally planned to have two separate versions of the film (the studio- shorter version, and a longer cut – original ending.). At the time it was planned that the viewer would choose a version and the audio comment track would follow – this was to be achieved through branching. At the time branching caused a pause or lag that we felt would be unacceptable. So then a double dvd release was planned with the commentary only on the original (longer version). When DISNEY denied us the two versions it was decided to leave the director’s commentary for each sequence. This explains the director’s several references to the viewer on finally being able to see the film as it was meant to be seen – in a re-edited format, close to the original – which of course it isn’t.
JOHN HOUGH BIO (Text).
ALTERNATE ENDING 1 (6 mins.) – starting up from the point of the “Watcher’s” entrance, and minus the “Other World” sequence, this variation of the ending has a different edit and music cues.
ALTERNATE ENDING 2 (14 mins.) Okay, this is the biggie! While watching the film if the viewer stops playing the DVD at exactly Chapter 20, 1 hr., 10 mins, 37 secs into the film (during a shot of Kyle Richards holding a paper cut out) then continues the film with this alternate ending you will have a better representation of the entire film. This 14 mins of film not only contains the original ending but every scene before it is longer and contains extra footage cut from the feature version. Contained in this ending is the infamous “Other World” Sequence which was never shown to critics, yet was referred to in all press materials and the original end credits. NOTE: This missing sequence is presented as a rough composite of the all the special effects elements –a test. If DISNEY had allowed the sequence to be theatrically inserted it would have gone through a final clean-up and additional layers of special effects. This is truly a find and perhaps the crux as to why the studio failed along with the film theatrically. This scene gives the much needed visual explanation in understanding the ending. Indeed the the entire film - otherwise why wouldn't have given us the original Main Title and prologe? (See more on this below)
Disc
PRESENTATION
The film’s origina,l and first theatrical poster which was pulled from circulation in lue of a more “Disney” friendly ad concept (seen on the disc and the back on the insert booklet) graces the cover of the black plastic Amaray.
The Main Menu is both animated and with sound – a sub-par ANCHOR BAY effort in terms of menu design - more akin to the director’s LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE rather than WATCHER. The sub-menus are non-animated with music from the film. The film’s theatrical artwork is reproduced again on a heavy weight cardboard insert with a Chapter listing on the flip side – an always welcomed ANCHOR BAY FEATURE.
A 20 page booklet is also part of the package containing mini-interviews of cast and production members.
NOTE – Due to space limitations these interviews were edited by ANCHOR BAY and approved by myself. The same were re-edited by DISNEY which were never met with my approval. Since I conducted the interviews I am not responsible for any alterations to the original words spoken by the persons interviewed since I was never asked, or allowed to question the changes conducted by DISNEY. It is for that reason I am making the un-edited versions of the text available here in this site. (See INTERVIEWS)
SIGHTS AND INSIGHTS
As originally planned THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS was to be a 2-disc set containing a newly re-edited version of the film making it as closely as possible to the version shown for one week in NY and LA in April of 1981, and the 2nd, or what DISNEY likes to call “the studio” version – which is what most people have come to known. From the beginning of this project I was up again tuff odds since DISENY offered little help. A person, Keef Ferrandini credited in the booklet deserves no place being listed among those who I interviewed and or worked on the film. Merely a DISNEY exec., she knew nothing of the film, in fact she had never even heard of it, or its history till I became involved. Next, there was no one willing to look in the vault for the footage since it was said by the DISNEY archivist Scott Macqueen to have been destroyed years ago. The footage contained on this release was finally found through a friend who went into the vault and forwarded to me a breakdown of the elements. Needless to say, there was much more there we weren’t given including Originally the original opening prolog and different Main Title sequence which was nixed by an executive board vote, one of whom was Ms. Kerrandini herself admitted that “it didn’t represent the company in the right light”. This project started almost 4 years ago and was held up by DISNEY, put on and off throughout those years. Finally when they rolled over in their beds in a good mood they decided to release the project for production, but not as the originally planned 2 disc set. At one point they even threatened not to include the director’s commentary. Note that the DISNEY name never appears ANYWHERE on the packaging or in any form of text written. It is of course opens the film, but is seen no where else. See folks, this is what I was up against … stupidity supreme. Do they actually think the public won’t realize that WATHCR along with THE BLACK HOLE, THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE, THE NORTH AVENUE IRREGULARS, ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAYS COMES, and THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, along with others, aren’t DISENY films?
REVIEW by Scott Michael Bosco©
