The Watcher in the Woods is a 1980 supernatural horror film[3][4] directed by John Hough and Vincent McEveety and starring Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards, and David McCallum.

The film had its premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on April 17, 1980, but was pulled from release after ten days, and future screenings were canceled by the studio because of an overwhelming negative response from critics and audiences.

Several changes were made thereafter, including the excision of a pre-credits sequence, as well the filming of an entirely new ending, which was directed by Vincent McEveety without Hough's involvement.

Mrs. Aylwood, the owner of the residence who now lives in the guest house next door, notices that Jan bears a striking resemblance to her daughter, Karen, who disappeared inside an abandoned chapel in the woods thirty years earlier.

Jan senses something unusual about the property almost immediately and begins to see strange blue lights in the woods, as well as triangles and glowing objects.

After seeing the reflection of the name "Nerak" (Karen spelled backwards), Jan is told about the mystery of Mrs. Aylwood's missing daughter by Mike Fleming, the teenage son of a local woman, Mary.

In the water, she sees a blue circle of light and is blinded by a flash, causing her to fall in; she nearly drowns, but Mrs. Aylwood saves her.

He claims that during a seance-like initiation ceremony on the night of a lunar eclipse, Karen vanished when lightning struck the church bell tower.

Meanwhile, Ellie, while watching the eclipse from the front yard, suddenly goes into a trance-like state, apparently possessed, and enters the woods.

[9] Miller recruited John Hough to direct the film after seeing his previous movie, The Legend of Hell House with Roddy McDowall.

[11][12] 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.

"[7] 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.

The girls return to the house, where Mrs. Aylwood and Karen are re-united in the front yard, and Jan discusses the watcher with Ellie.

[22] Due to the 1980 actors strike, Davis was unable to return to England to film reshoots, so her additional footage was shot in California.

[1] However, following an overwhelmingly negative reaction from audiences and critics, the film was pulled from the Ziegfeld Theater after only 10 days,[25] and other scheduled screenings were canceled.

In 1999, Anchor Bay Entertainment announced a special edition DVD release of the film, but it was removed from their schedule shortly after and delayed indefinitely.

[28] A article later appeared to explain the release history, difficulties and potential future version on the digitalcinema.info website[29] Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment re-released a Region 2 DVD[30] of the film in early 2004, and in the United States on August 3, 2004.

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.

[2] 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.

"[39] 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.

"[15] Al Frank of the Morristown Daily Record felt that, though the film had a flawed conclusion, "John Hough's direction mixes the light with the spooky so well you're always surprised at what comes next.

"[42] The Central New Jersey Home News's 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.

"[43] 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.

"[44] 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 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.

"[23] A review published in TV Guide criticized the film even with the revised ending and gave it one out of four stars, noting: "From the start it's apparent that [the setting] is no ordinary glen teeming with cute little Disney squirrels.

Johnson, however, isn't intimidated by the woods, but strange incidents begin occurring when she becomes possessed by the spirit of Davis's long-dead daughter.

"[46] Michael Blowen of The Boston Globe was also critical, deeming Davis "sour-faced," adding: "Everything in the film—direction, acting, writing, music arrangements, and editing—is as transparent as Casper the Friendly Ghost.