Friday, August 26, 2011

ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (1975) & RETURN TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (1978) Double Feature TV Spot


In 1978, Walt Disney Productions re-released their G-rated space kids-on-the-run thriller, Escape To Witch Mountain on a double bill with its sequel, Return From Witch Mountain. Here's a 30-second TV commercial for that telekinetic double feature. Obviously, these movies were childhood favorites, in large part because I saw them at the drive-in with my family. Even then, though, I wished that we'd seen a lot more of their flying saucer and learned more about their people.

For the record, I actually enjoyed the 2009 update - I thought the kids were quite good, Dwayne Johnson was likable enough, and I have a serious crush on Carla Gugino - but I don't believe I ever saw any of the various other remakes and spin-offs done for television in the 80s & 90s. There was a short-lived TV series, too, right? Or am I misremembering? (I must be - I can't find one on the IMDb....)
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5 comments:

  1. Will PerezAugust 26, 2011 at 2:43 AM

    Beyond Witch Mountain, 1982 - third in the series, was a TV pilot recast with new actors and story changes for a potential series that was never picked up. I don't think it was ever shown again or sold in any home video format. There was also a 1995 TV remake of the original "Escape" movie.

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  2. LuisAugust 26, 2011 at 2:19 PM

    I saw Escape to Witch Mountain at a drive-in back when I was a kid (my parents took me, of course) and I have fond memories of the film and is one I've been meaning to buy on DVD.
    I've seen the 1982 pilot mentioned by Will Perez, which was just OK, but not the 1995 "Escape" remake.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 27, 2011 at 11:37 PM

    A young Tracy Gold (Growing Pains) was cast as Tia in Beyond Witch Mountain. I don't remember much of it, but I believe that it was released on VHS as some point.

    Paul

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  4. TimAugust 28, 2011 at 1:06 AM

    I think the original Witch Mountain movies were much better than most of the other live action fare Disney was putting out back then. I tried to watch Beyond Witch Mountain when it was broadcast on TV back in 1982 but couldn't make it all the way through.

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  5. AnonymousAugust 29, 2011 at 8:38 PM

    Beyond Witch Mountain had Eddie Albert reprise his role from the original movie, didn't it?

    The '95 remake was horrible - had something to do with a Purple Man and twins. It was a mess.

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