Yeah, I like me some Witch Mountain - what kid of the Seventies didn't? The original two-film series from Disney featured a couple of likable adolescent leads in
Ike Eisenmann (who would go on to star on TV's
The Fantastic Journey and a play small part in
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) and
Kim Richards, some genuine menace thanks to veteran heavies like
Ray Milland and
Christopher Lee (and
Bette Davis!) and some all-too-brief glimpses of a cool flying saucer!
Here are some of the one sheets for the second film, released to U.S. cinemas in March of 1978,
Return From Witch Mountain. Personally, I think it's the weaker of the two movies, but I always enjoy Chris Lee.
I really like the striking and atmospheric poster above. I don't know the identity of the artist, but I really dig the other-worldliness of the image, which is superior to the rather TV-like look of the actual film.
"Return" was definitely the cornier of the two, but I think director John Hough brought an interesting (and very European) visual touch to both movies, making them a little better than what was standard for Disney at the time. And who didn't have a crush on Kim Richards back in the day, with those brown eyes and long blonde hair that seemed like 90 feet long.
ReplyDeleteI'm just the opposite when it comes to these films. I liked "Return" much more. I think "Escape" was a little too cute for my tastes and the stakes weren't as high in that movie. In "Return" Tony and Tia are battling each other and the fight scenes were pretty good. Christopher Lee added more menace and I liked him as the main villain. The effects were better and I really had a big crush on Kim Richards back then. That had a lot to do with it. :P
ReplyDeleteI wish Return had been as good as that poster, that's great. I prefer the first Witch Mountain, but the sequel has some impeccable floating effects that they use every chance they get, and Christopher Lee really is evil in it, especially for a kids' movie.
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