:
Eddie Albert,
Eddie Albert,
Ray Milland,
more...
:
John Hough,
John Hough
see all cast/crew...
: 
: Walt Disney Video
: Action, Kids, Live Action, Adventure, Fantasy
: 97 min.
see additional details...
|
|
This fast-paced Disney endeavor stars Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann as two adolescents with acute psychic powers. The kids are actually space aliens, but suffer from amnesia and are unaware of their origins. Pursued by greedy business-mogul Ray Milland, who wants to harness their special powers for his benefit, Kim and Ike are rescued by likeable camper Eddie Albert. He and the kids escape to the mountain of the title when Albert's RV suddenly acquires the power of flight. In 1978, the film spawned the sequel Return from Witch Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Ike Eisenmann, John Hough and Kim Richards
- Cartoon - "Pluto's Dream House"
- Making The Escape
- 1975 Disney Studio Album
- Conversations with John Hough
- Disney Sci-Fi
- Disney Effects - Something Special
|
| Classic 1970s Disney live action film on DVD at last!
by EPetersen
August 15, 2004 - 11:49 AM PDT
|
|
|
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
|
Once upon a time, many years ago, the Walt Disney company actually cared enough to produce quality entertainment for children. Alas, the company has since become a cold, soulless, profit-hungry corporate machine willing to stamp its name on any piece of garbage just to make a few dollars.
What Disney hasn't made in over 20 years is a decent live-action movie. But they used to make great movies. Escape To Witch Mountain was one of them, and this DVD release does it justice.
Based on the popular children's novel by Alexander Key, (though, like most Disney adaptations, it has almost nothing to do with the book on which it was based) Escape To Witch Mountain tells the story of siblings Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards). Orphaned again after their loving foster parents die, Tony and Tia go to live at a children's home.
Tia is plagued by strange memories of an accident at sea and an uncle that saved her and her brother's lives. She has always carried a case with a picture of two stars on it, but neither Tia nor Tony can remember where she got it. The biggest mystery of all is that both siblings possess supernatural powers that they try to control, but get them in trouble with the other kids at the home.
After an altercation with a bully, Tia's case is broken and she and Tony discover a map hidden in a secret compartment. The map provides directions to a strange place known as Witch Mountain.
One day, Tia uses her powers to save the life of a stranger. The stranger turns out to be Lucas Daranian (Donald Pleasance), a lawyer employed by evil multimillionaire Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland). Bolt orders Daranian to produce fake papers in order to gain custody of Tony and Tia. Pretending to be a kindly benefactor, Bolt spies on the kids with his closed-circuit cameras and realizes that they do indeed have supernatural powers. He plans on exploiting them for profit.
Tony and Tia decide to escape from Bolt's vast estate and follow their map to Witch Mountain. They stow away in an RV belonging to curmudgeonly widower Jason O'Day (Eddie Albert), who grudgingly agrees to take them to Witch Mountain. Can Tony and Tia evade Aristotle Bolt's extensive, relentless manhunt and get to Witch Mountain - and finally learn who and what they really are?
I was born in 1970, so I was about 5 when this movie hit the theaters. It was one of my all-time Disney favorites. A huge success at the box office, it spawned a good and fun sequel - 1977's Return From Witch Mountain - and a hideously awful 1995 made-for-TV remake. And now, Escape To Witch Mountain finally receives a DVD release. And what a release it is!
The movie appears in its original 1:75:1 widescreen format, beautifully remastered. The print quality is amazing for a live-action children's film made almost 30 years ago. The sound quality is excellent, too. The menu structure is a little confusing, but not bad. The extras are what make this a must-buy for fans of the movie.
Ike Eisenmann (now an indie filmmaker) and Kim Richards not only do the full-length commentary with director John Hough, they also appear in a great short documentary about the making of the movie. There's another documentary about the special effects used in the film, and an interview with John Hough. You also get a "photo album" of the Disney studio, circa 1975, featuring pictures of Eisenmann and Richards on the set. Also included are excerpts from other Disney live-action science fiction movies (Remember Tron? Ugh!) and a Mickey Mouse cartoon that seems to serve no purpose except to pad out the disc.
Escape To Witch Mountain is a wonderful, magical live action Disney movie - the kind they don't make anymore, but should. Anyone who loves this movie will love the DVD. Don't miss it!
- Eric Petersen |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.68)
44 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.