ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN

US, 1975, 97 minutes, Colour.
Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, Eddie Albert.
Directed by John Hough.

Escape To Which Mountain is a typical Disney effort, though quite enjoyable. It focuses on two children - the usual Disney style children and their adventures which involve creatures from space. The blending of comedy, realism, and elements of the supernatural are quite enjoyably done. Veteran actors like Ray Milland and Donald Pleasence add to the strong characterisations and the enjoyment for family audiences. Remade as a telemovie in 1995 with Robert Vaughan as the villain. Re-imagined in 2009 as Race to Witch Mountain. There was a sequel with the two original children and Bette Davis and Christopher Lee in 1978, Return from Witch Mountain.

1. The quality of this Disney film? Audience expectations from this kind of film? A family film, for what age group was it principally made?

2. The importance of atmosphere, the footsteps and the visuals during the credits, a contrast between the world of the ordinary and the world of magic, the world of business? The blend of comedy, mystery, memory, science-fiction? A satisfactory blend?

3. Audience involvement via the structure of the film, sympathy for the children, puzzle, their being trapped, the chase, the various adventures, rescue and resolution?

4. Could audiences identify with the children? How attractive were Tony and Tia? As a boy and girl, their cat, their personalities? Their background as orphans, the vague memories? The immediate conflict with Charlie, the exercise of magic powers and their effect on the children? Tia’s ability to communicate without speaking? Tony's ability to draw and anticipate where they would be? Tia’s attempts to cope with her memory? How credible were these two children, in the situations in which they were? Audience fascination with the mystery about them?

5. How well was this brought to a head in the incident with Deranian? An atmosphere of foreboding, the accident and his safety? The preparation with Tony drawing Bolt's home?

6. The presentation of Bolt as an evil man, overwhelming greed, Deranian as his subservient helper? The satire on Bolt's need and the various psychic and astrological ways he wanted to do his business? His avarice in gaining the children for himself? His building up their room, trying to win them over by giving them things? His watching them on television? His plan for wealth through them? Audience dislike for Bolt?

7. Their life in the house, the incident of the dancing marionettes and its effect? Their dissatisfaction with having everything and being trapped? The details of their escape, the map, the lochs, the horse which had been previously tamed? How interesting and enjoyable was the escape?

8. Involvement with the chase, cars, helicopters, the police, the various crashes?

9. How interesting and likeable an old man was Jason? His saying that he was old and crusty, his reluctance to help, his interest in the children, relating to them, outwitting the pursuers? What effect on him did they have?

10. How interesting was the truth? Tia’s gradual memory? Uncle Bene? The science-fiction explanation, their farewell to Jason, leaving him the cat, going off to another world? Giving Jason a mission of rescuing children?

11. How strong was the science-fiction message? The dissatisfaction with our world and its greed, intelligence on another world, their hopes for communicating with this world?

12. How satisfying as children's and family entertainment? With values?