Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1982
Beyond Witch Mountain
Buy Beyond Witch Mountain now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Beyond Witch Mountain'" is a 1982 American made-for-television science fiction-fantasy film and a sequel to 'Escape to Witch Mountain' (1975) and is the third installment in the 'Witch Mountain' franchise. Although Eddie Albert returned to play Jason O'Day from the original 1975 movie, the parts of Tony and Tia were recast with actors comparable in age to Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards when they first played the parts. Tracey Gold from 'Growing Pains' played Tia, and Andy Freeman played Tony. The parts of Aristotle Bolt, Lucas Deranian and Uncle Ben were also recast.
'Beyond Witch Mountain' was broadcast on CBS as an episode of 'Walt Disney' on February 20, 1982.
The film totally contradicts and ignores elements of the 1978 sequel 'Return from Witch Mountain', because in that film, Tia and Tony are of teenage years, and Uncle Ben is still alive. In 'Beyond Witch Mountain', Tia and Tony are around the same age from the first movie, Uncle Ben dies early in the film, and as previously mentioned, Tony can talk to Tia mentally, which is only introduced in Return from Witch Mountain, and a divergence from the original film plot.
Plot
Tia and Tony follow their Uncle Ben as he leaves the Witch Mountain colony. As they catch up to him in the woods, Deranian and Foreman, henchmen of billionaire Aristotle Bolt, shoot tranquilizer darts toward the trio in an attempt to capture the children. Ben reverses the darts in mid-air, and one strikes Foreman as Deranian runs from the scene.
Tia and Tony learn that Ben has left the colony in search of his long-lost grandson. In a vision, Ben discovered that his grandson, Gregory, also a survivor from their lost world, used his telekinetic powers to move a log across a river to save drowning children. Ben first encourages Tia and Tony to return to the safety of Witch Mountain, but they insist that they can help and Ben concedes. Tia, Tony and Ben set up camp in the woods for the night, and they begin to visualize a cabin, which they draw in the dirt with a stick. Ben finally reveals to the children that his time on Earth has come to an end. As he passes away and his body evaporates, he tells the children to go to the cabin to seek help in finding Gregory.
The next morning, Tia ascertains that the cabin belonged to Jason ODay. They reunite with Jason, who reluctantly agrees to help them in finding Gregory and bringing him home to Witch Mountain, after Tony reveals that Bolt is again pursuing them. The children are also reunited with Winkie, Tia's black cat, who she entrusted to Jason at the end of 'Escape'.
Meanwhile, Bolt, now aware that the children have left their secret colony, sends Deranian to bring Jason to him, in an attempt to lure the children to Bolt. When Jason and the children are briefly separated on a shopping trip, Jason is held up at gunpoint by Deranian and Foreman and forced to drive to Bolt's estate. Winkie leaps out of the window of Jason's camper, and telepathically informs Tia of Jason's plight.
Jason, meanwhile, is drugged by Bolt in an attempt to gain information about the children, and Jason inadvertently reveals that he has been in contact with the children. The children hitchhike their way to Bolt's estate to rescue Jason. Using their telekinetic powers, they cause a commotion inside the home, which allows them the opportunity to escape with Jason. The trio successfully escapes from Bolt in time to retrieve Gregory from a hospital, where he has been under observation. Tia and Tony teach Gregory about their people, and the colony of Witch Mountain, and Gregory happily agrees to be returned to his people, having already had visions of his impeding rescue.
Jason brings Tia, Tony and Gregory to the woods near Witch Mountain. The children begin walking towards the colony, but Tony and Tia decide that they should seek out other survivors from their world, and bring them home to Witch Mountain. As Gregory continues on to Witch Mountain, Tia and Tony return to Jason's camper, and Jason agrees to help them in their efforts to retrieve other survivors.
Cast
* Eddie Albert as Jason O'Day
* Tracey Gold as Tia
* Andy Freeman as Tony
* Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Bolt
* J.D. Cannon as Deranian
* Noah Beery Jr. as Uncle Ben
* Stephanie Blackmore as Dr. Adrian Molina
* Peter Hobbs as Dr. Peter Morton
* Gene Dynarski as Lawrence
* William H. Bassett as Lowell Roberts
* James Luisi as Foreman
* Hettie Lynne Hurtes as Reporter
* Lola Mason as Lady Driver
* Eric Aved as Gregory
* Kirk Cameron as Boy
References
Buy Beyond Witch Mountain now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1982