The Wicker Man (Original)

To my mind, The Wicker Man is a masterpiece. Utterly bananas, but that is half the charm. The new version is such an insult to it, and misses the point of it so spectacularly that it borders on the funny.
 
Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I don't know what i was expecting from this film really, sort of scary i suppose, going by the reviews. But i definitely found it bizarre and creepy.:D

Maybe i need to watch it again sometime to appreciate it? It won't be too soon though.;)
 
It would have been the theatrical release that they showed on TV, not the director's cut. The extra scenes in the director's cut (Howie at the police station before he flies to Summer Isle, the snails!, all the islanders having it off outside Howie's window and in the graveyard, the extra Britt bits) are in a much worse quality (picture wise) than the included scenes, and they really stand out if you watch the director's cut on DVD.
 
Eew! All that burnt wicker to wade through just to get to some half-baked chicken and something that tastes like pork.

What would have happened if Edwood woodwoodwood had been so overcome by lust after Britt Ekland's body double's dance that he'd succumbed to her charms? They wouldn't have wanted all that wickerman building to go to waste.
 
Cinema has rarely seen a more bizarre sight than Christopher Lee prancing about in a purple frock and long black wig. Priceless.

I meant to add that as well as being the greatest horror film ever, it is also one of my favourite films ever too.

I've seen it countless times yet still watched it avidly on Sunday. With every viewing I notice something I'd previously missed.
 
Wrong!

It was the director who chose to refilm the rear sequences with a body double.

Britt Ekland was annoyed about it and says so in the various Wicker Man documentaries

IN the film her voice is dubbed
 
I know what you mean. The real location along the Solway Firth is just plain wrong, especially as that's where the cultists get together to do the chanting and prancing and sacrificing.
 
This is one of British cinema's best ever films and it is very powerful. A lot of people worship it and it now enjoys cult status, but when it was first released it was not really a success, mainly because of the poor marketing and support. But it's reputation grew over time. I guess that you just can't keep a good film down!

I think the label "horror film" is misleading, and I suspect that it is the reason why some of the people who watch it come away perplexed or, in some cases, disappointed. In fact, it isn't really a true horror film, although there are undoubtably some horrific moments in it. But it also contains the aspects of a mystery story, a drama, even a musical! It's a strange hotch potch that defies categorisation, and in this sense, is somewhat unique. Not many films are brave enough to break from established convention. This one did and it will enjoy classical status one day, if it doesn't already.
 
The Wicker Man is my favourite film of all time. I've read several books surrounding the making of it, Alan Brown's is superb........Britt Ekland was pregnant at the time of the film wasn't she?

I suppose you either really tap in to the whole Wicker Man mythology or it's 'just another film'........I found myself drawn to the former. As well as the whole pagan concept, it's the little attentions to detail I love, like how all the delicacies are lovingly made in the cake shop, the May Day parade masks......the atmosphere of The Green Man, that kind of thing........

The late Paul Giovanni's soundtrack is absolutely fantastic too..........

The only part of the plot I found questionable was: Summerisle evidently knew it was Howie in the Punch costume and thus led him to his fate. How did he know that Howie would bosh the landlord and steal his costume? Summerisle was good, but surely not that good?!
 
That occurred to me while watching it again the other night.

But thinking about it, the landlord, when he placed the burning hand in Howie's room, made quite a bit of whispering noise close to the door - I think they knew that Howie would be aware of the 'plan' and knock out the landlord. One way or another they had to get him into the costume - what better way than for him to think he'd managed it all by himself?
 
This is one of my all time favourite movies of the seventies, I was mortified when they remade this movie and totally changed most the storyline,
edward woodward is irreplacable as the virgin copper fighting his temptaions, just my view that all, i think myself they should leave the classic movies alone and think of something new, or if they got to remake one at least stick to the actual script. :mad:
 
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