This controversial British cult classic, considered by its producer upon completion to be one of the worst films ever made, has been little seen since its brief theatrical release... more
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Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man is not a Hammer Horror film. There is no blood, very little gore and the titular Wicker Man is not a monster made out of sticks that runs ...
Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man is not a Hammer Horror film. There is no blood, very little gore and the titular Wicker Man is not a monster made out of sticks that runs ...
WICKER MAN is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a naive young police officer sent to Summerisle, a secluded island off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan. When he arrives there, he finds a very tight-knit community that is mistrustful and hostile to outsiders. No one is willing to even acknowledge Rowan's disappearance. Soon, Howie begins to realize that the town might, in fact, be a strange pagan cult, one given to unbridled sexuality and possible human sacrifice. Seeking an audience with the oddly civilized Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), Howie hopes to get to the bottom of the mystery, but instead he finds something more shocking than he could have ever imagined. Written by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH, DEATH ON THE NILE), Robin Hardy's eerie film paints a disturbing portrait of an almost prehistoric, multi-deity worshipping society given to bizarre rituals and Bacchanalian excess. Though recognition may have been a long time coming, THE WICKER MAN stands as a strikingly original achievement that is equal parts horror, drama, comedy, and musical.n
The Wicker Man
A novelisation of the notoriously censored 1973 film, The Wicker Man is a compulsive study
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of faith and temptation--a tale that, on its release, must have been entirely without precedent for its stark treatment of taboo subjects such as pagan worship, kidnap and sacrifice. Interestingly, while the film, shunted from its top billing by nervous studio bosses, came across as a simple morality tale, that of good versus evil, the novel revels in a complex ambiguity that questions the very nature of religious faith to the core, and if anything, is even more of an affront to the Christian consensus. The plot centres on Sergeant Howie's investigation of the disappearance of a child on the remote islands off the north coast of Scotland. On the isolated isle of Summerisle he finds a society that has long turned its back on Christianity, in favour of the worship of a heathen religion devoted to the rites of fertility and the pleasures of the flesh. Howie becomes convinced that Summerisle's May Day harvest festival will culminate in a sacrifice--yet at every turn, he is confronted by temptation and perversion, an invitation that, despite his devout chastity, he struggles to resist. The workings of the alien community of Summerisle are rendered with impressive attention to detail throughout, through Sergeant Howie's naive, Puritan eye--a detail that gets more foreboding, more grisly, as the tale reaches an arcane climax. And while it's wholly predictable, The Wicker Man concludes with a sense of creeping doom, as chilling as it is inevitable. --Louis Pattison
The Wicker Man
Extraordinarily literate and thoroughly compelling, The Wicker Man has often been called
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the Citizen Kane of horror movies. Writer Anthony Shaffer and director Robin Hardy built their contemporary (1973) English murder mystery/thriller upon gothic Druid underpinnings and wisely gave songwriter/composer Paul Giovanni (whose first and only film score this is) the freedom to create music of a piece. The score remains one of the most unusual in the entire genre: a collection of original, well-researched folk songs and instrumental underscore that evoke a rare, eerily discomfiting sense of displaced time and place; 70s folk-pop informed by ancient forces of nature and superstition. Long a holy grail among soundtrack aficionados, this lavishly packaged/annotated release has been prepared from recently discovered master tapes with a clarity and presence that gives the late Giovanni's haunting music the gratifying showcase it's so long deserved. --Jerry McCulley
Advantages: Unusual "horror" movie, unexpected ending, interesting Disadvantages: Its simply not scary enough for my liking!
...usually end up hiding behind the nearest pillow/cussion/arm/person/delete as appropriate. But for some reason or another I feel drawn to scaring myself sh*tless. I guess its usually because a lot of horrors tend to be gory. And as I have a gruesome fascination….
You can fit the rest together yourselves.
It is because of this that I don’t usually bother watching older horror films. Not only have I usually seen most of the “scary” scenes on such ... ...also because they’re older, the graphics just don’t live up to my life-like expectations.
The Wicker Man was released 10 years before I graced this Earth (in 1973). Normally I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush to see a film of this age. However, as I’ve been interested in witchcraft all of my life and have dabbled in such arts in the past, I thought I’d watch it to see just how far-fetched and un-lifelike this film was.
It was shown on TV a couple ...
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Advantages: Unexpected ending, tension, music Disadvantages: Disturbing
The Wicker Man
Directed by Robin Hardy
Writing Credits Anthony Shaffer
Running time: 102 mins
Released 1973 Music composed by: Paul Giovanni Music performed by: Magnet Cast:: Edward Woodward: Sergeant Neil Howie
Christopher Lee: Lord Summerisle
Britt Ekland: Willow
Introduction
The Wicker Man is a triumph of British Horror. It is internationally regarded as one of the best horror films of all time and has been an influential film for many ... ...and sexual promiscuity. The horror of the film is presented and achieved through a variety of techniques that combine to achieve a discomforting effect throughout the film building up to the climax at the end when the Sergeant keeps his horrifying appointment with the Wicker man. The Setting
The film is set on the remote island of Summerisle on the West Coast of Scotland. It is isolated surrounded by water and can only be reached by plane or boat.
...
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Advantages: I am glad I've seen it Disadvantages: I felt let down by all but the ending - which in itself is rather unpleasant
...had always been intrigued by The Wicker Man. It was variously known as a cult film, one of the scariest films of our time, and a film with one of the most surprising and shocking endings imaginable. Despite having heard so much about it, I had managed to find out little else about the film and was only vaguely aware that its subject matter had something to do with paganism.
The film stars Edward Woodward as Sergeant Neil Howie, a god-fearing policeman ... ...letter from a resident of the remote island of Summerisle, informing him of the disappearance of a local schoolgirl, Rowan Morrison, who is believed to have vanished under mysterious circumstances. Sergeant Howie sets off to Summerisle to investigate the disappearance.
He is met by a strange, unwelcoming community, and it soon becomes clear that the island’s residents subscribe to a sinister religion, worshipping the gods of nature and fertility. ...
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17.12.2003
Burn, baby, burn Review ofThe Wicker Man (Special Edition)by
Spongly
Advantages: Great film, really tense, good ending Disadvantages: No action, if you like that sort of thing.
...film, but if I got the chance (it’s a hard one to find) I would most definitely watch it over again.
This is a complex film, perhaps more of a thriller than a true horror, since there is no supernatural element in it. But the sense of dread and foreboding which it builds up is excellent, the twist in its tail totally unexpected and the messages and issues which the film deals with are clear.
Edward Woodward arrives on a small island investigating ... ...grow suspicious. His portrayal of the devour Presbyterian policeman is excellent, characterised by prudish behaviour and suspicion, especially when he finds out that the folk of the island are Pagans. He comes to the natural conclusion that the girl has a been a victim of some kind of sacrifice, but can still get nothing out of the locals, especially not the mysterious and thoroughly nonchalant Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle. Thentension is built ...
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19.03.2001
Come Say How Do Review ofThe Wicker Man (Special Edition)by
dadmancat
Advantages: An intelligent and literate chiller Disadvantages: That the film has been so butchered down the years
The Wicker Man has a truly magical quality, and I've enjoyed introducing people to it down the years. To see people turn around at the end, eyes wide with astonishment, a slightly crooked smile, and to hear them croakily admit "That was amazing", is worth the hundreds of times I've seen Robin Hardy's brilliant 1973 take on the horror genre.
To think, the film puts so many obsticals in the way of a jaded modern viewer of horror. It has a folk soundtrack ... ...wordy and character driven, and the horror is minimal, instead relying on a slow build up of tension until the dread overwhelms you, and then comes the climax...and it still turns me white, and sends chills across my body. Every. Single. Time.
That I should even of seen the film is a miracle considering it's history. The chain of events that lead to The Wicker Man's cult, rather than commercial success is amazing in itself. Put into production hastily ...
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Actor(s): Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Aubrey Morris, Russell Waters
Director(s): Robin Hardy
Genre: Horror
Classification: 18 years and over
Production Year: 1973
Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: A police sergeant investigates a young girl's disappearance on a remote Scottish island and finds a pagan cult with some horrifying rites.
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date: 22/04/2002
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: D 038281
Barcode: 7321900382816
Screenwriter: Anthony Shaffer
Cinematographer: Harry Waxman
Director of Photography: Harry Waxman
Producer: Peter Snell
Writer: Anthony Shaffer
Languages
Main Language: English
DVD Description
This controversial British cult classic, considered by its producer upon completion to be one of the worst films ever made, has been little seen since its brief theatrical release even though it is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a police officer sent to Summerisle, a secluded island off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan. When he arrives there, he finds a very tight knit community, one mistrustful and hostile to outsiders--none of them seem willing to even acknowledge the disappearance of young Rowan. Soon Howie begins to realise that the town belongs to some sort of pagan cult, one given to unbridled sexuality and possibly human sacrifice. Seeking an audience with the oddly civilised Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), Howie hopes to get to the bottom of the mystery, but instead finds something more shocking than he could have ever imagined. A true cult classic that paints a disturbing portrait of an almost prehistoric, multi-deity worshipping society given to Bacchanalian excess and bizarre rituals, THE WICKER MAN is a truly unsettling experience. Erotic and mysterious, the film evokes the primal urges that underlay modern society through its unforgettable imagery and story.
Technical information
Special Features: Documentary - 1. THE WICKER MAN ENIGMA (35 mins), Interview - 1. Christopher Lee - Star (25 mins), Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical, 2. TV Spots, 3. Radio Spots, Biographies - 1. Cast & Crew, Original Theatrical Press Brochure
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
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Listed on Ciao since : 09/01/2001
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