The Wicker Man - C/D?

A few years back on 'Moviedrome' they presented a SLIGHTLY more complete cut than the norm - helped to establish the urgent and key fact that Woodward is a virgin, and hence ripe for the pyre.

But I have a big book all abt Wicker Man which insists that much of the original footage was irretrievably sold as clinker.

WHo would say - "I'm only doing tit shots, no arse". Its like bolting the stable door after the horse has left.

WHo would say - "I'm only doing tit shots, no arse".

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Wondered about that myself. ;) Anyway I thought that stick your head through the circle of swords moment was pretty scary at the time.

ah, that's a good one. not all 'longer cuts' are a waste of time then.

I really like this movie. but i never for one second thought he would escape.

is this no longer considered to be the case?

Seeing as we're on a repeating ourselves tip, I was born on the day Sgt Howie died. I found The Wicker Man second only to Alien in my 'films that were supposed to be scary but weren't at all' list.

Actually (and I've probably mentioned this somewhere before) the 1956 BTF film "The Land of Robert Burns" includes this ridiculously prettified, rosy-cheeked arrangement of the Corn Riggs song, played over scenes of Everyone Together Bringing In The Harvest. Not until I saw *that* did the version in the Wicker Man *really* chill me to the bone. But oh it does now, just knowing that context ...

The sex through the wall scene, the scene where they cut off a random person's head but he/she survives because it is a costume head, and the part where everyone sings about bedding the pub-owner's daughter right there in front of her in the pub are classic. Otherwise, I thought it was kind of silly.

The cop being Christian is interesting because he only appeals to his executors on the grounds that he is a Christian and that they are silly heathens. He never even brought up reasons not to kill him like "other cops will come to the island and arrest the lot of you," etc. Then instead of struggling towards the end he just starts to pray. I dunno. Maybe its just a cultural misunderstanding, but he seemed like a WILLING martyr in a lot of ways.

I didn't have much sympathy with any of the characters, and I wasn't all that surprised with anything that happened, so as a "scary" film It was a dud for me.

Overall neither C nor D (or a little of both).

There's a nice blogstrapolation from The Wicker Man called Orwell on Summerisle. I'd like to see something similar with Mark E. Smith visiting the pagan isle.

we totally watched that in 9th grade in....some class. classic

(WAtcher, not Wicker Man, I woulda been offended by that movie in high school)

Why does Britt Ekland try to seduce Woodward the night before the ritual if his virginity is part of what makes him a good sacrifice? Like what would they do if she succeeded? Way too late to try to lure a different victim.

It's the other way around, I surmise; it's a purity test

No I get that, but if he fails the purity test he'd still be the best candidate available, they have nothing to gain.

I realise the actual answer is almost certainly "the director wanted some more nudity".

Thought the revive would be about this. Includes a pop-up!

https://i.imgur.com/uULvVjsl.jpg

It was to prove his piousness (piety??) as well. It’s more clear in the book.

I guess I'm just wondering about the Plan B here.

Obvious nit picking I know, film as a whole is amazing.

what a cool boxed set! especially NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THREE CUTS OF THE FILM. I've only ever seen the cut that made it to the US, I think.

apparently it's also going to get re-released to some theatres?

I guess I'm just wondering about the Plan B here.

well if Howie was actually a tramp and they didn't test him and went ahead with the ritual it wouldn't work!

(and they'd have to refund everyone for their three-day Summerisle festival passes too)

There are a few strange plotholes / incongruities in the film. Like when the landlord lets himself get knocked out so that Woowar can nick his costume and replace him in the procession - feels like a far-fetched (and potentially fatal) plan on the landlord's part.

I mean the "deftly executed plan that appears to fail but actually the failure was a built-in part of the plan and everything worked as expected" trope has existed for centuries in fiction of all kinds, I don't think it'd be as interesting having a movie where a few of the things that were planned didn't work out and we get treated to five minute scenes where all of the plotters get together and talk about what went wrong and how they can do better moving forward

I saw the attempted seduction as a fail safe — they knew he was the right guy and they had to make sure with a final test. And sure enough he was the right guy. They didn’t need a plan B they just needed to be sure he was who they thought he was. And obviously he was. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen chastity get someone killed and for that I applaud this film once again.

OTM

I guess it would've been pretty amusing if there were actually like 5 Woodward types being put up in that cottage Airbnb, all of whom were, at various points, being nudie serenaded from the next room over

The Wicker Bachelor

Producers emergency meeting on whether "just masturbation" results in instant disqualification

Two left standing, trivia game show style competition used to select sacrifice

That restoration is playing here in a few weeks.

That this was the Jean Eustache thread for a second.

They did some screenings in the UK a couple of weeks ago and a number of people who hadn't seen the film before were royally pissed off bc they chose to show a documentary/Q&A about the film before the film itself. Obviously this was dripping with spoilers so those who hadn't seen the film before had their evening ruined.

I remember liking The Third Day with Jude Law, I think it had some Wicker DNA but is a very different story

I would love to see this in a theatre and take all the people I know who only know the HOW'D IT GET BURNED cage version

This revive prompted by my seeing the restoration at the Prince Charles last night. A few too many giggles for me - I think there's a lot of comedy in it but I guess not nec in the moments others find funny - but there was a nice round of applause at the end.

yeah The Third Day is brilliant xps

I saw this at the ICA in London in a double bill with Mike Leighs' Nuts in May... a great double bill.

I think it benefits from a tipsy audience laughing along with it.... but i'd want that to be my second or third watch.

not sure if its still on in theatres (I heard it was a one day limited release) but very tempted to take my eldest and see him experience it with no knowledge of the film or the ending..

just tell him its about a policeman sent to a scottish island to rescue a girl... and watch as it slowly veers away from his expectations till the bitter end.

Watching this tonight, I was thinking about how the greatest horror films come with some of the greatest endings ever. Truthfully, I wouldn't rank this quite that high--the film, that is--but the ending, yes. This, Texas Chainsaw, Rosemary's Baby, the '78 Body Snatchers, Night of the Living Dead, etc.--those endings stay with you for a long time.

I've never seen the movie.

Is there some surprise at the end other than they sacrifice Edward Woodward? Because that seems blazingly obvious from even the vaguest plot description.

Surprise is part of it on first viewing; it's still disturbing no matter how many times you've seen it.

I knew they were going to sacrifice him when I went in but didn't know the girl would be in on it.

xp yup I've watched it a fair few times* & saw the restoration at the BFI a couple of weeks ago - I know it well enough to relax and enjoy the fun but imo Woodward sells the horror and it feels very material, very concrete, like I come out thinking 'well fuck I really don't want to be burnt alive'

*we rented a screening room & had it as the afternoon entertainment for my stag do

yeah the enjoyment of Wicker Man isn't OMG SHOCKING ENDING, it's the way it's executed. the ending sequence is so well shot and creepy.

the music is what makes repeat viewings enjoyable imo

Sometimes a Howdunnit is better than a Whodunnit IMO, and the fact they give the ending away in the title is pretty brave really.

I don't remember being especially shocked by the ending when I first saw this way back when, but then I'd been hardened by all sorts of extreme Asian horror nightmare fuel. It wasn't until I re-watched it that the true awfulness of Ewar Woowar's fate hit home.

But yes... When asked, this is what I tell people is my favourite film. There is nothing not to love about it. I found a DVD of the Nic Cage version left out in a box on the street a few weeks back and took the plunge. It is shocking isn't it?

And I agree - the music is amazing. The fact this is a folk horror musical is a big part of the appeal. What a strange idea, conceptually, to include parts where characters break into song during a film like this, and yet it's almost always diegetically justified: Why shouldn't the villagers sing a bawdy song together in the pub?

I don't think the title gives the ending away. You have no idea what the wicker man is until you see it. Plus, the first time I saw it I was half-expecting him to be rescued or escape somehow.

what I most love about it (and this is true of many of my favourite films) is that it exists in its own vividly portrayed, self-contained world, apart from the rest of cinema

Side note: is it weird that the 'Ewar Woowar' joke/meme/whatever it is has lasted as long as it has? Is it just a UK thing? Are some people looking at dog latin's post wondering wtf has happened to his syntax?

i had no idea what he was talking about but just moved on. i frequently have no idea what people are talking about!

watched this on mushrooms a few months ago and it was a very beautiful and deeply unsettling evening

I love how resistant this thing is to pat interpretations and classifications and moral lessons and I very get different things from it each of the 3-4 times I've seen it. it's impossible to know exactly where the film lands on its own characters and events and everyone I've talked to about it has had very different and often surprisingly personal impressions of jt

idk what the most common version people watch is but for me it *has* to start in the church with howie's self-eulogy

*of it!

a stage musical? would it work?

Christopher Lee is the real star here, not Woodward

Surely you mean Woowar?

The joke is (drumroll):

Q: "Why does Edward Woodward have so many Ds in his name?"
A: "Because if he didn't, he'd be Ewar Woowar!"

(this joke is unknown to Americans, pretty much, as is the Wicker Man generally)

i still don't know if I've seen the 'real' cut of Wicker Man or the US-release with extra things missing before.

I dunno, joke tickled me when I was told it, probably at school when I didn't really know who he was, so he'll always be Ewar Woowar to me

The nihilistic endings of Texas Chainsaw and Living Dead (originals) were a big part of why Robin Wood loved them, and the ending of The Exorcist--restoration of patriarchy, family, the awesome power of religious faith--a big part of why he hated it. (I can live with the ending when the rest of it is so terrifying.) Don't know how he felt about The Wicker Man (or the '78 Body Snatchers), but following the same logic, he would have probably loved it/them.

Rosemary's Baby is a little harder to pin down, but closer to the nihilistic endings, I think.

Some cool production stills

https://www.theguardian.com/film/gallery/2023/aug/31/the-fool-and-the-fury-behind-the-scenes-of-the-wicker-man-in-pictures

Neat!