The WIcker Man (1973) appreciation thread.

Nekromantik2 said:
I have the directors cut on DVD. It adds a few extra scenes that show just how unliked Sergeant Howie is back at home, even talking about his girlfriend.
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This was probably the most fascinating thing about the movie to me when I first watched it. Howie was such a dick to the inhabitants of the island over the fact that they weren't Christians. Halfway through, I wasn't sure if I was meant to sympathize with him. Of course, this also came around when they revealed that they had planned to use him as a sacrifice all along, so ultimately both parties were morally gray.

These few scenes indicate to me that Howie isn't meant to be a sympathetic character. He's an uptight douche that hates the island just because they don't follow his own beliefs, but he is also a Christian in a predominately Christian culture and the Summerisle cult is strange. I kinda want to see the director's cut now because that just makes the movie more nuanced in my eyes.
 
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Duncan Hills Coffee said:
This was probably the most fascinating thing about the movie to me when I first watched it. Howie was such a dick to the inhabitants of the island over the fact that they weren't Christians. Halfway through, I wasn't sure if I was meant to sympathize with him. Of course, this also came around when they revealed that they had planned to use him as a sacrifice all along, so ultimately both parties were morally gray.

These few scenes indicate to me that Howie isn't meant to be a sympathetic character. He's an uptight douche that hates the island just because they don't follow his own beliefs, but he is also a Christian in a predominately Christian culture and the Summerisle cult is strange. I kinda want to see the director's cut now because that just makes the movie more nuanced in my eyes.
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It is very interesting, Howie is a prick. In real life you'd have no problem laughing at him behind his back like his co workers are shown to do in the directors cut, but then the end happens. As much of a dick as he is in the movie, he didn't deserve that. That death is a horrible way to go.
 
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Duncan Hills Coffee said:
This was probably the most fascinating thing about the movie to me when I first watched it. Howie was such a dick to the inhabitants of the island over the fact that they weren't Christians. Halfway through, I wasn't sure if I was meant to sympathize with him. Of course, this also came around when they revealed that they had planned to use him as a sacrifice all along, so ultimately both parties were morally gray.

These few scenes indicate to me that Howie isn't meant to be a sympathetic character. He's an uptight douche that hates the island just because they don't follow his own beliefs, but he is also a Christian in a predominately Christian culture and the Summerisle cult is strange. I kinda want to see the director's cut now because that just makes the movie more nuanced in my eyes.
Click to expand...
Nekromantik2 said:
It is very interesting, Howie is a prick. In real life you'd have no problem laughing at him behind his back like his co workers are shown to do in the directors cut, but then the end happens. As much of a dick as he is in the movie, he didn't deserve that. That death is a horrible way to go.
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I can understand why Howie is angry and ignorant to the Islanders, He's in the middle of nowhere trying to solve the disappearance of a young girl and the strange pagan islanders are uncooperative at best and fucking with him at worst.
 
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The Wicker Man is one of my favorite movies of all time, to be completely honest.

Loved the music, the creepy serene setting of Summerisle, and the performances of the late great actors Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee.

Never saw the Nicolas Cage remake and I have no intention to do so anytime soon.

I've always wondered how you could do a proper modern retelling of The Wicker Man in an age where everything is a lot more secular and paganism isn't quite as taboo as it was in the early 70's when Christianity was still prevalent in everyday British life and the hippies and New Age groups were still fresh in everyone's memories.

Midsummer was pretty interesting, having been based on Norse traditions instead of Celtic ones but I've had an idea for a uniquely American take on the story.

I'm worried it's dumb, autistic, and spergy, so I'll hide it in spoilers if you want to skip it.

If I were to do a faithful American retelling of the original Wicker Man, I'd keep the basic plot of the missing girl and Howie being sent in to investigate her disapperance.

Officer Howie would be a liberal urbanite atheist heading into rural Appalachia for the case and being offput by the devout Christian locals and the local traditions and folklore of the region. But I wouldn't make it a cliched retread of Deliverance nor make it some fedora-tipping polemic or woke fest either.

Howie in this American reboot would be a massive asshole to the locals, almost a MovieBob Lite and is doomed by his own arrogance. I'd make Lord Summerisle more of a wealthy corporate big shot who owns a luxurious vacation home in the mountains. Summerisle is basically like an Epstein-esque figure and an occult serial killer in this reboot.

Instead of being killed by the locals, Howie is lured into a trap and murdered in a ritual sacrifice by Summerisle, and the locals refuse to help him earlier because he was such a dick to them.

I'd set it up to where had he not gone in alone and had backup from the local authorities and the community, Howie would've likely survived and been able to take Summerisle into custody.
 
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This is one of my most favourite movie scenes of all time I don't know why I just love its instrumental rendition of the Scottish folf song 'Willie o Winsbury'.
Also 'Willows song' is one of the greatest original movie songs ever.
 
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Johnny Treason said:
There's a good book called Inside the Wicker Man which covers the conception and making of the film, including various feuds, creative differences, drunken escapades, David Bowie's mime teacher and Britt Ekland's arse double.

Well worth a read.
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Know a place online where you can read it, all copies I find are expensive.
 
Syaoran Li said:
The Wicker Man is one of my favorite movies of all time, to be completely honest.

Loved the music, the creepy serene setting of Summerisle, and the performances of the late great actors Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee.

Never saw the Nicolas Cage remake and I have no intention to do so anytime soon.

I've always wondered how you could do a proper modern retelling of The Wicker Man in an age where everything is a lot more secular and paganism isn't quite as taboo as it was in the early 70's when Christianity was still prevalent in everyday British life and the hippies and New Age groups were still fresh in everyone's memories.

Midsummer was pretty interesting, having been based on Norse traditions instead of Celtic ones but I've had an idea for a uniquely American take on the story.

I'm worried it's dumb, autistic, and spergy, so I'll hide it in spoilers if you want to skip it.

If I were to do a faithful American retelling of the original Wicker Man, I'd keep the basic plot of the missing girl and Howie being sent in to investigate her disapperance.

Officer Howie would be a liberal urbanite atheist heading into rural Appalachia for the case and being offput by the devout Christian locals and the local traditions and folklore of the region. But I wouldn't make it a cliched retread of Deliverance nor make it some fedora-tipping polemic or woke fest either.

Howie in this American reboot would be a massive asshole to the locals, almost a MovieBob Lite and is doomed by his own arrogance. I'd make Lord Summerisle more of a wealthy corporate big shot who owns a luxurious vacation home in the mountains. Summerisle is basically like an Epstein-esque figure and an occult serial killer in this reboot.

Instead of being killed by the locals, Howie is lured into a trap and murdered in a ritual sacrifice by Summerisle, and the locals refuse to help him earlier because he was such a dick to them.

I'd set it up to where had he not gone in alone and had backup from the local authorities and the community, Howie would've likely survived and been able to take Summerisle into custody.
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I actually like your "American" take on the story and I'd go one further. Maybe have the Howie character think they're going to sacrifice someone, have him go apeshit and start attacking the locals, who are then forced to put him down. I mean, the end of the Nicholas Cage version of Wicker Man had him going crazy and acting like a total ass. If the inhabitants of the island had been shocked instead of smug, they would have really looked sympathetic.
 
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I adore The Wicker Man. Saw it for the first time a few years ago and it kicked off my obsession with Christopher Lee. I'm all about Celtic pagan traditions so the themes were right up my alley. The music is fantastic, I'm not really a musical person but this wasn't really a "musical" as much as music just plays a big part in the film.

While we're talking about alternate takes on the movie, I had an idea for a follow up story that I considered doing as a comic. At the end of the film Howie warns that if the crops continue to fail, it would be Summerisle himself his people would be burning. I think the filmakers did confirm that the crops flourished the year after Howie's sacrifice, but I want to show the island maybe 20 years down the road when another major crop failure is leaving them in dire straits. Lord Summerisle would decide that the best available sacrifice is the leader of the people, and would voluntarily offer himself as a sacrifice.
 
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It's in my memory bank of movies I think are especially disturbing if you are a Christian.

I'm so glad I got to watch this movie what I call "cold" not knowing anything about it.

Is the Nic Cage remake so bad it's good or so bad it's horrible?
 
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My favorite movie starring Christopher Lee.

murgatroid said:
Is the Nic Cage remake so bad it's good or so bad it's horrible?
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It's a pretty bland movie that the internet made into a meme for two scenes. Aside from the "Not the bees!" and the one with him in a bear costume punching women it's an uneventful film.
 
BrunoMattei said:
Aside from the "Not the bees!" and the one with him in a bear costume punching women it's an uneventful film.
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I think the Not the bees scene wasn't even in the theatrical cut.

I heard there was a spiritual sequel call the Wicker Tree directed by Hardy. I haven't seen it yet, but it said to have a cameo by Christopher Lee.
 
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Nekromantik2 said:
I think the Not the bees scene wasn't even in the theatrical cut.

I heard there was a spiritual sequel call the Wicker Tree directed by Hardy. I haven't seen it yet, but it said to have a cameo by Christopher Lee.
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Yeah, the bees scene was in the director's cut. For good reason. I heard Wicker Tree was pretty bad and Wicker Man is one of those movies that doesn't need a sequel so I never bothered.
 
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