Anyone here a fan of The Wicker Man (1973 version)

[Heddi]

This is inspired by post by Onager in the religion forum.

I have to say it is my most decidedly favourite movie of all time.

I first saw it when I was maybe 9 or 10, when my mom rented it. I remember being oddly drawn to it at that age, but didn't remember really anything about it (except the ending).

Then maybe 5 or 6 years ago, I encountered it on TCM or somesuch, and knowing that my husband had never seen it, decided to have Family Movie Night, starring The Wicker Man.

Wow! what a blast, and what a great movie!

Now, it's mine and my husband's favourite movie. We pretty much watch it on a regular basis (it's great to have on in the background for white noise while you do a jigsaw puzzle or what-not).

I think it's so witty, and clever, and I think rather shocking in some ways. The anti-christianity stance in the movie, I think, is what was shocking to me, because I am not really that familiar with such openly Anti-Christian movies that are mainstream. (Is this a mainstream movie? It's a 'cult classic," whatever that means.

The dialogue between characters is spot on and witty, and I think I find new things, new play on words or allusion or metaphor every time I see it.

But as anti-Christian as it is, I don't think it's IN YOUR FACE OMG THIS MOVIE HATES JESUS. It goes with the story line, and I enjoy hearing/seeing Sgt Howie's (the main character's) amazement that not everyone believes in him, and how his "beliefs" are questioned as beeing just as kooky as the beliefs of the pagans in the movie.

Some of my favourite quotes:

Sergeant Howie: And what of the TRUE God? Whose glory, churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now sir, what of him?

Lord Summerisle: He's dead. Can't complain, had his chance and in modern parlance, blew it.

-------
Lord Summerisle: I think I could turn and live with animals. They are so placid and self-contained. They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins. They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God. Not one of them kneels to another or to his own kind that lived thousands of years ago. Not one of them is respectable or unhappy, all over the earth.
---------

Sergeant Howie: Your lordship seems strangely... unconcerned.
Lord Summerisle: Well I'm confident your suspicions are wrong, Sergeant. We don't commit murder here. We're a deeply religious people.
Sergeant Howie: Religious? With ruined churches, no ministers, no priests... and children dancing naked!
Lord Summerisle: They do love their divinity lessons.
Sergeant Howie: But they are... a-are NAKED!
Lord Summerisle: Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through fire with their clothes on!
-------

Sergeant Howie: What religion can they possibly be learning jumping over bonfires?
Lord Summerisle: Parthenogenesis.
Sergeant Howie: What?
Lord Summerisle: Literally, as Miss Rose would doubtless say in her assiduous way, reproduction without sexual union.
Sergeant Howie: Oh, what is all this? I mean, you've got fake biology, fake religion... Sir, have these children never heard of Jesus?
Lord Summerisle: Himself the son of a virgin, impregnated, I believe, by a ghost...
------------


If you haven't seen it, I highly reccomend it. I think it's easily rentable online or at video stores (do they still have those?) Sit down and enjoy the ride. I think it's a fun movie and forget that dreck with Nicholas Cage. I did watch that, and felt like punching myself in the face repeatedly while I was watching it. How such a classic movie could be remade (that's a sin to begin with) and to be remade into such an appalling piece of fetid whale shit is beyond my knowledge.

[klook]

1. Yes, I've enjoyed The Wicker Man a few times myself

Love the story -- very clever. And it's one of Christopher Lee's greatest roles.

While I do remember the lack of reverence for Christianity, I did not recall these great bits of dialogue. I guess it's time to watch it again... Thanks for the reminder!

[MineralMan]

2. I haven't seen it since 1973. Now I have to

get it and watch it again. Into the queue it goes.

[mr blur]

3. Have you seen the documentary (BBC, I think)

about making The Whicker Man? Great stuff.

Cool t-shirt: http://www.mrcloud.com/t-shirts/the-wicker-man-tshirt.html/

[BlueJazz]

4. I got it the other day. It's the English version (England) Slightly longer and not censored.

Wonderful film.

[onager]

5. Big fan!

But I think you already knew that. Ha!

I was like you. The first time I saw it, I couldn't believe they got away with all that snarky dialogue about the One True Faith.

Mr. Blur's post was interesting. Now I want to try to find that "making of" documentary.

Speaking of religion-snarking...what we need now is an uncut, digitally re-mastered version of Ken Russell's The Devils. Another big fave of mine. And millions of other people, which naturally must be why Warner-Damn-Bros refuses to release it in any format except grainy, bargain-basement DVD with all the censoring intact.

I have a copy of the 2005 UN-UN-UNofficial release with the "Rape of Christ" sequence restored and the "Hell On Earth" documentary. But the quality is lousy.

Long, sad story behind that movie...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devils_(film)

While I'm nattering, I just thought of another great religion-snarking movie from that era - Witchfinder General. With Vincent Price playing it deadly serious as Sophisticated Theologian/sadist/con man Matthew Hopkins.

Weirdly enough, that one was censored in the U.K. but left alone in the U.S. Since American-International released the flick in the USA, it was treated as just another AIP drive-in movie special and pretty much ignored by the usual prudes and Bible-thumpers.

[Heddi]

6. Let's find that docu Mr Blur spoke about

I wonder if it's on bit torrent....


ETA: I am downloading "the devils" now....think I have found as uncut a version as there is....shall let you know. Read the wiki and it sounds, er, interesting

Edited edited to add:

There are 2 wicker man docu's....the Wicker Man Enigma, which can be found on youtube in 3 installments, and "burnt offerings, the cult of the wicker man" which I haven't found on Youtube yet but that's because I'm watching part 1 of the Wicker man Enigma

[onager]

7. Thank you! Don't you already have "Enigma..."

...on your 2-disc "WM - Special Edition" set? My set does. I just checked it, since we're talking about it in here. I thought the other docu might be on there, but it does not seem to be.

Anyway, my set has "Wicker Man Enigma" on Disc 1, after the edited British version of the movie. Disc 2 has the unedited version and some other deleted scenes.

I'm going to check my own...sources for "Burnt Offerings" as well.

EDIT:

"Burnt Offering" is on the sooper-special THREE!!! DVD "Collector's Edition" of the flick. That set is only availalble in Region 2 DVD format, apparently:

EXTRA FEATURES - Director's cut with optional commentary by actors Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward, plus director Robin Hardy (moderated by Mark Kermode)
Original theatrical version
The Wicker Man Enigma documentary
Burnt Offering: The Cult Of The Wicker Man documentary
1973 interview with Christopher Lee and Robin Hardy
Press book - Soundtrack CD - Theatrical trailer

http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/62686/the-wicker-man-3-disc-collectors-edition.html

No luck finding it so far. But here's a Wicker Man website with some fun downloads...including Christopher Lee reading "lost lines" from the movie:

http://www.wicker-man.com/downloads.php

[Heddi]

8. ooooh I don't know

I'm at work but I'll check my super special collectors edition DVD when I get home

[progressoid]

9. Sad to say, I have not seen it.

I unfortunately caught a few minutes of the Cage remake. Yuck. Glad to hear the original is good. I'll try to find it.

[2ndAmForComputers]

10. I watched it very young too. (SPOILERS)

What I most remember is being very relieved they never planned to sacrifice any child, and felt oddly unconcerned that jerk cop got burned instead.