Average customer rating:
- Who Needs a Remake?
- Weird but cool!
- Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!
- Awesome!
- Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
|
The Wicker Man (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Starring:
Juliet Cadzow ,
Ian Campbell ,
Walter Carr ,
Diane Cilento , and
Michael Cole
Director:
Robin Hardy
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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| ( C )
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| ( C )
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| ( C )
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| ( E )
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| ( K )
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Lee, Christopher
| ( L )
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| ( W )
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Similar Items:
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Black Christmas (Special Edition)
-
Don't Look Now
-
Suspiria
-
Phantasm
-
Re-Animator
ASIN: B000JVT1U0
Release Date: 2006-12-19 |
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Description
Special 2 - Disc Collectors edition of the Original movie filmed in 1973. Released to coincide with the release of the 2006 Wicker Man starring Nicholas Cage. Features:
Extended version with 11 minutes of additional footage
Theatrical Version
Brand new audio commentary with director Robin Hardy, actors Christopher
Liee and Edward Woodward and moderator Mark Kermonde
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.
A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.
The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.
The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.
Average customer rating:
- why bother?
- Incoherent and Pointless Remake
- The worst movie ever made
- Good But Comes in Second
- Please listen to me!
|
The Wicker Man (Widescreen Unrated/Rated Edition)
Starring:
Nicolas Cage ,
Ellen Burstyn ,
Kate Beahan ,
Frances Conroy , and
Molly Parker
Director:
Neil LaBute
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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| ( B )
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| ( C )
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| ( S )
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| ( W )
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| ( W )
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![The Departed (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000M5AJQ8.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
The Departed (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
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The Prestige
ASIN: B000JYW5DW
Release Date: 2006-12-19 |
Amazon.com
Nicolas Cage stars in The Wicker Man as a traumatized police officer investigating a lost girl on a mysterious, mist-shrouded island of imperious women and dimwitted men. Summoned by his ex-fiancee (Kate Beahan, Flightplan, who seems to have borrowed her lips from Angelina Jolie), Edward Malus (Cage, Adaptation.) blusters his way into a closed religious community by flashing his out-of-state badge around and insulting everyone he meets. To describe The Wicker Man any further would deprive viewers of enjoying the staggering ineptness of this absurd remake of the fairly creepy 1973 original. Despite a talented cast (including Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream, Molly Parker, Deadwood, and Leelee Sobieski, Joy Ride), the performances are uniformly awful, with Cage leading the pack; his overwrought cries of "How'd it get burned?!?" will provoke barks of laughter. Arbitrary wierdness abounds--ranging from animal masks to a body-stocking of bees--in a flailing effort to distract the audience from the narrative running madly off the rails. Maybe writer/director Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, The Shape of Things) aspired to create a fever dream of male fears about women, but the result is a deformed hybrid of Invasion of the Bee Girls and The Village. A future camp classic. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edward fails to save them before the car explodes...and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former girlfriend, Willow (Kate Beahan), arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is theonly person she trusts to help locate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island - Summersisle - a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival called "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there... or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to the Wicker Man.
Customer Reviews:
why bother?.......2007-09-16
this is by far the worst movie ever made with nic cage. mark my words you will be sorely disappointed. ranks right up there with "the village" by that m knight shamallayayallanannn guy. it sucks bad. dont want to ruin it for you but the best part was seeing nic burn alive for taking this role.
Incoherent and Pointless Remake.......2007-09-16
Neil LaBute's remake of "The Wicker Man" is possibly the worst film of the decade, probably worse than "Battlefield Earth" and "Epic Movie," considering that the former film actually stars two Oscar winners, Nicholas Cage and Ellen Burstyn (the latter with strangest make-up on the face). And their acting is very disappointing.
What you see here is beautiful landscapes and an utterly incoherent story about a missing girl and a police officer. The truths are obvious from the moment when Nicolas Cage's policeman landed on a remote, privately owned island off the coast, but our dim-witted hero never knows the right thing to do. Instead he does many silly things and perhaps his "bear" costume part would be the worst. But there are more to come before and after that, as many other reviewers rightly pointed out.
But what made me really sad is the presence of Leelee Sobieski as Sister Honey. I just couldn't believe what I am seeing during her "brawl" scene and its terrible results. If director wanted to make a point about war between men and women, he surely made it with dreadful portrayal of Sister here, or any other terribly-acted Sisters and heavy-handed metaphor of bees.
Please. We don't need any more "re-imagined" version of classic films. Also, British films should be left untouched if you don't have a more suitable idea to update them. The concept of female-dominated society may be intriguing, but that idea is hardly compatible with the eerie world of "The Wicker Man."
The worst movie ever made.......2007-09-16
I don't write many reviews, but this movie is so bad it deserves this many words about it... "________________". And I normally love Nicolas Cage movies. What a disappointment.
Good But Comes in Second.......2007-09-04
Nicholas Cage stars in an ambitious re-write of the cult classic. Cage plays a highway patrolman who is unable to save a mother and daughter from a tragic accident. The failure haunts him until a letter from a past love gives him a chance at redemption. She lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest and her daughter is missing. She has asked Cage to help. Seeing a chance to save a child Cage sets off on the wild adventure.
On the island he meets a strange group of women who don't like him being there. They also don't believe there is a girl missing. Cage knows there must be something going on and bullheadedly continues his investigation. Nothing seems to make sense but something about an upcoming festival seems to be at the heart of things. Eventually we get the shocking surprise ending we all expect.
Although there are Pagan beliefs in this film, it lacks the true Christian/Pagan conflict of the original. We are also missing the Christopher Lee character and the wrinkle about what if it doesn't work (Lee's life was on the line in the original). But still, the film manages to elicit many of the same feelings as the original while also being fresher and newer. This one, while quite good, will never replace the original in the hearts of its fans. Check it out.
Please listen to me!.......2007-09-04
This was Horrible!!! Don't listen to anybody who says this was a good movie. Don't waste bandwidth by downloading via bit torrent.
Average customer rating:
- Who Needs a Remake?
- Weird but cool!
- Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!
- Awesome!
- Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
|
The Wicker Man
Starring:
Juliet Cadzow ,
Ian Campbell ,
Walter Carr ,
Diane Cilento , and
Michael Cole
Director:
Robin Hardy
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
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Cilento, Diane
| ( C )
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Cole, Michael
| ( C )
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Collins, Kevin
| ( C )
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| ( E )
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| ( K )
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Lee, Christopher
| ( L )
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Woodward, Edward
| ( W )
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| ( H )
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| Anchor Bay Horror Store
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( W )
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Similar Items:
-
Black Christmas (Special Edition)
-
Don't Look Now
-
Suspiria
-
Phantasm
-
Re-Animator
ASIN: B000FUF6QS
Release Date: 2006-08-22 |
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.
A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.
The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.
The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.
Description
Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edward fails to save them before the car explodes...and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former girlfriend, Willow (Kate Beahan), arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is the only person she trusts to help locate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island - Summersisle - a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival called "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there... or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to the Wicker Man.
Customer Reviews:
Wicker Man.......2007-08-07
Not a bad remake of the original Edward Woodward film, but was it nessecary? doesnt add anything original to the story.
Worst Movie Ever?.......2007-08-01
Maybe. Everything the other reviewer says is accurate. As a movie, it is awful, and the subtext is even lamer. You really get the impression that the writer, director, or whoever has enormous issues with women, and I am not a guy who likes to go around attacking everyone's gender politics. Whoever thought up this remake needs lots and lots of psychotherapy. Watch this movie only if you are a connoiseur of laughably bad art.
Burn it.......2007-02-14
The star of the original "Wicker Man," Christopher Lee, said it best: "What do I think of it? Nothing. There's nothing to say."
And indeed there is little to say about this flaccid, nonsensical remake of the classic cult horror movie. Little that's positive, anyway -- the movie stumbles around blindly, trying to give itself atmosphere with hokey tricks and silly-looking cinematography. Put simply, "The Wicker Man" is a big, weird mess.
Cop Edward Malus (Nicholas Cage) is recuperating from a traumatic incident, which means he's not on top form when his ex-fiance Willow (Kate Beahan) gets in touch with him. Her child Rowan has vanished, and she wants Malus' help. And so he travels to a remote northern island, ruled by the matriarch Sister Summerisle (Ellen Burstyn).
It seems that the people there are some kind of bizarre neopagan tribe, and the women all hate Malus. The few men there are basically second-class citizens. And as Malus comes closer to finding the little girl who may be his daughter, he discovers a horrifying secret -- which is waiting for him.
Remaking anything is a tricky business, and "The Wicker Man" takes the worst possible approach -- it tries to bluster through. It has a lot to bluster about, because there's no suspense, no atmosphere, and no horror -- only a lame and unsuspenseful mystery, and a bad acid-trip finale, with lots of people in animal costumes.
To make matters worse worse, it feels like it was scripted by several different people who never bothered to consult each other. Allusions -- like Malus' tape -- are dropped. The emotional appeal is trite. The metaphors and symbolism are appallingly blatant, until you feel that Cage's character must be the biggest idiot on the Pacific coast if he hasn't clued in yet.
Director Neil LaBute obviously has no idea how to bring this celluloid Frankenstein's monster to life. So he dresses Cage in a furry costume and saddles the incoherent script with weird bee analogies and absurd dialogue ("Killing me won't bring back your g*dd*mn honey!"), apparently hoping that it will overcome the flimsy plot.
Even worse, sometimes it gets unintentionally campy or funny, when it's actually being deadly serious. The most unintentionally funny moment of the movie comes when Burstyn dramatically says, "Prepare the drone!" near the climax. You'll be rolling off your seat.
Cage himself comes across as confused and over-the-top ("How'd it get burnt?" repeated over and over), and it's hard to care whether his character lives or dies. Burstyn does as well as can be expected, given that her matriarch is a pale shadow of Christopher Lee, and a pretty silly one at that. The other actors just sleepwalk through.
Remakes are bad enough, but remakes of cult classics are simply unforgivable. It's not hard to see why this disjointed dud was a box-office disaster.
Average customer rating:
- why bother?
- Incoherent and Pointless Remake
- The worst movie ever made
- Good But Comes in Second
- Please listen to me!
|
The Wicker Man (Full Screen Unrated/Rated Edition)
Starring:
Nicolas Cage ,
Ellen Burstyn ,
Kate Beahan ,
Frances Conroy , and
Molly Parker
Director:
Neil LaBute
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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The Departed (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
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The Prestige
ASIN: B000JYW5DM
Release Date: 2006-12-19 |
Amazon.com
Nicolas Cage stars in The Wicker Man as a traumatized police officer investigating a lost girl on a mysterious, mist-shrouded island of imperious women and dimwitted men. Summoned by his ex-fiancee (Kate Beahan, Flightplan, who seems to have borrowed her lips from Angelina Jolie), Edward Malus (Cage, Adaptation.) blusters his way into a closed religious community by flashing his out-of-state badge around and insulting everyone he meets. To describe The Wicker Man any further would deprive viewers of enjoying the staggering ineptness of this absurd remake of the fairly creepy 1973 original. Despite a talented cast (including Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream, Molly Parker, Deadwood, and Leelee Sobieski, Joy Ride), the performances are uniformly awful, with Cage leading the pack; his overwrought cries of "How'd it get burned?!?" will provoke barks of laughter. Arbitrary wierdness abounds--ranging from animal masks to a body-stocking of bees--in a flailing effort to distract the audience from the narrative running madly off the rails. Maybe writer/director Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, The Shape of Things) aspired to create a fever dream of male fears about women, but the result is a deformed hybrid of Invasion of the Bee Girls and The Village. A future camp classic. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edward fails to save them before the car explodes...and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former girlfriend, Willow (Kate Beahan), arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is theonly person she trusts to help locate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island - Summersisle - a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival called "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there... or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to the Wicker Man.
Customer Reviews:
why bother?.......2007-09-16
this is by far the worst movie ever made with nic cage. mark my words you will be sorely disappointed. ranks right up there with "the village" by that m knight shamallayayallanannn guy. it sucks bad. dont want to ruin it for you but the best part was seeing nic burn alive for taking this role.
Incoherent and Pointless Remake.......2007-09-16
Neil LaBute's remake of "The Wicker Man" is possibly the worst film of the decade, probably worse than "Battlefield Earth" and "Epic Movie," considering that the former film actually stars two Oscar winners, Nicholas Cage and Ellen Burstyn (the latter with strangest make-up on the face). And their acting is very disappointing.
What you see here is beautiful landscapes and an utterly incoherent story about a missing girl and a police officer. The truths are obvious from the moment when Nicolas Cage's policeman landed on a remote, privately owned island off the coast, but our dim-witted hero never knows the right thing to do. Instead he does many silly things and perhaps his "bear" costume part would be the worst. But there are more to come before and after that, as many other reviewers rightly pointed out.
But what made me really sad is the presence of Leelee Sobieski as Sister Honey. I just couldn't believe what I am seeing during her "brawl" scene and its terrible results. If director wanted to make a point about war between men and women, he surely made it with dreadful portrayal of Sister here, or any other terribly-acted Sisters and heavy-handed metaphor of bees.
Please. We don't need any more "re-imagined" version of classic films. Also, British films should be left untouched if you don't have a more suitable idea to update them. The concept of female-dominated society may be intriguing, but that idea is hardly compatible with the eerie world of "The Wicker Man."
The worst movie ever made.......2007-09-16
I don't write many reviews, but this movie is so bad it deserves this many words about it... "________________". And I normally love Nicolas Cage movies. What a disappointment.
Good But Comes in Second.......2007-09-04
Nicholas Cage stars in an ambitious re-write of the cult classic. Cage plays a highway patrolman who is unable to save a mother and daughter from a tragic accident. The failure haunts him until a letter from a past love gives him a chance at redemption. She lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest and her daughter is missing. She has asked Cage to help. Seeing a chance to save a child Cage sets off on the wild adventure.
On the island he meets a strange group of women who don't like him being there. They also don't believe there is a girl missing. Cage knows there must be something going on and bullheadedly continues his investigation. Nothing seems to make sense but something about an upcoming festival seems to be at the heart of things. Eventually we get the shocking surprise ending we all expect.
Although there are Pagan beliefs in this film, it lacks the true Christian/Pagan conflict of the original. We are also missing the Christopher Lee character and the wrinkle about what if it doesn't work (Lee's life was on the line in the original). But still, the film manages to elicit many of the same feelings as the original while also being fresher and newer. This one, while quite good, will never replace the original in the hearts of its fans. Check it out.
Please listen to me!.......2007-09-04
This was Horrible!!! Don't listen to anybody who says this was a good movie. Don't waste bandwidth by downloading via bit torrent.
Average customer rating:
- Who Needs a Remake?
- Weird but cool!
- Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!
- Awesome!
- Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
|
The Wicker Man (Limited Edition)
Starring:
Leslie Blackater ,
Roy Boyd ,
Peter Brewis ,
Juliet Cadzow , and
Ian Campbell
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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Similar Items:
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ASIN: B00005KHJR
Release Date: 2001-08-21 |
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.
A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.
The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.
The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.
Average customer rating:
- Who Needs a Remake?
- Weird but cool!
- Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!
- Awesome!
- Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
|
The Wicker Man
Starring:
Leslie Blackater ,
Roy Boyd ,
Peter Brewis ,
Juliet Cadzow , and
Ian Campbell
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Similar Items:
-
Black Christmas (Special Edition)
-
Don't Look Now
-
Suspiria
-
Phantasm
-
Re-Animator
ASIN: B00005KHJM
Release Date: 2001-08-21 |
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.
A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.
The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.
The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.
Amazon.com
Nicolas Cage stars in The Wicker Man as a traumatized police officer investigating a lost girl on a mysterious, mist-shrouded island of imperious women and dimwitted men. Summoned by his ex-fiancee (Kate Beahan, Flightplan, who seems to have borrowed her lips from Angelina Jolie), Edward Malus (Cage, Adaptation.) blusters his way into a closed religious community by flashing his out-of-state badge around and insulting everyone he meets. To describe The Wicker Man any further would deprive viewers of enjoying the staggering ineptness of this absurd remake of the fairly creepy 1973 original. Despite a talented cast (including Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream, Molly Parker, Deadwood, and Leelee Sobieski, Joy Ride), the performances are uniformly awful, with Cage leading the pack; his overwrought cries of "How'd it get burned?!?" will provoke barks of laughter. Arbitrary wierdness abounds--ranging from animal masks to a body-stocking of bees--in a flailing effort to distract the audience from the narrative running madly off the rails. Maybe writer/director Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men, The Shape of Things) aspired to create a fever dream of male fears about women, but the result is a deformed hybrid of Invasion of the Bee Girls and The Village. A future camp classic. --Bret Fetzer
Description
Out patrolling a California highway, police officer Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) stops a station wagon to return a little girl's lost doll. Moments later, a runaway truck slams into the station wagon, igniting it into a fiery wreck with the mother and child trapped inside. Edward fails to save them before the car explodes...and then spends months of his life choking down pills to get the image of their faces out of his head. But Edward is about to get a second chance. A desperate letter from his former girlfriend, Willow (Kate Beahan), arrives at his home with no postmark. Willow came into his life and left just as unexpectedly years before. But now, her daughter Rowan has gone missing, and Edward is the only person she trusts to help locate her. She asks him to come to her home on a private island - Summersisle - a place with its own traditions where people observe a forgotten way of life. Edward seizes the opportunity to make his life right again, and soon finds himself on a seaplane bound for the islands of the Pacific Northwest. But nothing is what it seems on isolated Summersisle, where a culture, dominated by its matriarch Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn), is bound together by arcane traditions and a pagan festival called "the Day of Death and Rebirth." The secretive people of Summersisle only ridicule his investigation, insisting that a child named Rowan never existed there... or if she ever did was no longer alive. But what Edward doesn't know is that Willow's plea for help has invited more into his life than a chance for redemption. In unraveling Summersisle's closely held secrets, Edward is drawn into a web of ancient traditions and murderous deceit, and each step he takes closer to the lost child brings him one step closer to the unspeakable. And one step closer to the Wicker Man.
Customer Reviews:
why bother?.......2007-09-16
this is by far the worst movie ever made with nic cage. mark my words you will be sorely disappointed. ranks right up there with "the village" by that m knight shamallayayallanannn guy. it sucks bad. dont want to ruin it for you but the best part was seeing nic burn alive for taking this role.
Incoherent and Pointless Remake.......2007-09-16
Neil LaBute's remake of "The Wicker Man" is possibly the worst film of the decade, probably worse than "Battlefield Earth" and "Epic Movie," considering that the former film actually stars two Oscar winners, Nicholas Cage and Ellen Burstyn (the latter with strangest make-up on the face). And their acting is very disappointing.
What you see here is beautiful landscapes and an utterly incoherent story about a missing girl and a police officer. The truths are obvious from the moment when Nicolas Cage's policeman landed on a remote, privately owned island off the coast, but our dim-witted hero never knows the right thing to do. Instead he does many silly things and perhaps his "bear" costume part would be the worst. But there are more to come before and after that, as many other reviewers rightly pointed out.
But what made me really sad is the presence of Leelee Sobieski as Sister Honey. I just couldn't believe what I am seeing during her "brawl" scene and its terrible results. If director wanted to make a point about war between men and women, he surely made it with dreadful portrayal of Sister here, or any other terribly-acted Sisters and heavy-handed metaphor of bees.
Please. We don't need any more "re-imagined" version of classic films. Also, British films should be left untouched if you don't have a more suitable idea to update them. The concept of female-dominated society may be intriguing, but that idea is hardly compatible with the eerie world of "The Wicker Man."
The worst movie ever made.......2007-09-16
I don't write many reviews, but this movie is so bad it deserves this many words about it... "________________". And I normally love Nicolas Cage movies. What a disappointment.
Good But Comes in Second.......2007-09-04
Nicholas Cage stars in an ambitious re-write of the cult classic. Cage plays a highway patrolman who is unable to save a mother and daughter from a tragic accident. The failure haunts him until a letter from a past love gives him a chance at redemption. She lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest and her daughter is missing. She has asked Cage to help. Seeing a chance to save a child Cage sets off on the wild adventure.
On the island he meets a strange group of women who don't like him being there. They also don't believe there is a girl missing. Cage knows there must be something going on and bullheadedly continues his investigation. Nothing seems to make sense but something about an upcoming festival seems to be at the heart of things. Eventually we get the shocking surprise ending we all expect.
Although there are Pagan beliefs in this film, it lacks the true Christian/Pagan conflict of the original. We are also missing the Christopher Lee character and the wrinkle about what if it doesn't work (Lee's life was on the line in the original). But still, the film manages to elicit many of the same feelings as the original while also being fresher and newer. This one, while quite good, will never replace the original in the hearts of its fans. Check it out.
Please listen to me!.......2007-09-04
This was Horrible!!! Don't listen to anybody who says this was a good movie. Don't waste bandwidth by downloading via bit torrent.
Average customer rating:
- Who Needs a Remake?
- Weird but cool!
- Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!
- Awesome!
- Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
|
The Wicker Man (Unrated Edition)
Starring:
Leslie Blackater ,
Roy Boyd ,
Peter Brewis ,
Juliet Cadzow , and
Ian Campbell
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape
Cilento, Diane
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
Cole, Michael
| ( C )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
Ekland, Britt
| ( E )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
Kemp, Lindsay
| ( K )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
Lee, Christopher
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
Woodward, Edward
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| VHS
| Video
General
| Horror
| Genres
| VHS
| Video
Suspense
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| VHS
| Video
Cops
| Crime
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| VHS
| Video
General
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| VHS
| Video
Horror
| Widescreen
| Formats
| VHS
| Video
Mystery & Suspense
| Widescreen
| Formats
| VHS
| Video
General
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
-
Black Christmas (Special Edition)
-
Don't Look Now
-
Suspiria
-
Phantasm
-
Re-Animator
ASIN: B00005KHL5
Release Date: 2001-08-21 |
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island is enamored with a neo-pagan religion. They worship the sun instead of Jesus. They engage in pagan fertility rituals instead of Neil's proud pre-marital chastity. They believe in reincarnation where the Christian canon Neil is devoted to does not. As if the islanders are telepathically connected, Neil receives absolutely no help from anyone in his investigation. He gradually puts together more and more details about the inhabitants' practices and is suspicious of everyone.
A May Day festival approaches and Neil becomes concerned that the girl who is missing may indeed be the latest sacrifice to appease nature. But as the Island owner Lord Summerisle reveals, Neil too is a virgin and is both wise and foolish. He comes as a king representing Her Majesty's government. He also arrives to a place of sacrifice by his own free will. The final sequence of the Wicker Man is the ultimate warning toward blind faith. Anyone who misses the point here, like the makers of the 2006 remake of the Wicker Man did, will clearly find little resolution in the end but others willing to enjoy and exercise their imagination a little bit will have much to mull over.
The film's music is one of its strengths and the detail of the pagan references and how they are convenient roots to many Christian traditions (i.e. Easter icons and Beltane or May Day) help to make the overall vision of the Wicker Man even more compelling. All of the elements within the film melt together and everyone working it must've understood these ideas in perspective.
The funny thing about the Wicker Man is it is often referred to as a Horror film. There really isn't anything else to call it but it is almost too unique and exceptional to be deemed a horror film. It isn't scary like a typical horror film is. It doesn't elicit fear and disgust the way all other horror films have. There are no zombies, vampires or murdering sociopaths. There are no supernatural forces and there is little blood to be spilled. It isn't characterized by that one note creepy music or menacing Hitchcockian suspense. It doesn't rely on knives and masked killers stalking in the night. It doesn't even need a seemingly indestructible villain. The Wicker Man is a film that relies exclusively on its all encompassing atmosphere and it also relies on our own understandings of religion and faith. It is sunny, it is bright, it is cheerful, but for all of the wrong reasons to many of us. It is compelling all throughout. Somehow on this island paganism resurfaced and the worshippers are fiercely and irrationally devout. That point's layers of commentary aside, the Wicker Man is very much a horror film and it is probably more intelligent than any other movies within its genre.
Amazon.com
Typically categorized as a horror film, The Wicker Man is actually a serious and literate thriller about modern paganism, written by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) with a deft combination of cool subjectivity and escalating dread. (Despite this promising directorial debut, British filmmaker Robin Hardy didn't make another film until The Fantasist, a little-seen thriller released in 1986.) We're introduced to the friendly but mysterious residents of Summerisle (located off the west coast of Scotland), where the isolated community enacts rituals that seem, at first, to be merely unconventional. When called in to investigate an anonymous tip about a missing child, mainland police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is treated as an outsider, and the ominous Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has the inside advantage. As the repressed policeman is taunted by the island's sensuous atmosphere, his investigation leads to increasingly disturbing implications.
With phallic symbols and soothing music at every turn, Summerisle is a pleasant haven for those who perform the pagan rituals of Lord Summerisle's maverick ancestors. These earthy ceremonies are presented with alluring authenticity, and the island's tempting eroticism is fully expressed by the landlord's daughter (Britt Ekland), who fills Howie with barely suppressed carnal desire. (Sirens took a comedic approach to a similar situation in 1994.) And yet the mystery of the missing girl remains, with clues that hint at a darker reality beneath the colorful local customs. When that reality is ultimately discovered, Howie becomes the crucial element in the islanders' most elaborate ritual, which is where the film's title comes into play. It may not be horror, but it is horrific, and this makes The Wicker Man an unforgettable film. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Who Needs a Remake?.......2007-09-10
I have not seen the remake of *The Wicker Man*, starring Nocholas Cage. Having seen (and owning) this film, the original version, my question is, "Why would Hollywood do a remake?" This version of *The Wicker Man* is a thriller, and it keeps the viewer's attention all the way through to the surprise ending. The acting is excellent, the story well written, the directing and cinematography first-rate. Having said all this, this film might not appeal to today's general audience. (Hence, the remake?) It's a British film, it's somewhat dated, and it has no special effects. It's still one heck of a film, though, for those who enjoy a good thriller or horror flick.
Weird but cool!.......2007-08-23
Not your typical movie. I knew nothing about it going in accept that it is a cult classic and Nick Cage had done a crappy remake. It is definitely original. Part horror, part suspense mystery, part musical. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it before or since. I recommend if you like films that are very original.
Don't Bother to see the Re-make, this is the ORIGINAL!.......2007-07-08
I have seen BOTH versions of this movie and the newest one w/ Nicholas Cage left me empty. The cast was vapid and the whole thing was totally unbeleiveable and silly. It has no message whatsoever! This version has a lot more to offer a thinking audience.
I saw this movie cut down for American broadcast TV. That was what some 20-25 years ago now (I was in high school at the time) and it made a huge impression on me. I always wanted to see this one again so when I finally came across it at the supermarket of all places I bought it right away before the two copies they got in were gone! I also bought this movie to show my husband who is African that white people have their pagan sacrifice and rituals. He really loves this movie too. We have watched it several times over now.
In this version the director really builds the suspense. The first time you really do not know what is going to happen. Imagine my surprise when I saw the UN-CUT version with all of the fertility rituals! The whole film comes together really because of the location and real pagan information the writer used in telling the story as well as costuming, time frame etc. I am not going to explain all the details as (unlike other reviewers) I do not want to give the movie away...You can take away whatever message you retrieve from this film. Really a cult classic! The whole thing will blow your mind.
Awesome!.......2007-07-07
Exactly what I have been looking for! I have been searching for a copy of the longer version of The Wicker Man for years.
Cult Classic Fearful of Faith.......2007-07-02
The Wicker Man is a film about a pious Catholic sergeant's visit to a small island off the coast of Scotland called the Island of Summerisle. His name is Neil and he is there to investigate the disappearance of a girl. His investigation reveals that the island i![The Wicker Man (2006) (Rated and Unrated) [Blu-ray]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21H5eQzx3xL.jpg)
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