The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man


Starring:Leslie Blackater, Roy Boyd, Peter Brewis, Juliet Cadzow, Ian Campbell, Ross Campbell, Walter Carr, Diane Cilento, Penny Cluer, Michael Cole, Britt Ekland, Lindsay Kemp, Christopher Lee, Aubrey Morris, Ingrid Pitt, Barbara Rafferty, Irene Sunters, Russell Waters, Edward Woodward
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
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
The Wicker Man (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!
  • Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
  • The Original
  • This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll
  • MASTERPIECE!
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
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. Black Christmas (Special Edition)
  2. Don't Look Now
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  4. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)
  5. Suspiria

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:

5 out of 5 stars Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!.......2007-07-05

I saw this original film before DVDs were invented. It was 1980, I believe. Saw it on regular TV at the time. What a shame, what with all the commercials and no FF,RW, or pause; but let me say this.......it was just awesome. If a movie doesn't grab me in the first 10 minutes, then I'm not devoted to paying attention to it fully; NOT the case HERE !! It kept my attention start to finish! Oh the end........so disturbing. I have been looking for this movie in Video stores, just to be let down & only finding the "2006" version, which I won't even watch - because I know it can't come close....Nicholas Cage in no form or fashion can take the place of Edward Woodward in this movie because once you've seen the original, you try and vision a different actor taking Ed Woodward's place, and it just don't jibe.(although I am indeed a fan of Nick Cage). I fell in love with Edward Woodward during the film. His character is an honest, true-to-himself & his religion man, sticks to his morals no matter how difficult, and believes there's more than meets the eye in the "missing girl" investigation - and goes with it wholeheartedly, only to find himself in a dreadful, tragic circle in which he can't escape. So truly mindboggling and horribly melancholy. At the same time the Scotland scenery is beautiful & old, historically binding. I'm a fan of Irish & Scottish accents anyway. The ending is as surprising as is the whole film in a nutshell. Sadness & confusion, devastation & disbelief are the feelings that run through me all the while during this movie. I simply consider it one of the BEST movies of all time.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars The Original .......2007-06-19

My oppinion: The Wicker Man is a disturbing cult/Sacrafice movie. This is the original Wicker Man movie and it's more disturbinjg than the remak.

about The Film: The wicker man is about a pagen cult who trick this christian inspector to come to thier island to find a girl who really isn't missing.

Second oppinion. the Wicker man might not be for everybody. but if you like good horror films this one is for you.


If you liked this movie check out The Wicker Man(2006) Version & the wicker Man Soundtrack

4 out of 5 stars This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll.......2007-06-12

This original "Wicker Man" (forget about the Nicholas Cage re-make) starts like a somewhat more conventional B-horror film. There are the purposefully unhelpful townspeople on the British island where Edward Woodward is sent to investigate the report of a missing girl. There are sidelong glances and whispers. Mysterious rites are practiced. All these slightly clichéd goings-on build mild suspense. But it's the twist-ending, with its awakening overturn of conventional role assignments, that is the real pay-off of the film.

What's more, Edward Woodward found the perfect defining role for himself here, even though he would probably prefer to be praised for his more "important" roles in Shakespearean works, in "Breaker Morant," or even as "The Equalizer" in the TV series. But here he portrays the supreme rectitude that he always seems to be striving towards in his other screen appearances. He is a man of proper, classical demeanor - a very rare kind of man who will not betray his principles for the expedient of satisfying any passing desire. It's the role that made me a Woodward fan.

As a bonus for male viewers, Britt Ekland does the most sumptuously erotic dance here that I think has ever been captured on camera.

All in all, "Wicker Man" ignites from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

5 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-11

I dont know what people are talking about when they say alot was cut from the extended version,because from what I read its only a couple minutes,and besides the extended version pretty much explains everything there is to know that the shortened version doesnt.This is one of the greatest films of all time and the ending twist is definitely probably the greatest twist in a horror film ever.Nicholas Cage,you classic destroying son of a [...]..
The Wicker Man (Widescreen Unrated/Rated Edition)
Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
  • WITH A FEW MINUSES -------
  • Unsettling and pointless
  • Not as good as the original
  • Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece
  • not as good as the original but still good just the same
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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  3. The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)
  4. The Black Dahlia (Widescreen Edition)
  5. 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 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:

3 out of 5 stars WITH A FEW MINUSES -------.......2007-06-23

I did like the settings and the colors - the acting was excellent - the plot confusing for a while -- in the end just plain gross.

Poor, demented Edward -- why didn't he just shoot someone when he had the chance?

maybe worth one watching but -------- not worth the aggrevation of finding the Wicker Man. Could had done without him.

Will definitely not keep this one.
See it if you must but be it on your head.

2 out of 5 stars Unsettling and pointless.......2007-06-20

I didn't know anything about this movie or that it originated as a novel, so this is soemone's take who is basing the review soley on this version.

1 Build that gets old and slow at times

2 plot holes and loose ends galore (ie; What was the deal with his visions??)

3 this reminded me a lot of the Village which was a much better movie - better acting and more creepiness, too.

4 Left me feeling unsettled due to the brutality near the end. If there was more history given, this might have added to the movie instead of just letting you wonder "Why?"

Two stars because I actually made it to the end - though I don't know that this is a good thing. I wouldn't recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars Not as good as the original.......2007-06-19

My oppinion: This new version of the Wicker man is horribale. they changed alot from the original story. most remaks stay true to the original but change a little but this one changed alot of it.

About The Film: The wicker Man(2006) is a remak of The Wicker Man(1975) and the movie is about this california cop who witness a car accident and is on medication to help him, but when he gets a message from his ex-wife about a little girl Who is messing on an island he goes there and trys to help find the girl. can he find her lets hope.

My Second Oppinion: This movie is really diffrent from the original. they changed practually the whole story. But cages performance and beging in the movie is the only reason for seeing it and in my personal oppinion buying it. watch the original and you'll understand how much they screwed up the story.

If you liked this movie check out The wicker Man(1975) & The wicker Man original motion picture Soundtrack.

5 out of 5 stars Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece.......2007-06-09

Plot holes (the details of the kidnapping), random nonsense (the opening sequence and Cage's hallucinations), outrageous over-acting ("Not the bees!"), and general silliness (Cage karate-kicking a teenaged girl across a room) abound in this hilarious remake of the original cult classic. Honestly, I'd rather watch this film than sit through another bloated "blockbuster" like any Spiderman or Pirates movie.

In this case, the whole is lesser than the sum of its parts; The Wicker Man features a good cast, a good director, good cinematography, and a good score. However, the end result is just plain bad. It's sort of a paradox. What makes it funny is how director Neil LaBute films every scene with such heavy-handedness and dramatic zeal that it skews the film, transforming it from a suspensful mystery into a demented experiment in making every little thing as bold and obtuse as possible...like, for example, a certain scene involving a stolen bicycle.

In the center of it all is Nicholas Cage, in one of his most bipolar and over-the-top performances of his career. Personally, I find Cage to be likable and watchable in every role, including this one. This time, however, he's not watchable because his character and acting are interesting, he's watchable just because you want to see what crazy thing his character does next: for example, running up a hill in a bear costume and punching a woman out, making her roll back down the hill.

In fact, the movie is worth it just for that scene alone. In conclusion, don't pass up the chance to see this film. It'll stay with you forever.

4 out of 5 stars not as good as the original but still good just the same.......2007-06-06

i'm trying to give this movie a better rap. it is not as good as the original, its different, the plot was altered, but all in all, i liked the different twist at the end and the reasoning for their actions. i am however upset that the new version didnt have all the naked ladies dancing around like the original. but for all you cranky and foul doers out there.... i disagree with you. take it for what it is. if you want to get the best story read the damn book.
The Wicker Man
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!
  • Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
  • The Original
  • This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll
  • MASTERPIECE!
The Wicker Man
Starring: Juliet Cadzow , Ian Campbell , Walter Carr , Diane Cilento , and Michael Cole
Director: Robin Hardy
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. Black Christmas (Special Edition)
  2. Don't Look Now
  3. Phantasm
  4. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)
  5. Suspiria

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:

5 out of 5 stars Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!.......2007-07-05

I saw this original film before DVDs were invented. It was 1980, I believe. Saw it on regular TV at the time. What a shame, what with all the commercials and no FF,RW, or pause; but let me say this.......it was just awesome. If a movie doesn't grab me in the first 10 minutes, then I'm not devoted to paying attention to it fully; NOT the case HERE !! It kept my attention start to finish! Oh the end........so disturbing. I have been looking for this movie in Video stores, just to be let down & only finding the "2006" version, which I won't even watch - because I know it can't come close....Nicholas Cage in no form or fashion can take the place of Edward Woodward in this movie because once you've seen the original, you try and vision a different actor taking Ed Woodward's place, and it just don't jibe.(although I am indeed a fan of Nick Cage). I fell in love with Edward Woodward during the film. His character is an honest, true-to-himself & his religion man, sticks to his morals no matter how difficult, and believes there's more than meets the eye in the "missing girl" investigation - and goes with it wholeheartedly, only to find himself in a dreadful, tragic circle in which he can't escape. So truly mindboggling and horribly melancholy. At the same time the Scotland scenery is beautiful & old, historically binding. I'm a fan of Irish & Scottish accents anyway. The ending is as surprising as is the whole film in a nutshell. Sadness & confusion, devastation & disbelief are the feelings that run through me all the while during this movie. I simply consider it one of the BEST movies of all time.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars The Original .......2007-06-19

My oppinion: The Wicker Man is a disturbing cult/Sacrafice movie. This is the original Wicker Man movie and it's more disturbinjg than the remak.

about The Film: The wicker man is about a pagen cult who trick this christian inspector to come to thier island to find a girl who really isn't missing.

Second oppinion. the Wicker man might not be for everybody. but if you like good horror films this one is for you.


If you liked this movie check out The Wicker Man(2006) Version & the wicker Man Soundtrack

4 out of 5 stars This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll.......2007-06-12

This original "Wicker Man" (forget about the Nicholas Cage re-make) starts like a somewhat more conventional B-horror film. There are the purposefully unhelpful townspeople on the British island where Edward Woodward is sent to investigate the report of a missing girl. There are sidelong glances and whispers. Mysterious rites are practiced. All these slightly clichéd goings-on build mild suspense. But it's the twist-ending, with its awakening overturn of conventional role assignments, that is the real pay-off of the film.

What's more, Edward Woodward found the perfect defining role for himself here, even though he would probably prefer to be praised for his more "important" roles in Shakespearean works, in "Breaker Morant," or even as "The Equalizer" in the TV series. But here he portrays the supreme rectitude that he always seems to be striving towards in his other screen appearances. He is a man of proper, classical demeanor - a very rare kind of man who will not betray his principles for the expedient of satisfying any passing desire. It's the role that made me a Woodward fan.

As a bonus for male viewers, Britt Ekland does the most sumptuously erotic dance here that I think has ever been captured on camera.

All in all, "Wicker Man" ignites from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

5 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-11

I dont know what people are talking about when they say alot was cut from the extended version,because from what I read its only a couple minutes,and besides the extended version pretty much explains everything there is to know that the shortened version doesnt.This is one of the greatest films of all time and the ending twist is definitely probably the greatest twist in a horror film ever.Nicholas Cage,you classic destroying son of a [...]..
The Wicker Man (Full Screen Unrated/Rated Edition)
Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
  • WITH A FEW MINUSES -------
  • Unsettling and pointless
  • Not as good as the original
  • Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece
  • not as good as the original but still good just the same
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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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 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:

3 out of 5 stars WITH A FEW MINUSES -------.......2007-06-23

I did like the settings and the colors - the acting was excellent - the plot confusing for a while -- in the end just plain gross.

Poor, demented Edward -- why didn't he just shoot someone when he had the chance?

maybe worth one watching but -------- not worth the aggrevation of finding the Wicker Man. Could had done without him.

Will definitely not keep this one.
See it if you must but be it on your head.

2 out of 5 stars Unsettling and pointless.......2007-06-20

I didn't know anything about this movie or that it originated as a novel, so this is soemone's take who is basing the review soley on this version.

1 Build that gets old and slow at times

2 plot holes and loose ends galore (ie; What was the deal with his visions??)

3 this reminded me a lot of the Village which was a much better movie - better acting and more creepiness, too.

4 Left me feeling unsettled due to the brutality near the end. If there was more history given, this might have added to the movie instead of just letting you wonder "Why?"

Two stars because I actually made it to the end - though I don't know that this is a good thing. I wouldn't recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars Not as good as the original.......2007-06-19

My oppinion: This new version of the Wicker man is horribale. they changed alot from the original story. most remaks stay true to the original but change a little but this one changed alot of it.

About The Film: The wicker Man(2006) is a remak of The Wicker Man(1975) and the movie is about this california cop who witness a car accident and is on medication to help him, but when he gets a message from his ex-wife about a little girl Who is messing on an island he goes there and trys to help find the girl. can he find her lets hope.

My Second Oppinion: This movie is really diffrent from the original. they changed practually the whole story. But cages performance and beging in the movie is the only reason for seeing it and in my personal oppinion buying it. watch the original and you'll understand how much they screwed up the story.

If you liked this movie check out The wicker Man(1975) & The wicker Man original motion picture Soundtrack.

5 out of 5 stars Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece.......2007-06-09

Plot holes (the details of the kidnapping), random nonsense (the opening sequence and Cage's hallucinations), outrageous over-acting ("Not the bees!"), and general silliness (Cage karate-kicking a teenaged girl across a room) abound in this hilarious remake of the original cult classic. Honestly, I'd rather watch this film than sit through another bloated "blockbuster" like any Spiderman or Pirates movie.

In this case, the whole is lesser than the sum of its parts; The Wicker Man features a good cast, a good director, good cinematography, and a good score. However, the end result is just plain bad. It's sort of a paradox. What makes it funny is how director Neil LaBute films every scene with such heavy-handedness and dramatic zeal that it skews the film, transforming it from a suspensful mystery into a demented experiment in making every little thing as bold and obtuse as possible...like, for example, a certain scene involving a stolen bicycle.

In the center of it all is Nicholas Cage, in one of his most bipolar and over-the-top performances of his career. Personally, I find Cage to be likable and watchable in every role, including this one. This time, however, he's not watchable because his character and acting are interesting, he's watchable just because you want to see what crazy thing his character does next: for example, running up a hill in a bear costume and punching a woman out, making her roll back down the hill.

In fact, the movie is worth it just for that scene alone. In conclusion, don't pass up the chance to see this film. It'll stay with you forever.

4 out of 5 stars not as good as the original but still good just the same.......2007-06-06

i'm trying to give this movie a better rap. it is not as good as the original, its different, the plot was altered, but all in all, i liked the different twist at the end and the reasoning for their actions. i am however upset that the new version didnt have all the naked ladies dancing around like the original. but for all you cranky and foul doers out there.... i disagree with you. take it for what it is. if you want to get the best story read the damn book.
The Wicker Man (Limited Edition)
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!
  • Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
  • The Original
  • This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll
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The Wicker Man (Limited Edition)
Starring: Leslie Blackater , Roy Boyd , Peter Brewis , Juliet Cadzow , and Ian Campbell
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
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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:

5 out of 5 stars Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!.......2007-07-05

I saw this original film before DVDs were invented. It was 1980, I believe. Saw it on regular TV at the time. What a shame, what with all the commercials and no FF,RW, or pause; but let me say this.......it was just awesome. If a movie doesn't grab me in the first 10 minutes, then I'm not devoted to paying attention to it fully; NOT the case HERE !! It kept my attention start to finish! Oh the end........so disturbing. I have been looking for this movie in Video stores, just to be let down & only finding the "2006" version, which I won't even watch - because I know it can't come close....Nicholas Cage in no form or fashion can take the place of Edward Woodward in this movie because once you've seen the original, you try and vision a different actor taking Ed Woodward's place, and it just don't jibe.(although I am indeed a fan of Nick Cage). I fell in love with Edward Woodward during the film. His character is an honest, true-to-himself & his religion man, sticks to his morals no matter how difficult, and believes there's more than meets the eye in the "missing girl" investigation - and goes with it wholeheartedly, only to find himself in a dreadful, tragic circle in which he can't escape. So truly mindboggling and horribly melancholy. At the same time the Scotland scenery is beautiful & old, historically binding. I'm a fan of Irish & Scottish accents anyway. The ending is as surprising as is the whole film in a nutshell. Sadness & confusion, devastation & disbelief are the feelings that run through me all the while during this movie. I simply consider it one of the BEST movies of all time.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars The Original .......2007-06-19

My oppinion: The Wicker Man is a disturbing cult/Sacrafice movie. This is the original Wicker Man movie and it's more disturbinjg than the remak.

about The Film: The wicker man is about a pagen cult who trick this christian inspector to come to thier island to find a girl who really isn't missing.

Second oppinion. the Wicker man might not be for everybody. but if you like good horror films this one is for you.


If you liked this movie check out The Wicker Man(2006) Version & the wicker Man Soundtrack

4 out of 5 stars This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll.......2007-06-12

This original "Wicker Man" (forget about the Nicholas Cage re-make) starts like a somewhat more conventional B-horror film. There are the purposefully unhelpful townspeople on the British island where Edward Woodward is sent to investigate the report of a missing girl. There are sidelong glances and whispers. Mysterious rites are practiced. All these slightly clichéd goings-on build mild suspense. But it's the twist-ending, with its awakening overturn of conventional role assignments, that is the real pay-off of the film.

What's more, Edward Woodward found the perfect defining role for himself here, even though he would probably prefer to be praised for his more "important" roles in Shakespearean works, in "Breaker Morant," or even as "The Equalizer" in the TV series. But here he portrays the supreme rectitude that he always seems to be striving towards in his other screen appearances. He is a man of proper, classical demeanor - a very rare kind of man who will not betray his principles for the expedient of satisfying any passing desire. It's the role that made me a Woodward fan.

As a bonus for male viewers, Britt Ekland does the most sumptuously erotic dance here that I think has ever been captured on camera.

All in all, "Wicker Man" ignites from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

5 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-11

I dont know what people are talking about when they say alot was cut from the extended version,because from what I read its only a couple minutes,and besides the extended version pretty much explains everything there is to know that the shortened version doesnt.This is one of the greatest films of all time and the ending twist is definitely probably the greatest twist in a horror film ever.Nicholas Cage,you classic destroying son of a [...]..
The Wicker Man (2006) (Rated and Unrated) [Blu-ray]
Average customer rating: 1 out of 5 stars
  • Burn it
The Wicker Man (2006) (Rated and Unrated) [Blu-ray]
Starring: Ellen Burstyn , Nicolas Cage , Frances Conroy , Diane Delano , and Jason Ritter
Director: Neil LaBute
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000MEYFY6
Release Date: 2007-01-30

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:

1 out of 5 stars 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.
The Wicker Man
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!
  • Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
  • The Original
  • This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll
  • MASTERPIECE!
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:
  1. Black Christmas (Special Edition)
  2. Don't Look Now
  3. Phantasm
  4. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)
  5. Suspiria

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:

5 out of 5 stars Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!.......2007-07-05

I saw this original film before DVDs were invented. It was 1980, I believe. Saw it on regular TV at the time. What a shame, what with all the commercials and no FF,RW, or pause; but let me say this.......it was just awesome. If a movie doesn't grab me in the first 10 minutes, then I'm not devoted to paying attention to it fully; NOT the case HERE !! It kept my attention start to finish! Oh the end........so disturbing. I have been looking for this movie in Video stores, just to be let down & only finding the "2006" version, which I won't even watch - because I know it can't come close....Nicholas Cage in no form or fashion can take the place of Edward Woodward in this movie because once you've seen the original, you try and vision a different actor taking Ed Woodward's place, and it just don't jibe.(although I am indeed a fan of Nick Cage). I fell in love with Edward Woodward during the film. His character is an honest, true-to-himself & his religion man, sticks to his morals no matter how difficult, and believes there's more than meets the eye in the "missing girl" investigation - and goes with it wholeheartedly, only to find himself in a dreadful, tragic circle in which he can't escape. So truly mindboggling and horribly melancholy. At the same time the Scotland scenery is beautiful & old, historically binding. I'm a fan of Irish & Scottish accents anyway. The ending is as surprising as is the whole film in a nutshell. Sadness & confusion, devastation & disbelief are the feelings that run through me all the while during this movie. I simply consider it one of the BEST movies of all time.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars The Original .......2007-06-19

My oppinion: The Wicker Man is a disturbing cult/Sacrafice movie. This is the original Wicker Man movie and it's more disturbinjg than the remak.

about The Film: The wicker man is about a pagen cult who trick this christian inspector to come to thier island to find a girl who really isn't missing.

Second oppinion. the Wicker man might not be for everybody. but if you like good horror films this one is for you.


If you liked this movie check out The Wicker Man(2006) Version & the wicker Man Soundtrack

4 out of 5 stars This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll.......2007-06-12

This original "Wicker Man" (forget about the Nicholas Cage re-make) starts like a somewhat more conventional B-horror film. There are the purposefully unhelpful townspeople on the British island where Edward Woodward is sent to investigate the report of a missing girl. There are sidelong glances and whispers. Mysterious rites are practiced. All these slightly clichéd goings-on build mild suspense. But it's the twist-ending, with its awakening overturn of conventional role assignments, that is the real pay-off of the film.

What's more, Edward Woodward found the perfect defining role for himself here, even though he would probably prefer to be praised for his more "important" roles in Shakespearean works, in "Breaker Morant," or even as "The Equalizer" in the TV series. But here he portrays the supreme rectitude that he always seems to be striving towards in his other screen appearances. He is a man of proper, classical demeanor - a very rare kind of man who will not betray his principles for the expedient of satisfying any passing desire. It's the role that made me a Woodward fan.

As a bonus for male viewers, Britt Ekland does the most sumptuously erotic dance here that I think has ever been captured on camera.

All in all, "Wicker Man" ignites from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

5 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-11

I dont know what people are talking about when they say alot was cut from the extended version,because from what I read its only a couple minutes,and besides the extended version pretty much explains everything there is to know that the shortened version doesnt.This is one of the greatest films of all time and the ending twist is definitely probably the greatest twist in a horror film ever.Nicholas Cage,you classic destroying son of a [...]..
The Wicker Man (2006) (Rated and Unrated) [HD DVD]
Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
  • WITH A FEW MINUSES -------
  • Unsettling and pointless
  • Not as good as the original
  • Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece
  • not as good as the original but still good just the same
The Wicker Man (2006) (Rated and Unrated) [HD DVD]
Starring: Ellen Burstyn , Nicolas Cage , Frances Conroy , Diane Delano , and Jason Ritter
Director: Neil LaBute
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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  5. The Prestige

ASIN: B000MEYFYQ
Release Date: 2007-01-30

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:

3 out of 5 stars WITH A FEW MINUSES -------.......2007-06-23

I did like the settings and the colors - the acting was excellent - the plot confusing for a while -- in the end just plain gross.

Poor, demented Edward -- why didn't he just shoot someone when he had the chance?

maybe worth one watching but -------- not worth the aggrevation of finding the Wicker Man. Could had done without him.

Will definitely not keep this one.
See it if you must but be it on your head.

2 out of 5 stars Unsettling and pointless.......2007-06-20

I didn't know anything about this movie or that it originated as a novel, so this is soemone's take who is basing the review soley on this version.

1 Build that gets old and slow at times

2 plot holes and loose ends galore (ie; What was the deal with his visions??)

3 this reminded me a lot of the Village which was a much better movie - better acting and more creepiness, too.

4 Left me feeling unsettled due to the brutality near the end. If there was more history given, this might have added to the movie instead of just letting you wonder "Why?"

Two stars because I actually made it to the end - though I don't know that this is a good thing. I wouldn't recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars Not as good as the original.......2007-06-19

My oppinion: This new version of the Wicker man is horribale. they changed alot from the original story. most remaks stay true to the original but change a little but this one changed alot of it.

About The Film: The wicker Man(2006) is a remak of The Wicker Man(1975) and the movie is about this california cop who witness a car accident and is on medication to help him, but when he gets a message from his ex-wife about a little girl Who is messing on an island he goes there and trys to help find the girl. can he find her lets hope.

My Second Oppinion: This movie is really diffrent from the original. they changed practually the whole story. But cages performance and beging in the movie is the only reason for seeing it and in my personal oppinion buying it. watch the original and you'll understand how much they screwed up the story.

If you liked this movie check out The wicker Man(1975) & The wicker Man original motion picture Soundtrack.

5 out of 5 stars Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece.......2007-06-09

Plot holes (the details of the kidnapping), random nonsense (the opening sequence and Cage's hallucinations), outrageous over-acting ("Not the bees!"), and general silliness (Cage karate-kicking a teenaged girl across a room) abound in this hilarious remake of the original cult classic. Honestly, I'd rather watch this film than sit through another bloated "blockbuster" like any Spiderman or Pirates movie.

In this case, the whole is lesser than the sum of its parts; The Wicker Man features a good cast, a good director, good cinematography, and a good score. However, the end result is just plain bad. It's sort of a paradox. What makes it funny is how director Neil LaBute films every scene with such heavy-handedness and dramatic zeal that it skews the film, transforming it from a suspensful mystery into a demented experiment in making every little thing as bold and obtuse as possible...like, for example, a certain scene involving a stolen bicycle.

In the center of it all is Nicholas Cage, in one of his most bipolar and over-the-top performances of his career. Personally, I find Cage to be likable and watchable in every role, including this one. This time, however, he's not watchable because his character and acting are interesting, he's watchable just because you want to see what crazy thing his character does next: for example, running up a hill in a bear costume and punching a woman out, making her roll back down the hill.

In fact, the movie is worth it just for that scene alone. In conclusion, don't pass up the chance to see this film. It'll stay with you forever.

4 out of 5 stars not as good as the original but still good just the same.......2007-06-06

i'm trying to give this movie a better rap. it is not as good as the original, its different, the plot was altered, but all in all, i liked the different twist at the end and the reasoning for their actions. i am however upset that the new version didnt have all the naked ladies dancing around like the original. but for all you cranky and foul doers out there.... i disagree with you. take it for what it is. if you want to get the best story read the damn book.
The Wicker Man [Region 2]
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!
  • Cult Classic Fearful of Faith
  • The Original
  • This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll
  • MASTERPIECE!
The Wicker Man [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. Black Christmas (Special Edition)
  2. Don't Look Now
  3. Phantasm
  4. The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (Black Sunday / Black Sabbath / The Girl Who Knew Too Much / Kill Baby Kill / Knives of the Avenger)
  5. Suspiria

ASIN: B00007DWNT

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:

5 out of 5 stars Top of the Line, Wonderful Movie!.......2007-07-05

I saw this original film before DVDs were invented. It was 1980, I believe. Saw it on regular TV at the time. What a shame, what with all the commercials and no FF,RW, or pause; but let me say this.......it was just awesome. If a movie doesn't grab me in the first 10 minutes, then I'm not devoted to paying attention to it fully; NOT the case HERE !! It kept my attention start to finish! Oh the end........so disturbing. I have been looking for this movie in Video stores, just to be let down & only finding the "2006" version, which I won't even watch - because I know it can't come close....Nicholas Cage in no form or fashion can take the place of Edward Woodward in this movie because once you've seen the original, you try and vision a different actor taking Ed Woodward's place, and it just don't jibe.(although I am indeed a fan of Nick Cage). I fell in love with Edward Woodward during the film. His character is an honest, true-to-himself & his religion man, sticks to his morals no matter how difficult, and believes there's more than meets the eye in the "missing girl" investigation - and goes with it wholeheartedly, only to find himself in a dreadful, tragic circle in which he can't escape. So truly mindboggling and horribly melancholy. At the same time the Scotland scenery is beautiful & old, historically binding. I'm a fan of Irish & Scottish accents anyway. The ending is as surprising as is the whole film in a nutshell. Sadness & confusion, devastation & disbelief are the feelings that run through me all the while during this movie. I simply consider it one of the BEST movies of all time.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars The Original .......2007-06-19

My oppinion: The Wicker Man is a disturbing cult/Sacrafice movie. This is the original Wicker Man movie and it's more disturbinjg than the remak.

about The Film: The wicker man is about a pagen cult who trick this christian inspector to come to thier island to find a girl who really isn't missing.

Second oppinion. the Wicker man might not be for everybody. but if you like good horror films this one is for you.


If you liked this movie check out The Wicker Man(2006) Version & the wicker Man Soundtrack

4 out of 5 stars This Version Should Win Any Straw Poll.......2007-06-12

This original "Wicker Man" (forget about the Nicholas Cage re-make) starts like a somewhat more conventional B-horror film. There are the purposefully unhelpful townspeople on the British island where Edward Woodward is sent to investigate the report of a missing girl. There are sidelong glances and whispers. Mysterious rites are practiced. All these slightly clichéd goings-on build mild suspense. But it's the twist-ending, with its awakening overturn of conventional role assignments, that is the real pay-off of the film.

What's more, Edward Woodward found the perfect defining role for himself here, even though he would probably prefer to be praised for his more "important" roles in Shakespearean works, in "Breaker Morant," or even as "The Equalizer" in the TV series. But here he portrays the supreme rectitude that he always seems to be striving towards in his other screen appearances. He is a man of proper, classical demeanor - a very rare kind of man who will not betray his principles for the expedient of satisfying any passing desire. It's the role that made me a Woodward fan.

As a bonus for male viewers, Britt Ekland does the most sumptuously erotic dance here that I think has ever been captured on camera.

All in all, "Wicker Man" ignites from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

5 out of 5 stars MASTERPIECE!.......2007-06-11

I dont know what people are talking about when they say alot was cut from the extended version,because from what I read its only a couple minutes,and besides the extended version pretty much explains everything there is to know that the shortened version doesnt.This is one of the greatest films of all time and the ending twist is definitely probably the greatest twist in a horror film ever.Nicholas Cage,you classic destroying son of a [...]..
The Wicker Man
Average customer rating: 2 out of 5 stars
  • WITH A FEW MINUSES -------
  • Unsettling and pointless
  • Not as good as the original
  • Nicholas Cage + Bear Costume = Epic Masterpiece
  • not as good as the original but still good just the same
The Wicker Man
Starring: Nicolas Cage , Ellen Burstyn , Kate Beahan , Frances Conroy , and Molly Parker
Director: Neil LaBute
ProductGroup: Theatrical Release
Binding: Theatrical Release

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