Wicker Man, The (Special Edition) (UK)
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Flesh to touch...Flesh to burn! Don`t keep the Wicker Man waiting!
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 84 mins
Retail Price: £19.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
When a young girl mysteriously disappears, Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote island to investigate. But this pastoral community, led by the strange Lord Summerisle (a brilliant performance by the legendary Christopher Lee), is not what it seems as the devout Christian detective soon uncovers a secret society of wanton lust and pagan blasphemy. Can Howie now stop the cult`s ultimate sacrifice before he himself comes face to face with the horror of The Wicker Man?
Packaged as a double DVD, this set includes the original theatrical version of The Wicker Man and the recently restored director`s cut which re-instates 15 minutes of rarely seen footage. This special edition release provides film fans with the definitive DVD version of one of the most unique films of all time and gives you the chance to compare both versions of this seminal horror classic.
Special Features:
Disc 1: Original theatrical version of The Wicker Man (84 mins) with Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. `The Wicker Man Enigma` documentary (35 mins). Interview with Christopher Lee (25 mins). Theatrical trailer. TV spot. Radio spots x3. Talent biographies. DVD-ROM downloadable pages from original theatrical press brochure.
Disc 2: The Wicker Man - The Director`s Cut (99 mins). Feature length commentary with Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, director Robin Hardy and moderated by Mark Kermode (UK exclusive recorded December 2001). Easter Egg - footage of commentary team meeting and preparing.
Directed By:
Robin Hardy
Written By:
Anthony Shaffer
Starring:
Edward Woodward
Christopher Lee
Diane Cilento
Britt Ekland
Ingrid Pitt
Lindsay Kemp
Russell Waters
Soundtrack By:
Paul Giovanni
Director of Photography:
Harry Waxman
Editor:
Eric Boyd-Perkins
Costume Designer:
Sue Yelland
Producer:
Peter Snell
Your Opinions and Comments
The Wicker Man is somehow considered a made-in-the-UK cult horror. Does it live up to its reputation?
Well, alas, not quite.
While the movie is all about atmosphere (and less about performances - and give me a break - Christopher Lee does NOT excel in this movie at all). As for the story, well, it`s strange, thrilling at times, but chooses a random path towards its end.
The video transfer is average. The disc set includes two versions of this almost 35-years-old movie - the original theatrical version and the director`s cut. Both versions suffer from a soft image, but the director`s cut includes materials which were considered lost until recently. From the looks of them, it seems they were lost in an open field, exposed to sunlight for almost 35 years. They look absolutely dreadful.
The DD 5.1 soundtrack of the theatrical version is ok, with almost no usage of the surrounds. The DD 1.0 soundtrack of the director`s cut is as flat as a mono soundtrack can get. The movie includes a lot of music. Weird music. Oh, well - pagan stuff, cult stuff - we should`ve seen it coming.
The menus are animated with sound.
The extras include a commentary (for the director`s cut), a documentary and an interview with Christopher Lee.
Bottom line - you might as well give this weird movie a chance. After all, despite the fact it`s far from being a brilliant movie, so many people consider it as cult, and that many people cannot be wrong. Or can they? :) (Yes, they can).