Page 1 of Egg: The Wicker Man

This Easter Egg applies to the Region 2 of The Wicker Man

Disc 2 (the director`s cut) has video footage of Robin Hardy, Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward recording the audio commentary with mark Kermode.

To play it, just go down to the Commentary On/Off selection and press `Right`.

oops I think this belongs in the `Software` forum...

On the R2 Version of Wicker Man - is the `Critic`s Choice` excerpt is not included?

I understand the documentary on the UK DVD is not the same as was broadcast by Film Four and doesn`t include Ekland`s understandably catty comments about her nude stand-in - anyone confirm?

But most importantly, the US and UK extended versions are both quoted as 99 minutes - does that mean the UK version is actually 4 minutes longer than the US one (allowing for the PAL speedup)?

Finally the Film Four site says the UK Director`s Cut is extended using the Corman print, whereas other sources say the Corman print is missing and all additions have been remastered from video - anyone know?

Will anyone reply? Does a duck`s quack really not produce an echo?

Voles

This item was edited on Wednesday, 7th August 2002, 12:59

The documentary on R2 Wicker Man is indeed different to the one screened by Film Four. Although not quite as good it is still an interesting documentary, featuring contributions from all the major participants, although Ekland is notable by her absence.

The `Critics Choice` segment is on the R2 copy I`ve got, and as far as I`m aware the UK version has the same running time as the US version (there are certainly no extra scenes in the UK version)

The Directors Cut is taken from the Corman print, which is the only copy of the extended version of the film still in existence.

If anyone ever gets the chance visit the church at Amwoth (as used in the film) it`s fantastic.

"But most importantly, the US and UK extended versions are both quoted as 99 minutes - does that mean the UK version is actually 4 minutes longer than the US one (allowing for the PAL speedup)?"
The extended version R2 disc is just a real-time ntsc to pal conversion of the anchor bay disc, so there is no pal speed-up. There is however slightly jerky movement and a softer picture due to this.
The theatrical version has been correctly mastered from a print and has pal speed-up making it shorter than the anchor bay version.
"The Directors Cut is taken from the Corman print, which is the only copy of the extended version of the film still in existence."
I don`t see how this could be true as the R2 version (same as the R1) has a note at the beginning of the film saying it has been mastered from an old analogue tape.
The "drector`s cut" is still missing the scene where Willow goes into Howie`s room after her famous scene.

Hi, yep, *apparently* it was taken from the print good ol` Roger had.

The rights to the documentary are held by C4 so you aint gonna see it as was shown them last Christmas (New Years eve I think).

Same way as the R1 and R2 "Fear of God" BBC documentaries on the DVD of "The Exorcist" were slightly re-edited (or cut) for the DVD (its all about copright, as the TV station who commission the programme do have some `artistic` control over it.

Also some of the more `imflamatory` parts on these programmes (about the idiots destroying the full cut of Wicker Man burying it under a motorway or something) could be, if put out on a DVD be liable as they are out in the public domain. (it`s a bit like shouting John Major boffed Edwina Curry from the roof of Big Ben - without proof you`re stuffed).
The reason it`d be `actionable` is that the TV version would reach an audience of say 2 million (while the DVD could sell 10 million copies in 6 months worldwide thus reaching a larger audience) and if someone were to sue say C4 over the programme, all C4 would have to do is apologise on air and never broadcast those comments again.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 9th October 2002, 18:47