THE WICKER MAN (1973) 50TH ANNIVERSARY ROUND TABLE!!!

THE WICKER MAN (1973) d. Robin Hardy (UK)

**CLICK LINK TO VIEW FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

 


Released the same year as The Exorcist, The Wicker Man also wrestles with religious rituals and fading faith. However, while the former was an instantaneous sensation that garnered Oscar nominations and huge box office receipts, its poor British relation suffered the indignities of studio-imposed edits and general public disinterest. However, as time has shown, this literal cult classic has endured for 50 years and is now regarded as one of the finest horror movies of the early 1970s.

Fool's Views (1/1 – 1/31)

I know, right? Who the holy heck is this?

Yup, giving this another go, after two years of lax and laze. The intention is that it’s going to be a bit more freewheeling and fun, with less self-imposed pressure to deliver the game-winning pass every time. Instead, we’re going to run this ball down the field yard by ever-loving yard and that’s about it for the sports metaphors.

We started off the year with a smattering of old and new in many regards, with the current prestige pics mixing with the 1970s schlock, amply supplemented with a nosh of noir. In other words, it’s business as usual around the Doc’s office, and we hope you enjoy the buffet.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

THE WICKER MAN (1973) movie review

Wicker Man, The (1973) d. Hardy, Robin

In this classic cult chiller, Christopher Lee turns in one of his finest performances (his personal favorite – good thing, since he reportedly did the role for free). Edward Woodward stars as a hard-as-nails Christian cop searching for a missing child on the remote island community of Summerisle, though his investigations turn up something far more sinister. Director Hardy skillfully crafts an atmosphere-drenched mystery, with Paul Giovanni’s songs and music adding an unexpected high-spirited frolic to the dread proceedings. Extraordinary support provided by lovelies Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt and Diane Cilento. Loosely adapted by Anthony Shaffer from David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual (who oddly enough receives no onscreen credit), this is must-see material for any horror fan.

STRIGOI (2009) review

Strigoi (2009) (1st viewing) d. Jackson, Faye

Bizarre little UK vampire film set in Romania (the performers speak their lines in English through oft-impenetrably thick accents, an odd choice to be sure) that conjures memories of The Wicker Man in its intensely collusive community and wry, unblinking dark humor. However, the rules of these bloodsuckers are a little sketchier, and while this may have been by writer/director Jackson’s design (leaving the audience as off-kilter in dealing with supernatural elements as the onscreen characters), the result is troubling in that I found myself asking, “What just happened?” when I probably should have been asking, “What’s going to happen next?” That the living characters are just as quirky and unpredictable as their undead counterparts doesn’t help matters, though it definitely lends a foreign, otherworldly quality to the proceedings. Not wholly satisfying, but still somehow strangely worthwhile.

Fool's Views (5/21 – 5/27)

Welcome back, fans of the flickers,

A much lighter load this time around, comparatively speaking, but admirable Scares were Shared in spite of limited opportunities. (Blame it on the nice weather and the long-awaited launch of Inherit the Wind rehearsals.) Even so, we managed to persuade a few fellow fiends to squander an hour or two before the mystical magic flat-screen window, not least of which in celebration of our last remaining old-school horror icon’s 90t birthday. Considering the breadth of work that Sir Christopher Lee has left in his wake, picking a double feature to honor him was no easy task, but I think we did all right. (For a full tilt-boogie retrospective of the man’s genre labors by yours truly, seek out the March/April 2012 issue of HorrorHound, #34)

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!