Every month I will post my best loved and most watched film; this month is its The Wicker Man, dubbed “the Citizen Kane of horror films. Sgt. Howie, a ‘Christian copper’ goes to Summerisle in Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. But are the locals just weird and unhelpful or is there something more devious a foot? He becomes determined to get to the bottom her disappearance. Starring, Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cliento, Ingrid Pitt.
Directed in 1973 by Robin Hardy and the screenplay by Anthony Schaffer. Hold on a tick, 1970s, Christopher Lee, horror film this can mean only one thing, (Que bolts of lightning and scary “DA DA DAA” music.) But you’d be wrong this is no hammer horror. No cheese here, not even a whiff. On the contrary it is literate and compelling.
Naive, Sgt. Howie’s isolation and confusion grows as the islanders hamper his efforts to trace one of their own, but he continues to investigate further until he discovers the ancient Pagan practices of this community. Yet at the finally will he be the hunter or the hunted?
Paul Giovanni’s soundtrack is practically the Holy Grail for soundtrack aficionados as original recordings were destroyed along with the negatives and the outtakes of the film were stored at the vault in Shepperton studios, which were thrown out and used as landfill under the M3 motorway.
The score was definitely a highlights for me as it is so unusual of the genre with eerie instrumental folk that brings out the superstition in you.
I am very lucky that my first viewing of the film was the full Director’s cut and not the butchered original theatrical release, I would definitely recommend seeing the Director’s cut first!
This film is a cult classic and one of my Pagan treats!
So is there a reason to see this film other than the fact it has references to Paganism?
why yes my friend, there’s songs and dances too!
If you are really interested in the film, rent it man, i highly recommed it!