The Wicker Man is one of the all-time classic horror movies, thanks to Cineworld we got the chance to revisit The Wicker Man for its 50th Anniversary, not only did we get a new cut of the movie we were also treated to a special Q&A screening to celebrate the iconic movie.
Released back in 1973 and starring Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Lindsay Kemp, Diane Cilento and Ingrid Pitt, The Wicker Man tells the chilling story of a police sergeant (Woodward) who is sent to a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl whom the townsfolk claim never existed.
But there is so much more to the story behind Sergeant Howie’s visit and stranger still are the rites that take place there.
Before the movie started we were treated to a Q&A with celebrity fans of The Wicker Man and the director Robin Hardy’s sons, plus the wonder Britt Ekland chatting about a scene that was deleted from the original release and that had been restored into this “Final Cut” of the movie.
Talking of cuts, The Wicker Man has had its fair share of versions over the years including “The Long Version” which had a running time of 99 minutes, this was the release that was also called “The Director’s Cut” on DVD.
Then there is “The Short Version”, the version that we were shown at the 50th Anniversary screening was the “Final Cut” which has been wonderfully restored and is being released in a rather nice looking Anniversary Collector’s Edition in September, that’s certainly a release to add to the collection as it loads of features and the three cuts of the movie.
I remember seeing The Wicker Man for the first time in the early 1980s and it was a movie that has always stuck in my mind, it was like nothing else I had ever seen. It certainly was, and still is, a movie that pulls you in and makes you think about what you are watching, its charm is its strangeness and building up the tension of what Howie (Woodward) is getting himself into while trying to find a missing girl on an island in pagan rituals and hidden secrets that takes the viewer into a strange and foreboding world.
The music of The Wicker Man is also something very different and it has become a bit of a passion for big fans of the movie, during the Q&A we were even treated to the music from a band that has been inspired by the music and the movie.
With the movie being 50 years old it does show its age with the fashion and much more, but this is a movie that is held close to the hearts of many fans and you could see this from the screening that I attended at Cineworld, I was very surprised by the number of people that weren’t even born when The Wicker Man was first released, but listening to many of them on the way out, they did sound like film students as they chatted about the techniques of filmmaking for the movie.
It’s great to see a mixture of ages seeing a classic movie on the big screen, although I don’t think some people were expecting the long Q&A before the movie. One woman shouted out after the Q&A when the film was about to start, “About Time”, slightly disrespectful in my point of view as the Q&A was mentioned in the booking for the movie and of its length. Personally, for me, I loved the Q&A and it became part of the experience of such a classic.
The Wicker Man is certainly a film that in this day and age, the easy offendable will get upset, but remember this movie was made in 1973 and things have changed, heck if we can get a warning before a screening of Flash Gordon then it’s a world that we live in, shame really with all the new centring of books and films, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish!
There are some great moments with the cast in the film and Christopher Lee was always a scene stealer for me when watching the movie it was amazing to see him in the role on the big screen, Lee said that he considered this one of his greatest roles. Britt Ekland is the surprise of the movie and for those that have never seen the movie be prepared for some scenes of nudity from Ekland, the other surprise is that most of the dialogue and singing that is on the screen from Ekland is dubbed over by the Scottish singer and actress Annie Ross. That’s something I didn’t pick up on until rewatching the movie after x amount of years.
If you have only been introduced to the story of The Wicker Man by the Nic Cage remake then I highly recommend you check out the 1973 original, it is a powerful piece of cinema history that takes you on a bizarre journey and really gives you the shock factor when it comes to the final moments of the movie.
The Wicker Man 50th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition
This home release of the Special Collector’s Edition of the film is a great addition to those who are not only classic movie fans but also those who have been a fan of the movie over the years, I have to say that when I went to see this release at Cineworld I was impressed with the 4K restoration and seeing it on my 4K TV at home it looks even better.
Not only are you getting a classic horror for your collection, but you are also getting a set that is packed with some amazing stuff.
5-disc set , with pop-up artwork in rigid ‘book’ casing. Includes all 3 cuts of the film restored in 4K, plus an exclusive EP from Heavenly Records featuring artists such a Katy J Pearson covering classic tracks from The Wicker Man soundtrack.
Also includes a 64-page booklet, including an introduction from Justin and Dominic Hardy, plus brand-new essays from Ritual author David Pinner, Rosie Fletcher, Editor of Den Of Geek and John Walsh, author of forthcoming Titan book The Wicker Man The Official Story of the Film, plus x 3 Summerisle postcards and x 2 posters of new and original artwork
DISC BREAKDOWN
UHD 1
FEATURE – THE FINAL CUT
Revisiting the locations of The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man at 50
Robin Hardy’s Script – The Lost Ending
Interview with Britt Ekland
Worshipping The Wicker Man
The Music of The Wicker Man
Interview with Robin Hardy (2013)
Interview with Robin Hardy & Christopher Lee (1979)
New Trailer
Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
Burnt Offering: The Cult of the Wicker Man
Wicker Man Enigma
UHD 2
FEATURE – THE DIRECTOR’S CUT
FEATURE – THE THEATRICAL CUT
Audio Commentary with Robin Hardy, Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward
Making of The Commentary
BD 1
FEATURE – THE FINAL CUT
Revisiting the locations of The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man at 50
Robin Hardy’s Script – The Lost Ending
Interview with Britt Ekland
Worshipping The Wicker Man
The Music of The Wicker Man
Interview with Robin Hardy (2013)
Interview with Robin Hardy & Christopher Lee (1979)
New Trailer
Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
Burnt Offering: The Cult of the Wicker Man
Wicker Man Enigma
BD 2
FEATURE – THE DIRECTOR’S CUT
FEATURE – THE THEATRICAL CUT
Audio Commentary with Robin Hardy, Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward
Making of The Commentary
DISC 5 – CD EP Katy J Pearson & Friends present songs from The Wicker Man
01. Katy J Pearson, Drug Store Romeo’s, Sarah Meth, Evie Hilyer-Ziegler – Fire Leaps
02. Katy J Pearson & Broadside Hacks – Willow’s Song
03. Katy J Pearson & H. Hawkline – Gently Johnny
04. Katy J Pearson & Orbury Common, Bert Ussher – Maypole
05. Broadside Hacks – Corn Rigs
06. Katy J Pearson & Broadside Hacks – Lullaby
07. Katy J Pearson & H. Hawkline – Gently Johnny (Stone Club Remix)
08. Katy J Pearson – Willow’s Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix)
09. Katy J Pearson – Willow’s Song album version
The Wicker Man 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is a must-have release.
The Wicker Man returns with a 50th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Movie title: The Wicker Man (The Final Cut)
Movie description: A puritan Police Sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who the Pagan locals claim never existed.
Date published: September 27, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 93mins
Director(s): Robin Hardy
Actor(s): Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Summary
The Wicker Man is an all-time classic movie and one that has a huge following, this 4K restoration of the Final Cut looks fantastic and the Collector’s Edition is certainly one for any movie fan’s home collection.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
