[TOONARMY12]

Am watching this now on Sky so damm good one of my all time favourites. I can't understand why some people don't like it lol. Just a word of warning avoid the remake like the plauge! lol

[grimtales1]

The 1973 Wicker Man is a classic, really good but I havent seen the remake.
If I was Howie I would have boffed Britt Ekland straight away

[Zeus]

Yes superb film. I have the DVD which has both the shorter version and the longer version of the film. The latter has some nice additional material, such as the "Gently Johnny" song which i really liked.

I wouldn't touch the remake with a bargepole. No disrespect to Nicholas Cage, if he's reading.

[TOONARMY12]

Originally Posted by Zeus

Yes superb film. I have the DVD which has both the shorter version and the longer version of the film. The latter has some nice additional material, such as the "Gently Johnny" song which i really liked.

I wouldn't touch the remake with a bargepole. No disrespect to Nicholas Cage, if he's reading.

Lol how cool would it be if he was a user on here lol but sadly I doubt it. Seeing Christoper Lee as Lord Summerisle and comparing it to him at the Baftas is pretty sad he looks very frail now.

[U96]

Originally Posted by TOONARMY12

Lol how cool would it be if he was a user on here lol but sadly I doubt it. Seeing Christoper Lee as Lord Summerisle and comparing it to him at the Baftas is pretty sad he looks very frail now.

Chris has had a very good innings.89 years old is very good in anyones book!.
He's quoted as saying The Wicker Man is his favourite film ever.And i'm inclined to agree.
Watching Britt in I'm A Celebrity last year.I kept on remembering her in the bedroom scene,tapping the walls.It doesn't get any better than that!.
It's a really wierd film,you could never forget any of the scenes in it.I don't think i've ever seen anything that comes close to it's awesome strangeness.

[halloweenbabe]

Originally Posted by U96

Chris has had a very good innings.89 years old is very good in anyones book!.
He's quoted as saying The Wicker Man is his favourite film ever.And i'm inclined to agree.
Watching Britt in I'm A Celebrity last year.I kept on remembering her in the bedroom scene,tapping the walls.It doesn't get any better than that!.
It's a really wierd film,you could never forget any of the scenes in it.I don't think i've ever seen anything that comes close to it's awesome strangeness.

Perchance a body double was used?

[halloweenbabe]

Deleted double post...

[Erythroleukos]

The rear shots of her were a body double but the topless front view was all Britt

[richie4eva]

Twist ending doesn't fail to shock even to this day

Howie was just too blind to see what was happening around him and trying to put across his self righteous attitude ultimately led to his downfall

He fell into the trap like an amateur and was barbecued

[VoodooChic]

A classic film chopped to pieces for years - the extended cut still has some scenes missing believed lost forever (buried under the M1??) - the extra scenes are from an inferior videotape found years later. My biggest film wish is for the complete version to be found.

[grimtales1]

Originally Posted by Erythroleukos

The rear shots of her were a body double but the topless front view was all Britt

Wasn't her Scots accent also dubbed?

[Terrence Chant]

^ Yup!

Originally Posted by Erythroleukos

The rear shots of her were a body double but the topless front view was all Britt

She was also in the early stages of pregnancy when it was filmed

[Rorschach]

Originally Posted by grimtales1

If I was Howie I would have boffed Britt Ekland straight away

And thus you would have been safe, and the islanders would have gone "Bugger, now what?".

[ironjade]

I know it's heresy but the cut version makes it more of a mystery and I think it's much better. The first time I saw it I had no idea how it was going to end.

[QWERTYOP]

Nothing quite like it. Spooky, weird, just plain odd, chilling...

[mistygal]

I did not know there was a short and long version. I don't know which one I have then on DVD or whch one I watched originally on Sky. I can say it is the early one though lol
I agree the remake was rubbish.
Can anyone explain the short to longer version please? I don't mean running time either lol

[earsnot]

Love the original, haven't seen the remake and don't intend to, but I've seen the scene where Nic Cage punches out a women while wearing a bear costume

[Zeus]

Originally Posted by earsnot

Love the original, haven't seen the remake and don't intend to, but I've seen the scene where Nic Cage punches out a women while wearing a bear costume

Apparently Cage and the Bear Costume were nominated for the Best On Screen Couple Award at the Razzies.

[Zeus]

Also apparently there is a "spiritual sequel" coming out later this year, The Wicker Tree, directed by Robin Hardy (director of the original) and featuring Sir Christopher Lee.

[NP73]

Originally Posted by grimtales1

Wasn't her Scots accent also dubbed?

I think it was only when she sung it was dubbed. By one of the girls in the schoolroom scene, I think, possibly the one with the beetle.

[mllfap]

Originally Posted by mistygal

I did not know there was a short and long version. I don't know which one I have then on DVD or whch one I watched originally on Sky. I can say it is the early one though lol
I agree the remake was rubbish.
Can anyone explain the short to longer version please? I don't mean running time either lol

The film was cut without the film makers knowledge by its new owners before it was released as they didn't know what to do with it so they made it shorter to use it as the second half of a double feature.

The short version makes it appear as if Howie was there for one night but the long version makes him stay an extra night and for this to be achieved not only were cuts made but some of the remaining scenes had their order changed.

Forgotten by its legal owners the film appeared on tv in the late 70's / early 80's in its cinema version on ITV.
It also found a new audience when Thorn EMI released it on video around 1982.

As it gained popularity people became aware that the full version was lost and the search was on.
Roger Corman had licenced the film for its US release but by the time its popularity had reached cult status the only surviving version of the complete film was on a low band NTSC video recording.

BBC were first to show a longer version and the Moviedrome broadcast in the mid 90's restored some footage but IIRC the pre-credits scenes in the police station were still missing- the BBC version was definitely still a few minutes short.
There was a small animated face that appeared at the end of the closing credits of the Moviedrome version and I've not seen that shot again anywhere not even on the dvd.

All the dvd releases have included both versions but the footage exclusive to the long version is easily spotted by the big drop in quality.

A Bluray release was announced a couple of years ago but its never happened.
As the UK release would be from Optimum who are not known for the best releases on the format we can hope a US company gets there first.

[mllfap]

Originally Posted by NP73

I think it was only when she sung it was dubbed. By one of the girls in the schoolroom scene, I think, possibly the one with the beetle.

Ekland was dubbed for the whole film

[SteelEdge]

The remake is absolutely hilarious!!! One of the most unintentionally funny films of all time. I always try and catch it whenever it's on tv

[Radiomaniac]

One of my favourite films ever and my favourite horror ever - and starring my absolute screen idol - Sir Christopher Lee. Also Edward Woodward, he was another of my favourites, sadly gone.

This film couldn't be bettered whoever remade it, or whoever were in the lead roles - it's a classic.

I love the music throughout too.

If I had been on the island, I think I'd have been one of Lord Summerisle's devotees too!

[halloweenbabe]

A friend of mine was an extra in this... played a corpse