Rating: 
Summary: Flame On!
Review: What a film! I first saw it as a young boy, and, without even following it that closely, was horrified. The transformation, as if through time as well as space, of the very human, responsible, modern policeman, to this alien community where virtually nothing can be safely relied upon and the entire community seems to be of one insular and sinister mind, is a powerful one.Watched it again this week for the first time in almost 30 years, and it still lives up to expectations. This film was MADE for Christopher Lee, while Edward Woodward's performance, as what inexorably becomes a bumbling and hapless character, is superb. Britt Ekland and Diane Cilento are real beauties; the other performances and the thread of the storyline are convincingly gripping, and the filming locations together with the 'otherworldly' music augment the film with its essential, mystic qualities. As an enthusiast of Celtic music and customs, I accord that most of the pagan references of the film had some source in what is known, or has been researched, of ancient beliefs and practices amongst these people's pre-Christian ancestors. This brings it closer in some ways to the hypothetical scenario of a community sealed off from Christian and other enlightening influences, but somehow not completely cut off from 20th Century customs. The pagan customs and rituals shown are more evocative of what might have been seen in 'pagan revivals' in more southerly parts of the British Isles, in post-Christian times, and at odds with the spirit and outlook of even the most 'insulated' parts of Highland Scotland, where people were amongst the first to embrace Christianity, and are still guided by its values today. Also, the names of people and places, plus the style of the music, are patently not Gaelic, which the Highlands fundamentally are, while the 'Scottishness' of some of the acting is far from authentic! That said, the film really works, and in many ways it's the bizarreness, almost clumsiness, of these aspects, that make 'Summerisle' so sinister. Compulsive viewing!
Rating:
Summary: Best bad movie ever!
Review: Don't watch this movie if you're looking for a horror film.
Don't watch it if you're looking for something very serious.
Don't watch it if you get easily annoyed by camp or non-Christian religions. DO watch it if you have an interest in things Pagan.
DO watch it if you like campy movies.
DO watch it if you like Christopher Lee. This movie is not a horror movie. The camp is too much for it to really frighten anyone. It is, however, a delightful film. I won't say that the acting is of high quality except for the cases of Christopher Lee (charming) and Edward Woodward (self-righteous). It's a bad movie, let's be honest. But it is one of those rare bad movies that has a charm all its own, hence its cult status. I've heard people complain that Woodward's character is totally lacking in sympathy. I sort of feel like that's the point. It's ok to empathize with the "bad guys" instead. If you've seen Ian McKellen play Richard III on film, you adore that evil manipulative tyrant. Same thing here. I found myself falling in love with this idyllic little Pagan utopia, where kids are taught about the Maypole's phallic symbolism, men and women make love in the fields, and the guy in charge wears a kilt...except for the small fact that they have this nasty little habit of human sacrifice.
Not everyone will like the movie. In fact, it's sort of a "love it or hate it" flick. If you enjoy a good bad movie and are interested in Paganism, this will be a delight. If you prefer serious films and don't give a fig about the old religion, well, it's probably not for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Queen of the May, King for a Day
Review: It helps to go into "The Wicker Man" with only the barest plot details: a prim Scottish policeman investigates a girl's disappearance in a remote island community. The film begins with a title card thanking the "Lord Summerisle" for his assistance, so you know this, like "Fargo" and "Blair Witch", is based on real life. After a panoramic look at the islands off the west coast of Scotland, accompanied by Scottish folk music, Sergeant Howie arrives at Summerisle, and is instantly told by about ten grizzled islanders that he's arrived at "private property". For this is an island where those with Biblical names (Rachel and Benjamin) have long since died, and all the adults and children are named after trees: Myrtle, Willow, Ash, Oak, Rowan. Christians like Howie no longer have a place here. This setup is evocative of dozens of Hammer Horror movies and other British television horror (several "Avengers" and "Doctor Who" episodes spring to mind), all of which begin with the suspicious villagers who clearly have something to hide. So it's a credit to Anthony Shaffer's script that, as Howie's investigation unfolds, his own sense of revulsion soars right past the usual level of "disgusted" and goes all the way to "mortal fear". The theme of the movie is "hunted leading the hunter". It helps to keep an eye out for all the clues Howie misses along the way (at one point, Christopher Lee wearily asks, "Aren't you supposed to be the detective?"). When Howie finally finds his objective, that's when the real trap unfolds about him. I love the staging of the penultimate sequence high on the cliffs, almost as much as I love the staging of the final scene. Also of note is that the Wicker Man himself, the title character, is not even alluded to until those final moments. I'm not sure if it helps or hurts that I didn't know what a Wicker Man was until I watched the making-of documentary on the DVD ("The Wicker Man Enigma") after I'd seen the feature itself. Maybe I haven't seen enough British pagan horror. What's undeniable, though, is the effect his appearance has on Howie, and that's where the movie generates its real power. Look carefully for the DVD's easter egg, what appears to be a 1970's film discussion program from Louisiana. An overweight American in a powder-blue suit gushes his love for the film to studio guests Lee and director Robin Hardy. One of the film sequences played on the program is a scene deleted from the theatrical release, and only restored for the DVD limited edition: Christopher Lee and the amorous snails. The most fun part of this show is when the host enthusiastically compares Hardy to a young American director whose TV-movie debut, "Duel", recently found theatrical success on the Continent. He calls that man "Steven Shpielberg".
Rating:
Summary: "Time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man."
Review: 'The Wicker Man' is a bit like a Hammer Horror with a degree. It's an unusual movie; part detective story; part drama; part horror; part folk musical; but all its elements fuse together perfectly. Edward Woodward is a police constable on the mainland in Scotland, who recieves an anonymous message informing him that a child on Summer Isle has gone missing. He is a dutiful, and deeply Christian officer who goes off to the island in his light plane to investigate. On arrival he finds a Pagan society (And thus, as a Christian, one that he finds disgusting.) and a whole bunch of people who are claiming that the missing girl never existed in the first place. 'The Wicker Man' is a marvellous film with an unforgettable climax. You need the extended version. It is much better than the original theatrical one. The movie was cut by the distributors on the rather peculiar grounds that they believed it to be abject garbage. Critics were more favourable, but the additional footage the director intended to have in the original version had gone missing. It was many years later that a copy of the film as the director had intended it was found (Apparently Roger Corman had the material.) and the elements finally restored. The film just makes more sense in its extended form. Howey (Woodward in a truly towering performance) now spends two nights on the island instead of one. Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) makes an appearance much earlier in the film, and there are scenes at the beginning of the movie that emphasise Howey's Christian beliefs - we see him in the ritual holy communion (Only seen in the theatre version in a brief, meaningless flashback), which was intended to be echoed in the final Pagan ritual at the end. 'The Wicker Man' is a strange, but intelligent hybrid of a movie, with some great performances (And, er, Britt Ekland was... um... pretty, at least.) and a good, thoroughly researched script. Oh and give the folk songs a chance! By the third time you watch the movie (And you will want to watch it again and again) you'll be singing along.... "And on that tree there was a branch and on that branch there was a boy..."
Rating: 
Summary: Bad bad movie
Review: OK this is going to be a very short review this movie stinks. I felt like I was ripped off. I was not scared and just don't see how so many people liked this film. I like all types of films and art but this movie is horrible, terrible, and boring. But this is not the worst movie I have seen that distinction belongs to the classic 'Dawn of the Dead'. So I guess if you like 'Dawn of the Dead' then you might like this one. I was very disappointed with this film.
Rating:
Summary: Great Reviews!....Why?
Review: Oh man...this movie was bad. I heard a lot of good things about it. I heard it was scary, intelligent, and most of all entraining. So, I decided to fork out money for the special edition.
After finishing the movie I felt like all hope in humanity was lost....Okay, it's not that bad. However, I don't see how it could get so many great reviews! I mean I like a lot of movies from Magnolia to Hedwig and The Angry Inch. I figured this would be one of those movies that blow me away and I would go to each one of my family members and friends and tell them all about it.
Oh how I was wrong. The movie has a horrible story...if you do like this movie it's for the sex and sex only. It's boring, too long, and boring again! Don't buy this movie. Please, if you want to keep your soul intact DO NOT BUY NOR RENT THIS MOVIE!
Rating:
Summary: NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
Review: I could give this movie 5 stars based on it's uniqueness and boldness alone. I have seen a lot of horror movies in my life but I have never (IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!) seen ANYTHING LIKE THIS! HORRIFIC is definitely the word! If lots of nudity bothers you THIS MOVIE IS NOT FOR YOU! If paganism bothers you THIS MOVIE IS NOT FOR YOU! If you are not bothered by shocking subject matter and like surprise endings THIS MOVIE IS FOR YOU! A short summary: A detective from the mainland goes to the island of Summerisle, which still actively and openly practices pagan rituals and traditions, in search of a missing girl. What he sees their horrifies him(and it horrified me also!)but he continues his search for the girl. When he finally figures out what is going on he decides to stay on the Island and continue his search for the girl.--BAD MOVE FOR HIM!!!! (I WOULD HAVE GONE BACK TO THE MAINLAND FOR BACK-UP LONG BEFORE. BUT HEY THAT'S JUST ME!) I was able to figure out the ending before it got there but it still took (me) a while. One thing I really like about this movie is all the lovely-sounding music. I really dug the music. The lyrics are bizarre but at the same time unique and refreshing. If you want to see something different and do not have a weak heart I say give it a try.--But don't say I didn't warn you!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Don't be a chump, buy it while you can...
Review: With this film's history, especially the struggle to gain realistic distribution and to restore something of the original content, you simply cannot afford to let this superb 2 disc set slip by. It has taken many years to get this much together, and if it were to become unavailable... I strongly urge you to get it while you can. Whether we will ever see a more complete version is a total unknown, but this exquisitely packaged set offers the fullest version yet seen, primarily consisting of the scenes on the Scottish mainland which set the background to Howie and the mystery letter mentioning the disappearance of Rowan Morrison. This is unquestionably an Art movie, in the same sense that Jacob's Ladder and Don't Look Now (a Wicker Man stablemate) were. Yet it manages to entertain on many levels, being both visually and aurally compelling. The soundtrack by the sadly late Paul Giovanni is simply stunning and the recently-released soundtrack album, which includes the haunting Gently Johnny, is another must for the serious fan. The Wicker Man soundtrack has always been the Unholy Grail of soundtrack albums, so again, I wouldn't let it slip away. There have been so many superb reviews that I won't go into plot details here, but I would like to attest to the excellent job the creators of this wonderful 2 disc set have done, right down to the ingenious wooden case. The Extras are superb, especially the lengthy interview/documentary footage with Hardy and Shaffer and the excellent Ingrid Pitt, Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. While through no fault of her own, Ingrid's role is barely more than a cameo, Woodward and Lee give some of the best performances of their impressive careers. While I would not consider the movie to be a Horror movie as such, the suspense builds majestically, and the only violence is entirely in context. Similarly, the nudity is tasteful and entirely valid within the context of a movie set in a pagan community. Britt shines in Willow's temptress dance and Ingrid Pitt delivers a masterfully understated and all-too-brief wordless performance in the search scene where Howie enters her cottage unannounced, to find her in the bath. If you're a total Ingrid Pitt fan, as I always have been, the Step and Slow keys will enable you to savor this vampish delivery. This is one of those rare movies in which the sets, the music, the casting, the locations, the production and direction and screenplay simply cannot be faulted. Having bought the superb making-of book Inside The Wicker Man from Amazon UK, this double DVD is just the icing on the cake, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: I've never seen a horror film quite like this...
Review: Okay, so, I lied... It's sort of like Rosemary's Baby. Sort of. As much as I like Rosemary's Baby, I think The Wicker Man goes a step further... a mile long step further. It's difficult to review this movie without giving too much away... I mean it started out really, well, bland. (I mean I almost stopped watching, but I'm glad I didn't.) However, there comes a subtle turning point where the movie delicately draws you in to its madness... I say this isn't you typical horror film because it doesn't really have any of the cliche elements that make a horror film. But don't let that fool you... This movie is so very disturbing. Give it a chance! You won't regret it...
(...or maybe you will, because it's just so damn creepy.)
Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Chilling
Review: "The Wicker Man" was always a bit of a disappointment to me because long before I got a chance to watch the movie, I accidentally learned how it ended. Therefore, the final devastating moments of this Christopher Lee/Edward Woodward horror-drama lacked the punch it probably has for most viewers who go into "The Wicker Man" totally unaware. Try to avoid learning a lot about this movie before you watch it because I assure you that you will be much happier with the results. Imagine a film about paganism and the philosophical implications of a modern day Christian encountering such a primitive religion, with all of its attendant rituals and colorful ceremonies, alive and well on a Scottish isle and you have the basic premise of this haunting movie. "The Wicker Man" is considered by many to be one of the greatest cult horror films ever made, and while I don't think this claim is necessarily true, I still found much to like here. Police Sergeant Neil Howie arrives on a small island off the coast of Scotland on a mission to follow up an anonymous tip he received about a missing girl. We learn right from the start that the police sergeant is a devout, no nonsense Christian, but even he isn't prepared for the weirdness running rampant through the byways of this community. Right from the start, things on Summerisle seem downright weird. The locals drinking in the pub where Howie procures lodgings are extremely strange folk, as is Willow, the daughter of the inn owner. That very night the police sergeant has an erotic encounter with Willow that is sure to test the faith of the most ardent Christian. Further eeriness rears its head when Howie sees strange goings on at the local school, some of the bizarre customs practiced on the island, and finally meets with the wild haired eccentric Lord Summerisle. It turns out that most people don't seem all that concerned about the missing girl Howie is looking for. Howie rapidly goes from a state of perplexity to one of utter repugnance as he gradually learns the true secrets of the this island: the people here, led by the zealous Lord Summerisle, are practicing pagans who emphatically reject the Christianity so adored by Howie. But as much as the police sergeant thinks he knows, he is in for a very rude awakening as the movie twists and turns to its grim conclusion. "The Wicker Man" is a very colorful movie, with plenty of dancing, singing, and great costumes. The music is quite unique, at least for me, and plays a big part throughout the picture. What I liked best about this film was the cast. Britt Ekland turns up in the small role of Willow, the pagan temptress who tries to seduce Howie with a rather sultry dance in the beginning of the film. Christopher Lee is a bit of a question mark here. In an interview included on the disc, he claims that "The Wicker Man" was the best role he ever had in a movie. Moreover, he loved the film so much that he personally called film critics in order to help get the film some much needed publicity. Most of what Lee says about his part in this production is a bit of surprise because his character really doesn't appear in many scenes of the film, and when he does show up, he doesn't really do much. Apparently, some missing footage contained several lengthy scenes of Lee as Lord Summerisle, so perhaps this helps explain his limited screen time. The real prize in the film is Edward Woodward in the role of Neil Howie. Like most people, the only exposure I have had with this actor was his stint in the American television series "The Equalizer" a few years ago. In "The Wicker Man," Woodward shines as the hard-nosed Howie, a dedicated cop who adequately conveys the sort of outrage concerning the shenanigans on Summerisle one would expect from a deeply religious man. Even though I knew how the film ended, Howie's reactions to his fate still chilled me to the bone. Woodward alone provides the biggest reason you should watch this movie. What a fine actor. The DVD version of the film boasts an impressive array of extras, specifically interviews with principals Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and some background about director Robin Hardy and screenwriter Anthony Schaffer. You even get some information about the conditions endured by cast and crew alike as they filmed the project (poor, poor Edward Woodward and that scared goat!). The controversy surrounding the distribution of the film, which the studio cut and sloppily marketed, is discussed in some detail. Christopher Lee still looks mad over the missing footage, which he claims is probably in someone's basement or attic waiting to be found. The official explanation is that a mistake made while cleaning out a film vault resulted in parts of this film being thrown in the back of a dump truck. Even if this enigmatic footage never surfaces, the film I saw was still massively entertaining. I cannot say that this is the best picture I have ever seen, but its reputation requires all cinema fans to give it a watch. It's definitely unique enough to stand out in the old memory banks well after the closing credits fade to black. Any film that can accomplish that feat is worthy of a five star rating, wouldn't you say
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