# Anyone planning to see Nick Cage's THE WICKRER MAN? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 28, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516 "2006-08-28T13:54:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/41 "2006-08-30T00:09:28Z")
[QUOTE=SmartAleq] So, for those who have Netflix and haven’t seen TWM, get it–because you won’t see the cover! [/QUOTE] Nice try, but is it possible to select it without seeing an image of the cover? Spoiler packaging stinks on ice. Those of you who hate, hate Nicholas Cage should consider seeing it just to see his character die a horrible death – that is, if LaBute hasn’t gone totally Hollywood and deep-sixed TWM’s classic downer ending. Years ago I paid to see Bugsy in the theater just to see Bruce Willis get fitted in cement shoes, and I must say I found his death scene strangely satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/42 "2006-08-30T00:31:58Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] Those of you who hate, hate Nicholas Cage should consider seeing it just to see… [/QUOTE] Only if it happens in the first 5 minutes of the film, for real. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/43 "2006-08-30T01:11:36Z")
In the original, there were no clearly supernatural phenomena – it was all about people and their beliefs and actions. The trailer for the new version suggests they’re going to do it very differently, with real magic. I don’t think that’s a good choice. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/44 "2006-08-30T02:25:16Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] What is this from? Sounds vaguely familiar. [/QUOTE] What **LoopyDude** said. It’s a quote from Futurama that can fit almost any purpose, and something about **LoopyDude** ’s post brought it to mind for me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/45 "2006-08-30T02:33:43Z")
Specifically **Episode 2: The Series Has Landed**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/46 "2006-08-31T23:50:32Z")
Rottentomatoes is ballyhooing the fact that this is one of three major pictures debuting this weekend that aren’t available to critics for prescreening. Bad sign, that. Reading about the remake online, it seems that the remake substitutes a secular, civic sense of guilt and duty for the original detective’s moral and religious convictions (although Det. Howie was also very professional about his work, too). Unfortunately, it also sounds as though the psychological motivation for Nic Cage’s detective (namely, to successfully save the life of a young girl, after having failed to do so at a fiery car crash while on the job earlier) is driven home with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. One source mentioned the accident as being referred to in repeated flashbacks… another, to dream sequences and the like. (Then again, in the original film, Det. Howie’s devoutness as an Anglican was established initially through an extended flashback montage of him in church; and his partially solving the mystery is accomplished through more flashbacks, with voiceover.) In any event, the contest of ideas (to the extent that there is one) in the remake sounds more like one of secular modernity and male supremacy vs. the Olde Tyme Religion and its traditional, matriarchal ways, rather than Christianity vs. paganism per se. It remains to be seen whether Cage’s Det. Malus will be identified with Christianity at all, except by default in the diffuse sense that the vast majority of Americans are steeped in a Judeo-Christian culture, and whether LaBute will go all misogynistic in his treatment of the clash of gender politics. I’m also keen to discover if the matriarchal hierarchy of this village was knowingly introduced to the community as part of a desperate, calculated power ploy, as [neo-]paganism was re-introduced to the Scots in the original. It would be amusing if it were explained that this community was descended from an early-17th-C. colonial settlement of naive, irresponsible adventurers and would-be profiteers looking for [Indian] gold instead of laying away plenty of salted venison and fish for the winter, while learning to plant corn, beans and squash like the natives – and that at some point a female ancestor saved the colony from going the way of Roanoke with a novel combination of her indigenously invented matriarchy, paganism, and bee-keeping[!]. Implausible as all hell, but amusing all the same… ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/47 "2006-09-01T01:22:09Z")
[QUOTE=Fear the Turtle] Sorry. My ass will be firmly planted in a theater seat watching [del]Transporter 3[/del] **Crank**. I think I have a man-crush on Stathan. [/QUOTE] Viva la hijack! Damn, Jason Statham is hot… I just wish he’d quit making shitty movies. I mean, I keep sitting through them, expecting something better. Shouldn’t Guy Ritchie have a Statham vehicle coming out pretty soon? He’s due… ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/48 "2006-09-01T13:24:53Z")
From some previews I saw, a main undoing may be this- in the original, Summerisle looks like a hell of a lot of fun. You wanna party with these people! in this one, the previews show a “The Village”-esque stilted-language dour bunch of matriarchs. It’s in town this week, so I’m seeing it- God be with me! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/49 "2006-09-01T13:44:16Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] …whether LaBute will go all misogynistic in his treatment of the clash of gender politics. [/QUOTE] It’s LaBute. Is there really any doubt whatsoever? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/50 "2006-09-01T19:38:12Z")
17% on the Tomatometer. Not a good sign. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/51 "2006-09-01T21:01:55Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] Rottentomatoes is ballyhooing the fact that this is one of three major pictures debuting this weekend that aren’t available to critics for prescreening. Bad sign, that. [/quote] Avoiding critics is increasingly common, but when you have other bad signs… > [@](#): > > Reading about the remake online, it seems that the remake substitutes a secular, civic sense of guilt and duty for the original detective’s moral and religious convictions (although Det. Howie was also very professional about his work, too). Unfortunately, it also sounds as though the psychological motivation for Nic Cage’s detective (namely, to successfully save the life of a young girl, after having failed to do so at a fiery car crash while on the job earlier) is driven home with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. You’re right that Howie’s religion was established in a similar way - although I don’t think the flashbacks were repeated - but the real problem is that this is **the tritest thing on earth**. If I saw that in a movie, I’d just laugh at the cliche. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/52 "2006-09-02T02:21:52Z")
Alright, I have no intention of shelling out money to see what I’ve heard has turned out to be a crappy crapfest. But can one of you poor souls who’s had a chance to go and see it by now tell me did they wimp out at the end? ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/53 "2006-09-02T02:28:20Z")
Wow, the critics are hating this film big time. Currently 11% on the [Tomatometer](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wicker_man/). Best review quote: “When he was reading the script and saw the part of the movie where he is supposed to run through the forest in a bear suit, I hope Cage asked for a huge pay raise.” ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/54 "2006-09-02T03:20:04Z")
You know, the troubling thing is that by now I feel I rather want to see it, sort of like probing a bad tooth. But I also reckon that this will be a handy excuse for one of the television channels here to give the original another airing, so that has to be good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/55 "2006-09-02T14:22:24Z")
> [@](#): > > [LaBute] turns Shaffer’s compelling war of beliefs – doctrinaire Calvinism vs. dogmatic animism, each as rewarding and demanding as the other – into a wishy-washy clash between ‘normal society’ and womynist weirdos. Pretty much what we were afraid of. Plus no nudity. Double-screw that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/56 "2006-09-02T18:21:27Z")
One could write off this remake with a couple of snarky one-liners (and tips-'o-the-hat to the original), a la: “Hacks. Bloody hacks!” or, “No, I was _not_ refreshed!” But since I’m such a _Wicker Man_ geek and take this all way too seriously, I’m determined to work out my thoughts in a coherent, belabored essay… but not right now. I’m just too damned depressed and tired and need to take a nap or something. And it’s not that I thought the movie misfired on all cylinders or lacks any merit; it’s actually quite good in some respects (such as with some of the details and themes related to beekeeping), but was fatally slapdash and misconceived with respect to many of the details, ideas, and emotional tones. There were many instances where I thought it could have been better – the plot mechanics tighter and more realistic, the island life more bizarre and insular, and the betrayal more heartbreaking. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/57 "2019-09-28T10:55:36Z")
Im reviving this thread because we have all been approaching this film the wrong way. Inspired by this review at IMDB [thealtmangoodbye's Review of The Wicker Man - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1535097/?ref_=tt_urv) > [@](#): > > 1/10 > > the most unintentionally comedic film ever made… > 2 December 2006 > > This movie is a laugh riot! You’ll be rolling in the aisles with all your buddies as Nicolas Cage attempts to ride a bicycle! Or when Leelee Sobieski tries to act! Or when the film totally jumps the railings in the final few scenes! I saw this movie with a few friends in an almost completely empty theatre and we were giggling from the first reel to the last. Full of misogyny, lines that are completely unintentional howlers, every horror movie cliché you can imagine, and a performance by Ellen Burstyn so awful that you’ll wonder how she was ever nominated for an Oscar, let alone allowed to be in films. When the ending of your movie has your character punching out a giant fat woman, stealing her bear costume from her, and prancing along to save a little girl from a bunch of other people dressed up in animal costumes, you know you’ve got a stinker. Not only that, but it’s from everyones favorite woman hater, Neil Labute. Hey, Neil, still scared of girls? That’s too bad, maybe some day you will no longer fear the cooties. The original Wicker Man was an absolute laugh riot as well (the art school crowd will tell you it’s really, really DEEP, but don’t listen to them), but at least it sort of knew it was bad…I think. So, I guess I can recommend this film as an evening of laughs, but don’t go in expecting anything scary. Im giving this a rewatch as a comedy. So far, so bad its good. Its on HBO On Demand for anyone interested in losing two hours of their life they can never get back. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/58 "2019-09-28T15:51:55Z")
I have already lost those 2 hours. Even as a so-bad-it’s-good attempt, this movie fails. Watch it if you like Nick Cage, I guess? It’s not the worse movie ever made, but I’m really glad I didn’t pay to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/59 "2019-09-28T16:36:45Z")
This quote from that review is actually stated backwards: > [@reviewer](#): > > a performance by Ellen Burstyn so awful that you’ll wonder how she was ever nominated for an Oscar, let alone allowed to be in films. should be “a performance by Ellen Burstyn so awful that you’ll wonder how she was ever allowed to be in films, let alone nominated for an Oscar.” This bit of pedantic fluff offered by your local fluffy pedant. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516/60 "2019-09-28T16:53:35Z")
Not the beeeeeeees! 🐝🐝🐝 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-planning-to-see-nick-cages-the-wickrer-man/370516.md?page=4)