TCM is airing the one, the only, the totally original *The Wicker Man *[1973], starring the recently deceased Edward Woodward, in six minutes.
There aren’t many 60’s-style sexploitation police procedural black comedy musical horror films… in fact, I think this is the only one of its kind. (And it’s got one heck of an original soundtrack!)
So, check it out, if you’ve never seen it before… I can promise you you’ll find it a memorable experience!
I’m an insomniac, my TV’s on, and I saw this just in time, so I turned it to TCM… let’s see!
Aw, crap, it’s the abbreviated version! You won’t get “Gently Johnny” (a ribald coming-of-age song of sorts… snerk) or the full version of “Siren’s Song,” or other sundry bits and pieces. Like the crappola intro in the police station… but it’s still better than nothing for the, ahem, uninitiated.
I gotta go to bed. The bad puns are regrettable, but I plead diminished capacity. Besides, I have the longer restored version in a lim-ed. box set, yeah me!
One of the best movies ever made.
Hear, hear!
I meant to add, enjoy the show, nyctea… I try to remember to log into this thread tomorrow for an in-depth discussion of the film with/if anyone’s interested. Do go ahead and enjoy this version; in some ways – and this is heresy of me to say this – but in a couple of ways at least the shortest version’s actually superior to the longer, partially-restored version.
Here comes the “musical” part – checking into the inn, the guys in the bar break into song about the sexy Landlord’s Daughter…!
p.s. The landlord seems quite flamboyant.
WOAH! That was unexpected… an orgy outside on the shore!
Naked singing girl…
Tell her to shut up, you’re trying to sleep!
This is weird!
Creepy! The beetle in the desk and the despicable little liars!
p.s. The maypole song is pretty cool.
Wait - where is that piece of skin from?!
A jar of foreskins?!
p.s Did ya see that phallic-shaped hedge?
The piece of skin tied to a tree in the “churchyard”? It’s an umbilical cord.
“But they are… naked!”
“Naturally… It’s much too dangerous to jump through fire with your clothes on!”
I actually prefer the abbreviated version to the longer version; I think it was a wise decision to excise some of the parts. The intro with the police station and Howie on the mainland is far too long; the movie opening with the seaplane flying over the island and that folk song which segues into “Corn Rigs” is more effective. The other thing is that the long version introduces Lord Summerisle too early on in the film; when he’s “presenting” Ash Buchanan to Willow (dressed up in a traditional Scottish costume.) The abbreviated version is better because it only shows you Summerisle after he has already been built up into this mysterious figure; and the scene where he finally makes his appearance, coming out from behind a huge chair in his office dressed in a tweed suit and necktie, is a lot more striking. Also, Gently Johnny is sort of one of the weaker songs of the soundtrack. Really I think the editing made a lot of sense.
This movie is definitely in my top 10 and maybe even top 5. The music is just amazing, and the way it is worked into the movie is ingenious.
“Have these children never heard of Jesus”
“Himself the son of a virgin, impregnated, I believe, by a ghost…”
lol!
I love seeing old movies where the actors don’t have perfect straight white teeth. These people have real, crooked, brown teeth! You don’t see that too often these days.
That hare is in pretty good shape for having been buried for 8 months!
So I guess there’s no telephone on the island for him to call in backup?? Or a radio??
Chop! Chop! Chop!
Oh noes!!!