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The Wicker Man

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The Wicker Man (1973)

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Reviews Counted:45

Fresh:41

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.7/10

Consensus: This intelligent horror film is subtle in its thrills and chills, with an ending that is both shocking and truly memorable.

Runtime: 3 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: A notoriously troubled production notwithstanding, the controversial cult classic THE WICKER MAN is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a naive... A notoriously troubled production notwithstanding, the controversial cult classic THE WICKER MAN is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a naive young police officer sent to Summerisle, a secluded island off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan. When he arrives there, he finds a very tight-knit community that is mistrustful and hostile to outsiders. No one is willing to even acknowledge Rowan's disappearance. Soon, Howie begins to realize that the town might, in fact, be a strange pagan cult, one given to unbridled sexuality and possible human sacrifice. Seeking an audience with the oddly civilized Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), Howie hopes to get to the bottom of the mystery, but instead he finds something more shocking than he could have ever imagined. Written by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH, DEATH ON THE NILE), Robin Hardy's eerie film paints a disturbing portrait of an almost prehistoric, multi-deity worshipping society given to bizarre rituals and Bacchanalian excess. Though recognition may have been a long time coming, THE WICKER MAN stands as a strikingly original achievement that is equal parts horror, drama, comedy, and musical. [More]

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Russell Waters, Aubrey Morris

Director: Robin Hardy

Director: Robin Hardy
Screenwriter: Anthony Shaffer
Producer: Peter Snell

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Release:

Dec 9, 2008

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Reviews for The Wicker Man

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1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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They deliberately cast horror icons to help them break the mold... if you keep in mind its original context, it can be a very interesting film.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
08/31/06
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

The premise is quite intriguing and is certainly sinister, but it's undermined by a too-leisurely pace and musical numbers that are straight out of an x-rated fetish-fantasy as imagined by Walt Disney.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment 5 Comments
12/16/06
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
About.com

Stick with this creepy 1973 masterpiece and you’ll be rewarded by a memorable, haunting ending that follows an almost unbearably tense build-up.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
05/15/02
Catherine Cantieri
Catherine Cantieri
Apollo Guide

... a startling movie, bizarre and disturbing with some touches of macabre humor.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
04/22/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A movie that'll burn its way into your unconscious and give you nightmares for many years to come.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/18/01
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

The ultimate British cult classic - a unique film that straddles genres, features Christopher Lee in a dress and builds toward one of cinema's most memorable climaxes.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
08/24/07
Channel 4 Film

Robin Hardy's 1973 cult horror film passed through several distributors, several versions, and several bankruptcies, picking up a powerful reputation along the way.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/07/08
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Mais do que simplesmente assustador, o filme propõe uma inteligente discussão sobre a natureza cegante das religiões (e o conforto que proporcionam), a intolerância e o fundamentalismo.

comment Comment
06/25/06
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

A mordant study of theological anxiety

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
10/10/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Robin Hardy's and Anthony Shaffer's horror film recently made the BBC's list of the 100 greatest British films ever made.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/17/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Part folk musical, part occult chiller, and quite mad.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
08/24/07
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
10/29/08
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

It envelops you in a time and space that is unfamiliar, fascinating, exotic, and frightening all at once.

Full Review Source: DVD Review | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
DVD Review

This unnerving chiller rises above genre conventions to deliver its own kinds of cool dread and surprises.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
04/05/06
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

A film with a deliberate pace and an ending that will hit you like a lightning bolt out of left field.

comment Comment
03/21/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

The Wicker Man is, more than anything else, a film about what people can do in the name of religion or, more generally, belief. Its power comes not from appeals to the supernatural but from a deep understanding of our own undeniable nature.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/24/07
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine

No review available.

comment Comment
01/22/04
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
EnPrimeur.ca

One of the most intelligent and visually distinctive horror films of the '70s.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
10/30/01
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

No review available.

comment Comment
10/27/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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Latest News for The Wicker Man

April 08, 2008: Wicker Man Sequel Scrapped
Turns out there is a sequel that can't get made. More...

December 27, 2007: Clive Barker and Guillermo del Toro Are Being Born
Clive Barker and Guillermo del Toro are getting ready to explore the dark side of Claymation. More...

August 31, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Crank" Is Well-Ranked; "Illusionist" Is Magic, "Crossover" Is An Air-Ball, "Wicker Man" Gets Burned
This week at the movies, we've got hoopsters with big dreams ("Crossover," starring Anthony Mackie), scary goings-on on remote islands ("The Wicker Man,"... More...

June 19, 2006: Check Out the New "Wicker" Pics
Color me very curious regarding Neil LaBute's upcoming "The Wicker Man." Here we have an indie filmmaker venturing into a new genre, while also remaking one of the... More...

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