The crime of The Wicker Man Remake is not being a terrible movie. It is that when anyone hears the word Wicker Man, the only response will be "Not the bees" instead of a recognition of this enchanting, original, one of a kind movie.
Its amazing how Christopher Lee remembers this movie 100%. Most actors if you ask them about a movie even 5 years after they make it and they say "Oh yes, i remember that film. I've made many films since then...I've almost forgot about it" And here is a true professional who remembers damn near all 270+ movies he's done. True (and humble) gentleman actor. Deserves more accolades than he's been given for sure.
jedinightwing Well he wasn't just in it. He took a very (extremely) active role in the film's production. He, along with the crew (I'm just saying the crew because I don't remember exactly who-- I think it was the writer and the director) in just trying to get it made.
I actually met this great actor on a trip to Lithuania to watch Scotland play. Everyone was singing on the plane (robert burns songs etc) and the stewardess told us to be quiet. A man stood up and said she should be quiet because he thought 220 people singing burns was wonderful. That man was the legendary Sir Christopher Lee.
He's just one of those people, I'd just carefully choose my words to speak with. He is so intelligent it's scary.I wish I could just meet him and get closer to him. One can dream.
As a fan of Christopher Lee I came very late to The Wicker Man but it blew my mind. Such a spellbinding film. It immediately shot up to my favourite Lee-film ever.
It is such a bizarre yet awesome movie. I mean, it's a crime mystery, but it's also a musical, and it ends up being a horror film. Lee does a fantastic job as did Edward Woodward.
R.I.P. great actor Christopher Lee. This is making me feel a bit sad. Christopher Lee --- once the best film Draculas, Italian-British; he actually met J. R. R. Tolkien; played Saruman, Jinnah of Pakistan, The Wicker Man, had a part in "Gormenghast", played Fu Manchu, played Count Dooku in Star Wars saga, Scaramanga in James Bond film, etc; friend of Peter Cushing, sang symphonic metal about Charlemagne; really great guy. Should've been given an honorary Oscar. TCM will do an all day tribute to him, I'm sure.
I loved Mr Lee in Wicker Man! That's one of my very favorite movies ever. It was so beautifully done. All the ancient pagan fertility stuff! And I looooove Paul Giovanni 's madrigal like music.
I absolutely love the original The Wicker Man. Besides the drama, mystery, religious dogma and the horror, it's one of my favorite *musicals* ! I know every song and sing along every time I watch it!
+Seth Tyrssen I disagree about the remake. It was the fact that it was incredibly awful that makes it completely unforgettable. It's like an unintentional comedy.
I bumped into Christopher Lee in Harrods. What struck me was how much presence he had, his gaze were magnetic, mesmerizing, very imposing. He also carried himself very well, even at his age his posture was very erect. U can see very clearly why they chose him to play Dracula.
They just dont make them like that anymore. Unsettling, unnerving, bizzarre, pure suspense. These movies back then were just so risky and carefree you never knew what was coming.
Christopher Lee is simply legendary, and The Wicker Man is one of the most remarkable British films ever. Apparently since the budget was so low he agreed to play Lord Summerisle for free, thats how much he loved the script. Surprised he didn't mention that here. Regards
Ten times better? Wow. I've always thought The Wicker Man was unmatched in terms of paranoia, claustrophobia and -- the ending is one of the best ever. Sheer psychological terror without a single drop of gore or image of explicit carnage. It's really perfect. I can't imagine what a restored version would be like.
I remember the first time I watched it: it was one of those late night movie sessions on TV. I was very sleepy and I promised myself, before every commercial break that I had to turn the TV off and went to bed. I could't do it. It was one of those films that can catch you.
Genuinely shocked and sad at the recent passing of Christopher Lee. It was only several months ago that I first watched The Wicker Man, I loved his performance. RIP.
What an amazing person he was! I am so sorry that I haven't met him, but I am also glad that I can see him and hear him on the internet. Lee is one of those people who were really special in many, many ways. No other person will be able to replace Christopher Lee.
He is so well spoken and articulate, and such an interesting man to listen to, I could listen for days. The Wicker Man is the best movie in all movie history in my opinion, an intelligent movie.
I'll dearly miss seeing Sir Christopher Lee appearing in new films. I grew up watching Hammer and Amicus movies featuring him and Peter Cushing besides the films of Vincent Price. He is the last or the greats to pass and I will celebrate his life by continuing to enjoy his movies over and over again. R.I.P.
The Wicker Man is a classic, a mixture of horror, paganism, erotism, with a plot that twists and turns, and unsettles you at times, with a haunting music score full of Celtic folky pagan influenced harmonies, and with brilliant actors Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward putting in great acting performances, its a witty edge of your seat rollercoaster of a film , with arguably the most dramatic and shocking ending to a film in movie history, this timeless cult classic is like a fine wine , gets better and better with age
I love the intro music to this film. It's as if the police officer represents the great suffering inflicted upon them in days past and that dire retribution is in order. Ochon, Ochon, Ochrie!
One of my all time favorite horror movies, I just watched my Blu-Ray of 'The Wicker Man, The Final Cut' this Halloween evening, This is a movie that burns itself into your brain especially with it's unforgettable ending and it's easy to see why it's Sir Christopher Lee's favorite film.
cha5 I also saw the movie (i have the Blu ray, the steelbook) and i personally do not like it because it's very painful, and i'm a catholic and i do not like the atheist and pagan message against christians and believers. But i've watched all of Christopher's movies and i like him very much. I like more his classic terror movies, because they weren't made against beliefs, they just were classic horror stories made with good taste. RIP.
Alfredo Di Stéfano Laulhé I thought the film's intent was simply to point out that Christianity and Paganism are perhaps more similar than they might seem on the surface, not to entirely undermine Christianity, and it's certainly not an aggressively atheist film. Surely the protagonist's crying out of Christ's name as he is ritually sacrificed (basically upon a tree, no less) is not unintentional. It's all just packaged in this horror/thriller genre to make it a more compelling story.
Ra's al Cool I'm a scholar of the roman empire and the christians were persecuted by roman emperors like if they were rats, but it's true that in medieval times, the christians persecuted the pagans too. During the Roman Empire, christians and pagans were two main forces, specially in the days just before the christianity became official with Constantine. They hated each other.
cha5 I just wish the studios treated the film better. I wish the 102 original cut was still available. But, because of the various studios and people so inappropriately handling the film, it's lost to us forever.
Nothing sadder than when great art is lost and never found again, meanwhile there is other crap masquerading as "art" that we can't seem to get rid of!
All these years on, and this film remains for me a great lesson, to warn one of being the kind of fool who sets himself up for failure..... Christopher Lee was a great man, and stands amongst the paragons of all time for being the kind of person who never disguised who he was, but never tyrannised others with it either.
The good guy is Christian and the bad guys are pagan. Its a Christian film. Suck it. You could also say Jesus “failed” because he was killed in a similar way. But because he stood up for the truth and died for the truth. The truth lived on and became the largest religion in history!
Professor Lee, man its such a joy listening to him. The man knows his stuff. And the role in The Wicker Man is unquestionably one of his best performances. The original Wicker Man is a masterpiece.
In all of Sir Christopher Lee's interview he talks with such intellect and such knowledge and memory for each of his films which is really how a dedicated actor who loves what he is doing should be all about. You see often interviews of other actors not even remembering films they were in 5 years ago. Still Greatly Missed and thank you Christopher Lee for all the amazing movie history in your career!
There are a number of versions still available. The US Director's Cut, running at around 99 minutes, is the most complete, but very hard to find these days. The Restoration version from about 1979 (running around 96 minutes) is more common, and the one that is usually referred to as the "Director's Cut". The theatrical version that most people have seen (87 minutes) is of course still the most common. However, even with the 99 minute version there is still about 15 minutes of (according to Lee and Hardy) essential footage missing. Although Lee believed that it still existed somewhere, the official narrative is that the negatives were thrown out by the studio and eventually ended up as landfill for the M4 motorway- so it's unlikely that anyone will ever see the completed version ever again, unfortunately. On this subject I greatly recommend the documentary The Wicker Man Enigma, available on youtube. You might also find of interest this in-depth analysis of each available version: www.steve-p.org/wm/
The Wicker Man was without doubt British Cinema at it's very best; Christopher Lee's performance was flawless and at best for him to defend this fine film from the half-wit critics that didn't understand it's true genius, shows the true mettle and heart of such a talented Man!...Like a fine wine, The Wicker Man simply gets even better with age!!!! Edward Woodward R.I.P
One of the most extraordinary films ever made. Thought provoking, funny, erotic, sensual, challenging, brilliantly acted, beautifully shot and with truly wonderful music.
And as Lee predicted they did find a longer cut of the movie. Not the real full length version, which was apparently sent to the US (to Roger Corman maybe?) and never returned.
This film will never truly receive the respect it deserves, but that is part of the reason I love it so much. The few of us who found this movie on our own, LOVE the fact we found it on our own. The new owners of the studio that produced this film released it with hardly any publicity. Then, to remove any doubts about their idiocy, they released it on a double bill with Roegs Don't Look Now. The new owners were able to not realize they had TWO great films at the same time.
every time i see this noble and respectable man and actor , comes through my mind all the fantastic movies i have seen and the good moments i enjoyed and i still do , every day i like more and more his films, ....
What most of you don't innesrtand is the the remake _absolutely did_ its job. For many, it introduced them to the story, which led them to the original.Every. One. plays a part. 🌟
Definitely one of the underrated actors of all time -and quite possibly THE most underrated one. He certainly deserves a lot more credit than he has received. Fortunately he has quite a lot of fans nowadays.
The whole original movie was just , , , , well dare I say strangely magical. Truth is I don't know how to explain it other than if you haven't watched it, you need to this was something special
Great news as of September 2023 there will be a re-issue with 3 cuts. ( Theatrical cut. Directors cut and the Final Cut which has the lost footage from Lions-gate released version. RIP your wishes has come true Mr Lee.
For Wicker Man fans out there, a sequel-of-sorts called "Cowboys for Christ"; produced by the original team of Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer is due to start filming in Scotland in April. It will also star Christopher Lee in a similar role as a scottish laird with a 'dark side', but not the Lord Summerisle character. Not sure if it is going to have a folk song soundtrack like Wicker Man... hopefully it will.
Watching this I'm just glad the lost sections of the film turned up and they were able to but it back together to fit Hardy's intentions within Lee's lifetime.
Christopher Lee is and always will be a legend. Great film although its production had a shadow over it. This film was cut to bits and valuable scenes just ripped out and cast aside. No wonder Christopher Lee felt so passionate about it.
There's no project Cage becomes involves in that he doesn't make worse. The WM remake was no exception. If he wasn't the paternal nephew of FFCoppola, he'd be selling used cars or teaching driver's ed in Pasadena.
