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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Dave the Gnome Date: 03 Jun 23 - 02:51 AM Following my comment 4 years ago I am sad to confirm that the Ellengowan has been closed for a couple of years now with no chance of reopening :-( Lovely building and could be restored back to a fine hotel but it would take a lot of time and money |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST Date: 02 Jun 23 - 05:31 PM some of these comments are just from chauvinistic teuchters who resent this classic film being filmed in a neglected area of Scotland (even by the SNP!) rather than the usual phoney 'film sets' like Plockton. We in Galloway are quite happy to live in a lovely, quiet part of Scotland where life goes on without most of the crap of modern life. The 5oth anniversary of the film was remembered last month by the Isle of Whithorn community without any commercial or media interest & all the better for it |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,akenaton Date: 23 Aug 19 - 02:17 PM As one of the very few "highlanders" on this forum, I can say quite categorically this film is a pile of manure....has no relationship to the islands of the West Coast, their religion, or their way of life. Even in a semi historical setting, it is an insult to the Gaelic Culture which I remember from my boyhood. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: robomatic Date: 23 Aug 19 - 01:41 PM So, is it too late to get a Christian up in there and burn that sucker? Or has the balloon, so to speak, gone up already? |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,guest onedtent Date: 23 Aug 19 - 09:55 AM The Wee Wickerman Festival is at the Isle of Whithorn, 16 miles south of Wigtown on Saturday August 24th, (tomorrow). |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Daniel Kelly Date: 22 Aug 19 - 06:17 AM If you are ever in South Australia around May, they have a festival called 'The English Ale' in the small town of Mylor (https://www.theenglishale.org/) which is basically a wicker man event. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Dave the Gnome Date: 22 Aug 19 - 02:55 AM My mate's 'local' is the Ellangowan in Creetown where the pub scenes were filmed. Been there many a time on our visits. Sadly it seems to be being run down :-( |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Mrrzy Date: 22 Aug 19 - 12:07 AM My second-worst experience with the concept of "spoiler" was with this movie. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST Date: 19 Aug 19 - 08:49 AM there is a Wee Wickerman festival near Wigton this coming weekend? |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST Date: 17 Aug 19 - 06:04 PM I hated the film. As a Scot myself, there's nothing worse than cod Scottish regional accents by imported actors. Fake Celticism, laughably bad hair on Christopher Lee, dire out of place music, dire location choices, holey plot, bad psuedo porn scenes, wooden acting.. yet rated a cult cinema classic! Scottish singer Fiona Kennedy made a bit part appearance as a schoolgirl.. I wonder what her father Calum thought of it at the time? One classic scene though when the Wicker Man falls burning to the ground revealing the sun.. but generally a crock of crud. Just one Scot's opinion, but plenty of others have loved it and always will. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST, Onedtent Date: 17 Aug 19 - 12:08 PM The Wicker Man music festival ended a few years ago, after the sudden death of one of the organisers. The Wicker Man that was built for the music festival is still standing in the field where the festival was held. It is just off the road from Kirkcudbright to Dundrennan, and is clearly visible from the road. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST Date: 17 Aug 19 - 11:44 AM so what happened to the WM music festival? |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Dave Sutherland Date: 16 Jul 08 - 03:25 PM The chap who carried Edward Woodward up into The Wicker Man was the wrestler, the late "Wild" Ian Campbell who I often saw fight when I worked at St James's Hall, Newcastle when I was about 16. I remember on one such occasion he gave me a right bollocking for smoking and telling me of all the damage that I would do myself; and there he is in WM puffing away on his pipe!! I finally have my own copy on DVD as my youngest bought me it for my 60th in April. However it is not the director's cut. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine Date: 16 Jul 08 - 03:23 PM That tribute in Lego is hilarious! |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,Trev Date: 16 Jul 08 - 12:27 PM "The rooms where Britt Ekland tried to seduce Edward Woodward and Edward Woodward refused her were 30 miles apart!" Just as well... I'd have to be even further away to resist a naked Britt, any nearer and I'm sure he'd have succumbed. Always puzzled as to how WM is seen as a horror film. Thriller, yes but horror? hmmm. Avoid the Nick Cage version as if you were a virgin cop avoiding SummerIsle! Drab, no sex, no nudity and bees instead of apples! |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Ruth Archer Date: 16 Jul 08 - 11:42 AM this one is even better: More Scottish Hotel |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Ruth Archer Date: 16 Jul 08 - 11:31 AM The landlord reminded me of that strange Scottish whistle-playing hotelier from the first series of Little Britain: Ray McCooney |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Georgiansilver Date: 16 Jul 08 - 11:26 AM Summer Isles off Scotland |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Jack Blandiver Date: 16 Jul 08 - 11:07 AM The body double was only used for the rear shots, the rest of it is Ms Ekland in her glory. The singing voice is Sheila Mackie, who also sang The Highland Widow's Lament which opens the film; not sure who the speaking voice is though, terrible accent and all. And talking of terrible accents, The Landlord himself, Alder McGregor, is played by none other than Lindsay Kemp, mime teacher to both David Bowie and Kate Bush. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: theleveller Date: 16 Jul 08 - 10:42 AM Ah, right - I must have been seeing double them. Still the highlight of the film. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Dave Hanson Date: 16 Jul 08 - 09:51 AM Sorry to dissapoint you all, it wasn't Brit writhing in the nip it was a body double. eric |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Zen Date: 16 Jul 08 - 09:15 AM Wicker Man fans here may also enjoy Fiona Maher's short hommage in lego "The Wiccaman". Posted here a year or two ago but perhaps repeating in this thread! Zen |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Jim Carroll Date: 16 Jul 08 - 08:13 AM "the goat above him pissed on his head. " Perhaps it was trying to save him from the flames! Never got over the fact that the Christopher Lee character is the dead spit of Maddy Prior on speed. Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,Joe Date: 16 Jul 08 - 08:11 AM Another thing that made me chuckle was a CD I ordered off the internet, it was stamped with 'SUMMERISLE APPLES' and had a hand written note inside claiming something along the lines of how 60's psychedelic folk was the best music ever. Not your usual amazon / play.com service! |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,Joe Date: 16 Jul 08 - 08:06 AM There is a lot of myth about this film, a lot of strange goings on off-set, a lot like the Omen. This to me is proof of that: "When Edward Woodward was inside the Wicker Man, the goat above him pissed on his head. " |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,Jonny Sunshine Date: 16 Jul 08 - 07:34 AM The film's certainly one of a kind. Horror, erotic thriller, farcical folk-rock musical, black comedy and study in comparative religion, all in one! On a superficial level it's pulp nonsense, very much of its time, but underneath it all I still find it rather disturbing- the viewer's sympathies are manipulated against Howie until the reality of the ending kicks in. Incidentally the book-of-the-film gives much more depth into Howie's character. In the film he comes across as self-righteous, but in the book he's much more human, young and idealistic, if a little misguided, and not without his own internal conflicts. Anyone else read it? |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: theleveller Date: 16 Jul 08 - 07:14 AM Well I just enjoyed Brit getting her kit off. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Jack Blandiver Date: 16 Jul 08 - 06:38 AM I'm presently giving thought to an interpretation of The Wicker Man as an analogue of the condition of Nazi Germany, albeit somewhat more subtle than Animal Farm's retelling of the birth of Soviet Russia. The closing scene was the first clue, being so openly an analogue to that of James Whales' Frankenstein (1931) with the difference being that whilst in Frankenstein our sympathies are with the creature, in The Wicker Man we're part of the mob, mindlessly chanting Sumer Is Icumen In as Sargent Howie screams his last. It's a tidy cinematographic equivalent of The Milgram Experiment in that our humanity has effectively been subsumed in respect to a higher moral authority which has been demonstrated to be entirely corrupt. The islanders, like the people of Germany, have been fed an entirely bogus pseudo-religious construct based on the flimsiest of folkloric precedents; they have been rendered docile, manipulated by mere spectacle, and anaesthetised by enforced compliance to the extent that they willingly participate in a murderous sacrifice which is, in actuality, simply a desperate buying of time as the foundations of the aristocratic order of Summerisle begin to crumble. It's interesting to speculate on what purpose might be served by the clumsy segue from the opening Highland Widow's Lament, as respectfully sung in a traditional manner by Shiela Mackie (who also did the vocal for Willow's Song incidentally) with Northumbrian (!) pipes & chorus, into Paul Gionvanni's sublime though purposefully untraditional setting of Burns' Corn Riggs. There is a lurch of conciousness here between the traditional, and the faux-traditional, the world outside and the world of Summerisle, where Giovanni's increasingly surreal perversions of traditional themes are as twisted as the pagan beliefs of the islanders themselves. A totalitarian state has been contrived from supposed folklore; the customs of the people have been used against themselves; vague symbolism (i.e the may-pole) have become didactic absolutes, and even their own natural bawdiness becomes a moral prison. How else might we interpret the weeping in the erotic night scene? Or else the alarmed & terrified faces of the musicians as they sing Gently Johnny whilst poor Ash Buchanan is being abusively initiated (though I doubt he's complaining) by Willow McGregor in the room above whilst Lord Summerisle utters his chilling, yet beautiful, soliloquy, itself taken from Part 2 of Song of Myself, from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass? Just a thought anyway; it's always been one of my favourite films (along with Frankenstein and Quatermass and the Pit), one that keeps revealing itself on so many different levels. Like The Prisoner, it deals with issues of individuality and mass compliance; unlike the The Prisoner, however, it makes sure sure that the individual in question is as unlikeable as possible, however so innocent he might be. Interesting to note that his innocence is what ultimately qualifies Sargent Howie for sacrifice, and innocence is the central theme of Frankenstein. Fine soundtrack too; a horror musical indeed. For those who don't know it, check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSvJgRSiJSM, and for those that do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdWY-AMY_zY (Note: most of the above is from another thread, but it seems to have a place here too, albeit slightly modified!) |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Jean(eanjay) Date: 16 Jul 08 - 06:11 AM festival I enjoyed the film but found the ending a bit depressing. I can still see him looking out of the basket surrounded by flames and animals. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Ruth Archer Date: 16 Jul 08 - 05:52 AM I recently watched the Wicker Man for the first time - what a hoot! Everything from the traditional pastiche (it's all there, innit? Obby Oss, Sword dancing, Abbots Bromley, maypole...) and musical pastiche - I especially loved the deranged glee with which Christopher Lee sang Summer is Icumen In. Pretty glorious all round, really. LOVED Britt Eckland's writhing, slapping dance. That's one I've never seen at Bampton... But the bit that really had me gasping with laughter was Christopher Lee in his Mayday costume. I don't know if it was the wig, the dress or the dancing that was the funniest. Top hokum. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Purple Foxx Date: 06 Mar 06 - 02:28 AM Sounds horribly plausible McG. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 05 Mar 06 - 06:40 PM I've sometimes wondered whether the witch-hunt a few years later about alleged pagan ritual abuse in the Orkneys might have had its origin in some over suggestible social workers going to see this film. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST Date: 05 Mar 06 - 05:27 PM Is ZULU a british film I think it just beats WICKERMAN |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Purple Foxx Date: 03 Mar 06 - 08:47 AM Born in 1962,to young to see this film when first released.(1973) I also have no affection whatsoever for Spandau Ballet or Miami Vice. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Folkiedave Date: 03 Mar 06 - 08:40 AM Born 1943. So I certainly qualify!! Dave |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,redmax Date: 03 Mar 06 - 08:31 AM Does one's age play a part in your level of affection for this movie? I was born in 1970 and remember the seventies with great warmth: those were innocent and comforting years from my perspective. The Wicker Man conjures up a real nostalgic feeling, a little like listening to Steeleye singing Gaudete If, on the other hand, you were a little older in the seventies then perhaps you'd have a more critical eye and be less likely to be seduced by its general vibe. I know I cringe when I see stuff from the eighties. Those were the acne years, and I don't wish to wallow in memories of Miami Vice on TV and Spandau Ballet on the radio |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Folkiedave Date: 03 Mar 06 - 06:52 AM I think one reason for its eduring appeal is because it was of its time; it came out when a large chunk of the population was fascinated by the idea of paganism I was a large chunk of the population at that time. Since I have since put weight on I suspect my wife would refer to me as an even bigger chunk of the population. Would love to see the evidence for that assertion. And are you telling me the mason's don't sacrifice babies? Where is the evidence for that too............... I believe it became a cult film because some films become cult films and this was one of them. Definition of a cult film? Your guess is as good as mine - but it probably includes "students" somewhere in it.... |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Purple Foxx Date: 03 Mar 06 - 05:54 AM Neopagan dear? who dear? Me dear? No dear! I wish the idea of a group of people who believe that their religious beliefs justified anything they chose to do had been "of its time" |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,the celluloid man Date: 03 Mar 06 - 05:23 AM You have to remember that Georgiansilver is a happy-clappy godbotherer who believes that Jesus wants him for a sunbeam - that's why he posts such things. He also believes that the masons are out to sacrifice babies. Anyway, I digress... As for the film, it was entertaining, but certainly not deserving of a lot of the gushing praise heaped upon it. The versions as generally shown are poorly edited, while much of the acting is frankly laughable. Both Ingrid Pitt and Britt Eckland would have been out-acted by the average plank, while Peter Cook would have made a less hammy Lord Summerisle. I think one reason for its eduring appeal is because it was of its time; it came out when a large chunk of the population was fascinated by the idea of paganism, and with its bizarre mish-mash of Fraser and Graves the Wicker Man seemed to press the right buttons. As a result it's become the 'house film' of people that like to call themselves neo-pagans. It's also up there on the video shelf with 'If' as an icon of antiestablishment sentiments. 'If', though similarly flawed, is a far, far better film IMNSHO. It's tosh. Watchable tosh, but tosh nonetheless. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Folkiedave Date: 03 Mar 06 - 03:57 AM It would indeed. Though as has been pointed out - all those islands off the west coast of Scotland enjoy similar weather (mild climate and often frost-free) as the south-west coast of England, thanks to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream. The Summer Isles fall into this category. The problem is that it rains a lot and it can be very windy. Logan Gardens (in the film) has a huge windbreak of trees to shelter it. And whilst it is mild in winter - it is often just the same in summer. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Dave Hanson Date: 03 Mar 06 - 02:59 AM These would be the Summer Isles, not Summerisle then ? eric |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,The Wickered Woman Date: 02 Mar 06 - 03:05 PM |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Micca Date: 02 Mar 06 - 02:42 PM Eric the red, if you seek The Summer Isles off the North west Coast of Scotland Try Here |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Snuffy Date: 02 Mar 06 - 09:22 AM Would there be a format problem trying to play these DVDs in the US? |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: robomatic Date: 02 Mar 06 - 06:06 AM My girl at the time was a pretty religious Christian and I took her to the film mildly aware as she was not of the theme. Learned a lot about sharp elbows in the ribs at the flicks but it was a worthwhile run overall. For quite a while after that I could give 'er a look and go: "SUMER is a cumin' in......" (as long as the elbow to ribs distance was far enouff...) Also veryliked the idea of Brits as pagans. Would love a spare as the Guardian does not get to my part of Alaska. |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: mouldy Date: 01 Mar 06 - 08:10 AM I holiday every year in Dumfries and Galloway and there is a Wickerman festival at Kirkudbright at the back end of July every year. (The Tolbooth centre in Kirkudbright was used as a location too). I took my film studies student daughter to Anwoth, which is only about 4 miles from where we stay, and which is the location used for the cemetery scenes. She was highly impressed, especially when I walked her to the end of the Isle of Whithorn to see Ninian's Cave - the cave used towards the end of the film. Sorry to say, it only goes about 15 feet into the cliff, and doesn't emerge up top! The first thing she did when we got back was to dump her bags on the floor, get the (director's cut) dvd out and start the chorus of "been there - seen that!" Andrea |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Folkiedave Date: 01 Mar 06 - 07:12 AM I'd agree with that. The Director's Cut at 102 minutes (still not perfect by the way) is much better. A two disc set is availabel from Amazon. If you are interested I'd get that. The scene where Willow brings Howie a cup of tea in bed - asking why he ignored her the night before - he replies he does not believe in pre-marital sex - is in the 84 minute vrsion and not in the Director's Cut!! |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker Date: 01 Mar 06 - 06:34 AM dont waste your time.. the Guardian disc is the short version butchered on the advice of Roger Corman to fit running time and tastes of teen Drive-in audiences.. .. get the longer restored 'directors' version, which ironically only exists now because Roger Corman never returned the print he was given to use to make his suggestion for edits. the extra 15 minutes or so re-establishes the core intelligence and satirical wit of this fine unique barmy horror musical folly |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: open mike Date: 01 Mar 06 - 04:23 AM are there extra copies of this floating around now? If so, send one to the u.s. and we can circulate it around and re-form the wicker cult in the Western Hemisphere. I would be interested in seeing it, if anyone got extra copies of the guardian..... |
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Subject: RE: The Wicker Man From: Purple Foxx Date: 01 Mar 06 - 04:10 AM Am planning a holiday & am intrigued by a nice looking place called Pepperland. Can anybody tell me anything about it? I know it must exist because I saw it in a film.:) |
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