|
25 Aug 06 - 10:30 PM (#1819139) Subject: Wicker Man remake From: michaelr There's a remake of the famous 1973 cult film in the works. Unfortunately, it stars Nicholas Cage (I can't figure out what makes him a leading man in Hollywood). It seems they moved the story to America... Comments? Cheers, Michael |
|
25 Aug 06 - 11:54 PM (#1819172) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Maryrrf It doesn't look very promising, does it? I'm another one that can't see the star quality in Nicholas Cage. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 01:12 AM (#1819199) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: open mike but i still am curious to see it... |
|
26 Aug 06 - 01:53 AM (#1819207) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: robomatic What a wonderful film and wonderful actors. Took my very Christian girlfriend to see it and whenever we reached upon certain sacred subjects, all I had to do was ..."Sumer is acumin in, lude we sing cookoo"...... Nicholas Cage can be very good. Hard to imagine him in it except maybe the Christopher Lee part Appropriate subject matter for today's young Christians! |
|
26 Aug 06 - 03:05 AM (#1819226) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: mrdux i read that robin hardy, the director of the original "wicker man," is in production on his "reimagining" of "the wicker man." it's called "cowboys for christ." the novelization hit the stores last may. http://www.cowboysforchrist.info/ could be interesting. michael |
|
26 Aug 06 - 04:18 AM (#1819243) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu Unfortunately the Hollywood way of remaking films is to relocate them to America and dumb them down, which I would think means this version will look glossy but lack any of the subtlety and humour of the original, which an excellent film. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 04:45 AM (#1819250) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: The Borchester Echo Could it really be possible to dumb The Wicker Man even further down? I've seen a few mute clips and it looks just the same (i.e. crap) but Murkan stylee crap. I'm rather glad I haven't heard the soundtrack which surely couldn't be worse than the cheesey fakemusic of the original. (Could it?) |
|
26 Aug 06 - 04:55 AM (#1819256) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave Hanson I think the inverse proportion laws will apply, the worse the re-make the better it will be. Question, will the innocent and virtuous American cop be packing his six gun ? eric |
|
26 Aug 06 - 05:15 AM (#1819265) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife Cage plays the Edward Woodward part unfortunately. I hate to admit this but my husband works in the film industry and part of his job is to scout out world cinema and find prospects to be relocated to the US and "dumbed down." He also does a lot of reading of books set in other places with an eye towards buying the rights and relocating the story to the USA. Luckily, his company is less likely to gut and destroy their source material as most who practice the same kind of mining for material. I don't know where this version of Wickerman is set but the USA had its own farily decent "Paganism amongst us" film in a mini-series of Thomas Tryon's novel Harvest Home. it was made in the late 1970s and is being considered for a remake. With that story it was the whole Isis/Demeter Fertility Cult and Year King plot which is not too dissimilar to Wicker King. No fake folk music though and no Fundamentalist Christians - just a sophistacated New Yorker & hius family relocated to New England where to his horror, he stumbles upon a long tradition of Dememter worship that can turn nasty if th4e crops fail. I recommned the book as a good summer read. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 05:37 AM (#1819271) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Liath I've heard they've changed the ending so that Cage gets away. A crying shame ;-) Needless to say, I shall be waiting until it comes to a bargain bucket near me... |
|
26 Aug 06 - 05:46 AM (#1819275) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: fat B****rd Dear Dave's Wife. Was your husband (who I'm sure is a wonderful person) in any way responsible for the remake of "Get Carter"???? As regards "The Wicker Man" NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!! |
|
26 Aug 06 - 08:14 AM (#1819322) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave Sutherland Well said. I hope it sinks without trace as "Get Carter(2)"did. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 08:53 AM (#1819337) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: robomatic Y'know, there's a movie being advance-noticed called "The" Wicker Man. But it sounded like it was a totally different flick so no alarms went off. "Sumer is a cumin in...." |
|
26 Aug 06 - 08:56 AM (#1819339) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST Does it still have the Christopher Lee character looking like Maddy Prior on speed? Jim Carroll |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:03 AM (#1819345) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: McGrath of Harlow I have a feeling it won't be as funny set in the USA. Partly because the story wouldn't actually sound all that daft and unlikely. Is that unfair my thinking that? I'm thinking Waco and Jim Jones and Survivalists and so forth... I suspect they'll play the whole thing much more as straight horror. I do seem to detect a tendency on the part of saome Americans not to recognise that the original is tongue in chweek black comdey. I've always wished they'd put the original down in an island off Cornwall, like the appropriately named Scilly Isles, or Lundy where the puffins live. I can maybe suspend my disbelief when it come to homicidal locals and fertility rites but when it comes to the inhabitants of the Western Isles adopting English folk ways, that's a bit too far fetched. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:14 AM (#1819351) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife fat B****rd - no thank heaven. Dave, my husband hated that remake! His company mostly does thrillers, action, supernatural, horror, general creepiness and such. They will coming out with The Grudge II soon having done the 1st American remake of Ju-On (The Grudge) as well. I think they did a great job with those but then, they used the original Japanese director and chose to keep the story set in japan. They simply substituted american main characters. In a way, the 2 American movies are more or less non-linear sequesl to the original Japanese film than remakes. Speaking of Occult and/or High Weirdness films, one film he would LOVE to see done is an adapataion of Sarban's The Sound Of His Horn but there's no way that could be relocated from Europe to the US. Still, they could change the main characters nationality I suppose. He'd also love to get behind a proper remake of Kingsley Amis' The Green Man. He thinks the sex would get toned down too the point of ruining the story though, as in the original attempt to get that story on film. A recent film he had some input on that is set in Alaska but is being filmed in NZ was one he advocated for a folk/roots music soundtrack but the choice of director made continuing to psuh for that irrelevant. One thing Dave would love for his company to do is produce a film that had a Trad/roots sounding soundtrack or at least a deeply folksie one that would stand as strong as those for say Cold Mountain. It's not something they've ever done. I think I push for these things more than he does though, being more emotionally invested in music. I was for a time a film Development exec and I had more input on the subject of music. Dave is more a story guy and the guy who scans the globe for material to adapt. His role in those areas is very early on, however, with most of his duties involving day to day operations. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:22 AM (#1819357) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,Shimrod The mention of 'Get Carter' reminds me that, long ago (in the early Jurassic, I think), I read the original novel on which the film was based (note that this was before the Michael Caine film came out - yes, really!). If I can remember correctly the story was set in Scunthorpe ... I suppose that Newcastle was considered to be slightly more glamorous ... nothing changes, does it? |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:40 AM (#1819369) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave Hanson If Typhoo put the ' T ' in Britain, who put the xxxx in Sxxxxhorpe ? eric |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:51 AM (#1819379) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: foggers I intend to give this remake film a very wide berth. The original film was part of my growing up in the 70s and was one of the first spooky films I was allowed to watch - and I have seen Nicolas Cage ruin other great stories for me (most notably, "Captain Correlli's mandolin" and epic novel of human complexity turned into a turkey of a film). Of course thanks to Jim's comments I will never be able to watch the original again without seeing the similarity between Mr Lee and Maddy P on speed LOL! |
|
26 Aug 06 - 09:55 AM (#1819381) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,Auldtimer The orignal "Get Carter" story was called, Jack's Return Home, written by Ted Lewis in 1971. The town in the story is not named, it is a steel town, north of Doncaster. This is a book worth seeking out, second hand now because it will be well out of print. It is a darker, gloomier, sadder and more frightening story than the filim. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 10:02 AM (#1819387) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave the Gnome I noticed on the trailer that the main character seems to be called Edward and the missing little girl has the surname Woodward. Co-incidence? I think not :D (tG) |
|
26 Aug 06 - 10:03 AM (#1819388) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: McGrath of Harlow Basically it's a kind of Carry On film. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 01:15 PM (#1819482) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife >>I noticed on the trailer that the main character seems to be called Edward and the missing little girl has the surname Woodward.<< And I'm sure the writers think they are ever so clever for that. Me, I have a hard time imagining Cage as an adult virgin given his notorious (and apparently very true) reputation as a womanizer. I've never really "gotten" him as an actor, not even in Leaving Las Vegas. Of course, I am certianly not with the rest of movie-goers on that - the man is big box office. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 03:12 PM (#1819569) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing I agree wiht your first posting, McGrath. I cannot imagine a remake being anything like the original! This reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw the other day: "Christianity has pagan DNA!" |
|
26 Aug 06 - 03:34 PM (#1819582) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: fat B****rd Shimrod and Auldtimer, I can't seem to send PMs so I'll use this thread. After killing off Jack Carter Ted Lewis (RIP) wrote two other JC books. "Jack Carter & The Mafia Pigeon" is not (IMO) very good but in "Jack Carter's Law" he actually tells a girl from Grimsby that he is from Scunthorpe. There, that's got that off my chest. ATB from Charlie S. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 04:01 PM (#1819596) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Amergin The only reason why Cage gets the roles is because of who he is related to....that and marketing. |
|
26 Aug 06 - 04:49 PM (#1819626) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave the Gnome I thought he was pretty good as Captain Corelli. Plays a mean mandolin as well... :D (tG) |
|
26 Aug 06 - 05:01 PM (#1819630) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,DB Aultimer & fatB****rd - thanks for the information. I think that, as a geographically naive youth, I must have inferred that Mr Lewis intended the town in his book to be Scunthorpe. It's interesting (and possibly coincidental?)that the later book gives Carter's home town as Scunthorpe, though. Even weirder though is that while I'm typing this, in the back room, from the front room I can hear Michael Caine's distinctive tones issuing from the telly!! |
|
26 Aug 06 - 11:46 PM (#1819813) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: michaelr Puh - leeeeze!! Maddy Prior was never as handsome as Christopher Lee... especially not "on speed"! Watching the original now - that Britt Ekland is summit, eh? Cheers, Michael |
|
27 Aug 06 - 04:32 AM (#1819864) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: robomatic I thought Cage was quite good in what I think was his first big film: Raising Arizona. He looked like a lifelike representation of "Bill The Cat" OMG: Just saw an advertisement on TV for "The Wicker Man". It reeks of "American Remake". I'm wondering if it will be bad enough to be good. (Who's Maddy Prior?) |
|
27 Aug 06 - 04:35 AM (#1819866) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave Hanson Ralph McTell once wrote a song for her, ' Maddy Dances ' eric |
|
27 Aug 06 - 06:38 AM (#1819903) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Big Al Whittle Perhaps they will remake Carry on Camping. Tom Cruise as Bernard Bresslaw. Britney Spears as barbara windsor Eddy Murphy as peter Butterworth |
|
27 Aug 06 - 08:09 AM (#1819926) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Jerry Rasmussen Cage makes two types of movies... big Hollywood blockbuster action films, and smaller, offbeat stuff. I respect him for that. I recently bought a DVD of Matchstick Men, which had excellent reviews. And well deserved. I thought Cage was fine in it as a con man who ultimately turns out to be a sucker for the world's greatest con, and ends up admiring the people who pulled it on him. I thought that he was fine in Moonstruck, too. And dopey in the little bit of National Treasure that I watched out of momentary boredom on the tee vee a couple of nights ago. I haven't seen the original Wicker Man, but am not enticed into watching the remake. I'd probably like the original better, even having never seen it. Jerry |
|
27 Aug 06 - 12:47 PM (#1820022) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O Here's a quote from remake director Neil LaBute, which will please some of you: "According to writer/director LaBute, all the 'good stuff' is in the 2006 version of the film. "All the good bits and none of the music. None of the songs are still in there. It's a straight score in the movie, rather than any kind of folky songs that existed in the original." Other differences are: Cage not a virgin. OK? Almost all the pagan characters are women. Cause they have a matriarchal society of descendants-from-Pilgrims. Oddly enough they are Pagans not fundamendalist Christians. (They sound more and more like my in-laws, but never mind). The movie was largely shot in Langley BC as far as I can tell, which is odd because there are lots of beautiful islands in southern BC but Langley is on the mainland. There are some very good actresses involved: Ellen Burstyn, Molly Parker and LeeLee Sobieski and more. All in all it's hard to get much of a sense of whether I'm going to like this movie. However I'm willing to go on record saying that "am not enticed into watching the remake. I'd probably like the original better, even having never seen it." strikes me as a ridiculous comment, sorry Jerry! W-O enjoyed the original, will watch the new one before I decide whether I like it! |
|
27 Aug 06 - 12:54 PM (#1820027) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Emma B I just spent last night in the hotel and bar that was used in the original film! Although the walls were covered with photos of stills from the film a local wedding was in progress and the atmosphere couldn't be less menancing although the "fertility rites" were perhaps only just below the surface :) |
|
27 Aug 06 - 01:09 PM (#1820037) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O Yeah, looked like a cozy joint. Who got hitched, the landlord's daughter? The trailer at imdb.com seems...pretty ridiculous. But I'll still see it for Molly Parker! W-O |
|
27 Aug 06 - 01:36 PM (#1820054) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Jerry Rasmussen It was intentionally ridiculous, Willie-O. Glad you caught it. :-) (Although in general, I find hollywood remakes of older films to be glossier, with all the croners rounded off.) Anybody care to see the remake of Pyscho? Anyone go to see The Poseidon Adventure, or Flight Of The Phoenix? The last two weren't great mvoies, but from the sounds of, the remakes weren't as good. Jerry |
|
27 Aug 06 - 03:10 PM (#1820126) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife well, against my better judgement, I just RSVPed to go to a free industry screening of WICKER MAN next week. if it's awful, at least we didn't pay. I can report back and let folks know how bad it was or wasn't. My husband felt like going and the price (free) was right. |
|
27 Aug 06 - 04:26 PM (#1820167) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST What makes him a "leading man?" His birth name was "Copola." |
|
27 Aug 06 - 04:45 PM (#1820182) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing I don't mind Cage in most of the films. He did a passable job in Corelli, but I wish they'd coached better on the accents. I think he's a lot of fun to watch as he's got a certain attitude of fun, etc. which comes across, but then I never take any movie too seriously. |
|
28 Aug 06 - 06:11 AM (#1820555) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife and he did a fabulous performance as Gumby in Peggy Sue Got Married (to Gumby).... |
|
28 Aug 06 - 06:36 AM (#1820566) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,peace Have any of you mugs actually seen this film? How can you write a film off without seeing it? Is it that Nicholas Cage is a Christian? I know that a lot of mudcatters are anti-christian zionists - frightening! |
|
28 Aug 06 - 06:57 AM (#1820577) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife Peace - Will you forgive me for judging him given that I live in Hollywood and have crossed paths with him? He's not a very nice fellow. I have seen virtually all his films, so I think I'm not unfair in judging his acting to be less than stellar. I'm also not the first person make the Gumby comparison. I will be seeing the film Thursday for free thankfully. The studio has chosen to refuse to hold any advance press screenings which is usually only done when they fear what the critics will say. So no, I doubt ANYONE has seen this film yet on account of the studio doing their best to prevent previews. A friend who is a film critic has tried to get into a screening asnd has been told "No. there will be none". he is a very charitable fellow but even he says the advance word is that this film stinks. Since I won't be paying, however, I'm more likely to enjoy it! I try to keep an open mind about remakes but this one was kicking around Hollwyood for a couple of years as a prospective project. I know it was turned down by a number of directors who one would have thought would have been perfect for this - their reason? The script - not Cage. So, when I see it, I'll try and avoid blaming any general suckiness on Cage, OK? The word has been out that the script sux since before it shot. If it's a great film, I promise to publically apologize in this thread. |
|
28 Aug 06 - 07:34 AM (#1820595) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Bat Goddess I can't say why I don't like Nicolas Cage, but I don't. Never have. He performed well in "Moonstruck" and that vampire thing, at least well enough that I temporarily forgot my aversion to him. (He was even distracting in "Wild At Heart".) The original film "Wicker Man" was okay as far as you can expect from a film. I really preferred the book. But at least it wasn't offensive. (There are very very few films that turn out better than the book. "Diva" and "Reflections In a Golden Eye" are the only two that come to mind.) I've seen the trailer (online) for the remake -- ugh! Talk about Americanization! All the stuff I hate about most American films -- does there HAVE to be car chases and explosions in everything? But I'll probably see the film -- curiosity if nothing else. And I can't really criticize it unless I've seen it, eh? Linn |
|
28 Aug 06 - 09:53 AM (#1820685) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife Hi Linn! Thought of you yesterday. my husband made these simply fabulous Parmesan biscuits - the fluffy american kind, not the crisp kind. My husband is the undisputed King of Fluffy Biscuits and has been all his life. I have tried and tried to replicate his recipe and variations thereof but mine NEVER come out as flaky, tender and melt in your mouth delicious as his. he uses a commercial baking mix - Bisquick and follows their recipe but adds one egg per basic recipe. Even so, it is the way he blends the dough and the manner in which he rolls them out and cits them that does the trick. He always adds a little extra baking mix and uses a juice glass to cut them. Even when I do EXACTLY as he does - mine still come out flat and tough. I'm better at making the crispy kind such as those Sherry & black pepper biscuits recipe I tried to recreate for you. I made some like that not long ago and reduced the pepper to the 1/8 of a cup as others suggested - they were marvelous. They keep for well too. Sorry for the thread-drift - just haven't seen Linn for a while |
|
28 Aug 06 - 10:45 AM (#1820716) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Mr Fox [QUOTE]"Me, I have a hard time imagining Cage as an adult virgin given his notorious (and apparently very true) reputation as a womanizer." His character isn't a virgin, apparently. But he is allergic to bees. |
|
28 Aug 06 - 10:55 AM (#1820720) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker Cage is no worse on screen than most other big celebrity hollywood male lead-actors.. he certainly deserves some credit for his apt work in Martin Scorsese's completely bizarre "Bringing Out The Dead" |
|
28 Aug 06 - 10:59 AM (#1820724) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker ps.. i'll wait for teh DVD release of Wicker man remake before i pass judgement.. and had probably better stop looking in on this thread before someone here inevitably reveals all major plot 'surprises' and the new ending.. ..i realy despise smug egocentric vindictivive critics who take perverse delight in writing/ broadcasting plot 'spoilers' in advance of audiences getting a chance to watch a new movie |
|
28 Aug 06 - 12:36 PM (#1820775) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu that Britt Ekland is summit Well yes, but in the original she insisted on using an arse-double because she thought her own trumper wasn't up to scratch. But Dave's Wife (and Dave has a really interesting job), why the need to constantly relocate stories to the USA? I'd be interested to hear why from someone in the biz! In the case of the Wicker Man, the story is set in an isolated community that has a very long unbroken indiginous pagan tradtion - perhaps. As all the communities with long unbroken pagan traditions in the states all exist on reservations these days why not leave the story in Scotland, where it was orginally set? Not that this is always a bad idea - but why the obsession with it? I have to think Pulp Fiction would not have had the same if it was set in Macclesfield. Instead of Jack Ribbit Slim's it would be McDonalds drive through near Curry's. stigWeard |
|
28 Aug 06 - 02:21 PM (#1820855) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife stigweard - the reason is simple - marketing. Americans are more likely to pay to see films set in the USA and told about Americans. Even the best "foreign" films that get wide release don't make the money you'd think they would. I don't think the formula of buying the remake rights to successful foreign films and then retooling them for an American audience is really all that successful overall but in certain genres it has a history of being highly profitable. The best example of that is horror/supernatural and thrillers. Action follows 3rd. And, if a studio is lucky, they can get a franchise out of a translated horror film such as Ring/Ring II etc. For what it's worth, the novels that those original films are based on have finally all been translated into English and they are some of the best Science Fiction/horror I have ever read. You can get them on all Amazon now. The three titles are RING, SPIRAL and LOOP. Only the first one is like the film. the other two go off in quite unexpected directions. |
|
28 Aug 06 - 02:46 PM (#1820879) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,henry Its is amazing that folkies can discuss this film without anyone mentioning the fact that in the original film the young fiddler was a 19 year old Ian Cutler, one of our best fiddlers (UK). In spite of the passage of time he still looks just the same today - well, almost! He only appeared in the early scenes because he had to rush off to Essex to fulfil a gig in a ceilidh band. What would you do - a ceilidh or Britt Ekland ?? |
|
28 Aug 06 - 03:11 PM (#1820892) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: fat B****rd AND.....Britt Ekland was in Get Carter AND The Wicker Man !!!!!!!!!!! |
|
28 Aug 06 - 04:08 PM (#1820932) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu Thanks Dave's Wife. I thought as much. I have to say I think here in the UK we miss loads of great films becauase they are not English-speaking and for some reason that puts us off. Many people say they don't like subtitles but I think after a while you don't even realise you're reading them. Just think, no Motorcycle Diaries, Amile, Seventh Seal, all those Kurosawa flicks, Battle Royale, Autopsy . . . the list goes on and on of high quality films we miss at the pictures. My wife and I have started rooting them out on DVD. I thought the American remake of Ring was quite good, although I think it lost a great deal of the menace and unnerving atmosphere of the original - perhaps a little to smoothed out. Getting back to music, I didn't think the music in The Wicker Man was that bad - some of the Scottish accents were dodgy, but on the whole quite good. stigWeard |
|
28 Aug 06 - 04:28 PM (#1820945) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing These days, thanks to netflix, we watch more foreign films than American. We find them, usually, more intelligent, more interesting, and it's fun to hear the different languages/cultures. Also, we much prefer English/BBC shows to American shows on TV. (Watched a great Dalgleish last night!) |
|
28 Aug 06 - 04:47 PM (#1820975) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Grab Have any of you mugs actually seen this film? Since it's not out yet, take a guess. ;-) How can you write a film off without seeing it? Well the original varies between thriller, movie video and soft-porn flick. Any attraction it has (and that's very little to me, I have to say) comes purely from the novelty value, and possibly from Britt Ekland in the buff, for male fans. You do anything twice, there's no novelty value. And Britt Ekland is unlikely to be stripping for this one. Maybe it could be remade as a standard thriller. Trouble is that there's been a zillion "rescue/escape-from-wacky-cult" made-for-TV or direct-to-video films already, so there's no originality there. Is it that Nicholas Cage is a Christian? I know that a lot of mudcatters are anti-christian zionists - frightening! Oh pur-leese! I bloody hope that was meant to be ironic and you forgot a smiley... Cage is a semi-competent actor, but nothing more. He's got the Harrison Ford or Tom Hanks "everyman" about him, but he's not as good as either of them (and Tom Hanks is no Olivier himself). Maybe he just hasn't had a film that required him to push himself and develop further, but from the trailers it doesn't look look this film is going to be the one to do it. Graham. |
|
28 Aug 06 - 07:36 PM (#1821129) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: michaelr "I know that a lot of mudcatters are anti-christian zionists" News to me. I thought we were a bunch of anti-semitic socialists. |
|
29 Aug 06 - 05:44 PM (#1822078) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Liz the Squeak I've read 'Cowboys for Christ'.. it's basically the same story as the Wicker Man but with cowboys. I may go to see the remake of the Wicker man... but I'm not going to be breaking any speed limits to get to my local cinema. LTS |
|
29 Aug 06 - 06:02 PM (#1822097) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: McGrath of Harlow the story is set in an isolated community that has a very long unbroken indiginous pagan tradition Maybe that was how it was in the book, but definitely not in the film, which makes it clear that the whole pagan thing on the island is a recent bit of English folk revivalism foisted on the Scottish locals by the landlord, with nothing to do with whatever indigenous pagan traditions might have existed previously. That's what made it all so daft. If you want to find seriously scary pagan community these days, I'd think that the States would be a much more plausible place to look than Scotland. I imagine that one reason for switching the action across the AStlantic might even have been to make it easier for filmgoers to believe in the story and find it scary. |
|
29 Aug 06 - 08:52 PM (#1822244) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Susanne (skw) Found this interesting link: Record numbers attend Wickerman |
|
29 Aug 06 - 09:07 PM (#1822254) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing seriously scary pagan community these days is there such a thing? I've not heard of any, in the States, at least |
|
29 Aug 06 - 09:35 PM (#1822268) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Effsee "The event featured a nine metre high wickerman made out of willow, which was set on fire at midnight." Hope there were no folkies inside! On the other hand, can think of a few who could fit!! |
|
30 Aug 06 - 04:27 AM (#1822460) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu McGrath - I can't remember exactly how the idea the whole pagan thing was possibly orchestrated by Lord Summerisle was put over in the book, but I realise that was the point in the film, although the whole thing was pretty ambiguous I thought. Time to get my Directot's Cut version out and watch again! Interestingly, there are surviving celtic pagan traditions in communities in the Peak District of England that goes beyond mere folk customs, and these have been well documented with in depth studies of one of the communities still following the old ways. The excellent book Twilight of the Celtic Gods explores this subject, and there was an equally brilliant BBC Everyman programme on which I have on VHS, from about 20 years ago which covers the same subject brilliantly. stigWeard |
|
30 Aug 06 - 03:35 PM (#1822922) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Paul from Hull Keith, Hollywood only wants filmgoers to believe for long enough to get to the front of the queue & pay...I cant beleve that ANYTHING else matters, to them! |
|
30 Aug 06 - 04:38 PM (#1822975) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Paul from Hull OOPS! Apologies, Mr McGrath! That was my reply to YOU, of course....why I addressed it to 'Keith', I cant imagine. Sorry! |
|
30 Aug 06 - 06:01 PM (#1823026) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST Keith...Kevin....oh its just they both start with the same two letters....so same difference right? |
|
30 Aug 06 - 06:12 PM (#1823033) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: IrishDave I thought the first one was great, the 2nd wont come close |
|
30 Aug 06 - 06:46 PM (#1823055) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O The trailer for the new version of Wicker Man is far, far, oh yea very far, very very far from promising. As for N. Cage, I think he is very capable in the right role (Leaving Las Vegas was the right role), but I'm puzzled how he'll make out in this one. Pity Jack Nicholson is too old and wicked. All the pagans I know (Canadian) are not at all scary, and they paid me very decently to play at their get-together! Ten or so years ago I said "there's a pagan under every flat rock here in Lanark County", but I think that, like the Celtic Scare of the 90's, the Pagan Scare is kind of over. What's left is some very pleasant persons who like to get together in the woods and do their clothing-optional thing. W-O |
|
30 Aug 06 - 07:51 PM (#1823102) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing Celtic Scare of the 90's LMAO!!! |
|
30 Aug 06 - 08:23 PM (#1823133) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: michaelr I must say after watching the original, I got some chuckles from the short feature included on the DVD, "The Wicker Man Enigma". Ed Woodward spoke of the film as if it was some unrecognized masterpiece! To me, it's a mildly interesting B movie. Not sure I'll want to see the remake. Cheers, Michael |
|
31 Aug 06 - 08:56 AM (#1823510) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: foggers " "I know that a lot of mudcatters are anti-christian zionists" News to me. I thought we were a bunch of anti-semitic socialists. " Blimey, how am I going to fit in as a relative Mudcat newbie ex-Fundie, post Post-Feminist, anti-social neo-pagan wannabee??? Anyway, enough of my navel-gazing.....I just wanted to add a couple of points. 1. The original film is an amusing, wandering escapade which I view fondly because it was probably the first "adult" (i.e. soft porn element) film I saw as an impressionable teenager. It is NOT great film, but i view it with affection and irony, like an eccentric aunt. 2. Hollywood plunders other films/books etc in a merciless search for the next commercial hit and puts "box office" faces like Cage in for the same reason. Art has nothing to do with it. 3. As a resident of Derbyshire I can confirm that there are pockets of surviving rural traditions which have only tangential relationships to Christianity- my partner's 86 year old grandma is a goldmine of info, and indeed her own habits should be made the subject of in-depth recording for posterity before it's too late. 4.I think I will probably wait for the remake to be a cut price DVD - then I can watch that alongside my Director's cut of the original and come to my judgement on the matter then. Now I need to get back to work... (ho hum...) |
|
01 Sep 06 - 10:03 AM (#1824541) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife OK, the screening last night which was deliberately held at 10:30 PM so that no film critics sneaking in could get a review pulished in the morning papers. No press screenings were held either in the few weeks prior to today's opening of the film which is only ever done when a studio is frightened of what the critics will say. If you do not wish to here about the film's content stop reading. SPOILER ALERT x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xxxxxxx In a word - the film rots. They removed the fairly believable "celtic" origin paganism of the original and suistuted a strange form of man-hating matriarchal Goddess worhsip that resemles some 12 year old's idea of of what the culture of Amazon Warrior woman would have been. The women on the Island off the coast of washington state run everything, the men are slaves and not allowed to talk. The head crazy as bat-shite Priestess, Ellen Burstyn sends out good looking girls into the real world to get themeleves inseminated to keep their gene pool from stagnating. (similar to the "flirty-fishing" of NRM of the sevnties called The Children of God) Burstyn's grandmother or whatever female ancestor moved their core group to the Island in the late 1800s to avoid religious persecution. She implies they were once living in Salem Massachusettes during the witch trials further muddying the waters of whether they are wiccans that have adopted an ad hoc kind of Demeter worship and abandoned the male dieties or genuine "celtic" (I hate that word) "Witches" with abberant beliefs. She says they fled "Europe" as well for the same reason. Have you ever known a Scottish. Welsh, Cornish, manx or Irish person to claim their ancestors were European? Nope. I don't think so. Their original origins as well as what exactly they believe beyond men are dumb, useless and good for only two things (Fathering children and shedding their blood) is never revealed. Anyhoo - their religion is a crazy mishmash of disparate beliefs that don't belong together historically. If they had left out the part about their thousands year history - we could have bought it was a cult of personality and none of these things would have been a problem. However, the producers/writers (Cage produced this) wanted us to believe that women like this have existed among us secretly and are among us now. The society in the first film worked because it had a purpose and the belief system had an origin that was defined clearly in the film. In this one, we don't know if these women are Salem "witches" who escaped, misunderstood Wiccans who have read too many books on Isis or what they are. What they appear to be is hollwood idea of paganism. My husband thinks they tried to meld the genuine isis/demeter cult of Harvest Home with Wickerman and got this crap they dished up. The audience was made up of radio listeners who won tickets and folks who got invites to the screening. The audience booed frequently and laughed at scenes they were intended to cheer or be horrified by. Cage beats a woman at one point, punching her in the face for saying something smug which drew gasps of digust from men and women alike and uncomfortable laughter. The producers clearly wanted the audience to appluad that moment because they wrote the scene for us to believe the woman deserved it but instead, the audience recoiled from it. One person described the woman he beat as "butch" and which leads me to believe that perhaps we were supposed to have judged her a lesbian and therefore that excuse his beating of her. She wasn't attractive and was a person of authority. Maybe the producers wanted us to know that this is what happens when uppity women mouth of the handsome men?? I don't know if her character was written as a lesbian but it seemed possible the inference was intentional. Lesbian or straight, the beating of that woman wasn't funny or heroic, it was horrifyingly innapropriate. Incidentally Cage produced the film and it was his fist in her face. Bad move, Nick, bad move. Fire the person who told you this would be OK. The sotry dispensed with the Victim is a virgin and a willing sacrifice thing and the clinker suprise is that the little girl he is searching for is in fact the daughter he fathered with one of the island amazons who went out into the world looking for a sperm donor. The main business of the island is bee-keeping and they refer to Cage as a 'drone." In summary - this is not a remake - it is a completely different story, different motivations and different conculsions. The only thing they kept was the wickerman istelf which is further absurd given that these women clearly don't come from a heritage of belief that included such a thing. Avoid this film at all costs unless you want to be enarged by it's stupidity, feel like you were robbed of your ticket money or if you don't like to see smug leading men punch women in the face for no decent reason. |
|
01 Sep 06 - 11:29 AM (#1824634) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Epona I was excited to go see it, now I think I may change my mind. E |
|
01 Sep 06 - 11:46 AM (#1824647) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: alanabit I was always surprised that the rather silly original film ever became such a cult thing in the first place. It was originally a supporting film to something else (I have forgotten what). It is passably entertaining, but nothing more. It seems to have become popular through a sort of fake nostalgia. There are always people, who are willing to believe that "Oirland" was once a land of exclusively charming rustics and rosy cheeked, dancing colleens... I guess the same sort of people like to imagine there is somewhere with a long, unbroken tradition of pagan culture. I have every confidence in the ability of Hollywood to crush the last bit of charm out of the plot. It does not really matter either way. It would be stretching a point to claim that we are about to witness the desecration of a classic. |
|
01 Sep 06 - 03:29 PM (#1824843) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Big Al Whittle well i saw it today and I thought it was alright. Not bad at all. I'm familiar-ish with the original - its been on tv, but I always found it less than compulsive viewing - there was actually no great work of art to desecrate. I think this is a far better movie. Although like Get Carter - you do miss the mini skirts from those original 1960's movies! I think the movie it was trying to emulate was The Shining. As in The Shining, you were never quite sure if what the central character was experiencing was real, or a product of his disordered imagination. Kubrick somehow managed to make the scary images more forceful and intense than in this film. And there somehow, it missed an important trick. However having said that, I've cerainly paid the ticket money for a hell of a lot worse. |
|
01 Sep 06 - 04:37 PM (#1824916) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Dave'sWife alanabit - first off, the original was not set in "oirland" (I'm taking that as your facetious pronounciation of Ireland.) - it was set on an island off the coast of Scotland. Other things you didn't necessisarily imply but I feel like explaining: In the original, nobody pretended the pagan culture was traditional or representative of an unbroken chain. Instead, Christopher Lee clearly explains that his Grandfather cobbled together what he liked from the real pagan culutres that predated both Roman arrival in Britain and the arrival of Christianity. His grandpa took a little here, left some out there, but essentially reconstructed what he felt was what had been practised and what he felt could serve a societal purpose. In other words, his Grandpa took on the role of Prophet or Founder of a religion. Pops then brought over a work force, planted orchards and made his brand of paganism the State religion. It being under Scottish jurisdiction, and his grandfather being the 'Laird", his word was basically law. Fast forward to the time of the movie and there you have it. 3 to 4 generations of neo-paganism on the island. very different from this remake. So, if we want to get academic about it, in the original film, the brand of paganism practised by the islanders was a reconsitituted paganism or a cult of personality depending on how you view it. In fact, Lee's character makes a speech that could be viewed as a criticism of reconsitutited modern paganism and the whole Gerald Gardner Wicca movement. So, the original was clever, sly and satirical. This current "remake" is none of those things and it's misogynistic to boot. |
|
02 Sep 06 - 03:53 AM (#1825218) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: alanabit I know damned well it was set in Scotland. My point was that it always appealed to the same sort of semntimental fake nostalgia as "The Quiet Man" for example. I am glad you found the original, "clever, sly and satirical". It means you enjoyed it more than I did. I found it visually appealing and melodramatic. Perhaps the most adventurous thing about it was the idea of doing melodrama in the early seventies. I quite enjoyed looking at a bare Britt Eckland (or her body double) with her kit off though! |
|
02 Sep 06 - 12:05 PM (#1825407) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: GUEST,Robot From Space My wife and I went to see it last night. It was splendid a huge improvement on the B movie 70s trash that I remember. So much for all you idiotic bigots that slagged it before even seeing it! |
|
02 Sep 06 - 09:42 PM (#1825697) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Gorgeous Gary I was at the World Science Fiction Convention last weekend, where there usually is a "Trailer Park" session where they show as many upcoming movie trailers as they can. 30+ this year, mix of SF, fantasy, horror, and animated. "Wicker Man" was the **only** trailer out of 30+ to actually get booed by the audience. -- Gary |
|
09 Sep 06 - 07:59 AM (#1830576) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu "So much for all you idiotic bigots that slagged it before even seeing it!" Well this idiotic bigot went to see it and, although I was secretly hoping to love it, it was the same dumbed-down write it large Hollywood crap that has been turned out for years. Firstly, Dave's Wife's review was pretty much spot on. The belly laughs in this film came thick and fast (we'll leave the misogyny aside for the time being). The 'Celtic' connection was a gem - if this was the best the script writers could come up with (ever heard of research?) then mainstream American film mking is truly in the shite. It wasn't even a compentent rehash of new-age mumbo jumbo, but a dot-to-dot mishmash of the sort of pseudo-celtic bilge that is really only good for writing on the inserts of those wishy-washy ambient CDs you find in shops in Glastonbury. The performances were wooden, with Cage and Beahan slurring out their lines with all the enthusiasm of actors who know how pointless it would be to try to make this drivel sound convincing. Cage's line of 'step away from the bike' was nearly as gut-wrenchingly funny as The Duke proclaiming 'truly he was the son of God' - this was actually worth the price of admission alone. I pray it was put in as a joke. The storyline, which roughly parallels the orginal but centres around the Islands commercial bee-keeping, was so full of holes as to be rendered useless. We are told the island has no phones, no computers etc, but in the opening minutes we see Cage looking at the island's website - superb! The little interludes with the mobile phone were priceless - Cage waving it about like Spock did with this tricorder, until it finally rings in the final minutes and he is cut off - as subtle as a man stading next to you throughout the entire film hitting you on the head with a wooden mallet whilst bellowing "he's cut off from the outside world!" in your left ear. The final indignity, lifting the end of the film from the original (except for the risible coda in the bar) showed the crushing lack of imagination that afflicted the film all the way through - faced with a genuine opportunity to bring a new ending to the story and truly distance itself from the first film, the writers and director jibbed and went with the virtually exact same ending. So if you need it writ large: COP OUT The original is not a perfect film. It's flaws, however add to the charm of the film and seem to increase the atmosphere and feel of the whole piece. Whilst the remake does undeniably look good in places - the design of the film was it's only strong point - it really is a triumph of style over content. But with the occasional execption we're used to that from Hollywood these days. |
|
09 Sep 06 - 09:06 AM (#1830590) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: woodsie How can you dumb down something that was pretty stupid to start with? |
|
09 Sep 06 - 12:53 PM (#1830656) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: alanabit Give it to Hollywood? |
|
09 Sep 06 - 01:42 PM (#1830678) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O How can you dumb down... Give it to Hollywood? Evidently. I just watched this....this...thing....and I am taking refuge in alcohol just to live with myself. (Happily, I downloaded the movie so as not to encourage them). Awful. Just incredibly A-W-F-U-L. No cultural context, as previously noted. They didn't even know the NAMES for their deities--they're literally offering a human sacrifice to "gods and goddesses of Nature!!!" And have you ever heard anyone explain their cultural roots by referring to "my Celtic ancestors"? Last I heard, there were seven Celtic nations and we know which one our ancestors came from...since they had different countries, languages, music, economies etc. The pacing and timing of everything was so choppy, there was no buildup of suspense whatsoever. A matter that was handled superbly in the original, as they undertake the procession, completely lacking in the remake. -Good God, the MUSIC. Make it stop please! Burn me in wicker, I don't care!!! Bring back the faux-folk songs--they were so much better than this grade-C "very-anxious-moment-that-goes-on-and-on" tripe. Logic and continuity errors are so abundant they actually form a kind of continuity. Like: -he's a California motorcycle cop who seems to think this gives him some authority in Washington. Whereas the state and federal authorities seem to have overlooked entirely the demographic irregularities of Summersisle. Puget Sound isn't exactly the ends of the earth. They're like 40 miles from Seattle. -You have the right to have flashbacks! All the time! They don't have to make sense! -he wears a suit jacket, shirt and tie everywhere on the island...looks even more like a dork than usual. Doesn't he own any t-shirts? Even swims in his shirt. Jeez. -this secretive, private community has a seaplane, piloted by a non-member, coming by EVERY DAY with packages...of what? Most islands I know tend to get their supplies by boat. -Malus (Cage) has spent a week bicycling all over the tiny island...then in the last minute suddenly notices a 100-foot high structure on high ground in an open field. Guess he was watching for geoducks on the road before. -His cellphone doesn't work all week, but it rings...can he not send a text message? ("Help I'm trapped pls snd double latte") -Just how is it, again, that they keep the men subjugated? They just know their place or what? All in all, I believe I've seen enough of Cage's patented "running around with his mouth open in confusion", which is 90% of his screen time. Leelee Sobieski's cute though. It seems that's her job. W-O |
|
09 Sep 06 - 01:52 PM (#1830682) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: SINSULL I'll wait for it to hit TV - probably next month. Meantime, I have a copy of the original but prefer "Day Of The Triffids". |
|
10 Sep 06 - 11:52 AM (#1831152) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu Ah, the music. Yet another opportunity pissed up the wall of mediocrity in this film. It's ironic that the music played such an important part of the original, yet despite the presence of one of the finest composers to work in the industry (Angelo Badalamenti) the music is totally forgettable. Badalamenti created some of the most memorable and original scores in American cinema and TV, notably his work on David Lynch's films and Twin Peaks. What went wrong in this case I'd love to know. BTW, Fogger - If I were you i would get your partner's Grandma's traditions down on tape ASAP - it would be facinating to hear these, and they may jut be a trove of material that could be lost forever. |
|
10 Sep 06 - 01:35 PM (#1831211) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O And for that matter, Cage gets to the island by plane--but doesn't happen to notice the aforementioned giant wicker contraption during approach (the day before the May 1 ritual). How'd he make detective again? Clearly through his great powers of observation. By the way, there's nothing odd about the island being listed on a health-food-suppliers website. Just because it's listed and advertises its wares on such a site doesn't mean the website is produced or server-ed from the island. However, the producers (of which there are far too many), director and writers have a lot to apologize for. They eliminated everything that worked in the original--the Scottish setting, (Puget Sound is beautiful, but not colourful or used to much effect here), the cultural context, the clear conflict between protagonist and community, and the SONGS, and substituted a terrible script (most of which is yelled by N Cage), a completely unbelievable setting and premise, and a please-make-it-stop Grade D score. W-O |
|
10 Sep 06 - 01:44 PM (#1831215) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: katlaughing And, the critics agree: click I'd like to take a moment to give thanks to our brethren and sister Mudcatters for their sacrifices made on behalf of our community. Their courage and in-depth telling of their travails make it obvious many of us have been spared an horrible experience thanks to their unselfish fortitude. Thanks to them, those of us who choose to heed their warning have been spared.:-) (Seriously, thanks Willie-O.) kat |
|
11 Sep 06 - 05:27 AM (#1831708) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Big Al Whittle Well yes critics DO agree. That's basically cos they're all chickenshit. Critics are just people well-in enough to get paid by a newspaper for what we for free on Mudcat. The scary bit is when you see your words that you have sent to a website parroted by a 'critic' - happened to me last year. I think the truth of the matter is that if the old film has a special place in your heart - you won't like this one. But otherwise, its a decent enough film with good actors trying to fulfil an alternative vision of the story. If you went to a UCI or an Odeon on the week I went - you weren't going to do much better. |
|
11 Sep 06 - 09:09 AM (#1831794) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O WLD, you're of course free to like the movie if you want to. I note that the user-rating it gets at IMDB.com is a stunning 3.6 of 10. Usually what I think is a pretty crappy movie gets 6 point something. Say what you want about critics (lumping them all together is silly) but they seem to be in harmony with most viewers on this one. W-O |
|
11 Sep 06 - 09:54 AM (#1831825) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu I think WLD has a point though. If you like the first film, you could well find the remake a disappointment as it lacks the originality or atmosphere of the first film. "If you went to a UCI or an Odeon on the week I went - you weren't going to do much better" All too true most weeks I fear. As long as the multiplexes show nothing but Hollywood films it'll long remain the case. |
|
11 Sep 06 - 05:26 PM (#1832140) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: MAG I avoided this thread for the longest because I thought people might be into the movie. I haven't seen it because I think Nicolas Cage sucks rocks (think Con Air). I thought Leaving Las Vegas sucked for lots of reasons. Thank you, thank you for validating my decision. There are some actually good films in our one multiplex right now so this is quite missable. |
|
11 Sep 06 - 05:52 PM (#1832159) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Micca For a very well thought out and reasoned review/comparison of the Two versions Try Here |
|
11 Sep 06 - 07:11 PM (#1832219) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Jeri You know, I saw this (the first) movie ages ago, and I don't remember being that impressed. People toaster. I never did like the terribly clever and original "Damn... oh, well" type of ending. I liked Nicolas Cage in "Raising Arizona," and I think that was the LAST time I really liked him. I'll still check out the review, though. So THAT'S where Peg's been! |
|
12 Sep 06 - 06:29 AM (#1832489) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Big Al Whittle For Brits the Edward Woodward version is on ITV4 on Saturday 16th September 10pm. Five stars in the Radio Times. Ho hum! |
|
12 Sep 06 - 08:18 AM (#1832558) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Grab I have to admit I liked ConAir, but that was an honest film. You went there expecting a blowing-shit-up thriller with a bit of comedy and enough acting to keep things moving, and that's exactly what you got. Job done. Thanks to the brave souls here for suffering so that the rest of us don't have to. And thanks to Stig for that fabulous quote of "Yet another opportunity pissed up the wall of mediocrity" - best line I've read for ages! Ever thought of a career in film scripts...? ;-) Graham. |
|
12 Sep 06 - 11:54 AM (#1832726) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: MAG and the bunny thing, Graham? That was beyond pathetic. (Con Air) |
|
12 Sep 06 - 12:40 PM (#1832758) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Stu Thanks Graham, but if I'd really been thinking it would have been "Yet another golden opportunity pissed up the wall of mediocrity" |
|
12 Sep 06 - 01:00 PM (#1832771) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O Blowing things up: yeah, the first thing I didn't like was the entirely pointless opening-explosion thing. I think it was supposed to mirror the final wicker-man-sacrifice scene (expecially the interactions between Cage and the respective little girls) so we would think that Orson Welles lives and was the secret director behind the director...but it was just annoying, not moving, and didn't add anything (there was no equivalent to this scene in the original). Current user rating for Wicker Man: 3.5 and dropping...in comparison, FlightPlan, another pretty bad flick starring Kate Beahan (whom you should not trust around children, it seems) is at 6.2 / 10. But it's just ordinarily bad. |
|
19 Apr 09 - 09:56 AM (#2614361) Subject: RE: Wicker Man remake From: Willie-O I almost watched this...thing...again on TV last night, I guess I was pretty bored. Saw the first five minutes, then better half needed some help getting her e-mail restored...which spared me from reliving the trauma until the last five minutes of the movie, consisting of the burning of Mr Cage (torched by the little girl he didn't save from the flames in the first scene--now I get it, very deep) and Leelee Sobieski picking some hopeless guy up in a bar to further the race. It occurred to me during "burning Mr Cage" that it was funny to see Leelee Sobieski in the crowd chanting "the drone must burn"--considering her first major role was as Joan of Arc. Better to be in the mob, I could almost hear her thinking. Worked particularly well for her, since I think her main talent is getting good lighting. W-O |