I'm looking for anyone who's heard of this film, I once saw it at a film festival, it took place on an island.
It was this pagan thing.
The Wickerman! It's one of the oddest films I've ever seen in my life!

I have both heard of and seen this film and I think that "odd" is putting it mildly. It was set on a Scottish island and starred Edward Woodward and Britt Eckland.

Not a film that I have ever liked but it seems to have assumed status as a cult classic now.

Buffy

I was thinking of it for May day as it is a pagan holiday that people still celebrate here in France by giving out forget me nots.
THanks, I have always wondered if I dreamt it or not!
I recall things happening in the fields in that film...and whispers. Ewwwww! I've got the goosebumps already!

I too have seen this film, and have to agree that 'odd' is an understatement. Not one that I'd watch a second time if I had the choice.

Yep. I've seen it and had it on VHS for a time, but sold it off on Half.com. It's an off-beat film for sure and probably has 'cult' status now.

used to work in video retail before dvd and yes, it was always treated as a cult film

I'm very keen to see this film as there's been a lot of stuff in the press about it recently, due to the DVD's imminent release. It's also a big inspiration behind a wonderful comedy series that some of the brits on here will know, called "The League of Gentlemen". It's about a town called Royston Vasey and many of the incidents in it are apparently parodies of scenes from The Wicker Man. I'm going to try and get hold of it from my local library, and will let you know my impressions ;-).

Let's put it this way, my mind probably tried to tell me it wasn't real, like the picnic at Ayer's Rock film. Then yesterday I thought about the custom of the Maypole and giving flowers on the first of May, and things that come from pagan times and I thought, "the Wickerman, now that was an odd film".

I had not had any news about it reappearing though so this was independent of any articles or anything.
I can still hear the sheaves of grain in the wind for some odd reason, or corn?

My GAWD...I'd never HEARD of it, even! Let alone SEEN it! It sounds...well...scary..but fascinating! I did a wee search...look here:
http://www.tartans.com/articles/wickerman.html
...if you want to know more...oh geez...scary!!!!

Thanks very much, now I've got that profile in my mind!
I tell you I was scared because it was done pretty well.
I once read some ancient magazines my mother had had just after WWII, it was a kid's magazine with adventure and travel stories, and this one took place in Indonesia, and the end was that the girl though they were going to sacrifice the girl for a fertility rite and it was in effigy. But I still kept this kind of image in my mind after all these years.

LeFois, better not watch the film if you think the web page was spooky! I've still got the rustling of the reeds and stuff they made the Wicker man out of in my mind!

Somewhat like the wheat in Gladiator as he approached his villa.

Some of the ideas in "Wickerman" are potentially frightening, but I fail to see how anyone could be affected (except to laughter) by this silly, amateurish film. "Cult" status it may be, which is usually a euphemism for "bad". Like all poor efforts there is a good idea trying to get out. It basically takes a few elements of British folklore and tries to make a horror film out of it.

First of all it wouldn't scare a kitten. For example, when they are burning the police inspector (Woodward) at the end the "sinister" islanders all burst into a jolly song ! ( A particularly poor arrangemet of "Summer is icumen in"). Indeed, every time it begins to convince some risible bad taste reduces the whole thing to complete farce. Eckland's naked dancing is as ridiculous as Woodward's performance.

He is actually very proud of his acting in this dire production. Let me tell you - it is BAAAAD ! He screams and shouts his way like the worst ham of all time, you'd think he was trying to do King Lear with piles.

I know one film director who keeps this film on his shelf and watches it every time he needs cheering up - believe me you won't be disappointed if you are looking for a comedy. Many consider it the worst film ever made.

Recently Channel 4 (UK) broadcast a documentary on "Wickerman" claiming it to be some cult classic of its genre, a fairly safe bet as it is in a genre of its own. Unfortunately cultural theorists, who argue there is no such thing as "good taste", have left us in a position where there appears to be no discernment whatsoever.

The film does have some unusual ideas which are presented to the viewer in an unusual way and this is all certain "critics" see. They overlook the terrible acting, laughable script, comical original music and the juxtaposition of one silly half-baked idea after another, arranged in such a way as to undermine anything of any potential quality in the film resulting in a complete MESS !

Worst of all is the ignorance of British folklore in our society. For some reason this is about the only work which has focused on it. When I was growing up in Essex in the 70's I discovered all this almost hidden culture in library books and cycle rides around the district. There is a rich and fascinating folklore in this country, and I hope people read up about it instead of focusing on this trash.

Ingilby - I saw the Channel 4 thing by accident, and the film and came to the same conclusion as you - total trash.

I know what you mean, but at the time I saw it, I hadn't traveled around in the UK as much nor lived in an ancient Scottish fisherman's cottage with some pagan heads on the walls! Sorry, but for someone like me, I guess the pagan worship stuff kind of spooked me.

The acting was horrid, don't get me wrong and you left the film feeling disatisfied of course, but the images of the fields never left me. I'm highly imaginative and for me nothing like a rustling corn field to kind of scare me.
Probably the same sensation as "Picnic at Ayer's Rock" many apologies if I've got the title wrong again.

The field in Gladiator as he comes home to his villa is probably the only image I'll keep.

In the seventies the art film circuit had some pretty dubious films lauded as the best thing since sliced bread, so this one stuck in my mind as being pretty bad, and yet the images haunted me. I had no idea it had been brought back to life!

Ok, it does have its spooky field moments. But if you want some real deep profound spooky field moments may I suggest the early films of Tarkovsky. Now he is a real film-maker, better than any shallow British beer and crisps director ! Dickens and Tolstoy compare and contrast. We never recovered from Henry VIII. 'Twas a time when Channel 4 broadcast whole seasons of Tarkovsky's films - they are not easy fast food like most modern movies so it is a case of style (Tarantino) over content (Bergman). British TV controllers now ignore the truly great international film directors of the past, and it is one of the greatest cultural losses of our time. Shame on them ! I had that Fellini in the back of my cab once...

I've always really enjoyed this film. Inaccurate it may be, a tad twee, badly scripted and acted at points, and not that scary in the traditional sense, but I think it creates a wonderful atmosphere. The claustrophobic feeling of being on the island, not knowing what the hell was going on, who was on your side, what this religion was (admittedly he would be a little confused, even with a comprehensive knowledge of Pagan rituals and traditions in Scotland).... Anyway, remember it's just an early Seventies horror film, and a damn sight better than most. Since when were these things historically or religiously accurate?

I love it, and it'd be great to see the full version - bits of which are apparently under a motorway at the moment. Some day maybe...

Good point SuperFurry, especially the just a Seventies horror film bit. What gets me all aereated is that there are very influential people out there who want this movie elevated to some great art film status. This means that even those few slots on TV reserved for things other than game shows, football and hanky-panky are taken up with yet more rubbish just because some postmodernist with a PHd in horror movies (not mentioning any names) is the media's current pet rock.

But you are right - it's only a film and I will now lie down in a quiet room with a glass of water and take my usual pill... Mother ! I'll put the toys back in the cupboard ! I'll put the toys back in the cupboard !