It’s not uncommon for Hollywood to remake classic films. It’s also not uncommon for studios to re-release new DVDs of these films in hopes that the remake will boost sales. In anticipation for the remake of “The Wicker Man” starring Nicholas Cage and directed by Neil LaBute, Anchor Bay Entertainment has repackaged their DVD of this classic thriller.

Watching the original movie makes me a little nervous about the remake. After all, “The Wicker Man” was such a small picture with such a large scope. That’s often hard to replicate in big theatrical releases. Too often, the film goes too big and loses the charm of the original.

In watching “The Wicker Man” from 1973, it becomes immediately obvious that this was a labor of love. Like many of the independent thriller from that decade, “The Wicker Man” is unkempt, rough, and at times even cheesy. However, it was also a pioneer for the horror genre.

The film follows Sergeant Howie, a Scottish police officer who travels to the isolated island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl. He is greeted with veiled suspicion by the island’s inhabitants, but he forges on with this investigation. That night, he learns that the islanders’ beliefs stray far from his as a devout Catholic. Not only are the people of Summerisle pagans, but they have open sexual orgies and celebrate the May Day holiday with naked dancing and a literal discussion of the phallic nature of the Maypole.

Howie is disgusted and outraged by these actions. In the midst of them, while deflecting the advances of the innkeeper’s fetching daughter Willow (Britt Ekland), Howie asks around to find the missing girl. It appears that she is being hidden, and Howie is determined to get to the bottom of this. However, the town’s pagan rituals come to a head on May Day and threaten more than just the little girl.

Over the years, “The Wicker Man” has developed a bit of a notorious reputation. In truth, it’s not that extreme, especially in comparison to what we see in theaters (and even more on DVD) nowadays. However, it is an exercise in breaking the horror mold, and it works incredibly well on this level.

Hammer horror legend Christopher Lee was cast as Lord Summerisle, which was brilliant in itself. While we know Lee is evil from the very beginning (name any well-known movie where he’s not evil), he masquerades as the benevolent host. When his true evil is revealed, it’s not the traditional blood and fangs we are used to with his portrayal of Dracula.

In fact, this is exactly what the filmmakers were going for. They deliberately cast horror icons to help them break the mold. Dealing with subject matter of sexual religious practices and human sacrifices, I’m sure that “The Wicker Man” turned a few heads in its day. Today it is not nearly as scandalous, but if you keep in mind its original context, it can be a very interesting film.

Completely non-traditional as a horror movie, “The Wicker Man” moves slowly, but plows ahead with intention to a satisfying conclusion. There are some stilted performances and unimaginative cinematography, which is to be expected from indie films in the early 70s. However, Edward Woodward’s performance as Howie is strong and powerful. He carries the movie even more than Christopher Lee does.

This current release on DVD contains an extended documentary, “The Wicker Man Enigma,” which features interviews with the stars and filmmakers. It also includes a discussion with the filmmakers and Roger Corman, who was originally in line to distribute the film in the states, about the extended edition which was edited into oblivion before it was released here.

Sadly, this version is the 88-minute theatrical release rather than the extended director’s cut, which includes almost 20 minutes of extra footage. Perhaps if the new film does well and the sales spike significantly from this DVD, we’ll be treated to the longer version on DVD in a couple months.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions.