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December 19, 2006
The Wicker Man
Sometimes “cult film” means “oh-so-sadly overlooked by the public at large.” Sometimes it means “stupid.” It’s a fine line.
I bring this up because I recently watched the original The Wicker Man.
The reason I decided to watch this film is because Eli Roth said that it’s one of his favorites. While there’s no doubt that Mr. Roth is an extremely talented young filmmaker and knows his horror, I don't exactly "enjoy" his films. So I’m not sure why taking his movie recommendations seemed like such a good idea, other than the fact that he always seems so smart and fun in interviews and commentary. Plus I wanted to watch the original before I watched the remake (which is being released on DVD today – hello, Netflix).
I watch a lot of odd films, but The Wicker Man is one of the oddest films I’ve seen in a long time – not quite as disjointed as Hard Rock Zombies but nearly as surreal.
First, don't let anyone fool you: this is not a horror film. After some discussion, a friend and I decided that it could best be called a thriller, although it could almost as easily be called a musical. People break into song and dance routines every five minutes, especially at the beginning of the film, which does, I must admit, bear a lot of rewinding and rewatching. There is one scene, in particular, where a barmaid does a fairly lengthy dance while completely naked that I can only assume felt a little shocking when the film was released in 1973. It felt a little shocking to me sitting in my living room in 2006. But at no point is the film frightening or even suspenseful. Part of the problem is that the main character doesn’t pass the bus test. I kept wondering why the heck he couldn’t lighten up. I mostly kept watching the film because I was hoping to see more dance numbers.
I was not disappointed.
I can only assume that this is one of Eli Roth’s favorite films because there is an excessive amount of nudity and one sex scene that made me feel like I should cover my eyes. My friend suggested that Roth likes it because it’s an early horror film that dispenses with some of the genre’s traditions and has an interesting twist, but, whatever, I’ve seen Cabin Fever and Hostel. Mr. Roth likes naked women. It’s worth noting that a young Count Dooku/Saruman had a significant role in the film; he even danced around singing in drag. No, really, and he claims it’s the best acting he’s ever done in his life. Looking at his filmography, maybe.
Overall, I have to say that I’m DYING to see what this got remade into. If life is fair, there will be naked dancing, but, sadly, they just don’t make them like they used to….
Posted by adrienne at December 19, 2006 08:48 AM
Comments
You're wishing for naked dancing? Is that appropriate for a children's librarian? ;)
Posted by: Olivia at December 20, 2006 07:51 AM
It was really funny.
Posted by: adrienne at December 20, 2006 09:38 AM
We actually own the special limited edition version of this movie. I must say that I was oddly fascinated by this movie, although I think that it had a great deal to do with the music, and not just the naked dancing. The music is great.
Posted by: Cathy who has'nt been on the Internet in almost a week! at December 20, 2006 12:19 PM
I also enjoyed the music, although sometimes it didn't quite seem to fit what was going on -- but that was also part of what was fun about it.
Posted by: adrienne at December 20, 2006 10:36 PM