The Wicker Man remake (SPOILERS)

[Indigo Al]

Not good. Not for me.

I do love the original, so I wasn't thrilled when i heard about the remake. But I did want to see what nasty sort of twists based on the "gender war" Neil LaBute would take.

And they were virtually nil.

There was no background or depth to the Summerisle cult beyond "I'm a creepy agrarian bitch". We don't know how or why this cult exists, and we don't care.


The Cage character lacked the repressed intensity of Edward Woodward's character in the original, and instead just came off as a witless tool. There was a confusing and pointless bit in the beginning which relevance I may have missed.

If you are going to take this idea and make it your own, don't do it half-assed. If the conflict here is men vs women instead of christianity vs. paganism, then don't hold back. Where was the sexuality?

Anyways, enough ranting, just wanted to share.

[hellokittykat]

I'm such a jumpy person when it comes to horror movies-that's why I love watching them.
It's pretty bad when someone like me actually busts out laughing in a horror movie!
The goofy animal costumes! The Braveheart face paint!
"Killing me won't bring back your &*^damn honey!" (Are you kidding me?)

Best comedy I've seen in a while:rolleyes:

[Indigo Al]

I'm such a jumpy person when it comes to horror movies-that's why I love watching them.
It's pretty bad when someone like me actually busts out laughing in a horror movie!
The goofy animal costumes! The Braveheart face paint!
"Killing me won't bring back your &*^damn honey!" (Are you kidding me?)

Best comedy I've seen in a while:rolleyes:

Aren't horror movies that are unintentional comedies great? If that's your cuppa, try Exorcist II: The Heretic!

[TCJohnson]

Horrible, horrible, horrible movie. There was absolutely no point to this movie. They made no changes that was worth the money of a remake.

[EdContradictory]

I didn't care for the original. What was up with all the singing?

[Charles RB]

Where was the sexuality?

They cut out the sexuality? I thought this was supposed to be the bloody Wicker Man!

[Damo]

I have an idea. Let's take a movie whose storyline you really can't possibly hope to understand without knowing a lot about British culture and folklore, and remove anything the Americans wouldn't understand.

After that I think we should remake 2001: A Space Odyssey, but remove all references to space.

[The Xenos]

I found this compilation spoiling the 'Best Scenes From "The Wicker Man"'

http://youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo

I think this looks like one of the best comedies of the year.

Wait. What? It was a horror film?

Also, here is an animated gif of one scene made to total win.

[Solaris]

I loathed the original, so I've totally avoided the remake.

Why did I hate the original? Because it made Pagans look like bloodthirsty loonies (or would that be moonies?), and it was so VERY inaccurate as to modern-day Paganism.

Should a group of modern Pagans who believe that in extreme circumstances a human life must be sacrificed, it would be the LORD OF THE ISLAND'S duty to make himself the sacrifice... NOT grabbing some stranger for it. The whole damned thing was bullshit from start to finish; basically, a crappy horror movie derived from bits and pieces of Pagan culture that the writer then twisted to "give it more pizzazz."

So far as I know of, no modern Pagans practice human sacrifice. It's enough, should a sacrifice be called for, to sacrifice something that sustains you, like some food or drink or both, or to bury or burn something (object) that has some significance to you. It's a voluntary act of respect that is supposed to *symbolize* your spirit of sacrifice, and usually even that is only done on rare occasions (as something sacrificial), if at all.

The whole damned film made Pagans look like cultist lunatics who would gladly prey on their neighbors to better their own self interest. In the esoteric sense, sacrificing an innocent stranger for such would *guarantee* corruption and ruin on the islanders, NOT renew their crops... because the offering was stolen, not freely offered.

Anyway, I hate that film with a passion, and I have absolutely NO interest in the sequel. In fact, it made me kind of sick that someone decided a sequel was a good idea in the first place. I'm glad, from what people are saying, that the sequel stinks---serves 'em right.

[Charles RB]

Why did I hate the original? Because it made Pagans look like bloodthirsty loonies

Well, it wouldn't be very scary if they weren't murderous loonies, would it? ;)

So far as I know of, no modern Pagans practice human sacrifice.

Well, yeah - they're not modern pagans though, based on the film they're very very unmodern ones (the Hand of Glory isn't a common pagan artifact these days AFAIK).

[The Xenos]

Hell yeah. Hollywood doesn't need negative Pagan sterotypes. We ain't at war with them. We need more evil Arabs.

[Solaris]

Well, it wouldn't be very scary if they weren't murderous loonies, would it? ;)



Well, yeah - they're not modern pagans though, based on the film they're very very unmodern ones (the Hand of Glory isn't a common pagan artifact these days AFAIK).

Well... I guess that depends on whether or not there are still any "Creepy Crowley" followers out there, now doesn't it? :D

FYI---Alastair Crowley was his generation's L. Ron Hubbard, with drugs and S&M mixed in.

[Solaris]

Hell yeah. Hollywood doesn't need negative Pagan sterotypes. We ain't at war with them. We need more evil Arabs.

In all honesty, Pagans have enough fake "bad press" to combat, what with various fundamentalist groups considering us "devil worshippers," without having Hollywood add to the mix. :rolleyes:

TBH, there are still plenty of places in this country where publically admitting that you're Pagan can be rather hazardous to your health, your home, your family, your job, and how your children are treated by teachers and school administrators. Sigh.

[Indigo Al]

I loathed the original, so I've totally avoided the remake.

Why did I hate the original? Because it made Pagans look like bloodthirsty loonies (or would that be moonies?), and it was so VERY inaccurate as to modern-day Paganism.

Should a group of modern Pagans who believe that in extreme circumstances a human life must be sacrificed, it would be the LORD OF THE ISLAND'S duty to make himself the sacrifice... NOT grabbing some stranger for it. The whole damned thing was bullshit from start to finish; basically, a crappy horror movie derived from bits and pieces of Pagan culture that the writer then twisted to "give it more pizzazz."

So far as I know of, no modern Pagans practice human sacrifice. It's enough, should a sacrifice be called for, to sacrifice something that sustains you, like some food or drink or both, or to bury or burn something (object) that has some significance to you. It's a voluntary act of respect that is supposed to *symbolize* your spirit of sacrifice, and usually even that is only done on rare occasions (as something sacrificial), if at all.

The whole damned film made Pagans look like cultist lunatics who would gladly prey on their neighbors to better their own self interest. In the esoteric sense, sacrificing an innocent stranger for such would *guarantee* corruption and ruin on the islanders, NOT renew their crops... because the offering was stolen, not freely offered.

Anyway, I hate that film with a passion, and I have absolutely NO interest in the sequel. In fact, it made me kind of sick that someone decided a sequel was a good idea in the first place. I'm glad, from what people are saying, that the sequel stinks---serves 'em right.

It seems to me that considering The Wicker Man a "representation" of modern Paganism, wicca, Druidry, etc. is kind of pointless. I think the creators just constructed a fictional pagan belief out of bits and pieces of lore, and gave it the dark sinister bits to fit the thriller.

Not being a pagan, I can't take it personally. But I love the original Wicker Man.

[NickThompson]

The Youtube link makes it look like the greatest movie ever. Nic Cage goes to a village and acts like a dick :D