They explained the reason they chose a police officer in their list of things he represented: A man who would come here of his own free will. A man who has come here with the power of a king by representing the law. A man who would come here as a virgin. A man who has come here as a fool. The "mayday" procedure word was conceived as a distress call in the early 1920s by Frederick Stanley Mockford, officer-in-charge of radio at Croydon Airport, England. He had been asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the air traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the term "mayday", the phonetic equivalent of the French m'aidez ("help me") or m'aider (a short form of venez m'aider, "come [and] help me"). The term is unrelated to the holiday May Day.
@simonoleary9264
2 жыл бұрын
On the other hand, it did make for a short but funny scene in Red Dwarf.
Christopher Lee is a Horror Icon, he famously played Dracula in 7 movies for Hammer Films ( iconic British film studio) , he was in Howling II, Gremlins 2, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory & Sleepy Hollow W/ Johnny Depp
@TTM9691
2 жыл бұрын
He was in lots of Hammer movies, not just Dracula films.
@2apocalypsex
2 жыл бұрын
I love The Howling 2. Even though it's not the best movie in the world, Christopher Lee's performance in it is great.
@earth7551
2 жыл бұрын
@@2apocalypsex Christopher Lee was very well received on the location of that movie he helped liberate I think from the Nazis in his S.a.S service in WW 2
@davevannatta985
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee did the movie for free.
@M11969
2 жыл бұрын
He was also in Corpse Bride. He held Tim Burton in very high regard.
@flibber123
2 жыл бұрын
I love the attitude filmmakers had in the early to mid '70s, 'we're going to tell you this story, but we're gonna tell it in our own way'. You can pick out a handful of famous and/or cult movies from that time period and each one will feel unique. It works in this movie because there always something vaguely disturbing about what's going on. No offense to people who take part in this stuff, but women walking around in flowing dresses while waving their arms around as they wander through trees and other plant life will never seem not creepy to me. If they put on a crown of flowers now I'm disturbed. Edward Woodward also did a great and highly underrated movie called Breaker Morant(1980), that one is well worth watching too.
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
Edward Woodward starred in the 80s TV series The Equalizer, he played Robert McCall
@michaelvalenzuela2528
2 жыл бұрын
Breaker Morant
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
Callan
@TerryNutkins3
2 жыл бұрын
And it has the greatest Theme tune ever
@carlossaraiva8213
2 жыл бұрын
Before he played Callan in an UK tv series of the same name in the 60s and 70s.
@carlossaraiva8213
2 жыл бұрын
@@TerryNutkins3 Callan's theme tune is indeed one of the greatest ever made.
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
Ingrid Pitt is another Horror Icon, she starred in Countess Dracula ( about Elizabeth Bathory) for Hammer Studios and she was in Amicus Productions ( UK Located , American Owned Studio) Horror anthology : The House That Dripped Blood
@shspurs1342
2 жыл бұрын
I am confused by your comment. Because that is definitely Swedish actress Britt Ekland.
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
They are both in The Wicker Man, the landlords daughter and the librarian (I think that is Ingrid's character)
@clarencewalker3925
2 жыл бұрын
Not only that, she was one of the most beautiful women. She was also imprisoned by the Nazis. She was freed by the Allies unscathed.
@jonanderson559
2 жыл бұрын
The filming was done in southern Scotland, and if I'm right, in November, so the actors were a lot colder than they're letting on! It's a beautiful area that does attract Wicker Man fans. And yes, it's not a diverse cast, but rural Scotland really isn't even 50 years later.
@John-k6f9k
5 ай бұрын
I live in Scotland the the climate is MILD. People seem to put on this big pretense of Scotland's weather being like Iceland or northern Finland or something. People from Minnesota or Manitoba would probably be walking around in shorts and T shirts if the visited Scotland in November. But people love to complain about the weather so 5 degrees Celcius in Scotland is seemingly cause for constant whining about the bloody weather.
@EmmaRiddle543
Ай бұрын
@@John-k6f9kI live in Scotland too but the weather is really dependent on where in Scotland you are.
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
"Oh, my!" That's Swedish actress Britt Ekland as Willow, Jen. She was quite famous in the 1970s, having also starred in The Man With The Golden Gun along with Christopher Lee and Roger Moore. She was also married to actor Peter Sellers and dated singer Rod Stewart.
@madlass3093
2 жыл бұрын
This is how I've understood it. For the villagers, the sacrifice must be an envoy of the king (police officer), virgin, fool (because they tricked him) who had to come to the island of his own volition. Sergent ticked all the boxes :(
@TTM9691
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee was more proud of this movie than any other he was in and would talk about it enthusiastically decades after he made it. The movie was filmed on an actual island with the townspeople participating (and I believe they still practiced benign pagan rituals at the time of the filming). All the music was made by a local songwriter and his band, "Magnet". When I first saw this movie (about a year or two ago), I had no idea what it was about, or even what genre, it was just a title I had on my list. For the first 45-minutes I thought it was a weird early 70s musical! At first I didn't like the music, but then - like the movie itself - it won me over. That haunting song in the bar, and the song that she sings to seduce him started to suck me in (certainly not the unlikable main character!). The songwriter died a few years later, this movie is his only legacy./I wouldn't look for diversity in a remote island in Scotland anymore than I'd look for it in Yemen! Another really great movie that is filmed spectacularly in Scotland is the early 80s comedy "Local Hero". Beautiful movie! / Willow was played by Britt Ekland who was well-known in the 60s and 70s, famously married to Peter Sellers for a while.
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
I bet that songwriter's death wasn't by natural cause. The songs worked quite well.
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
A Corn Rig is a strip of farming land used in the Runrig system of small farms (Crofts). instead of large flat fields crops were grown on a series of ridges with drainage ditches in between. Hence he is having a happy night among the rigs with Annie.
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for that information.
@clarencewalker3925
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee was 6' 5" and was fluent in five languages.
@SilhouetteJudas
Жыл бұрын
That shot where they’re all standing on top of the hill with masks and swords is so intense
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
Britt Ekland played Miss Goodnight (bond girl) in the James Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun starring Roger Moore & Christopher Lee ( as Francisco Scaramanga)
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
"All their songs are about fornication!" This isn't Canada, Jen. Not everyone can make all their songs about beer. 🍺😜
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
Haha we also have a wide selection of songs about trucks and hockey
@clarencewalker3925
2 жыл бұрын
That's right, Jen. Let him have it!
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
And summer fun in 1969.
@dr.burtgummerfan439
2 жыл бұрын
Now do The Lair Of The White Worm (Oh my!)
@Greenwood4727
2 жыл бұрын
the little known other bramstoker book turned into a movie
@shainewhite2781
2 жыл бұрын
This movie is a lot darker and more serious than the remake.
@Otokichi786
2 жыл бұрын
Or "Midsommar" (2019).
@quesoblanco444
2 жыл бұрын
I did feel being so familiar with Wickerman made Midsommer much less impactfull.
@michaelpeters364
2 жыл бұрын
May Day, May 1st, is also Beltane, an ancient Celtic holiday... Despite Christianization, Beltane/May Day was celebrated in parts of Scotland until fairly recent times... and now again, with neo-paganism. This film is very popular among neo-pagans. The costumes and dancing is connected to Morris dancers, which are more common in Wales and Cornwall (other very Celtic parts of Britain). Morris dancing's origins are mysterious and some think it may have old pagan links, while some think that's just a neo-pagan interpretation... A lot of this was filmed on, or near the Isle of Skye in Scotland - - the unusual rock outcroppings when Howie flies in are Skye. Skye is warmer than normal for somewhere so far north, due to the Gulf stream. The hand candle is known as The Hand of Glory - - usually (but not always) made from the hand of a hanged criminal, supposedly it could keep people under a spell, asleep... in the old days, thieves/burglars might use a Hand of Glory in hopes it would help them accomplish their theft without anyone noticing.
@lukebarton5075
2 жыл бұрын
Nice reaction. Don’t look now (1973) is another classic that’s well worth a watch.
@matthalaboo6694
2 жыл бұрын
I second the Don't Look Now recommendation!
@quesoblanco444
2 жыл бұрын
Also damn spicy.
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
"She's just... suggestively banging all the different obje... I shouldn't have said banging." LMAO 🤣🤣🤣
@robertbasine8842
2 жыл бұрын
Only mention in actual history ... In Julias Caesar’s account of his battles in Gaul, he describes the culture of the pagan Celtic peoples he encountered and mentions they sacrifice animals and people in a giant wicker man that they burn ... usually criminals and thieves ... but if none are available ... sometimes innocents are used.
@BigDave423
2 жыл бұрын
Interesting. Similar to something I just watched. kzitem.info/news/bejne/zIShp214i4Soo44
@franl155
2 жыл бұрын
On one of the DVD extras, they said that they were making a musical without letting anyone know about it! Also that this is the first time - and possibly the only time ever - that when a character shouts "Jesus Christ!" it's not swearing, it's a genuine prayer. They actually filmed this in several locations in Scotland; there are "Wicker Man locations" sites There's a triple-disc set: the film, a DVD of extras, and a music CD.
@DrJVenture
2 жыл бұрын
If you like folk horror, there is a great collection of films in this genre on Shudder. Edit: Edward Woodward also played the head of the NWA in Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz.
@shspurs1342
2 жыл бұрын
When i was a child i used to watch “The Equilizer”
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
He starred in the 1980s TV series The Equalizer, a really good show and well played.
@scooby1992
Жыл бұрын
@@guymorris6596 He did comedy as well . I remember him in a programme called Common as Muck , about refuse collectors .
@Hernal03
4 ай бұрын
@@shspurs1342 Hopefully you used soap.
@davidanderson1639
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, thank you, thank you for watching this; very few people react to this masterpiece of cinema. I have been a fan of The Wicker Man since I saw it when I was about 15. It is arguably the greatest British horror film of all time & rightly so. Over the years, I visited several of the filming locations in Scotland; Plockton where Sgt Howie lands is an amazing little village near Kyle of Lochalsh on the north west coast. Back in 2007 I had the great honour of meeting Sir Christopher Lee. I’ve been a fan of his for as long as I could remember, thanks due to his incredible body of work with Hammer Films. We had a lengthy conversation about those films & the production of The Wicker Man. Right up until to his death, Lee remained adamant that there was a much longer cut of this film. Rumour has it, British Lion films disposed of hundreds of reels; one of which was this much longer cut of The Wicker Man. Then in 2013, we got The Final Cut of The Wicker Man. This involved a restoration of the original theatrical print & also the few additional scenes that had been re-edited into it for the directors cut several years earlier. Which ever version you watch, The Wicker Man always leaves a last impression on you. Fun Fact: when I was at first school (age 5-10 here in the UK at the time) we had an annual May Day Fair…….complete with May Pole Dancing. What can I say, I grew up in a village in the Yorkshire Dales. Several places in Cornwall still hold festivals around that time of the year. The most famous being the Obby 'Oss festival, which is held in Padstow every May Day.
@garrywalker435
2 жыл бұрын
I've said to you before Jen that I love this movie and it's my second favourite of all time after The Exorcist. Even just watching your reaction seeing him getting pulled up the hill and seeing the wicker man for the first time still gets my heart pounding. Christopher Lee said that this was his favourite role to play. I think someone has said that another really good and uncomfortable British film to watch is Blood On Satan's Claw. Mayday is a celebration here in England and is worth reading up on for it's history. There's no sequel to this, just an insulting remake, Lol.
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
The Wicker Tree is supposed to be sequel but I didn't want to mention it.
@garrywalker435
2 жыл бұрын
@@jamesdodds9407 Actually you're right, I forgot all about that. To be honest I don't remember anything about it so I guess that shows what impact it had, Lol. May have to give it another go now though.
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
@@garrywalker435 don't don't DON'T..I watched it once after being on an enjoyable break away from home with watching it as the final reward upon getting back instead it ruined the whole time.
@garrywalker435
2 жыл бұрын
@@jamesdodds9407 Haha!, Maybe some things are best left forgotten then.
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed this one! As weird as it is haha I like the more psychological style of horror movies and there was a lot to unpack here. I definitely need to watch more Christopher Lee films, so talented! Ah okay good to know! I’ll check it out. Thanks for watching!
@jacobjones5269
10 ай бұрын
Definitely a surreal masterpiece, with an ending that had my wife screaming like Edward Woodward.. lol..
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
The Nicholas Cage version is complete crap
@carlossaraiva8213
2 жыл бұрын
As an unintended comedy it is hilarious.
@octaviussludberry9016
2 жыл бұрын
For the last 25 years, me and my mates meet up on May 1st, start drinking maybe around 6 and start watching this movie around 9 ish. We all have masks and put them on round the time Howie starts his interference. We know all the words. We know the dance. We perform it with gusto. It's one of the most disturbing movies ever made and has been described as the Citizen Kane of UK horror.
@davidhabert
Жыл бұрын
Some of you maybe interested to know that this year marks The Wicker Man's 50th anniversary, there are some cinema's in the UK that will be playing The Final Cut version.
@ReelReviewsWithJen
Жыл бұрын
Nice! That’s awesome!
@whilberwhateley1209
2 жыл бұрын
Where to start, I grew up in a village in England, Kent that had aspects of this film occurring and permeating it. The maypole dance, the odd Christian “facade” covering a pagan heart. We would do a pilgrimage every year to our local Celtic standing stones… and lots more, the earth was respected in many special ways. Enjoy a great film.
@shwicaz
2 жыл бұрын
I have a copy of the soundtrack! i lOVE LOVE LOVE this movie.
@jamietaylor5570
2 жыл бұрын
Sad story about that plane - not long after making this film it was crash landed without any casualties or severe damage, but was then destroyed by vandals before it could be recovered.
@user-tj3ym8bk7t
2 жыл бұрын
Though most people see it as a Folk Horror film, the director Robin Hardy saw it as a Horror Musical.
@robertkramer2271
2 жыл бұрын
If he'd only slept with Britt Ekland's character, he would have survived.
@mrtomas0990
2 жыл бұрын
The ending has stayed with me. It's a great film and so memorable. Wonderful review ❤
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the video!
@heitorabdias2212
2 жыл бұрын
Awesome classic. It is "Midsommar" that reminds you "The Wicker Man" now...
@DavidAGIII
2 жыл бұрын
Midsommer is a really cheap imitation of this film that gets praise because it’s artsy
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
The Wicker Man is based on David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual, and was adapted into a screenplay by screenwriter Anthony Shaffer, Jen. 😊
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
The Final Cut of this movie is the best version of The Wicker Man, because it puts back some scenes that were taken out of the movie
@lordschwann5417
2 жыл бұрын
i read scripts years gone that suggested there were many more scenes filmed that are forver gone
@jacobjones5269
10 ай бұрын
“What’s a corn rig?”… bawahahaha!.. Your timing is excellent..
@ctmdarkonestm
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee, despite having hundreds of acting credits, probably had a more interesting life than most of his characters. (Air Force Intelligence during World War 2, post war Nazi hunter, related to royalty, was best friends with Boris Karloff/Vincent Price/Peter Cushing, did his own stunts and swordfights for most of his career, got into heavy metal in his 80s) Edward Woodward became more popularly known to general audiences when he was in the 80s tv series The Equalizer.
@MaceGill
2 жыл бұрын
"Those things freak me out". Nah ... Dancing the maypole is a wonderful experience :)
@eddhardy1054
2 жыл бұрын
9:43...this may come as a shock to certain folk these days but when you visit a really, really remote place, such as an island, that's hard to get to, there often isn't much 'diversity' amongst the population...but then why would there be. Would you make that same comment when watching a film set in a village high in the Himalayas, would you question the lack of diversity then (probably not)? 🤔😉😊
@mvjonsson
2 жыл бұрын
Another folkhorror movie to recommend is Blood on Satan's Claw. I also recommend Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) directed by Peter Weir.
@carlossaraiva8213
2 жыл бұрын
Picnic At Hanging Rock is a masterpiece.
@Hernal03
4 ай бұрын
Both of those films are great but unfortunately very underappreciated --- the former is quite disturbing, dark and atmospheric, the latter is mysterious, ethereal and dreamlike.
@rogermorris9696
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee recorded heavy metal albums, held a couple world records (tallest leading man, most sword fights on film)..He took a pay cut for this movie as a favor to ensure the movie got made.
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
Also as supervillian Mr Midnight sang in film The Return of Captain Invincible which would be a great film for Jen to review.
@DaveF.
2 жыл бұрын
And did something very secret during WWII that involved him knowing exactly what noise people make when they've been stabbed in the back. And he's descended from a pope.
@clarencewalker3925
2 жыл бұрын
I thought I was the only one who knew about Captain Invincible.
@DaveF.
2 жыл бұрын
@@clarencewalker3925 I think most people who knew about actively tried to forget, to be honest. Not the most well-recieved movie in the world.
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
Not just a pay cut but did it for free.
@ooEVILGOAToo
2 жыл бұрын
Ah, the 70's wickerman, now we are getting somewhere ;)
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
Thank for watching!
@ooEVILGOAToo
2 жыл бұрын
@@ReelReviewsWithJen there another hand of glory here in 3rd story (Vincent Price) kzitem.info/news/bejne/z4SksHx-hGeCl5g
@pappajudas9267
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee was 6'5".
@matthalaboo6694
2 жыл бұрын
70s Creepy psychological horror recommendation: Picnic at Hanging Rock
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve seen it! So many questions about the ending but a great film!
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
The Wicker Man was filmed almost entirely in the small Scottish towns of Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart, Kirkcudbright, Anwoth and Creetown in Galloway as well as Plockton in Ross-shire. Some scenes were filmed in and around the Isle of Whithorn, where the owners of the castle, Elizabeth McAdam McLaughland and David Wheatley, plus several other local people, featured in various scenes. Culzean Castle in Ayrshire and its grounds and Floors Castle were also used for the shooting. Some of the opening flying shots feature the Isle of Skye, including the pinnacles of The Storr and the Quiraing. The cave scenes were filmed inside Wookey Hole in Somerset.
@SidJamesUK
2 жыл бұрын
I visited the majority of the locations before lockdown. Still need to get up to Plockton.
@sca88
2 жыл бұрын
This is more creepy and scary now than when I saw this as a kid in the 70's. I guess I didn't understand it that well being young. I know it didn't scare me after all I saw Exorcist in 1973 at 8. I just know a bunch of us little boys all loved Willow, beautiful Swedish actress Britt Ekland. Polish actress Ingrid Pitt is in this also. She's in some great cult and horror films in the 60's and 70's. I have a couple dvd's where Ingrid (RIP) is on the commentary tracks. She really loved her sexy horror roles. You should check out some of her films.
@juliataylor2623
2 жыл бұрын
The Wicker Tree sequel had me incandescent at the so called fans of the original who somehow gave it a bad review. Everything made it absolutely clear---- this was the sequel. The time lag was perfect. Howies death had of course exposed the island. The Crazy Lord had survived enough to be remembered but the Islanders had migrated to mainland Scotland. They had kept their faith but now sacrificed May Queens. Still present are the themes of spiritual music warped ritual sex. But now added was the theme of American naivete abroad as in the American Werewolf in London. Every bit as warped and suspenseful with a perfectly chilling ending. The critical reception it received was nothing short of travesterial.
@multieyedmyr
2 жыл бұрын
The words "May-day", the phonetic equivalent of "M'aidez", the French for "Help me.”
@SidJamesUK
2 жыл бұрын
May Day (as used in this film) or Beltane as it is also known is a Pagan holiday. One of the 8 Sabbats.
@2deth3
2 жыл бұрын
The Christmas Tree, the Wreath, Tinsel, and Silver Balls all are Fertility Symbols.
@ronyoung3032
2 жыл бұрын
this is my facorite movie, the soundtrack is outstanding, and the ending is the best. not many youtubers react to this one, so thank you. i would recommend a movie named "Let the right one in". its Swedish, but the subtitles are very good. also a horror genre, not a slasher type. kind of obscure. Also, it wouldnt ruin anything to watch the Nick Cage version of this movie since you've now seen the original.
@shspurs1342
2 жыл бұрын
One of the greatest ever British Movies.
@jonanderson559
2 жыл бұрын
Most of the music is genuine old bawdy folk songs, some of them going back centuries. Christopher Lee became obsessed with tracking down complete lyrics for The Tinker of Rye, but there are so many versions it's impossible.
@winterscribbler6745
2 жыл бұрын
So excited to wake up and see this. The Wicker Man is possibly my favourite film ever. 'Won't you sit down Sergent. Shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent!' Christopher Lee actualy turned down a fee for the film and did it all out of love.
@stevensauer8539
Жыл бұрын
The first time I saw this movie I was fairly young, and didn't understand it all, and saw it as a horror movie. The second time I saw it I was older, and found Sgt. Howie to be so unrelentingly cruel, condescending, and judgmental that I couldn't identify with or support him at all. The islanders need to be sure they have the right person. He needs to come of his own free will with the power of the King. They bait their hook, and he comes. As a police officer, he represents the Crown, and thus qualifies. He then needs to be a virgin. They test him, giving him a very easy way to disqualify himself, but he holds firm to his beliefs, and resists Willow. Again he qualifies. Here's where it gets interesting. He has to be a fool. He qualifies as that by dressing as Punch. They provide the opportunity, but it's another test. It's his choice. If he'd held true to the rules of his own faith, and not let his anger and hatred of the islanders and their culture control him, he wouldn't have. It was his choice to assault someone and steal the costume, breaking one of the ten commandments. It's his own hypocrisy that dooms him in the end.
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee became a horror legend in the 1950s and 1960s while working for the British studio, Hammer Films, which was notorious for doing gothic-style horror with gratuitous amounts of gore and nudity. He was most famous for having played Count Dracula in seven Hammer films as well as the Frankenstein Monster in The Curse of Frankenstein, along with having appeared in several other Hammer productions such as Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, The Gorgon, The Mummy, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. He was also famous for playing villains, such as Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film, The Man With The Golden Gun, and Saruman in The Lord of The Rings trilogy.
@edwardthorne9875
2 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee, however, had no part at all in the amazing film 'Dr Tongue's House of 3-D Stewardesses'. (SCTV) Sorrry, but that long list of names just screamed for one more...
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
@@edwardthorne9875 LMAO 🤣
@dagnabbit6187
2 жыл бұрын
Midsommer took from this .original . The original Wickerman and Let’s Scare Jessica to Death are the best cult classic horror movies of the 70 s . I don’t consider Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Exorcist cultish because they became mainstream successes . All copies of Nick Cage’s Wicker Man should be put in a giant wicker Portapotty and set on fire
@SgtRocko
9 ай бұрын
I absolutely LOVE this movie! What great reactions you had, Jen! The film isn't... SCARY... but it's DISTURBING. They really manage to pull off the "town with a secret" plot WELL. Most films can't. I first saw this as a kid, and it did scare me then... now... it disturbs me on a deeper level - in a wonderful way. Fun facts: The pub owner was David Bowie's boyfriend/mentor at the time. Britt Ekland was dating Rod Stewart at the time. Christopher Lee did this for free, and considered it his favourite role. Now for me... the reaction Constable Howie has when he sees the Wicker Man BEFORE the audience does is totally bone chilling. Apparently they didn't let Edward Woodward see it until then, and he really DID get creeped out. Also, when the Wicker Man collapses and you see the sun it's being sacrificed to is stunningly magnificent cinema. This is truly a very quiet, yet very spectacular film. Thanks for sharing your reaction! HAVE to subscribe now!
@ronaldjeffrey8712
2 жыл бұрын
Don't be silly, that wasn't a real frog... it was a toad.
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
🐸🐸🐸
@andrewcarter7503
2 жыл бұрын
The scary thing about this is that every mistake Howie makes are the mistakes we would have made. Willow was Britt Ekland. Please don't watch that Nick Cage remake. Please.it would hurt.
@MikeADee
2 жыл бұрын
I love this movie especially the director's cut. Also the soundtrack is amazing, I own it on vinyl. The mystery and subtle horror of this film is so captivating. It's interesting that in the islanders eyes the cop is a "willing" sacrifice. He volunteered for this case, he turned down his chance to have sex and participated in the ritual in costume. There is a spiritual sequel called the Wicker tree (2011) though I've not seen it.
@SgtRocko
9 ай бұрын
I just landed a copy of the LP Soundtrack! I'm SOOOO in love with this movie, and the music - well, it struck me as odd when I first saw it, but the more I see it, the more brilliant it really is. Had to get the soundtrack!
@jamesdodds9407
2 жыл бұрын
Corn Rigs song in particular is based on the work of poet Robert Burns (Rabbie Burns) it happens to be Burns Night on 25th of January I encourage you all to have a Burns Supper addressing a Vegan Haggis and other activities on this night.
@royveteto4134
Жыл бұрын
seeing this movie makes you wonder with all the islands around england if the people live anywhere like this
@teanosuger
2 жыл бұрын
Britt had a body double for the “Oh My”. Section.
@SidJamesUK
2 жыл бұрын
She was pregnant at the time she was making the movie and didn’t know about body double who was filmed while she wasn’t on set.
@clare2401
2 жыл бұрын
This is a remote Scottish Island so geographically speaking there would have been no diversity at all. Even now on these Islands you'll find it's only certain families of extended generations that live there, very rarely would you get "outsiders" travelling up there, even Scott's from the mainland wouldn't move there. They are mostly blonde again to their geographic positioning, these islands are closer to Norway, Sweden and Denmark than they are to mainland Scotland so people's colouring will be Nordic, viking influenced. You'll notice Christopher Lee is also the only English person on the Island and that's about as diverse as it gets up there lol
@Paul_W.E_Ingham
2 жыл бұрын
Actually, Lord Summerisle is also a Scot, but the upper-class Scottish accent is not distinguishable from an RP English one.
@nigeldonaldson1647
3 ай бұрын
They decided after experimentation that the Wicker man should look something like the Frankenstein monster, & so that was the look they chose I think it was...25ft tall and it worked perfectly.
@HankD13
6 күн бұрын
Cult indeed. Edward Woodward, one of my favourite actors, and very underrated. "Callan" was the show I grew up with. Christopher Lee! Add Britt Ekland.... great movie. Diversity? Small island off the Scottish Highlands in the 70's? Yep.
@davevannatta985
2 жыл бұрын
The ending to this film is so terrifying,with the residents of Summerisle smiling and singing,while Howie singing his Christian hymns. While the Wicker Man continues to burn.
@octaviussludberry9016
2 жыл бұрын
People had instruments in pubs because there were no jukeboxes. American Werewolf came after this
@seedhillbruisermusic7939
2 жыл бұрын
this is scotland my dear, we welcome tourists but we sacrifice them to the elder gods all the time.
@michael-johnbrown2881
2 жыл бұрын
There is an interview with Christopher Lee on KZitem where he talks about The Wicker Man that it was not popular at the time and that he said it was a spectator film. I think he also mentions about the cult following it has to day cant remember its been a long time since i seen the interview video.
@quicksilvermad
2 жыл бұрын
Huh. So that's where the phrase "frog in your throat" comes from.
@pinkbeatle2012
2 жыл бұрын
I love the wicker man soundtrack
@NehemiahRyan
2 жыл бұрын
You've seen The Prisoner!? That's amazing!! "I am not a number!"
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
"You could say this island is making them very 'fruitful'? Aaaaahhh?" Good one, Jen. 😉lol
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎
@quesoblanco444
2 жыл бұрын
That was an x-tra fun reaction. Definitely one of my fav flicks. Tho I'm slightly concerned that Jen thought Rowen was just standing outside that cave the whole time.
@ashleywetherall
2 жыл бұрын
One of my favourite movies. Its also one of the most unique films to come out of the UK. We in the UK actually have a Wicker man festival and if you go to the more remote parts of Scotland you will find that the locals always have a naughty song or three. Some actually follow this religion but without the films climax. Also check out Don't Look Now and The Devils although the Devils might be still banned in the USA.
@Greenwood4727
2 жыл бұрын
Eyes on a boat is a old tradition, its been in so many cultures the greeks, the chinese, the ancient Phoenicians, a lot of times the ashes from the wicker man was used to fertilise the ground so in the ancient times it worked. sort of
@andrewcarter7503
2 жыл бұрын
Another Christopher Lee oddity was Funny Man. One of the best lines in a film....and one only Christopher Lee could make so chilling. "You're a very funny man, Mr Taylor. But I've met funnier. And so will you."
@Tiisiphone
2 жыл бұрын
Talking about horror, Christopher Lee witnessed the last execution by guillotine in France when he was a teenager.
@guymorris6596
2 жыл бұрын
Well, if Howie would have made it with Willow (Britt Ekland) then he would no longer be a virgin and not considered to be a worthy sacrifice. He was a worthy sacrifice, offered to the gods and goddesses and hopes that the crops on Summerisle were productive. Ahhh, little Britt Ekland.
@brentanderson5021
2 жыл бұрын
For the sacrifice they needed a fool sent by the king, a virgin who goes to the sacrifice of his own free will. I think Summerisle would be a really nice place to live if it weren't for all the human sacrifices.
@meiketorkelson4437
2 жыл бұрын
"I bet they're gonna sing to him as they burn him" Worth price of admission alone.
@aeneasfate
2 жыл бұрын
I've always loved this one for it's tone. Just cheerful singing leaving you feeling oddly happy about the horrors, with everyone in their place as it was meant to be. The only ending that's left that similar feeling lately was Midnight Mass on netflix, but instead of the outsider's rejection of paganism, it's a slow-burn reflection of christian mythology and catholic rituals like an odd hybrid of The Wicker Man and The Exorcist.
@sca88
2 жыл бұрын
Some cool cult films with Britt Ekland (Willow) are 'What the Peeper Saw' and 'Asylum', both from 1972.
@davidwatson22
2 жыл бұрын
The main character is Edward Woodward. Played callan in the same named TV series , was in The original Equaliser TV series . Was in the Hot Fuzz who was the head of the neighborhood watch
@dbking4194
2 жыл бұрын
For me, this film is important because it is a warning of the the dangers of “group-think” in the extreme. It is a tale of how an isolated community commits an evil act but they believe they are doing good. Group-think and the danger of a religion that is unchecked (David Koresh and his cult comes to mind) is so relevant especially today.
@dbking4194
2 жыл бұрын
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks Well, generally the malignant tendencies of the Christian church leadership has disappeared over the centuries. That cannot be said for all the major religions though.
@ashleywetherall
2 жыл бұрын
There are so many great stories that go with this film. Worth doing some research on it . Some of the documentaries are fascinating.
@somthingbrutal
2 жыл бұрын
if he had taken his chance to leave or slept with the woman they would have sacrificed the girl instead
@coreyhendricks9490
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Jen, Cheese & Rice As Always & This Movie Ranked At #45 In The 100 Scariest Movie Moments On Bravo
@brucster99b2
2 жыл бұрын
There's also another film very similar in plot line to this one called, "Eye Of The Devil" from 1966. In Eye though, the wine crops fail for a family vineyard, and the only way to rectify this problem, is that the head of the family must be sacrificed for the harvest to flourish next year. It's a slow burner film, but very good, if you like those sort of films.
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
"How tall is Christopher Lee?" He was six feet-five inches tall, Jen. About 1.95 meters in Canada. 😆
@ReelReviewsWithJen
2 жыл бұрын
Haha thank you for the conversion! That’s so tall!
@carlossaraiva8213
2 жыл бұрын
Not in Canada, IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. The world is metric except for some outlier weirdoes. :-D
@1984a-g9f
Жыл бұрын
Rachel and Benjamin were Rowan’s grandparents so Howie is saying they were given Christian names deducing that 50-70 years ago when they were born the island was still at least somewhat Christian. It’s illustrating that the decent to paganism was building for years but still somewhat recent. It’s a great detail. I find this movie as prophetic as Orwell’s masterpiece 1984. Of course this is what happens when Christianity fades. Rampant over sexualization including the youth, and a reversion to pre-Christian religious including the forcing of sacrifices to magically keep the climate from changing. In other words what we see today right now. By the way May Day is a real, It’s the primary holy day that pagan believes revolve around, you know it oh course as earth day. Still practiced today by those who still believe in forcing sacrifices to appease the “living earth” god.
@LordVolkov
2 жыл бұрын
"Apples! We love apples! Mmm" 🤣🤣🤣 This review got big laughs out of me Jen! Definitely the OG Midsommar. May Day/Beltane has roots in different cultures across Europe, always linked to fertility and regrowth.
@stuartfraser9745
2 жыл бұрын
i've seen both versions of the wicker man (this version and the nicolas cage remake) and i can tell you that in my opinion of the two movies, one of them is a fantastically creepy erotic mysterious compelling and clever suspenseful thriller and the other is the biggest pile of rancid pigsh!t i've ever seen in my life. but which is which? hmm...
@rxlxviii
2 жыл бұрын
Did you see the other remake, Midsommar? I think this film is still much better.
@stuartfraser9745
2 жыл бұрын
@@rxlxviii no i keep meaning to check it out but then i think well, might as well just watch the wicker man. one day i'll watch it, ive heard it's quite good. did you like it?
@rxlxviii
2 жыл бұрын
@@stuartfraser9745 I think if I didn't see the 1973 Wicker Man, I think I would have found Midsommar much better. But, it's hard not to make comparisons. It is worth a watch though to stay up on contempory stuff. I suggest to those who liked Midsommar to watch this version of it since I found this version better.
@44excalibur
2 жыл бұрын
The song, Corn Rigs(which are rings of barley) was written entirely by Robert Burns in 1782 adapting it to an old Scottish dance air entitled “Corn Rigs are bonnie“. The song 'Corn Rigs' in The Wicker Man is performed by Paul Giovanni. The term Rigs describes an old cultivation technique that involves working the land in long and narrow strips of raised land (the traditional drainage system of the past): the fields were divided into earthen banks raised, so that the excess water drained further down the deep side furrows.
@miketocci
2 жыл бұрын
The Ball of Kerymuir is a great tune by Burns
@somthingbrutal
2 жыл бұрын
I think the soundtrack has done quite well down the years, i have a copy on CD
@ScreamqueenarmyBlogspot666
2 жыл бұрын
I have The Wicker Man Final Cut on dual format steelbook edition
@kalishakta
2 жыл бұрын
The beetle is Officer Howie. 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
@kalishakta
2 жыл бұрын
Please, for your mental safety, avoid the remake with Nicholas Cage. 😰😰😰😰😰😰
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