Subject: The Wicker Man (1973).... hilarious...
Content: The Wicker Man (1973) has some good reviews on IMdB. I left my thoughts on the forum there after watching it for the first time on TV. It stars Edward Woodward as Sergeant Howie, who is investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a mysterious island with a close community of pagan people. The pagan nature of the islanders slowly becomes more evident as the story goes on. I tried, I really tried to involve myself seriously in the strange slow-moving plot, but soon found myself sniggering in all the wrong places. Maybe the 70's idea of horror is a bit dated now or something... Maybe it was the unexpected singing, or the strange spectacle of naked Britt Ekland rubbing herself against a wall. Maybe it was the playful frolicking of the Morris-dancer dragon person with the big red skirt. Maybe it was the sight of the little man in the fool costume getting knocked unconscious by the policeman in the middle of singing to himself ("La la la la la - AAAGGHHH!!!!")... maybe it was the sight of Christopher Lee in drag, prancing along a hillside path (looking a bit like Neil of the Young Ones), being followed by swaying revellers in animal masks. Whatever it was, I could not stop laughing. Every time the dragon creature with the big red skirt appeared again, that was it, I was off again. Only the burning scene at the end was disturbing, especially when the policeman can hear the distressed animals screaming beneath him as the flames rise. I gave up trying to read anything profound into the meaning of the film. It does have a huge cult value. This film was mostly an amusing flight of fancy. I am going to try to get a DVD of it from somewhere, now I've seen it on TV... for when I need a good laugh. A great film to watch after a few beers, when it all suddenly makes perfect sense.
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