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Night 2: The Wicker Man (1973) – Folk Horror Royalty or Just Weird? | 13 Nights of Halloween
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It’s Night 2 of our 13 Nights of Halloween: Folk Horror Edition, and tonight we’re burning bright with the one that started it all—The Wicker Man (1973). 🌾🔥 Join Tim and Johnathan (no guests this time!) as they dig into the haunting legacy of this cult classic. From its influence on folk horror to its jaw-dropping ending, we’re unpacking why this film still sends chills down our spines—without a drop of blood. Along the way, we explore: • How The Wicker Man redefined horror in the 70s • Why Sergeant Howie is the true outsider • The eerie power of belief systems in horror • And, of course, THAT ending. 👻 Don’t forget: You can score the movie with us using one of our official systems—find them on our Instagram and let us know how you’d rate it! Every voice helps build The Average. 🕯️ Also, make sure to check out Tim’s horror novels—The Harvest of Briarville and Like, Comment, Survive—available now on Amazon. Perfect Halloween reads to keep the chills going long after the credits roll. 📌 LIKE • COMMENT your score • SUBSCRIBE to join us for the full countdown to Halloween! ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6 📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd 🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews 📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS ⸻ 🎧 Prefer audio only? This episode will be on all major podcast platforms tomorrow! ⸻ #TheWickerMan #FolkHorror #13NightsOfHalloween #HorrorMovieReview #Halloween2025 #TheAverageReviewsPodcast #HorrorCommunity #CultClassic #1970sHorror #EdwardWoodward #ChristopherLee #LikeCommentSurvive #HarvestOfBriarville #HorrorBooks #YouTubeHorror #MovieDiscussion #SpookySeason #ScareScore #MoviePodcast #HorrorNerds #WickerMan1973
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Transcript
Introduction to Folk Horror and 'The Wicker Man'
00:00:30
Speaker
Welcome back to 13 nights of Halloween, where we're counting down to the big night with 13 films rooted in one of horror's most unsettling sub genres, folk horror.
00:00:43
Speaker
I'm Tim. And I'm Jonathan. And tonight we're diving headfirst into the one that started it all. The patron saint of folk horror, the blueprint, the movie that makes you question festivals, small towns, and anyone offering you fruit, nineteen seventy three s The Yeah, not to be confused with the 2006 version starring Nicolas Cage and his whole not the bees.
00:01:09
Speaker
We're talking about the original British classic directed by Robin Hardy, starring a Edward Woodward as Sergeant Neil Howey and the legendary Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle.
00:01:22
Speaker
This movie defined what folklore could be. It's part of what horror scholars call the unholy trinity of folklore. alongside Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan's Claw.
00:01:33
Speaker
And even 50 years later, it's still is eerie, strange, and deeply unsettling as it was the day it was released. It's such a fascinating structure too. There's barely a drop of traditional horror in this movie until that final act, arguably the final scene.
00:01:51
Speaker
It's more like a slow sunlit descent into madness. The horror isn't in monsters or gore. It's in the customs, the smiling faces, the idea that an entire community could be in on something you don't understand until it's too late.
Jonathan's October Reads and Folk Horror Themes
00:02:09
Speaker
Exactly. It's that clash of belief systems, how he's Christian faith versus the island's pagan rituals that really drives this film. And let's not forget, Christopher Lee considered the Wicker Man his best performance.
00:02:22
Speaker
He even did it for free because he believed so strongly in the story. which is insane and honestly folk horror is such a perfect match for october it's the time of year where tradition and superstition blurs where old rituals feel closer to the surface if you're into stories about cursed lands rural horror or dark folklore halloween is also the perfect time to check out my books so if you're loving the themes we're exploring this month You'll definitely want to check out The Harvest of Briarville and newer release like Comet Survive.
00:02:57
Speaker
Both are available now on Amazon. They're filled with the same kind of creeping dread and horror energy, although very different from this movie. They're perfect reads for October.
00:03:08
Speaker
I've read them. And if you like what we're doing here on the show, you'll definitely want them on your Halloween reading list. But right now we're focusing on The Wicker Man.
Plot Overview and Cultural Clash in 'The Wicker Man'
00:03:17
Speaker
so grab your average review scorecards if you do don't have one the links in our instagram bio you can play along as we go through the film category by category things like story visuals character arc how well it sticks the landing and more and if you're watching on youtube or listening on your favorite podcast platform don't forget to like comment and subscribe let us know your score and join the conversation
00:03:43
Speaker
Because this is the average where the real review happens with your friends. Let's talk about the wicker man. yeah All right.
00:03:54
Speaker
So the plot of this one, the story centers on the visit of police officer, Sergeant Neil Howey to the isolated aisle of summer aisle in search of a missing girl.
00:04:09
Speaker
Howie is a devout Christian. He's appalled by the inhabitants of this island, abandoning that Christian faith and now practice Celtic paganism.
00:04:21
Speaker
That's that's the crux of the story. Jonathan, you have more you want to add to what's going on here? Well, by today's standards, he would be considered very, very uptight, very uptight versus everything he
Character Analysis and Modern Film Influences
00:04:33
Speaker
sees throughout the film and just just the general daily life of the town and everybody.
00:04:38
Speaker
um guy is something else, man. His his strictness of being Christian. And just like, he's so hardcore. What's the word? um was it? He is no straight.
00:04:53
Speaker
That's not so yeah, he's like super straight edge. And yeah, and just really hung really, really high and tight on that kind of level of like, what is all this debauchery? Yeah,
00:05:05
Speaker
you know yeah
00:05:08
Speaker
Yeah, he definitely is It's, it's actually one of the things that i don't think I love about this movie is just the zero curiosity about these people. He's not like, why do you do this? What's going on? Like, where does this come from? It's all like your abominations. This is, this is horrible. This is, you've abandoned your Christian faith. And I'm like,
00:05:35
Speaker
Yeah, whoever said they they abandoned it, they didn't have to be it to begin with. It's choice. So that that's one of the things that I just think is interesting about this movie.
00:05:48
Speaker
I do think the dichotomy of that. So we mentioned before, we record these out of order. So there's no way we're getting 13 recordings in in 13 nights around Halloween time. it just we've We've got jobs. It doesn't happen.
00:06:05
Speaker
we have already watched tomorrow's or no it's not tomorrow's it's our final episode uh in midsummer and there are so many parallels in this film oh yeah a lot of so many and it's both of them kind of approach the story with that same idea of culture shock going into something that is totally new totally misunderstood, maybe. I don't know if that's exactly the right word. Sensibilities.
00:06:41
Speaker
Yeah, it's totally different than anything these characters have grown up with and know. And the movies grapple with how they adjust to these societal changes.
00:06:54
Speaker
And so I think both of them are interesting in that regard. I do think that is interesting. ah we'll get We'll get into it in later categories. so i But this one has to be given credit for being the blueprint for that.
00:07:11
Speaker
Midsommar is clearly influenced by this film. This film is an influence on many others in the genre. So, okay, at this point we're recording them in reverse order. We started with Midsommar and we're gonna work back.
00:07:27
Speaker
So we're going to find that more of these are inspired by this film. It's why it's part of that unholy trinity. It's one of the godfathers of folk horror.
00:07:43
Speaker
And it's one of the shining examples of why I don't necessarily love folk horror.
00:07:51
Speaker
That's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. For me, man, it's just like, was sitting here watching this film and I'm like, so many different things that I've seen in other films and referenced to TV shows. And then like, just like everything that I noticed that was so closely related to Midsommar. was like, Hey, I've seen that before. I've seen something like that before.
00:08:09
Speaker
Like the maypole. Yes. Like the references to giving to the land and, you know, rebirth or, you know, everything like that. It, it's really cool. And it's like just one of those reoccurring themes you see in a lot of these like cultish type films.
00:08:24
Speaker
Yeah. And i thought it was pretty awesome. Yeah. I was surprised by, it I was really surprised by it how much I liked this film, despite how old it is and how it compares to like today's standards for things and like what you see with small communities.
00:08:38
Speaker
Yeah. I, so, I don't love this film, I'll be honest up front. I don't love this film, but I appreciate this film is how I'll how i'll state it.
00:08:50
Speaker
um At times, it's like a softcore porno, and ah and a meet like the first 30 minutes is a musical, and I don't know what is going on.
00:09:02
Speaker
And i'm just i'm I'm not loving the first half of this movie, honestly. And it's more just... other choices that are made, not necessarily story elements. I don't know why this woman's naked, throwing herself against the wall and singing a song to like, I know why, but I'm also like, what?
00:09:22
Speaker
yeah I thought it was witchcrafty. I thought she, i for me, it was like, it seemed like she was trying to cast a spell to try and entice him, you know, and like kind of, cause yeah everyone sees how uptight is.
Music's Role and Impact in the Film
00:09:33
Speaker
And seems like she's trying to draw him out of that purposely. And I was kind of like,
00:09:38
Speaker
Wow. Okay. I did. He was dancing on the he was slapping walls, trying to drive him insane. Because he's clearly irritated by the behavior of the people. And seeing like just a lawn, like a yard full of people getting at it in the dark. yeah He's just yeah like, oh. you know And then singing about the landlord's daughter being loose and stuff.
00:09:58
Speaker
And then her doing her dance thing, slamming on the walls, trying to mess with him. And just the manipulation through the whole thing, man. I thought it was incredible. I thought it worked out well. it Even though It seems like it took a while to get there. There was a lot of buildup over most of the movie until we get to like the good parts of it.
00:10:15
Speaker
But yeah I like the story a lot.
00:10:21
Speaker
All right. I do think ah i happen to... I mean, this goes in this script, but I thought it was real funny. like The last thing she says to him before they go to their rooms and she does her little naked witchy dance on the other side of the wall...
00:10:35
Speaker
is like, I don't have any apples to give you, but how about some peaches and cream? And I was like, oh, I was like, oh, dude, don't be turd.
00:10:47
Speaker
Oh, geez. so i i do give the story a four this is this story is the blueprint for the others that came after it it's very original i cannot think of a movie prior to this one that has a similar setup or near a shocking and ending i i really appreciate this movie for that i think it's kind of genius I think it's great.
00:11:16
Speaker
So I think the story is original, even if some of them, some of the choices made along the way aren't necessarily my favorites. I do appreciate it for that. I give the story a four.
00:11:28
Speaker
oh yeah, I'm a four on it as well. The just the way that they're all jerking him around the entire time. And you can kind of tell from the start, just like how Just clueless they they act about it. Like, yeah, something's going on here. And they're just jerking around left and right, just trying to pull his strings.
00:11:47
Speaker
They gas the hell out of him. Oh, shit, yeah, they do. gee e Oh, my God. they Pro-level action here back in the day. um So, yeah, heavy four, man.
00:12:03
Speaker
All right. So we're we're in agreements on the floor. This is the one character and character arc. This one was a challenge for me. This was a challenge for me because I don't think there's that much character arc.
00:12:18
Speaker
I don't think there's a whole lot of growth from beginning to end for anybody. i think this is a this is who these people are. This is who these people are or our main character Sergeant Howie.
00:12:31
Speaker
This is who he is. This is who Lord Summer Ryle is and this is their conflict. And that's the story of the movie. So I don't
00:12:41
Speaker
maybe the growth here is what happens to how we at the end finding you know the surprise of him coming to we're spoiling this movie is from like 1973 it's gonna happen you should have seen it already if you didn't want spoilers um he's sent to find this missing girl And turns out that was a lure all along to get in there or somebody like him to get them there to become a human sacrifice.
00:13:12
Speaker
And so that is the arc of his character. I do appreciate that. he stays strong in his faith at the end i thought that was an interesting choice to have him singing songs as he's burning alive that that's kind of interesting and i do think spoilers for midsummer in two nights i do think it's interesting seeing the comparison between him who stands firm and unwavering and later florence pew in midsummer who
00:13:51
Speaker
opens herself up to the cult and sacrifices someone else. I do think that's one area where I actually, i actually kind of prefer mid some are in that regard, because I think her window of perspective is a little bit more relatable.
00:14:10
Speaker
And I don't, I think her entire story is a little bit more relatable, but I think that's an interesting change to this structure of their characters.
00:14:22
Speaker
um Yeah, as far as the other characters, Lord Summer Isle is the most interesting character on the screen, if you ask me. He is fascinating, and Christopher Lee kills it. And we'll we'll talk about his performance later.
00:14:37
Speaker
we'll talk We'll talk about his performance later, but i do... I'm not sure there's much arc here. Yeah, it did it's really hard to give any kind of points, really. But i feel kind of middle ground about it because even though there's not much arc, the people, they know what they're doing, man. they They show how, like, they know exactly what to do, how to do it.
00:15:01
Speaker
And it wasn't just, like, random. They sought him out. They chose him. And yeah specifically to send him that letter, to lure him in, you know, to be king for a day, as they call it.
00:15:14
Speaker
And it just makes me think about being king for a day, fool for a lifetime, you know? Yeah. Because of the fact that he hijacked the innkeeper, took his punchello costume and was punched through the whole thing, through all the ceremony. And like, they knew, they knew.
00:15:31
Speaker
it's kind of hard not to tell. He's a lot taller than the innkeeper anyway. You know, didn't have the shaggy hair. So it's like, dude, we know it's not. We are. And the way they run that down with him was just,
00:15:43
Speaker
crazy good and the officer himself holding to his convictions and being like I'm engaged I'm not gonna fool around even though you could see he was super hardcore enticed you know just being true to himself and what he believes in even though he believes that they're all a bunch of dirty heathens yeah um and then still at the end man I i hate it for him because being being put inside that wicker man and lit up.
00:16:08
Speaker
I'd have been like trying to kick out part of that stuff to find like ah way to jump the hell out of that thing. i wouldn't have just stood there in there. I just, nah, man, yeah you wouldn't have accepted that fate.
00:16:19
Speaker
Hell no. I would have been trying to rock that thing back and forth till the whole thing falls over. And dude, I'd be raising hell. But, um, just him finally realizing what's going on once they come out the little cave and rowan you know surprise alive it's like did I do it right and he Lord Summer I was just like you were perfect and he comes in it don't you see him dawn on him like he's been played and him being like shit and then thinking he's going to talk his way out of it and then not man I it was tough but
00:16:51
Speaker
like say I'm middle ground on it. I don't want to say that there's nothing there because he had his realizations and his come to God moment and still hold it his faith at the very end. But I feel, I don't know. I feel like a three is okay.
00:17:05
Speaker
Yeah. i I'm actually, how was two, but I think you're right. I think I'm going to come up to a three because I don't think this movie is necessarily about the growth of the characters. I think it's about the conflict between the belief systems. Yeah.
00:17:21
Speaker
And I think that's the point. It's not about changing anybody's mind. So I got to give it credit for that because it had two people devout and unwavering in what they're doing.
00:17:33
Speaker
So I will come up. ill I'll give it. We're tied. We're tied at threes on this one. then you're crazy. Yeah, how like lo you moveot the contract to toward Lord Summer Island, Sergeant Howie and how like neither of like he's Lord Summer. He just doesn't give a shit.
00:17:51
Speaker
He is not bothered because he's like, oh, I run this joint. It's private property. This is our this is so what we do here. This is part of our culture on this island. You're not going to change it.
00:18:02
Speaker
You know, you just that air of him about it. Yeah, but it probably goes more into the acting. But yeah anyway, oh, we will get there. um
00:18:14
Speaker
but music and sound design so this is one pretty sure yeah you don't like this dude no i man this movie i do appreciate it's got an eclectic soundtrack so very like very true I folksy British tunes for the seventies. It definitely fits the time period.
00:18:43
Speaker
Um, I definitely don't care for it at all. I don't care. I don't care. The opening song. is grating on me um and barley ricks corn and barley rigs yes they fucking say that shit multiple times throughout the film like shut up with that fucking song dude exactly about the corn rigs and barley rigs oh corn rigs and barley rigs and barley do some safety dance dance in the field too instead of that like dude give me a break bro Yep, I'm so over that song. I hate that song. I do.
00:19:17
Speaker
I do appreciate the care that goes into the folkier, the stuff that like the group actually sings as part of their religion or faith.
00:19:28
Speaker
I do appreciate those. I feel like those do a nice job of kind of rounding out who they are and they sound appropriate for that group. So I think there's a lot of care that went into that. i don't care at all.
00:19:44
Speaker
I want to know who can can I find who did the barley whatever? oh yeah, it's in there somewhere. I'm actually I've got it going on my TV right now and I can see the scene where the innkeeper's daughter is dancing naked in a room.
00:19:58
Speaker
And it's incredible because she's singing. You know, it's not just some BS. But yeah, but the fact that all these people are singing in the film, it makes it almost more of a musical in a way, because there's so much of them singing along with the music. And it's not just a soundtrack and it's not a background thing.
00:20:16
Speaker
You know, it's like even when they got to like all the boys outside and they're dancing around the maple and they got the guys singing about the wicker man, you know, it there's so much musicianship and all of that to the scenes itself and not just musical background whatever it's like input let's
00:20:38
Speaker
buts see where's it gotta be in here nope that's not it that's not it music here we go arranged recorded and part composed by paul giovanni The sorry, know.
00:20:58
Speaker
Willow saw what is going on? they
00:21:08
Speaker
I hit the remote for my screen and it started like going to Netflix. Yeah. I noticed there's a different movie like Freddy's playing in the background or something. I'm like, the wicker man, no. paul So the music was composed by Paul Giovanni. I i missed if you said that already. Uh,
00:21:28
Speaker
Apparently the director, Robin Hardy announced midway through filming that they were going to make a musical. I don't know if that was like a joke, but like I said, the first half of the film does feel like a musical to me. There's a lot of music in this film and it's just weird enough to feel like dreamlike music. Like it's not a full on musical song and dance, but like You said Willow just strips naked, starts banging on the wall above her headboard.
00:22:01
Speaker
It's like singing this witchy song, trying to seduce him, fully naked. And it's just, it's like, it feels like 10 minutes of the film's runtime of her doing that.
00:22:13
Speaker
Well, yeah, we'll see ah see ah other songs on the soundtrack come from a later folk tradition. For example, Corn Rigs by Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, very, very notable in Scottish community, um accompanies Howie's arrival on Summer Isle. The lyrics of the song were taken directly from the Burns song, The Rigs of Barley, but Giovanni used a very different tune.
00:22:36
Speaker
So, yeah. and So there was some alteration to make it match some stuff for the for the movie. But yeah, they did they played too much of that song, I think, though. It's like a graded on me a little bit.
00:22:49
Speaker
I agree. i do. I appreciate pulling from the local history and all of that. I give it credit for that.
00:23:01
Speaker
i personally. The mix of the weird musical, like almost a musical elements of it with the... ah regular music.
00:23:16
Speaker
Like it doesn't lean fully into the musical. It kind of toes the line. I wish it had just if it had just leaned all the way into musical, I'd kind of be fine with that. So it's it's it's one of those like um i can't think of it though.
00:23:34
Speaker
Both feet out the door one, whatever. It doesn't stick to. Yeah. So it's a three for me. I'm going to give it credit. for acknowledging the local folk songs and lyrics from that time period.
00:23:53
Speaker
i just, like you said, it overuses the corn rigs way too much in the song. The, uh, the whole witchy seduction thing is a low point for the movie. For me, I get it, but it is such like a halting brakes on what is going on.
00:24:14
Speaker
I'm just like, I'm literally going, what is going on with this? This is so bizarre. And I understand why some people would, I can see people loving this movie for that weirdness to it.
00:24:28
Speaker
It's just not for me. So i get like weirdness. I like that weirdness. It jams for me. It's the hammy and my jammy. You know, I had a real appreciation for how much music and how every like most of the people participated in that music through singing and dance around all that.
00:24:45
Speaker
And, you know, watching Willow Naked dance around. I'm not going to say that wasn't bad either because that was wrong. um it's hard to really say much other about sound design aside from music yeah aside from like hearing the crackling of the fire you know just like minor small stuff there wasn't really too much involved it seemed like as far as like rest of ambient sound when it comes to just the setting in general um but i like i said with the way i like the weird um i went with a four on the music and sound design All right.
00:25:14
Speaker
Yep. Three and four. So the editing is special effects for this film. So the biggest special effect is the final scene, putting our hero into a giant wicker man and burning him alive.
00:25:29
Speaker
it Yeah, kind of. It looks really good. Honestly, it looks excellent. um Zero complaints there. i There's really no complaints about any of the editing or special effects for this film.
00:25:46
Speaker
I think if I were to lump in set design here, as well as part of the special effects, they did a great job making this little commune feel real. But I don't know that there's any like remarkable editing where certain choices are made earlier to help the story later. I don't know that that's there.
00:26:10
Speaker
I just think they did an adequate job of cutting the film together. There's some like slow crossfades over other scenes specifically during the naked dance scene. yeah um I'm just like, man, this feels like a bad, a bad seventies porno. There's two different naked dancing. You talk about the one for the end daughter or the one with the girls around the circle jumping over the fire.
00:26:32
Speaker
Yeah, yeah ah the first one. Yeah, there are two. i forgot I forgot about the ones, the circle. got all the women naked sitting around this thing. like just Just jumping around and singing. It's just a horny island of pagans. That's all it is. They're naked all the time. They're just, everything is about sex all the time.
00:26:53
Speaker
Even they got all the schoolgirls in the classroom and they're like, what's the maple represent? a penis sometimes like but yeah shell shock yeah the the editing of special effects it's good that that's all i have to say about it it's not a real standout in this film see for me the biggest special effect wasn't the wicker man it was the hand of glory that they put in Sergeant Howie's room. when He's taking the nap when they think he's asleep.
00:27:29
Speaker
And you've got, cause Sergeant Howie opens that one coffin while he's searching the town, sees the dead body with wrapped wrist with a coin on the eyes. And it's like, okay, what the hell is that all about? And then next scene after once he goes to take a nap, then they're like the the hand of glory. And then you see the hand with the fingers all lit up as like some kind of pagan black magic type shit.
00:27:48
Speaker
to try and keep him asleep so the the the hand with the fingers on fire for me that was I think probably the biggest special effect aside from the construction and the burning down of the wicker man I totally spaced on that one now that you mentioned it I'm like oh yeah I definitely remember that scene but I totally totally forgot about it for right now because of how much you dislike this movie
00:28:12
Speaker
Yep. There's so much, so much good going on. ah I give it a three. I think it's all good. Everything about this movie. I honestly, I don't think I scored this movie below a three and anything because it is a quality film.
00:28:26
Speaker
yes ah um I'm the same I'm sitting at a three because I really can't say much about the editing I mean it was like what 72 when they made this movie came out in 73. mean yeah old school stuff you know it works well so far I mean the cuts back and forth transition from angles scene to scene it would whatever it just works or Yeah, no, I agree. So the script here, the script is one of the high points of the film
Script and Dialogue Appreciation
00:28:54
Speaker
for me. Uh, immediately one of my favorite lines is when Lord Summerisle tells Sergeant Howie do sit down Sergeant shocks are so much better absorbed with the knees bent.
00:29:09
Speaker
That is so good. That line is so good. There was great dialogue throughout this whole film for the most part. Early on, it's it's kind of just your standard basic and investigatory whatever.
00:29:22
Speaker
yeah Just try to find out. But once you really get deep into it between Howie and Lord Summerisle, conversations with the teacher, Miss Morrison, and you know like people like ah the inkeeper's daughter Willow, then you get a little more depth in dialogue and there's a whole lot more going on there.
00:29:39
Speaker
and just those conversations and the explanations between Sergeant Howie Lord Summerisle they get kind of in depth about you know the culture the history and what all went down and it lends a lot to to the story itself I agree I think Lord Summerisle is I mean he's the shining point of this movie even if he's kind of the pseudo villain I'm sure Some people have different takes where Howie is the villain and Lord Summer Isle the hero. I'm there's that perspective, but Lord Summer Isle sacrificing humans.
00:30:14
Speaker
Uh, but he's got some of the best lines in the film like i think i could turn and live with animals they are so placid and self-contained they do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins they do not make me sick discussing their duty to god not one of them kneels to another or is to own kind to own kind that lived thousands of years ago Not one of them is respectable or unhappy all over the earth.
00:30:42
Speaker
It's just there's like a classic sense of an eyes. I kind of say this a lot of poetry to it. There's just this elegance to the way Lord Summer Isle speaks that I really like.
00:31:00
Speaker
His sense of like calm reassurance of like this is just how it is here. this is our way. it It really kind of blankets everything, even though Sergeant Howie is just so like, oh, I can't believe all this.
00:31:14
Speaker
And then, yeah, I did. Go ahead. yeah ahead look but Oh, I was gonna say, I did notice on my rewatch that, uh, this has much more of like, it begins much more like a procedural, almost like Columbo type story of the detective arriving. Like, where is this missing girl? Asking questions of the cast and all the characters in town and slowly arriving to conclusions.
00:31:42
Speaker
But I didn't realize that the first time I watched it, the first time I watched it You know, I was just kind of waiting for stuff because I knew how this movie ended. But second time I watched it, i was like, oh, this is very procedural, like a detective show. And i appreciate the way they structured it.
00:32:02
Speaker
I can get down with that. <unk>s like There's just so just a lot of good dialogue in general. I like the writing they did for this. And those conversations between our two main characters, man, it's it's something else.
00:32:14
Speaker
And here's one part where Sergeant, I was like, and what of the true God whose glory churches and monasteries have been built on these islands for generations past? Now, sir, what of him? He's dead. Can't complain. Had his chance in modern parlance and blew it.
00:32:26
Speaker
You know, Lord Sorrell is just like savage about it. Like, yeah, but he is right. He failed. fuck you so He's kind of great. I love the way he talks. I love it.
00:32:38
Speaker
Yeah. So the script is a four for me. I really appreciate this script. I think it's, I think the dialogue is extremely well written across the board. Even,
00:32:52
Speaker
Even some of the weird, like there's a weird scene where there's a beetle tied to a string around nail and this girl just, yeah, this girl just has a line about it that seems out of place.
00:33:05
Speaker
Like i was trying to on rewatch. I was like, okay, does this lead anywhere? And I'm like, I'm not sure it does. I'm sure there are people who love this movie and you could probably correct that and be like, oh no, this represents whatever, but I'm not seeing that right now. So, but there are some weird moments like that, but for the most part, this script, especially once Summer Isle is introduced is extremely well written.
00:33:30
Speaker
So ah I'm a four on that. Yep. Heck yeah. I'm a four as well. Okay. room When it's just the two of us, we move right along. ah fair
Standout Performances and Direction
00:33:42
Speaker
It happens.
00:33:42
Speaker
Well, the acting then, so the acting for this film is, it's another of the high points for me. We have a one, two punch here on the high points for the film because Christopher Lee as Lord Summer Isle is fantastic.
00:34:02
Speaker
I think he is so good. he he's got this magnetism to him in this role that, I almost say him alone is worth giving this at least one watch.
00:34:16
Speaker
You know, watch him. perform. He doesn't come in for like the, till the second half of the movie almost, but he is definitely worth watching. I also think Edward Woodward playing Sergeant Howie, he's our main character. And I think he is really fantastic in his part of that devout, unwavering Catholic character that he plays.
00:34:45
Speaker
And hi I like it. I think he does an excellent job with that. If anything, I'd start to say that outside of those two characters,
00:34:56
Speaker
the no one's bad, but no one really stands out. Maybe... um Is it the barkeep? What was his his name?
00:35:09
Speaker
Oh, I have to look. um
00:35:14
Speaker
Oh, Alder McGregor? is that it brit ecklin brit ecklin plays willow the uh singing girl in the bedroom uh but mccrager is really good in his part as well honestly he just has a little bit part that he does an excellent job with and apparently he's well i was gonna say is he still working i think that guy's dead you're right alder mcgregor he was the landlord yeah
00:35:47
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. I think he is great. He didn't do a whole lot in his career, but I think he does a nice job with it. But I definitely think Christopher Lee is worth, with the cost of admission in this film.
00:36:02
Speaker
And I do think the other Edward Woodward, whether you like his character or not, I would say that you feel that way because of his performance. Like he does a good job in that part.
00:36:15
Speaker
Oh, young Saruman. Oh, yeah The beginnings of his evil. yeah's so Yeah, I like the acting. I don't really have much complaints about it. Everyone you gave the sense that it was like a legit small town community on an offshore, like a small island. you know like Everyone's tight knit. Everyone does their thing.
00:36:35
Speaker
But they seem like they're still somewhat modern for the times and not like weird commune hippie kind of crazy weird. Yeah, that's true. It kind of made it feel more relaxable and relatable because it was so casual and just seemed normal.
00:36:49
Speaker
But yeah, Christopher Lee did a great job. and Willow and Edward Woodward. Yeah. Rick Eklund, I guess that's her name. Yeah. Edward Woodward. They all did a pretty good job. um But I mean it wasn't anything anything that was like super incredible aside from Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle.
00:37:05
Speaker
So I don't have anything else for the other to say about the acting. It it just worked well. I hit it at a three. Okay. i was i was a four on the acting. i was a four. I think Lee takes it from good to great.
00:37:22
Speaker
ah The direction then from um i said his name earlier and I've already forgotten it. ah Directed
00:37:34
Speaker
robin hardy yeah that's it robin hardy directed by robin hardy i think he shoots this movie beautifully i think but well like we said in our intro there's very little traditional horror in this movie but i do think this is a hard movie to say it's not horror to tell anybody like oh no it's not a horror movie even though i'm not Like I personally don't think it's scary. i but it is, i guess the ideas again of what they're playing with are a little bit scarier.
00:38:10
Speaker
so but yeah there's no like darkly lit corridors or creeping shadows or even the graveyard is brightly lit and creepy somehow there's some creepy stuff going on in the graveyard the lady breastfeeding her kid while holding the egg like what the was that about dude there's yeah there's some imagery there that like that is creepy too odd on its own yes and i'm like i'm sure there's a reason for it other or are they just i wonder that's the kind of thing that seems like a robert eggers based on a painting type idea where it's just this abstract notion but i don't know that for fact but i think he directed it really well more so in that
00:38:58
Speaker
There's not anything here that stands out like all the the ah tracking shot here or the steady cam shot or there's nothing really like that that stands out.
00:39:10
Speaker
It is more the ah approach to the film as a whole is what stands out. This kind of sunlit terror idea is kind of new.
00:39:23
Speaker
this is one of the first films to do that. I don't want to say it's the first, but it's one of those to kind of make it a thing. And then this film is one of those that kind of invented the whole new genre.
00:39:37
Speaker
And I think that is very much based on what the director chose to do with his film. So it it is what Robin Hardy did in his approach to it.
00:39:50
Speaker
That makes it so memorable, makes it, stand out uh i haven't seen any of his other films which funny enough there's only three of them um he this was his first film after this he did the fantasist 13 years later in 1983 86 and then he directed wicker tree in 2011.
00:40:15
Speaker
and then he directed the wicker tree
00:40:20
Speaker
in two thousand eleven
00:40:28
Speaker
And I do believe the wicker tree.
00:40:35
Speaker
um ah do believe the wicker tree is a pseudo sequel, if not a direct sequel that less people talk about. But yeah, so that's it. He did those those three films.
00:40:50
Speaker
The Wicker Man, widely considered one of the greatest horror films ever made. And then never heard of his next one. And then he followed up The Wicker Man with a pseudo sequel. So he has a very short list of things he's directed, but I think he showed some talent behind the camera.
00:41:09
Speaker
um I would say for me, man, like one of the biggest shots that I actually really appreciated was at the very end. when the wicker man is burning down and you you catch the scene from behind the wicker man as the head is burning and tilting forward to fall down to show the the the sun about to set.
00:41:27
Speaker
To show that sense of finality and the end of it all at the end of our sacrifice for yeah for for their ritual. that that in That one scene at the very end there had, I think, the most impact as far as direction for me.
00:41:40
Speaker
Just, you know, burn, tilt, boom, and then boom, bright sun just staring down, just waiting for it to end, you know? And then yeah boom, credits roll. good finality, but I also like when Howie is on his way out to see Lord Summerisle later on in the film, and you get that lead up, the music kicks in, then you see the orchards, and then you see the pregnant women in and their dresses, you know walking through the orchard, and then cutting back and forth between them, and then all the women around the fire with their little Stonehenge thing while Howie sees all this riding by.
00:42:15
Speaker
And then how that kind of alludes up next into their conversation once he meets Lord Summerisle and talks about their their wanting to enhance their sense of fertility. you know So you've got the pregnant women, the women who want to be pregnant, and then the ritual, and then him explaining it. It all has a nice kind of flow to it in that sense.
00:42:33
Speaker
Which the pregnant women is another thing Midsommar definitely grabbed onto in that idea of carrying on their, don't want to use the word commune, but Fertility is something that I think Midsommar definitely grasped from new blood introduction of new thing with ah Florence Pugh becoming part of the community, but then also taking her shit ass boyfriend and using him to also bring about, you know, to conceive new children for the commune, for their community.
00:43:07
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. The climax was shot on St. Ninian's cave on the clifftops of Burrowhead and Wigtown Shire. man none of these places sound real but yeah i want to go to scotland so bad and go see all these isles and check out the uk and stuff like that and wales and then just there's got to be some weird name places but got to be incredible yeah what you see in this film there's some amazing cliff scenes and caves and it looks beautiful it's all the quaint small town thing like i love it dude that's awesome the opening shot is the isle of sky it includes the pinnacles of the store and quarreng
00:43:47
Speaker
Uh, but yeah, I, man, I think he did a good job directing. Uh, it's not one of those that I would say the direction is the reason to watch this movie. It doesn't really resonate on a like, wow, watch this director level. It is just well done.
00:44:06
Speaker
And so I'm sitting at three on the direction. same i am three as well and it's odd because like i actually had something to say on direction like yeah you did and im compar to normal you did you're getting you're getting better at that direction category i know you don't like it for a while but you got stuff to say yeah ah yeah so the cultural significance that it factor to this movie is for me this is another one of the high points um it was
00:44:40
Speaker
well received upon its release because it was this new new kind of thing los angeles times called it a witty work of the macabre it was praised for being handsomely shot good performances i that it was made in genuine earnestness and
Legacy and Influence on Modern Horror
00:45:08
Speaker
Yeah.
00:45:08
Speaker
And it has a legacy of being, ah well, wait, the guardian ranked it as number four in its 25 best horror films of all time. Number four.
00:45:25
Speaker
which I think is insane. This wouldn't crack my top 10, but they're like, that's to say this movie is significant and it's just, I don't care for folk horror all that much. And this movie kind of embodies all of the things of folk horror that I don't necessarily always love.
00:45:45
Speaker
um And then you're going to hear me talk about how much I love Midsommar, but it's intelligent. It's ending was, i feel like we've been jaded on the shock endings by now.
00:46:00
Speaker
I feel like it was different to receive this in 1973 to have an ending like that. I can see leaving the theater. So, I wonder if the ending of this movie was the hereditary of 1973.
00:46:17
Speaker
Cause the ending of hereditary, i left the movie theater wanting to throw up. And so I wonder if that's kind of what this did to people in 1973. And I just don't understand it now.
00:46:30
Speaker
Um, yeah, Bravo ranked at number 45 on the hundred scariest movie moments. So, it inspired it is the main influence for a whole subgenre of horror that folk horror so i definitely think this has a cultural impact and then the remake in 2006 with nick cage it is a hilariously bad film that is i almost said we needed to do them like at the same time because the nick cage version
00:47:06
Speaker
is remarkably misguided and absolutely one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I've never seen it. So I don't know. so like when I were doing an intro and you were like the bees, I had no idea what the hell you're talking about. And I'm like, what?
00:47:22
Speaker
ah In the Nick Cage one, he's allergic to bees and they put bees in the Wicker Man with him. And it's just like, why? It's not a necessary addition.
00:47:34
Speaker
It's just there. It's the whole movie. and The whole movie is so bad. it's It's definitely worth watching for a bad movie night because it is...
00:47:46
Speaker
funnily bad uh it just blows my mind that it was thought of as a good idea and like somebody was like yeah let's do this and but it's also i ah wicker man has been burnt at the burning man festival in the united states There's multiple metal bands that have songs that tribute that are tributes to the wicker man from Marduk, Iron Maiden.
00:48:22
Speaker
Radiohead has a song, Burn the Witch, ah British band Pulp. Like it definitely has an impact. So the Stone Age has a song called Burn the Witch as well.
00:48:34
Speaker
And they also have a wicker man festival in Dungeon in Scotland. Oh, wow. I think was that part of the influence for this? I feel like that had to be, i don't know how old that festival is. I've got to say there's, there's gotta to be some connection to it because I mean, at the start of the film, before the intro credits, they've got that, that note, they're saying, thank you for allowing us take a peek into your culture.
00:48:57
Speaker
So wasn't sure if that was like a real deal or if that's just part of the story for the film, because it seems kind of documentarian ish. But this doubt it is this isn't a documentary. So I believe that's like a legit statement from the creators of the film to to a particular community saying, hey, thanks for showing us what's up so that we can make the story better.
00:49:18
Speaker
but yeah that makes sense i mean film magazine cinefantastique described this as the citizen kane of horror movies which citizen kane is widely regarded as the greatest film ever made ah so they're saying this is the greatest horror film ever made i respectfully disagree but I do appreciate a lot of what this movie does. And I, I think it would be hard to argue its impact on folk horror and the horror world, British cinema as well across the board.
00:49:58
Speaker
And just the, the, the, the topic of cult films, like actual, like commune cultishness. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Yeah, I don't know what other significance it has really largely aside from the impact that you know you see in film industry.
00:50:14
Speaker
um Cause I mean, if anything else, that and then you see stuff like Midsommar and it's like, yeah, I'm staying away from like small town communities, fuck that. Which is weird to say, cause I grew up in a small town out in Southeast Arkansas. So there's a lot of weird little places out there, you know, and you don't wanna be, probably shouldn't be, but somehow I still feel like three works well for me on this part.
Comparisons and Personal Reflections
00:50:35
Speaker
We need to get into the, oh, what is what is that? Let me think of it.
00:50:46
Speaker
That thing. Yeah. um For it factor. i I am a four, but we should do a segment on backwoods hillbilly horror. that That would be.
00:51:00
Speaker
Yeah. that That would have to be a CEO. Deliverance would have to be on that list for sure. I think ile down down down down down down down that is like wrong turn hills have eyes Texas chainsaw massacre. Yeah, all all those.
00:51:15
Speaker
We could make that category there's there's material out there for it yeah category for next 30 nights of Halloween. Oh, let us know. I'm a full on it factor.
00:51:26
Speaker
Cool. Did you give yours? Yeah, three. Oh, okay. I zoned out. Sorry. I think I was focused on the hillbilly horror. but all right. So why why don't you go first with this?
00:51:42
Speaker
How entertained were you by this film? So I would say I was fairly entertained by this film. um Having only watched it the one time, I liked it for what it was.
00:51:54
Speaker
It's something that I would recommend for people to check out if they're into that kind of stuff, you know, the small cult kind of weird films. um
00:52:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I definitely watched it again, but it's not something I'm in a hurry for. Maybe not great for like group settings. maybe something to watch with like your your boyfriend or girlfriend or partner, what i have you just to like see something weird.
00:52:21
Speaker
um I said I enjoyed multiple aspects of it, mostly the music part of it and how that connected and like became such a big part for me. And then just just the idea of these people and everything that's just so normal for them and no chance of it changing. Thought it was pretty cool.
00:52:39
Speaker
um I would say I'm at a seven on this one. Awesome. no i'm glad i'm glad you like this movie hey i this is one that so my wife ironically loves the nicholas cage wicker man because it's hilarious and we we like nick cage she said she and her college roommate used to watch this movie together and just like quote it and correct jokes because it's really oh dude you gotta see it it is that bad it is that bad of a film um
00:53:15
Speaker
So and I remember when that one was released wanting to see it. So this one was one that was on my list. I've always heard like all the ending. This film is iconic, whatever. So this was on my list that I really wanted to see.
00:53:31
Speaker
and i watched it and the first time i watched it i was bored out of my mind for an hour ah for an hour i was like what is this softcore like sex musical that's going on because everybody's naked all the time everybody's singing all the time i'm like what this is not a Music and naked ladies. What's not to like? i mean, i enjoyed the hell out of some naked ladies and music. like i mean i Aside from the barley rigs and corn shit, you know, the corn rig, whatever. but court Yeah.
00:54:05
Speaker
uh just repeated repeat I get that I just it wasn't a horror movie and I didn't feel any dread until the end and so I was kind of shocked by that on my rewatch I grew to appreciate it more and I wonder if this is a similar situation to Midsommar for me where Midsommar I just was like yeah it's all right and then the more I watched it the more I really appreciated it and really grew to like it And I wonder if that is a similar case because I can say my second watch was improved over my first, but I'm still not to the point where I would tell somebody like, yeah, I loved the wicker man.
00:54:47
Speaker
I loved it. You need to see the wicker man. I'm not there yet. It's going to take a very niche person for me to even remotely say like, yeah, check out the wicker man. The wicker man. You're going to like that movie. I'm not there yet.
00:55:03
Speaker
but i can't say that i appreciate the time and care the construction and the craft that went into this movie i see all that but my my full thoughts on comparing this because midsmar is so influenced by this film it's not even it's almost a remake ah Like that's how influenced it is from the burning of something at the end of it to the introduction of an outsider into the culture, the fertility stuff.
00:55:35
Speaker
ah the It's all there. It's all there. So my final thoughts on that on night 13, when we discuss Midsommar. but i am at a four on this film wow yeah i'm not going to this one this isn't a movie i'm gonna grab i'm gonna watch midsummer before i watch this this one uh i appreciate this film I just don't know that I'm going to spend the next 88 minutes of my night watching it again.
00:56:07
Speaker
i don't know that. ah Right now I've seen it like once every two years and that's that's probably pretty good for me. um I'm about good with that. So, yep, I do come in a little bit lower on this one. I'm a four.
00:56:24
Speaker
hot damn. Although, like I got say, though, what did you think about like the the almost life-size a body like person of bread that the guy the bakery made was carrying around while they're doing their little procession. like That was creepy. ah That was creepy.
00:56:40
Speaker
I also, it was like coming out of the oven, it look kind of good. know, right? i was like, ah that's a tasty looking human bread, you know? I love i like some fresh bread, yeah. yeah it is It's just crazy though because like when he's doing his investigation, he's in the library after you see like the kids in a line with their weird little doll fgl wrapped up being creepy like he's reading about what the pagan ritual is like and he's like reading exactly what's going to happen to him so it's like oh wow automatic foreshadowing right there what the hell but yep it it's just so much crazy in this film but in a weird way i like it don't know yeah good i'm glad you did sometimes i like people i like bringing movies today
00:57:24
Speaker
I like bringing movies that you enjoy. I'm kind of, if anything, I'm more upset by that little game they play with the swords where people pop their heads up through them.
00:57:35
Speaker
And I'm more upset that they're building it up for somebody to get their head cut off. And then when it does, the girl pops out like, hi, I'm like, That would have been a really jarring moment to be real. well Everyone was like, oh, no. And it's like, oh, it's just Molly. ah It's Molly. but Yeah, they just laugh it off and keep going.
00:57:55
Speaker
Like, man, that moment, I actually would have taken some genuine, like, scares. That might have been a little nice. But it almost plays as comedy at that point. But, yeah, I hate to be so low it. But the weird thing about it, and I love – bragging about the system I made again.
00:58:14
Speaker
We actually don't end up all too different on our final scores. Do you have yours? I believe I was at a 34. Yeah. And I'm at 32, which would be a 33 out of 50 or a three and a half stars, which means it's a good movie for social settings, but that's just with two people creating the average, we would need some more votes to get a better idea because like we said, think this is kind of a niche audience that would most likely at a party be bored by this movie.
00:58:47
Speaker
So I think your better party option in this case would be a final destination film, something the like that. yeah But, or if you're at a film, if you're at a yeah film buff, they get some appreciation out of this one.
00:59:01
Speaker
This is by no means a bad film. I think that's in shows in our scores for at three and a half stars out of five. I think it is one that, You really have to have an appreciation for the location, the time period, the craft of the movie itself.
00:59:20
Speaker
I don't think this is easily accessible for a casual viewer. I don't think this is easily accessible for a casual horror fan. If you're into like, oh yeah, I like to saw movies and you're like, what's this wicker man about? Like, it's not going to work out for you. Yeah.
00:59:37
Speaker
Yeah, it's going to be the same thing. So you got to have an appreciation for that folklore aspect of it. The cultural stuff I think is super fascinating. I think that's the strongest point of the film.
00:59:49
Speaker
so Well, as a person with of some Scottish descent, I love the fact there's a bunch of dudes running around in kilts on a Scottish Isle. Yeah. and Just rocking that shit. I was like, yes, fucking kilts everywhere, dude. Yes.
01:00:01
Speaker
But the six point thing that they were doing, though, with their game, I thought that was pretty rad. Oh, man. Yeah. Or something to happen to see someone get their head sliced off like the anticipation for that. And then so it's tense. I'm going to go through it like, oh, shit, is he about get his head cut off? I got an order.
01:00:16
Speaker
Yeah, that that scene is tense. That scene is good. That's one of the standouts for the film. Yeah. So ka pretty you have final thoughts on it. Are we wrapping this one up?
01:00:28
Speaker
Well, there's no bees, so I can't really say much else. Right. All right, let's let's close this thing out then. I always think it's interesting. My just not we're clocking in right about an hour right now.
01:00:42
Speaker
And anytime it's just you and I, I tell anybody who's joining, it's about a half hour per person. And that ends up to be accurate just about every time. If we have four people, we usually talk for two hours.
01:00:53
Speaker
If we have three hour and a half, it just works out. I love that. That is pretty awesome. But you know, very accurate. island Yeah, yeah. yeah Well, anyway, ah well, that's going to wrap it up for tonight's dive into the strange and sun-drenched terror of The Wicker Man.
01:01:10
Speaker
It's not your typical horror movie, and that's exactly why it sticks with you. Yeah, this is one of those film that lingers. It is quiet. It is patient horror built on tension between belief and fear, isolation and tradition.
01:01:25
Speaker
And the final scene is iconic. It's burned into the DNA of the entire folk horror genre as we have explored. And hey, huge thanks to everyone who filled out their scorecards and dropped their takes in the comments. We say it every time, but we mean it.
01:01:40
Speaker
This is what makes the show what it is. Exactly. This is the average where the real review happens with your friends. And if you're loving this countdown, don't forget Halloween is the perfect time to add something spooky to your bookshelf too.
01:01:55
Speaker
You can pick up my books, Harvest of Briarville or like comment and survive right now on Amazon. They've got all the eerie vibes, curse rituals and unsettling towns your October heart could want.
01:02:09
Speaker
And we've still got more coming. We're not even done yet. 13 Nights rolls on, and it only gets creepier from here. So be sure to like, follow, subscribe, share the show with your horror-living friends, and keep that scorecard handy.
01:02:20
Speaker
Until next time, be wary of fruit baskets, stay out of May Day festivals, and remember, some sacrifices don't look like horror until it's too late.
01:02:33
Speaker
We'll see you in the next one.