In December of 1973, two movies that would change the face of horror and the ways it dealt with religion and spirituality were released. One was an instant hit, immediately changing the landscape of the genre forever. The other was severely cut by executives who simply did not understand it and unceremoniously slapped into the B-picture slot on double bills with Don’t Look Now, where it seemed to die a quick death. Over time, it grew from an underground cult discovery to a genre-defining masterpiece. The former is, of course, William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, which remains a terrifying and inimitable masterpiece. The latter is Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer’s The Wicker Man, a truly remarkable film that became a flashpoint for an emerging subgenre—Folk Horror. Though both films deal in religion, The Exorcist and The Wicker Man could not be more divided in their approach to the subject.
- 5/9/2024
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Midsommar (A24), Nope (Universal Pictures), Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s Hewitt house (Shutterstock), Pearl (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club
There’s an old adage in horror: The less you show a monster, the scarier it is. Horror filmmakers are, by necessity, skilled at using darkness and shadows to creep out audiences.
There’s an old adage in horror: The less you show a monster, the scarier it is. Horror filmmakers are, by necessity, skilled at using darkness and shadows to creep out audiences.
- 5/7/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
"The Wicker Man" is the gold standard of occult horror. Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), a God-fearing Englishman, arrives on the island of Summerisle to investigate the reported disappearance of a young girl. Howie soon discovers the islanders are pagans and spends the movie angrily berating them. Soon, it becomes clear the cultural differences are more sinister than the proper way to worship.
The islanders' crops are failing, so Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has plotted a virgin sacrifice to appease their gods. No one ever said the virgin had to be a young girl; no, it's the unmarried Howie, who is burned to death in an excruciating sequence as the Summerisle villagers sing.
Despite being underserved by producer/distributor British Lion Films (to the point where Lee had to promote the film on his own time), "The Wicker Man" is now regarded as a horror classic. 2023 was the 50th anniversary of "The Wicker Man,...
The islanders' crops are failing, so Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has plotted a virgin sacrifice to appease their gods. No one ever said the virgin had to be a young girl; no, it's the unmarried Howie, who is burned to death in an excruciating sequence as the Summerisle villagers sing.
Despite being underserved by producer/distributor British Lion Films (to the point where Lee had to promote the film on his own time), "The Wicker Man" is now regarded as a horror classic. 2023 was the 50th anniversary of "The Wicker Man,...
- 5/4/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
In Robin Hardy's supremely creepy 1973 cult picture "The Wicker Man," a cop named Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote island called Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The citizens of Summerisle are secretive and strange and still abide by ancient Celtic religious rites. Howie, a devout Christian, is put off by their pagan weirdness. During his investigation, Howie stays at a local inn, The Green Man, overseen by Mr. McGregor (Lindsay Kemp) and his comely daughter Willow. Willow is sexually forward with Howie, something else he finds discomforting.
Later that night, while Howie attempts to sleep, Willow strips nude in her own room and gyrates seductively against the wall that neighbors Howie's. Howie can't see or hear it, but he seems to sense something strange is happening. Is she casting a spell of some kind?
It turns out that the nude body audiences saw dancing wasn't Ekland at all,...
Later that night, while Howie attempts to sleep, Willow strips nude in her own room and gyrates seductively against the wall that neighbors Howie's. Howie can't see or hear it, but he seems to sense something strange is happening. Is she casting a spell of some kind?
It turns out that the nude body audiences saw dancing wasn't Ekland at all,...
- 4/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The 1973 folk horror movie "The Wicker Man" is a terrifying trip into the potential dangers of religious fanaticism, but it was also pretty perilous to film as well. Some of the actors felt like making the movie was almost as horrifying as the movie itself due to miserable, wet Scotland weather and the film's dramatic climax that ends in human sacrifice. Actor Edward Woodward wasn't actually burned alive, of course, though his character, Sergeant Howie is trapped inside a massive wicker man effigy and lit aflame, and it was still pretty scary filming that scene because fire can be unpredictable. Perhaps even more unpredictable, however? Goats. There may be no creature on this earth more unpredictable, and in proper goat fashion, one of them was a real problem on the set of the most pivotal scene in "The Wicker Man."
It's pretty close to impossible to make a folk horror...
It's pretty close to impossible to make a folk horror...
- 4/6/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Brazil’s Fantaspoa film festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the festival is breaking numerous records, presenting an impressive total of 114 feature films, 22 of these as World Premieres, marking the largest number of feature films in Fantaspoa’s long history.
The final selection of feature films for Fantaspoa’s highly-anticipated 20th edition has been exclusively presented to Bloody Disgusting, so read on for everything you need to know!
The festival tells us this week, “With a diverse selection, the feature films screening at Fantaspoa Xx have been divided into seven distinct competitive categories: International, Ibero-American, National, Documentary, Animation, All-Nighter, and Low Budget, Great Films. These categories promise audiences a variety of cinematic experiences, from the fringes of horror and fantasy to the depths of the human imagination.
“In addition to feature films, Fantaspoa will screen 123 short films, totaling 237 participating works, making this edition of the festival the largest in its history.
The final selection of feature films for Fantaspoa’s highly-anticipated 20th edition has been exclusively presented to Bloody Disgusting, so read on for everything you need to know!
The festival tells us this week, “With a diverse selection, the feature films screening at Fantaspoa Xx have been divided into seven distinct competitive categories: International, Ibero-American, National, Documentary, Animation, All-Nighter, and Low Budget, Great Films. These categories promise audiences a variety of cinematic experiences, from the fringes of horror and fantasy to the depths of the human imagination.
“In addition to feature films, Fantaspoa will screen 123 short films, totaling 237 participating works, making this edition of the festival the largest in its history.
- 3/28/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Director William Brent Bell turns in a poor man’s reworking of the Brit-horror classic that can’t work up a proper head of suspense
In a quaint village somewhere in the north, judging by the accents, the new vicar Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton) seems to think she’s made some progress connecting with the locals. Mind you, turnout for Sunday services yields barely enough souls for a game of five-a-side. But the community seems friendly enough to her and her husband Henry (Matt Stokoe), and they seem to have paid the family a compliment by choosing the Hollands’ pre-pubescent daughter Grace to be some kind of angel with wheat sheaf wings for the upcoming harvest festival.
Alas, it seems Rebecca has never watched The Wicker Man because, if she had, she would have understood exactly what’s going on once Grace mysteriously disappears. Much of what follows is nearly...
In a quaint village somewhere in the north, judging by the accents, the new vicar Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton) seems to think she’s made some progress connecting with the locals. Mind you, turnout for Sunday services yields barely enough souls for a game of five-a-side. But the community seems friendly enough to her and her husband Henry (Matt Stokoe), and they seem to have paid the family a compliment by choosing the Hollands’ pre-pubescent daughter Grace to be some kind of angel with wheat sheaf wings for the upcoming harvest festival.
Alas, it seems Rebecca has never watched The Wicker Man because, if she had, she would have understood exactly what’s going on once Grace mysteriously disappears. Much of what follows is nearly...
- 1/2/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
A classic film that not only endures but continues to inspire half a century later is a true marvel. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, The Wicker Man helped popularize the folk horror genre that continues to flourish with the likes of Midsommar, The Witch, and The Ritual. Its impact extends beyond cinema, from inspiring Radiohead (“Burn the Witch”) and Iron Maiden (“The Wicker Man”) songs to being included in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
In the film, Sergeant Neil Howie travels from the mainland to the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is appalled to learn that the islanders practice a form of paganism characterized by blasphemous beliefs, degeneracy, doublespeak, and peculiar customs. Like The Bride of Frankenstein, the namesake doesn’t show up until the final moments of the film, but it leaves an indelible impression long after the credits roll.
In the film, Sergeant Neil Howie travels from the mainland to the Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is appalled to learn that the islanders practice a form of paganism characterized by blasphemous beliefs, degeneracy, doublespeak, and peculiar customs. Like The Bride of Frankenstein, the namesake doesn’t show up until the final moments of the film, but it leaves an indelible impression long after the credits roll.
- 11/3/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Robin Hardy’s folk horror classic The Wicker Man introduces its protagonist, Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), in only a few short scenes that sketch him as a devout Christian and religious conservative. As he takes the sacrament and sings hymns in a small Scottish church, he appears to be in his element but nonetheless uncomfortable. He’s a man who looks petrified to touch any surface of the material world lest it corrupt his being.
One quickly knows everything about how Howie regards the world. This allows The Wicker Man, as written by Anthony Shaffer, to swiftly upend the man’s sense of reality when the police officer flies out to the remote Hebridean town of Summerisle to investigate a missing persons case and discovers that all of the hamlet’s residents practice a pre-Christian form of paganism.
The film lays the town’s practices out in the open,...
One quickly knows everything about how Howie regards the world. This allows The Wicker Man, as written by Anthony Shaffer, to swiftly upend the man’s sense of reality when the police officer flies out to the remote Hebridean town of Summerisle to investigate a missing persons case and discovers that all of the hamlet’s residents practice a pre-Christian form of paganism.
The film lays the town’s practices out in the open,...
- 10/18/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the folk-horror classic, The Wicker Man, we are giving away The Wicker Man Posters Signed by Britt Ekland to 3 lucky winners!
Studiocanal is delighted to release a glorious new 4K restoration of The Wicker Man. All three versions of the film; The Final Cut, The Director’s Cut and The Theatrical Cut, have been painstakingly restored and will be released in an exclusive 5-disc Collector’s Edition as well as a 4-isc Steelbook version. The Final Cut will also be available on Digital from September 25th.
It Is Time To Keep Your Appointment With The Wicker Man. In the 50 years since its original release, The Wicker Man has achieved true cult status as one of the most revered horror films in cinema history, despite a difficult production and heavily cut original theatrical release. The search for the fabled missing scenes has only added to...
Studiocanal is delighted to release a glorious new 4K restoration of The Wicker Man. All three versions of the film; The Final Cut, The Director’s Cut and The Theatrical Cut, have been painstakingly restored and will be released in an exclusive 5-disc Collector’s Edition as well as a 4-isc Steelbook version. The Final Cut will also be available on Digital from September 25th.
It Is Time To Keep Your Appointment With The Wicker Man. In the 50 years since its original release, The Wicker Man has achieved true cult status as one of the most revered horror films in cinema history, despite a difficult production and heavily cut original theatrical release. The search for the fabled missing scenes has only added to...
- 9/27/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It is the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking 1973 British folk horror masterpiece, a tale of paganism run riot on a remote Scottish island. Starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee, and directed by Robin Hardy, here are rarely seen photographs of the film-makers and cast on location in Scotland
• A special 5-disc Collectors Edition of the Wicker Man will be released by Studiocanal on 25 September...
• A special 5-disc Collectors Edition of the Wicker Man will be released by Studiocanal on 25 September...
- 8/31/2023
- The Guardian - Film News
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Wicker Man 4K Uhd Steelbook from Best Buy
Best Buy will exclusively carry The Wicker Man on Steelbook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital on October 17 via Lionsgate. Richey Beckett designed the artwork. Pre-orders are live for $21.99.
In her recent 50th anniversary retrospective, Meagan Navarro called the 1973 British folk horror film “a classic horror movie whose legacy only seems to grow more potent with age.” Robin Hardy directs from a script by Anthony Shaffer (Frenzy). Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee star.
The 94-minute “Final Cut” has been restored in 4K with Dolby Vision/Hdr and Lpcm mono audio. Special features include “The Wicker Man at 50” featurette; interviews with Hardy,...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Wicker Man 4K Uhd Steelbook from Best Buy
Best Buy will exclusively carry The Wicker Man on Steelbook 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital on October 17 via Lionsgate. Richey Beckett designed the artwork. Pre-orders are live for $21.99.
In her recent 50th anniversary retrospective, Meagan Navarro called the 1973 British folk horror film “a classic horror movie whose legacy only seems to grow more potent with age.” Robin Hardy directs from a script by Anthony Shaffer (Frenzy). Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee star.
The 94-minute “Final Cut” has been restored in 4K with Dolby Vision/Hdr and Lpcm mono audio. Special features include “The Wicker Man at 50” featurette; interviews with Hardy,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Cult Horror Masterpiece, The Wicker Man, Arrives on a SteelBook in 4K Ultra HD October 17: "The cult horror masterpiece, The Wicker Man, arrives on a SteelBook® in 4K Ultra HD™ (+ Blu-ray™ + Digital) on October 17th from Lionsgate. Directed by Robin Hardy (The Fantasist), the film follows Police Sergeant Howie, as he investigates Lord Summerisle and his secretive pagan society. The Wicker Man will be available for the suggested retail price of $27.99."
Official Synopsis
When a young girl mysteriously vanishes, Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But the seemingly quiet community is not as it appears, as the detective uncovers a secretive pagan society led by the strange Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). While the townsfolk tempt and threaten him with bizarre rituals and wanton lust, Howie must race to discover the truth behind the girl's disappearance before his clash with Lord Summerisle builds...
Official Synopsis
When a young girl mysteriously vanishes, Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But the seemingly quiet community is not as it appears, as the detective uncovers a secretive pagan society led by the strange Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). While the townsfolk tempt and threaten him with bizarre rituals and wanton lust, Howie must race to discover the truth behind the girl's disappearance before his clash with Lord Summerisle builds...
- 8/24/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Sony opening ‘No Hard Feelings’ in 554 cinemas.
Universal is opening Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City in 347 cinemas across the UK and Ireland this weekend, one month after the film premiered in Competition at Cannes Film Festival.
Anderson’s 11th feature film follows a writer’s play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to a rural town, to compete in a junior stargazing event, where his worldview is forever changed.
The filmmaker has united perhaps his starriest cast yet for Asteroid City, including Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Wright,...
Universal is opening Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City in 347 cinemas across the UK and Ireland this weekend, one month after the film premiered in Competition at Cannes Film Festival.
Anderson’s 11th feature film follows a writer’s play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to a rural town, to compete in a junior stargazing event, where his worldview is forever changed.
The filmmaker has united perhaps his starriest cast yet for Asteroid City, including Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Wright,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The satirical masterpiece goes well beyond what one expects from folk horror, with Edward Woodward as the priggish cop sent to investigate a pagan island
After 50 years, here is a re-release for that gamey satirical masterpiece of folk horror – although “prog horror” is perhaps a better description. Folk horror, like film noir, is a term that seems to have been first used by critics before film-makers themselves, but The Wicker Man is so much better and more distinctive than any film that comes under the folk-horror heading that it’s virtually a one-movie genre in itself. It now appears billed as a “final cut”: a restoration complete with the footage that was excised when it was released as a B-picture support to Don’t Look Now in 1973.
It is a brilliant conspiracy-chiller set on May Day on a remote fictional island off the Scottish coast, ruled over by the haughty...
After 50 years, here is a re-release for that gamey satirical masterpiece of folk horror – although “prog horror” is perhaps a better description. Folk horror, like film noir, is a term that seems to have been first used by critics before film-makers themselves, but The Wicker Man is so much better and more distinctive than any film that comes under the folk-horror heading that it’s virtually a one-movie genre in itself. It now appears billed as a “final cut”: a restoration complete with the footage that was excised when it was released as a B-picture support to Don’t Look Now in 1973.
It is a brilliant conspiracy-chiller set on May Day on a remote fictional island off the Scottish coast, ruled over by the haughty...
- 6/21/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
A new season of The Wicker Man is upon us. The classic 1973 horror film, which is arguably the best-known of three British films from its era that embody “folk horror” (the others being Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan’s Claw), is returning to UK cinemas for one night on June 21 in a special new 4K remastered version of the “Final Cut,” complete with re-edited footage deleted from the original, troubled theatrical release.
Following that, the three existing versions of the film (The Wicker Man may rival Blade Runner in the department of different cuts), all in 4K Uhd, will be released in an exclusive 50th anniversary collector’s edition on Sept. 4. The five-disc set will also contain a bevy of goodies, including new essays, an EP of music, and plenty of other bonus content.
Despite a turbulent production and initial release, The Wicker Man has only grown in stature over...
Following that, the three existing versions of the film (The Wicker Man may rival Blade Runner in the department of different cuts), all in 4K Uhd, will be released in an exclusive 50th anniversary collector’s edition on Sept. 4. The five-disc set will also contain a bevy of goodies, including new essays, an EP of music, and plenty of other bonus content.
Despite a turbulent production and initial release, The Wicker Man has only grown in stature over...
- 6/20/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
The Wicker Man turns 50 this year, and to celebrate it's being re-released in UK cinemas for one day only, on June 21st. And to celebrate that, in this interview special Chris Hewitt sits down with the legendary Britt Ekland, who plays Willow in Robin Hardy and Anthony Shaffer's classic folk horror, and talks about her troubled relationship with the film and her treatment during/after it, how that relationship has healed over the years, becoming friends with Christopher Lee at the Empire Awards, and much, much more.
It's a fun and frank interview that is a must for all fans of The Wicker Man, so whether you have come here of your own free will, whether you have the power of a king, whether you're a virgin, or whether you're a fool, enjoy.
Listen to the episode on the pod app of your choice — or via the PlanetRadio player above.
It's a fun and frank interview that is a must for all fans of The Wicker Man, so whether you have come here of your own free will, whether you have the power of a king, whether you're a virgin, or whether you're a fool, enjoy.
Listen to the episode on the pod app of your choice — or via the PlanetRadio player above.
- 6/20/2023
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
50 years after its release and filmmakers, including Ari Aster, Mark Jenkin, Ben Wheatley, and Robert Eggers, continue to draw direct inspiration from Robin Hardy’s folk horror freak-out The Wicker Man. To celebrate its half-a-century milestone, the film has been given a 4K restoration and will hit theaters in the U.S. beginning on July 7. Ahead of the release, a new trailer has now arrived for the film starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland.
This restoration was scanned in 4K by Silver Salt Restoration UK, from the original 35mm negative. A second-generation 35mm intermediate positive produced in 1973 was used to replace a small section with unrepairable damage in the original negative. The additional footage is sourced from 35mm prints, which are the only known sources for this material. Colour grading and restoration were completed by Silver Salt Restoration UK who dedicated over 500 hours to fix physical damage to the 35mm negative,...
This restoration was scanned in 4K by Silver Salt Restoration UK, from the original 35mm negative. A second-generation 35mm intermediate positive produced in 1973 was used to replace a small section with unrepairable damage in the original negative. The additional footage is sourced from 35mm prints, which are the only known sources for this material. Colour grading and restoration were completed by Silver Salt Restoration UK who dedicated over 500 hours to fix physical damage to the 35mm negative,...
- 5/12/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Here’s a splashy European project to end the week: Gerard Butler’s Has Fallen film franchise is getting the television treatment, with filming set to get underway at the end of the month.
Respected French filmmaker and actor Mathieu Kassovitz will lead the cast of Paris Has Fallen, which will be made by StudioCanal, War of the Worlds producer Urban Myth Films, and two companies behind the film franchise: Millennium Media and Butler’s G-Base. Eclectic Pictures is also attached.
Howard Overman, the creator of BAFTA-winning series Misfits, is writing Paris Has Fallen. Oded Ruskin is directing having previously worked on series including Hulu’s No Man’s Land. Shooting will commence on May 30 in London and Paris.
Paris Is Fallen is set up at Canal+ in France; Zdf in Germany; Canal+ International in Poland and Africa; and M7 in Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. StudioCanal is preparing...
Respected French filmmaker and actor Mathieu Kassovitz will lead the cast of Paris Has Fallen, which will be made by StudioCanal, War of the Worlds producer Urban Myth Films, and two companies behind the film franchise: Millennium Media and Butler’s G-Base. Eclectic Pictures is also attached.
Howard Overman, the creator of BAFTA-winning series Misfits, is writing Paris Has Fallen. Oded Ruskin is directing having previously worked on series including Hulu’s No Man’s Land. Shooting will commence on May 30 in London and Paris.
Paris Is Fallen is set up at Canal+ in France; Zdf in Germany; Canal+ International in Poland and Africa; and M7 in Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. StudioCanal is preparing...
- 5/12/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Director Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror film The Wicker Man (watch it Here) is considered to be a genre classic – and the folks at Studio Canal are certainly showing it a lot of love and respect with their upcoming 5-disc collector’s edition release, which will contain Blu-ray (which may be locked to Region B) and 4K Uhd (All Region) discs. The street date for this release is September 4th – and before that, Studio Canal will also be holding a “one night only” theatrical re-release event on June 21st.
In addition to the 5-disc collector’s edition, there will be a new digital release and a steelbook.
Inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual, The Wicker Man was directed by Hardy from a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer. The film has the following synopsis: When a young girl mysteriously disappears, Police Sergeant Howie travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate.
In addition to the 5-disc collector’s edition, there will be a new digital release and a steelbook.
Inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual, The Wicker Man was directed by Hardy from a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer. The film has the following synopsis: When a young girl mysteriously disappears, Police Sergeant Howie travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate.
- 5/3/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"It is time... to keep your appointment with The Wicker Man." StudioCanal has unveiled a brand new trailer and poster for the 50th anniversary re-release of this cult classic horror film The Wicker Man. Originally released in 1973 in the UK, the film gained more notoriety after the 2006 remake starring Nicolas Cage. Reborn in glorious 4K, The Wicker Man: The Final Cut will return to UK cinemas this Summer Solstice, June 21 with a series of one night only screenings. The 50th Anniversary Event took place at Picturehouse Central in London on May 1st and was a star-studded on-stage celebration of the film. Presented by Edith Bowman, the on-stage show included guest of honour, actress Britt Ekland, associate musical director from the film Gary Carpenter, family of director Robin Hardy, and others. In the film, a puritan Police Sergeant arrives in a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl, who...
- 5/3/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of horror classic The Wicker Man, UK company Studiocanal has announced today that the 1973 film will return to cinemas June 21 in 4K, and it’s also hitting 4K Uhd as a special Collector’s Edition, Steelbook & Digital from September 4.
The good news for fans in the United States? 4K discs are Region Free.
“The Wicker Man has had an enduring fascination for audiences since its release in 1973. A unique and bone-fide horror masterpiece, brilliantly scripted by Anthony Schaffer and featuring an astounding performance by the legendary Christopher Lee. Director Robin Hardy’s atmospheric use of location, unsettling imagery and haunting soundtrack gradually builds to one of the most terrifying and iconic climaxes in modern cinema.”
Special Features include:
5-disc 4K Uhd collector’s edition rigid ‘book’ pop-up packaging, including all 3 cuts of the film restored in 4K X1 exclusive EP featuring artists from Heavenly records...
The good news for fans in the United States? 4K discs are Region Free.
“The Wicker Man has had an enduring fascination for audiences since its release in 1973. A unique and bone-fide horror masterpiece, brilliantly scripted by Anthony Schaffer and featuring an astounding performance by the legendary Christopher Lee. Director Robin Hardy’s atmospheric use of location, unsettling imagery and haunting soundtrack gradually builds to one of the most terrifying and iconic climaxes in modern cinema.”
Special Features include:
5-disc 4K Uhd collector’s edition rigid ‘book’ pop-up packaging, including all 3 cuts of the film restored in 4K X1 exclusive EP featuring artists from Heavenly records...
- 5/3/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Classic folk horror movie The Wicker Man turns fifty later this year, but today, May 1, 2023, makes for the perfect time to celebrate its momentous anniversary.
The entire premise centers around May Day festivities, after all, building its horror around the themes of rebirth, fertility, and the driving desire for an isolated community to thrive with a fruitful harvest. What’s now considered a foundational pillar of folk horror wasn’t always the case. The Wicker Man eschewed conventional horror tactics that puzzled upon initial release, mining its ultimate terror from one unforgettable ending.
The opening text attempts to establish authenticity with a producer’s thanks to Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and his people for cooperating with the film’s production and providing insight into their religion and culture. It then cuts to a seaplane arriving at the remote Summerisle setting over the opening credits, introducing Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward...
The entire premise centers around May Day festivities, after all, building its horror around the themes of rebirth, fertility, and the driving desire for an isolated community to thrive with a fruitful harvest. What’s now considered a foundational pillar of folk horror wasn’t always the case. The Wicker Man eschewed conventional horror tactics that puzzled upon initial release, mining its ultimate terror from one unforgettable ending.
The opening text attempts to establish authenticity with a producer’s thanks to Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and his people for cooperating with the film’s production and providing insight into their religion and culture. It then cuts to a seaplane arriving at the remote Summerisle setting over the opening credits, introducing Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward...
- 5/1/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Walpurgisnacht, also known as Walpurgis Night or Hexennacht, is a pagan holiday celebrated on the night of April 30th. It is named after Saint Walpurga, an eighth-century nun who Christianized parts of Germany. However, the holiday has roots in pagan traditions that celebrate the coming of spring and the triumph of life over death. It is also associated with witchcraft and supernatural phenomena, making it a perfect occasion to indulge in some spine-chilling horror films.
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
- 4/30/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
The Wicker Man (and its double feature-mate Don't Look Now) are 50 years old. Albeit, they played the UK in 1973 and USA in 1975. There is a long story around the complex history of Robin Hardy's film, and it is well worth looking it up. Both films have recently screened at Toronto's Revue cinema, with custom event posters. By the time this column is published, the Thursday screening for The Wicker Man will have come to pass. Nevertheless, I do wish to highlight this unique piece of key art for the iconic and seminal folk horror classic. Designed by the digital creator behind Alternate Universal, who, specifically, in his own words, "sought out to create a poster for The Wicker Man... that didn't feature the...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/28/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Good news for those who wish to know what their Twitter feed’s jacking off to: the Criterion Channel are launching an erotic thriller series that includes De Palma’s Dressed to Kill and Body Double, the Wachowskis’ Bound, and so many other movies to stir up that ceaseless, fruitless “why do movies have sex scenes?” discourse. (Better or worse than middle-age film critics implying they have a hard-on? I’m so indignant at being forced to choose.) Similarly lurid, if not a bit more frightening, is a David Lynch retro that includes the Criterion editions of Lost Highway and Inland Empire (about which I spoke to Lynch last year), a series of shorts, and a one-month-only engagement for Dune, a film that should be there in perpetuity.
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
- 3/20/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
This month’s installment of Deep Cuts Rising features a variety of horror movies. Some selections reflect a specific day or event in March, and others were chosen at random.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
From dinosaurs to a killer clown, here are five hidden horror gems and deep cuts that you can check out in March 2023.
The Fantasist (1986)
Directed by Robin Hardy.
Despite her family’s mixed reaction to her decision, Moira Harris‘ sheltered but curious character moves to Dublin to be a teacher. There she becomes the next target of a serial killer who gradually escalates from phone calls to murder. The protagonist of The Fantasist eventually suspects her pushy American neighbor (Timothy Bottoms) to be the culprit.
While best known for directing The Wicker Man, and to a lesser extent The Wicker Tree,...
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
From dinosaurs to a killer clown, here are five hidden horror gems and deep cuts that you can check out in March 2023.
The Fantasist (1986)
Directed by Robin Hardy.
Despite her family’s mixed reaction to her decision, Moira Harris‘ sheltered but curious character moves to Dublin to be a teacher. There she becomes the next target of a serial killer who gradually escalates from phone calls to murder. The protagonist of The Fantasist eventually suspects her pushy American neighbor (Timothy Bottoms) to be the culprit.
While best known for directing The Wicker Man, and to a lesser extent The Wicker Tree,...
- 3/1/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
When I left England in 2009 to live in the Czech Republic, I was totally done with the whole thing. I was broke, had no career prospects, and hated the lifestyle. If it wasn't for family and a few close friends I would have gladly never set foot on the island again. That disillusionment might have lasted forever if it wasn't for folk horror which, in its strange way, helped me reconnect with my home country.
It was the BBC's wonderfully chilling adaptation of "A Warning to the Curious" that really got me into it. Based on the ghost story by M.R. James, many scenes were filmed in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast not far from where I grew up. That really gave me a jolt of recognition; I love the county's desolate beaches and big open skies, and I was suddenly filled with affection and longing for England for...
It was the BBC's wonderfully chilling adaptation of "A Warning to the Curious" that really got me into it. Based on the ghost story by M.R. James, many scenes were filmed in Aldeburgh on the Suffolk coast not far from where I grew up. That really gave me a jolt of recognition; I love the county's desolate beaches and big open skies, and I was suddenly filled with affection and longing for England for...
- 1/19/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Back in 1973, director Robin Hardy and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer brought us the horror classic The Wicker Man (watch it Here), which was inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual. In the decades since, The Wicker Man has inspired the likes of Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz, received a “spiritual sequel” called The Wicker Tree, and had its good name sullied by the 2006 remake directed by Neil Labute and starring Nicolas Cage. Now it’s set to get the TV treatment. Deadline reports that a The Wicker Man TV series is in development at the Studiocanal-backed company Urban Myth Films and Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s company The Imaginarium.
Howard Overman, creator of the Epix series War of the Worlds, is writing The Wicker Man TV series and the production companies are currently pitching the project to potential broadcasters. Overman told Deadline that the series “will differ from the...
Howard Overman, creator of the Epix series War of the Worlds, is writing The Wicker Man TV series and the production companies are currently pitching the project to potential broadcasters. Overman told Deadline that the series “will differ from the...
- 10/12/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Folk horror property The Wicker Man is once again burning to life with a TV series adaptation in the works, Deadline reports. Via the site, “Almost 50 years after the release of Robin Hardy’s horror classic, Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s The Imaginarium and Studiocanal-backed Urban Myth Films are turning The Wicker Man into a TV series.”
Howard Overman (War of the Worlds) wrote the script for the small screen adaptation, with Urban Myth and The Imaginarium in the “early stages of pitching to potential broadcasters.”
Starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, the original The Wicker Man movie was released in 1973. Neil Labute directed a remake in 2006, which starred Nicolas Cage.
The classic tale “follows Police Sergeant Neil Howle, who journeys by seaplane to the remote Hebridean Island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is dismayed to find the Islanders paying homage...
Howard Overman (War of the Worlds) wrote the script for the small screen adaptation, with Urban Myth and The Imaginarium in the “early stages of pitching to potential broadcasters.”
Starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, the original The Wicker Man movie was released in 1973. Neil Labute directed a remake in 2006, which starred Nicolas Cage.
The classic tale “follows Police Sergeant Neil Howle, who journeys by seaplane to the remote Hebridean Island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is dismayed to find the Islanders paying homage...
- 10/12/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The classic horror movie The Wicker Man is set to be adapted into a television series by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s Imaginarium Productions and Urban Myth Films. According to Deadline, BAFTA-winning writer Howard Overman (War of the Worlds) has written the script, and Imaginarium and Urban Myth have acquired the rights from Studiocanal. The project is currently in the early stages of being pitched to potential broadcasters. The original Wicker Man was released in 1973, directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. It was penned by Anthony Shaffer, who was inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual. The film centers on Police Sergeant Neil Howie, a devout Christian, who visits an isolated Scottish island in search of a missing girl, only to find the island’s inhabitants involved in Celtic paganism. While the TV adaptation is expected to differ from the original film,...
- 10/12/2022
- TV Insider
Exclusive: Almost 50 years after the release of Robin Hardy’s horror classic, Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s The Imaginarium and Studiocanal-backed Urban Myth Films are turning The Wicker Man into a TV series.
BAFTA-winning Misfits and War of the Worlds writer Howard Overman has penned the script and Urban Myth and The Imaginarium have acquired the rights from Studiocanal. They are in the early stages of pitching to potential broadcasters, Deadline can reveal.
Originally starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, Hardy’s original has become a cult horror classic. It follows Police Sergeant Neil Howle, who journeys by seaplane to the remote Hebridean Island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is dismayed to find the Islanders paying homage to the pagan Celtic gods of their ancestors and all hell breaks loose, ending in tragedy.
Having been remade for the big screen...
BAFTA-winning Misfits and War of the Worlds writer Howard Overman has penned the script and Urban Myth and The Imaginarium have acquired the rights from Studiocanal. They are in the early stages of pitching to potential broadcasters, Deadline can reveal.
Originally starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, Hardy’s original has become a cult horror classic. It follows Police Sergeant Neil Howle, who journeys by seaplane to the remote Hebridean Island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The devout Christian is dismayed to find the Islanders paying homage to the pagan Celtic gods of their ancestors and all hell breaks loose, ending in tragedy.
Having been remade for the big screen...
- 10/12/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Many actors have played Count Dracula over the years, but who is the best? My vote goes to Max Schreck in "Nosferatu." His is a truly nightmarish creature, feral and pestilent, stripped to the barest vestige of humanity after centuries of scuttling around in the shadows. Sure, his character is called "Count Orlok," but that name change and other tweaks didn't fool anybody, resulting in a lawsuit from Bram Stoker's estate that almost wiped the film from existence.
But with most movie fans, you have a two-way tussle between Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. Lugosi's classic Universal monster is regal and intense, with a hypnotic gaze and a much-imitated accent. Crucially, though, he just isn't very scary.
Lee played the Count in Terence Fisher's racy 1958 Hammer adaptation of "Dracula," pairing him with Peter Cushing as his adversary, Van Helsing. He portrayed the vampire as a lustful, ferocious predator,...
But with most movie fans, you have a two-way tussle between Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee. Lugosi's classic Universal monster is regal and intense, with a hypnotic gaze and a much-imitated accent. Crucially, though, he just isn't very scary.
Lee played the Count in Terence Fisher's racy 1958 Hammer adaptation of "Dracula," pairing him with Peter Cushing as his adversary, Van Helsing. He portrayed the vampire as a lustful, ferocious predator,...
- 8/14/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
During his life, Sir Christopher Lee appeared in more than 200 films. His favorite of these was the 1973 folk horror film "The Wicker Man," directed by Robin Hardy. Lee plays the enigmatic Lord Summerisle, leader of a Pagan cult on a remote Scottish island.
In a 2005 interview with Total Film, Lee referred to "The Wicker Man" as "one of the great cult movies of all time" and "the best film I've ever made." Lee also says that before he played Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings," "The Wicker Man" was the film which most people asked him about. However, were...
The post Christopher Lee Had To Take Promoting The Wicker Man Into His Own Hands appeared first on /Film.
In a 2005 interview with Total Film, Lee referred to "The Wicker Man" as "one of the great cult movies of all time" and "the best film I've ever made." Lee also says that before he played Saruman in "The Lord of the Rings," "The Wicker Man" was the film which most people asked him about. However, were...
The post Christopher Lee Had To Take Promoting The Wicker Man Into His Own Hands appeared first on /Film.
- 8/6/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
For much of Robin Hardy’s cult classic of British cinema, The Wicker Man, you would be excused for not realizing you were watching a horror movie. Granted, this cornerstone of folk horror is bizarre from the word go, and more than a few scenes border on the perverse, yet it functionally is not trying to scare you; the movie prefers to madden and intrigue via the mystery of a missing child on a remote Scottish isle. It also infuriates, because the vanished lass’ only hope is our sour protagonist Sgt. Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), a stick in the mud who clearly slept through the 1960s and will now pay for it on an island led by a man who missed the modern world altogether—Christopher Lee’s delightfully learned pagan, Lord Summerisle.
It’s shocking, then, how quickly the film’s dreamy nature changes once Howie and the audience...
It’s shocking, then, how quickly the film’s dreamy nature changes once Howie and the audience...
- 6/23/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The Wicker Man
Blu ray
Viavision [Imprint]
1973 / 1.85 : 1 / 93 Min.
Starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
Written by Anthony Shaffer
Directed by Robin Hardy
While away on assignment in Scotland, a melancholy company man experiences a life-changing, and possibly supernatural, transformation. This tale of magic and metamorphosis isn’t Bill Forsyth’s utopian Local Hero but Robin Hardy’s apocalyptic The Wicker Man, the story of a god-fearing detective named Neil Howie. The lonesome hot shot of Forsyth’s film is given a new lease on life but for Howie there’s no such reward—just a whiff of fire and brimstone as his dreams go up in smoke.
The title card reads “Anthony Shaffer’s The Wicker Man“, suggesting that the famed playwright was a more than equal partner along alongside Hardy and the film’s producer, Peter Snell. Shaffer based his screenplay on David Pinner’s Rituals, a...
Blu ray
Viavision [Imprint]
1973 / 1.85 : 1 / 93 Min.
Starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
Written by Anthony Shaffer
Directed by Robin Hardy
While away on assignment in Scotland, a melancholy company man experiences a life-changing, and possibly supernatural, transformation. This tale of magic and metamorphosis isn’t Bill Forsyth’s utopian Local Hero but Robin Hardy’s apocalyptic The Wicker Man, the story of a god-fearing detective named Neil Howie. The lonesome hot shot of Forsyth’s film is given a new lease on life but for Howie there’s no such reward—just a whiff of fire and brimstone as his dreams go up in smoke.
The title card reads “Anthony Shaffer’s The Wicker Man“, suggesting that the famed playwright was a more than equal partner along alongside Hardy and the film’s producer, Peter Snell. Shaffer based his screenplay on David Pinner’s Rituals, a...
- 6/7/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
This weekend is a big one for burning effigies around my household. Here in the Czech Republic, April 30th is when people all around the country gather to burn witches and banish the last traces of winter. The celebrations usually include lots of fun and games for the kids, music, dancing, plus klobasa sausages and plenty of beer for the adults. Then, as a big folk horror fan, May Day is time to break out my copy of "The Wicker Man" again for another trip to Summerisle.
Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic has come a long way from its humble...
The post How an Entire Island Conspired to Murder a Policeman in The Wicker Man appeared first on /Film.
Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic has come a long way from its humble...
The post How an Entire Island Conspired to Murder a Policeman in The Wicker Man appeared first on /Film.
- 5/1/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Warning: contains spoilers for Inside No. 9 episode ‘Mr King’.
They didn’t burn him! Drowned, strangled and dismembered, yes, but Class 9 of Man Sancta Ysgol stopped short of going full The Wicker Man on poor Mr Curtis – ex-primary teacher, current human bean. What a delightfully nasty ending that was, a human sacrifice in Pritt Stick, doilies and crepe paper, conducted by beaming cherubs dinging triangles in happy contemplation of bloodshed to come.
More surprising perhaps than this episode’s denouement was that it’s taken until now for Inside No. 9 to offer up an entry for the folk horror canon. Why the wait? Given its creators’ previous work, this modern-day tribute to Robin Hardy’s sinister seventies classic and the likes of The Blood on Satan’s Claw felt overdue.
Was the idea of a local school for local people where the old ways die hard thought too close...
They didn’t burn him! Drowned, strangled and dismembered, yes, but Class 9 of Man Sancta Ysgol stopped short of going full The Wicker Man on poor Mr Curtis – ex-primary teacher, current human bean. What a delightfully nasty ending that was, a human sacrifice in Pritt Stick, doilies and crepe paper, conducted by beaming cherubs dinging triangles in happy contemplation of bloodshed to come.
More surprising perhaps than this episode’s denouement was that it’s taken until now for Inside No. 9 to offer up an entry for the folk horror canon. Why the wait? Given its creators’ previous work, this modern-day tribute to Robin Hardy’s sinister seventies classic and the likes of The Blood on Satan’s Claw felt overdue.
Was the idea of a local school for local people where the old ways die hard thought too close...
- 4/27/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Severin Films Reveals Trailer And VOD Release Date For Kier-la Janisse’S Award-winning Festival Hit Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror: "Severin Films is proud to finally bring the debut feature film from Kier-La Janisse (author of “House of Psychotic Women”) to VOD platforms on October 26th, just in time for Halloween. The film will continue to play festival dates and theatrical bookings throughout Autumn.
Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) - through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre's revival over the last decade. Touching on over 100 films and featuring over 50 interviewees, Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched investigates the...
Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) and Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) - through its proliferation on British television in the 1970s and its culturally specific manifestations in American, Asian, Australian and European horror, to the genre's revival over the last decade. Touching on over 100 films and featuring over 50 interviewees, Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched investigates the...
- 9/3/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Folklore is the oldest manifestation of shared storytelling. It has been a part of cinema since the very early days, when it inspired works such as Alice Guy-Blaché’s The Cabbage Fairy and George S Fleming’s Jack And The Beanstalk. But what of folk horror? Kier-La Janisse’s outstanding documentary traces the history and form of this influential cinematic tradition across decades and continents, and does it all with such verve that, at three hours and 14 minutes in length, this densely packed film still flashes by.
It begins with what Janisse calls the big three: Michael Reeve’s Witchfinder General, Piers Haggard’s Blood On Satan’s Claw and Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man. All three have a strong personal relevance for her and al three continue to be celebrated as classics decades after they were made. They’re as good a hook as any on which to hang...
It begins with what Janisse calls the big three: Michael Reeve’s Witchfinder General, Piers Haggard’s Blood On Satan’s Claw and Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man. All three have a strong personal relevance for her and al three continue to be celebrated as classics decades after they were made. They’re as good a hook as any on which to hang...
- 8/20/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Features: Robert Eggers, Lawrence Gordon Clark, Piers Haggard, Alice Lowe, Jonathan Rigby | Written and Directed by Kier-La Janisse
After watching Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror you certainly can’t accuse writer/director Kier-La Janisse (Eurocrime! the Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s) of just skimming the topic’s surface. Book-ended by animated credits sequences and featuring paper collages by Guy Maddin Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a deep dive into the definition and history of folk horror. The film’s three hours and fifteen minutes are split into six chapters that make up three roughly hour-long segments.
The first segment deals with the “Unholy Trinity” of Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Wicker Man. While it doesn’t deny their influence and importance, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched very quickly dispenses with the idea that they are the root of the genre,...
After watching Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror you certainly can’t accuse writer/director Kier-La Janisse (Eurocrime! the Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the ’70s) of just skimming the topic’s surface. Book-ended by animated credits sequences and featuring paper collages by Guy Maddin Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is a deep dive into the definition and history of folk horror. The film’s three hours and fifteen minutes are split into six chapters that make up three roughly hour-long segments.
The first segment deals with the “Unholy Trinity” of Witchfinder General, The Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Wicker Man. While it doesn’t deny their influence and importance, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched very quickly dispenses with the idea that they are the root of the genre,...
- 8/10/2021
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Running for more than three hours, overflowing with film clips, and populated by truly insightful experts, Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is a cinematic graduate-level course––in the best sense. Written, produced, and directed with stylistic verve by Kier-La Janisse, the documentary is a staggeringly immersive experience, all somber music, eerie singing, and unsettling, often gruesome imagery. It is also a creation that inspires the viewer to dive even further into the world of “folk horror.” Tracking down and watching the films highlighted here would be difficult, if not impossible, but that search is part of the fun. Make no mistake: folk horror is fun.
As Woodlands begins, Janisse’s stellar experts explain, in voiceover, what it means to be considered “folk horror.” This array of words forms a strange and enticing tapestry, from “The juxtaposition of the prosaic and the uncanny” to “The Devil...
As Woodlands begins, Janisse’s stellar experts explain, in voiceover, what it means to be considered “folk horror.” This array of words forms a strange and enticing tapestry, from “The juxtaposition of the prosaic and the uncanny” to “The Devil...
- 8/10/2021
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
This number will increase as Cannes, Venice and other summer festival titles are added to the mix alongside studio releases.
French cinemas reopen this Wednesday (May 19) after lying dark for six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the country’s 100-plus distributors rushing to set theatrical dates for an estimated backlog of 400 stalled films.
As a result, French cinemagoers will have access to the richest and most diverse offering of films in the world over the coming months, spanning festival titles, local mainstream comedies and dramas, world cinema and studio blockbuster fare, as the summer advances.
As of May...
French cinemas reopen this Wednesday (May 19) after lying dark for six months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the country’s 100-plus distributors rushing to set theatrical dates for an estimated backlog of 400 stalled films.
As a result, French cinemagoers will have access to the richest and most diverse offering of films in the world over the coming months, spanning festival titles, local mainstream comedies and dramas, world cinema and studio blockbuster fare, as the summer advances.
As of May...
- 5/17/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
“Folk horror” is a term of relatively recent vintage — or at least popularity — that only grows more broad as “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched” spends three and a quarter hours trying to define it. Still, a slippery thesis doesn’t detract from the pleasures of this documentary from genre scholar and programmer Kier-La Janisse. She draws on alluring clips from more than 100 films, plus myriad interviews, to survey an alternately lurid and surreal cinematic (as well as television) field of mostly rural tales inspired by traditional superstitions and lore.
for a long time to come. Production company Severin Films, itself a leading restorer and home-formats distributor of vintage cult movies, should find a ready-made audience in its own customer base—which Janisse’s film will no doubt help expand.
Beyond the director herself, the various authorities heard from here (just a couple in archival interviews) include veteran and next-generation filmmakers,...
for a long time to come. Production company Severin Films, itself a leading restorer and home-formats distributor of vintage cult movies, should find a ready-made audience in its own customer base—which Janisse’s film will no doubt help expand.
Beyond the director herself, the various authorities heard from here (just a couple in archival interviews) include veteran and next-generation filmmakers,...
- 3/17/2021
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Studiocanal Set to Re-Release ‘Breathless’ Following Success With ‘Flash Gordon,’ ‘The Elephant Man’
Leading producer-distributor Studiocanal, which boasts one of the biggest film libraries in the world with more than 5,500 movies, is gearing up for a slew of major theatrical and DVD releases sure to titillate fans of classic cinema, among them Jean-Luc Godard’s beloved 1960 film “Breathless.”
The company has enjoyed recent successes with re-releases of such classics as David Lynch’s 1980 Victorian drama “The Elephant Man,” Volker Schlöndorff’s 1979 Oscar-winning “The Tin Drum” and Mike Hodges’ 1980 sci-fi extravaganza “Flash Gordon.”
Studiocanal is expecting similar success with its newly restored reissues.
“Breathless” is “one of our biggest upcoming catalog releases,” said Juliette Hochart, Studiocanal’s executive VP of library.
The film will be released in theaters in France on Oct. 28, in Germany the following day and in the U.K. on Nov. 13. It will also be reissued in other territories, such as Italy and Japan, in 2021.
A new Uhd collector’s edition...
The company has enjoyed recent successes with re-releases of such classics as David Lynch’s 1980 Victorian drama “The Elephant Man,” Volker Schlöndorff’s 1979 Oscar-winning “The Tin Drum” and Mike Hodges’ 1980 sci-fi extravaganza “Flash Gordon.”
Studiocanal is expecting similar success with its newly restored reissues.
“Breathless” is “one of our biggest upcoming catalog releases,” said Juliette Hochart, Studiocanal’s executive VP of library.
The film will be released in theaters in France on Oct. 28, in Germany the following day and in the U.K. on Nov. 13. It will also be reissued in other territories, such as Italy and Japan, in 2021.
A new Uhd collector’s edition...
- 10/14/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
If all goes as planned, the Lumière Film Festival will kick off this month in Lyon, France, to again celebrate classic cinema and fete such guests as Viggo Mortensen and Oliver Stone.
This year’s edition, which runs Oct. 10-18, is taking place under strict health and safety measures, including limiting public gatherings to a maximum of 1,000 people. Due to recent spikes in cases and hospitalizations, restrictions have been changing around the country, making the festival’s organization more complicated.
While Covid-19 continues to cast its shadow over industry gatherings, growing opportunities for heritage film under the pandemic is sure to be a major topic of discussion at the fest’s Intl.
Classic Film Market (Mifc).
Headed by Bertrand Tavernier, Institut Lumière president, and Cannes topper Thierry Frémaux, Institut Lumière director, the fest is one of the world’s premier events showcasing heritage cinema and film restoration.
This year the...
This year’s edition, which runs Oct. 10-18, is taking place under strict health and safety measures, including limiting public gatherings to a maximum of 1,000 people. Due to recent spikes in cases and hospitalizations, restrictions have been changing around the country, making the festival’s organization more complicated.
While Covid-19 continues to cast its shadow over industry gatherings, growing opportunities for heritage film under the pandemic is sure to be a major topic of discussion at the fest’s Intl.
Classic Film Market (Mifc).
Headed by Bertrand Tavernier, Institut Lumière president, and Cannes topper Thierry Frémaux, Institut Lumière director, the fest is one of the world’s premier events showcasing heritage cinema and film restoration.
This year the...
- 10/8/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
The Dead Don’t Die: Bousman Weathers a Storm in Slow Burn Genre
There’s no predicting what to expect from Darren Lynn Bousman, other than we’re likely to see another facet of his flair for genre, and such is the case with his latest venture, Death of Me, a glossy throwback to tourist terror traps which proves to be his most polished film to date.
As penned by three scribes, it’s a hodgepodge of tropes, borrowing from the tech terrors of J-horror and the cult ceremonies of Robin Hardy which features some interesting twists and turns unfortunately dulled by straitjacketing everything into the perspective of rather unlikeable and privileged Western tourists.…...
There’s no predicting what to expect from Darren Lynn Bousman, other than we’re likely to see another facet of his flair for genre, and such is the case with his latest venture, Death of Me, a glossy throwback to tourist terror traps which proves to be his most polished film to date.
As penned by three scribes, it’s a hodgepodge of tropes, borrowing from the tech terrors of J-horror and the cult ceremonies of Robin Hardy which features some interesting twists and turns unfortunately dulled by straitjacketing everything into the perspective of rather unlikeable and privileged Western tourists.…...
- 10/1/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
It’s a great time to be a horror fan. Not only are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Shudder awash with all kinds of horror movies old and new, but the Criterion Channel is getting in on the gruesome action with a month’s worth of horror titles from the 1970s.
The subscription service is the digital offshoot of the Criterion Collection, which for more than 35 years has been providing definitive archival home video versions of classic and contemporary films from around the world. Criterion launched its streaming service last year as a way to offer a curated cross-section of its library of films online.
Horror has always had a respectful home at Criterion, with the company publishing definitive editions of a number of the genre’s landmark films. The October rollout of horror movies for the Halloween season is similar to what other companies are doing, but the focus is the difference here.
The subscription service is the digital offshoot of the Criterion Collection, which for more than 35 years has been providing definitive archival home video versions of classic and contemporary films from around the world. Criterion launched its streaming service last year as a way to offer a curated cross-section of its library of films online.
Horror has always had a respectful home at Criterion, with the company publishing definitive editions of a number of the genre’s landmark films. The October rollout of horror movies for the Halloween season is similar to what other companies are doing, but the focus is the difference here.
- 10/1/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
With new horror movies launching on Netflix almost every week, it can be a hard time trying to keep track of them all. Not only is it a challenge working out what kind of spooky flick you’re in the mood for in the moment – be it slasher, creature feature or supernatural – but it’s also useful knowing if the pic in question is going to be, well, good. As you probably know, there’s nothing worse than dropping two hours of your life on an absolute clanger. We’ve all been there, right?
Thankfully, review aggregators like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes can be a useful resource that give audiences a general understanding of whether a specific film is for them or not. And as a result, we’re going to utilize this handy info to compile a list of creepy movies that should be on your radar.
So, without further ado,...
Thankfully, review aggregators like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes can be a useful resource that give audiences a general understanding of whether a specific film is for them or not. And as a result, we’re going to utilize this handy info to compile a list of creepy movies that should be on your radar.
So, without further ado,...
- 8/8/2020
- by Dylan Chaundy
- We Got This Covered
Tuppence Middleton, star of Fisherman’s Friends, Downton Abbey and Sense8, discusses some of her most memorable scenes.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Current War (2017)
Cinema Paradiso (1991)
Downton Abbey (2019)
Fisherman’s Friends (2019)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Rocks in My Pockets (2014)
My Life as a Courgette a.k.a. My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
13 Tzameti (2005)
13 (2010)
In Absentia (2000)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Skeletons (2010)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Alien (1979)
Festen a.k.a. The Celebration (1998)
Abigail’s Party (1977)
Der Samurai (2014)
Under The Skin (2013)
Strasbourg 1518 (2020)
The Fall (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I Live in Fear (1955)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Throne of Blood (1957)
High and Low (1963)
Godzilla (1954)
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Possession (1981)
G.I. Blues (1960)
King Creole (1958)
Léolo (1992)
Other Notable Items
War and Peace miniseries (2016)
Giuseppe Tornatore
The Crown TV series (2016- )
Masterpiece Theatre TV series (1971- )
Upstairs Downstairs TV series (1971-1975)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Current War (2017)
Cinema Paradiso (1991)
Downton Abbey (2019)
Fisherman’s Friends (2019)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Rocks in My Pockets (2014)
My Life as a Courgette a.k.a. My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
13 Tzameti (2005)
13 (2010)
In Absentia (2000)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Skeletons (2010)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Alien (1979)
Festen a.k.a. The Celebration (1998)
Abigail’s Party (1977)
Der Samurai (2014)
Under The Skin (2013)
Strasbourg 1518 (2020)
The Fall (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I Live in Fear (1955)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Throne of Blood (1957)
High and Low (1963)
Godzilla (1954)
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Possession (1981)
G.I. Blues (1960)
King Creole (1958)
Léolo (1992)
Other Notable Items
War and Peace miniseries (2016)
Giuseppe Tornatore
The Crown TV series (2016- )
Masterpiece Theatre TV series (1971- )
Upstairs Downstairs TV series (1971-1975)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus...
- 7/28/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
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