In 7 Words or Less? Busy-body gets what he deserves.
Best bits? Every scene. This is my favourite horror film and is probably my favourite film (sorry You've got Mail). There's something special about this film, despite it's less than accomplished aesthetics. The script is strong, often funny and frightening in equal parts (leading to Lee appearing in it for no fee!). It's a strange thing in a film when you start to side with the supposedly bad people, you can't help but get behind these islanders when they are setting the honey trap for poor, stuffy sergeant Howie. Scenes that are burned into my memory are Willow's Slap Dance, The Maypole dance, Howie's first meeting with Lord Summerisle, the opening credits of Howie's flight through some incredible scenery. The mayday celebrations, masked children, sacrificing a barrel of ale to the sea and the harrowing finalé.
Did it make you think thoughts? The most puzzling part is how that troll McGreggor sired a child like Willow? (surely she would have looked more like Susan Boyle?) Still, the islanders aren't complaining. One of my favourite scenes doesn't appear in the cinematic release; The song Gently Johnny is played by the band as Lord Summerisle delivers a boy for "de-flowering" to Willow's window. As he monologues about his contempt for humans to slow motion shots of mating snails. Weird, Wild Stuff.
To think, the whole silly ordeal could have been avoided if Howie gave into temptation on the first night in the pub and went to see Willow for some sexy fun...
Would you watch it again? I watch it weekly. It's become like a lullaby to me and it's becoming a way of life, having been involved in the attempted burning of Seb in a wicker chair in Falmouth. If you read this list of Wicker Man facts and rumours, the fun of the film gets even better.
Rating (out of 100%): 95% Not since Aliens & Jurassic Park has a film stood up to so many repeat viewings. Just like discovering Neil Young, you soon plumet off the edge into all of Summerisle's charms.
