The Wicker Man Silhouette

thingiverse

The Wicker Man is a 1973 British horror movie directed by Robin Hardy and starring Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Christopher Lee. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer draws heavily from David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual, which sets the stage for Police Sergeant Neil Howie's visit to Summerisle Island in search of a missing girl. A devout Christian, Howie is shocked to discover that the islanders have abandoned Christianity and now practice a form of Celtic paganism, leaving him appalled by their actions. Paul Giovanni's film score adds to the movie's eerie atmosphere. The Wicker Man has received widespread critical acclaim. Cinefantastique magazine praises it as "The Citizen Kane of horror movies", while Total Film magazine ranks it the sixth greatest British film of all time in 2004. The movie also won the 1978 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, with its iconic burning Wicker Man scene ranking No. 45 on Bravo's list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments. During the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, The Wicker Man was featured as part of a tribute to British cinema. In 2013, a digital restoration of the original U.S. theatrical version was released. In 1989, Anthony Shaffer wrote a script treatment for The Loathsome Lambton Worm, a direct sequel with fantasy elements. However, Robin Hardy had no interest in the project, and it was never produced. An American remake of The Wicker Man was released in 2006, but it received mixed reviews and was met with disapproval from Hardy and others involved in the original film. In 2011, a spiritual sequel entitled The Wicker Tree was released to mixed reviews, also directed by Robin Hardy and featuring Christopher Lee in a cameo appearance.