The Wicker Man – 2 Disk Special Edition

Just in time for the upcoming DVD release of The Wicker Man remake, Anchor Bay is debuting a special edition of the 1973 version which, much to the delight of its hardcore fan base, brings back 11 minutes of previously-snipped footage.

Here's the gist: Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) loves Jesus, the law, and his cute checkered hat. He hates crime, and he hates sex. So when his chaste world collides with that of a bunch of lawless, horny pagans, Howie's sanity goes the way of the dodo. Desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery of a missing (murdered?) little girl on a remote island in his jurisdiction, Howie's notions of law and order fall by the wayside… a mistake that could lead to his own death.

I'll admit, I appreciate the original The Wicker Man more than I actually like it. The all-star cast (Woodward, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, Britt Ekland) definitely elevate the film – without them, I do not believe it would have become a cult classic. The premise is quite intriguing and is certainly sinister, but it's undermined by a too-leisurely pace and musical numbers that are straight out of an x-rated fetish-fantasy as imagined by Walt Disney. Having unlikable characters on both sides of the coin (paganism and Christianity are portrayed in a bad light) doesn't help matters — as a viewer, you cannot root for Howie or the residents of Summerisle.

Still, there is something compelling and thought-provoking about the movie, and in the end it does live up to its reputation. More so, now with the restored footage and rearrangement of scenes that, according to director Robin Hardy, make more sense.

A  new pre- credits sequence showing Howie on the mainland helps establish some of his later motives a little better, as does the sexy seduction dance performed by a nude Eckland, which is placed later into the film where it originally belonged. (Oddly, though, the re-inserted footage has not been remastered, so the adds are pretty obvious… still, it only enhances the experience of watching it, since you can tell what's new about the release.)

The new DVD includes a delightful array of additional release material (a mix of previously-released, and brand spanking new) and is encased in a wooden box with a wicker man effigy "burned in" on the front.

• Commentary by: Director Robin Hardy, Christoper Lee, Edward Woodward, Mark Kermode
• Features both original theatrical version and extended cut with 11 minutes of additional footage
• New commentary on the extended version by director Robin Hardy and actors Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward with moderator Mark Kermode
• "The Wicker Man Enigma" documentary
• Talent bios
• TV spot
• Radio spots
• Trailer

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