Out now on Blu-Ray: The Wicker Man (1973)

Like many of you, I’m a total sucker for shiny things, and I’m helplessly addicted to special editions, collectors editions, combo packs, Steelbooks… basically if you can repackage something and add an extra 20 minutes of bonus features, I’ll buy it.  So when it was announced that we would finally be getting a definitive final cut of Robin Hardy’s 1973 horror masterpiece The Wicker Man released in theatres (well… A theatre), and we’d also be getting a Steelbook Blu-Ray with multiple copies of the film and exclusive special features, you could say I was more than a little excited, and when it was announced that it was a limited edition, I couldn’t buy one fast enough, because if there’s anything I like more than special editions, it’s a special edition I can rub in the face of someone who doesn’t have one.

The Wicker Man really needs no introduction. Robin Hardy’s 1973 film without a doubt one of, if not the, greatest horror films of all time. I’ll describe the film to you, but there aren’t words that can do justice to the chilling tension that it delivers. The film stars British actor Edward Woodward (Breaker Morant, The Equalizer) as Sergeant Neil Howie, a mainland police officer who falls into a web of conspiracy and pagan worship after his investigation of a missing girl leads him to Summerisle, a remote island near Scotland. The islands inhabitants practice a modernized form of Celtic Paganism and are led by Lord Summerisle, played by Christopher Lee (Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings).
The film was well received upon release, but it wasn’t until 1977 that the film gained it’s cult fan base after the film magazine Cinefantastique devoted a commemorative issue to the film, describing it as “the Citizen Kane of horror movies”. Since then, the films legend and fanbase have grown immensely, and the film has recieved two re-cuts (Director’s Cut and Final Cut), a spiritual sequel, and an awful remake starring Nicolas Cage. What more could you ask for?
The new cut and restoration of the film looks amazing. For a film that’s had such a sordid history with it’s negatives, with some of them allegedly being burnt by the studio, the discovery of a new quality negative is a blessing upon fans. The film is transferred masterfully, with only a few moments with some poor colour correction, giving an excellent feel to the island’s soft coloured greenery and buildings, and the way the colour is ever so slightly muted greatly enforces the tense cinematography of the film. The original mono audio track has been remastered into a 5.1 surround sound track, which works out great during the films more musical moments.
Overall Verdict: Definitely a buy for fans of the film, and I’d highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great horror film.
Click Here for the Zavvi Exclusive Steelbook, which is Region B (Europe, Africe, Australia, New Zealand) Or, if you’re in the US or Canada, Click Here for the Non-Steelbook Region A version.