The Wicker Man (DVD)

The Wicker Man (DVD)
It will give you hives.
By:stacilayne
Updated: 12-17-2006

The Wicker Man remake is a honey of a future camp classic.

 

I'm no fan of the original, which I also find rather silly and over the top, but at least it had some good acting and a totally unique feel to it. What the remake from Neil LaBute (writer-director) and Nicolas Cage (star-producer) has going for it is loads of over the top performances, crazily comic moments, and an ending straight out of a Winnie-the-Pooh goes to Black Rock Desert acid nightmare.

 

Cage plays Edward Malus, a cop who's so stung by the strange death of an even stranger little girl, that he's resorted to popping pills like Pez and tossing out snarky, withering remarks to anyone in earshot. The salve for his psychological scar? Ferry out to an isolated, mysterious, honey-producing island that time forgot to look for a missing child who may or may not be his daughter from a long-ago affair. Donning a bear costume and toting a loaded gun, Malus goes to the "bee-in" and takes on the deadly queen of the hive (Ellen Burstyn).

 

To read my theatrical release review, click here. 

 

The unrated version of the DVD features an alternate end sequence not shown theatrically, plus commentary from writer-director Neil LaBute, costars Leelee Sobieski and Kate Beahan, editor Joel Plotch, and costume designer Lynette Meyer.

 

To be fair, the commentary is a well-rounded, entertaining and informative one. LaBute is an intelligent man (though it's hard to believe he could not foresee what a fiasco this film would be, even as they were shooting) and he has some interesting things to say about the original movie (of which he is an admirer) and his remake (as if it were actually good).

 

He points out all the homages to the vintage version (everything from the names of the characters, to the "wanted" poster of the original's star, Edward Woodward, hanging in a scene that takes place in the police precinct). LaBute also talks about why he made certain changes, points out the symbology (some more overt than others) of the feminine, masculine, and bee.

 

LaBute does most of the talking, but everyone is in the room together (which is nice — I hate spliced-together commentaries) and each person has a little something of value to add to the conversation. When someone is too quiet for too long, LaBute helpfully draws them out with questions.

 

I am not sure if the commentary was recorded before or after the film came out, but there was no mention of reviews or audience reaction in the 80% or so of the commentary I listened to. Perhaps it is telling that during the most outrageous, over-the-top, jaw-dropping and unintentionally hilarious moments, everyone keeps the talk technical. And even more telling, when Cage's acting soars so over the top it reaches the sun and bursts into flame ("How'd it get buuuuuurrrrrned??!!"), LaBute says things like, "And here again, Nic went another way from how it was scripted…"

 

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson

 

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