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As Grimmfest celebrates the haunting legacy of The Wicker Man 50 years on, Children of the Wicker Man makes a powerful impression, blending filmmaking history, personal discovery, and the complex relationship between father and sons. Directed by Justin Hardy and produced by Chris Nunn, this documentary goes beyond simple admiration for the cult classic, exploring the life and work of the original film’s creator, Robin Hardy, through the eyes of his children. The film is a poignant and deeply human journey that shows the impact of The Wicker Man not only on the horror landscape but also on those closest to its creator.

Will Knowles had the opportunity during the festival to speak with director Justin Hardy and producer Chris Nunn about the making of Children of the Wicker Man, its personal resonance, and what it’s like diving into such a monumental legacy while still creating something entirely their own.

"The Wicker Man" is the gold standard of occult horror. Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), a God-fearing Englishman, arrives on the island of Summerisle to investigate the reported disappearance of a young girl. Howie soon discovers the islanders are pagans and spends the movie angrily berating them. Soon, it becomes clear the cultural differences are more sinister than the proper way to worship.

The islanders' crops are failing, so Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) has plotted a virgin sacrifice to appease their gods. No one ever said the virgin had to be a young girl; no, it's the unmarried Howie, who is burned to death in an excruciating sequence as the Summerisle villagers sing.

Despite being underserved by producer/distributor British Lion Films (to the point where Lee had to promote the film on his own time), "The Wicker Man" is now regarded as a horror classic. 2023 was the 50th anniversary of "The Wicker Man,...

In Robin Hardy's supremely creepy 1973 cult picture "The Wicker Man," a cop named Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote island called Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The citizens of Summerisle are secretive and strange and still abide by ancient Celtic religious rites. Howie, a devout Christian, is put off by their pagan weirdness. During his investigation, Howie stays at a local inn, The Green Man, overseen by Mr. McGregor (Lindsay Kemp) and his comely daughter Willow. Willow is sexually forward with Howie, something else he finds discomforting.

Later that night, while Howie attempts to sleep, Willow strips nude in her own room and gyrates seductively against the wall that neighbors Howie's. Howie can't see or hear it, but he seems to sense something strange is happening. Is she casting a spell of some kind?

It turns out that the nude body audiences saw dancing wasn't Ekland at all,...

The Wicker Man's infamous 2006 remake starring Nicolas Cage hurt the reputation of the original 1973 film. The original Wicker Man from 1973 tells the same story a thousand times smarter, making it one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The 50th anniversary of the original Wicker Man is a good opportunity to re-discover it, and put the Nicolas Cage version on the pop-cultural back seat.

Mention The Wicker Man, and the go-to response is to invoke the infamous 2006 disaster starring Nicolas Cage. It bombed on first release and has since attained the same dubious status as Battlefield: Earth and the 1980s Howard the Duck. Today, it's probably best known for the memes that arose from it, featuring Cage delivering manic lines like "How'd it get Burned?!" and "the bees… the Bees…"

Certainly, the film deserves every bit of its reputation as a well-meaning effort sunk beneath the weight of unfortunate creative decisions.

The classic horror flick The Wicker Man has gotten the 4K treatment.

Lionsgate has announced that The Wicker Man is getting a special SteelBook in 4K Ultra HD, along with Blu-ray and Digital. The SteelBook is set to be released on Oct. 17, 2023. Ahead of the release, Lionsgate has also unveiled the artwork for the SteelBook.

Related: Andy Serkis Announces The Wicker Man TV Series

The film is directed by Robin Hardy (The Fantasist) and follows Police Sergeant Howie as he investigates Lord Summerisle and his secretive pagan society. Anthony Shaffer wrote the script. The film also stars Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, and Lindsay Kemp, and Russell Waters.

In The Wicker Man, per Lionsgate's synopsis, "When a young girl mysteriously vanishes, Police Sergeant Howie (Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But the seemingly quiet community is not as it appears, as the detective uncovers a secretive...

Director Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror film The Wicker Man (watch it Here) is considered to be a genre classic – and the folks at Studio Canal are certainly showing it a lot of love and respect with their upcoming 5-disc collector’s edition release, which will contain Blu-ray (which may be locked to Region B) and 4K Uhd (All Region) discs. The street date for this release is September 4th – and before that, Studio Canal will also be holding a “one night only” theatrical re-release event on June 21st.

In addition to the 5-disc collector’s edition, there will be a new digital release and a steelbook.

Inspired by David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual, The Wicker Man was directed by Hardy from a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer. The film has the following synopsis: When a young girl mysteriously disappears, Police Sergeant Howie travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate.

Simon Brew Jul 3, 2016

Sad news: the man who gave us the wonderful The Wicker Man, Robin Hardy, has died.

Film director Robin Hardy has died at the age of 86, it's been confirmed. Hardy may have only made three feature films across his career (he was a novelist too), but heck, one of them was really something incredibly special.

For Hardy made his directorial debut with 1973's The Wicker Man, the hugely influential horror that's regarded by many as one of the best in the genre of all time (Sir Christopher Lee called it his favourite of all the films he made). Hardy would, in 2011, direct The Wicker Tree, and had plans to make a third movie in the series, as a tribute to Sir Christopher Lee.

Hardy also helmed The Fantasist in 1986, that he also wrote.

The late and sadly-missed Ingrid Pitt wrote for us about her time making The Wicker Man here,...

“Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man”.

Christopher Lee claimed The Wicker Man (1973) was the greatest film he was ever part of. For good reasons, as this is one of the most unusual and original cinematic masterpieces ever brought to screen and an absolute must-see for everybody interested in movies. The unique greatness of The Wicker Man combines elements from a variety of genres; Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, Drama, and even Musical, but it cannot really be limited to one particular genre. Scottish police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is called by an anonymous letter to investigate the disappearance of a young girl on the remote Scottish island Summerisle. Upon his arrival, nobody seems to have ever heard of the girl. The deeply religious Sergeant Howie, however, is shocked to find out that the residents of the island, above all the sophisticated but mysterious Lord Summerisle...

Filmmaker Robin Hardy, best known for directing the original "The Wicker Man," has died at the age of 86. Hardy passed on Friday with his wife confirming the news in a Facebook post.

Hardy made his feature film directorial debut on the 1973 horror mystery about a sergeant named Howie (Edward Woodward) who goes to the fictional island Summerisle to search for a missing girl.

Hardy would go on to helm 1986's "The Fantasist," pen the screenplay for the 1989 mystery "Forbidden Sun" and to write and direct the follow-up with 2011's "The Wicker Tree".

Source: Variety...

Robin Hardy, whose directed the 1973 British cult classic “The Wicker Man,” died on Friday at the age of 86, the BBC reports. “The Wicker Man” was Hardy’s directorial debut, and starred an already established Christopher Lee. Many years later, the legendary actor would recall it as the best of the more than 200 films in which he starred. A 2006 remake starring Nicolas Cage failed to garner the creative and visual praise as Hardy’s original. Also Read: Christopher Lee, 'Count Dracula' and 'Lord of the Rings' Star, Dead at 93 In 2011, Hardy made a sequel to “Man” called “The Wicker Tree...

Robin Hardy, the British director of cult film The Wicker Man, has died, the BBC reports. A family friend confirmed to the news outlet on Saturday that Hardy had died Friday. He was 86 years old. The Wicker Man, the 1973 horror-fantasy-comedy film that marked Hardy's directorial debut, has amassed a significant cult following since its release, inspiring a Nicolas Cage-led 2006 remake and a 2011 sequel of sorts, The Wicker Tree, written and directed by Hardy. Christopher Lee, who starred in the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars films, wrote in his autobiography that The Wicker Man was "the best-scripted film I ever took part in.

Robin Hardy, the director who helmed the cult British film The Wicker Man, has died, BBC reports. He was 86. Hardy died Friday, a family friend told the BBC. The University of Malta also announced the news in a Facebook post. Starring Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward and Diane Cilento, mystery film The Wicker Man told the story of a police sergeant who is sent to a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl that the townspeople claim never existed. The English director went on to make a follow-up film, The Wicker Tree, in 2011, that was based

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Robin Hardy at The Garrison Theatre, Lerwick, Shetland Photo: Shetland Arts

Robin Hardy, director of celebrated classic The Wicker Man, has died at the age of 86, it was announced today by the University of Malta, where he contributed to a film studies course. Hardy had completed a sequel to his opus, The Wicker Tree, in 2012, and had been trying to raise funds to film a third part of the trilogy, The Wrath Of The Gods, set in Iceland which, as he told us, is "where we all know the gods live."

The Wicker Man was recently restored and introduced to a new generation in an expansive DVD box set which included material long thought to have been lost. The late Christopher Lee credited Hardy and the film with giving him his greatest ever role.

An author as well as a filmmaker, Hardy produced relatively few works but put his heart and soul into each of.

Sacrifice is a strange film. Director Peter A. Dowling treats his audience as if they’d already read author Sharon Bolton’s source novelization, and know exactly what’s going to happen. As soon as Sacrifice rockets straight through a rapid-fire credits sequence filled with foreshadowing images, we know the Exact movie we’re getting. Nothing is hidden and tension is sparse.

It’s almost as if Dowling has his thumb on the fast-forward button, speeding his film towards an inevitable ending that’s projected more times than we can count. No mystery, no suspense, and certainly no thrills – just wooden, cult generalizations and wasted potential.

Radha Mitchell stars as Dr. Tora Hamilton, a wife who cannot give birth due to recent health complications. Distraught and discouraged, Tora travels to her husband Duncan’s (Rupert Graves) homeland – the Shetland Islands – where they apply to adopt a local child. Since there...

Does Hollywood try to remake/sequelize/franchise-extend every single one of its successful movies? Sometimes it feels that way, but there’s a little more nuance to studio practices than that. If you’re looking for meaning in this summer’s blockbuster season – not always easy – you could call it Dr. JurassicMax or How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Reboot. Rebooting franchises isn’t as common, well-received, or lucrative as you might think. Today let’s look briefly at the history of the reboot – and how this summer changed it.

First, what technically counts as a reboot? One school would say that anytime the cast shuffles, it’s a reboot, meaning we’re now on the second reboot (and third iteration) of Spider-Man films. That’s pretty rare; far more often, duration between films is the deciding factor, and it just doesn’t feel right to slap...

Director Robin Hardy, of British classic The Wicker Man, aims to complete the loose trilogy begun by that Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward-starring film in 1973 and continued in 2011’s The Wicker Tree. Hardy has taken to IndieGoGo and launched a campaign for the long-gestating The Wrath of the Gods, seeking to raise $210,000 for…

The post Wrath of the Gods: Robin Hardy Crowdfunds Third ‘Wicker’ Film appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

It's possible you missed that there had been a Wicker Man follow-up, given that Robin Hardy's 2011 The Wicker Tree failed to catch on in quite the way that his 1973 cult classic achieved. But that hasn't stopped the veteran director pressing onwards to complete his long-planned trilogy. Crowdfunding for The Wrath Of The Gods has just begun."The Wrath Of The Gods is set at a time when the gods are very angry indeed," explains Hardy of the film's plot. "An international entertainment company has decided to build a theme park based on the Norse Sagas: the tales of the genesis of the gods, their battles with the giants, and ultimately their creation of the human race. They felt this was an outrageous intrusion on their privacy!"The human characters include fugitive widow Clarissa accused of murder, and police chief Oscar. The pair are "brought together in an unlikely relationship...

British screen icon Christopher Lee has passed away at the age of 93.

Christopher Lee 1922-2015: Entertainment world pays tribute to acting icon

The beloved actor notched up more than 280 screen credits across seven decades that saw him work with some of the biggest stars and filmmakers in Hollywood. Whether it was frightening the life out of us in Hammer horrors or duking it out with Jedis in Star Wars, Lee's films bridge multiple generations of moviegoers.

Digital Spy picks out six great Christopher Lee roles below...

1. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Hammer's first ever colour horror film helped to cement the studio as purveyors of fright cinema. Lee brilliantly brought to life Frankenstein's monster thanks to some then-cutting edge prosthetic make-up and a performance tinged with pathos.

Curse of Frankenstein boasted the dream team of Lee, Peter Cushing and director Terence Fisher, who later collaborated on Dracula and The Mummy.

Paramount Pictures

We’re incredibly used to sequels arriving very quickly. It’s not uncommon for a follow-up to a new movie to be green-lit on opening weekend, while a gap of more than two years between entries feels like an eternity. Heck, Marvel have two new films out every single year; it’s that extreme.

But it’s not always the case. Be it from long standing production issues or a director popping up twenty years later keen to continue a story, the next film in a series can take longer than you’d even think possible to arrive. To highlight just how long some sequels take, here are fifteen films that came out decades after their predecessor.

These have to be proper follow-ons, not just films from the same director with similar themes (see The Wicker Tree’s bordering parallels to The Wicker Man), and there can’t...

What makes films about religion so interesting is the way some manage to tread a line between support and criticism, while some are vehemently anti-religion or pro-religion. When all is said and done, it’s up to the audience to decide whether or not the film (or the faith portrayed) is a respectful or perceptive study on faith and the dogmatic principles that may or may not surround it. Not every religious film is uplifting. In fact, there are plenty of non-religious films that do a better job of building viewers’ faith. But that’s another list for another time.

30. Beyond the Hills (2012)

Directed by Cristian Mingiu

Five years after his punishing 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Christian Mingiu delivered an interesting look at a lifelong friendship formed at an orphanage. Beyond the Hills tells the story of two women, based on non-fiction novels by Tatiana Niculescu Bran: Alina (Cristina Flutur) has fled to Germany,...

One of the big sources of excitement within the horror community these last couple weeks has been the persistent rumors of a long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice, with both Michael Keaton and Winona Rider expressing their interest in being a part of the ghost with the most’s return to the big screen. Will it ever actually happen? Only time will tell. But if it does, it’ll be a follow-up over 25 years in the making – a long time to wait for a sequel, don’t ya think?!

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time us horror fans have had to wait a couple decades for a sequel. In fact, we’ve waited a whole lot longer than that. Just how long, you ask? Let’s take a look at the ten horror sequels that took longer than any others to find their way into our lives!

Embodiment Of Evil...

Feature James Clayton 15 Nov 2013 - 06:43

The arrival of The Counsellor in UK cinemas leaves James thinking about director Ridley Scott's career, and what he's up to next...

The Counsellor has arrived, and with it we find Sir Ridley Scott returning to cinemas. He keeps on returning and will make many more future returns. The fact that he turns 76 at the end of this month is irrelevant because the director shows no sign of stopping, and there's no reason why he should.

At least, that's my personal view as someone who always looks forward to seeing Scott's latest feature at the multiplex. It's good to know that he's still going strong and making films at a prolific rate, because the movie scene would be slightly sorrier without him. A quick sweep across a filmography that includes such eclectic classics as Alien, Blade Runner, Legend, Gladiator and Kingdom Of Heaven (the Director's Cut,...

With the eve when the veils between worlds is at its thinnest around the corner, it’s difficult not to think of the day’s most prominently featured figure: the witch. Below is an essential viewing list, ranging in genre and targeted age group, of filmic work that showcase witches (loosely defined for our purposes) and show just how badass and horrifying these heralds of the supernatural can be.

****

American Horror Story: Coven

Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk

USA, 2013

This anthology television series, which premiered last week, promises another visually stunning horrifying boundary pushing work with its third season. Coven begins by following young Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who discovers her supernatural roots in a rather gruesome incident and is then whisked off to a private school for ‘talented’ young women. Set between the present day and the 1830s, Coven promises a panoply of witch-related themes including witch hunts,...

The Wicker Man was recently given the ”Final Cut” treatment by director Robin Hardy for its 40th Anniversary. It was released in selected cinemas last month and is now being made available to own on blu-ray.

Anyone who missed it, you can check out my review of the final cut of ‘The Wicker Man’ here but in summary, it is the version you should see, despite it being shorter than ‘The Director’s Cut.” Not only does it flow better, but you also get a restored scene that introduces Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle much earlier.

The blu-ray set doesn’t skimp on content and you get lot of value for your cash. Included are the different versions of The Wicker Man, complete with commentary, behind the scenes features and soundtrack.

Disc 1

The Final Cut Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man documentary written by Mark Kermode Worshiping The Wicker Man...

Stars: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Aubrey Morris | Written by Anthony Shaffer | Directed by Robin Hardy

It’s time once again for us to keep our appointment with The Wicker Man but this time as we’ve not seen him before. After long-thought to be lost footage was found and director Robin Hardy got back in the Wicker-way after the admittedly terrible sequel The Wicker Tree, we have here what is promised to be the ideal version of the film though interestingly, it’s not the most ” complete” version. Running longer than the truncated initial theatrical cut but shorter than the more recent Director’s Cut, this is instead an assemlage supervised by Hardy himself which is most true to what he believes is his intended version of the film.

Instead of being a Never Before Seen, Holy Crap Look At That Bit,...

Rejoice, fans of cult British horror films, twist endings, and big-screen nudity! On Friday, The Wicker Man will return to the big screen in a newly restored and recut version largely scanned from a 35mm print recently discovered at the Harvard Film Archive.

The work of British director Robin Hardy, the 1973 horror classic stars the late Edward Woodward as a devoutly Christian policeman named Howie hunting for a missing girl on a remote Scottish island. Our hero soon discovers the burg’s inhabitants — including Christopher Lee’s sinisterly welcoming Lord Summerisle and Britt Ekland’s frisky barmaid — practice a form...

Interview Ryan Lambie 25 Sep 2013 - 07:01

With its Final Cut out in cinemas this week, we talk to The Wicker Man's director Robin Hardy about the film's continued relevance...

A key moment in British horror filmmaking, The Wicker Man needs little introduction. The disturbing, darkly funny story of a virginal, self-righteous policeman, Sgt Howie (Edward Woodward) and his search for a missing girl on a remote, pagan island, it's an intelligent, measured film to stir the blood. Yet despite the brilliance of its casting - with horror alumni Ingrid Pitt and Christopher Lee in supporting roles - and the precision of its filmmaking, The Wicker Man was subjected to brutal treatment before release, with some 20 minutes hacked from its duration by an unsympathetic studio.

Although much of that footage has been lost forever - popular legend suggests that the negatives now lie buried beneath the M4 motorway - efforts...

Seeing The Wicker Man in my blooming, teenage maturing years might have messed me up more than others. I do know this, the film still stands as an amazing film. I never did see Robin Hardy’s follow up, The Wicker Tree, because I didn’t hear very high regards. Personally, I don’t want the original film soured in any way. This is also the reason why I have never fully seen Neil Labute’s remake. We are starting with a lot of negatives huh?

The Wicker Man is a one-of-a kind film. If you have never seen it, it has the ability to haunt you and question your faith. Today, we have the new Us Poster & Trailer geared towards The Wicker Man: The Final Cut.

From the Press Release

The Wicker Man—Final Cut, the definitive version of Robin Hardy’s thriller of pagan worshippers on a remote Scottish isle,...

In case you’re out of the loop (and if you’re a fan of the Outlander series, I’m rather certain that you aren’t), Starz is bringing you an Outlander TV series in 2014, and you now have a couple more names to add to your list.

Graham McTavish will be playing Dougal MacKenzie, and Gary Lewis is Colum MacKenzie.

It’s alt-fiction, time travel, bodice-ripping, Scottish warfare… ok, actually, I barely know what it is. But, I know Diana Gabaldon’s series is massively popular, and we have another cable network hoping to spin a series into the next thing everyone has to talk about. The cast seems to be shaping up nicely.

Starz in association with Sony Pictures Television has announced today that Graham McTavish (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, “24”) will play Dougal MacKenzie and Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot, Gangs of New York) will play Colum MacKenzie...

Some interesting news today in the classic movie world. Rialto Pictures has announced a newly restored director's cut of the cult classic The Wicker Man will open at the IFC Centre in New York City before moving onto Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and other cities throughout the fall.

This new, 92 minute, 35mm print was discovered earlier this year at the Harvard Film Archive after Studiocanal, the rights holder, started a campaign via, of all things, Facebook to recover the missing 35mm material. Director Robin Hardy has said that this newly restored version, being dubbed the "Final Cut," fulfills his vision. Hardy, now in his 80s, released a sequel a few years ago titled The Wicker Tree ( [Continued ...]...

Reissue distributor Rialto Pictures has announced it will release a long-unseen and complete version of 1970s horror film, The Wicker Man: The Final Cut on Sept 27 in New York City.

Edward Woodward stars as a police officer who travels to a Scottish island to investigate the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl, only to encounter pagans who practice sacrifice. Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland also star.

After the original camera negatives were believed to have been lost, conservationists found missing scenes on a one-inch broadcast tape.

Rights holder StudioCanal initiated a Facebook campaign to find what were believed to be missing complete 35mm prints, leading to the discovery of a 92-minute version at the Harvard Film Archive.

This culminated in a digital restoration that prompted 83-year-old director Robin Hardy to say, “It fulfils my vision.”

In addition to the New York premiere, the film will also have runs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington...

"The Wicker Man" director Robin Hardy has confirmed he's moving forward with "Wrath of the Gods," the third (and apparently final) film in "The Wicker Man" series.

The project will complete a trilogy of 'Wicker' films and Hardy is in the opening stages of financing the film ahead of a potential shoot next year in the Shetland Islands.

Hardy says: "The first two films are all (about) offers to the Gods. The third film is about the Gods. I use the vehicle of the final act of Götterdämmerung (the last of Wagner’s Ring cycle)."

The news comes ahead of a digitally restored 40th anniversary re-release of a 'Final Cut' of the first film in the series - the original 1973 "The Wicker Man". Hardy also penned and helmed the 2011 sequel "The Wicker Tree".

Source: Screen Daily...

If you only know the version of The Wicker Man that starred Nicolas Cage and a bunch of bees, I want you to leave right now and rent, download or stream Robin Hardy’s original 1973 classic The Wicker Man, starring Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. There’s a world of difference between that film and the travesty that Neil Labute foisted upon the world. Unfortunately, Robin Hardy didn’t really make much since The Wicker Man, but now he has plans to complete the proposed trilogy of The Wicker Man, 2011′s The Wicker Tree and the upcoming The Wrath of the Gods.

Speaking with ScreenDaily (via Cinema Blend), Hardy discussed the future of his projected trilogy. Here’s what he said:

I am just at the opening stages of financing it, and hope to make it next year. The first two films are all about offers to the Gods. The...

There was a 38 year gap between British director Robin Hardy.s excellent 1973 debut The Wicker Man and its 2011 sequel The Wicker Tree. And even though Hardy will turn 84 years old in October, I still expected at least another decade to go by before he started on The Wrath of the Gods, the third film in the Wicker trilogy. However, the director has told ScreenDaily that it won.t be long at all before he begins working on it. The only other film Hardy has directed was 1986.s thriller The Fantasist, so it.s hard to tell whether we should be excited about this news or wary. "I am just at the opening stages of financing it, and hope to make it next year," Hardy announced to the site. He.s actually been planning to make it for the last two years, but he seems more assured about it this time...

Robin Hardy expressed his interest in completing a loose trilogy of “Wicker Man” films when we spoke to him after he completed work on The Wicker Tree. It has now been revealed that he’s moving ahead with the third movie and would like to start filming next year.

This was confirmed by ScreenDaily, who recently spoke with the director, and reports that he’s currently securing funding for the project. There were not too many new details other than the fact that he hopes to begin production on the movie next year. Here’s what he had to say during our interview with him last year:

“It’s really the story of the end of the Ring Cycle by Wagner, where the gods have been defeated. They have overplayed their hand and they have to go back to Valhalla. I’ve written a screenplay that is very loosely based...

While we are waiting for the upcoming release of Robin Hardy's so-called "Final Cut" of The Wicker Man (which really just reminds me of singer John Farnham's endless "Last Time" tours), we can be comforted by the news that the cult director plans to add one final film to complete his Wicker Man trilogy. Titled Wrath of the Gods, the film is expected to explore similar themes to the first two films The Wicker Man and The Wicker Tree (thankfully changed from the old title Cowboys of Christ), but with a focus on the gods this time, not on the ones making the offering to them.As reported in Screen Daily:"I am just at the opening stages of financing it (Wrath Of The Gods) and hope to...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Robin Hardy, director of the original The Wicker Man and its sequel The Wicker Tree (pictured), has entered into the financing stage of Wrath of the Gods, the final installment in his "wicker" trilogy.

It sounds like Hardy still has a long way to go before the film is made, however, he tells Screen Daily that he hopes to have the film delivered sometime next year.

In a 2011 exclusive interview here at Shock, Hardy told us a bit about the project.

Read more...

Exclusive: Wrath of the Gods will complete a trilogy that includes cult classic The Wicker Man and The Wicker Tree.

Wicker Man director Robin Hardy has revealed that he is moving ahead with new feature Wrath Of The Gods, which will complete a trilogy of ‘Wicker’ films.

He spoke to ScreenDaily ahead of a 40th anniversary re-release of The Wicker Man, which has been digitally restored and has been labelled ‘The Final Cut’.

“I am just at the opening stages of financing it (Wrath Of The Gods) and hope to make it next year,” said Hardy, who will also produce.

The writer-director added: “The first two films are all (about) offers to the Gods. The third film is about the Gods. I use the vehicle of the final act of Götterdämmerung (the last of Wagner’s Ring cycle).”

The new project, which is slated to shoot in the Shetlands, won’t be “heavily Wagner-esque” but is...

Mick Garris' House of Horrors concludes at Trailers from Hell with director Garris introducing 1973's "The Wicker Man."It's Christianity vs. Paganism and Guess Who comes out on top in Robin Hardy's cult classic which initially suffered from poor distribution but is now widely considered a landmark horror film. Partially instigated by star Christopher Lee (it's his favorite role), who is mysteriously absent from this confusing British trailer. Paul Giovanni's memorable Celtic song score nearly qualifies this as a musical. Various cuts exist, the longest being 102 minutes (beware shorter versions). Remade, sort of, in 2007 by Tfh Guru Neil Labute. Director Hardy helmed a 2011 offshoot, The Wicker Tree, with a Lee cameo, and hopes to have the last of his "trilogy", The Wrath of the Gods, in theaters by 2013.StudioCanal recently launched a campaign to retrieve original elements missing from the film; they intend to restore it for...

Sometimes, when everything seems idyllic, people don't notice that something is missing. This could be said of 1973 classic The Wicker Man, yet its creator, Robin Hardy, has spent 40 years lamenting the loss of 15 minutes of footage that made his original cut. Now it has emerged that it's still out there, he's asking film fans everywhere to help with the search.

"The wonderful thing about this film is that people still have so much love for it and keep talking about it," the ebullient Hardy told Eye For Film when launching 2010 sequel The Wicker Tree. Unfortunately, distributors British Lion didn't appreciate its value when it was new and lopped part of it off so that it could fit more easily into a double bill with Don't Look Now.

"I never thought that, after 40 years, they would still be finding lost fragments of my film. We thought all of...

By Lee Pfeiffer

If you think Terrence Mallick makes films infrequently, consider the career of Robin Hardy, who gained acclaim for his direction of the 1973 British horror classic The Wicker Man. In the ensuing decades, Hardy has been associated with precisely three other feature films, all little-seen: as writer of Forbidden Sun (1989), The Wicker Tree (2011, as writer and director) and the 1986 film The Fantasist, which he also wrote and directed. The latter film suffered from a botched release and poor reviews, with the verdict being that Hardy's much-anticipated return to filmmaking was a letdown. Scorpion Releasing has issued The Fantasist on DVD and the movie deserves to be re-evaluated with the passage of time. 

The film is set in Ireland and Hardy makes excellent use of both urban and rural locations. Moira Harris (sometimes billed as Moira Sinise nowadays due to her marriage to actor Gary Sinise), an actress who is American by birth,...

We were hoping that The Wicker Man would have been given a Blu-ray upgrade when The Wicker Tree was released last year, but that didn’t come to pass. We’re still waiting for a company to take on a Blu-ray release in the Us, but it has been confirmed that the UK will be getting a Blu-ray version later this year.

StudioCanal will be releasing the movie as a limited edition SteelBook on October 14th. According to Blu-ray.com, it will be available to purchase exclusively through UK retailer Zavvi. Details on bonus features have not yet been revealed, but we do have an official look at the cover art below.

The horror classic was directed by Robin Hardy in 1973, and stars Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, and Ingrid Pitt:

“Cult horror classic in which a devout Christian policeman (Woodward) is summoned to a remote...

Another year winds down, and it's time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2012's horror offerings. We're giving you ten different lists this time, and per usual they come in a variety of formats, each reflecting the unique styles of our writers. We've also compiled them to come up with the year's overall winners and losers.

And don't be lazy by just reading along! Give us your own lists in the comments section below. We want to hear what you thought of the year in which we dodged the Mayan apocalypse but find our beloved genre facing some dark days as violent movies, video games, TV shows, etc., are coming under increased scrutiny following recent events.

But back to the matter at hand; we averaged out the top and bottom five vote getters on everyone's lists, and here are the results:

Best: The Cabin in the Woods...

It's that time of year again, kids. The holiday season is right around the corner, and we've compiled our yearly list of the best and worst Blu-rays of the year. Being that you can score a player for way less than 100 bucks now, there's little reason not to upgrade. Read on to find out where the smart money is!

There's no doubt Blu-ray players will once again be a pretty hot item this year, but what of the movies available for them? If you already own the DVD of your favorite flick, is there a need to replace it with a Blu-ray? I'm here to answer all of your questions in the fourth annual...

Before we get into our picks (most of which are also available in new DVD versions; see review for information), let's take a second to explain once again how we rated them. They're broken down into...

How seriously do you think I take Halloween? Well, I’m fairly frickin’ anal retentive anyway, so I need to book my viewing in advance. I mean I’ll deviate from my itinerary, but I at least need a plan. I can’t be the only one out there with a stick up his ass. So this October/Halloween Season I figured we needed a little guidance. There’s too many damn channels on the cable box, no horror hosts and shit for advertising. So let me be your TV Guide… Keeper.

We won’t touch on everything and I’m sure new programming will come up as October gets itself moving. I’ll throw an update out there from time to time if a special is airing or a new programming line up is discovered, uncovered, revealed or undead. Yes, this is for cable or dish. Network TV will...

A new series of 'Foyle's War' is to begin shooting in Ireland later this year, it has been confirmed. UK-based Eleventh Hour Films will produce the new series alongside Irish co-production partners Octagon Films. Jill Green, founder of Eleventh Hour Films, will executive produce alongside Ronan Flynn of Octagon. The series will be produced by British producer Jeremy Gilt, who has previously executive produced 'Ballykissangel' in Ireland. The new series, the eighth from creator Anthony Horowitz, will once again see actor Michael Kitchen reprise the role of detective chief superintendent Christopher Foyle with Honeysuckle Weeks (The Wicker Tree) expected to return to the role of Samantha Stewart. Horowitz will write the first and third film with David Kane set to pen the second film.

6'5" British TV and film acting veteran Clive Russell has joined the cast of HBO's "Game of Thrones" for its soon to shoot third season says WinterIsComing.Net. Russell has scored the role of Brynden 'The Blackfish' Tully, Catelyn Stark's uncle and a skilled warrior who becomes a key player in Robb Stark's war effort.

Russell has had a long and distinguished career on the small screen with roles in the likes of "Middlemarch," "Cracker," "Roughnecks," "Neverwhere," "Spaced," "Happiness," "Waking the Dead," "Coronation St," "Merlin," "The Bill," "Jam and Jerusalem" and "Casualty". On the big screen he's appeared in "Sherlock Holmes," "The Wolfman," "The Wicker Tree," "King Arthur," "The 13th Warrior" and "The Power of One"

In other small screen casting news, "Lost" actress Elizabeth Mitchell is returning to the J.J. Abrams fold as she's joined the cast of NBC's "Revolution" reports The Live Feed.

Abrams and "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke...

Welcome back to our weekly look at the new podcasts available at our “partners in podcast crime” the GeekCast Radio Network. As usual here’s our weekly look at the podcasts from Gcrn, This Week in Geek and the latest toy review videos from Baltmatrix, with descriptions and links to each and every podcast for your audio/visual pleasure!

M.A.S.K.E.D. M.A.Y.H.E.M. – Episode 10

In Episode 10 we can’t find the vanishing point, and then there has been a counter clockwise caper! So join OptimusSolo and TFG1Mike in the Mayhem of this latest episode as we delve deeper into the world of M.A.S.K.

Pixels In The Animation – Episode 00 – Introduction

If you are a lover of video games and animation, then you’ll love this new podcast from us here at The Gcrn. Pixels In The Animation will be...

On May 27, British film icon Christopher Lee turns 90 years old. In his long and storied career, he's delivered countless fantastic performances in everything from medieval adventures to gothic scary stories. (You may know him as Saruman, Count Dooku, the Man with the Golden Gun or even Count Dracula.) And he has no plans to slow down, as indicated by recent roles in the Oscar-winning"Hugo" and this month's "Dark Shadows" -- not to mention an upcoming return to Middle Earth with this December's "Hobbit." Lee is not just an actor, but a decorated military man and bombastic heavy metal singer, with a crazy family lineage to boot. To celebrate the legend's 90th birthday, we present 90 reasons why Christopher Lee is awesome. 1. He's the step-cousin of "James Bond" creator Ian Fleming, and was the author's first choice to play Dr. No in the film adaptation. 2. He's in the Guinness Book of...

Writer/Director: Robin Hardy. Cast: Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett, Christopher Lee and Graham McTavish. Sometimes, the classics should be left alone and allowed to age gracefully. In the case of The Wicker Tree, the die-hards of the original The Wicker Man, expecting a modern take, will be disappointed. Ignoring the Nicolas Cage travesty, this re-imaging of the folk horror tale can be looked at in a different perspective as an analogy of how some missionaries from yesteryears may have been treated when they went out to preach the word of God to the new world. That is, if converting cultures to a new belief system is considered a crime, the angels in Heaven should be weeping. Free Will is about personal choice, and the horror should come in dealing what results from it. For Adam and Eve, they lost paradise and a direct line to God when they ate from the apple.