Shownotes Transcript
Today's episode is brought to you by Avis. Let's face it, with travel come curveballs. From flight delays to lost luggage, they put even the best laid plans at risk. Thank goodness for Avis. With them, you know your rental car will come through and your plans are protected at all costs.
Because it turns out Avis is here for your plans. And they'll do whatever it takes to ensure you keep them, which is a big deal. And speaking of deals, you can save 20% when you pay now. Go to avis.com slash plan on us to learn more. Avis, plan on us. This episode is brought to you by Microsoft.
Developers like you are building the future, but you need the right tools to push what's possible. That's where Microsoft comes in. With GitHub Copilot, VS Code, Azure AI Foundry, and more. You have the tools to build your way and bring your ideas to life. You can build confidently, securely, and focus on creating the next big thing. Learn more at developer.microsoft.com slash AI. Microsoft. Yours to build.
I at one time was homeless. Being in your own place makes a difference. I'm able to cook when I couldn't. When I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know I have transitioned from homeless. If these walls could talk, it would say freedom.
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking understands that the buildings we invest in are more than just four walls. They are you. They are us. They are the Bay Area. Hey there, Joel here with my buddy Matt from How to Money. Matt, summer's right around the corner. I know you got that travel bug. What adventures do you have planned? Oh man, you are going to love this. We're planning this epic road trip up the East Coast with the entire family. Just think lighthouses in Maine, monuments in DC, plus everything in between. That's amazing. That's amazing.
I'm jealous, but I'm thinking about stowing away in your luggage. But wait a second. How are all six of you going to take this road trip? Okay, so initially we were thinking about taking an RV, but I found some really awesome Airbnbs along our route, places with something for everyone. And what I really love is that with Airbnbs, we can always start our days with like a
A good breakfast at home? Like, it's our home away from home, and I love that routine. I don't know if you've ever tried getting a family of six out the door, let alone trying to find some breakfast in the middle of a city that you're not super familiar with. It's a challenge, plus it's a budget killer. Yeah, that's true. Sounds like chaos, to be honest. And you know, that's actually what makes hosting on Airbnb so special, right? You're giving travelers a chance to really live like a local. They even have the co-host feature, which gives you access to a network of high-quality local co-hosts
Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. This is Rob Lamb. And this is Joe McCormick. And today, as we are recording this, it is May 1st, the sacred festival of May Day. And
And so we are going to be talking in accordance with the season about the classic 1973 British film, The Wicker Man, which is usually usually grouped under a genre people call folk horror. Maybe we can quibble in this episode about whether that title should or should not be applied. And
And also note that we rarely do this on Weird House Cinema. Usually we keep it one movie per episode. This is one we think we're going to have to split into two parts because we love The Wicker Man and we're going to have a lot to say about it. The only two other movies we've ever done this with before were David Lynch's Dune and Highlander 2 The Quickening. So putting The Wicker Man in there, there is cohesion to this trinity. Yes, these are three films that are often associated with each other.
But I do agree. There's a lot to say about the Wicker Man story.
We're probably going to go on and on a bit in a good way. So it's very possible we'll split here. So I'm very excited because The Wicker Man is one of my personal favorite movies. In fact, it's a mutual favorite in our house. It's also one of my wife Rachel's all-time favorite movies. So we've got a lot of Wicker Man merch in our house. I don't know if you've seen any of that stuff, Rob. But we've got a Wicker Man nightlight and
Oh, man, I don't think I remember seeing any of this. All right. Well, it's great. Well, it lights up behind the wicker. It glows. You know, there's kind of an orange glow behind a wicker man silhouette. I guess, actually, before we go on to any further detail, there is something I definitely want to say. So in every Weird House Cinema episode, we end up discussing the plot of the movie that we're covering in some detail. So it's always the case that you should watch the movie first if you don't want to have anything spoiled. But...
If you've never seen The Wicker Man from 1973, it's
This in particular is really a film I would recommend going into knowing as little as possible. Obviously, it gets into some horror territory. So if you're sensitive to horror themes, you can look things up ahead of time. But otherwise, if you have a general appetite for horror, I would strongly, strongly encourage you to not even glance at a plot summary, not listen to any more of this episode. Just go ahead and watch it.
but then come back and listen to this. Yes. Uh, so the first time I saw it, a friend of mine, uh, when I was in college showed it to me without telling me, telling me anything ahead of time. I'm just really grateful. I got to experience it that way. The wicker man is such an unusual and surprising film. It is full of unexpected humor and horror and delight and despair. And even now, like 50 years later in a world where, uh,
a lot of movies you may have already seen have been influenced by the wicker man. If you haven't seen it before and you don't know everything ahead of time, I think it will keep you very intrigued and puzzled in the best possible way.
Yeah, absolutely. It's a film that really stands on its own. Even though it is part of the folk horror subgenre and is very influential over the folk horror subgenre, I think that the big three that are often referred to are 68's Witchfinder General, 71's Blood on Satan's Claw, and then, of course, 73's The Wicker Man. But at the same time, nothing else is really like The Wicker Man. Even other movies that have the name The Wicker Man...
There are remakes of the movie we're talking about here today are nothing like it. We might have to get into the remake in part two here. I think there really just is no other movie like it. It is its own genre and perhaps still the only movie in that genre. But anyway, if you haven't seen The Wicker Man yet and you want to pause here and go watch it so you can see it unspoiled and then come back, we will give you a little music break.
You know, looking back, I think I saw the Wicker Man for the first time, probably like on, I think it was A&E. So I saw it on cable, didn't know what I was getting into, but instantly loved it. And at some point decided, well, I need to own this forever. I'm going to buy a special edition VHS copy.
of The Wicker Man in a big clamshell case. And I did. And of course, it was replaced by DVDs just a few years later. Did you have the version with the wooden box? I did not, but I do remember seeing that at the movie store at the mall. They had all these special editions. That one, I'm not sure if that was an Anchor Bay release, but this was a time period during which Anchor Bay was
like the source for a cool, um, you know, DVD VHS editions of whatever your favorite genre films happen to be. I have to mention again, I've said this on the show before that someday we should come back and do a series on weird house cinema. That's just movies that had gimmick packaging. Uh, so like the release of the wicker man and the wooden box that I'm sure a lot of people now just use to store whatever it was. Yeah.
Who knows what they put in there? Dead packets. Yeah. But also like the dead pit with the light up eyes. And I'm sure we could get a whole list of them. Gimmick packaging on VHS tapes is just such a beautiful, beautiful thing. Like almost nothing gives me more...
weird, gleeful nostalgia. I know a collector or two we could reach out to for that. But yeah, The Wicker Man, just such a great, weird film. One that succeeds in creating not merely an uncanny horror movie, but a thought-provoking cinematic enigma. So not to say you can't appreciate it purely as a horror film, purely as this, you know, rollercoaster ride and experience, but there's just a lot of rich texture to the film that leaves you to make your own interpretations.
Like some of the big ones are, of course, regard like what is the film saying or not saying about pagan religious beliefs, about modern Christian faith, about human religion in general.
Yeah. One of my favorite things about it is that the movie is saying a lot in a way, but it's not really reducible to a message. Maybe I would say it's not actually saying it is singing. Like the story is just overflowing with meaning and has the kind of feeling of a commentary, but it is not really reducible to a message or a thesis. There's no point saying,
the movie really makes without also sort of making the opposite point also obviously the subject matter means that the story is
entangled with themes of religion, with religion, ritual, and faith, which are three different things, but also power and violence and the law. Some people talk about this movie like they think the point of it is Christianity is bad and paganism was better. I've seen people talk about it like they think it kind of means that. I feel like it would be
Hard to really say that's the point of the movie if you think about it. At the same time, it is certainly not saying the opposite either. This movie is not Christian apologetics, and it was considered extremely offensive by many Christians when it came out.
And so instead, the religious themes are more it's just sort of a gardening project of religious themes. Just themes are sort of growing and we're seeing how they grow and interact. It's like throwing Christianity and Celtic paganism into a weird little flower bed together and seeing what pops up and how they twist around each other. Right.
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point because I think it's easy to reduce the film, you know, sort of boil it down to, okay, here we have just a full car tale. It's, you know, exploitation, your standard story about someone from the city or from civilization, like going into a rural or more rural part of their own country and encountering, like, you know, scary locals there. Yeah.
You know, you see this a lot in fiction in general, but also in speculative fiction and weird fiction and horror. There's certainly an element of that here. Not to say that it doesn't, you know, dip its toes and wade into those waters.
But like you said, it presents ideas on both sides. Like there's certainly plenty to admire in the idealistic, close to nature, sex positive society of Summer Isle. But we also come to see the dangers of their ideology. Likewise, our protagonist comes from a world of science and reason and we understand.
like science and reason, and obviously that seems to be a value that is celebrated within the context of the film as well. But we also see that his world is one of, at least in his own experience, one of sexual repression and deep-seated unhappiness. And at the same time, these two worlds are linked in very fundamental ways, and the film does a great job of sometimes very subtly, sometimes more overtly, stitching those connections out.
Wait, should we pause really quickly and just say like a, what a one sentence plot summary is? Yeah. It's like, uh, there is a remote Scottish Island called Summer Isle and a West Highland police officer, a police detective named Sergeant Howie has been summoned to the Island via an anonymous letter, uh, saying that a girl on the Island named Rowan Morrison has gone missing.
So Sergeant Howie, he is, by the way, a devoutly religious Christian police inspector. He goes to the island by seaplane to look for the missing girl and to find out more about the note he received. So that's the setup. And then one of the main things we can say about the plot branching out from there is that Sergeant Howie discovers the inhabitants of this remote Scottish island,
are not Christians. They're in fact practicing what seems to be a variant of Celtic paganism, celebrating the old gods, the joyous old gods.
And some of the modes of their celebration are quite distressing to him. So I get the basics at least. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a good setup here. Another thing I want to mention about The Wicker Man that I love and find really unique about the movie is the ambiguity of the main characters. So the protagonist of the film, the detective protagonist, Sergeant Howie, is simultaneously black.
So sympathetic and so hateable. His mission is a good one. He is trying to investigate the case of a missing girl. And we...
See his dedication to his mission in a way that like, you know, obviously if a child goes missing, it is very good to want to solve that, that problem and look out for the welfare of the child, which we see he is genuinely invested in. We also see the setting of Summer Isle from his perspective and are thus frustrated with the kind of squirreliness and untrustworthiness of the people he encounters while he's trying to solve this mystery.
But also, Sergeant Howie's personality and worldview are so off-putting. He is arrogant, self-righteous, puritanical, rude. And over and over again, his behavior is just so misaligned with how it seems he should be conducting the investigation. He gets sidetracked from this genuinely noble quest in order to screech at people about saying the word penis and things like that. Yeah.
Yeah, like the scene where he disrupts the classroom. Yeah. So this is not a type of protagonist I can think of many other examples of. And I find it such an interesting choice. He's kind of like a combination of like
Uh, Hercule Poirot, but not as, but without the virtuosity and in detective work, uh, I'll come back to that in a minute. But then also, I don't know, like one of the, one of the judges in the crucible or like the witch finder general, he's like a totally unsympathetically puritanical prude. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah. And that's important to realize. And something that I think you can sometimes lose track of if you haven't seen the film in a long time. Or rather, if you've seen the film and you know the general plot, you know what's going to happen, and you're re-watching it. But yeah, it's important to note what he's not. He's not a pure punchline. He's not a straight man to set up a joke. Yeah.
And we'll talk more about the tone here in a second. He's also not a character that deserves punishment. Like it's you can easily imagine a cheap kind of like EC Comics Tales from the Crypt version of this exact story where his downfall is directly connected to a specific action or choice on his part or a deep seated character flaw or something. And that's not really the case either.
Or at least it's not that one thing that fits into the little box in the Tales of the Crypt comic book. You know, it's broader than that. It's more complicated. Right. I know exactly what you're saying. So, yeah, he's not like a Tales from the Crypt protagonist who is the classic
format of that character is it is someone who has done something quite evil is like flawed in a way that that spells their own doom that they're going to get a kind of karmic punishment and we are satisfied to see them get it right how he is not like that his unlike ability is shallower and more aesthetic again it's just that he is like a rude arrogant aggressive prudish self-righteous jerk yeah
but again, I come back to, he is a character like that, but we're with him because we sense something is very wrong on this Island. And he might be the only person, uh, who's, who's able to do something about it. But then again, is,
is there something wrong on this island? Another way the movie really keeps you guessing is the characterization of the people positioned as Sergeant Howie's antagonists, like Lord Summerisle, played by Christopher Lee, in a masterful performance. We'll talk about more as we go on. Or Miss Rose, played by Diane Cilento. By sort of the default structure of the mystery narrative, these are the suspects in the mystery disappearance of Rowan Morrison, and
And they're so interesting and likable and polite and have thoughtful perspectives. And they're sometimes just positively jolly in the face of Howie being like rude and aggressive to them. And I don't know, like all the antagonists are so lovable, even when it feels like they're covering something up or not being forthright about what they know. Yeah, yeah.
Today's episode is brought to you by Avis. Do you like control but also travel a lot? And after enough weather cancellations, security bottlenecks, and in-flight Wi-Fi issues, you stop expecting to be in control when you're traveling. Until you reach the Avis counter. Avis has been renting cars for over 75 years, and it shows. Like clockwork, they'll have the car you want ready for you exactly as you had planned.
Because it turns out plans are their thing, specifically keeping them. In fact, they have a special way of making you feel like your plans are the only ones in the world that matter, just like they do for all their customers. They'll stop at nothing to get you on your way, on time, so you can go about your business and, yes, regain control. And for a limited time, you can save 20% on your car rental when you pay now. Go to Avis.com slash planonus to learn more. Avis. Plan on us. Okay.
Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? Wash away your worries with Anabay. Anabay is the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget-friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no-risk experience with pet-friendly, stain-resistant, and changeable slipcovers made with performance fabric.
Experience cloud-like comfort with high-resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity, and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Shop washablesofas.com for up to 60% off site-wide, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back.
Upgrade now at WashableSofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. I at one time was homeless. Being in your own place makes a difference. I'm able to cook when I couldn't. When I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know I have transitioned from homeless. If these walls could talk, it would say freedom.
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking understands that the buildings we invest in are more than just four walls. They are you. They are us. They are the Bay Area. When it comes to your oral health, staying ahead of problems is key. That's why Colgate Total has created the Colgate Total Active Prevention System. Built from years of research and clinically proven results, this powerful three-product system combines a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush with a carefully crafted amount of bristles, over 5,000 of them to be exact, and a
and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that work together to help prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis before they start. Why is prevention important? Because plaque builds up by feeding on sugars from the foods and drinks you consume. This plaque releases acids that can damage your enamel and lead to cavities and other oral health problems. But the Colgate Total Active Prevention System helps fight the root cause of those problems. In fact...
The three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks, starting from week one, compared to a non-antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat-trim toothbrush. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today and fight the root cause of oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis so you can be dentist-ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com slash total.
Another weird thing about the characters. This is one of the only detective stories I can think of. In fact, maybe it's the only one. Could you even think of a possible counterexample? I don't know. One of the only detective stories I know of where the protagonist is not only unlikable, but not particularly competent. Right. This is what you always have a detective story about somebody who has a
of reasoning and insights, Sherlock Holmes or Poirot, you know, detectives who are skilled at solving a complicated puzzle. Sergeant Howie is clearly shown in the movie to be not a very good detective at all.
And I think this is an essential part of his characterization. He is constantly missing important clues and constantly making bad choices that lead to dead ends in his pursuit of information. I think one of the main feelings that the audience will generally have about Sergeant Howie is the feeling of pity. It's like, oh boy, this poor guy, he is out of his depth. Yeah.
Isn't that so strange to have a what is essentially a detective story? And that's a key feature of your protagonist. Can you think of another story like that? The only examples I can think of are examples where the character is played for humor. Yeah. And and this is where we should probably talk about the tone of the film. And I'll just go and mention like humor wise. Yeah.
There are lots of things I think you can, you can, that you will find humorous in the wicker man. And I think those things are intended. And yet at the same time, it's not a comedy. It is played straight, but,
And certainly, Sergeant Howie's character is played straight. Like, it's, you could easily imagine a character like this tweaked into more of like a Michael Scott from The Office area, you know, or various, like, bumbling detective comedies we've seen over the years. And that's not what this film is. And of course, as we will continue to discuss, like, it does defy easy categorization in a number of ways. Yeah, I like the way you put it about the humor. I think that's right. It's like, there is a lot of
humor in the movie and it's ironic in nature. It's not in the form of overt jokes and gags. But anyway, just all these character dynamics like the unlikeability of the protagonist, the incompetence of the protagonist and the likeability and thoughtfulness of his antagonists. All these things really keep you guessing or they certainly did keep me guessing when I first watched.
Again, I when I first saw this, I really had no idea where the movie was going and was floored by the ending, the famous surprise ending. Yeah. Yeah. And that's that's the testament to a film like this. If you're along for the ride, even if you are beginning to wonder, like, where could this ride possibly be going?
Now we've said several times we want to come back to the tone of the movie. I think I said at the beginning that it's questionable whether you should really call this movie a horror movie. When people call it horror, I think they're thinking mainly about the ending, which is absolutely horrifying. But for like 90, 95% of the movie, does it really feel like a horror film? No.
I don't think so. I think most of the runtime, it feels more like a bizarre, whimsical, religiously themed mystery.
Yeah, yeah. And even just feels at times feels like a goofy musical, but not like a laugh, like a har har har goofy musical, but just like you might ask yourself, what am I watching? My wife had never seen it before. And she watched part of it with me last night. And I think that was kind of her reaction. Like, I was like, do you want to watch part of this folk horror movie from the early 1970s? And she's like, sure. And then she's like, what's what's going on?
This is funny. Last night, Rachel and I also showed this movie to somebody for the first time, and they had a similar reaction. Like, what is going on for much of the time? But I can report there was a big thumbs up in the end.
Awesome.
Yeah, yeah, it's pretty powerful. And I in terms of films we've watched on Weird House, I'd put it up there with seconds. Yeah.
There's a rawness to the footage that at times contributes to this feeling that we're watching documentary footage of some sort. Like it's a documentary about the way people actually live on this island. Also, you have a lot of non-actors in there and musicians, as we'll note, which adds to that feel like I'm not watching actors. I'm watching real people and this must be how they live. The production design, the locations are all a part of this.
And you could also probably compare this to some rather different films from the 1970s that also have a similar feel like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, though, again, very different sort of horror film. Yeah, though this movie has a lot more of a community feel than Texas Chainsaw Massacre does, which is very isolated and you're only going to meet a few weird characters, but it has that documentary visual style there.
What you mentioned about the presence of non-actors is I feel like a big has a big impact on the ambience of this film. There are scenes in a pub or out in a, you know, on a street beside a harbor where lots of people are milling around on screen and most of them are clearly not actors. Yeah. Just people kind of looking weird and confused and mumbling. And it contributes greatly to.
To a sense of reality, actually. And it also makes the important characters pop more. Like when, you know, all these kind of like old men who are just kind of mumbling their lines a little bit as they're standing around outside the inn. And then we meet Lord Summerisle and suddenly it's Christopher Lee and you're like awed by his presence. Yeah, yeah. That's a great point.
Now, another thing that is kind you could think of as just an extension of the very unusual tone of the movie is the fact that it's also sort of a musical like it. It not only prominently features music with lyrics on the soundtrack, it has several diegetic musical numbers where the characters sing and even sing into the camera. Is there another horror movie like that? I don't know.
Yeah, I can't think of another film, certainly a horror film, that uses music quite the same way. One thing that I think is interesting about the use of music is that
Only the characters who live on Summer Isle seem to know that they're in a musical so like normally if you're in a musical all the characters sing or all the major characters sing the protagonist certainly sings but Sergeant Howie does not sing except we see him again it's diegetic music we see him singing him at church at the beginning of the movie.
That's just a scene where he's in church. He never looks into the camera and sings the way, say, Britt Eklund does or the way Christopher Lee does. So it's only the pagans that are allowed to actually be in a musical as musical players. Sergeant Howie is just sort of living in their musical world without getting to be an agent of music himself. Yeah, yeah.
What if he had sung, though? That would have been interesting. Taking more of a Schmigadoon direction, where he realizes that he has to sing in order to connect with these characters. Yeah. Maybe things would have turned out differently for him. He does sing a little at the end. He does sing a little at the end, I think. We'll get back to that.
And while he may sing just a little bit, he never dances. And dance is also a big part of a number of these musical numbers where we see some sort of ritual dance taking place. In fact, at one point when he's in disguise, he gets yelled at for not dancing. He's in disguise going down the May Day Parade. And Christopher Lee turns and sees him just kind of wandering down the road instead of, I don't know, doing whatever he's supposed to be doing. And he yells at him, cut some capers, man! Yeah.
If you've got time to glance, you've got time to dance. Yeah. Okay, I don't think we can possibly do an elevator pitch for Wicker Man. No, it pretty much stands on its own. So let's go ahead and hear just a little bit from what I believe is the original trailer. I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up my soul. Freeze the young blood. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
I am here to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Where is Rowan Morrison? If Rowan Morrison existed, we would know. I suspect murder. Sergeant, I've already told you. In the name of God, woman, what kind of mother are you that can stand by and see your own child slaughtered? You are the fool, Mr. Harvey. You are liars. You are despicable little liars.
Where is Rowan Morrison? If Rowan Morrison existed, we would know. I suspect Amanda. She was... You are the fool, Mr. Howard. Where is Rowan Morrison? Oh, my God!
All right. If you would like to see The Wicker Man, again, widely available in all formats, and its cult following has seen multiple special editions released over the years. There have been a few different cuts. I'm not sure to what degree we're going to get into talking about different cuts of the film. I think there are like three major versions, like a theatrical version, and then they added some minutes to it, and then they took away a few minutes.
But definitely watch it in the best format you can get. Maybe shop around a little bit on those different forums. I watched it in a restored form on Blu-ray, one that I rented from Atlanta's own Videodrome from their full car subsection. Nice.
But I don't know which edition it was. I know it had like baked in trailers at the beginning, which I did not like. I feel like, especially now, it makes me think it was maybe a slightly older Blu-ray because more and more Blu-rays these days I feel like are treated like the premium item they are and they're like
less tied to timely, um, trailers for motion pictures. Wait, what was, what were your baked in trailers for? Mine was for a re-release of American psycho. Yes. Yes. Okay. So we've got the same disc. Do we? Okay. Okay. So then you probably watched what's called the final cut. I think so. Uh, and the final cut is, I think the latest of the major cuts of the film, uh,
did your version also have some scenes that were in much lower film quality than most of the movie? I believe so. Yeah. Restored sequences. Yes. So like the scene where Christopher Lee is outside the inn at night talking to a slug about how he wants to be like him. Oh, so good. Yeah. That was not in the original version of the movie that I saw. I think the first one I saw was the theatrical cut. Okay. But so that's a restored scene that, uh,
But the film does not look great, but I'm glad it's there and it's worth it to have, even though it's cutting back and forth between extremely different levels of fidelity, it's worth it to have that. Yeah. And it helps, too, that the best fidelity in the film is not like so great that it feels as jarring, or at least that's the impression I had.
Today's episode is brought to you by Avis. Do you like control but also travel a lot? And after enough weather cancellations, security bottlenecks, and in-flight Wi-Fi issues, you stop expecting to be in control when you're traveling. Until you reach the Avis counter. Avis has been renting cars for over 75 years, and it shows. Like clockwork, they'll have the car you want ready for you exactly as you had planned.
Because it turns out plans are their thing, specifically keeping them. In fact, they have a special way of making you feel like your plans are the only ones in the world that matter, just like they do for all their customers. They'll stop at nothing to get you on your way on time so you can go about your business and, yes, regain control. And for a limited time, you can save 20% on your car rental when you pay now. Go to Avis.com slash plan on us to learn more. Avis. Plan on us.
Let's be real. Life happens. Kids spill. Pets shed. And accidents are inevitable. That's why you need a washable sofa that can keep up. Our sofas are fully machine washable, inside and out, so you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry-free living.
♪♪♪
it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth-friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save. That's washablesofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
I at one time was homeless. Being in your own place makes a difference. I'm able to cook when I couldn't. When I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know I have transitioned from homeless. If these walls could talk, it would say freedom.
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking understands that the buildings we invest in are more than just four walls. They are you. They are us. They are the Bay Area. When it comes to your oral health, staying ahead of problems is key. That's why Colgate Total has created the Colgate Total Active Prevention System. Built from years of research and clinically proven results, this powerful three-product system combines a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush with a carefully crafted amount of bristles, over 5,000 of them to be exact, and a
and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that work together to help prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis before they start. Why is prevention important? Because plaque builds up by feeding on sugars from the foods and drinks you consume. This plaque releases acids that can damage your enamel and lead to cavities and other oral health problems. But the Colgate Total Active Prevention System helps fight the root cause of those problems. In fact...
The three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks, starting from week one, compared to a non-antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat-trim toothbrush. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today and fight the root cause of oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis so you can be dentist-ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com slash total.
All right, let's get into the people behind this film a bit. Starting with the director, of course, the director was Robin Hardy, who lived 1929 through 2016. English director who started out directing for the National Film Board of Canada. Then PBS aligned Esso World Theatre before moving to London to partner with screenwriter Anthony Schaffer to co-found an advertising agency.
The Wicker Man, again released in 73, filmed in 72, I believe, was his first feature directorial project and by far his most impactful.
He only followed it up with two other films, 1986's The Fantasist and 2011's The Wicker Tree, based on his own novel, Cowboys for Christ. He also has a story credit on 1988's Forbidden Son. After The Wicker Man, he returned to the U.S. and mostly wrote historical novels and worked, according to his obituary in The Guardian, as a consultant in the historical theme park business.
David Piner is the novelist, the novel Ritual from 1967. This apparently is what they like. They paid to adapt it. It's not one of these cases where they just kind of ripped it off like they paid to do the adaptation, but then ultimately deviated from a lot of it.
I haven't read it, but I'm to understand it. You know, it concerns maybe on some level the same skeleton of a plot line where a police investigator is checking out some rural community that ends up having some pagan elements to their religious rights. No way to confirm this, just a guess. But I like to imagine that this movie was at least in part based on something from Christopher Lee's apocryphal collection of occult tomes.
I wouldn't be surprised. Yeah. Now, Anthony Schaffer that we mentioned here, who wrote the screenplay, he lived 1926 through 2001. A British writer whose previous credits included Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy, which if you haven't seen it, is quite a solid psycho killer film starring John Finch and Barry Foster. I've actually never seen that one. I love Hitchcock. Oh, it's good. As I recall, it has a really nice long shot at one point.
He had some movies with those yet. Was this his second to last movie? It was pretty late, yeah. And also Schaffer wrote the two-man play turned film Sleuth from the same year, starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.
And he'd later work on, let's see, there was a whole series of 70s and 80s Agatha Christie film adaptations in which Peter Ustinov played Perrault. And his identical twin brother, Peter Schaffer, who lived 1926 through 2016, was also an acclaimed screenwriter whose stage and screen credits include Equus and Amadeus. Wow.
Talented siblings. Yes. There is a lot to love about The Wicker Man, but I think it has a particularly fantastic screenplay for a horror film. Not to insult horror films generally, but, you know, I'm a lover of horror, but I'm aware that a lot of horror writing does...
it, uh, it, it is attracted to cliches like a magnet sort of. And, uh, and this, uh, screenplay, even though it now we live in a world where a lot of, uh, other stories I think have copied a lot from the wicker man, but at least for its own time, uh, incredibly unusual and unique and, uh, remarkably, I think free of cliche is, uh, just, uh, uh, uh, an original and authentic exploration. Absolutely.
Absolutely. All right, getting into the cast here, playing Sergeant Howie, we have Edward Woodward, who lived 1930 through 2009, British actor of stage, screen and TV, who at the time was best known in the UK for his portrayal of Secret Service agent Callan on the TV show of the same name.
Now, when I first watched The Wicker Man, I knew him mostly from advertisements for the TV show The Equalizer, which ran 85 through 89. What does an equalizer do? I
I don't know. It's not a show I ever actually watched. But I know, I just was like, well, that's the equalizer. He equalizes. It sounds like a piece of audio equipment. I don't know if the equalizer on the TV show is a cop, if he's like a fixer, like which side of the law he's aligned with. Is he a secret agent? I'm not sure, but he equalizes. So there's some implied neutrality there, I guess. I've got a 79-tube equalizer, man. Yeah.
He has a ton of credits, though, including 1964's Beckett, 1980's Breaker Morant. He had the title role in that. He's in 1984's A Christmas Carol. He plays the ghost of Christmas present in that one. This is one of the Christmas carols that my family watched a lot when I was a kid. That's so funny. The ghost of Christmas present is supposed to be...
jolly and full of good cheer, which he's not at all in the role I'm familiar with. Yeah, yeah. It's a very different role. He pops up in 2007's Hot Fuzz. His only other horror films that I'm aware of are 1971's Bloodsuckers and 1982's The Appointment.
And I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that he plays Saul in the 1985 King David movie. That's the one that has George Eastman in it. This is like the second reference to this in like three weeks. Everything comes back to George Eastman, yeah. I think...
Edward Woodward should get a lot of love for this performance because it's kind of a thankless role. Like the, it is so much easier to love the pagans in the movie, to love Christopher Lee and to love, uh, Diane Chalento and Ingrid Pitt, you know, all the, all the local characters who were sort of the, the colorful, interesting wild ones, uh,
As we've said many times, the protagonist of this movie is not very likable. He's kind of a stick in the mud. He's kind of a jerk. And so I think it's very easy to miss how important the portrayal of this character is to the effect of the story in the end. And Edward Woodward is great in the role.
He doesn't try to steal the show and make his character more likable than he needs to be. Instead, he's exactly what is called for by the script, and he's great. He's great. Yeah, and it's a complex role. It's arguably far more complex than any of the other characters that we encounter in the picture. I was watching an interview with the director, and Hardy...
really gives a lot of credit to Woodward for creating this character on the screen. Like he says, you know, like with Christopher Lee's character, we had these parameters set out and Christopher Lee delivered, you know, knocked it out of the park. But there was a lot to Sergeant Howie that really had to be created in the performance. And he gives Woodward all the credit in the world for doing that.
That's right. A lot of how we feel about how he isn't even in his lines. It's in kind of facial expressions, reactions. He...
He brings such a sense of visible frustration to the character in every scene almost. You can just see him just kind of like shaking with annoyance. Yeah. And wrestling with what he's seeing. You know, there's a lot of he's not telling you his internal monologue about how conflicted he may feel about certain things or tempted he may feel about certain things. It's just in the performance, you know.
When he's trying to say hi to maybe a prurient sexual interest that he knows he should not have, but is part of his character as well. Mm hmm.
So yeah, totally agree. Woodward is excellent. All right, let's move on to Lord Summerisle, who, as we've been mentioning, is played by the great Christopher Lee, who lived 1922 through 2015. This is our seventh Weird House Cinema Selection featuring Sir Christopher Lee. You know, as you know, best known for such roles as Saruman the White in Lord of the Rings, Dracula in multiple Hammer horror films and some non-Hammer horror films, and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels.
I just caught Revenge of the Sith on the big screen in its re-release, and his performance is brief but very memorable. It has a nice little arc to it. Probably, I would say, arguably stands out among his very late career performances. I've said this before that I'm not as big a fan of the Star Wars prequels, though not to poo-poo anybody who does love them, but for me at least...
even in my least favorite, which is a attack of the clones. When Christopher Lee shows up, it's just a, it's a whole other movie now. Like, Oh, I love him. And yeah. So Christopher Lee is one of my favorites, but this is, it's gotta be, this is my all time favorite Christopher Lee role. I, the, the wicker man is, is a head and shoulders above them all to me. Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, and this is an opinion that Christopher Lee shared as well, by most accounts. The film was reportedly a real passion project for him. We mentioned how he was pretty much in the room, being one of the people who brought it together to begin with. And he claimed, and I have no reason to doubt him, to have waived off any payment for the role. That basically, like, they couldn't afford him, they couldn't afford his rate. And he's like, well, don't worry about it. I want this film to be made.
And then when the film studio opted to release it in the UK without a screening as part of a double feature, the second half of the double feature with Don't Look Now. Which is a great horror movie. Yeah, that's a very well-received picture. I don't know if it's
These are two strange, kind of an odd match to pair them together. But that kind of also shows you that the studio seemingly didn't really know what to do with the film and were just kind of like, well, I'll just put it out there. We're not going to screen it. But Lee then personally calls all the film critics that he knew of to encourage them to see the film and offering to buy their ticket if they needed him to.
Wow. That's great. Uh, and I, and I love that because I, I'm pretty sure I actually, I don't know what the original critical reception was, but I know the studio, uh, that owned, uh,
uh that owned the wicker man hated it when it was coming i think it was emi like they famously like were panicking because they thought the movie was so bad and they were trying to find ways to like avoid releasing it or to to cut it down i think i think they just hated what they had on their hands and they didn't realize that it was a masterpiece
Yeah, yeah. This seems to definitely be true to some extent, but then there's also some, seems to be some myth-making on top of that. Oh, okay. You know, like I say, this is a film that's been very popular for a long time. There have been a lot of interviews and a lot of comments. Like, I saw one
A story that I'm casting some doubt on that Rod Stewart tried to buy all the copies of it at one point so he could destroy his then girlfriend's nude scene. Things like that. I don't know that I'm just going to pass that by. Was he dating Britt Britt Eklund? I believe so. Yes. OK, yeah.
Also, it's said that later on when the film was released in the United States in 74, Lee flew to the States on his own dime to promote it as well and would just appear on basically any show to talk about The Wicker Man.
That just filled me with happiness. That's gorgeous. And as we've been saying, it is a delightful performance from Lee, which I think is saying something because while Lee is always a fine screen presence, he almost always plays a rather grim and serious character, often with a malicious glint in his eyes.
And for much of the film, the Lord Summerisle that we experience is a joyous, carefree figure. I swear, Lee, who is I think around 50 at the time, really feels younger and certainly more energetic in this role than anything else I've seen him in from before or after this picture. He has the energy of a 22-year-old hippie who does clowning school.
Yes. Yeah, he's just magical in the movie. He's bursting with positive intensity, occasionally turning threatening, and then just turning very friendly and charming again. In fact, he has kind of the quality of a pagan god. You can feel him almost...
becoming superhumanly enlarged and striding over the fields, beaming down sunshine at everyone around him. That's good. That's good. Yeah.
So these are our two main characters, I guess, in the film. But we have a number of very interesting supporting roles, starting with, I believe we mentioned her already, but Diane Chalento plays Miss Rose, who I believe is the town teacher. She's teaching, I don't know what other, like a lot of, it's a small town, so a lot of people have multiple roles here. Yeah, double booked on a lot of occupations in the town. Miss Rose is a great character, and Diane Chalento is amazing.
Excellent in this role. I mean, I'm going to sound repetitive with the cast because everybody's so good, but she is great. She has such a gracious, almost flowing water kind of way of reacting to Sergeant Howie's aggressive inquiry. You know, she's at many points she is resisting his his investigation. Yeah.
But it's just hard to feel like she could possibly be a bad guy, you know? Yeah. Yeah. She, like a number of the other townsfolk that we meet there, they're very likable and they seem very sensible in the face of his investigation. Yes. They're always making good points against him. Yeah. So, Chilento lived 1932 through 1935.
2011, Australian-born actress of stage and screen who was nominated for an Oscar in 1964 for her supporting performance in the movie Tom Jones. Her other credits include 65's The Agony and the Ecstasy, 1967's Ombre, and 1972's ZPG. She married Anthony Schaffer in 1985, and from her previous marriage, she was the mother of Jason Connery.
I've read that she was a self-professed white witch at the time of the Wicker Man's filming and was personally involved in various details, including the fire dance. And at one point, there's a tarot card on the ceiling. And I believe I've read that she drew that or painted it. Oh, cool.
Today's episode is brought to you by Avis. Do you like control but also travel a lot? And after enough weather cancellations, security bottlenecks, and in-flight Wi-Fi issues, you stop expecting to be in control when you're traveling. Until you reach the Avis counter. Avis has been renting cars for over 75 years, and it shows. Like clockwork, they'll have the car you want ready for you exactly as you had planned.
Because it turns out plans are their thing, specifically keeping them. In fact, they have a special way of making you feel like your plans are the only ones in the world that matter, just like they do for all their customers. They'll stop at nothing to get you on your way, on time, so you can go about your business and, yes, regain control. And for a limited time, you can save 20% on your car rental when you pay now. Go to Avis.com slash plan on us to learn more. Avis, plan on us. Hi.
Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? Wash away your worries with Anabay. Anabay is the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right. Sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly, stain resistant and changeable slip covers made with performance fabric.
Experience cloud-like comfort with high-resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity, and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Shop washablesofas.com for up to 60% off site-wide, backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back.
Upgrade now at WashableSofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. I at one time was homeless. Being in your own place makes a difference. I'm able to cook when I couldn't. When I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know I have transitioned from homeless. If these walls could talk, it would say freedom.
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking understands that the buildings we invest in are more than just four walls. They are you. They are us. They are the Bay Area. When it comes to your oral health, staying ahead of problems is key. That's why Colgate Total has created the Colgate Total Active Prevention System. Built from years of research and clinically proven results, this powerful three-product system combines a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush with a carefully crafted amount of bristles, over 5,000 of them to be exact, and a
and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that work together to help prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis before they start. Why is prevention important? Because plaque builds up by feeding on sugars from the foods and drinks you consume. This plaque releases acids that can damage your enamel and lead to cavities and other oral health problems. But the Colgate Total Active Prevention System helps fight the root cause of those problems. In fact...
The three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks, starting from week one, compared to a non-antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today and fight the root cause of oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis so you can be dentist ready. Shop now by visiting shop.colgate.com slash total.
Oh, and then, of course, there's the innkeeper's daughter, Willow, played by Britt Eklund. Also great. Britt Eklund gets a full-on musical number where she, like, turns and looks into the camera while she's singing. Yes. Yeah, born 1942, Swiss actress, model, and singer, who certainly delivers charisma and sex appeal for several key scenes in the film. A character who, in Lord Summerisle's words, is the embodiment of the goddess of love.
Eklund was a rather major celebrity of the day and appeared in some notable early 1970s films, including 71's Get Carter, 1972's Asylum, and 1974's The Man with the Golden Gun, which of course also featured Christopher Lee.
Sometimes I watch that movie as a kind of it's a James Bond movie. Yes. Probably one of the worst James Bond movies. It's not very good. But as I say about some movies on here, it's not very good, but it's a good time. It's just just a nice little Wicker Man reunion to watch every now and then.
I seem to recall the character she plays in The Man with the Golden Gun is supposed to be kind of not very smart. Like she's kind of always like clumsily. She's like a spy, but she's constantly like whoops getting bumped into the trunk of a car. And yeah, I don't know. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's not a great movie. But in The Wicker Man, she is not dumb. She's rather crafty actually.
Yeah, she, you know, she behaves almost like a siren character. And she has at least one key scene that features nudity. And I want to highlight that a lot of times, you know, the nudity in films of this era, and certainly of this genre, are more about pure titillation. And, you know, not to say that these scenes are removed of titillation. But the
There's a lot more going on here, and I feel like they're overall very well crafted. In the extra that I featured, Hardy talks a little bit about the key Brett Eklund nude scene and how they shot it and all. And there are actually some fun stories about that where they actually had to send off for someone to come in to be the butt double for that scene.
They had to get somebody from like a nightclub in Scotland. Oh, that's funny. But we should say we've been speaking about them like they might be two different scenes. The nude scene is also the musical number. Yes, yes.
Yeah, and it is the scene where Britt Eklund is really dedicated to making Sergeant Howie start sinning. Yeah, yeah. He's in another room. But this inn has very thin walls, and you can hear everything. Like, the people downstairs can hear everything. Howdy can hear everything. Yeah, we'll get into that when we talk about the specific scene.
All right. And then rounding out our trio of blonde '70s starlets in this picture, we have Ingrid Pitt playing the librarian. She lived 1937 through 2010. Something of a Hammer Horror regular. The Polish-born actress who started out on the East Berlin stage is best known for roles in such films as 1968's "Square Equals Dare," 1970's "The Vampire Lovers," and 1971's "Countess Dracula."
Her other credits include episodes of Doctor Who, 1971's The House That Dripped Blood, and 1985's Transmutations. We'll have more to say about her when we talk about the specific, one of the main scenes that features the librarian. Yes.
Now, you mentioned the character of Willow McGregor. That's Britt Eklund. But we also meet her father, the innkeeper, a.k.a. the landlord, who is an extremely odd critter. Yes, yes. Played by Lindsey Kemp, who lived 1938 through 2018.
He was a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist, and choreographer. His other acting credits include 72's Savage Messiah, a 1984 TV adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream in which he plays Puck, and 1998's Velvet Goldmine. Very interesting character in his own right. He was a mentor to both David Bowie and Kate Bush.
Hats off to him. I love every minute he's on screen. He's got this wild kind of raised eyebrow that's just always like, oh, you know, you're a policeman, are you? Yeah.
Yeah, he's great. There is always that kind of like sly judgment taking place with him. Yeah. Yeah. Wonderful little role. I mean, all the so all the townsfolk are great. The non-actors, the musicians and then the various character actors here and there. One that really stands out, though, is Aubrey Morris playing the old gardener slash the gravedigger. Yes. Great British character actor whose supporting roles include films like 71's A Clockwork Orange.
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and Lysomania. Also 1985's Life Force and the She-Creature from 2001. I would say one of the most memorable locals we meet in the film. He has a fantastic moment where Sergeant Howie asks him where their minister is and he just says, "'Minister!' and starts laughing and walks away."
Yeah, he's really, we meet him in the graveyard, a great scene in the graveyard, we'll probably get to, but yeah, he lived 1926 through 2015. All right, now one more local man that I want to mention here. There's a fishmonger character, and I'm not sure I 100% remember the fishmonger.
Do you remember the fishmonger? No, I don't. It's possible his scene was even cut. I'm not certain. If nothing else, we may see him in the background. There are a lot of rosy-cheeked, gray-haired, partly balding old men who stand around in the background of many scenes at the
pub at the harbor and so forth at the May Day celebration and don't really get in many individual moments of their own. But it's a it's a but overall, it's a big community ensemble. And so there are a lot of characters you're not going to remember very specifically. Yeah, well, the fishmonger is played by John Young, who lived 1916 through 1996. And this is the guy who played the modern day historian that a knight murders in 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I remember him. Yeah. Yeah. He, he shows up like it's, um, you know, a television show about, uh, medieval history. And then at one point at night, uh, rides past him and slays him with a sword. It's a good gag. Yeah. Yeah. So John Young, he was also in a life of Brian in 79 and, uh, 81's chariots of fire. Oh, and he's also in time badminton.
All right. And then coming back around to the music, Paul Giovanni was the composer. He lived 1933 through 1990. And yeah, there's a lot we're going to continue to say about the music of The Wicker Man, a film that makes terrific use of diegetic music, contributing heavily to the uneasiness of the film and also creating that feeling of uncertainty regarding like what sort of musical film are we watching?
Paul Giovanni was an American playwright, actor, director, singer, and musician. And we see him in the film as well. The man singing Gently Johnny in The Green Man Inn. Oh, I didn't realize that was Paul Giovanni. He's a handsome fella, and he's a good singer. Yeah, yeah. He also sings on Corn Rigs and Landlord's Daughter. Giovanni wrote the music and much of the lyrics. I think Corn Rigs is adapted from a Robert Burns song. Yeah.
But this was his only musical film credit. But his plays include The Crucifer of Blood, which was adapted in 1991 for a TV film starring Charlton Heston as Sherlock Holmes. What?
Yeah. And that is one of the weirdest pieces of casting I've ever heard of. Yeah. I, I've never seen it. I'm only vaguely aware of it. And my initial reaction is much like when I hear about anybody playing Sherlock Holmes, I'm, I'm, my personal response is you're not Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes. But then I read, this is crazy. Just learned this literally today that,
that 10 years earlier, before this TV adaptation of The Crucifer of Blood, Heston played the role in an L.A. stage adaptation of the play, and Jeremy Brett played Watson. What? Yeah. It doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem like it should be real. It seems like this is some sort of awful joke being played on me personally, but I'm sure Jeremy Brett was a fine Watson.
I got to look this up. I just I am not even finding myself able to imagine Charlton Esten as Sherlock Holmes. That is that is weird. That is deep weird. I don't I don't have any other information on it. I don't know if he attempts a British accent or not, but it definitely happened. It happened more than once.
Now, it's not just Paul Giovanni on the music here. The collaborating musicians responsible are credited as Magnet, headed up by composer Gary Carpenter, born 1951, who was also associate music director on the film. I watched a great interview with Carpenter about the film's music and the winding path the soundtrack took to actual physical release. All very insightful and full of lots of technical details if you're interested in the recording details and all.
but one observation he made that I thought was interesting is he compares the raw recording style of the film's music as being very similar to later trends in just music recording in general. So we have all these scenes where
In the picture, musicians, characters that are musicians are creating the music within the scene. But of course, all of that is also recorded separately in a sound studio to be used as part, you know, to create the film score and soundtrack. But it's the same people.
So you have this interesting connection there. And that's, I think, one of the reasons that they said, well, we're going to record this in such a way that there is a rawness to it. You kept talking about how you can hear some of the physical details of the instrumentation, I guess, to sort of place you in the scene with the music creation and not just recording.
experiencing the results of the musical act. Interesting, yeah. So once again, the music is a very important part of The Wicker Man and is on the whole terrific. I should also add that the score is widely available. You can buy it. You can stream it. So after you've watched The Wicker Man, you can do what I've been doing and just run the
run the score and the soundtrack over and over again in your headphones. And you can wander around your house singing corn rigs and barley rigs. Yes. Oh, we do that so much.
All right. Now, this is the point at which we would normally transition into discussing the plot. But I believe, given that we have so much more to talk about, and we're going to go ahead and cut this episode, and we will continue this in a part two in the next installment of Weird House Cinema. That's right. It gives you plenty of time to watch the movie if you did not heed our warning at the very beginning and go watch it then.
That's right. We haven't done this with many films. We were talking about this before we rolled here. We did it with Highlander 2, and we did it with Lynch's Dune. So, this is a film that I think checks off all the boxes. It's a big film. There's a lot that's been said about it. There's a lot that we have to say about it. I mean, I feel like
I could spend a good half hour just talking about key scenes, such as all the scenes that take place in the candy store slash post office.
Oh, well, okay. Then this is something we should do before we wrap up today's episode. What is your top confection from the post office slash candy store in Summer Isle Town? Ooh, I mean, there's so much. I mean, I love this shop. This is one of those shops that feels absolutely real. You know, I imagine they've taken and they took an existing shop in Scotland and
one location and dressed it up and it's just filled with all of these, uh, you know, strange pagan treats. Uh, and I'm saying they would really feed these nightmare images to children. I guess so. Um, you know, within, you know, in the fictional world of the film. Yes. Um,
I mean, there are several key standouts. There is, of course, the baby cake, the kid cake. That's an easy favorite, I think, for anybody. But the closer you look, there are all these other little details. There are little pink elephants. I don't know.
what the pink elephants represent within their rights and observations, but they are there, and there are numerous ones. There are some wonderful frogs or toads. Those were my wife's favorites. Yeah. The chocolate ram's heads with littlest yellow eyes. Yes, yes. There are a number of hares as well, and some other strange babies that are in the shop in addition to this. So I don't know. I've got to go with the kid cake,
or the elephants probably the kid cake it's the kid cake how about the bride with the wreath of pink flowers around her head with the eyes pinned open like alex in clockwork orange that's good too what are they showing that cake what does she have to watch
Are they playing the Ludwig band? I think the kid cake has maybe some, I'd have to watch the scene again, but based on a still that I pulled up, I think there's like maybe a jelly filling to it, which, you know, is fitting. Oh, I see that. Yeah. You see them cut it open and it's kind of spilling out. Yeah. Maybe it's like a jam roll, jam cake sort of a situation. I don't know. Now, something that's really confusing is that in Mae Morrison's post office slash
sweet shop they serve green frog cakes that you eat but we also see in the same shop later she's putting a live green frog in a kid's mouth to cure her of a sore throat well yeah but then that's not candy that's medicinal but then she gets a hard candy afterwards as a treat to sort of like you know that's right to get rid of the taste of the frog
All right. Well, to learn more about the sweet shop and the rest of what Summer Isle has to offer to the adventurous tourist, you'll have to come back next week for part two of our series on The Wicker Man.
That's right. Keep your appointment with The Wicker Man next week on Weird House Cinema. But in the meantime, we would love to hear from you. If you already have thoughts to share about The Wicker Man, write in. We'd love to hear from you. Let's see. We should remind you that if you want to follow Weird House Cinema online, we have a letterboxd account. You can find us there. Our username is Weird House. We have a nice list of all the movies we've covered over the years. Sometimes a peek ahead at what's coming up next. And we'd love to hear from you.
And you can also follow us on Instagram at stbympodcast. We're on some other social networks as well, but those are the main places to follow us. Huge thanks, as always, to our excellent audio producer, JJ Posway. If you would like to get in touch with us with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest a topic for the future, or just to say hello, you can email us at contact at stufftoblowyourmind.com.
Stuff to Blow Your Mind is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app. Apple Podcasts are wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Today's episode is brought to you by Avis. Let's face it, with travel come curveballs. From flight delays to lost luggage, they put even the best laid plans at risk. Thank goodness for Avis. With them, you know your rental car will come through and your plans are protected at all costs.
Because it turns out Avis is here for your plans. And they'll do whatever it takes to ensure you keep them. Which is a big deal. And speaking of deals, you can save 20% when you pay now. Go to avis.com slash planonus to learn more. Avis. Plan on us.
Did you know women are more likely than men to develop dry eyes, which may be due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle or after menopause and the use of oral contraceptives? Give your dry, burning, or irritated eyes a daily refresh with Refresh Optive Mega 3 Lubricant Eye Drops, a preservative-free formula that provides fast-acting, lasting relief.
Refresh Optiv Mega 3 is safe to use as often as needed. Find Refresh online or in the iDrop aisle at all major retailers. I at one time was homeless. Being in your own place makes a difference. I'm able to cook when I couldn't. When I go into my bedroom, I can stretch out. That lets me know I have transitioned from homeless. If these walls could talk, it would say freedom.
JPMorgan Chase Community Development Banking understands that the buildings we invest in are more than just four walls. They are you. They are us. They are the Bay Area. This episode is brought to you by Microsoft. Developers like you are building the future, but you need the right tools to push what's possible. That's where Microsoft comes in. With GitHub Copilot, VS Code, Azure AI Foundry, and more. You have the tools to build your way and bring your ideas to life.
You can build confidently, securely, and focus on creating the next big thing. Learn more at developer.microsoft.com slash AI. Microsoft. Yours to build.