The Big Picture
- October marks the release of the long-awaited SteelBook edition of The Wicker Man, just in time for Halloween.
- The film explores the clash between Christianity and pagan beliefs as a detective investigates a missing girl on the mysterious Summerisle island.
- The bonus material included in the release offers behind-the-scenes glimpses, interviews, featurettes, and a chance to visit the filming locations.
You’ll want to mark down October 17, 2023, as you have an appointment with The Wicker Man. The long-awaited SteelBook release of Robin Hardy’s cult-classic horror flick arrives just in time for the spooky season. While you may have been keeping your eyes peeled for this announcement back in the spring when a May Day drop seemed likely, fans finally have the 50th anniversary celebration they’ve been longing for by way of a Steelbook 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital release. Accompanying the musical horror is a slew of bonus material sure to make you feel like you’ve been transported to the rolling hills of Summerisle.
In The Wicker Man, Edward Woodward (The Equalizer) stars as the religiously devout Police Sergeant Howie, who’s been tasked with following up on reports of a missing girl on the remote island of Summerisle. An unnerving feeling follows him as he walks the streets as each resident is stranger than the next, continuously speaking to him in riddles and not admitting to having ever known the girl in question. When he crosses paths with Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee, The Lord of the Rings trilogy), belief systems clash as the pious Christian officer unravels a deeper mystery surrounding the pagan islanders.
Stacked with bonus material, those purchasing the 4K UHD edition can take a trip of their own to filming locations from The Wicker Man, flip through a behind-the-scenes gallery, hear from leading lady Britt Ekland (The Man with the Golden Gun), explore a handful of featurettes, and more. Those who take home both the 4K and Blu-ray release will also be treated to an array of featurettes as well as nostalgia-packed trailers and a 2013 interview with the film’s director.
The Legacy of The Wicker Man
A sign of the times, The Wicker Man, which came out in 1973, was the perfect summation of the religious counterculture that was popping off during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. As the younger generation was questioning the Christian roots of their parents, the film made its Bible-thumping police officer protagonist hard to root for. On top of the constant uneasy feeling as the detective ventures further into the lion’s den, Hardy went an unusual route and added songs to the production – placing it in the very specific musical horror genre.
Because the industry never seems to know when to leave a good thing alone, Neill LaBute revamped the original story in 2006’s The Wicker Man. Starring Nicolas Cage, the film deviated from Hardy’s piece, putting a bizarrely sinister feminist twist on the villagers of the island now placed off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Also featuring performances from Ellen Burstyn and Frances Conroy, it’s not difficult to see how the reboot was a flop at the box office but yet another Cage classic in our hearts.
Check out a trailer for Hardy’s The Wicker Man below and keep scrolling for the full list of bonus material.
4K Only Special Features
- Revisiting the locations of The Wicker Man
- Featurette: The Wicker Man at 50
- Robin Hardy’s Script: The Lost Ending
- Britt Ekland Interview
- Behind-the-Scenes Gallery
- Featurette: Wicker Man Enigma
- Featurette: Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man
- Interview with Robin Hardy and Christopher Lee
4K and Blu-ray Special Features
- Featurette: Worshiping The Wicker Man
- Featurette: The Music of The Wicker Man
- Interview with Tom Hardy (2013)
- Trailers
Blu-ray Only
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
