Editing The Wicker Man

{{Short description|1973 film by Robin Hardy}}
{{For-multi|the remake|The Wicker Man (2006 film){{!}}''The Wicker Man'' (2006 film)|other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Wicker Man
| image          = The Wicker Man (1973 film) UK poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Robin Hardy (film director)|Robin Hardy]]
| producer       = [[Peter Snell (producer)|Peter Snell]]
| screenplay     = [[Anthony Shaffer (writer)|Anthony Shaffer]]
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Edward Woodward]]|[[Britt Ekland]]|[[Diane Cilento]]|[[Ingrid Pitt]]|[[Christopher Lee]]}}
| music          = [[Paul Giovanni]]
| cinematography = [[Harry Waxman]]
| editing        = Eric Boyd-Perkins
| studio         = [[British Lion Films]]
| distributor    = British Lion Films
| released       = {{Film date|1973|12|06|UK|ref1=<ref name="auto1">{{cite web| url=http://artandhue.com/wicker |title = ''The Wicker Man'' | website = Art & Hue presents The Wicker Man}}</ref>|df=y}}
| runtime        = 88 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 87:31--><ref>{{cite web|title=''The Wicker Man'' 1973 (XV)|url=https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/wicker-man-1973|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024154842/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/wicker-man-1973|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2014|work=[[British Lion Films]]|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=22 June 2007|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref><!-- Initial runtime only. -->
| country        = United Kingdom
| language       = English
| budget         = £471,600<ref>Justin Smith (2014) Calculated Risks: Film Finances and British
Independents in the 1970s, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 34:1, 85-102, p87 DOI:
10.1080/01439685.2014.879007</ref>–500,000<ref>{{cite book |first1=Andy |last1=Murray |first2=Lorraine |last2=Rolston |title=Studying The Wicker Man |series=Studying Films Series |date=2008 |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |isbn=978-1-903-66310-3 |page=13 |quote=Although the company agreed to take the film on, the producers were under instruction to keep to a tight budget of the film under £500,000, small even by early 1970s standards.}}</ref>
| gross          = $475,661<ref>{{cite web| url =https://the-numbers.com/movie/Wicker-Man-The-(1975)#tab=summary| title = ''The Wicker Man'' | website = [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]|publisher=Nash Information Services, LLC}}</ref>
}}

'''''The Wicker Man''''' is a 1973 British [[folk horror]] film directed by [[Robin Hardy (film director)|Robin Hardy]] and starring [[Edward Woodward]], [[Britt Ekland]], [[Diane Cilento]], [[Ingrid Pitt]] and [[Christopher Lee]]. The screenplay is by [[Anthony Shaffer (writer)|Anthony Shaffer]], inspired by [[David Pinner]]'s 1967 novel ''[[Ritual (1967 novel)|Ritual]]'', and [[Paul Giovanni]] composed the film score.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Wicker Man (1973) |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bac941d|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406085205/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bac941d|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="The Wicker Man 1973">{{cite web |title=The Wicker Man 1973 |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95785/the-wicker-man#credits |access-date=11 July 2016 |work=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]]) |location=[[Atlanta]]}}</ref>

The plot centres on the visit of a police officer, Sergeant Neil Howie, to the isolated [[Scotland|Scottish]] island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl. Howie, a devout Christian, is appalled to find that the inhabitants of the island have abandoned [[Christianity]] and now practise a form of [[Ancient Celtic religion|Celtic paganism]].<ref name="Grdn" />

''The Wicker Man'' is well regarded by critics. Film magazine ''[[Cinefantastique]]'' described it as "The ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' of horror movies", and in 2004, ''[[Total Film]]'' magazine named ''The Wicker Man'' the sixth-greatest British film of all time. It also won the 1978 [[Saturn Award]] for [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]. The final scene was number 45 on [[Bravo (U.S. TV network)|Bravo]]'s [[100 Scariest Movie Moments]], and during the [[2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony]], it was included as part of a sequence that celebrated British cinema. The film brought the [[wicker man]] into modern [[popular culture]].<ref name="Jordan">{{cite encyclopedia |title=The Body |encyclopedia=Religion and American Cultures |year=2003 |last=Jordan |first=Mark |editor=Gary Laderman |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=341}}</ref>

In 1989, Shaffer wrote a [[Film treatment|script treatment]] for ''The Loathsome Lambton Worm'', a direct [[sequel]] with fantasy elements. Hardy had no interest in the project, and it went unproduced. In 2006, a poorly received [[The Wicker Man (2006 film)|American remake]] starring [[Nicolas Cage]] was released, from which Hardy and others involved with the original have dissociated themselves.<ref>''The Wicker Man'' (2006) has a [https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_wicker_man_2006/ 15% rating] on [[Rotten Tomatoes]].</ref> In 2011, a [[Spiritual successor|spiritual sequel]] written and directed by Hardy, ''[[The Wicker Tree]]'', was released; it featured Lee in a cameo appearance. In 2013, the original U.S. theatrical version of ''The Wicker Man'' was digitally restored and released.

==Plot==
On Sunday, April 29, 1973, Sergeant Neil Howie of the West Highlands Constabulary, journeys by [[seaplane]] to the remote, verdant [[Hebrides|Hebridean]] island of Summerisle off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan Morrison, about whom he has received an anonymous letter. Howie, a devout [[Christianity|Christian]], is disturbed to find the islanders paying homage to the [[Paganism|pagan]] [[Celts|Celtic]] gods of their ancestors, with churches having fallen into disuse. They copulate openly in the fields, include children as part of the [[May Day#United Kingdom|May Day celebrations]], teach children of the phallic association of the [[maypole]], and place toads in their mouths to cure sore throats. The islanders appear to be trying to thwart his investigation by claiming that Rowan never existed.

While Howie is staying at the [[Green Man]] Inn, the landlord's daughter attempts to seduce him, but he resists, explaining that he is engaged and wants to reserve sex only for marriage. He notices a series of photographs celebrating the annual harvest, each featuring a young girl as the [[May Queen]]. The photograph of the most recent celebration from summer 1972 is missing; the landlord tells him it was broken. At the local school, Howie asks the students about Rowan, but all deny her existence. He checks the school register and finds Rowan's name. He questions the schoolteacher, who directs him to Rowan's grave.

The next day, 30 April, Howie meets the island's leader, Lord Summerisle, grandson of a [[Victorian era|Victorian]] [[Agronomy|agronomist]], to get permission for an exhumation of Rowan’s grave. Summerisle explains that in 1868, his grandfather developed strains of fruit trees that would prosper in [[Climate of Scotland|Scotland's climate]] and encouraged the belief that returning to the old gods would bring prosperity to the island among the previously Christian population. Due to the bountiful harvests, the island's other inhabitants gradually embraced [[paganism]], and the Christian ministers fled to the mainland.

Exhuming Rowan’s grave, Howie finds that the coffin contains only the body of a hare. He also finds the missing harvest photograph, showing Rowan standing amidst empty boxes; the harvest had failed for the first time since the orchards were established. His research reveals that a human sacrifice is offered to the gods in the event of crop failure. He concludes that Rowan is alive and will soon be sacrificed to ensure a successful harvest this season.

The following morning, on May Day, Howie seeks assistance from the mainland and returns to his seaplane, only to discover it no longer functions and its radio is damaged; he cannot leave or call for help. Later that day, during the May Day celebration, Howie subdues the innkeeper and steals his costume and mask (that of [[Punch and Judy|Punch]], the fool) to infiltrate the parade. Rowan is eventually revealed. Howie sets her free and flees with her into a cave. Exiting it, they are intercepted by the islanders, to whom Rowan happily returns.

Summerisle tells Howie that Rowan was never the intended sacrifice; Howie is. He fits their gods' four requirements: he came of his own free will, he has "the power of a king" by representing the law, he is a celibate virgin, and he is a "fool" by falling for their deception. Howie warns Summerisle and the islanders that the crops are failing due to the unsuitability of the climate, and that the villagers will turn on Summerisle and sacrifice him next summer when the harvest fails again, but his pleas are ignored.

The villagers force Howie inside a giant [[wicker man]] statue along with various animals, set it ablaze, and surround it, singing the [[Middle English]] folk song "[[Sumer Is Icumen In]]". Inside the wicker man, Howie recites [[Psalm 23]] and prays to God. Howie and the animals burn to death as the head of the wicker man collapses in flames, revealing the setting sun.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Edward Woodward]] as Sgt. Neil Howie
* [[Christopher Lee]] as Lord Summerisle
* [[Britt Ekland]] as Willow MacGregor
** [[Annie Ross]] as Willow MacGregor (voice)
** Rachel Verney as Willow MacGregor (singing voice)
* [[Lesley Mackie]] as Daisy
* [[Diane Cilento]] as Miss Rose
* [[Ingrid Pitt]] as Librarian
* [[Lindsay Kemp]] as Alder MacGregor (the landlord)
* Ian Campbell as Oak
* [[Russell Waters]] as Harbour Master
* [[Aubrey Morris]] as Old Gardener/Gravedigger
* [[Irene Sunters|Irene Sunter]] as May Morrison
* Jennifer Martin as Myrtle Morrison
* [[Donald Eccles]] as T.H. Lennox
* [[Walter Carr (actor)|Walter Carr]] as Schoolmaster
* [[Roy Boyd]] as Broome
* [[Peter Brewis]] as Musician
* [[Gerry Cowper|Geraldine Cowper]] as Rowan Morrison
* [[John Young (actor)|John Young]] as Fishmonger
* Myra Forsyth as Mrs Grimmond
* Alison Hughes as Sgt Howie's fiancé
* [[Barbara Rafferty]] as woman with baby
* [[John Sharp (actor)|John Sharp]] as Doctor Ewan (longer version)
* [[John Hallam]] as Police Constable Hugh McTaggart (longer version)
* [[Tony Roper (actor)|Tony Roper]] as Postman (longer version)
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Background===
[[File:The Wicker Man (1973) US trailer - Christopher Lee 1.png|thumb|left|upright|[[Christopher Lee]], who appeared in more than 275 motion pictures, considered ''The Wicker Man'' his best film.<ref name=TFInterview />]]
In the early 1970s, Christopher Lee was a [[Hammer Film Productions|Hammer Horror]] regular, best known for his roles in a series of successful films, beginning with ''[[The Curse of Frankenstein]]'' (as [[Frankenstein's monster|the monster]], 1957). Lee wanted to break free of this image and take on more interesting acting roles. The idea for ''The Wicker Man'' film began in 1971 when Lee met with screenwriter [[Anthony Shaffer (writer)|Anthony Shaffer]], and they agreed to work together.<ref>[https://www.steve-p.org/wm/ THE VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE WICKER MAN]</ref> Film director [[Robin Hardy (film director)|Robin Hardy]] and [[British Lion Films|British Lion]] head [[Peter Snell (producer)|Peter Snell]] became involved in the project. Shaffer had a series of conversations with Hardy, and the two decided that making a horror film centring on "old religion" would be fun, in sharp contrast to the Hammer films they had both seen as horror film fans.<ref>Stephen Applebaum [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-wicker-man-caught-in-the-crossfire-412303.html "The Wicker Man: Caught in the crossfire"], ''The Independent'', 18 August 2006</ref>

Shaffer read the [[David Pinner]] novel ''[[Ritual (1967 novel)|Ritual]]'', in which a devout Christian policeman is called to investigate what appears to be the [[ritual murder]] of a young girl in a rural village, and decided that it would serve well as the source material for the project. Pinner had originally written ''Ritual'' as a film treatment for director [[Michael Winner]], who had [[John Hurt]] in mind as a possible star.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wicker-man.com/trivia.php|title=Wicker Man Trivia|publisher=Wicker-Man.com|access-date=11 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210205628/http://www.wicker-man.com/trivia.php|archive-date=10 February 2012}}</ref> Winner eventually declined the project, so Pinner's agent persuaded him to write ''Ritual'' as a novel instead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://b-music-collective.blogspot.com/2011/12/david-pinner-interview-cult-of-david.html|title=David Pinner Interview - The Cult of David Pinner|author=Orphan, David|publisher=B-Music Collective|date=1 December 2011|access-date=11 April 2012}}</ref> Shaffer and Lee paid Pinner £15,000 ({{Inflation|UK|15000|1971|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}) for the rights to the novel, and Shaffer set to work on the screenplay. He soon decided that a direct adaptation would not work well, so drafted a new story based only loosely on the story of the novel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/leisure/8985362.The_author_who_inspired_The_Wicker_Man___/ |title=The author who inspired The Wicker Man... |author=Gore, Will |publisher=Surrey Comet |date=22 April 2011 |access-date=11 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826092935/http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/leisure/8985362.The_author_who_inspired_The_Wicker_Man___/ |archive-date=26 August 2011 }}</ref>

Shaffer wanted the film to be "a little more literate" than the average horror picture. He specifically wanted a film with a minimum of violence and gore. He was tired of seeing horror films that relied almost entirely on viscera to be scary. The focus of the film was crystallised when he "finally hit upon the abstract concept of sacrifice." The image of the wicker man, which gave the filmmakers their title, was taken from the description of the practice of human sacrifice by the Gauls in [[Julius Caesar]]'s [[Commentarii de Bello Gallico|''Commentaries on the Gallic War'']]: "Others have figures of vast size, the limbs of which formed of osiers they fill with living men, which being set on fire, the men perish enveloped in the flames."<ref>{{cite book |last = Caesar |first = Julius |year = 1910 |title = Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic war: literally translated, with explanatory notes |publisher = Hinds & Noble |location = New York City |url = https://archive.org/details/caesarscommentar00caes/page/149/mode/2up |pages = Book VI, Chapter XVI, page 149 |quote = Others have figures of vast size, the limbs of which formed of osiers they fill with living men, which being set on fire, the men perish enveloped in the flames.}}</ref> For Shaffer, this was "the most alarming and imposing image that I had ever seen."<ref>Lori Anderson [http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/film/lori-anderson-worship-at-the-feet-of-the-wicker-man-1-3104662 "Worship at the feet of The Wicker Man"], ''The Scotsman'', 21 Septemberv 2013</ref> The idea of a confrontation between a modern Christian and a remote, pagan community continued to intrigue Shaffer, who performed painstaking research on paganism. Brainstorming with Hardy, they conceived the film as presenting the pagan elements objectively and accurately, accompanied by authentic music and a believable, contemporary setting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-04 |title=Long arm of the lore: remembering The Wicker Man {{!}} Sight & Sound |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/long-arm-lore-robin-hardy-wicker-man |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=British Film Institute |language=en}}</ref> One of their main resources was ''[[The Golden Bough]]'', a study of mythology and religion written by Scottish anthropologist [[James George Frazer|James Frazer]].<ref>Melanie J. Wright [https://books.google.com/books?id=-NPfv-s7WdcC&pg=PA87 ''Religion and Film: An Introduction''], London: IB Tauris, 2000, p. 87</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cowdell |first=Paul |date=2019 |title="Practicing Witchcraft Myself During the Filming": Folk Horror, Folklore, and the Folkloresque |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26864166 |journal=Western Folklore |volume=78 |issue=4 |pages=295–326 |jstor=26864166 |issn=0043-373X}}</ref>

===Casting===
Television actor Edward Woodward was cast in the role of Sergeant Neil Howie after the part was declined by both [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] and [[David Hemmings]].<ref name="stevephilips" /> In Britain, Woodward was best known for the role of [[Callan (TV series)|''Callan'']], which he played from 1967 to 1972. After ''The Wicker Man'', Woodward went on to receive international attention for his roles in the 1980 film [[Breaker Morant (film)|''Breaker Morant'']] and the 1980s TV series ''[[The Equalizer (1985 TV series)|The Equalizer]]''.

After Shaffer saw her on the stage, he lured [[Diane Cilento]] out of semi-retirement to play the town's schoolmistress.<ref name="stevephilips" /> (They lived together in Queensland from 1975, and married in 1985). [[Ingrid Pitt]], another British horror film veteran, was cast as the town librarian and registrar. Swedish actress Britt Ekland was cast as the innkeeper's lascivious daughter, although two body doubles were used for her naked scenes below the waist. Ekland found out that she was three months pregnant with her son Nic, to [[Lou Adler]], two weeks into filming. Stuart Hopps (the film's choreographer) called upon Lorraine Peters, a nightclub dancer from Glasgow, who gyrated at the doorway<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.garycarpenter.net/archive/wicker3.htm|title=Gary Carpenter: The Wicker Man: Settling the Score|access-date=18 September 2016|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182112/http://www.garycarpenter.net/archive/wicker3.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and against the wall of a bedroom in the fully nude "wall" scenes. Ekland's speaking and singing voices were dubbed by [[Annie Ross]] and Rachel Verney respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/scots-singing-legend-annie-ross-1116107|title=Scots singing legend Annie Ross talks Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday & Judy Garland ahead of appearance at Glasgow Film Festival|access-date=3 September 2017|date=8 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/a-very-nasty-piece-of-work-9269029.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/a-very-nasty-piece-of-work-9269029.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=A very nasty piece of work|website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |access-date=3 September 2017|date=21 December 2001}}</ref><ref name="auto"/>

Local girl Jane Jackson was employed as Ekland's stand-in for camera setups. Jackson was blonde-haired and bore a resemblance to Ekland but was otherwise not involved in any filming.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12767429.ekland-reopens-controversy-of-the-mystery-rear/ |title = Ekland reopens controversy of the mystery rear| date=2 February 2008 }}</ref>

=== Filming ===
[[File:Culzean Castle 32.jpg|alt=Culzean Castle|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Culzean Castle]] on the [[Ayrshire]] coast]]
The film was produced at a time of crisis for the British film industry. The studio in charge of production, British Lion Films, was in financial trouble and was bought by wealthy businessman John Bentley. To convince the unions that he was not about to [[Asset stripping|asset strip]] the company, Bentley needed to get a film into production quickly. This meant that although ''The Wicker Man'' was set in spring, filming actually began in October 1972; artificial leaves and blossoms had to be glued to trees in many scenes. The production was kept on a small budget.<ref name="stevephilips" /> Christopher Lee was extremely keen to get the film made; he and others worked on the production without pay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-06 |title=Christopher Lee Had To Take Promoting The Wicker Man Into His Own Hands |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/955287/christopher-lee-had-to-take-promoting-the-wicker-man-into-his-own-hands/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref><!-- I think Christopher Lee mentions this on the DVD commentary. But I've definitely heard it in interviews before. --> While filming took place, British Lion was bought by [[EMI Films]].

The film was shot almost entirely in the small Scottish towns of [[Stranraer]], [[Gatehouse of Fleet]], [[Newton Stewart]], [[Kirkcudbright]], [[Anwoth]] and [[Creetown]] in [[Galloway]], as well as [[Plockton]] in [[Ross-shire]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Where was 'The Wicker Man' filmed?|url=http://www.british-film-locations.com/The-Wicker-Man-1973|website=British Film Locations|access-date=5 June 2017|archive-date=19 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319225910/http://www.british-film-locations.com/The-Wicker-Man-1973|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some scenes were filmed in and around the [[Isle of Whithorn]], where the owners of the castle, Elizabeth McAdam McLaughland and David Wheatley, plus several other local people, featured in various scenes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wicker-man.com/locations_isleofwhithorn.php |title=The Wicker Man |publisher=The Wicker Man |access-date=20 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226202756/http://www.wicker-man.com/locations_isleofwhithorn.php |archive-date=26 February 2012}}</ref> [[Culzean Castle]] in [[Ayrshire]] and its grounds and [[Floors Castle]] in [[Roxburghshire]] were also used for the shooting. Some of the opening flying shots feature the [[Isle of Skye]], including the pinnacles of [[The Storr]] and the [[Quiraing]]. The interior cave scenes were filmed inside [[Wookey Hole Caves|Wookey Hole]] in Somerset. Hush Heath Estate in [[Staplehurst]], [[Kent]], makes a brief appearance in the film, doubling as Lord Summerisle's orchard and gardens.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kent Film Office |title=Kent Film Office The Wicker Man (1973) Article |date=6 December 1973 |url=https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/filmed-in-kent/1973/12/the-wicker-man-1973/}}</ref> The climax of the film was shot at [[St Ninian's Cave]] and on the clifftops at [[Burrow Head]] in [[Wigtownshire]].

The amphibious aircraft that carries Sergeant Howie was a [[Thurston Teal]], owned and flown in the aerial sequences by Christopher Murphy.

According to Britt Ekland, some animals perished in the wicker man,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/film-locations/summerisle-the-wicker-man/57289/ |title=Summerisle (The Wicker Man) |publisher=World Reviewer |access-date=20 December 2012 |archive-date=26 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626065829/http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/film-locations/summerisle-the-wicker-man/57289/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is an unsourced blog overview of the movie, with no specific evidence, just hearsay|date=October 2024}} whereas Robin Hardy said in an interview that great care was taken to ensure that the animals were in no danger of being hurt during this scene, and that they were not inside the wicker man when it was set on fire.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.forteantimes.com/features/interviews/39/robin_hardy.html|title=Robin Hardy – Burning the Man – The director of ''The Wicker Man'' talks about the film's enduring appeal|author=Unsworth, Cathi|magazine=Fortean Times|date=April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303070803/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/interviews/39/robin_hardy.html|archive-date=3 March 2008}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|The Wicker Man (soundtrack){{!}}''The Wicker Man'' (soundtrack)}}
{{Original research section|date=July 2017}}
[[File:The Wicker Man burns - geograph.org.uk - 50168.jpg|thumb|upright|Wickerman Festival, Dundrennan, Scotland, burning of the effigy]]
The score was arranged, recorded and part composed by [[Paul Giovanni]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/20063|title=10 of the Most Underrated Horror Scores!|author=Sean H. Stewart|publisher=BloodyDisgusting|date=4 May 2010}}</ref> According to Seamus Flannery in a subsequent documentary, director Robin Hardy surprised the cast by suddenly announcing midway through filming that they were making a "[[Musical film|musical]]";<ref>{{Cite web |title=A ★★★½ review of Burnt Offering: The Cult of The Wicker Man (2001) |url=https://letterboxd.com/man_out_of_time/film/burnt-offering-the-cult-of-the-wicker-man/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=letterboxd.com |language=en}}</ref> performed by [[Magnet (band)|Magnet]] (in some versions of the film credited as "Lodestone"), the soundtrack contains 13 folk songs performed by characters in the film. Included are traditional songs, original compositions by Giovanni, and even a nursery rhyme, "[[Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (nursery rhyme)|Baa, Baa, Black Sheep]]".

"[[Willow's Song]]" has been covered or sampled by various rock music bands. It was first covered by an English musical project known as [[Nature and Organisation]] on their 1994 release ''Beauty Reaps the Blood of Solitude''. It was covered by [[Sneaker Pimps]] as "How Do", and is included on their 1996 release ''Becoming X''. "How Do" can be heard in the movie ''[[Hostel (2005 film)|Hostel]]'' (2005); credited in the end titles as being composed by Sneaker Pimps. Additionally, the band has covered "Gently Johnny" as "Johnny"; it is featured as a B-side on their single "Roll On" (1996). It also was covered by [[Faith and the Muse]] on their 2003 album ''[[The Burning Season (album)|The Burning Season]]'', and [[The Mock Turtles]] on their album ''[[Turtle Soup (Mock Turtles album)|Turtle Soup]]''.

The songs on the soundtrack were composed or arranged by Giovanni under the direction of Hardy and Shaffer, whose research into the oral folk tradition in England and Scotland was based largely on the work of [[Cecil Sharp]], a "founding father" of the folk-revival movement of the early 20th century. Using Sharp's collections as a template, Shaffer noted to Giovanni which scenes were to have music, and in some cases provided lyrics, which would be appropriate to spring pagan festivals.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Bartholomew|first=David|date=1977|title=The Wicker Man|url=http://www.wicker-man.com/articles/cinefantastique_TWM_article_1977.pdf|journal=Cinefantastique|volume=6 |issue=3|pages=22|via=Wayback Machine|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314113156/http://www.wicker-man.com/articles/cinefantastique_TWM_article_1977.pdf|archive-date=14 March 2012}}</ref> Other songs on the soundtrack come from a later folk tradition; for example, "Corn Riggs", by Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, accompanies Howie's arrival on Summerisle. The lyrics of this song were taken directly from the Burns song "The Rigs of Barley", but Giovanni used a very different tune. Burns' tune was based on "Corn Riggs",<ref>Scots Musical Museum, Volume 1, song 94. Publisher: James Johnson & Co, Edinburgh, 1771</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://digital.nls.uk/87794929|title=Scots musical museum: Volume 1|website=National Library of Scotland|page=94}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-01-20 |title=Corn Riggs |url=https://tunearch.org/wiki/Corn_Riggs |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Traditional Tune Archive |language=en}}</ref> and altered to match his lyrics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoszNAGmPuQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/AoszNAGmPuQ| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Ossian - Corn Rigs (with lyrics)|last=DmKrispin|date=11 August 2011|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Corn Riggs by Paul Giovanni & Magnet |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/372934 |access-date=2023-06-25 |language=en}}</ref> The song sung by the cultists of Summerisle at the end of the film, "[[Sumer is icumen in|Sumer Is Icumen In]]", is a mid-13th-century song about nature in spring.

The film also gave its name to the [[Wickerman Festival]], an annual music festival held near [[Dundrennan|Auchencairn]] in Galloway. Dubbed "Scotland's Alternative Music festival", it began in 2001 when the festival's artistic director Sid Ambrose hit upon the idea of a local counterculture-based family-friendly festival due to the surrounding area being inextricably linked with various locations used within ''The Wicker Man''. It was held annually until 2015 at East Kirkcarswell Farm, Dundrennan.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-11-21 |title=Waving a fond farewell to the Wickerman Festival |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-38051733 |access-date=2023-06-25}}</ref>

==Distribution==
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By the time of the film's completion, the studio had been bought by EMI, and British Lion was managed by [[Michael Deeley]]. The DVD commentary track states that studio executives suggested a more "upbeat" ending to the film, in which a sudden rain puts the flames of the wicker man out and spares Howie's life, but this suggestion was refused. Hardy subsequently had to remove about 20&nbsp;minutes of scenes<ref name="Grdn"/> on the mainland, early investigations, and (to Lee's disappointment) some of Lord Summerisle's initial meeting with Howie.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-02-08 |title=The Director's Cut of 'The Wicker Man' Offers Different Horrors and Christopher Lee Singing |url=https://collider.com/the-wicker-man-directors-cut/ |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref>

===Original release===
The first screening of the film was to trade and cinema distributors on 3 December 1973.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web| url=http://artandhue.com/wicker |title = ''The Wicker Man'' | website = Art & Hue presents The Wicker Man}}</ref> The first public theatrical release was a week of test screenings at the Metropole Cinema London on 6 December 1973 ahead of the official public release in January 1974.<ref name="auto1"/> It runs 87 minutes.

A copy of a finished, 99-minute version<ref name="markkermode">{{cite web |last=Kermode |first=Mark |url=http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=111049 |title=Something Wicker This Way Comes |work=Channel4 |access-date=30 January 2009}}</ref> was sent to American [[film producer]] [[Roger Corman]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] to make a judgment of how to market the film in the U.S. Corman recommended an additional 13&nbsp;minutes be cut from the film. Corman did not acquire U.S. release rights, and eventually [[Warner Bros.]] test-marketed the film in drive-ins. It screened in the greater [[Atlanta]] area in May 1974.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wicker Man advertisement |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-the-wicker-man/137534603/ |website=Newspapers.com|date=17 May 1974 }}</ref>

In Britain, the film was cut to roughly 87&nbsp;minutes, with some narrative restructuring, and released as the [[B-movie|"B" picture]] on a double bill with ''[[Don't Look Now]]''. According to Lee, the cuts adversely affected the film's [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]].

===First restoration===
During the mid-1970s, Hardy made inquiries about the film, hoping to restore it to his original vision. Along with Lee and Shaffer, Hardy searched for his original cut, or raw footage. Both of these appeared to have been lost. Director [[Alex Cox]] said in his ''[[Moviedrome]]'' introduction in 1988 that the negative had "ended up in the pylons that support the [[M4 motorway (Great Britain)|M4 motorway]]."<ref name="alexcox">{{cite web |last=Cox |first=Alex |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8IGJjukTzc  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/K8IGJjukTzc| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Moviedrome – Wicker Man – Alex Cox intro |work=YouTube |date=6 October 2006 |access-date=20 February 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Hardy recalled that a copy of the film made prior to Deeley's cuts was sent to Roger Corman, who, it turned out, still had it, possibly the only existing print of Hardy's original cut. The US rights had been sold by Warner Bros. to a small firm called Abraxas, managed by film buff Stirling Smith and critic John Alan Simon. Stirling agreed to an American release of a reconstruction by Hardy. Hardy restored the narrative structure, some of the erotic elements which had been excised, and a very brief pretitle segment of Howie on the mainland (appearing at a church with his fiancée). A 96-minute restored version was released in January 1979,<ref name="stevephilips">{{cite web | title=The various versions of ''The Wicker Man'' | last=Philips |first=Steve |work=Steve's Web Page |year=2002 |url=http://steve-p.org/wm/ |access-date=11 December 2006}}</ref> again to critical acclaim.

===US VHS versions===
The original 99-minute version was available in the US on VHS home video from Media Home Entertainment (and later Magnum) during the 1980s and 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Wicker Man {{!}} VHSCollector.com |url=https://vhscollector.com/movie/wicker-man-0 |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=vhscollector.com}}</ref> This video includes additional early scenes set inside Howie's police station, which Hardy had left out of the 1979 restoration. In 2001, a remaster of the 88-minute cut was released on VHS, labelled as the "Theatrical Version".

===Director's cut===
In 2001, the film's new world rights owners, [[Canal+ Group|Canal+]], tried to release the full-length film. Corman's copy had been lost, but a [[telecine]] transfer to 1-inch videotape existed. Missing elements were combined with film elements from the previous versions (in particular, additional scenes of Howie on the mainland were restored, showing him to be the object of gossip at his police station, establishing his devout religiosity). The extended DVD cut was released by Canal+ ([[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] handling US DVD distribution) in this 99-minute hybrid, considered the longest and closest version to Hardy's original 100-odd minute version.<ref name="stevephilips" /> A two-disc limited edition set was sold with the shortened theatrical release, the new extended version and a documentary, ''The Wicker Man Enigma''.<ref name="wickermanenigma">{{IMDb title|id=0307667 |title=The Wicker Man Enigma |description=2001 documentary on the film's production and releases. }}</ref> In 2005, ''Inside the Wicker Man'' author Allan Brown revealed he had discovered stills taken on the set showing sequences from the script that had never been seen; it had never been certain that the scenes had been filmed. They include scenes where Howie closes a mainland pub open after hours, encounters a prostitute, has a massage from Willow McGregor, and sees a brutal confrontation between Oak and a villager in The Green Man, which were featured in a revised edition of ''Inside the Wicker Man''. Anchor Bay released a limited-edition wooden box of ''The Wicker Man''. About 50,000 two-disc sets were made, of which 20 were signed by Lee and Woodward, Shaffer, Snell, and Hardy. In March 2002, Lee discussed the lost original cut, "I still believe it exists somewhere, in [[film can|cans]] with no name. I still believe that. But nobody's ever seen it since, so we couldn't re-cut it, re-edit it, which was what I wanted to do. It would have been ten times as good".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M39giPEjE6Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/M39giPEjE6Y| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Christopher Lee talks about The Wicker Man|author=Lee, Christopher|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=21 March 2002|access-date=9 April 2012|author-link=Christopher Lee}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===''The Final Cut''===
European distributors of the film StudioCanal began a [[Facebook]] campaign in 2013 to find missing material, which culminated in the discovery of a 92-minute 35&nbsp;mm print at the [[Harvard Film Archive]]. This print had previously been known as the "Middle Version" and was itself assembled from a 35&nbsp;mm print of the original edit Robin Hardy had made in the United Kingdom in 1973, but which was never released.<ref name="cinemaretro1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/7569-RESTORED-VERSION-OF-THE-WICKER-MAN-TO-BE-RELEASED-IN-UK-THEATRES.html |title=RESTORED VERSION OF "THE WICKER MAN" TO BE RELEASED IN UK THEATRES - Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s |publisher=Cinemaretro.com |access-date=29 December 2013}}</ref> Robin Hardy believed that the original edit will probably never be found, saying, "Sadly, it seems as though this has been lost forever. However, I am delighted that a 1979 Abraxas print has been found as I also put together this cut myself, and it crucially restores the story order to that which I had originally intended."<ref name="cinemaretro1"/>

Hardy reported in July 2013<ref name="moviemail1">[http://www.moviemail.com/blog/news/1612-Robin-Hardy-announces-results-of-The-Wicker-Man-appeal-original-print-found/ Robin Hardy announces results of The Wicker Man appeal - original print found] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724132745/http://www.moviemail.com/blog/news/1612-Robin-Hardy-announces-results-of-The-Wicker-Man-appeal-original-print-found/ |date=24 July 2013 }} ''Moviemail'' website, 22 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.</ref> that Studiocanal intended to restore and release the most complete version possible of the film. Rialto Pictures announced that it was to release the new digital restoration in North American cinemas on 27 September 2013.<ref>[https://latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-cult-wicker-man-restored-20130827,0,7312104.story British cult classic 'The Wicker Man' to be released in theaters] ''LA Times'' website, 27 August 2013</ref> This new version was also released on DVD on 13 October 2013.<ref name="scifinow1">{{cite web|url=http://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/48921/the-wicker-man-the-final-cut-dvd-review/ |title=The Wicker Man: The Final Cut DVD review |date=28 September 2013 |publisher=SciFiNow |access-date=29 December 2013}}</ref> It is 91 minutes long, shorter than the director's cut but longer than the theatrical cut, and is known as ''The Wicker Man: The Final Cut''.<ref name="scifinow1"/>

''The Final Cut'' (UK) Blu-ray<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=25107 |title=Rewind @ www.dvdcompare.net - Wicker Man (The) (Blu-ray) (1973) |publisher=Dvdcompare.net |access-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> (2013) features short documentaries "Burnt Offering: The Cult of the Wicker Man", "Worshipping the Wicker Man", "The Music of the Wicker Man", interviews with director Robin Hardy and actor Christopher Lee, a restoration comparison, and the theatrical trailer. The second disc features both the UK 87-minute theatrical cut and the 95-minute 2013 director's cut, along with an [[audio commentary]] on the director's cut and a making-of for the commentary. The third disc is [[The Wicker Man soundtrack|the soundtrack to the film]].

===50th Anniversary: 4K restorations, Final Cut screenings and 'Musics from Summerisle' ===

In 2023, for the 50th anniversary of the film's release, StudioCanal announced [[4K resolution]] restoration of existing footage, and remastering of the existing three cuts for a "4K Ultra HD Collector's Edition" release on 25 September 2023.

On 21 June, the 4K restoration Final Cut was screened in cinemas across the UK along with a Q&A filmed in London, hosted by [[Edith Bowman]] with guests including Britt Ekland, and Robin Hardy's sons Julian and Dominic promoting their ''Wickermania!'' documentary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.studiocanal.co.uk/news/new-trailer-and-poster-for-the-wicker-man-reborn-in-glorious-4k/|title=New trailer and poster for The Wicker Man – reborn in glorious 4K|date=3 May 2023}}</ref>

On 24 June, the [[Barbican Centre]] held "Musics from Summerisle", a live performance celebration of the anniversary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2023/event/musics-from-summerisle|title=Musics from Summerisle|date=24 June 2023 }}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical reception===
[[David McGillivray (screenwriter)|David McGillivray]] of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' praised the film as "an immensely enjoyable piece of hokum, thoroughly well researched, performed and directed."<ref>{{cite journal |last=MvGillivray |first=David |author-link=David McGillivray (screenwriter) |date=January 1974 |title=The Wicker Man |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=41 |issue=480 |page=16 }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that Anthony Shaffer's screenplay "for sheer imagination and near-terror, has seldom been equalled."<ref>{{cite journal |date=15 May 1974 |title=The Wicker Man |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=24 }}</ref> [[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Kevin Thomas]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called it "a witty work of the macabre" with "the splendid performances typical of British films."<ref>[[Kevin Thomas (film critic)|Thomas, Kevin]] (14 March 1979). "A Witty Search in 'Wicker Man'". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part IV, p. 17.</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' was more negative, calling it "handsomely photographed" with "good performances," but "something of a howl" even though "it seems to have been made in all seriousness."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=26 March 1980 |title=Screen: 'The Wicker Man,' About a Fertility Cult: Strange Happenings |journal=[[The New York Times]] |page=C22 }}</ref>

''The Wicker Man'' initially had moderate success and won the Golden Licorn for Best Film at the 1974 [[Paris International Festival of Fantastic and Science-Fiction Film]],<ref name="paris-fest">{{cite journal |date=1 May 1974 |title='Wicker Man' Wins Top Prize at Fantasy Fest |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=7 }}</ref> but largely slipped into obscurity. In 1977 the American film magazine ''[[Cinefantastique]]'' devoted a commemorative issue to the film,<ref>"The Wicker Man Issue", ''[[Cinefantastique]]'', 1977 (Vol. 6 No. 3).</ref> asserting that the film is "the ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' of horror movies" – an oft-quoted phrase attributed to this issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=%22citizen+Kane+of+horror+movies%22+Cinefantastique |title=Google search for quote |access-date=30 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2006%20No%203%20%281977%29/mode/2up|title=The Wicker Man Issue", Cinefantastique, 1977 (Vol. 6 No. 3).|date=20 February 1970|work=Archive.org|accessdate=10 November 2023}}</ref>

Decades after its release, the film still receives positive reviews from critics and is considered one of the best films of [[1973 in film|1973]].<ref>Dirks, Tim (2010) [http://www.filmsite.org/1973.html The Greatest Films of 1973] ''filmsite.org''; [[American Movie Channel]]. Retrieved 30 May 2010.</ref><!-- low quality anonymous site & redundant <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.films101.com/y1973r.htm|title=The Best Movies of 1973 by Rank|website=www.films101.com}}</ref>--><ref>(anonymous) [https://www.imdb.com/search/title?year=1973,1973&title_type=feature&sort=moviemeter,asc Most Popular Feature Films Released In 1973] ''imdb.com''; Amazon.com. Retrieved 30 May 2010.</ref> At the film [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''The Wicker Man'' holds a 90% "Fresh" rating based on 61 reviews, with a [[weighted average]] score of 8/10 and the site's consensus: "This intelligent horror film is subtle in its thrills and chills, with an ending that is both shocking and truly memorable".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_wicker_man_1973/|title=''The Wicker Man'' (1973)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]}}</ref> In 2008, ''The Wicker Man'' was ranked by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' at No. 485 of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |url=https://empireonline.com/500/3.asp |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=30 January 2009 |archive-date=20 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120231503/http://www.empireonline.com/500/3.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> Christopher Lee considered ''The Wicker Man'' his best film.<ref name=TFInterview>{{cite news|url=http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the_total_film_interview__christopher_lee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612192345/http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the_total_film_interview__christopher_lee |archive-date=12 June 2007 |title=The Total Film Interview - Christopher Lee |work=Total Film |date=1 May 2005 |access-date=25 August 2013}}</ref> Similarly, Edward Woodward said that ''The Wicker Man'' was one of his favourite films and that the character of Howie was the best part he ever played. In addition to Lee's admiration of the final shot of the film (of the collapsing wicker man), Woodward said that it is the best final shot of any film ever made.<ref>Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, DVD Commentary, December 2001. Studio Canal DVD</ref> In 2010 ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper ranked it as No 4 in its "25 best horror films of all time" listings.<ref name="Grdn">{{cite news |last1=Billson |first1=Anne |title=The Wicker Man: No 4 best horror film of all time |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/22/wicker-man-hardy-horror |access-date=24 August 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 2010}}</ref>

In his 2010 BBC documentary series ''[[A History of Horror]]'', writer and actor [[Mark Gatiss]] referred to the film as a prime example of a short-lived subgenre he called "[[folk horror]]", grouping it with 1968's ''[[Witchfinder General (film)|Witchfinder General]]'' and 1971's ''[[The Blood on Satan's Claw]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/screenwriter/2010/11/02/mark-gatisss-history-of-horror/|title=Mark Gatiss's History of Horror|last=Clarke|first=Donald|access-date=2 November 2010|work=[[Irish Times]]|archive-date=5 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101105153010/http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/screenwriter/2010/11/02/mark-gatisss-history-of-horror/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=bbcgatiss2>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk42/mon.shtml#mon_horror |title=A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss – Home Counties Horror Ep 2/3 |date=18 October 2010 |work=[[BBC]]}}</ref> In 2003, the Crichton Campus of the [[University of Glasgow]] in [[Dumfries]] hosted a three-day conference on ''The Wicker Man'', which resulted in the publication of two collections of papers about the film.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Murray |editor-first1=Jonathan |editor-last2=Stevenson |editor-first2=Lesley |editor-last3=Harper |editor-first3=Stephen |editor-last4=Franks |editor-first4=Benjamin |name-list-style=amp |date=2005 |title=Constructing The Wicker Man: Film and Cultural Studies Perspectives |publisher=University of Glasgow Crichton Publications |isbn=0852618182}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Franks |editor-first1=Benjamin |editor-last2=Harper |editor-first2=Stephen |editor-last3=Murray |editor-first3=Jonathan |editor-last4=Stevenson |editor-first4=Lesley |name-list-style=amp |date=2006 |title=The Quest for the Wicker Man: History, Folklore and Pagan Perspectives |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Luath Press |isbn=1905222181}}</ref> In 2004, ''The Wicker Man'' ranked No, 45 on [[Bravo (U.S. TV network)|Bravo]]'s ''[[100 Scariest Movie Moments]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml| title=The 100 Scariest Movie Moments| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml| archive-date=30 October 2007| date=27 October 2006| publisher=Bravo TV| access-date=30 May 2010}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 99%;"
|-
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Award / Film Festival
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
|-
| 1974
| [[Paris International Festival of Fantastic and Science-Fiction Film|3rd Paris International Festival of Fantastic and Science-Fiction Film]]
| Golden Licorn (Best Film)
| ''The Wicker Man''
| {{won}}<ref name="paris-fest"/>
|}

==Popular culture==
The film brought the [[wicker man]] into modern [[popular culture]].<ref name="Jordan"/> In recent times, a wicker man has been burnt at festivals such as [[Burning Man]] in the United States,<ref name="Jordan"/> and the former [[Wickerman Festival]] in Scotland.

In 1998, Swedish black metal band [[Marduk (band)|Marduk]] used a line from this film on the introduction to the track "Slay The Nazarene" from the album [[Nightwing (album)|''Nightwing'']].

In 2000, British heavy metal band [[Iron Maiden]] released a single called "[[The Wicker Man (song)|The Wicker Man]]" in tribute to the film.

In 2016, British band [[Radiohead]] released the music video for the song "[[Burn the Witch (Radiohead song)|Burn the Witch]]", made in stop-motion animation and whose storyline greatly resembles that of ''The Wicker Man''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/watch-radioheads-sinister-burn-the-witch-video-20160503#ixzz47f2EBaVF|title=Watch Radiohead's Sinister 'Burn the Witch' Video|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=3 May 2016|access-date=4 May 2016|author=Kreps, Daniel}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/65221-radiohead-artist-stanley-donwood-shares-burn-the-witch-behind-the-scenes-shots/ | title=Radiohead Artist Stanley Donwood Shares 'Burn the Witch' Behind-the-Scenes Shots | website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] | date=3 May 2016 | access-date=3 May 2016 | author=Strauss, Matthew}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1133-decoding-the-politics-in-radioheads-burn-the-witch-video/|title=Decoding the Politics in Radiohead's "Burn the Witch" Video|last=Hogan|first=Marc|author-link=Marc Hogan|website=Pitchfork|date=3 May 2016|access-date=5 May 2016}}</ref>

In 2001, British band [[Pulp (band)|Pulp]] released "Wickerman" on their ''[[We Love Life]]'' album, which features a sample of Willow's Song.

''[[The White (Agalloch EP)|The White]]'', a 2008 [[Extended play|EP]] by American [[extreme metal]] band [[Agalloch]], included three tracks featuring samples of dialogue from the film: "The Isle of Summer", "Summerisle Reprise", and "Sowilo Rune".<ref>{{cite web |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |title=The White EP Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-white-ep-mw0001196276 |website=AllMusic |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref>

In the film ''[[Shallow Grave (1994 film)|Shallow Grave]]'', Ewan McGregor's character is shown watching the final scene, representing the building sense of doom the character is experiencing.

The creators of ''[[The League of Gentlemen]]'' television series often reference the film in their work, particularly in the ''[[Inside No. 9]]'' episode "Mr King".

For [[Record Store Day]] 2024 '[[Katy J Pearson]] & Friends' released a 9 track EP ''The Wicker Man'' with covers of songs from the film. The EP, on Heavenly Recordings, (HVN72412)<ref>{{cite web |title=Katy J Pearson & Friends Presents Songs From The Wicker Man – Record Store Day 12 |url=https://heavenlyrecordings.com/release/katy-j-pearson-friends-presents-songs-from-the-wicker-man-record-store-day-12/ |website=Heavenly Recordings |access-date=20 August 2024}}</ref> features collaborations with Broadside Hacks, Drug Store Romeos, Sarah Meth, Orbury Common, Evie Hilyer-Zietler, Bert Ussher, H.Hawkline plus special guests as well as remixes by Richard Norris and Stone Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://katyjpearson.bandcamp.com/album/the-wicker-man-ep-katy-j-pearson-friends |website=Bandcamp |title=Katy J Pearson |access-date=20 August 2024}}</ref>

A yearly Wicker Man festival is held in Fishtoft, Lincolnshire, featuring live music from Ian Cutler, who featured in the original film as the fiddle player.

==Related works==

=== <!-- In chronological order -->Novelisation ===
A [[novelization|novelisation]], which expands on the story and [[The Wicker Man (novel)|bears the same title]], was released in 1978. It was written by Hardy and Shaffer.

===Possible sequel===
In 1989, Shaffer wrote a 30-page film [[Film treatment|script treatment]] entitled ''The Loathsome Lambton Worm'', a direct sequel to ''The Wicker Man'', for producer Lance Reynolds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anthonyshaffer.co.uk/unproduced.html|title=Unproduced|publisher=AnthonyShaffer.co.uk|access-date=9 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513191756/http://www.anthonyshaffer.co.uk/unproduced.html|archive-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> It would have been more [[fantasy film|fantastical]] in subject matter than the original film, and relied more heavily on [[special effect]]s. In this continuation of the story, which begins immediately after the ending of the first film, Sergeant Neil Howie is rescued from the burning Wicker Man by a group of police officers from the mainland. Howie sets out to bring Lord Summerisle and his pagan followers to justice,<ref name="The Wicker Man : Part 2"/> but becomes embroiled in a series of challenges which pit the old gods against his own Christian faith. The script culminates in a climactic battle between Howie and a fire-breathing [[dragon]] – the titular [[Lambton Worm]] – and ends with a suicidal Howie plunging to his death from a cliff while tied to two large [[eagle]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/6745-REVIEW-THE-WICKER-TREE-COMES-TO-DVD-AND-BLU-RAY.html|title=Review : "The Wicker Tree comes to DVD and Blu-ray - Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s|author=Smith, Adrian|website=Cinema Retro|date=12 May 2012|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> Shaffer's sequel was never produced, but his treatment, complete with illustrations, was eventually published in the companion book ''Inside The Wicker Man''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotswhayhae.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/wicker-man-revisited.html|title=Wicker Man Revisited...|publisher=Scots Whay Hae!|date=28 August 2010|access-date=9 August 2012|archive-date=7 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207150644/http://www.scotswhayhae.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/wicker-man-revisited.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Hardy was not asked to direct the sequel, and never read the script, as he did not like the idea of Howie surviving the sacrifice, or the fact that the actors would have aged by 20 to 30 years between the two films.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/stephen-applebaum/robin-hardy-wicker-man-the-director-of-cult-clas_1_b_1415898.html|title=The Director of Cult Classic The Wicker Man Returns With the Wicker Tree - Interview With Robin Hardy|author=Applebaum, Stephen|work=Huffington Post|date=12 April 2012|access-date=13 May 2012}}</ref> In May 2010, Hardy discussed ''The Loathsome Lambton Worm''. "I know Tony did write that, but I don't think anyone particularly liked it, or it would have been made."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=807:robin-hardy-grows-the-wicker-tree&catid=36:demo-articles&Itemid=56|title=Robin Hardy Grows "THE WICKER TREE"|author=Gingold, Michael|magazine=Fangoria|date=9 May 2010|access-date=10 April 2012|archive-date=25 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825082040/http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=807:robin-hardy-grows-the-wicker-tree&catid=36:demo-articles&Itemid=56|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A [[fan labor|fan-made]] full-cast [[radio drama|audio drama]] adaptation of Shaffer's ''The Loathsome Lambton Worm'' treatment was eventually released in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ourculturemag.com/2019/06/14/audio-drama-sequel-to-the-wicker-man-in-production/|title=Audio-Drama Sequel to The Wicker Man in Production |author=Stewardson, Christopher|publisher=Our Culture|date=14 June 2019|access-date=24 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20200313-01|work=Audio Fiction.co.uk|title=The Loathsome Lambton Worm|date=2020}}</ref>

===Remake===
An [[Cinema of the United States|American]] [[remake]] [[The Wicker Man (2006 film)|of the same name]], starring [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[Ellen Burstyn]], and directed by [[Neil LaBute]], was released in 2006.<ref name="The Wicker Man 2006">{{cite web|url=http://alt.tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/641977/Wicker-Man-The/full-credits.html|title=The Wicker Man 2006|work=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|location=[[Atlanta]]|publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting System]] ([[Time Warner]])|access-date=11 July 2016|archive-date=27 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190127130510/http://alt.tcm.turner.com/tcmdb/title/641977/Wicker-Man-The/full-credits.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hardy expressed concern about the remake.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pendreigh |first=Brian |title=Wicker Man director is flaming furious over Hollywood remake |url=http://heritage.scotsman.com/heritage/Wicker-Man-director-is-flaming.2660325.jp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605103607/http://heritage.scotsman.com/heritage/Wicker-Man-director-is-flaming.2660325.jp |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2011 |date=11 September 2005 |access-date=30 January 2009}}</ref>

===Stage production===
A stage adaptation was announced for the 2009 [[Edinburgh Festival Fringe]],<ref>[http://news.stv.tv/scotland/101660-edinburgh-fringe-programme-launched/ Edinburgh Fringe Programme Launched] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924233234/http://news.stv.tv/scotland/101660-edinburgh-fringe-programme-launched/ |date=24 September 2010 }}, [[Scottish Television|STV]] News, 10 June 2009</ref> and was directed by Andrew Steggall. The production was based jointly upon Anthony Shaffer's original ''The Wicker Man'' script and David Pinner's novel ''Ritual''. Robin Hardy gave input on the project, and original songs and music from the film were supervised by [[Gary Carpenter (composer)|Gary Carpenter]], the original music director.<ref>[http://www.whatsonstage.com/gossip/theatre/london/E8821202473715/Wicker+Man+Set+for+Stage+Crossover%3F%3F%3F.html "Wicker Man Set for Stage Crossover???"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615181913/http://www.whatsonstage.com/gossip/theatre/london/E8821202473715/Wicker+Man+Set+for+Stage+Crossover%3F%3F%3F.html |date=15 June 2011 }}, WhatsOnStage.com, 8 February 2008.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080316021121/http://themotiongroup.org/wicker/ The Motion Group website], March 2008, via archive.org</ref> Workshop rehearsals were held at [[The Drill Hall]] in London in March 2008,<ref>{{cite news|first=Brian|last=Pendreigh|url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/latestnews/The-Wicker-Man-and-the.3858815.jp|title=The Wicker Man and the Showgirl|newspaper=[[Scotland on Sunday]]|date=9 March 2008|access-date=1 November 2010|archive-date=14 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614002405/http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/latestnews/The-Wicker-Man-and-the.3858815.jp|url-status=dead}}..</ref> and a casting call was held in Glasgow in May 2009.{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}} After three weeks at the [[The Pleasance|Pleasance]] in Edinburgh in August 2009, the production was to visit the [[Perth Rep]], [[Eden Court Theatre]] in Inverness, and then have a short run at [[Citizen's Theatre]] in Glasgow, with hopes for a run in London in 2010.<ref>[http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/quick-note-the-wicker-man-the-musical.html The Wicker Man, The Musical] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120721073212/http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/quick-note-the-wicker-man-the-musical.html |date=21 July 2012 }}, Wild Hunt blog, 11 June 2009</ref> However, in July 2009 it was announced that the production had been cancelled, three weeks before it had been due to preview.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wicker-Man/83853841171 The Wicker Man] Facebook page, 10 July 2009</ref>

In 2011, the [[National Theatre of Scotland]] produced ''An Appointment with the Wicker Man'' written by [[Greg Hemphill]] and Donald McCleary. The production has an amateur theatre company attempting to stage a ''Wicker Man'' musical.<ref>{{cite news |first=Alfred |last=Hickling |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/feb/15/wicker-man-musical-interview |title=Playing with fire: The Wicker Man musical |date=15 February 2012 |access-date=21 February 2012 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

===Spiritual sequel===
In 2011, a [[spiritual successor]] entitled ''[[The Wicker Tree (film)|The Wicker Tree]]'' was released. It was directed by Hardy and featured an appearance by Lee. Hardy first published the story as a novel, under the name ''[[Cowboys for Christ]]''. First announced in April 2000, filming on the project began on 19 July 2009 according to IMDb. It follows two young American Christian [[evangelism|evangelists]] who travel to Scotland; like Woodward's character in ''The Wicker Man'', the two Americans are virgins who encounter a pagan [[laird]] and his followers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Buckley|first=Heather|title=Exclusive: A Night with The Wicker Man / The Wicker Tree Footage Premiere Report|date=11 June 2012 |url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/34502/exclusive-a-night-with-the-wicker-man-the-wicker-tree-footage-premiere-report|publisher=DreadCentral}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews.

Those involved in the production of the film have given conflicting statements regarding the identity of Christopher Lee's character, referred to only as Old Gentleman in the credits. Writer/director Robin Hardy said that the ambiguity was intentional. Fans would immediately recognise Lee's character as Lord Summerisle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ruemorgueradio.com/RMpodcast/RM-051.mp3 |title=RM-051.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object) |author=Hardy, Robin |publisher=Rue Morgue Radio |quote=Well, it is very ambiguous. We don't really know who he is. He's an antecedent, of some kind, of Lachlan's. Lachlan remembers him, when he was a boy. There's a boy painting a bridge, and it may have been Lachlan as a young person. He's remembering this grandfather figure, or this great-grandfather figure – whatever – who the people who are fans of ''The Wicker Man'' and the wicker ''[inaudible]'', if you like, will of course immediately recognise as Summerisle. But we don't give him a name or anything. I think in the credits he's just called the old man. |access-date=12 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520175938/http://ruemorgueradio.com/RMpodcast/RM-051.mp3 |archive-date=20 May 2013 }}</ref> Lee himself has contradicted this, stating that the two are not meant to be the same character, and that ''The Wicker Tree'' is not a sequel in any way.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Christopher|title=Christopher Lee 2011 Christmas Message Part 1|website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0r1d7uE4-E |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/g0r1d7uE4-E| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|quote=The first one that I can think of is ''The Wicker Tree'', in which I make a very brief appearance. I must emphasise this is ''not'' a sequel to ''The Wicker Man''. In no way. And I do ''not'' play an older Summerisle, or his son, or whatever.|date=27 December 2011|access-date=11 April 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Audio adaptation===
A radio adaptation by Anthony D. P. Mann was produced by Bleak December Inc. in an arrangement with [[StudioCanal]] and broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]] on 2 December 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001t2wx|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra: "The Wicker Man"|website=BBC Radio 4 Extra}}</ref> as part of a "Wicker Man"-themed evening of programmes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001t2wc|title=BBC Radio 4 Extra: "The World of The Wicker Man"|website=BBC Radio 4 Extra}}</ref> The cast included Mann as Sergeant Howie, [[Brian Blessed]] as Lord Summerisle, [[Laurence R. Harvey]] as MacGregor, Anne-Marie Bergman as Miss Rose, Melissa Radford as Willow and Mei Kiera as Rowan Morrison/Heather.

===Potential graphic novel and third film===
As a former artist, Hardy expressed great interest in the medium of [[comic]]s, and planned a comic book which would retell the story of ''The Wicker Man'', based on his own storyboards for the film. Hardy was in talks with yet unnamed artists to work on the project, as he found it too difficult to make the characters look consistent from one panel to the next. Hardy was working on his next film, ''The Wrath of the Gods'', at the time of his death on 1 July 2016.<ref name="The Wicker Man : Part 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.anthonyshaffer.co.uk/screenplays/thewickerman%202.html|title=The Wicker Man : Part 2|publisher=AnthonyShaffer.co.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930205605/http://www.anthonyshaffer.co.uk/screenplays/thewickerman%202.html|archive-date=30 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/interviewsnews.php?id=20305|title=Exclusive Interview: Wicker Tree's Robin Hardy|author=Turek, Ryan|publisher=Shock Till You Drop|date=3 August 2011|access-date=8 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414185106/http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/interviewsnews.php?id=20305|archive-date=14 April 2012}}</ref> He intended the graphic novel and the new film to be released at the same time in autumn 2013; however as of autumn 2014 neither had been released, and the film never started production.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/187271-paganism-is-in-christianity-director-robin-hardy-on-the-wicker-tree|title=Paganism is in Christianity: Robin Hardy on 'The Wicker Tree'|author=Ashby, Devon|publisher=CraveOnline|date=23 April 2012|access-date=13 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427234655/http://www.craveonline.com/film/interviews/187271-paganism-is-in-christianity-director-robin-hardy-on-the-wicker-tree|archive-date=27 April 2012}}</ref>

===''Wickermania!'' documentary===
In 2023, two of Robin Hardy's sons, Justin and Dominic, announced that they had created a documentary about ''The Wicker Man'', called ''Wickermania!''. They had already received permission and a discount from Canal+ to use existing film footage, and had a number of original documents related to the production. They were seeking to fund the release of the documentary, subsequently renamed ''Children of the Wicker Man'', via [[Kickstarter]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hardy |first1=Justin |last2=Hardy |first2=Dominic |date=14 July 2023 |title=Our Dad Directed 'The Wicker Man'. It Tore Our Family Apart |url=https://www.newsweek.com/robin-hardy-dad-directed-wicker-man-tore-family-apart-1812430 |access-date=30 September 2023 |website=Newsweek}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/unannounced-boards-children-of-the-wicker-man-doc-from-robin-hardys-sons-exclusive/5193562.article|title=Unannounced boards 'Children Of The Wicker Man' doc from Robin Hardy's sons (exclusive)|website=[[Screen Daily]]|first=Ellie |last=Calnan|date=16 May 2024|access-date=12 August 2024}}</ref>

===''The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film'' book===
On 24 October 2023, a new behind-the-scenes book ''[[The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film]]'' was published by [[Titan Publishing Group|Titan Books]] and written by [[John Walsh (filmmaker)|John Walsh]], containing new interviews, photos and others materials from the film. It was licensed by the film's rights holder [[StudioCanal]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://titanbooks.com/71505-the-wicker-man-the-official-story-of-the-film/ | title=The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film |publisher=Titan Books}}</ref>

=== ''Sing-along-a-Wickerman'' ===
British performers [[David Bramwell]] and Eliza Skelton host a travelling show entitled ''Sing-along-a-Wickerman'', which includes many ''Wicker Man''-themed activities culminating in a [[sing-along]] screening of the film. The show has been going since at least 2011, and has received positive reviews from news outlets such as ''[[The Guardian]]'' and ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sing-along-a-Wickerman - What's On |url=https://www.electricpalacecinema.com/whats-on/sing-along-the-wicker-man |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Electric Palace Cinema |language=en}}</ref> Director of the film Robin Hardy has attended and has been a part of several shows, calling it "terrific fun."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wickerman |url=https://www.drbramwell.com/wickerman |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=DrBramwell |language=en-US}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Celtic mythology]]
* [[Hebridean mythology and folklore]]
* [[List of cult films]]
* [[List of incomplete or partially lost films]]
* [[BFI Top 100 British films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Allan |date=2010 |title=Inside The Wicker Man: How Not to Make a Cult Classic |edition=Revised |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Polygon |isbn=9781846971440}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Catterall |first1=Ali |last2=Wells |first2=Simon |name-list-style=amp |date=2002 |title=Your Face Here: British Cult Movies Since the Sixties |publisher=Fourth Estate |isbn=9780007145546}}
* {{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=Robert J. E. |date=202 |title=The Willing Fool: The Spectacle of The Wicker Man1 |publisher=Avalard Publishing |isbn=9781908566331}}
* Wiggins, Steve A. (2023). ''The Wicker Man''. Devil's Advocates. Liverpool University Press. {{ISBN|978-1-83764-388-2}}.

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://anthonyshaffer.com Anthony Shaffer - Playwright]—Shaffer's official Web site
* {{IMDb title|0070917}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|the_wicker_man_1973}}

{{The Wicker Man}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Horror Film}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wicker Man, The}}
[[Category:Wicker man]]
[[Category:1973 films]]
[[Category:1973 horror films]]
[[Category:1970s mystery horror films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s British films]]
[[Category:British Lion Films films]]
[[Category:British mystery horror films]]
[[Category:Celtic mythology in popular culture]]
[[Category:Films about cults]]
[[Category:Films about human sacrifice]]
[[Category:Films about murder]]
[[Category:Films about neopaganism]]
[[Category:Films about virginity]]
[[Category:Films based on British novels]]
[[Category:Films based on horror novels]]
[[Category:Films based on thriller novels]]
[[Category:Films set in Scotland]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional islands]]
[[Category:Films shot in Scotland]]
[[Category:Paganism in Europe]]
[[Category:Folk horror films]]
[[Category:Police detective films]]
[[Category:British religious horror films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Anthony Shaffer (writer)]]
[[Category:1970s police procedural films]]
[[Category:British police films]]
[[Category:1973 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:British exploitation films]]
[[Category:Films set in 1973]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]
[[Category:English-language mystery films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]