Not being a particularly great admirer of British films in the pre-Lock Stock era, it took me bloody ages to get round to watching The Wicker Man, but when I did I loved what I saw. Odd and disturbing with that classic, downbeat ending here was a film that was distinctly British that wasn't afraid to 'go weird'. Now, nearly 40 years after that film's release, director Robin Hardy returns to direct a straight-up sequel called The Wicker Tree.
Hardy maintains a 70's directing style which makes it feel right at home with the original and Wicker Tree still retains that oddness and dark humourous streak that defined the first film. It's got a strong premise too with a born again, virgin, Christian singing superstar being lured to the village of Tressock to convert it's residents. The great thing about this sequel is that we're in on the secret for the beginning and so (much like Rob Zombie's House Of 1000 Corpses) we're siding with the locals as opposed to the irritating Jesus freaks right from the start. Also, the film enters into an interesting exploration of faith, pitching one organised religion against another with not an atheist to be seen.
But the film has it's problems. Its horribly old fashioned view of a wee, quaint Scotland are frankly embarrassing and that's also reflected in its cliched portrayal of bible-belt southern USA township. And despite and attempt to mount tension by having the hapless heroine and her clueless boyfriend try to avoid their unhealthy fates, the film predictable stumbles at it's conclusion when the plot has run out of steam.
Well worth checking out and not nearly as bad as had been rumoured (or the ghastly Nic Cage remake from a few years back).
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