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Further news on the ominous Prisoner movie; McGoohan is only interested in having anything to do with it if Mel Gibson takes the lead role. Apparently the plot has Gibson as an anti-terrorist agent abducted to the Village, from which he escapes, only to find it's malign influence all around the world...or something. There's been about fifteen different plot lines mooted up till now, so that bodes well.

Or they could just give in and make Casino Royale 2 (wouldn't mind that at all, personally).
 
I bought the double DVD of this a while back, and whilst I am very impressed by what is a great film, I can't help but feel a bit
disappointed. The back of the box refers to the DVD including cast and crew bios, but they aren't on the discs! Anyone know why?

On a similar theme, I recall seeing some time back that a company was selling little ornaments or statuettes of the Wicker Man itself, but I can't find the advert or website. I'd love to own one- can anyone confirm that they are/were available, or am I going mad (you don't have to answer that last question if you don't want ;) )

Best wishes

Paul
 
I've not watched mine for a bit, but I seem to remember thinking that something was missing.

Cracking new footage though.

I'm a real geek for this film; I nearly registered on this very board as 'Summerisle'. Like a tw*t, basically.
 
i got the original. i didn't want to pay $20 extra for a little novelty wooden box and 10 extra mins of Howie's boring little life.
 
synthwerk said:
i got the original. i didn't want to pay extra for a little novelty wooden box and 10 extra mins of Howie's boring little life.

Wooden box? Wow!
Anyway, that 10 minutes just shows why Howie's so perfect for his last role; it's important to the story.

(Also, that's Nick Cave quoting Milton (quoting Satan, yes from 'Paradise Lost') in your sig: "Farewell happy fields where joy forever dwells, Hail horrors, hail infernal world" - not sure how we're meant to take this in the context of the song.)
 
how could i not know that it was a quote from Milton? i have the booklet, it's explained in there. i put it down as "Nick Cave" because i like the context in which he used it. how can someone not notice that?
 
It ain't just the extra ten minutes; the whole film has been re-edited to bring it closer to the legendary 'lost' version. It runs a lot slower, but is considerably creepier.

Still, it's a shame they never even filmed the 'sacred grove' scene, featuring sacrificial tree and the only islander not to follow Summerisle's religion (he turns out to be even madder then the rest).
 
So are there any scenes that have still not been found from the first version?

Where did the 'sacred grove' scene come from anyway I have not seen that mentioned any where is there actually a book that inspired the film?

and why does during the may day scene with the procession of people at the end of the film suddenly snap back to the awakening of Willow Macgregors father? it does not seem to have much bearing on the plot?

go to http://www.eeggs.com for an easter egg of the double dvd special edition for more features.
 
The new cut also restores the legendary 'gently johnny' to the soundtrack, and the the whole first night...

The highlight of the film for me is when Summerisle recites Walt Whitman - "I wish I could turn and live with animals...blah" while watching snails copulate...

Bye
 
I'm told there are a number of scenes still missing. There's a little more mainland footage and a scene where Summerisle talks obsessively about apples (no, really, it's good).

The book was written by Anthony Schaeffer as he wrote the script, developing them both in slightly different ways. It's a fine read, lending a lot of new perspectives on the story.
 
Wooden box? Are you americans geting something we brits arnt?

No but seriously the extended cut is much better and who wouldn't pay £20 for the critics choice interview with Mr Lee (bless him) singing?
 
i don't know about the DVD's in the UK, but here they pack'em with all sorts of crap. Evil Dead comes in a rubber evil tree-like mask. Total Recall comes in a Mars-shaped tin.

although some are really worth getting for the tasteful packaging. i really like how they did Nosferatu.
 
the music is better in what way? it's not the "Barley N Corn" jingle jangle is it?
 
synthwerk said:
i don't know about the DVD's in the UK, but here they pack'em with all sorts of crap. Evil Dead comes in a rubber evil tree-like mask.

That'd actually be "The Book of the Dead". Shaped after the key McGuffin around which the plot of all three films revolves.

I think its officially known as "Evil Dead - Book of the Dead edition"

Klaatu...Verada....necktie :blah:
 
The book of the dead edition, is a nice little box set. it is made by Anchor bay who are the only company legally allowed to seel region1 dvd's in the UK. as these special editions only come in region1 and demand is high over here for these films. plus its worth about £75 if you find one cheap!! ive found them for as little as £15. if you into horror films any anchor bay film is going to be a good film, same with criterion films if you see any going cheap. its going to be a good film.
 
the Nosferatu art was nice. the cover was tasteful, they gave you two discs - one with the english version and the other with the german version and a whole BUNCH of extra stuff including a mini-documentary on the making of it, the trailer, etc.
 
synthwerk said:
the Nosferatu art was nice. the cover was tasteful, they gave you two discs - one with the english version and the other with the german version and a whole BUNCH of extra stuff including a mini-documentary on the making of it, the trailer, etc.

Yes that was origionaly on sale here in the Uk but I can't find it asnymore. Now all we have is a disk with the movie and nothing else.

I had marked the disk as one of the ones I would get when I bought my DVD player but alas.

I have a horable story about going to see Nospherato in the cinema if anyone wants to hear it...
 
I saw Shadow of the Vampire last night, which is a fictional account of the making of the original Nosferatu. Willem Dafoe is absolutely terrific as Max Schreck/Count Orlock.

For me, Nosferatu is still by far the scariest image in cinema. I haven't seen the full film yet, though those images of the shadows on the wall creeping up the stairs had a profound impact on me as a kid.
 
Blueswidow said:
I want to hear it.........:)

Ok here goes.

It was showing in the arts cinema in Cambridge (it was actualy called that, now it's called the picture house but anyway...) in a restored print with a live piano acomplament.

The print was fantastic, the piano acomplament was fantastic (the guy opend up the piano at one point and started hiting the strings with his house keys) and it was prefaced with a dadist short film called 'Ghosts Before Breakfast.' All good so far. It turned out to be a screaning in conjunction with a film studies course at Cambridge Uni and so we even had an introduction by a lecturer about the history of the film (b. Stocker had all but one print destroyed for copyrite infringment) and the techniques employed by godiforgetthenameofthedirector. Eve3n better, I thought, the cinima will be full of people who apreciate the acting techniques of silent cinema. How wrong I was.

All through the screaning the studants laughed. Even at the scary bits (the shadow of the vampire climbing the stairs, the shadow of his hand closing round harker's heart) they even laughed at the negitive in frame and speaded up film. Fucking idiots. It completly ruined what should have been a life afirming moment.

The same thing happend when i went to see 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Shangia Triad' althow at the later there where a large number of Asians who told the studants to 'shut the fuck up. Still when i went to see 'Solaris' in the same cinema I swear than noone breathed for the whole length of the movie (and it's a long film.)
 
Dark Detective said:
I saw Shadow of the Vampire last night, which is a fictional account of the making of the original Nosferatu. Willem Dafoe is absolutely terrific as Max Schreck/Count Orlock.

For me, Nosferatu is still by far the scariest image in cinema. I haven't seen the full film yet, though those images of the shadows on the wall creeping up the stairs had a profound impact on me as a kid.

They freaked me out as an adult.

But Mr. Detective can you imaging a gaggle of privalaged studants laughing their heads of at it?

I just wish I had a gun in that cinema...
 
My first encounter with Murnau's Nosferatu was on afternoon telly, as a kid.

It was in some compilation of silent movies, mainly comedies. Then this sudden
change of mood. I think three scenes were shown: the thing emerging from the
hold of the ship, the shadow on the staircase and part of the rooftop pursuit.

Later horrors, with the likes of Christopher Lee, never seemed really frightening.
Because I knew I had seen a real vampire once! And maybe the lack of any plot
had served to make those excerpts seem like glimpses of hell itself.

Since then, cinema has been mainly disappointing. :(
 
James Whitehead said:
My first encounter with Murnau's Nosferatu was on afternoon telly, as a kid...
Later horrors, with the likes of Christopher Lee, never seemed really frightening.
Because I knew I had seen a real vampire once! And maybe the lack of any plot
had served to make those excerpts seem like glimpses of hell itself.

Since then, cinema has been mainly disappointing. :(
SNOB! :p!
 
Herzog and Murnau's Nosferatus seem more like "blair witch-type" movies becuz they both seem like a real account: no special effects, believeable camera angles, interesting and realistic lighting and shadowing. Klaus Kinski is so creepy

i have Shadow of th Vamp as well. great film. they said the last scene with Malkovich was all his own improvisation.
 
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