The Wicker Man and Performance: 70's Cult classics and just a bit crazy!

The Wicker Man (1973) is undoubtedly one of the greatest British horror movies without question. In my estimation it ranks along side genre juggernaut The Exorcist, also from 1973. Like The Exorcist, it's a flawless movie in every respect. How I envy anyone that hasn't seen this masterpiece as when they do they will be blown away. I remember seeing it on TV in the 70's, watching it with my dad. We weren't exactly prepared for the naughty shenanigans in the film, and I was sent rapidly to bed when Britt Ekland got her 'kit off'. How I managed to stay in the room when the couples were making love inside the cemetery is any one's guess?, maybe my dad was making a cup of tea at the time (wished he'd been making another cuppa when M's Ekland was on display!!! I don't mean to sound sexist but when you're a lad of maybe 12 and your confronted with Britt's bum and other bits...well, boys are boys! (actually, it wasn't her hindquarters but a 'stunt' double) The next time it came on TV my dad was working night shift, hurrah! I remember sneaking downstairs very slowly (as there were several squeaky floorboards to endure and I didn't want to wake my mother, obviously) I watched the whole film and thought 'WOW' this is incredible. There are so many memorable scenes in this splendid movie, and the sight of Christopher Lee wearing a wig and dress is just unbelievable! This is basically how I got interested in movies really - sneaking downstairs in the wee hours to watch naughty night-time television. This technique introduced me to other cult classic movies such as Director Nicolas Roeg's 70's masterpieces Performance, Walkabout, Don't look Now and The Man who Fell To Earth. Also European Cinema (where you were 99% guaranteed to see a bit of naughtiness) These movies had a profound effect on me. I saw at a relatively early age, some classic cinema from Bergman, Fellini, Bertolucci, to name but a few, and I didn't even know it.

Performance (1970) was especially memorable as I hadn't a bloody clue what was going on (neither did the audience at the time apparently) Today however it is rightly cited as a classic of British cinema. I saw it recently and it is spellbinding, psychedelic and confusing in equal measures. When one studio executives wife saw the movie at a screening, apparently she vomited in shock! A studio executive (not sure if it was the husband of the lady that was sick!) wanted the negative burned and a film critic described performance as 'the most completely worthless film I have seen since I began reviewing'...not exactly a standing ovation, but it has had the last laugh, or the directors have (there were actually two) it regularly appears in opinion polls as one of the true cult movie greats and the scene where someone is shot near the end (I won't say who) is an astounding piece of cinema. Indeed there are so many unforgettable images on display you wonder what the makers were 'on'...certainly 'on form' as far as cinematic bravado is concerned, that's for sure. So many movies these days that are on general releases are remakes (like the 2006 Wicker Man fiasco) or 'safe', what I mean is they don't push any boundaries anymore, they have a beginning, middle and resolution and are instantly forgettable. These two movies and countless others of the 70's were daring and memorable.

Can you remember a movie that 'did it' for you? that made you think 'WOW' this is amazing. Eraserhead, Raging Bull, and many more are groundbreaking (for mainstream movies) in my estimation. Hardly groundbreaking, but to me a superior classic thriller The Taking Of Pelham 123 (1974) has been remade. I haven't seen it yet, and the saying 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' is very wise, but it will be interesting to see what they have done. I just hope they don't make a shambles of it like the Wicker Man remake and countless others. i.e. the British classic cult thriller Get Carter (1971) was also remade into an absolute mess of a movie when it was placed in the hands of Hollywood!