the remake of the 1973 horror classic 'the wicker man' opened today without a press screening - never a good sign.
i went to see it in the vague hope that neil la bute would show some of the serious flair present in his earlier, heavier films such as 'in the company of men'.
sadly, this horror film is one of the funniest i've ever seen. so much effort and attention has been paid to the set design that they forgot the best parts of the script - the religious questions, the sinister way otherwise innocuous things appear, the sheer terror has been replaced by nicolas cage in a bear suit and ellen burstyn - my favourite actress - playing the role that underlines the theory that it's the exception that proves the rule.
the question i'm left with is to wonder if the religious aspects of the film were removed because it is assumed that today's audiences don't want to engage with them. and i don't think anyone who thinks seriously about these things would agree with that.
2 comments:
Yeah, this film came from out of nowhere. I went to see The Illusionist (C+) and wondered what it was.
i'm a fan of the original, and i was excited at the prospect of something good and weird and shocking in the remake (which i have yet to see).
i'd be willing to guess the unmasking of the scapegoat mechanism might be too much for many an audience these days. _mulholland drive_ got funded and delivered on the strength of all those years of lynch (and almost went unmade).
oh edward woodward.
jdd
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