As a rule over the last three years, every film i see during December is new to me (Christmas classics excluded).
So here's the first two films from December 1st.
The Wicker Tree (2010)
Writer / director Robin Hardy's sequel to his classic 1973 film The Wicker Man. Despite quite enjoying this film, the magic of the earlier classic is practically non existent. The Wicker Man is a film full of foreboding, eerie to watch, although the locals are friendly you just know bad things are going to happen. The Wicker Tree completely fails in this respect, i felt no sense of unease whilst watching and the strange customs which featured prominently in the earlier movie just seem like fakes added to this film for continuity rather than dramatic effect.
The wicker man was an imposing symbol overlooking the ocean and is rightly seen as a classic image from British film, whereas the wicker tree is nothing to look at really, being just an old tree, nowhere near as impressive as the gnarled tree from Sleepy Hollow for instance.
With a different title, and dropping Christopher Lee's lovely but irrelevant cameo, thus completely ignoring the original, The Wicker Tree could have been a semi enjoyable romp with ample nudity but very little horror. As it stands though its a bit of a travesty and should have been left well alone.
The Island of Doctor Moreau (1977)
Excellent adaptation of the H G Wells classic story. Great to see a screen legend like Burt Lancaster in a genre film, and Michael York and Barbara Carrerra giving great back up performances.
The film is a fast paced affair, utilizing excellent make up effects for Dr. Moreau's cruel experiments in his "House of Pain".
Superb location work and great stunts involving real tigers and other creatures make this a classic piece of 1970's movie sci-fi.
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