There was a part of me that wanted to get upset a few years back when I found out that they were making a remake of The Wicker Man–so much so that I couldn’t bear to even Netflick the Nicholas Cage version. But having seen this extraordinary YouTube compilation, I now realize that I may have missed out on something incredible. Luckily, the new version just came out on DVD and you better frickin’ believe that The Wicker Man (2006) is in my queue now. I don’t care about that 87% rotten rating it got. Those reviews are written by guys named Willie Waffle who say things like “When he was reading the script, and saw the part of the movie where he is supposed to run through the forest in a bear suit, I hope Nicholas Cage asked for a huge pay raise.” Personally, I am very glad he didn’t ask for a pay raise, because the image of him bear-slapping that nymph is indelibly etched into my brain and it makes me smile every time I think about it. My as yet uninformed opinion is that Cage and LaBute may have somehow actually improved on a classic. I’ll update you all when the red envelope arrives.
p.s. I just read that the remake was dedicated to the late Johnny Ramone, who introduced Nicholas Cage to the original. Oh, to have been in the room when Cage and LaBute discussed that tribute.