The Wicker Man (1973)

TBF, the film could've been shot on the Headland at Old Hartlepool.

Twitchy curtains, clannish locals not overly welcoming nor friendly, to outsiders, strange customs/festivals involving fish. :lol:

They're certainly a different breed, across the water from British West Hartlepool.
My dad’s side of the family are all from the Headland. Or were, sadly. Clannish is the word.
 


The look on Woodwards face when he's lead to the top of the hill and he claps eyes on the wicker man!
Sure I read somewhere the Julius Caesar made it all up about the celts/druids sacrificing people in wicker men to get more money from Rome to keep he's conquest of Gaul going.
 
Edwood Woodwood's finest hour.
Edward Woodwood said the film was made in the Scottish isles in November and it was freezing. Of the final scene where he is supposed to be burned alive with various farm animals in the Wicker Man he said that the chickens goats and pigs etc that were on cages above him shat and peed on him the whole time.

The film which is now regarded as a classic was almost totally ignored when it was released. Only its showings on TV has brought it to teh attention of lost of people and has elevated it to its present cult status
 
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The remake is up there with Blazing Saddles as one of the greatest comedies ever made
I literally can't get enough of it. The bit where he sparks the lass out while dressed as a bear, the bit where he draws a gun on a lass riding a bike because she is mildly evasive with him, the bit where he karate kicks leelee sobielski across a room and into a wall of glass frames, and of course the bit where they but a mesh hat on him and he says "not the bees" and then they pour bees into his hat. It's phenomenal.
 
How'd he get changed back from long black hair and red-cheeked make-up and costume to the OG wig and herringbone dinner jacket in the time it took Woodward to clime through a cave.
 
My dad’s side of the family are all from the Headland. Or were, sadly. Clannish is the word.
Clannish beyond belief.

I was once with a mate, (around the early 1980's,) who'd cut his hand and had to get stitches put in the wound, at St Hilda's hospital on the Headland.
Afterwards we went to The Fleece for a pint, and it was just like you see in the films, the whole place went deathly silent when we walked in, and I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes staring intently at us, as we made our way to the bar.
They instantly knew we weren't locals, and it was clear they didn't want us to overstay our welcome.
Nobody uttered a word while we were in the pub, and they only started talking when we headed to the door to leave.
We then left and went across the road to a cafe, for a fry up, and the same thing happened again.
As soon as we walked in, everybody stopped talking, and once again, I could feel the eyes of those in the cafe, were on me & my mate.
This time, someone from a group of blokes sitting at the back of the cafe, approached us and told us outright that as outsiders from over west (West Hartlepool) we weren't welcome on their patch.

We were well outnumbered and didn't see the point in arguing and ending up back in the hospital for more stitches, so we gave up and left the cafe and retreated back to the safety of a civilised society, that is British West Hartlepool.
 
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Clannish beyond belief.

I was once with a mate, (around the early 1980's,) who'd cut his hand and had to get stitches put in the wound, at St Hilda's hospital on the Headland.
Afterwards we went to The Fleece for a pint, and it was just like you see in the films, the whole place went deathly silent when we walked in, and I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes staring intently at us, as we made our way to the bar.
They instantly knew we weren't locals, and it was clear they didn't want us to overstay our welcome.
Nobody uttered a word while we were in the pub, and they only started talking when we headed to the door to leave.
We then left and went across the road to a cafe, for a fry up, and the same thing happened again.
As soon as we walked in, everybody stopped talking, and once again, I could feel the eyes of those in the cafe, were on me & my mate.
This time, someone from a group of blokes sitting at the back of the cafe, approached us and told us outright that as outsiders from over west (West Hartlepool) we weren't welcome on their patch.

We were well outnumbered and didn't see the point in arguing and ending up back in the hospital for more stitches, so we gave up and left the cafe and retreated back to the safety of a civilised society, that is British West Hartlepool.
have they got something to hide on this ' headland ' ?
 
They met the straw Man when I arrived 😂😂
Hope you are well Mate 👍⚽
It's a lot better over there nowadays, but back in the late 70's/early 80's it was deadly, if you happened to be from over West (Hartlepool) and were brave enough to have a day or night out drinking on the Headland.
have they got something to hide on this ' headland ' ?
Not as far as I know, but they were always very insular, and not at all welcoming to us West Hartlepudlians.
They're fiercly proud of the fact that their place is the original Hartlepool (Hartlepool and West Hartlepool amalgamated in the late 1960's to become one borough)

If they're heading over to the Middleton Grange shopping centre, they'd say 'I'm going over West' whereas us West Hartlepudlians, refer to the Headland, as Old Hartlepool.

It would seem old habits/traditions, really do die hard in some parts
 
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Only watched it again recently myself. Didn't realise it was the dancer Lindsay Kemp as the landlord. Friend of Bowie and tutored Kate Bush on dance. Lived in South Shields when he was a youngster.

Britt's voice was completely overdubbed as well.
I went to see Lindsay Kemp at a talk in at the customs House. His words on Brit Eckland was that she was insufferable.
 
Edward Woodwood said the film was made in the Scottish isles in November and it was freezing. Of the final scene where he is supposed to be burned alive with various farm animals in the Wicker Man he said that the chickens goats and pigs etc that were on cages above him shat and peed on him the whole time.

The film which is now regarded as a classic was almost totally ignored when it was released. Only its showings on TV has brought it to teh attention of lost of people and has elevated it to its present cult status
Some of it is set in Dumfries and Galloway the, early shots are in Plockton ( where seaplane lands ) . Lovely place, except if you are a copper......
 
TBF, the film could've been shot on the Headland at Old Hartlepool.

Twitchy curtains, clannish locals not overly welcoming nor friendly, to outsiders, strange customs/festivals involving fish. :lol:

They're certainly a different breed, across the water from British West Hartlepool.
You wanna watch yerself marra. That's where I'm from😀
 

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