The Cathedral and the Wicker Man

[Shaker]

'They all did it.'

"He was Keyser Soze all along."

"I'm going home."

[Shaker]

What do you call a man with a plank of wood on his head?

Edward.

What do you call a man with three planks of wood on his head?

Edward Woodward.

I'll shut up now.

Probably apocryphal but what the hell: as a very young and relatively unknown actor EW was being talked about by a fellow actor to Sir John Gielgud.

"What's his name again?" Gielgud asked.

"Edward Woodward" says the thesp.

"Good God" Gielgud replied. "He sounds like a fart in the bath."

[Rhiannon]

Probably apocryphal but what the hell: as a very young and relatively unknown actor EW was being talked about by a fellow actor to Sir John Gielgud.

"What's his name again?" Gielgud asked.

"Edward Woodward" says the thesp.

"Good God" Gielgud replied. "He sounds like a fart in the bath."

My lovely Edward Woodward joke is lost on my kids, mostly on the basis of them having no idea who he is. I'm thankful of getting the opportunity to give it an airing.

[Shaker]

My lovely Edward Woodward joke is lost on my kids, mostly on the basis of them having no idea who he is. I'm thankful of getting the opportunity to give it an airing.

In which case try them on non-celebrity-based jokes.

What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.

... with a spade on his head? Doug.

... without a spade on his head? Douglas.

[Rhiannon]

In which case try them on non-celebrity-based jokes.

What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.

... with a spade on his head? Doug.

... without a spade on his head? Douglas.

You seriously think I haven't? I even told the the one about the man with no arms and legs who can play the piano.

[Nearly Sane]

You seriously think I haven't? I even told the the one about the man with no arms and legs who can play the piano.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fsh

What do call a dear with no eyes? No idea

What do you call a dear with no eyes, and no legs? Still no idea


What do you call a dear with no eyes, no legs, and no genitalia? Still no fucking idea.

[Humph Warden Bennett]

'However, the Dean said the films won't be "showing God anything that he hasn't seen before".'


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-45245229

IMHO the Dean is correct. God does not always save believers from martyrdom.

[SteveH]

What do you call a man with a plank of wood on his head?

Edward.

What do you call a man with three planks of wood on his head?

Edward Woodward.

I'll shut up now.

What do you call a man wearing two raincoats in a cemetery?
Max Bygraves.

[Rhiannon]

What do you call a man wearing two raincoats in a cemetery?
Max Bygraves.

My kids didn't get that one either.

[SteveH]

In which case try them on non-celebrity-based jokes.

What do you call a man with a seagull on his head? Cliff.

... with a spade on his head? Doug.

... without a spade on his head? Douglas.

Without aspade on his head and with no ears? Lugless Douglas.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

What do you call a man with a rabbit up his arse?

Warren

[Gordon]

Ambling back in the general direction of the topic I'd like to add one welcome aspect of the late Mr Woodward's performance in 'The Wicker Man': at least he didn't sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbsES_CLwzk

[Dicky Underpants]

Isn't it as a lot of 'horror'  based around the conflict between our Apollonian and Dionysian traits? The majority of the film is meant to put us on the side of the islanders, as Woodward is portrayed as a prig, and a hypocritical one, before the reveal is that the Dionysian unchecked leads to the murder. The reaction of those complaining is precisely mirroring Woodward.

That's a very convincing interpretation of it, and certainly one which the film itself implies. There's also a novel (by Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer - who wrote the film's screenplay). Hardy claims he started writing the novel before Schaffer got to work on the screenplay. In the novel, the copper is portrayed in a much more rounded way, not at all a prig, and a very liberal Christian. That would detract from the antithesis that the film suggests, but if I remember rightly the arguments in the book between Sg Neil Howie and Lord Summerisle are unsettlingly ambivalent.

[Nearly Sane]

Your mention of Shaffer who wrote a couple of my favourite films, triggerred thoughts of Absolution which has some similar themes. I did own the book of this at one stage and my possibly faulty memory had it that Hardy wrote that, but I cannot find any record of it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolution_(1978_film)

[jeremyp]

I thought the Wicker Man was a bit tedious apart from Britt Eckland's naked dancing routine.

Then I found out that, not only did they use a body double but that they did it without asking her and she was really quite upset about that bit.