2. The Wicker Man (1973)
Sergeant Howie gets a letter from a remote Scottish island about the disappearance of a young girl called Rowan. Howie is a good upstanding Christian and celibate. When he gets to the island and finds out they are a bunch of practising pagans, he is dismayed at this. The island natives under Lord Summerville, give Howie the run around with their wicked pagan ways. Intent on finding Rowan, Howie is frustrated at every turn. He believes that she was part of a pagan sacrifice ritual. But with growing horror, he begins to understand why he was sent to the island and what his purpose is. A wonderful film that is creepy, scary, engrossing and sad, The Wicker Man has been wowing both critics and the viewers ever since it was released back in the 1970s. It is unlike anything else you will ever see due to the film's use of paganism/witchcraft. There are some really great sequences in the movie, such as a nude Britt Ekland doing a sexy dance to try and seduce Howie. The sight of Christopher Lee in a silly wig leading the dancers across the island is another highlight. The island on which The Wicker Man is situated, looks absolutely gorgeous. Poor Edward Woodward has a bad time of it in the film but he remains a staunch Christian to the bitter end. The film's finale is especially hard to watch due to Howie's death and all of the island pagans effectively celebrating his demise. A fascinating and unusual film which has been called 'the Citizen Kane' of horror movies.