I’ve heard of “The Wicker Man” before, of course: essentially that the Nick Cage remake of the British horror film was crap. I had no desire to watch either film until I listened to the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg commentary on “Hot Fuzz”: Jim Broadbent, The Wicker Man! So, I decided I might as well see for myself and Netflixed both films. Last night, I watched the original. Right now, I’m hoping the remake ends sooner (rather than later), because it’s total, unadulterated, CRAP.

The original film, about an orthodox Christian Scottish cop who travels to a remote island populated by pagans to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, is very, er, strange. It doesn’t get scary until the end, when you really feel the emotion Broadbent channels — “NO! NO!” (and, in that circumstance, who wouldn’t?). The movie is a mix of a musical, a horror, and a porno, but it’s very effective, and well worth a watch (just, um, lock the kiddies up, first).

The second film isn’t worth the time. Can Nick Cage act? If I hadn’t seen “Adaptation”, I would say ‘no.’