Friday, August 17, 2012

Ed Wood (1994)

Directed By: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker

The Main Review: Ed Wood is a 1994 film that chronicles the life of the noble, optimistic Edward D. Wood Jr. The film shows the creation of three of his most well known films, Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster, and the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space. Scenes from each film are recreated wonderfully and the actors involved to a phenomenal job portraying their characters. Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood and Martin Landau gives a unforgettable performance as Bela Lugosi.
And, let me say, Ed Wood and Bela: Definitely a better love story than Twilight.

Ed Wood is a cheery transvestite who idolizes Orson Welles and wants to be a great writer/director/producer. He gets a break when he's hired to create a sex change picture - on the basis that he's the most qualified for the job due to his love of wearing women's clothing and he can get his newly-made friend, Bela Lugosi, to star in it. The flick becomes more of an autobiographical story of Ed Wood's own transvestism, which embarrasses his girlfriend, Dolores (Sarah Jessica Parker) to no end.

After that film - Glen or Glenda - doesn't do as well as he promised, he tries to make his next movies, Bride of the Atom and Grave Robbers from Outer Space - both films having to go through a name change change before being released. He continually has trouble with finances. And, throughout all of this, he looses his (terrible) girlfriend but finds a much cooler one, Kathy. He deals with Bela's drug addiction and death. And he gets all of his friends to become Baptists.
Here's Where It Gets Spoilerific: Um, well... I mean, if you know anything about Ed Wood, you know that he was never really famous or appreciated when he was alive. He descended into alcoholism and monster porn, dying in his fifties. Two years later, he was declared the worst director ever, which has boosted his popularity.

Scenes To Watch Out For: Whenever anyone mentions Boris Karloff to Bela Lugosi. And, later, when Bunny asks their Lugosi-Look-Alike to call Karloff a cocksucker.

Ed Wood's dance in drag.
Really, any of the scenes with Martin Landau are amazing. He portrays Lugosi fantastically.

Anything Else: This film is even better to watch if you're familiar with the films shown in it. The care and detail in their recreation is really quite amazing.