Ed Wood (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Ed Wood (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Fascinating portrait of a fascinating man
Summary: 5 Stars
Ed Wood (1994) is Tim Burton's best all-around movie. Not his most popular, perhaps not his most enjoyable, but definitely his finest overall. It's the (mostly) true story of Edward D. Wood, Jr. Wood was a rabid movie-lover who passionately wanted to make movies and didn't care what he had to do to make it happen. There was just one problem: Ed Wood had about as much filmmaking talent as the megaphone he shouted through. In addition to his lack of talent, Ed liked to wear womens' clothing. Sometimes, he supposedly even directed his movies while wearing womens' clothing. His first film was a debacle called Glen or Glenda, one of the most painfully inept and mind-blowingly awful movies in the history of cinema. He followed it up with such disasters as Bride of the Monster, Night of the Ghouls and his "masterpiece" (so to speak), Plan 9 from Outer Space. The latter being a highly-regarded cult classic, often inaccurately cited as the worst movie of all time. Burton's film covers the making of several Wood movies, chronicling his personal struggle to get his films made, his difficulties with women, and his friendship with aging actor Bela Lugosi. Wood doesn't seem to know that his movies are terrible, either that or he just doesn't care. He's just so happy to be making movies that he doesn't care that they're awful. He wanted to be a writer-director-actor just like his idol, Orson Welles. In a way, he succeeded.
Wood is played magnificently by Johnny Depp. I believe this is Depp's best performance. He is wonderful as the passionate, relentlessly optimistic Ed Wood. He disappears into the angora sweater-wearing character. I'm not sure how Johnny Depp didn't get an Oscar nomination. He deserved it as much as anyone that year. However, Martin Landau received a well-deserved supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi. Landau's performance is so good that you'd swear Lugosi returned from the grave to appear in the movie. Ed Wood is generally regarded as a comedy, and while it is very funny, it does have many dramatic moments as well. Depp and Landau have some really great, touching scenes together in the movie. Wood was Lugosi's only friend in the latter years of his life and their friendship is at the heart of the movie. The photography and production design are top notch. The look of 1950s Hollywood was recreated meticulously. The black-and-white photography immensely enhances the old-movie feel.
This is a great movie that is so frequently overlooked among all the great movies that came out in 1994. Even in Tim Burton's filmography, the film is often overlooked. Anyone who loves cult movies, or just movies in general should see Ed Wood. It's an offbeat, unusual masterpiece that tells a fascinating story about a man who made up for his lack of talent with an abundance of passion.
Movie Review: Better Than Most Bio-Pics
Summary: 5 Stars
Tim Burton's "Ed Wood," a surreal bio-pic is one of the most entertaining, inspiring, and funny bio-pics I've seen. No wonder really since it's directed by one of the best directors around and written by two of the best bio-pic writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski (who, after this film, would pen the Larry Flynt bio-pic "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and the Andy Kaufman bio-pic "Man on the Moon"). It's also got an amazing cast of actors, including Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (Best Actor, 'Finding Neverland'), Oscar winner Martin Landau (Best Supporting Actor, 'Ed Wood'), Sarah Jessica Parker ('Failure to Launch'), Patricia Arquette ('True Romance'), Jeffrey Jones ('Deadwood'), and Oscar nominee Bill Murray
(Best Actor, 'Lost in Translation'). Depp plays Edward D. Wood Jr., an aspiring filmmaker who's down on his luck and lives with his girlfriend Dolores Fuller (Parker). After hearing about a film being made about a transsexual, without a script, Ed pens a script called "Glen or Glenda."
The movie is kind of close to Ed's heart, because Ed likes to dress in woman's clothes. But he's not gay. While walking past a shop that sells coffins Ed meets the actor Bela Lugosi (Landau), who played Dracula in the classic Universal film and recruits him to star in the Glen or Glenda film. The movie immediately bombs and is called one of the worst films ever made. Not letting it get him down, Ed goes to work on his next film "Bride of the Atom." After a few more films and meeting a few new people, including wrestler Tor Johnson (George "The Animal" Steele), TV personality Vampira (Lisa Marie), and psychic Criswell (Jones); Ed goes on to make his masterpiece "Plan 9 From Outer Space." The latter is the only film I've ever seen by Ed Wood. While the movie has been called the worst film ever made, it wasn't bad. It's campy and stupid; You can definitely see why it would be considered bad back then, but it was entertaining and fun to watch. Ed Wood was an interesting, and quirky, guy...Which Tim Burton makes perfectly clear here and Depp does a great job bringing Wood to life. Martin Landau gives his finest performance as Bela Lugosi, he disappears behind the persona. He looks and sounds like Lugosi. Another thing I liked about the film was that it shows us the bright time in Ed Wood's life, through his first film to his "masterpiece." We hear the downside of his life through the epilogue. This movie is, in the end, a loving tribute to "B" movies that is over-the-top yet perfect. As I said, the movie is very funny. Especially, Landau who gets some of the best lines as Lugosi. Bill Murray co-stars as Ed's transsexual friend Bunny.
GRADE: A-
Movie Review: "Always Happy to Help with a Little Larceny."
Summary: 5 Stars
Ed Wood has to be one of the most unique and enjoyable films I've ever seen. It includes exceptional performances by Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Martin Landau. In the title role, Depp is amazing and I'm not exaggerating in the least. He made his reputation with us non-mainstream Hollywood fans for this one. When you first see him on the screen, I'm sure you'll find an element of caricature in his portrayal of the angora worshipping Wood as he's sometimes simply too cheesy to believe. Although, a cursory glimpse at the real director's movies will let you know that this is very much how he must have been given that he consciously created, again and again, so many reels of C movie refuse.
As for Martin Landau, who plays Bela Lugosi, his performance practically steals the film from the effervescent Depp. This great character actor certainly deserved his Oscar for this one. It'll make you refute Bauhaus by screaming, "Bela Lugosi Lives!" This was also the first, and last, time that I enjoyed the work of Sarah Jessica Parker. She has some tremendously funny lines here: "You've surrounded yourself with freaks," "Wood Productions, the mark of quality," and "well, I see the usual gang of drug addicts and misfits are here." Lisa Marie is quite sexy as Vampira and more enticing than you could imagine. Murray plays a gay named Bunny who longs to get a sex change but is thwarted during a hellacious trip abroad but brings a Mariachi Band home for consolation. As for Wood, he is a cross dresser so I guess a good description of the picture on the whole could be, "Transvestite Chic."
Ed Wood a man with an endless supply of optimism and it wholly exists for no discernible reason. He has no talent whatsoever, but he never let his inadequacy knock him down--at least for very long. Lines like, "That's the worst film you ever saw? Well the next one will have to be better" are typical of his reactions to adversity. Wood's bizarre personality and childish enthusiasm makes one become attached to him whether you want to be or not. In his own way, he is an honorable man as he stands by his friends regardless of the cost. Ed does more for Lugosi than any son could have. His devotion to the has-been was touching.
This film is hilarious at times, especially the scene involving the opening party for "Bride of the Monster," which I replayed twice. I'm still laughing! In summation, it's sweet, full of spirit, and joyful which makes it incredibly easy to recommend.
Movie Review: A Movie to Revel In
Summary: 5 Stars
Get out your angorra sweaters! "Ed Wood" is finally out on DVD!
In what has to be one of the most uncannily cast movies, Tim Burton has struck just the right chord with "Ed Wood." His biopic of the worst director who ever lived (not really: MST 3000 viewers know Coleman Francis is really the worst) captures the period of feel of the 1950s with Stefan Czapsky's moody and crisp cinematography and Howard Shore's excellent tongue-in-cheek score.
Actually, "Ed Wood" is the film that Ed Wood himself would have made if he were more talented. Basically, the story is a "making of" and "behind the scenes" movie that follows Wood's Z-movie Hollywood career, from "Glenn or Glenda?" to "Plan 9 From Outer Space." Burton portrays Wood very sympathetically through Johnny Depp's earnest acting: His message is that Wood was an unrecognized genius. Well, sub-genius, at least.
What really grabs the viewer though, is that the characters in this movie are so perfectly cast, that the actors actually *become* their characters: Jeffrey Jones is an eerily creepy Criswell; Bill Murray shows us the Myra side of John "Bunny" Breckinridge; George Steele is rotund, hairy, bald and inarticulate as Tor Johnson; and, Lisa Marie has just that anorexic Lillian Munster quality as Vampira.
But, Martin Landau as the aging, dying, addicted Bela Lugosi steals the show. Not just the facial mannerisms, the accent, the bombastic acting, are right on, but so is the spirit. Landau literally pours every bit of himself into the role. It's one of the few times the Academy gave the Oscar to the right guy, and Landau deserved it not just for this sterling performance, but for decades of impeccable acting, from "North by Northwest," to "Tucker" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
"Ed Wood" has just the right light touch for most of its subject matter, which makes it a bonafide popcorn flick. The scenes dealing with Lugosi's heroin addiction, though, show a darker side that -- fortunately -- doesn't wallow too far into total doom and gloom. Burton's portrayal of the friendship between Wood and Lugosi was very touching without being sappy. Upbeat Wood really believed that he could bring Lugosi out of depression and addiction. He literally was the last true friend Lugosi had on Earth.
The best part of this movie is that while it is the very embodiment of camp, it's a movie, through and through, never a film.
Ed himself wouldn't have had it any other way.
Movie Review: The true story about bad movies...is actually a GREAT movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a movie about the director of some of the worst movies ever made in movie history. In honor of Ed Wood it's filmed in black and white with cheap sets, made to look just like one of the schlocky, low budget films that Ed was so famous for. If you are a fan of Ed Wood, or a fan of cheesy movies this is a must see!
For anyone who has ever asked, "How do crappy movies get made?" the answers can be found in this film...And it is sure to make you LAUGH too! The story begins with our struggling director as he creates the travesty "Glen or Glenda?" and we get some insight into Ed's personal life. The movie goes on to tell the tale of the many tragically bad yet brilliant movies that Ed went on to make...Plan 9 from Outer Space, Bride of the Monster...etc. Each movie Ed made was a cheaply made, poorly written and horribly reviewed disaster! Many were pieced together with scrap footage, shot in one take and made with no budget and it shows. The classic line "Fine, shoot whatever bologna you want just make sure it's seven reels long!" pretty much sums it up!
I felt sympathy for Ed, who seemed like a nice person honestly trying to make a living and doing his best to make something good. He ends up failing and making instead a legendary collection of thrown together, cheap, corny and laughable movies. We learn too about Ed's life, his ladies, his friendship with Bella Lugosi, his love for cross dressing. This movie is a tragic, quirky tale about a nice, generous guy who didn't have the money or support to make good movies...so he made bad ones instead! One thing Ed had was heart and although his movies are considered awful, in some ways they are brilliant too. It's one thing to make a bad movie...But Ed's movies are so bad they're good and that is a rare thing!
Johnny Depp is amazing in this role. It is ironic how a movie about horrible movies actually ends up being a great movie! The movie honors Ed and Johnny is very believable. Watching this helps a person truly understand all that goes into making a stinker. For every bad movie made, no matter how awful, someone somewhere thought it was a good idea. Someone had the courage (or stupidity) to press on through hardship, failure, doubt and struggle to make something the world would remember. Ed Wood will be remembered for making bad movies and this movie is a great homage to him. If you are a fan of Ed Wood movies you will love this!