An old, creepy house on a hill. As spooky music plays, the camera zooms into the house and stops at an opening coffin. A figure rises from the coffin and addresses the audience: this is the story of Ed Wood.
Ed Wood (Depp) has a problem: he has a vision but no one else seems to understand. The play he wrote and directed got bad reviews, and he can't find a studio to fund his film ideas. After getting rejected by another studio Ed meets his icon: horror icon Bela Lugosi (Landau). Inspired by Lugosi, Ed finds a small studio to make his movie: an autobiography about his transvestite lifestyle. The film flops, but it gives Ed the chance to meet other eccentric people: Criswell (Jones) a fake psychic and Vampira (Marie) the host of late night movie festivals. With their help he continues to look for funding, while trying to keep his life in tact. Will girlfriend Dolores (Parker) stick around? Will he get funded? Will he ever make a "good" film?
Why make a film about the undisputed "worst director ever"? While the film is about Ed Wood's film career, it never glorifies him nor his films, but it does show us a man with a vision. The film has Wood realize his vision through a talk with another memorable director, Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio), in a heart-to-heart talk. I liked viewing Wood this way, it humanized him, but didn't make him into some more sap or try to explain away his motivations (like many biopics do). While the film focuses on Wood, every scene is stolen by Martin Landau's Lugosi. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy, but it was excellent.
Rent it: there are some great technical aspects, like camera angles and such, I think it requires multiple viewing, although this Burton film is a little harder to find.
--: the characters are off-the-wall, but it stays true to who they were, and there are some fun little one-liners.
Here is my review of Plan 9 from Outer Space
Ed Wood (Depp) has a problem: he has a vision but no one else seems to understand. The play he wrote and directed got bad reviews, and he can't find a studio to fund his film ideas. After getting rejected by another studio Ed meets his icon: horror icon Bela Lugosi (Landau). Inspired by Lugosi, Ed finds a small studio to make his movie: an autobiography about his transvestite lifestyle. The film flops, but it gives Ed the chance to meet other eccentric people: Criswell (Jones) a fake psychic and Vampira (Marie) the host of late night movie festivals. With their help he continues to look for funding, while trying to keep his life in tact. Will girlfriend Dolores (Parker) stick around? Will he get funded? Will he ever make a "good" film?
Why make a film about the undisputed "worst director ever"? While the film is about Ed Wood's film career, it never glorifies him nor his films, but it does show us a man with a vision. The film has Wood realize his vision through a talk with another memorable director, Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio), in a heart-to-heart talk. I liked viewing Wood this way, it humanized him, but didn't make him into some more sap or try to explain away his motivations (like many biopics do). While the film focuses on Wood, every scene is stolen by Martin Landau's Lugosi. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy, but it was excellent.
Rent it: there are some great technical aspects, like camera angles and such, I think it requires multiple viewing, although this Burton film is a little harder to find.
--: the characters are off-the-wall, but it stays true to who they were, and there are some fun little one-liners.
Here is my review of Plan 9 from Outer Space
Rating: R for some strong language
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp as Ed Wood
Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi
Sarah Jessica Parker as Dolores Fuller
Patricia Arquette as Kathy O'Hara
Jeffrey Jones as Criswell
Bill Murray as Bunny Breckinridge
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