Ed WoodSo bad, it's good--something that might be said about the late filmmaker Ed Wood's body of work, which was a collection of absurdly poor sci-fi/horror monster flicks and exploitation reels. But this is the stuff that guilty pleasures are made of: cheap costumes, hammy acting, and plots that go nowhere. And yet for all the silly films which live on in public domain and cult movie lore, the man behind the movies is the focus of this film, appropriately titled Ed Wood. As Ed (Johnny Depp) struggles to make it big in Hollywood, he befriends acting legend, Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), and the two share a mutually beneficial friendship.
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Ed's always had a passion to tell stories about things he finds interesting, which turn out to be things that he can relate to. See, Ed has a secret, one he keeps even from his girlfriend, Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker): Ed likes to wear women's clothing, because it makes him feel comfortable. Understandably, he identifies the stigma of his cross-dressing behavior, and keeps it from others by and large. But when he discovers that he has an opportunity to direct and write a dramatization about a Hollywood sex change in Variety, he leaps on the chance to tell a story he feels at least a bit qualified for. Ed's decision to write a film about his predilection--and use parts of his own life in it--rubs Dolores the wrong way, but she stands by him...for as long as she can take. Ed's constantly swimming upstream to get his pictures financed, although the reality of this is that both his ideas are so weird, and his results are so terrible. But Ed's persistently plucky, and refuses to really let any kind of criticism get him down. Ed's in a weird place, and I don't mean a Tim Burton movie; he is passionate about creating a work of art, but is utterly devoid of any talent, possessed of just good old fashioned gumption. His pursuits to finance his pictures bring him in company with a motley crew of Hollywood misfits, including figures which would become legends of their own kind in his "opus", Plan 9 from Outer Space, like Tor Johnson (George "The Animal" Steele) and Vampira (Lisa Marie). One great scene has the cast visiting the premier of Bride of the Atom/Monster, and the key players are all in costume, looking like a collection of both weirdos and enthusiasts. But this is Ed's new circle of friends, a group of people who will stand by him and do not judge him, because he does not judge...he can't afford to, and we suspect that he is better than that, anyway.
The real heart of Ed Wood is Ed and Bela's friendship, one born out of the starstruck fandom of Ed for his silver screen legend, who has degraded into obscurity, and has become a drug addict in his isolation from the world. When Ed is looking to sell his first picture--Glen or Glenda--he takes advantage of his recent acquaintance with Bela to indicate that he can get a star to make his film profitable, although a running joke shows that everyone thinks that Bela was already dead. For all the kitsch and goofiness, and for all the silly, ridiculous moments, the scenes with Ed bringing Bela back into the world of movies, standing by him as he suffers under the weight of his addiction and its crippling effects on him make their friendship something special. Although it is a moment where only a little attention is given, there is a part where--after Ed has returned with Bela from rehab, after having been kicked out for being broke--Ed sets up a camera to film Bela leaving his house. They shoot a simple scene, but something which is a kind of therapy for the both of them. For Bela, it is the last chance to be in front of the camera, to feel like a star one last time, and for Ed, the chance to do something special for his dear friend. There is a kind of cynicism when Ed uses this footage--like so much else--for seemingly mercenary purposes, to further his career; but this imperfection makes for a more interesting portrayal of Edward D. Wood, Jr. than simply posing him as a rather perfect--if naive and overly optimistic--fellow. Ed's dream to make movies is one he is so driven by, that he doesn't stop to waste time on getting "permits" to shoot, or even bother with more than one take. For Ed, every take is perfect because he is living his dream, and it will always be great in his heart...even if nowhere else. Ed's passion to finance his work leads him to some novel crowdsourcing, hitting up the Beverly Hills Baptist Church--and getting his friends baptized in the process--as well as a meat packing businessman, hosting fundraisers at the Brown Derby. Ed is shameless, but his guilelessness also give a childlike innocence to his dream, which paints him not as stupid, but as a hopeless dreamer who misses those key details which ironically gives his work a signature all his own. And one great advantage of filming in black and white--aside from the obvious homage to Ed Wood's own films--is that it allows for some great sight gags. For instance, when replacement actress Loretta King (Juliet Landau) asks the cinematographer which color dress she should wear--the red or the green--he says he can't tell the difference, because he is color blind...but that the dark gray looks nice. Clever. Ed Wood has modeled his filmmaking ideology after his idol, the great Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio). When the two meet, they share much in common...except that there is no proof that Orson Welles wore women's clothing. Ed gets the pep talk he always needed to realize his vision, even if it is a cut-rate and demented one. The two filmmakers--so similar--should be on total opposite ends of the spectrum given how history remembers them; but they share a moment not as great and "not-so-great", but as two people passionate about their career, sharing the advise and experiences which define them. Few--if any--would argue that Ed Wood produced excellent movies, but in the context of the loose biopic, it doesn't matter, because Ed and Orson both followed their dreams, even if it led them on highly divergent paths. And seeing someone pursuing their dreams is a pleasure in and of itself.
Recommended for: Fans of a comedy which hearkens back to the schlocky late-night charm of B-movies and bad makeup, portrayed with an ironic devotion for the milieu, because the film had good makeup and a good story, and boasts great talent, too. Funny and also touching, Ed Wood managed to subvert its own subject matter of bad movies by being a great one.
The real heart of Ed Wood is Ed and Bela's friendship, one born out of the starstruck fandom of Ed for his silver screen legend, who has degraded into obscurity, and has become a drug addict in his isolation from the world. When Ed is looking to sell his first picture--Glen or Glenda--he takes advantage of his recent acquaintance with Bela to indicate that he can get a star to make his film profitable, although a running joke shows that everyone thinks that Bela was already dead. For all the kitsch and goofiness, and for all the silly, ridiculous moments, the scenes with Ed bringing Bela back into the world of movies, standing by him as he suffers under the weight of his addiction and its crippling effects on him make their friendship something special. Although it is a moment where only a little attention is given, there is a part where--after Ed has returned with Bela from rehab, after having been kicked out for being broke--Ed sets up a camera to film Bela leaving his house. They shoot a simple scene, but something which is a kind of therapy for the both of them. For Bela, it is the last chance to be in front of the camera, to feel like a star one last time, and for Ed, the chance to do something special for his dear friend. There is a kind of cynicism when Ed uses this footage--like so much else--for seemingly mercenary purposes, to further his career; but this imperfection makes for a more interesting portrayal of Edward D. Wood, Jr. than simply posing him as a rather perfect--if naive and overly optimistic--fellow. Ed's dream to make movies is one he is so driven by, that he doesn't stop to waste time on getting "permits" to shoot, or even bother with more than one take. For Ed, every take is perfect because he is living his dream, and it will always be great in his heart...even if nowhere else. Ed's passion to finance his work leads him to some novel crowdsourcing, hitting up the Beverly Hills Baptist Church--and getting his friends baptized in the process--as well as a meat packing businessman, hosting fundraisers at the Brown Derby. Ed is shameless, but his guilelessness also give a childlike innocence to his dream, which paints him not as stupid, but as a hopeless dreamer who misses those key details which ironically gives his work a signature all his own. And one great advantage of filming in black and white--aside from the obvious homage to Ed Wood's own films--is that it allows for some great sight gags. For instance, when replacement actress Loretta King (Juliet Landau) asks the cinematographer which color dress she should wear--the red or the green--he says he can't tell the difference, because he is color blind...but that the dark gray looks nice. Clever. Ed Wood has modeled his filmmaking ideology after his idol, the great Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio). When the two meet, they share much in common...except that there is no proof that Orson Welles wore women's clothing. Ed gets the pep talk he always needed to realize his vision, even if it is a cut-rate and demented one. The two filmmakers--so similar--should be on total opposite ends of the spectrum given how history remembers them; but they share a moment not as great and "not-so-great", but as two people passionate about their career, sharing the advise and experiences which define them. Few--if any--would argue that Ed Wood produced excellent movies, but in the context of the loose biopic, it doesn't matter, because Ed and Orson both followed their dreams, even if it led them on highly divergent paths. And seeing someone pursuing their dreams is a pleasure in and of itself.
Recommended for: Fans of a comedy which hearkens back to the schlocky late-night charm of B-movies and bad makeup, portrayed with an ironic devotion for the milieu, because the film had good makeup and a good story, and boasts great talent, too. Funny and also touching, Ed Wood managed to subvert its own subject matter of bad movies by being a great one.