Burton AND Depp's best!.....The best film of 1994!

Rating: 10/10 (31 December 2011)

I'm a huge fan of Tim Burton's early films (both Batmans he directed, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands). I think his early work had an imagination and timeless appeal that, frankly, his later films have utterly lacked. And the genius of Tim Burton's early work culminated in what I believe to be his true best film ED WOOD (1994). If Tim Burton were ever going to win an Oscar as Best Director for his early work, this should have been the film. And it also boasts what I think is the BEST performance of the iconic Johnny Depp's career. Depp was totally robbed of a Best Actor nomination (and had he been, HE would have been my pick for the award!).
Also, ED WOOD was the BEST film of 1994! Not Forrest Gump (which won and is way too schmaltzy and sentimental for my taste)...Not Shawshank Redemption (which was nominated for Best Pic, but has way too high a rating here on IMDb! #1 of all time? Are you freakin kidding me?)....Not Pulp Fiction (also nominated for Best Pic, but has dated too much for my taste and isn't even Tarantino's best film IMHO!)...Nope, ED WOOD should have been nominated and WON Best Picture of 1994!
ED WOOD is Burton's tribute to the titular filmmaker who is widely regarded as the worst of all time. And a brilliant tribute it is! Burton basically goes for the purely comic approach, with touches of pathos and reality checks thrown in for good measure. Depp's awesome, energetic, all-in performance drives the film. He stays in character for the entirety of the film and this is one of the funniest performances of any male lead in a comedy film.
Martin Landau was absolutely brilliant and on-key as horror film icon Bela Lugosi. Landau totally deserved his Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Rarely do I think they get those awards right, but they sure did in this case. It's just a shame that Burton, Depp, and the film didn't get their due as well.
In addition to Depp and Landau, the supporting cast is wonderful: Sarah Jessica Parker as Ed's uptight first girlfriend, Patricia Arquette as Ed's true soulmate, Lisa Marie's uncanny Vampira impersonation, and the great Bill Murray as one of Ed's eccentric (was there any other kind with this man?) collaborators.
Shot in black-and-white to give the film an old-school vibe and to mimic the era of film of Ed Wood's prime, the film plays like a parody of a parody. Certainly, the situations that Wood encountered didn't come across as THIS hysterical, but I think this is Burton's way of honoring the auteur, while still entertaining the general movie-going audience.
Brilliant, funny film...Burton's best...Depp's best...One of THE best!