Witless and Tiresome

Rating: 6/10 (11 December 2009)

This biography of the unbelievably incompetent director of such atrocities as "Glen or Glenda" and "Plan 9 from Outer Space" is meant to be a comedy but it's not funny. Depp brings a lot of energy to the title role, although he seems to be basically doing an impression of Billy Crystal. What, Billy wasn't available? Landau is OK as Bela Lugosi, but it's hardly a performance worthy of an Oscar. Burton operates under the premise that watching an idiot at work is so entertaining that no real plot is necessary. And he's right - for about ten minutes. After that it becomes tiresome and goes on far too long. In a small bit, D'Onofrio does an uncanny impression of Orson Welles.