A Delight

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2005)

Thank goodness this movie has recently been reissued on DVD. If you missed this gem first time around, see it now!
Most movie buffs, both serious and frivolous, have heard of Edward D. Wood Jr. If you're lucky, you've seen one or more of his films. They are so bad that they're entrancing, especially his masterpiece "Plan 9 from Outer Space".
In making a film of Wood's career, it would have been very easy to just point the finger and laugh. There is a little of this in "Ed Wood", but, for the most part, the film chooses to examine and celebrate rather than mock.
The casting is inspired. Martin Landau's performance as Bela Lugosi has been widely and justly praised, but Johnny Depp deserves similar credit for an engagingly irritating effort in the title role. The support cast is excellent, with Bill Murray and Mike Starr (who has the best line in the movie) deserving special mention.
As for the script, it bristles with brilliant one-liners. Music is unobtrusive and appropriate. The black-and-white photography aptly captures the atmosphere, both of Wood's own films and of the time when they were made.
Strongly recommended then. Rating: 8/10.