A treat to watch.

Rating: 8/10 (11 April 2012)

Certainly one of director Tim Burtons' very best films, "Ed Wood" takes an unlikely candidate for the feature film biography treatment: Edward D. Wood, Jr., a man who at least had the distinction of being voted the worst filmmaker of all time, and who had given us a movie that has been cited as the worst movie of all time, "Plan 9 from Outer Space". Mr. Wood wasn't bursting with talent, and worked with minuscule budgets, but he didn't let these things stop him from making the movies that he wanted to make.
Now, this isn't all-encompassing as a biography; it doesn't go into Woods' origins or childhood, basically focusing on his career. We see him as he starts on the stage and soon works his way into the motion picture business, choosing a project (to become "Glen or Glenda") that was near and dear to his heart. From then on, it's fascinating to watch as he goes through the process of filming another classic howler, "Bride of the Monster", and the notorious "Plan 9", and comes to be good friends with the drug addicted and impoverished horror icon Bela Lugosi.
It's to the credit of Burton and crew, such as production designer Tom Duffield and cinematographer Stefan Czapsky, that this movie has such a wonderful look. Shot in black & white, "Ed Wood" is a delight in the way it takes us back to '50s era Hollywood and the prospect of shooting low low budget efforts back in those days. The story is compelling and just draws the viewer right in. Wood is an easy character to like; Johnny Depp is completely convincing as the man whose passion exceeds his abilities.
But Martin Landau and Rick Baker truly take your breath away with the way they bring Bela Lugosi to life. Landau immerses himself in the role, and Bakers' makeup is so perfect, that one can forget that they're watching a performance and totally buy that this is Lugosi. Both men definitely deserved the Academy Awards that they won as a result.
The entire cast makes vivid contributions, with many familiar faces on hand - Sarah Jessica Parker as Dolores Fuller (Woods' girlfriend when we first meet him), Patricia Arquette a new acquaintance who becomes his wife, Jeffrey Jones the phony, priceless psychic Criswell, Lisa Marie as TV horror host Vampira, George "The Animal" Steele as Tor Johnson, Brent Hinkley as Conrad Brooks, Max Casella as Paul Marco, and Bill Murray as Bunny Breckinridge. (There are also cameos by the real Brooks, as a bartender, and Gregory Walcott, the hero of "Plan 9", as a potential backer.)
The scene where Wood runs into none other than Orson Welles (a very good Vincent D'Onofrio) is a true gem, especially when Welles bemoans the impositions made on him regarding his film "Touch of Evil".
We don't really learn that much about Wood by the time the movie is over, but it's entertaining enough to make up for that. A funny, and sometimes profane, script, by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, helps, as does the obvious affection Burton has for his subject, right down to the way the opening credits are done. Fun music by Howard Shore is another heavy asset.
Anybody who enjoys old movies, B pictures, movies about filmmaking, or likes recreations of Hollywood from decades past is sure to get a real kick out of "Ed Wood".
Eight out of 10.