Ghoulishly funny...Depp and Landau are superb...

Rating: 8/10 (5 September 2006)

Absolutely brilliant film on the bizarre and quirky cross-dressing filmmaker Ed Wood, played with boyish enthusiasm by JOHNNY DEPP in one of his most offbeat roles. He's the anchor who grounds the film in all its believable foolishness.
Equally skillful are all the surrounding performances, including MARTIN LANDAU (who deservedly won a Supporting Role Oscar), BILL MURRAY, who does amazing things with an underwritten role as a man eager to change his gender, JEFFREY JONES as Criswell, the Magician, and VINCENT D'ONOFRIO as Orson Welles.
But it's the caring relationship between Depp and Landau that defines the comic genius of the film and gives it heart. Both are extremely moving and adept at showing the respect and regard they had for each other when their world seemed to be falling apart. The story doesn't flinch in showing Lugosi's fall from grace with his addiction to morphine and other drugs that eventually took his life.
A near perfect recreation of the '50s Hollywood scene with its low budget studio settings, wisely photographed in the B&W manner of most of the Lugosi thrillers. Entertaining and genuinely funny, moving and absorbing all the way through.
Summing up: One of Tim Burton's best directing jobs. Highest recommendation.