We Don't Have A Permit. Run!

Rating: 7/10 (7 March 2017)

Owning and running an Ice cream store in Queens,New York reminded me of the movie Ed Wood. I felt like Ed striving to make a success out of the business and all the while collecting employees and friends of employees and the weird camaraderie I established with those unforgettable characters. In one of her last Interviews the Original Vampira (Maila Nurmi) who was a host on KABC's late night Horror show back in the 1950's was quoted as saying," Birds of a feather." about how endearing the real Ed wood was to his close friends and colleagues and he wouldn't stop at no expense to help them. Transvestites , dope addicts and misfits were all assembled in the Ed Wood World of movie making in post WWII Hollywood so authentically depicted by Director Tim Burton. Johnny Deep captures the enthusiasm and integrity of this cross-dressing alcoholic and winsome wannabee director of the cinema. Wood would go to great lengths to get the picture done without permits, stealing props and even getting his entire cast baptized in order for the church to fund his movies. Martin Landau was delightful as the Iconic Bela Lugosi with a spot on Hungarian accent yet Landau's performance was never to upstage the real actor as thought by Bela Lugosi's real son who did eventually watch the movie and paid tribute to Landau for portraying his late Father. So much so that they became friends. Furthermore Landau won the Oscar for best Supporting Actor for this role. To me this move was about loyalty, creativity although questionable by higher standards Ed Woods methods and practices were at the very extreme with the one goal in mind, to get the picture done his way! So many characters. Bill Murray as the hopeful sex change recipient. Criswell played by Jeffrey Jones as the master of outrageous predictions. Sara Jessica Parker as Ed's first significant, Dolores Fuller who constantly complains and wonders what she's doing with this non- conformist cross-dressing film Director. Juliet Landau who cons her way into an Ed Wood movie who is allergic to water. George the Animal Steele as the Hefty Tor Johnson. Vincent D'Onofrio as the portly Orson Wells in one of my favorite scenes in this movie when a frustrated Ed Wood chews the fat about the problems of producing movies in Hollywood. I thought it was the actor's voice and kudos to D'Onofrio but the Wells voice was lip-synced. The real voice belonged to Maurice LaMarche. Great film for all those sentimental 50's Sci-Fi schlock movie aficinados. Where giant lizards and mutated humans not to mention UFO aliens were the norm and being produced in huge numbers annually throughout the decade, Ed Wood and his troop of lovable faithfuls put together some of the most forgettable movies ever produced which over time became a new art form of film obscure. Ed Wood hoping with each film project that this will be the movie he'll be remembered for. This movie is a tribute to all those hopefuls out of film school and it's not bad movie to watch if you were ever afraid of horror movies. Bravo Mr. Burton !