"All I wanna do is tell stories." - Ed Wood

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2018)

I kick myself every time this happens. Why, oh why did I wait so long to watch this movie? It's a complete blast, hearkening back to one of my favorite eras and film genres, 1950's B grade horror and sci-fi, built around the legend and career of cult film favorite Ed Wood Jr. No doubt Johnny Depp is sensational as the title character, and Martin Landau is due accolades as well for his portrayal of horror film icon Bela Lugosi. Ed Wood takes a cue from his own personal film making hero, Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio), who advises the young director that "Visions are worth fighting for". Wood's vision produced such marvelous and demented films as "Glen or Glenda", "Bride of the Monster", "Night of the Ghouls, and my personal favorite, "Plan 9 From Outer Space".
Director Tim Burton does a nice job of chronicling the film making career of Wood, who even with all the best intentions, couldn't produce a coherent film if his life depended on it. But they were certainly entertaining in a uniquely creative and humorous way. If nothing else of accomplishment, at least he extended the career of Lugosi, who in his later years descended into the throes of morphine addiction. I got a kick out of the way Lugosi dissed contemporary Boris Karloff any chance he got; it happened in the story at least three or four times. Personally, I enjoy the work of both actors, and it's probably a toss up as to which is the greater movie monster of all time - Frankenstein or Dracula. It's a tough pick.
The most ironic thing about this film is that it's better than anything Ed Wood Jr. ever made himself. However I will challenge the idea that "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is the worst movie ever made by the Worst Director of all time. 'Plan 9' doesn't even show up in the One Hundred Lowest Rated Movies ever here on IMDb, and of the clunkers I've seen, I'd have to give the nod to "The Aztec Mummy Against the Humanoid Robot" as the worst one I've ever seen, closely followed by "Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell". Now that I think about it, Ed Wood probably isn't the Worst Director of All Time either, though it's probably a distinction he wouldn't mind owning given the cult following that's been built around his reputation over the years.