Tuesday, September 30, 2014

20 Years of "Ed Wood"

"We're about to embark on quite a journey.  4 days of hard work."

Most movies take a lot longer, but not Ed Wood's infamous "Glen or Glenda."  At least according to Tim Burton's 1994 biopic about the worst director of all time.  "Ed Wood" was released twenty years ago this week, and it remains one of my all time cherished films.

"Ed Wood" tells the true story of Edward D. Wood, Jr. the movie director of such 1950s horror movies as "Bride of the Monster" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space."  He follows his Hollywood dreams as he writes, directs and acts in no-budget pictures about monsters, aliens, and transvestites.  When he meets the cranky and retired Bela Lugosi, they form a friendship and creative partnership that gives Ed Wood the credibility he needs to make big movies.

I love the black and white, romantic reimagining of old Hollywood.  The authentic locations are pefect - I'd swear that the entire movie takes place on Hollywood Boulevard.  I love the humor, the acting, and the witty dialogue.  But most of all, I love "Ed Wood" because it's a very true profile of someone in love with movies.  It's about dreamers and their struggles.  Ed Wood tries like hell to make one, but realizes how incredibly difficult filmmaking can be.

Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, "Ed Wood" was an odd premise that seems unlikely to get made today.  Before DVDs and Netflix, it was much harder to see forgotten movies, so being aware of the director Ed Wood and his movies was a rarity.  Deciding to make a movie about him was a risk, but the end result is such a mainstream entertainment it's a testament to all the filmmakers involved.  Clearly all of the cast and crew love movies - especially the old obscure ones.
 
Of course the movie would not have such charm without Johnny Depp playing the title character.  Before he was Captain Jack Sparrow and other caricatures, Johnny Depp accepted bold and risky roles.  Each one invented an indelible persona, yet this may be his finest work.  His energy and emotion carries the picture; he brings to life this marginalized, weird character taking Ed Wood from the fringe to the megaplex.

During Awards season it was Martin Landau, however, who got all the attention.  He won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his mesmerizing portrayal of Bela Lugosi.  Watching the movie today I still forget that it's not actually the real Bela Lugosi.  It's a brilliant imitation where Mr. Landau uses his whole body and voice to capture the soul of the original Dracula.  It many ways he steals the show.
On one hand, "Ed Wood" is a very funny movie, inviting the audience to laugh at Mr. Wood's amazingly bad choices and even worse movies.  On the other hand, it's a very thoughtful look at the creative process.  No one - not even Ed Wood - tries to make bad movies.  But even the best ideas sometimes crash and burn.  Of course, Ed Wood knew he had no budgets, no time, and actors who were at best beyond their prime.  He approached each movie with passion, found the positives in every review, and he persevered.  In reality, Ed Wood made a living from writing and directing movies for over twenty years.  He's even the subject of a recent retrospective at the Anthology Film Archives in New York.

Were most of his movies really that bad?  It's safe to say they really were.  But "Ed Wood" exists to introduce him to subsequent generations who will be inspired to watch "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and judge for themselves.  In many ways, Ed Wood is more immortal that many of his contemporaries.  

"Worst film you ever saw?  Well my next one will be better."  

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