Ed Wood | Johnny Depp, Martin Landau | "Get Me Transvestites. I Need Transvestites"

Ed Wood | Johnny Depp, Martin Landau | The best movie ever made about the worst movies ever made...

vhs video:

Ed Wood

	Ed Wood Johnny Depp, Martin Landau Touchstone / Disney, 2002 average customer review:based on 246 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Edward D. Wood Jr. was an actor writer-director-producer, occasionally in drag, who combined meager bursts of talent with an undying optimism to create some of the most bizarrely memorable "B" movies to ever come out of Tinseltown. Though Wood died in obscurity as an alcoholic in 1978, his films have been considered cult classics for years. He is consistently voted the worst director who ever lived. You would think this an odd subject, but director Tim Burton harnesses the undying hopefulness that made Wood such a character. Shot in black and white, just like Wood's creations, this stylized, witty production captures the poetic absurdity of Wood's films and his unconventional life. Burton's recreation of Wood's wonderfully awful Plan 9 from Outer Space looks much better than the original low-budget quickie. Burton tackled an extremely strange subject matter for a biopic, but Wood is presented as naive almost to the point of delusion, so the story works. The pace sags in the middle, as the weirdness starts to wear thin, but Depp proves himself an adroit actor, even while wearing angora and a blonde wig. Wood's unconventional repertoire company is faithfully reproduced, including an Academy Award-winning Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi. Landau is pathetic, droll, and charismatic as the elderly junkie who made his last screen appearances in Wood's films. --Rochelle O'Gorman

for more information click here

"Get Me Transvestites. I Need Transvestites"

Poor Ed Wood. Commonly acknowledged as the worst director ever, he is now immortalized forever in a biopic as...quite possibly the worst director ever. Yeah. And he liked to wear women's clothes. Even parachuted during WW2 wearing women's underwear. Pretty bad situation to be in if your bra begins to chafe. Think about it.

Depp plays Wood with a wide-eyed desperate earnestness. A free spirit, an unfailing optimist and a merry leader of a band of misfits. He even directs in drag. He's just fabulous. I don't wonder what he was thinking, I wonder what his wife was thinking. Talk about being a good sport. Imagine having a transvestite and an incompetent director who surrounded himself with Hollywood fringers for a hubby. Sara Jessica Parker plays his wife with just the right balance of naive devotion and exasperation.

One of those misfit fringers was rejected, embittered and addicted Bela Lugosi. Martin Landau is wonderful as the proud, angry, desperate has-been trying to get a little work in crummy movies by trading in on his mostly forgotten Dracula fame. A man who tried on coffins for size like Imelda Marcos tried on shoes. He was even buried in one in his Dracula cape. A coffin, not a shoe, I mean.

The movie plows cheerfully through the wreckage of Wood's sort of sad but mostly just plain weird life. You can't write this stuff but two scriptwriters did. Go figure. And Hollywood's resident free-spirit- director Tim Burton directed it. In black and white, which makes it really hard to see what color all the clothes and sets and other stuff is but it works perfect for a movie about a low budget 1950's director.

I'd like to read a biography of Wood someday, maybe. If its a quick read. Just to see how faithful the movie is and whether the movie actually tones things down a little. Wouldn't be surprised. Transvesticism doesn't play too well in the Southern Baptist Convention states or the flyover states or the North East of the Northwest. But here in California, we love that offbeat stuff, so keep it coming, Tim.

for more information click here

The best movie ever made about the worst movies ever made...

It's taken me a while, but I can finally agree that Johnny Depp is one of our finest working actors. Now that I've been able to explore his earlier work I can truly understand why the world in general loves him so much. I just remember back in 2003 when `Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl' was released and everyone started praising Johnny Depp as the greatest actor on the planet and he finally received his first Oscar nomination, and then the following year he did `Finding Neverland' and yet again the world went crazy and he got yet another nomination, and then he did `Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street' and regardless of the fact that his singing voice is below standard he garnered himself yet another Oscar nomination. Looking at it all I thought to myself `really, this is who they love'? Up until that point the only other films I had seen from Depp were some of Burton's less successful films like `Sleepy Hollow', none ever sporting a necessarily grand or impressive performance from Depp. Yes, his creation of Jack Sparrow was iconic and deserved of the praise and admiration, and maybe even that Oscar nomination, but it alone should not have garnered him instant idolization.

Then a few months ago I saw `Edward Scissorhands' and I was smitten with Johnny's performance. There was this rawness about him, this genuine charm and appeal. Then about a week ago I saw `Benny and Joon' and was blown away by Depp's depth of character. Intrigued and stimulated I sought out more Depp, like `What's Eating Gilbert Grape' and yet again was left speechless at Depp's precision and grace. Why was he not embraced for his earlier, grander performances?

This brings me to `Ed Wood', the most recent Depp film I was able to get my hands on. Quite honestly I feel that this may be not only Depp's grandest performance, but it may be his best film (and Burton's best respectively). Telling the story of the most famous `bad' director in Tinseltown, `Ed Wood' chronicles the working life of Edward D. Wood Jr.; a cross-dressing director longing to follow in the footsteps of Orson Welles. Wood longs to create films but he lacks the financial support. His plays are critical flops and his ideas and methods are a bit strange and unconventional, but after a chance meeting with famed actor Bela Lugosi, Wood finally has an edge.

Edward D. Wood Jr. has reached cult fame for his productions of `Plan 9 from Outer Space' and `Glen or Glenda' and both of those films are explored and recreated in this Burton classic. Tim Burton and his cast really capture the spirit of 50's film; the finished product itself plays out almost like a 50's sitcom. The performances by the entire cast are rich with charisma and charm, especially that of Depp and Landau. Johnny Depp embodies Wood's deep-seated naivety and drive to succeed regardless of the costs. He had a vision, and even if it was diluted with incompetence it was his vision and he was going to see it come to cultivation. His character reminded me of a restrained version of his Willy Wonka character, or should I saw that Willy Wonka is a less controlled version of Ed Wood. Landau blows everyone away here though, even Depp. His portrayal of a washed up actor longing to be as loved as he once was is as heartbreaking as it is amusing. Landau won that well deserved Oscar (I personally would have went with Samuel L. Jackson, but Landau is a very close second for me) and truly shines brightly in this very impressive film.

The rest of the cast is magic as well, everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to the always amazing Bill Murray to Jeffrey Jones and Patricia Arquette making an impression on the viewer. There's even a neat little cameo by Vincent D'Onofrio (vocally dubbed of course) as Orson Welles towards the end of the film.

Like Edward D. Wood Jr., Tim Burton has a vision, and what I appreciate about Burton is that he always stays true to his vision. Sure, his gothic type roots are not as prevalent in this picture as in `Edward Scissorhands' or `Sweeney Todd' but the air and spirit, his soul and drive are seen throughout this film. This is Burton at his finest, for instead of relying on props and visuals he draws deeply from within himself to pay tribute to not only the worst director of all time but quite possibly of one the greatest inspirations for aspiring directors today. Sure he was no Welles (one of the greatest cinematic minds of all time) but his story is inspiring, intriguing and extremely entertaining.

for more information click here

Tragicomic

This is a sensitive film about human fallibility amazingly done up in the guise of a comedy. Johnny Depp's Ed Wood's is terrific. He plays a miserably flawed and totally deluded man...He plays him with sympathy and some understanding. It would have been easier, no doubt, to have played him as a vainglorious fool, but the director and producer decided on a more complex character. Woods is a man totally, and mistakenly, convinced of his artistic excellence. He is so convinced in himself that he is able to convince others to invest in his ideas of cinematic art. He produces junk, but what junk it is. I have just finished watching 'Plan 9 from Outer Space', Wood's masterpiece. It is too easy to say that it is 'so bad it's good.' The fact is, with all it's funky sets, ridiculous special effects, miserable acting and over-the-top jokes, it actually is good...especially if you've had half a dozen beers. I have very little doubt that, in 'Plan 9', Woods deliberately produced a satire on science fiction films and, more importantly, on foolish public attitudes that cause people to BELIEVE in flying saucers.

As such, 'Plan 9' is a down-at-the-mouth 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and I have little doubt that the producers of 'Rocky' drew on this film for weird inspiration.

All the characters in "Ed Woods' are great, especially Martin Landau as the pitiful, heroin abusing Bela Lugosi. Landau is Lugosi. Seldom has an actor owned a role as thoroughly as this one. Woods, who in the movie, establishes a genuine relationship with Lugosi, tries to help him by giving him parts in ridiculous films [except that Woods doesn't know they're ridiculous]. Lugosi, as a 'big' name actor becomes Woods major playing card in his eternal search for investors and viewers. Unfortunately, it's late in the game and Lugosi dies during the filming of Wood's Magnum Opus 'Plan 9'. Not to worry. Woods substitutes him with a double who hides his false identity by slouching around the set with his black cape held up to his eyes. No kidding, I just watched 'Plan 9' and Woods really did this.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--'Skull Rack' and 'Hummingbird God'--on the Conquest of Mexico

for more information click here

Ed Wood (Special Edition)

It was a good movie that I loved. Tim Burton's style of directing is great.

Depp Acting His Tail Off

I'm a big Tim Burton fan, and when Burton and Johnny Depp get together, it's always magic. That's why I always felt bad about not seeing the movie Ed Wood. Released in 1994, I simply never got around to watching it, but after hearing about how good it was, I finally decided to sit down and give it a watch.

First a little background information-Ed Wood was a director responsible for famous B-movies such as Plan 9 from Outer Space. He died in 1978 and two years later was voted "Worst Director of All Time." He also had a penchant for dressing in women's clothing, despite the fact he was a reputedly a staunch heterosexual. He used Bela Lugosi, famous for his portrayal of Dracula in his younger days, in a few of his films well after Lugosi had been forgotten by Hollywood. Once Lugosi died, Wood's career took a turn for the worse-not that it'd ever been great-and he faded away.

Of course, such a strange life and career is right up Tim Burton's alley, and Burton assembled an incredible cast of actors in this film. (Remember this is 1994.) He secured Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray, and a charismatic and Oscar winning performance from Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi.

While I appreciated the acting and the homage paid to Wood by Burton, the overall storyline didn't really interest me all that much. Ed Wood's story, while odd, didn't captivate me as perhaps it would a fan of his B-movies. Those standards I usually appreciate from Burton in movies such as Edward Scissorhands, Beetle Juice, Sleepy Hollow, and Big Fish were also absent. I'm not saying this is a bad thing; I'm saying that it simply didn't interest me all that much.

That said, though, if you really want to see Johnny Depp acting his tail off, I'd check this movie out. Just be aware it focuses more upon Wood and Lugosi's relationship than anything. If I'd known this going in, I might have had a different impression of the film. I really thought it was a comedy about Wood's complete life story for some reason. But, while there are some funny moments and characters, I found it really to be a rather dramatic story about a vanishing actor striving to remain relevant and a hapless director's failed dream of making it big.

~Scott William Foley, author of Dr. Nekros: Phantasms and Chicanery (Volume I, Episode II)

for more information click here