Ed Wood (1994)

One of these days I am sure that I am going to have the unfortunate experience of meeting a person somewhere who doesn't appreciate Tim Burton... I am happy that day hasn't happened, but should it occur I look forward to looking them in the eye and saying, "Dumbass!"

Tim Burton is just simply genius, anyone who can conceptualise Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman is a hero in my book (A moment please... Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman... Sha-wing!)

Anywho, to more serious subject matter, Ed Wood. Previously on this blog I had mentioned how I loved movies about movie making when I wrote about Hitchcock, which is about arguably the greatest director that ever lived, now to a movie about the worst director that ever lived, this is accepted fact, Ed wood is the cross-dressing, ego-maniacal, worst film director that ever lived. The movie chronicles the making of the man with special focus on his cult classic schlock horror movie (funded by christians) Plan 9 from Outer Space.

How can we even go forward without special mention of Johnny Depp in the titular role, 1st time on this blog, so many actors are themselves as the character they are playing (ooh it's Nicholas Cage playing a drunk), Johnny Depp is the character (Ooh look! It's Edward Scissorhands) - I challenge anyone to state otherwise - and then you have that holy of unions... Depp and Burton, now that's movie magic!

So how can we advance further without focussing on Depp more, easy answer... Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi... Who and Who? Shame on you!!!

Martin Landau, esteemed actor of the silver screen since 1959 and winning his first Academy Award for his work in Ed Wood playing another Hollywood great, Bela Lugosi (the original Dracula) - it is a mesmerising performance of a tragic character who walked in life as dark a path as his many terrifying screen performances. An actor to the core, forever type-cast, unappreciated and forgotten until he crosses paths with a true fan, a man who would immortalise him in his last days, Mr Ed Wood.

The film is full of great hysterically funny moments and characters - Sarah Jessica Parker as Ed Wood's traumatised prissy girlfriend, Lisa Marie as Vampyra (the Elvira originator, although I do believe the courts say not), Bill Murray as a sex change dying to happen, and more...

Shot in black and white, but undeniably more colourful than it should be, the journey one takes when watching Ed Wood, arguably Tim Burton's most serious picture, is packed full of pay-off punch - 1000% a classic in my book!

Shockingly Depp did not get an Oscar Nom for his performance, but it was a tough year for getting noticed, I think it may just be my best year for movies, I mean - Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bullets Over Broadway, Nell - has there ever been a better year of movies to choose from? I mean this was the year when arguably the greatest movie ever made, Shawshank, struggled at the box office yet after the Oscars broke rental records the world over (and notably the year not a single Best Actress Nominee appeared in any of the Best Picture Nominees). The 14th movie watched for Oscar project 2014 is Ed Wood:

nuff said...