Ed Wood (1994)

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers (WGA):

Rudolph Grey (book)
Scott Alexander (written by) ...

Release Date:

28 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Movies were his passion. Women were his inspiration. Angora sweaters were his weakness.

Plot:

The mostly true story of the legendary director of awful movies and his strange group of friends and actors.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Friend | Transvestism | Friendship | Halloween

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 19 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Ed Wood
Martin Landau	...	Bela Lugosi
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Dolores Fuller
Patricia Arquette	...	Kathy O'Hara
Jeffrey Jones	...	Criswell
G.D. Spradlin	...	Reverend Lemon
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Orson Welles
Bill Murray	...	Bunny Breckinridge
Mike Starr	...	Georgie Weiss
Max Casella	...	Paul Marco
Brent Hinkley	...	Conrad Brooks
Lisa Marie	...	Vampira
George 'The Animal' Steele	...	Tor Johnson
Juliet Landau	...	Loretta King
Clive Rosengren	...	Ed Reynolds

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong language.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Israel:PG | Netherlands:MG6 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:11

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

This film cost more to produce than all of Edward D. Wood Jr.'s films put together.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the first meeting between Ed Wood and George Weiss where Ed is trying to get funding for Glen or Glenda (1953), Weiss mentions he did a movie entitled Chained Girls (1965), which came out after "Glen or Glenda".

Quotes:

Edward D. Wood, Jr.: ...and then, Dr. Vornoff falls into the pit, and his own octupus attacks and eats him. The end.
Old Man McCoy: Whew! That's quite a story.
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: Yes.
Old Man McCoy: So, uh, you made the movie, and now you wanna make it again?
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: No. We shot ten minutes of the movie, and now we're looking for completion funds.
Old Man McCoy: Oh, son, you're too vague.
[Yells to one of his butchers]
Old Man McCoy: BILLY BOB! You're cuttin' em too lean.
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: Mr. McCoy. How can I make you happy?
Old Man McCoy: [Spits] Okay. Two things. Number one: I want the movie to end with a big explosion. Sky full of smoke.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Five Minutes, Mr. Welles (2005)

Soundtrack:

GRIP OF THE LAW

"Why, I thought he was dead."

Although I had never heard of Ed Wood before hearing of this film, I now understand why anybody would even consider making a film about him. Even though branded as "the worst director of all time," Wood was refreshingly passionate about what he did. Of course, I can't really judge his work, but from what I saw in this movie I'm pretty sure that the critics are right about him.

But that's not the point of Ed Wood. Not at all. My favorite scene in the whole movie is the conversation between Wood and Orson Welles. One perhaps the best filmmaker of his time, the other a young, struggling filmmaker without experience or talent, but each knows what the other is going through. They have the same problems and the same ambitions. The fact that one is a genius and the other a total failure is only secondary.

The performances are all first-rate, starting with Depp and Landau and going all the way to the supporting cast which includes a great performance by Bill Murray. Opposing Ed Wood's statement that "filmmaking is not about the tiny details," Tim Burton gave us another great film filled with wonderful details.

The film does not go into detail about Wood's experiences prior to and after making his first films which is understandable when you make a little research on this very website.

This film made me curious about Ed Wood's work and maybe I'll get over myself and check out Plan 9 from Outer Space or Glen or Glenda.

8.5/10