ORGY OF THE DEAD
*** Out of 5
Tagline- Come. Let Me Take You in My Golden Arms!
Release Date- June 1st, 1965
Running Time- 92-Minutes
Rating- NR
Screenplay- Ed Wood
Director- A.C. Stephen
Starring- Criswell, Fawn Silver, Pat Barringer, William Bates, Nadejda Dobrev
Released in 1965 Orgy of the Dead comes from the mind of Ed Wood as he's the writer of the screenplay and the novel the film is based off (though the novel was published after the film apparently). Ed Wood of course has been dubbed the worst director (he isn't) and while he wasn't the director of Orgy of the Dead, but everything here is classic Ed Wood material. Orgy of the Dead would fit into the nudie cuties genre and it's also linked with the horror genre and while the structure of the film isn't really horror, but the film is quite horrific! Basically Orgy of the Dead is 92-minutes of topless women dancing in a cemetery. There's no real plot, but only a hint of one and really this film serves no purpose other than to have topless women dancing throughout. The women are all quite attractive, so you won't get any complaints from me, but after awhile it actually does get tiresome, but with Wood's hilariously bad screenplay, the very poor acting, all this makes Orgy of the Dead quite a charming picture. While I'm no expert on the career of Ed Wood, but I have great admiration for him. While he was alive and active, his films really weren't very well known nor were his novels. It was only after his death in 1978, that Ed Wood went onto cult stardom. Ed Wood, never let failure detract him from making films and writing novels and he clearly had a love for what he was doing as he wasn't making any money. Ed Wood had imagination and while his films mostly worked on the so bad it's good level, but I've seen films that have zero redeeming qualities and to be honest Wood's Bride of the Monster wasn't bad at all. It's no worse than many of the low budget horror films of the 50s and had it been released in the 40s, it would easily fit in with the poverty row films.
As I mentioned there's very little plot. The tiny hint of a plot is writer Bob (Bates) is trying to come up with ideas for his latest horror novel, so logically he plans to go to a cemetery at night for inspiration, with him is his girlfriend Shirley (Barringer in a dual role as she also plays 'Gold Girl'). However, after a car accident, the two reach the cemetery and hear music playing, staying out of sight they see the Emperor (Criswell) and the Black Ghoul (Silver) having some sort of bizarre dance party or whatever one would describe it as. Soon however, Bob and Shirley are captured and are next in line to be victims.
That's basically your plot as the script by Ed Wood has zero structure and I'd love to get a hold of the novel, but finding Ed Wood's novels are nearly impossible with the exception of a couple. Orgy of the Dead features shockingly awful dialogue, made even funnier by the awful acting as this is one of the ultimate so bad it's good movies. The script, is meant to be light and fun, but yet the humor still feels unintentional. The very couple of scenes not played light are still quite funny with the silly dialogue. We even get the Mummy (Louis Ojena) and Wolfman (John Andrews) mixed in to add more comedic bits, but the script was already quite hysterical, but these two though help add even more to the silly and extremely absurd nature of the film. Ed Wood made his first feature film in 1953 with the infamous Glen or Glenda, which deals with a transvestite, which was sort of an autobiography, as Ed Wood would dress in drag, which horrified his first wife when she found out, which lead to their divorce. In 1954 Wood directed Jail Bait and in 1955 the already mentioned Bride of the Monster, which featured Bela Lugosi in his final speaking role. While no horror classic, but Bride of the Monster isn't nearly as bad as its reputation and really isn't a bad film. In 1959 Ed Wood directed Plan 9 from Outer Space, which has been dubbed the worst movie ever made, but truth be told, there's far worse films than Plan 9 and while no doubt Plan 9 isn't a well put together film and yes it's s hack job, but you'll be hard pressed to find a film that's more entertaining. Also in 1959, Wood directed Night of the Ghouls, but unable to pay the lab fee, Night of the Ghouls would go unreleased until the early 80s. In 1960 Ed Wood directed the Sinister Urge and after that he would only write as his next directed film wouldn't be until 1970. Ed Wood also worked within the adult film industry. Ed Wood would pass away December 10th, 1978 at the age of 54.
Orgy of the Dead was directed Stephen C. Apostolof under the name A.C. Stephen and this was his first feature film. The good portion of Apostolof's work has been forgotten in time and if anything his most notable work would be those he made with Ed Wood as besides Orgy of the Dead, Apostolof directed Drop Out Wife, the Class Reunion, the Snow Bunnies, the Cocktail Hostesses, Fugitive Girls and the Beach Bunnies with all those films written by Ed Wood. Out of all the films they worked on together Fugitive Girls also known as 5 Loose Women would probably be the best known of all their work together and along with Orgy of the Dead the most known films directed by Stephen C. Apostolof, but even those two films are underground. It's quite difficult to really get into the direction as it's more or less the same scene over and over again only with different women dancing. The bizarre nature of the film keeps it oddly watchable, well that and the silly script, while Apostolof basically delivers a hack job, but yet he also crafts a film that again is oddly watchable and charming, though I'd give more credit to Ed Wood's silly dialogue and the wooden acting, but Stephen C. Apostolof also deserves some credit for delivering a fun bad movie. Stephen C. Apostolof would pass away August 14th, 2005 at the age of 77.
Overall Orgy of the Dead is a fun film that works on the so bad it's good level. The script is while meant to be fun, but as I mentioned it still comes across as unintentional. Orgy of the Dead is 92-minutes of topless women dancing and it does get tiresome after awhile, but like I said Orgy of the Dead is oddly charming.
*** Out of 5
Tagline- Come. Let Me Take You in My Golden Arms!
Release Date- June 1st, 1965
Running Time- 92-Minutes
Rating- NR
Screenplay- Ed Wood
Director- A.C. Stephen
Starring- Criswell, Fawn Silver, Pat Barringer, William Bates, Nadejda Dobrev
Released in 1965 Orgy of the Dead comes from the mind of Ed Wood as he's the writer of the screenplay and the novel the film is based off (though the novel was published after the film apparently). Ed Wood of course has been dubbed the worst director (he isn't) and while he wasn't the director of Orgy of the Dead, but everything here is classic Ed Wood material. Orgy of the Dead would fit into the nudie cuties genre and it's also linked with the horror genre and while the structure of the film isn't really horror, but the film is quite horrific! Basically Orgy of the Dead is 92-minutes of topless women dancing in a cemetery. There's no real plot, but only a hint of one and really this film serves no purpose other than to have topless women dancing throughout. The women are all quite attractive, so you won't get any complaints from me, but after awhile it actually does get tiresome, but with Wood's hilariously bad screenplay, the very poor acting, all this makes Orgy of the Dead quite a charming picture. While I'm no expert on the career of Ed Wood, but I have great admiration for him. While he was alive and active, his films really weren't very well known nor were his novels. It was only after his death in 1978, that Ed Wood went onto cult stardom. Ed Wood, never let failure detract him from making films and writing novels and he clearly had a love for what he was doing as he wasn't making any money. Ed Wood had imagination and while his films mostly worked on the so bad it's good level, but I've seen films that have zero redeeming qualities and to be honest Wood's Bride of the Monster wasn't bad at all. It's no worse than many of the low budget horror films of the 50s and had it been released in the 40s, it would easily fit in with the poverty row films.
As I mentioned there's very little plot. The tiny hint of a plot is writer Bob (Bates) is trying to come up with ideas for his latest horror novel, so logically he plans to go to a cemetery at night for inspiration, with him is his girlfriend Shirley (Barringer in a dual role as she also plays 'Gold Girl'). However, after a car accident, the two reach the cemetery and hear music playing, staying out of sight they see the Emperor (Criswell) and the Black Ghoul (Silver) having some sort of bizarre dance party or whatever one would describe it as. Soon however, Bob and Shirley are captured and are next in line to be victims.
That's basically your plot as the script by Ed Wood has zero structure and I'd love to get a hold of the novel, but finding Ed Wood's novels are nearly impossible with the exception of a couple. Orgy of the Dead features shockingly awful dialogue, made even funnier by the awful acting as this is one of the ultimate so bad it's good movies. The script, is meant to be light and fun, but yet the humor still feels unintentional. The very couple of scenes not played light are still quite funny with the silly dialogue. We even get the Mummy (Louis Ojena) and Wolfman (John Andrews) mixed in to add more comedic bits, but the script was already quite hysterical, but these two though help add even more to the silly and extremely absurd nature of the film. Ed Wood made his first feature film in 1953 with the infamous Glen or Glenda, which deals with a transvestite, which was sort of an autobiography, as Ed Wood would dress in drag, which horrified his first wife when she found out, which lead to their divorce. In 1954 Wood directed Jail Bait and in 1955 the already mentioned Bride of the Monster, which featured Bela Lugosi in his final speaking role. While no horror classic, but Bride of the Monster isn't nearly as bad as its reputation and really isn't a bad film. In 1959 Ed Wood directed Plan 9 from Outer Space, which has been dubbed the worst movie ever made, but truth be told, there's far worse films than Plan 9 and while no doubt Plan 9 isn't a well put together film and yes it's s hack job, but you'll be hard pressed to find a film that's more entertaining. Also in 1959, Wood directed Night of the Ghouls, but unable to pay the lab fee, Night of the Ghouls would go unreleased until the early 80s. In 1960 Ed Wood directed the Sinister Urge and after that he would only write as his next directed film wouldn't be until 1970. Ed Wood also worked within the adult film industry. Ed Wood would pass away December 10th, 1978 at the age of 54.
Orgy of the Dead was directed Stephen C. Apostolof under the name A.C. Stephen and this was his first feature film. The good portion of Apostolof's work has been forgotten in time and if anything his most notable work would be those he made with Ed Wood as besides Orgy of the Dead, Apostolof directed Drop Out Wife, the Class Reunion, the Snow Bunnies, the Cocktail Hostesses, Fugitive Girls and the Beach Bunnies with all those films written by Ed Wood. Out of all the films they worked on together Fugitive Girls also known as 5 Loose Women would probably be the best known of all their work together and along with Orgy of the Dead the most known films directed by Stephen C. Apostolof, but even those two films are underground. It's quite difficult to really get into the direction as it's more or less the same scene over and over again only with different women dancing. The bizarre nature of the film keeps it oddly watchable, well that and the silly script, while Apostolof basically delivers a hack job, but yet he also crafts a film that again is oddly watchable and charming, though I'd give more credit to Ed Wood's silly dialogue and the wooden acting, but Stephen C. Apostolof also deserves some credit for delivering a fun bad movie. Stephen C. Apostolof would pass away August 14th, 2005 at the age of 77.
Overall Orgy of the Dead is a fun film that works on the so bad it's good level. The script is while meant to be fun, but as I mentioned it still comes across as unintentional. Orgy of the Dead is 92-minutes of topless women dancing and it does get tiresome after awhile, but like I said Orgy of the Dead is oddly charming.