Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

merelyaninnuendo Ed WoodThere are few laughs here and there drawn out from witty lines and amusing characters despite of resonating a lot to the practicality of the nature. A smart adaptation by Scott and Larry from Rudolph Grey's book is not only funny but edited perfectly too. Tim Burton as always excels in execution but this one was quite exciting to encounter since this wasn't one of his sketchy created world that he normally walks on. Ed Wood works great on terms of craft that one can explore into but it also offers the audience very little to hold onto on terms of entertainment.

elicopperman As someone who has watched movies ever since he was a little kid, I've seen my fair share of good ones, bad ones, and mediocre ones. However, no matter how the movie turns out, I never forget that at the end of the day, almost if not all film directors put their best foot forward on movies trying to make ends meet with art. The exact same thing can be said about Edward D. Wood Jr., the man infamously known as the Worst Director in history, as he made movies cheap and fast resulting in films in laughably dubious quality like Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster, and of course, Plan 9 from Outer Space...but as incompetent as he was, he made these films out of earnest intention because he had such a passion for filmmaking, and who better to tackle the project of an eccentric weirdo who had such a passion for film than another eccentric weirdo who made his own weird albeit earnest and passionate films than Tim Burton.What could have easily been a straight up mockery of the filmmaker ends up being a love letter to the man, as Burton clearly understands how hard it is to get a film made, thus sympathizing with the director through trial and error. What gives Wood a spark of light in the feature is that he is so optimistic and positive about the filmmaking experience and his own movies that he did whatever it took, from hiring his friends as actors, to getting washed up star Bela Lugosi in his films, to stealing props, to getting funding from a Baptist church. Sure a lot of this seems nuts, but keep in mind many other filmmakers have done crazy things to get their films made too (look up how Apocalypse Now and Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs were made), and while Wood may have been in the wrong, his unbelievably passionate drive to making the greatest films ever made really is worth the price of viewing.As for other technicalities, the acting is phenomenal, from Johnny Depp capturing Mr. Wood's upbeat and eccentric mannerisms, to Sarah Jessica Parker presenting his former girlfriend Dolores Fuller as motivating at first and then embarrassed by Ed's transvestism (the inspiration for Glen or Glenda), to Patricia Arquette as Ed's second girlfriend Kathy O'Hara presenting as sweet and accepting to Wood's transvestism, to Jeffrey Jones bringing the weird albeit earnest psychic Criswell to life, to Lisa Marie as the stern fatale Vampire, and even George Steele as the bulky unintelligible albeit sweet wrestler Tor Johnson. But the real scene stealer is Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, who rightfully earned his Oscar for bringing to life this iconic horror movie actor to screen with his erratic behavior, heartbroken nature, and gentleness to Ed Wood that gives him a soft spot making one sympathize with the poor old man. Oh, and Bill Murray as the lovable homosexual Bunny Breckinridge? GENIUS!The film made the right decision in not only shooting it in black & white, but by also on occasion using real stock music to create the right mood for the 1950s, almost like a time capsule. Admittedly, the movie is not 100% accurate to Ed Wood's life, but it still elevates Wood's goal to keep pushing forward through all hardships. Tim Burton even explained, "In doing a biopic you can't help but get inside the person's spirit a little bit, so for me, some of the film is trying to be through Ed a little bit. So it's got an overly optimistic quality to it." Besides, its a movie first, and a biopic second (like Amadeus), don't except everything to click authentically. In conclusion, Ed Wood is not only my favorite film from Tim Burton, but one of my all time favorites for its wonderful intent that filmmakers always try to make the greatest films ever (even if studios may disagree with their visions), the fantastic cinematography and editing, the marvelous acting, the witty humor, and just about everything else. There is a reason I never judge a movie until I see it, and that's because I don't know something unless I actually view it. Sure I may assume it could be bad, but I don't know it is until I give it the time of day to fully analyze it. If I didn't, then I would not have seen movies I love with all my heart like La La Land, The Lego Movie, Zootopia, and especially this film. That, and even if their films end up poor, filmmakers will always put their best foot forward and I respect them for that every time they try to make a motion picture. As Orson Welles in this film said it best, "Visions are worth fighting for, why spend your life making someone else's dreams?"

bowmanblue Back before the public seemed to generally go off the once-bankable combination of director Tim Burton and leading man Johnny Depp, they made 'Ed Wood,' the biographical drama of the now 'infamous' Hollywood auteur of the same name. If you know your film history, you may have heard of 'Plan 9 From Outer Space,' largely because it has often been heralded as the 'worst film ever made.' Personally, I think that's a little unfair as Michael Bay is still alive, but it's hardly a masterpiece.It was Ed Wood himself who wrote and directed this *ahem* 'epic' which he basically blagged his way to get funded. Burton tells this story using Depp as the titular character. Who is also a cross-dresser. Did I mention that? Yes, not only does Ed Wood truly believe that he is destined to become the next Orson Wells, but he also likes wearing women's clothes. Cue Depp turning his quirky on-screen charm up to eleven.For some reason, Burton chooses to shoot the whole film in black and white. At first some may find this a little weird and jarring, yet, before long, you probably won't notice that colour has been drained, especially when the 'films within the film' start rolling and you see Wood's sci-fi flick in all its colourless glory.Yes, it's based on the real Ed Wood, but does that mean it's a true story? Well, it's as true as the next Hollywood 'true' story. A few liberties here and there have obviously been taken to further the plot, but, on the whole, it's reasonably accurate. You don't have to know much about Ed Wood or his work to enjoy this, you just have to appreciate a role that seems to have been written for Johnny Depp, who plays the man with so much wide-eyed wonder that you can't help but root for him, even if he probably hasn't got the talent to back up his ambition (but then that can be said for pretty much ever reality TV show participant ever).Depp carries the film on his own, but, besides Burton's behind-the-scenes presence shining through, it's worth mentioning the bunch of misfits Ed Wood brings along with him, all of which are allowed to have more than one moment where they shine.The real Plan 9 From Outer Space was a flop. However, it has since found an audience with the 'so-bad-it's-good' audiences, plus Burton/Depp's take on Ed Wood have furthered its reputation. You may not want to see the source material after watching this (although I did and I enjoyed – or appreciated at least – it for what it was), but the time spent with Depp and his band of freaks and desperates should keep you comically entertained with its mix of pathos and fluffy pink sweaters.

Mr-Fusion I've seen the train wreck that is "Plan 9 from Outer Space", which makes "Ed Wood" feel like an eye-opener. Is this true to life? Clearly not, but it's all shot up with so much whimsy and biting dialogue that you honestly don't care. Johnny Depp plays Wood with a cock-eyed optimism, and that positive spirit is what brings out the humor in his many failures. That, and a zest for angora sweaters.It's a modest movie, even with such a strong cast (particularly Martin Landau) and I love that it's uncharacteristic of Tim Burton. But of his collaborations with Depp, this is easily my favorite and never fails to leave me with a smile.A fine movie indeed.9/10