There was a point in Tim Burton’s career when he was trying to make the kind of films he wanted to do, and yet couldn’t due to either working with established properties, or just silly Hollywood interference. Sometimes it was a case of both, but no matter which it was, and regardless of how you look at it, there’s no denying that Tim went through an odd phase in his career.
Tim is easily one of those filmmakers who always has something to say, even if a film of his doesn’t do well with critics or his fans (I’m lookin’ at you, Planet of the Apes). But no matter what concepts he brings to life, his vision and love for the medium shines through. It sounds a lot like another filmmaker. One who, like Tim, struggled but enjoyed making movies despite how they appeared to others. That other director, of course, is Edward D. Wood Jr.
Ed Wood is a 1994 film based on the career of Hollywood’s infamous “bad movie” director Ed Wood, who’s played by Johnny Depp. On the surface, it may not seem like something you’d expect from Tim Burton, but as a film driven by interesting characters (as opposed to a film driven by Tim’s usual dark style), it’s actually a great fit for him. Throughout the movie, Ed fights with studio executives while struggling with his love life, personal life, and his transvestism. In addition, he tries to keep his head straight as he makes films.
As a filmmaker, Ed is notorious for his lack of attention-to-detail and his tendency to rush production without ever filming more than one take. His production value is ridiculous, but it’s a lot of fun to watch everything come to life. Anyone who’s ever made films early in their life will definitely get a kick out of seeing the quickly-improvised effects. All these techniques are best demonstrated as Ed creates his magnum opus Plan 9 From Outer Space, a movie so cheesy and low-budget, it makes Troma films look like masterpieces.
Some of his other well-known films include Glen or Glenda, and Bride of the Monster, both of which are also depicted in this film. The detail put into recreating the films’ sets and footage is already spot-on, but with the black & white aesthetic, it’s absolutely perfect. And with Martin Landau’s performance as Bela Lugosi, you can tell how much fun the filmmakers had re-enacting all the funny dialogue from the original films.
Martin received a lot of praise for his performance and he definitely deserves it. The make-up effects department (led by Rick Baker) did an amazing job at capturing Lugosi’s likeness while making it natural with Martin’s own features. On top of that, the film’s best comedic moments are centered around Bela, particularly scenes where he swears up a storm. Simply put, Martin Landau steals the show.
The film isn’t entirely accurate, but like any other biopic done in this fashion (like Amadeus, for instance), it’s important to know that some things do need to be fictionalized just enough for purposes of storytelling. Films like this are best looked at as historical fiction, not historical fact. Biopics can be accurate enough or very accurate, but in the end, they simply have to stand on their own as entertaining movies to watch, and this one definitely succeeds at that.
Ed Wood is one of those movies that will grab the attention of anyone creative and put them in the mind of a struggling artist. It’s inspiring, funny, and even touching. If you’re an aspiring filmmaker or any other type of storyteller, don’t just watch this movie, buy the DVD and enjoy every moment.
That wraps it up for tonight. It’s fun talking about movies I enjoy, so we’ll be back next week with another tale. As always, remember that future events such as these will affect you in the future. ‘Til next time everybody. o/
Kasey Lewis - Actor, Writer, Creator 