Review of Glen or Glenda (1953) by Shane D — 20 Nov 2009

With Plan 9 Ed Wood gave us what may possibly be the best accidental comedy ever, but with Glen Or Glenda? he gave us something that I don't think has been repeated in film history, accidental surrealism.

Seeing this film for the first time was one of the most bizarre movie expediences I've ever had. Between Lugosi's rambling and somewhat insane narration(?), random stock footage of buffaloes, some ludicrous acting by Wood himself, and what I can only imagine are supposed to be dream sequences, this movie seems like it was filmed inside the head of a mental patient.

I don't think that anybody, other than the maestro of bad movies, could ever produce something like this without meaning for it to be weird. This movie may have been a classic if released as a surrealist film, but Wood probably didn't see anything out of the ordinary about it.

In fact the entire movie probably made perfect sense to him. Just more evidence that he was either a mad genius or just plain ol' mad. Plan 9 may get all the attention, but if you ask me, this was Wood's masterpiece.

A story so personal that nobody, other than its maker, knew what the hell it was trying to say.