Review of Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) by Cam D — 04 May 2013

Hitchcock, Friedkin, Polanski, Kubrick and Scott are among the all-time masters of horror and suspense with films topping AFI's Thriller list, the epitome of their genre. Their antithesis is embodied in a single director, Ed Wood, and his seminal film, Plan 9 from Outer Space. The real suspense in this movie is anticipating what will be bungled next: aimless plot meandering, continuity error, missed acting cue or mark, fumbled or nonsensical dialog delivery, cheesey prop malfunction, or a schlock-laden special effect. The thrill is never being disappointed. Not 30 seconds go by without a dramatic display of cinematic ineptitude, invariably some combination of them in epic proportion, continuing without respite from opening credits to a magnificently anti-climactic ending.

Plan 9 from Outer Space is so atrocious as to evoke sympathy for all involved, including the audience. The ending brings great relief there is one, with a hope the future events depicted will affect the future . . . to prevent a sequel (Plan 10 anyone??). It's a MUST SEE, with its entertainment value deriving from the obvious enthusiasm displayed by cast and crew in producing an overwhelming debacle.