Review of The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1996) by Jeremiah Z — 02 Nov 2008

A really interesting look at the life and work of Ed Wood, who is considered to be the worst movie director of all time (this is a false statement), which has brought him a level of notoriety and fame after his untimely death. I liked how they got people who didn't respect him (Vampira), as well as people who thought he was "a user and a loser" (Bela Lugosi Jr.) in there so it brought you a multi-angle view of the man, as opposed to a piece consisting of fluff and worship. However this ultimately helps to highlight why Ed Wood was great. There is a bit where Vampira talks about how she thought Ed Wood was a sad little man who "couldn't see his own limitations", but it is the fact that Wood refused to recognize his limits that made him an artist (if you could call him that), who is remembered. If he had let his limits stopped him, Ed Wood would just be a name on a gravestone, but he didn't, and that's why people all over the world love to throw on PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE for an evening of cheesy and memorable laughs again and again.

This movie goes well with Tim Burton's fantastic biopic on Wood, since it will show you some of the accuracies and liberties in the story presented there.