Subject: REVIEW: ED WOOD

From: [email-masked] (Max Hoffmann)
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 14:23:06 GMT

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				   ED WOOD
		       A film review by Max Hoffmann
			Copyright 1994 Max Hoffmann

BURTON HITS BULLSEYE WITH "WOOD"   
     
     Film director Ed Wood has a cult following composed of millions of
fans like me, who've poured over repeated viewings of such junkyard
classics as BRIDE OF THE MONSTER and PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE.  How
could such an eccentric character and high camp material possibly
succeed as the premise for another celebrity biography?  With ED WOOD,
producer/director Tim Burton redeems himself after a string of near
misses like THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS.
This deliriously funny yet touching portrait succeeds where other bios,
like CHAPLIN failed.

     This film finally balances the mean-spirited portraits of Wood and
Bela Lugosi propagated in Michael Medved's "Golden Turkey" book of the
late '70s.  No doubt, Mr. "Hollywood vs. the USA" will approve of the
mysterious R rating for a film with neither sex nor violence, but a few
cuss words and some tasteful cross dressing.

     Johnny Depp successfully employs the same "lost in his own
world--aw shucks" persona that failed miserably for Jeff Bridges
in TUCKER.  But the biggest surprise is Martin Landau's stunning
performance as the dying, morphine addicted Lugosi.  Landau's amazing
"dual performance" captures every nuance of Lugosi's persona in Wood's
first three films, also broadcasting his tragic humanity on an unspoken
level.  Fans who've previously only laughed at Lugosi's final "I have
no home" speech in BRIDE OF THE MONSTER will gasp, and possibly
stifle sobs, when they see the added level of irony the Laundau and
Burton bring to that scene.

     Burton employs a deliberately deadpan B/W camera, that apes the
unintentionally funny driver's training or "drug" films of the '50s.
He also honors Wood with a few deliberate mistakes, like mismatched
hairstyles for Sara Jessica Parker, in her final scene as Dolores
Fuller.  But the infamous sets of GLEN OR GLENDA and PLAN 9 are
true to the last lamp shade and cardboard tombstone.

     A large ensemble cast credibly replicate Wood's "family" of
eccentrics and outcasts, from Bill Murray (surprisingly on target as
tired old queen Bunny Breckenridge) to Lisa Marie, very true as
Vampira.  The only disappointment is Jeffrey Jones who misses the mark
on my personal favorite, Criswell.

     Expect ED WOOD to be another surprise "cross-over" hit that has
an element of drag, (this time with a hetero central character.) I
predict at least two Oscars next March, certainly one for Landau.
Required viewing.  A video rental of GLEN OR GLENDA ahead of time
will increase your enjoyment immeasurably.  Don't miss the Ed Wood
retrospective at SF's Castro theatre Oct 28th through 31st!