Subject: REVIEW: ED WOOD

From: [email-masked] (Raymond Johnston)
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 13:11:30 GMT

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				     ED WOOD
		       A film review by Raymond Johnston
			Copyright 1994 Raymond Johnston

Dir: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker,
          Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray

     There are may ways to approach the life of down-and-out
independent producer/director Edward D. Wood, Jr.  The story of his life
has all the scope of a tragedy- hopeful young actor and writer declines
into writing porn novels and dies penniless on a distant friend's
couch.  That Tim Burton and his screen writers could take this tragic
life and make a comic biopic film so full of joie de vivre is somewhat
of an accomplishment.

     The film centers on Wood's best years, those with his big star,
Bela Lugosi.  Depp is fine as Wood, managing to look like him and
boldly presenting himself in angora sweaters and high heels.  Martin
Landau, perhaps the most underrated actor, steals the film completely
as Bela Lugosi, the near death former horror star.  At the New York
Film Festival screening, Landau got endless applause.  He said that he
studies twenty-five Bela Lugosi films, plus interview footage.  Landau
described differences in their acting styles, kindly referring to
Lugosi as "minimalist."  His makeup was designed by Rick Baker.  Johnny
Depp claimed his preparation included watching Ronald Reagan videos for
part of the voice.  Bill Murray said he was unfamiliar with the concept
of preparing for a role.  Vincent D'Onofrio gave a good stab at
portraying Orson Welles (don't ask), but he seems to be dubbed by an
impressionist.

     Director Tim Burton abandoned the saturated color and
expressionist sets of his Batman films.  Ed Wood is in stark black and
white, with a lot of real dingy Hollywood locations.  Much of the film
is lit like Ed Wood's real productions, and played out on sparse barely
decorated sets.  This blends the reality of Wood's life into the
fantasy of his films.  Scenes from his three big classics are matched
perfectly.  The black and white sunlit crumbling facades of the
minuscule studios are a Hollywood that is seldom depicted.

     The film falls into the recent genre of energetic independents
trying to raise money for a film like MY LIFE IS IN TURNAROUND, or
IN THE SOUP.  The extent that Ed Wood goes to make his films, and the
truly bizarre raft of Hollywood would-be's that he accumulates
transcends the bounds of the making a film genre.  If these characters
were not certifiably real, they would not be believable.

     Almost all biopics of Hollywood stars soft step the stars true
faults.  ED WOOD is no exception.  While Bela Lugosi's addictions are
played up in the film, Ed Wood's real life alcoholism is not
mentioned.  Wood is treated as with an amount of reverence that he
certainly never received in his real life.  Tim Burton also injects an
amount of optimism into the film by showing the production and premiere
of his films from Wood's own hyper enthusiastic perspective.

     The real irony of the film is that some of the acting and
technical elements of the film are so good that there might soon by
Oscars with the name ED WOOD engraved on them.  Landau will certainly
be nominated for playing Bela Lugosi, something that Bela could never
hope for.  Can posthumous Lifetime Achievement awards be far away?

     Those who enjoy the work of the great cinematic individualist Ed
Wood can also check out his recent biography that is the source of the
screenplay, "Nightmare of Ecstasy" by Rudolph Grey.  BRIDE OF THE
MONSTER is the best of Ed Wood's real films.  Bela Lugosi finished that
one.  The much-hyped PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE really does suffer
from the fact that it is constructed around a few short unused clips of
Bela.  GLEN OR GLENDA, also featuring Lugosi, cannot be described but
must be seen to be believed.