Johnny Depp stars as the bizarre Ed Wood. The movie, dlroctod by Tim
Burton. Is a biography of the late film director known tor his oddities
‘Ed Wood’ brings to life
the weirdness of a director
Greg Hamilton
For the Oregon Daily Emerald
Hollywood director Ed Wood
wjis weird and everyone knew
it.
From borrowing his wives'
Angora sweaters to rin ruiting a
professional wrestler as his
lending man. Wood was known
for his unusual flair and leg
endary low-budget attitude.
Upon the eve of directing his
ignominious masterpiece Plan
Nine from Outer Space, ho was
quoted as saying. "This will ire
the film I'll iw remembered
for."
Well Ed. you got your wish.
Almost 40 years later, the
late Ed Wood is finally receiv
ing his due via a film biogra
phy. along with a little help
from Batman director and self
confessed weird (lead, Tim
Burton.
Transvestites, tombstones
and Tim. Ah yes. Mr Burton
and tus propensity for visualiz
ing the left-handed side of life
is the perfect match for one so
weird as Mr. Wood. Only the
creator of Edtvard St issorhands
and Bt'etlrjuu t' could serve up
a film biography so that the
audience can he both sympa
thetic and repulsed by the hero
lie's a c heap-jack director with
tin* heart of a fawn and the
instincts of a dung beetle
The actor who assumes this
lofty and bizarre role of Wood
is none other than ox-teen
hope-chest idol Johnny Depp,
who saw m tion as one of
Burton's other cinematic: oddi
ties, Edward Srissorhandk
This time around. Depp really
gets a c hance to exude the oily,
yet innoc ent role
As Ed Wood, he slips on the
visage of a cheap Hollywood
ac tor, always hoping for the big
quality role and ultimately set
tling for whatever pays the
bills Whether it lie shamelessly
selling himself to wealthy
greedheads who want their rel
atives cast in the lead, or bap
tizing his entire cast and crew
(including Bill Murray) in
order to obtain film funding
from the First Baptist Church of
Beverly Hills, Depp digs
deeply, seeking both the
Ed Wood
Johnny Depp and Martin Landau
Rated R
comedic and pathetic elements
of Wood's character.
Among the most important
aspects of the film is Kd
Wood's discovery and ultimate
friendship with then washed
up horror actor Bela Lugosi,
who was picking out a personal
coffin at the time Wood ran
across him Lugosi, brilliantly
portrayed by Martin laindau, is
a man suffering from a vampire
stereotype as well as a serious
addiction to morphine with a
Demerol chaser.
Wood was not so quickly put
off by these minor deterrences
and quickly began < asting him
ill hi# films, seeking to use
Lugosi's past fame to aid his
own cinematic breakthrough
This was the stepping stone
that would lead to Wood's infa
mous career as the World's
Worst Director.
1'his \ it totis title is lht< cata
lyst Horton uses to niaku Ed
Wood tho masterpier e that it i-.
In Wood's desire to "make the
film," he compromises in wavs
that make Richard Nixon look
like Abe Lincoln Me steals a
robotic octopus from a movie
lot, but forgets to take the
motor He shoots scenes in one
take, no matter how bad they
are His cinematic hubris ulti
mately becomes the comedic
avenue that drives the film
Of course this chaos takes a
certain amount of directorial
expertise, and Burton does it
w ith the instincts of an auteur,
bringing to blai k and white
(with the help of i inematogra
pher Stefan Czapsky) the
wretched weirdness of a B
movie director gone odd
Ed Wood is really a film
buff's film, but it is able to
reach many others through its
sentimental yet satirical take on
the life of a gonzo director
Although the film may drug nt
certain points with its sharp
eye for detail. Ed Wood ulti
mately satisfies with its dark
wit and charm
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