ComedyDramaHistory

Ed Wood

- Movies were his passion. Women were his inspiration. Angora sweaters were his weakness.

The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.

Release Date : 1994-09-28

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Touchstone Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Ed Wood

Original Name : Johnny Depp

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bela Lugosi

Original Name : Martin Landau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dolores Fuller

Original Name : Sarah Jessica Parker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kathy O'Hara

Original Name : Patricia Arquette

Gender : Female

Character Name : Criswell

Original Name : Jeffrey Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bunny Breckinridge

Original Name : Bill Murray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vampira

Original Name : Lisa Marie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tor Johnson

Original Name : Jim Myers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Reverend Lemon

Original Name : G. D. Spradlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Orson Welles

Original Name : Vincent D'Onofrio

Gender : Male

Character Name : Georgie Weiss

Original Name : Mike Starr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul Marco

Original Name : Max Casella

Gender : Male

Character Name : Conrad Brooks

Original Name : Brent Hinkley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Loretta King

Original Name : Juliet Landau

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ed Reynolds

Original Name : Clive Rosengren

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cameraman Bill (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Alden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Makeup Man Harry (uncredited)

Original Name : Leonard Termo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dr. Tom Mason (uncredited)

Original Name : Ned Bellamy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soundman (uncredited)

Original Name : Danny Dayton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Camera Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Ross Manarchy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tony McCoy

Original Name : Bill Cusack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Feldman (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley DeSantis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rude Boss (uncredited)

Original Name : Biff Yeager

Gender : Male

Character Name : Security Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Joseph R. Gannascoli

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Crusty Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Carmen Filpi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Secretary #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Lisa Malkiewicz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Secretary #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Melora Walters

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Conrad Brooks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Salesman (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Amendolia

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stage Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Reid Cruickshanks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Executive #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Lionel Decker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Executive #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Edmund L. Shaff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Gene LeBell

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV Show Host (uncredited)

Original Name : Bobby Slayton

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV Host's Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Gretchen Becker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Conservative Man (uncredited)

Original Name : John Rice

Gender : Male

Character Name : Conservative Wife (uncredited)

Original Name : Catherine Butterfield

Gender : Female

Character Name : Backer's Wife (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Portser

Gender : Female

Character Name : Hick Backer (uncredited)

Original Name : King Cotton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Southern Backer (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Hood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Valet (uncredited)

Original Name : Matthew Barry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Monaco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Busboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Potential Backer (uncredited)

Original Name : Gregory Walcott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Another Backer (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles C. Stevenson Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Old Man McCoy (uncredited)

Original Name : Rance Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor Strowski (uncredited)

Original Name : Vasek Simek

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV Horror Show Director (uncredited)

Original Name : Vinny Argiro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Indian Musician (uncredited)

Original Name : Korla Pandit

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Patti Tippo

Gender : Female

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Baker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rental House Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Louis Lombardi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wrestling Opponent (uncredited)

Original Name : Jesse Hernandez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Theatre Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Boyce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Angry Kid (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Ryan Ganger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tourist (uncredited)

Original Name : Charlie Holliday

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tough Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Tommy Bertelsen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photographer #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Adam Drescher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photographer #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Ric Mancini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pilot / Strapping Young Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Daniel Riordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hammy Alien (uncredited)

Original Name : Mickey Cottrell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sexy Pedestrian (uncredited)

Original Name : Lena Banks

Gender : Female

Character Name : Orson Welles (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Maurice LaMarche

Gender : Male

Character Name : Vampira's Friend (uncredited)

Original Name : Ada Tai

Gender : Female

Character Name : Vampira's Friend (uncredited)

Original Name : Arlene Tai

Gender : Female

Character Name : Car Vandal (uncredited)

Original Name : Rayder Woods

Gender : Male

Character Name : Extra (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Moratz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carny (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Blair

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frantic Usher

Original Name : Ryan Holihan

Gender : Male

Reviews

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2023-09-12

**A sincere tribute to the man and his work, full of bizarreness, humor, artificial octopuses and angora.** I've been wanting to see this for a while now, and the opportunity finally came. Very intelligently directed by Tim Burton, it is a brief biography that honors Ed Wood, reckoned as the worst director Hollywood has ever known (although that title is disputed by other more recent directors). I already knew Ed Wood's work, I've seen one or two of his films, and I can guarantee that his fame is justified: the films are the most amateurish imaginable and the number of errors and problems is such that even the general public saw the director's inability and naïveté. I won't dwell on this point, just add that this film covers the filming of “Glenn or Glenda”, “Bride of the Monster” and “Plan 9 from Outer Space”. As is typical of Burton's films, there is a certain amount of bizarreness which makes the most sincere homage to Ed Wood's work. One notices, implicitly, a certain sympathy or admiration for the director, who never achieved fame (at least, positive) and to whom success has eluded. He is a man with a vision and a dream, but without any ability to achieve it and who, even so, never gave up. Johnny Depp was a smart choice for the protagonist. The actor likes unusual roles and portrayed Wood in a very faithful way, emphasizing his incorrigible and absolutely blind optimism, as well as his habit of dressing like a woman and the problems that caused him in being taken seriously. There is, in the character, a certain bizarre fetish about angora fabrics that I don't know if it was real, but it fit very well. I also really liked Martin Landau, a very respectable veteran who fit wonderfully into the role of Bela Lugosi, the mythical horror actor who was forgotten by the industry towards the end of his life and succumbed to morphine addiction and depression, and Lisa Marie, who played Maila Nurmi, Finnish actress famous for her character Vampira. Sarah Jessica Parker also did an impeccable job as Wood's girlfriend. Jeffrey Jones does a good job as Criswell, a fake psychic famous for his TV appearances. Bill Murray appears little, but does a decent job whenever asked. The film was very well shot in black and white, and I believe this fit better with the spirit of the film, and the way it was designed. There is a beautiful limpidity and the cinematography is very crafted and stylistically rich. The film plays a lot with the difficulties that Wood encountered in filming and promoting his films, and the total amateurism with which he did so, and this is funny and, at the same time, moving. The sets and costumes are excellent, convincing, and the reproduction of the films was well done and honors the originals. The soundtrack, written by Howard Shore, does the rest and gives the film a bizarrely delicious tone. Finally, a word about the opening and ending of the film, in a style magnificently suited to cheap horror productions of the time.