Ed Wood [Blu-ray]

This is one of my favorite films of all time, and the DVD was certainly worth the wait. I have been an Ed Wood fan since reading "The Golden Turkey Awards" by Harry and Michael Medved many years ago. In the Medved book, Ed Wood not only was named the "Worst Director of All Time," but his masterwork, "Plan Nine From Outer Space" won "Worst Movie of All Time." That is high praise indeed, but I think the reason Ed won was because of his naive commitment to his work. A lot of directors have made a lot of worse movies than Ed did (many with astronomically larger budgets), but the devoted earnestness of Wood's films truly set them apart. In this film, shot in perfectly suited black and white, Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood in the greatest performance of his career. Depp shines as the eccentric director, and truly brings the character to life in a way that genuinely makes the audience like and appreciate Ed. The other towering figure in the movie is that of Martin Landau (who deservedly won an Oscar for this performance) as Ed's friend Bela Lugosi, the great man of gothic horror films. Landau is mesmerizing as Lugosi, and people familiar with Wood's films will be amazed by the uncanny accuracy of his performance. Through the relationship of these two men, the audience really comes to appreciate Wood's fundamental humanity. I can't say enough about Landau's performance. Rarely has there ever been another biopic performance as accurate or powerful. The film traces Ed's film career from his personal statement about angora in "Glen or Glenda," through the "Bride of the Monster" debacle (the scene of Bela flailng with the unmotorized octopus alone is worth the price of the DVD), and finally to his opus, the film for which he will always be remembered, "Plan Nine From Outer Space." The sets throughout the film are absolutely perfect, and the interesting thing is how Director Tim Burton made the "Wood" sets look perfectly shoddy, without making them into a parody. The lighting and makeup are also perfect (Rick Baker also won an Oscar for makeup) and greatly enhance the period feel of the film. Tim Burton will always have a special place in my heart for thoughtfully casting original Wood regulars Paul Marco, Conrad Brooks and Gregory Walcott in small roles. That was a greatly appreciated and gentlemanly touch. The DVD was definitely worth the wait. There are several "making of" features (one featuring Johnny Depp in drag in a meat packing plant), the original trailer, commentary from several principals of the film, and a delightful (and extremely strange) music video, directed by, of all people, Toni Basil. This is a great movie, and from what I have read about Wood, is generally quite accurate. The entire supporting cast is fabulous (particularly Bill Murray), and they truly manage to capture the essence of the Ed Wood experience. This is suitable for all audiences except young children. There are some language issues, and some issues of confused sexuality (crossdressing; angora fetish) that are not suitable for pre-teens. Ed Wood finally got the recognition he deserved; I only wish he were around to enjoy it. He died in poverty in 1978. I recommend this film without any reservations. Thank you, Tim Burton.

Bought for husband. He loves it. Great quality DVD. Brand new, no scratches. Very happy with it.

Not the most famous movie, about not the most famous director, on how the not most famous movies ever made got made. Ed Wood tells a story about how some of the most iconic films in American cinema that went on to inspire so many other filmmakers were made and the drama behind them. While ultimately this is a story about the failures of independent film in the early days and the harsh realities of the industry. It has very hysterical moments and sobering scenes of Ed Wood and the people he worked with. Johnny Depp delivers an honest bright eyed performance but Martin Landau steals the show with an excellent betrayal of an aging and angry Bella Lugosi that is past his prime, and filled with regret. I highly recommend this film for anyone interested in making movies or in film school. Also anyone that is interested in the B movie horror flicks of the 50s and 60s and would like to have a dramatization of these moments in American cinematic history. The overall message of this film is do not give up on your dreams, even if they are out of grasp, and you cannot achieve them. Your works will live beyond your days and will inspire countless generations.

Whatever deficiencies Burton's biopic may have as a film are readily compensated for by a subject matter, script, and style so cinematically evocative that the viewer is apt to sense he's seeing many other films at the same time. Burton captures the fanaticism in every true movie fan, the sheer exhilaration experienced by the lover of movies of every artistic level, the driven exhuberance and enthusiasm that unite the best directors and their audiences. The posters in Woods' office--of "Kane," "Dracula," and numerous grade B movies--range from the sublime to the ridiculous, each betraying their owner's undiscriminating passion for films and his compulsive need to complete his projects. At one point he meets the great Orson Welles (an uncanny impersonation by Vincent D'Onofrio) who, like Wood, is struggling to finance his latest project--"Don Quixote," of all things! "All visions are worth fighting for," Welles counsels Wood, who takes the advice to heart. Sharp enough to know the greatness of "Kane" even in the fifties and smart enough to quote Coleridge's definition of imaginative art as "the willing suspension of disbelief," Wood remains oblivious to the fact that his movies are fooling no one--except himself. He watches them repeatedly and uncritically, mouthing each word of atrocious dialogue, shedding tears of pathos and joy, and always shaking his head in disbelief at the wonder of his own illusions. It's easy to see why Tim Burton would be drawn to a project such as this, and Burton's own attraction to the surfaces of the medium, to the light and shadow of the projected image, and his eye for the off-beat make him a creative and spiritual descendant of Ed Wood. And Ed, like every great director from Eisenstein to Burton himself, understands the very essence of cinema. It's not about the "reality" documented by the camera: it's about the creative, imaginative, inventive mixing and matching of strips of celluloid. Early in the film he makes the claim, "I could make an entire movie of stock footage." Many directors could, and have. But Ed is represented by Burton as being uncritical and fanatical about his projects to the point of being utterly and fatally careless as well. He's energetic, relentless, generous, but never exacting. The "details" don't matter, he tells his crew and producers on "Plan 9 from Outer Space." And so his failures, though no less resounding, are at least free of cynicism and are fueled by a vision of cinema in which the viewer's imagination can be counted on to replace verisimilitude. Wood brings to film-making a kind of free-spirited, carefree vision that disciplined film-makers like Burton know can never succeed with a public insisting that film simulate, and not merely symbolize, reality. My only reservation about Burton's impressive tribute is the casting of Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. Depp is a skilled, off-center actor and somewhat of a cult Hollywood figure himself. But Depp's adolescent voice and youthful appearance almost suggest a star-struck, recent teenager going for broke against all odds--a common, familiar theme throughout our culture. Wood, on the other hand, was an innocent, enchanted child-creature in a grown man's body. He's the amateur in us all, including those of us who might fit the description of a middle-aged yuppie in possession of nothing more than a camcorder, an iMac movie editing program, and a dream.

Great movie about Ed Wood!

駄作監督の生涯を描いた作品。どこまでが史実通りなのかわかりませんが、ジョニー・デップやマーティン・ランドーたちの軽妙な演技は観ていて楽しい。

Piacevole omaggio di Tim Burton a questo misconosciuto regista d'oltre-oceano, forse il più sfortunato di Hollywood, con tante idee, pochi mezzi (o nulli), perennemente in bolletta, ma grande appassionato di cinema e di tutto quello che ci gravita attorno... Da segnalare il Grande Martin Landau nella parte del grande Bela Lugosi, immortale primo Dracula del periodo horror della Universal. Come al solito Johnny Depp fa la sua bella parte nei panni di Ed Wood, appunto il regista senza fortuna e con strane manie feticistiche nei confronti degli abiti da donna... Bella l'idea di girare tutto in bianco e nero, omaggio al cinema che fu di Hollywood, dei suoi miti (Bela Lugosi) e delle sue leggende (si fece seppellire vestito da Dracula, con tanto di mantello), quando i divi e le dive "bucavano" letteralmente il grande schermo, finivano sui rotocalchi e facevano sognare...

Un film très intéressant très drôle ! Johnny Depp est génial ! Les autres acteurs aussi . Surtout. Martin Landau . Il n'a pas volé son Oscar ! C'est la biographie d'un réalisateur qui avait des Idées de grandeur ! C'est beau de rêver !!!

Por ahora la mejor película de la dupla Deep/Burton. Totalmemte en castellano y con extras basicos. Buena imagen y sonido.

Excellente transaction ! La réponse est Le pari !