The Failure We Should All Strive to Be
To call Ed Wood a failure would be far too disingenuous in this day and age of creating Art. For we live in a time in which something entertaining gets used and abused repeatedly in 24 hour cycles that ultimately leaves the essence of whatever was pure of the material to an absolute state of nothingness from being used & abused and most importantly forgotten when that 25th hour arrives. A sad state of affairs.
There is no time left these days for a film to take the years needed to be discovered by a small group of individuals that would then use word of mouth to make an audience grow and grow in appreciating the beauty and strangeness that these forgotten films have to offer. Many filmmakers have grown in popularity from these organic audiences of late night TV watchers but Ed Wood is possibly the most famous example to set the standard of what true low budget high concept independent cinema has to offer.
For the films of Ed Wood are now some of most revered and loved films that continue to find a new legion of fans more so than other American filmmakers of his time. What is also worth noting is that these films have also managed to beat the greatest critic mankind has come in conflict with since the beginning; Time.
Whether or not this measure can be applied to the actual quality of the films themselves remains to be seen as a true test of the eye of the beholder but nonetheless it must be made certain that his films have stood the test of time as they are always in rotation when it comes to conversations of American cinema and what else can be described as the highest honor but of an Ed Wood film festival.
Truly these are the best of times when it comes to being an Ed Wood fan. Especially with the recent passing of Wade Williams who was highly litigious when it came to any of Ed Wood's films.
The Man
The question of Who is Ed Wood? might be the first to come to mind as you read so let me begin with a quick introduction to the man. He was a World War 2 veteran who strived to make films in Hollywood and with a career that zigged instead of zagged earned himself the title of being one of the worst, if not THE worst, filmmaker to ever get into filmmaking. A man who supposedly directed the worst film of all time; Plan 9 From Outer Space.
This claim to fame though is untrue for if you have seen enough films in your lifetime then you can recognize immediately that his films are completely watchable, for the most part, as well as coming to the realization that the actual worst film to ever manifest into existence is the 2019 anthology film; Verotika.
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Ed Wood never got much of a worthwhile reputation when he was alive but in his passing, his films have sparked a cult like following and this growing postmortem appreciation accumulated into an out of the normal biography film from a Hollywood studio entitled simply Ed Wood.
A passion project to all involved because why else would anyone write a script about Ed Wood unless they were passionate about the man? The film is written by team scriptwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski who would go on and make a respectable career as duo screenwriters writing such films as The People vs. Larry Flynt , Big Eyes, and my favorite Eddy Murphy movie; Dolemite is my Name. The script would bounce around and around Hollywood until final landing onto Tim Burton lap.
Now at this time, Tim Burton is a pretty big name in the Hollywood game. Having directed the two very successful Batman movies that sort of defined the late 80's/early 90's and then going on to have another success in between the two with Edward Scissorhands. The stars aligning in Ed Wood's favor as Burton was an actual fan and had an appreciation for the material. Rounding out the cast with Johnny Depp in the title role, Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, and committing to shooting the film in black and white and you get 1994's Ed Wood.
The Film
The film starts off with an introduction by Criswell that sets the tone for the irreverent sensibility that the audience is in store for. Howard Shore score of the therman and bongos lead us along as the fantastic opening credits of traveling through a graveyard that then lands in a small pond that cuts with stock footage of an octopus swimming the ocean floor before stop motion of that same octopus starts attacking the screen. Terrible looking flying saucers attack that stop motion leg and soon enough we fly into Hollywood where we are introduced to Ed Wood standing outside in the rain in front of small black box theater awaiting for critics to show up for his new World War 2 play; The Casual Company. No critics show up and the show must go on.
We then see Ed stand by the curtain as he acts out the play and the audience size of 5 gets the opportunity to see a terrible piece of theater to ever hit the stage on a cold rainy night.
They all go to a bar after the production and get their hands on the first reviews hot off the press. The cast can't see anything good in the reviews but Ed Wood can't be discouraged and sees the silver lining of the review regarding the soldiers' costumes being very realistic. This doesn't do much for the rest of them as the reviews have knocked the winds out of their sales.
From that beginning scene, the movie then follows the life of Ed Wood as he meets up and makes friends with Bela Lugosi and schmoozes his way into getting a shot at directing his first movie about the passionate introspective journey of a man needing to let the world know that he loves Angora sweaters as well as dressing up like a woman.
This cheapie shot in 4 days being the film Glen or Glenda which flops but Eddy keeps fighting and gets himself an interview with an executive at Warner Brothers. Ultimately that goes nowhere and Eddy has to go the independent route to tell the stories he wants to tell. Turmoil and painful is the production of Bride of the Atom with production having to stop so that they could get more money but after breaking hearts and having to compromise just a bit on his vision with a few tweaks such as renaming it Bride of the Monster he does the impossible. He gets the film in the can.
This film causing the end of his relationship as he had replaced his girlfriend, Dolores Fuller, at the time with another actress and the film ends up getting chalked up as another failure when it premieres to a sold out crowd of maniacal moviegoers that tear up the movie theater. Though as the journey continues, we see more and more of the relationship between Ed and his idol Bela.
Ed Wood being just about the only positive force in Bela Lugosi's life as he struggles with his morphine addiction which ultimately has him hitting a low point when his unemployment benefits are taken away. With no other options in his misery, he comes to the conclusion of just needing to blow his brains out to solve his problems but also wanting Eddy to join him. Ed though still has hopes for Lugosi. He gets him into rehab and stays by his side all throughout the treatment but it turns out that Lugosi doesn't have any medical benefits to stick with the treatment and gets kicked out.
Eddy wants him to have something to look forward to and goes about in taking the time to film Lugosi for a movie that doesn't exist. Yet. Though he films something with the idea of it being more introspective. Wanting of something more. Though the fruits of this labor come to a sudden end when Lugosi dies soon after and Eddy finds himself in a state of depression. Watching that limited amount of footage he shot of Bela over and over again.
Struggling to pay rent but luck has it that his landlord is wanting to get into the film business with his church to make 12 movies about the 12 Apostles but only have enough money for 1 Apostle movie. Eddy takes the opportunity to sell the idea that they should instead make a movie with mass appeal to make a lot of money in order to make all 12 films that they want and of course, he has just the script that contains just the massive mass appeal potential. Beaucoup bucks. The pastor agrees and Ed Wood gets the team together to make another movie. The movie that they'll remember him for.
During production of Grave Robbers from Outer Space though, the powers that be start to come down on Ed. Commenting and critiquing about his lack of talent and skills as a director to the point where he runs out of the studio while in drag in protest. Angry and frustrated as he takes a cab to the nearest bar and gets himself a glass of whiskey. Through the cigarette smoke though he sees a man but not just a man but the man. The myth. The legend. Orson Welles.
Just sitting at a table all by himself having a drink and a cigarette. Ed wanders over and introduces himself and they strike up a conversation. A conversation about filmmaking. Two men following down two different destinies and legacies in the filmmaking world sharing their struggles.
What it means to fight for yourself and the art. What it means to push against the forces that try to intervene against your vision. The questions that haunt the creatives from the beginning and luckily the stars aligned for Ed to be at the right place at the right time to have Orson Welles give him the strength and courage to make the film that he needs to make with complete confidence and control over his cinematic vision.
Ed Wood travels back to the studio and starts making his movie his way. Each memorable shot being created with the cheap sets, the terrible acting, and the dismal special effects. Done all in a montage to make you want to cheer and shout in encouragement.
Ed and his girlfriend head to the premier of Plan 9 from Outer Space and he comes across the greatest crowd that anybody can hope to have. Everyone in attendance clapping for Eddy as he makes his way through the theater and introduces the film. Dedicating it to his late friend Bela Lugosi. Everyone in attendance is enjoying the film even before it starts by clapping for each name that shows up.
The film almost ending on high note as Eddy and Kathy O'Hara head out to Vegas to get married until the epilogue starts playing and you found out about the fate of every major player in the film. You remember that ending to American Graffiti? Imagine that feeling of Goddamn by 1000.
A Quick Lament about Ed Wood
After watching this 2 hour and 6 minute film one might come to the question of; What else is there to say about Ed Wood? He was a man that didn't achieve much and met an end that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy but I want to say that this story of recurring failure is precisely the reason that we, you and I, must celebrate this man. For outside of his legacy of being the worst filmmaker is the story of a true artist. For as we all know that for an artist to be true they must know failure more than ever knowing success.
Failure is the name of the game when it comes to life. For a life will consist of failed friendships, failed relationships, and failed opportunities all the while that person failing is struggling & striving for that 1 constant goal they can't seem to walk away from. But then after some time you have to ask yourself when is it time to call it quits?
Death is certain and failure is a close second but if you do end up surviving both of them long enough then there is that one repeating question that travels first and foremost into the focus of your minds eye; What do you do next?
Most, if not all, people in situations facing this question time after time would easily find that the solution would be to find a way get out and start somewhere new because they are done. Going out of their way to follow a life path where it requires the bare minimum needed to get through whatever time was left in their life. Though there are some that take another route as the pain of it all was far too traumatic that they need to rely on substances detrimental to their health in order to get through the day. Two extreme ends on the same spectrum but mostly you'll find persons who couldn't face another rejection, another failed project, or just face themselves in the mirror lying in between the two.
Ed Wood, at least from the way this 1994 biographical movie portrays him, never had time to place himself on that line until later on in life. His story was more of journey to the end than what the end itself has to offer but before he reaches that end, he fought every goddamn day to make his movies. A one man army of sheer will to get his films made and for that tenacity I cannot in good faith claim to be better than the man.
The Film Review
I have seen this film a couple of times over the years but as I get older & older and find myself dwelling far too much about the past and not enough about the future; I now see the film in a much more different light
People will go out of there way to watch a lame duck movie like Rocky because they have this strange physical desire to see themselves as down and out like the bum on the ropes boxer in that film and live vicariously with the idea the one of theirs is getting their moment in the sun. This is what they need to survive. What they strive for to fell alive and its all the makings of a person who has landed at a point in their life where they don't have much to look forward to. Much like fans of NFL teams.
Now Ed Wood. This is a movie with some real chest hair. For this film showcases Ed Wood failing time and time again until that fictional and moving premier of Plan 9 from Outer Space makes you feel like you and him finally won something but that's all taken away when the rug gets pulled away from you when that information card comes up at the end that lets you know that he spent the rest of his life trying to make movies with no success and ended up succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 54. Most likely due to his alcoholism.
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Though it feels like this information comes out of nowhere at the end, it provides a necessary grounding effect. For though you had a good time watching this man try and try to make a movie there were consequences at the end of the day from the failures. Without the tremendous scope of these filmmaking failures then his films wouldn't be much to see beyond just as fragments of filmmaking from the past and who wants to see that? Though this does make impossible for another and I doubt there will ever be another Ed Wood in our lifetime.
Though people will obviously try to make their comparisons to a “modern day” Ed Wood in Tommy Wiseau, this must be understood as a false equivalence. For Tommy Wiseau never struggled financially to achieve his vision on the screen. There was no one telling him he only had so much money or so many days to get the job done. He took the time and money to truly achieve his mediocrity compared to the lack of everything that Ed Wood had & obtained far more success than Ed Wood could ever imagine though a lot for The Room making some semblance of sense can be most definitely attributed to Sandy Schklair whereas an Ed Wood film is complete and totally an Ed Wood vision.
There maybe other filmmakers lacking the talent to make a movie work but they will always be compared to Ed Wood and no one can ever stand above him. For this biopic to exist the way it does I can only be thankful. I have yet to read the literature on the man but I do have a copy of Rudolph Grey's biography Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr. in front of me that I will begin soon and I look forward to that.
I end this review by making this acknowledgement of the large sense of romanticism when it came to adapting Ed Wood's life. I can only imagine that to have such a career would be one of the most soul crushing life experiences someone can suffer. But for the moment, I would like to believe in the hope that the film gives to anyone out there trying to create. To keep a sense of tenacity and more importantly, to keep going. Even for just another day.