#199. Ed Wood

"This is the one. This is the one I'll be remembered for."

A depiction of director Edward Wood Jr.'s life and the production of his "greatest" works, told from a mostly true perspective.

I had never even heard of Ed Wood before watching this, but upon seeing this movie, I'm tempted to go watch all of his films. I have an odd love for movies that are based on a true story, and this one is especially interesting. Two years after his death, Ed won the title for "worst director of all time" and gained a cult following, and most ironically, a film about Wood's films is highly critically acclaimed, while every film that he directed and acted in was considered a cinematic failure.

I think one of the best aspects of the movie is how it delves into the lives of the characters. Ed Wood seems like he was such an optimistic, enthusiastic person, even in the face of continuous defeat. His relationship with Bela Lugosi was especially touching, and gave the movie a serious undertone in the midst of its ridiculous antics and biting satire. I don't know if Ed really helped Bela with his depression and drug dependency like the film portrayed, but I really hope that he did. Those scenes broke my heart.

Overall, I thought this movie was pretty fantastic. I did a little bit of research on Ed Wood after watching it, and have found out that some of the information is not entirely accurate, but it doesn't matter. The acting was great, and I loved all of the offbeat characters that played in Wood's films. Furthermore, after recently seeing Big Fish, I've come to realize what a versatile director Tim Burton is. Though he gets flack for almost always casting Johnny Depp as a lead role, it's indisputable that the two do great work together. My immediate rating is a 7.9/10.

Characters: 8/10

Acting: 8/10

Storyline: 7.8/10

Entertainment Value: 7.7/10

Immediate Rating: 7.9/10

Total Score: 39.4/50