Edward D. Wood, Jr., born 95 years ago today.
Some people say that Edward D. Wood, Jr. was the worst movie director ever. I’m not sure about that.
Yes, he made some really bad movies, but if I learned anything from watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 is that a lot of people made bad movies. Ed Wood wasn’t the only one.
I mentioned the other day about Manos: The Hands of Fate, which is a move we love to … well, hate isn’t the word, because we don’t hate it. Far from it, we love it, both despite of and because of how bad it is. But, from my understanding, Manos was never intended to be a great film. It was intended to be a film that came in under budget, and it was. Didn’t make any money, but still, it came in under budget. Mission accomplished. Sort of.
Plan 9 From Outer Space was intended to be a money-maker. It wasn’t. In fact, all of Ed Wood’s movies were suppose to be successful films. Mr. Wood fell short of that goal a lot.
But, is he really the worst director of all time? A lot of critics say he was, but I think a lot say that because they’re expected to say that.
How bad can someone be who directs Bela Lugosi’s compellingly awful lines from Bride of the Monster?
I’m not sure Ed Wood is the worst. Not by a long shot. But, if you want to think he is, go right ahead. He won’t complain. He’s been dead since 1978, dying two months after his 54th birthday. And that birthday? October 10, 1924. 95 years ago today.
Happy birthday, Edward D. Wood, Jr. You may or may not have ben the worst, but you were certainly the best of the worst.
How does one differentiate a bad director from Bad acting, bad screenwriting, bad production and general all the many things that go into a movie which potentially could be bad. I don’t want to sound all Leonard Pinth-Garnellish here but most of the time a movie just ain’t good.
It’s kinda like differentiating between bad coaching, bad recruiting, bad play calling, and bad play execution.
With Ed Wood, and it’s written, directed, and produced by, well it’s all in one.
Ah but surely we can blame the “Talent”?
I recall reading that Uwe Boll (probably misspelled his name) deliberately made awful movies because he worked in a country whose tax & subsidy regulations let him make a profit on money-losing movies. Kinda like “The Producers”, except there’s no fraud involved, just lousy legislation.
Obviously, they have never seen “The Beast of Yucca Flats”. It has a woman getting out of the shower in the beginning and shows some very minor nudity. She is murdered, for some reason, then the movie begins. This scene has nothing to do with the rest of the “plot”, but makes you think there might be more nudity. Hey, it was 1961.
https://archive.org/details/BeastOfYuccaFlats
I have the unriffed version. Not much more to the opening scene. A little more boobage.
I believe that it is an intentional act to produce movies that are universally regarded as being so bad. If a director makes a bad movie it is a one off and no big deal. Makes 2 and it is a downward trend. Makes 3 and their career is over. Produces and directs and distributes a lifetime’s worth and it is pure intent and nothing less.
It’s either that or he was just plain out of his mind.
That last thing.