Ed Wood

“Ed Wood” tells the story of the director, writer, actor and producer of the same name (Johnny Depp), jobs at which he was equally stunningly dreadful. Based on the actual life of Wood we see many of Hollywood notables in supporting roles, such as Orson Wells (Vincent D’Onofrio ), transgendered Bunny Breckenridge (Bill Murray) and Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) plus the “love” interest whose clothes he “borrows”, Dolores Fuller (Sara Jessica Parker) and Kathy O’Hara (Patricia Arquette), his eventual wife. We see Wood, often in drag, first as a dreadful actor who decides to try his hand at film despite no money and less talent, culminating in the filming of what may be the worst movie of all time, “Plan Nine from Outer Space.” Props are stolen from big studios, fading star Lugosi first needs rehab and then dies in mid-production and craziness rules the day with the film’s major backer being a butcher. Wood relies largely on stock footage and cheesy props, replacing his dead star with a mumbling actor who keeps a cloak over his face to “hide” the obvious difference. Rather than a plot, “Ed Wood” is mostly a sort of delicious voyeurism for the audience.