list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Ed Wood on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Ed_Wood/90084/default.aspx Title: Ed Wood
Year: 1994
Director: Tim Burton
Plot: Hollywood visionary Tim Burton pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (Johnny Depp) in his quest for film greatness as he writes and directs turkey after turkey, cross-dresses, and surrounds himself with a motley crew of Hollywood misfits, outcasts, has-beens, and never-weres. The real story, however, is his friendship with aging, morphine-addicted Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), whom he tries to help stage a comeback. Landau's unforgettable Oscar-winning performance must be seen to be believed, as must Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup. While it would have been easy to make a film simply ridiculing the bumbling director, Burton instead focuses on his driving passion for filmmaking and his unwavering persistence in the face of ridicule and failure. Possibly the most surprising aspect of the film is the genuine sentiment with which Burton treats the relationship between Wood and Lugosi; his devotion to Lugosi is touching, as is Lugosi's final soliloquy -- an inane bit of dialogue from the hilariously bad Bride of the Monster that grows into a poignant metaphor for the actor's life and ultimate triumph of his spirit. Even the look of the film is right; it manages to preserve the air of one of Wood's own films while retaining a sense of artistry in much of the composition on screen (note the scene at the drug rehab where Lugosi endures a horrifying night of detox). In all, Ed Wood is a unique film -- at times side-splittingly funny; at others, tragic or even frightening -- and a heartfelt tribute to the love of movies, good and bad alike. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 55
Number of Lists: 73
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 18
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:38:56 GMTEd Wood1994Tim BurtonHollywood visionary <a href="/players/P____83666/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tim Burton</a> pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (<a href="/players/P____18682/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Johnny Depp</a>) in his quest for film greatness as he writes and directs turkey after turkey, cross-dresses, and surrounds himself with a motley crew of Hollywood misfits, outcasts, has-beens, and never-weres. The real story, however, is his friendship with aging, morphine-addicted <a href="/players/P____43690/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bela Lugosi</a> (<a href="/players/P____40247/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Martin Landau</a>), whom he tries to help stage a comeback. Landau's unforgettable Oscar-winning performance must be seen to be believed, as must <a href="/players/P____80455/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rick Baker</a>'s Oscar-winning makeup. While it would have been easy to make a film simply ridiculing the bumbling director, Burton instead focuses on his driving passion for filmmaking and his unwavering persistence in the face of ridicule and failure. Possibly the most surprising aspect of the film is the genuine sentiment with which Burton treats the relationship between Wood and Lugosi; his devotion to Lugosi is touching, as is Lugosi's final soliloquy -- an inane bit of dialogue from the hilariously bad <a href=/films/4435/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Bride of the Monster</a> that grows into a poignant metaphor for the actor's life and ultimate triumph of his spirit. Even the look of the film is right; it manages to preserve the air of one of Wood's own films while retaining a sense of artistry in much of the composition on screen (note the scene at the drug rehab where Lugosi endures a horrifying night of detox). In all, Ed Wood is a unique film -- at times side-splittingly funny; at others, tragic or even frightening -- and a heartfelt tribute to the love of movies, good and bad alike. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide55Tag Target (>10)736184http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t39147c2ld9.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Ed_Wood/90084/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/12/39422.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/12/2009 4:01:03 PM
Body: What better way to get in the mood for the double-barrelled shotgun blast of Sundance and Slamdance than by entering to win one of five copies of The Deal on DVD. Here’s what the movie is all about: A struggling film producer (William H. Macy) teams up with a beleaguered studio executive (Meg Ryan) who is forced to make a doomed action movie with him in which their mercurial star (LL Cool J) seems determined to finish their careers. When their action hero is kidnapped and the studio abruptly shuts down the movie, the mismatched pair conspire to keep the cameras rolling at the studio’s expense – and reluctantly fall in love in the process. Visit the movie’s official website to find out more and watch the trailer as well as clips from the film. Getting your copy is pretty easy. Since The Deal is all about the inner-machinations of Hollywood, we want to know what your favorite movie set in Hollywood is 1. Bowfinger (Trailer) 2. The Player (Trailer) 3. Sunset Boulevard 4. The Big Picture (Trailer) 5. Ed Wood 6. Something I’m forgetting Send your choice to filmcouch@spout.com with the subject line “The Deal.” The winners will be announced during Episode 104 of FilmCouch, coming to a computer near you this Friday, January 16th. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:01:03 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/12/2009 4:01:03 PMWhat better way to get in the mood for the double-barrelled shotgun blast of Sundance and Slamdance than by entering to win one of five copies of The Deal on DVD. Here’s what the movie is all about: A struggling film producer (William H. Macy) teams up with a beleaguered studio executive (Meg Ryan) who is forced to make a doomed action movie with him in which their mercurial star (LL Cool J) seems determined to finish their careers. When their action hero is kidnapped and the studio abruptly shuts down the movie, the mismatched pair conspire to keep the cameras rolling at the studio’s expense – and reluctantly fall in love in the process. Visit the movie’s official website to find out more and watch the trailer as well as clips from the film. Getting your copy is pretty easy. Since The Deal is all about the inner-machinations of Hollywood, we want to know what your favorite movie set in Hollywood is 1. Bowfinger (Trailer) 2. The Player (Trailer) 3. Sunset Boulevard 4. The Big Picture (Trailer) 5. Ed Wood 6. Something I’m forgetting Send your choice to filmcouch@spout.com with the subject line “The Deal.” The winners will be announced during Episode 104 of FilmCouch, coming to a computer near you this Friday, January 16th. –Chris Thilk, Director of Marketing Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/sci_fi/Breakfast_of_Champions_is_Sci_Fi_for_Aliens_plus/4/34804/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 9/5/2008 3:23:37 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"] If I've never read any Vonnegut novels before (and I haven't) would you recommend starting with Breakfast of Champions? [/quote] Absolutely. I think it's his funniest book. Breakfast of Champions is not sci-fi like some of his other books, but as I read the excerpt I got this impression that Breakfast is like a sci-fi book written for aliens. That is, if aliens were reading sci-fi about Earth, I bet it would sound a lot like Breakfast of Champions. You'll notice that a sci-fi writer named Kilgore Trout is a main character in Breakfast. Kilgore Trout is Vonnegut's alter ego, and when Kilgore pops up in Kurt's other novels, it's often unexpected and always fun. I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on Kilgore Trout. I remember him as a cross between Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood. Kilgore Trout is exploding with ideas, but he's also like a magnet for sadness and sillines. So who should play Kilgore Trout in any upcoming Vonnegut movies? I think Martin Landau would be perfect. Albert Finney played him in Breakfast of Champions, what do you guys think of his performance?
]]>Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:23:37 GMTSkyPilotsci-fi9/5/2008 3:23:37 PM[quote user="Risselada"] If I've never read any Vonnegut novels before (and I haven't) would you recommend starting with Breakfast of Champions? [/quote] Absolutely. I think it's his funniest book. Breakfast of Champions is not sci-fi like some of his other books, but as I read the excerpt I got this impression that Breakfast is like a sci-fi book written for aliens. That is, if aliens were reading sci-fi about Earth, I bet it would sound a lot like Breakfast of Champions. You'll notice that a sci-fi writer named Kilgore Trout is a main character in Breakfast. Kilgore Trout is Vonnegut's alter ego, and when Kilgore pops up in Kurt's other novels, it's often unexpected and always fun. I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on Kilgore Trout. I remember him as a cross between Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood. Kilgore Trout is exploding with ideas, but he's also like a magnet for sadness and sillines. So who should play Kilgore Trout in any upcoming Vonnegut movies? I think Martin Landau would be perfect. Albert Finney played him in Breakfast of Champions, what do you guys think of his performance? http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Re_Pick_a_Pair/598/32949/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Tenenbaums
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 7/23/2008 12:56:06 PM
Body: Two double features that we actually did in my college film society were: Plan 9 From Outer Space and Ed Wood The oft-called "worst movie ever" and the excellent story of the man who made it happen. All The President's Men and Dick The compelling, journalistic Watergate and the hilarious explanations for the mysteries of Nixon (i.e. the missing section of tape; the double peace signs; inspiration for Deepthroat; etc.). Plus, Will Ferrell as Bob Woodward and Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy? Good stuff.
]]>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:56:06 GMTTenenbaumsMovie Games7/23/2008 12:56:06 PMTwo double features that we actually did in my college film society were: Plan 9 From Outer Space and Ed Wood The oft-called "worst movie ever" and the excellent story of the man who made it happen. All The President's Men and Dick The compelling, journalistic Watergate and the hilarious explanations for the mysteries of Nixon (i.e. the missing section of tape; the double peace signs; inspiration for Deepthroat; etc.). Plus, Will Ferrell as Bob Woodward and Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy? Good stuff. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Re_Mad_Lib_3_Ominous/598/31304/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: davisfreeberg
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 6/17/2008 12:31:40 AM
Body: 35. Ed Wood (1994)
]]>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:31:40 GMTdavisfreebergMovie Games6/17/2008 12:31:40 AM35. Ed Wood (1994) http://www.spout.com/blogs/jj79/archive/2008/6/9/30991.aspx Post By: JJ79
Post To: JJ79 Blog
Post Date: 6/9/2008 1:54:34 PM
Body: SYNOPSIS: Ed Wood is a dreamer. He dreams of making feature films, having his name in lights and, for all intents and purposes, being the equal of Orson Welles. The problems with Ed are many: he doesn’t necessarily have the talent to be a director, producer, writer or actor; he has an outmoded and outdated sense of loyalty to the aged horror icon Bela Lugosi; and, oh yeah, almost forgot…he’s a cross-dresser. In particular, he likes to wear his girlfriend’s pink angora sweater, pumps, a wig and a skirt. He gets dressed up in his apartment and on the set. But then he learns of a gender swapping movie being made in a no-name studio and throws his hat into the ring for the writer and director roles. Soon, he finds himself in the spotlight.ANALYIS: This is the fourth collaboration between director/producer Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride) and it is undoubtedly the most bizarre. Ed Wood was a real person, a real director, a real cross-dresser, a real friend of Bela Lugosi and, as history would have us believe, a real, real, real, REALLY bad director. In fact, the end of Ed Wood is devoted to the production of his most famous (and probably worst) movie, Plan 9 From Outer Space. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves.At its core, Ed Wood is about a man who desperately fancies himself as one thing and never quite gets the reality that he’s not good enough to be that thing. It would be like me trying to get onto an NBA team, finally making it and then pretending I’m the second coming of Michael Jordan. The difference between the two of us is that I know I’m not good; Ed has no concept that he has failed at anything. He finds the silver lining in every single critique, especially the play the movie opens with. The reviewer praises the realistic costumes; Ed seizes on and expounds on that, saying the reviewer found the play realistic. That’s the kind of mentality playing in this film.While the movie is about reality vs. fantasy, it’s also about stock themes such as loyalty, hard work and trying to get ahead in the world. When Wood meets Lugosi, his idol, they immediately form a friendship. Lugosi has been out of work for years and is addicted to a range of drugs. Unfortunately, he also has no money left. So he becomes the new leading man for Ed Wood’s decidedly sub-B pictures. Its obvious Lugosi isn’t up to the strenuous work load, but he gamely carries on, fighting a fake squid on top of the water on a cold night or playing Mad Scientist #1,002,954. It would stand to reason that Dracula himself would become a mentor to Ed, telling him when to tighten the script or when something really doesn’t work. But he doesn’t. He reads the lines, does the actions and is complicit in production. It is his fault as much as Ed’s that the movies do not work.Ed’s biggest fault as a director is that he makes too many compromises along the way. In order to finance Plan 9, he and his friends are all baptized by Baptists. In order to secure funding for an earlier movie, he bounces his leading girl girlfriend from the picture for what he perceives is a wealthy young girl. He tries every trick he can think of to get people to watch and fund his pictures. He begs an Elvira wanna-be to talk to some potential backers. He comes out as a cross-dresser for this first film. In short, this obsession with being Orson Welles overtakes him to the point that he overlooks even the most glaring errors in production: fake dirt, an actor walking into a door, flubbed lines…the whole nine yards. However, when you’re working with no budget, you really can’t go back for re-shoots or coverage, so he presses on.Johnny Depp, who is quickly making a career out of playing eccentric types, plays Ed Wood and there’s no denying that Burton directed him to go so far over the top, to chew the scenery, to act like this movie was the last thing he would ever make. We can see the fact he delights in the role in every frame and relishes the chance to play such a colorful man. Legend Martin Landau portrays Lugosi and won an Oscar for his work (deservedly so). It’s never easy portraying a real person, let alone someone everybody knows from a film like Dracula. He too eats up everything around him while having a softer, more gentle side. The rest of the cast is filled out by name actors like Sarah Jessica Parker, Vincent D’Onofrio, Bill Murray and Patricia Arquette. There’s not a weak link among them.Yes, Ed Wood is promoted as a comedy of sorts and there are funny moments. But, at its heart, the film is about never quite reaching your dreams no matter how hard you try. Ultimately, it’s heartbreaking that Wood never got the acclaim he so desperately wanted.
]]>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:54:34 GMTJJ79JJ79 Blog6/9/2008 1:54:34 PMSYNOPSIS: Ed Wood is a dreamer. He dreams of making feature films, having his name in lights and, for all intents and purposes, being the equal of Orson Welles. The problems with Ed are many: he doesn&rsquo;t necessarily have the talent to be a director, producer, writer or actor; he has an outmoded and outdated sense of loyalty to the aged horror icon Bela Lugosi; and, oh yeah, almost forgot&hellip;he&rsquo;s a cross-dresser. In particular, he likes to wear his girlfriend&rsquo;s pink angora sweater, pumps, a wig and a skirt. He gets dressed up in his apartment and on the set. But then he learns of a gender swapping movie being made in a no-name studio and throws his hat into the ring for the writer and director roles. Soon, he finds himself in the spotlight.ANALYIS: This is the fourth collaboration between director/producer Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride) and it is undoubtedly the most bizarre. Ed Wood was a real person, a real director, a real cross-dresser, a real friend of Bela Lugosi and, as history would have us believe, a real, real, real, REALLY bad director. In fact, the end of Ed Wood is devoted to the production of his most famous (and probably worst) movie, Plan 9 From Outer Space. But we&rsquo;re getting way ahead of ourselves.At its core, Ed Wood is about a man who desperately fancies himself as one thing and never quite gets the reality that he&rsquo;s not good enough to be that thing. It would be like me trying to get onto an NBA team, finally making it and then pretending I&rsquo;m the second coming of Michael Jordan. The difference between the two of us is that I know I&rsquo;m not good; Ed has no concept that he has failed at anything. He finds the silver lining in every single critique, especially the play the movie opens with. The reviewer praises the realistic costumes; Ed seizes on and expounds on that, saying the reviewer found the play realistic. That&rsquo;s the kind of mentality playing in this film.While the movie is about reality vs. fantasy, it&rsquo;s also about stock themes such as loyalty, hard work and trying to get ahead in the world. When Wood meets Lugosi, his idol, they immediately form a friendship. Lugosi has been out of work for years and is addicted to a range of drugs. Unfortunately, he also has no money left. So he becomes the new leading man for Ed Wood&rsquo;s decidedly sub-B pictures. Its obvious Lugosi isn&rsquo;t up to the strenuous work load, but he gamely carries on, fighting a fake squid on top of the water on a cold night or playing Mad Scientist #1,002,954. It would stand to reason that Dracula himself would become a mentor to Ed, telling him when to tighten the script or when something really doesn&rsquo;t work. But he doesn&rsquo;t. He reads the lines, does the actions and is complicit in production. It is his fault as much as Ed&rsquo;s that the movies do not work.Ed&rsquo;s biggest fault as a director is that he makes too many compromises along the way. In order to finance Plan 9, he and his friends are all baptized by Baptists. In order to secure funding for an earlier movie, he bounces his leading girl girlfriend from the picture for what he perceives is a wealthy young girl. He tries every trick he can think of to get people to watch and fund his pictures. He begs an Elvira wanna-be to talk to some potential backers. He comes out as a cross-dresser for this first film. In short, this obsession with being Orson Welles overtakes him to the point that he overlooks even the most glaring errors in production: fake dirt, an actor walking into a door, flubbed lines&hellip;the whole nine yards. However, when you&rsquo;re working with no budget, you really can&rsquo;t go back for re-shoots or coverage, so he presses on.Johnny Depp, who is quickly making a career out of playing eccentric types, plays Ed Wood and there&rsquo;s no denying that Burton directed him to go so far over the top, to chew the scenery, to act like this movie was the last thing he would ever make. We can see the fact he delights in the role in every frame and relishes the chance to play such a colorful man. Legend Martin Landau portrays Lugosi and won an Oscar for his work (deservedly so). It&rsquo;s never easy portraying a real person, let alone someone everybody knows from a film like Dracula. He too eats up everything around him while having a softer, more gentle side. The rest of the cast is filled out by name actors like Sarah Jessica Parker, Vincent D&rsquo;Onofrio, Bill Murray and Patricia Arquette. There&rsquo;s not a weak link among them.Yes, Ed Wood is promoted as a comedy of sorts and there are funny moments. But, at its heart, the film is about never quite reaching your dreams no matter how hard you try. Ultimately, it&rsquo;s heartbreaking that Wood never got the acclaim he so desperately wanted. http://www.spout.com/blogs/pippin06/archive/2008/4/30/28040.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Reel Thoughts
Post Date: 4/30/2008 10:02:53 PM
Body: Hello out there in Spoutland! It has been a couple of weeks since my last entry, as I was finishing up that aforementioned school play, which went off as smashingly as it could. Fame really is gonna' live forever, but I digress. As it is, I have been sitting on this Netflix movie for I don't know how long, as I was not really afforded the luxury of time to watch it. Now that the show is done, and the TV season spurts and sputters back to life, it's back to what I enjoy doing best: watching movies. I have been looking forward to watching Ed Wood for a long time because it's got a magical mix of ingredients, including direction by Tim Burton (a general favorite), a primary role by dreamy Johnny Depp, and a supporting turn by the fabulous Bill Murray. Anything else about this film was icing on the cake, so I was eager to give it a looksee. It didn't really live up to my expectations this time around, however, though I still found it to be an enjoyable and decidedly unique and affectionate tribute to the man deemed the "worst director of all time." The titular character (Depp) made what little name he had for himself directing B movies like "Plan 9 from Outer Space." He was also an unflinching transvestite, drawing comfort from angora sweaters. He surrounded himself with a variety of misfits, including Bunny Breckinridge (Murray), a gay actor looking for a sex change. Murray's performance was decidedly the funniest because it was so off his type and reaffirmed for me again how wonderful an actor he is. Ed Wood also makes an inspirational friendship with aging horror actor Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). Landau won the Oscar for his portrayal of Lugosi and for good reason - he steals the entire film. The pacing and story of Ed Wood leave something to be desired despite the painstakingly cheesy homage to the genre to which Wood devoted himself; I had to watch this film in two halves because I found it a little boring, even though it had the capacity to make me smile. If it weren't for the occasional appearance of Murray's Bunny and Landau's riveting and charismatic Lugosi, the film would have been a wash for me. As it was, Landau crackled with electricity as the man who simultaneously loved and hated his fame as the thespian behind Dracula. His inflections, his expressions, his accent, the journey of the character as an old has-been, addicted to pain killers, finding a spark of life in the low-grade cinema fare of Wood is reason enough to see this film. He was amazing. The rest of the film, despite Landau, can only be chalked up to something akin to cute in my opinion. The art direction, with all of the purposefully cookie-cutter props and period sets, was by far the most charming technological aspect of the film, and Tim Burton's expertise at visual story lent well to the affection he had for the subject. I also loved how the film was in black and white and some of the performances of the supporting characters, such as Delores (Sarah Jessica Parker), the less-than-understanding first girlfriend of Eddie's. Yet, the film was nothing more than a loosely told biopic, played for laughs. Fortunately, it never became too cartoony, but I just was not as riveted or laughing as hard as I thought I would. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it on some level. I think the sheer uniqueness of the film gives it credibility, even if it isn't the most entertaining thing I've watched in recent memory. Nevertheless, I feel the film deserves a 7.5 (between shaky and very good) for the slow and erratic pacing but otherwise likable qualities. I don't think it passes my test, though, and I also firmly believe that despite the loving care Burton showed his primary subject, this film is not his masterpiece. Big Fish is tops for me right now, followed by Sweeney Todd, but Ed Wood is definitely worth the watch, since its message of being true to oneself and one's dreams is contained within a slightly avant-garde and nicely quirky package. Perfect! Print it.
]]>Thu, 01 May 2008 02:02:53 GMTpippin06Reel Thoughts4/30/2008 10:02:53 PMHello out there in Spoutland! It has been a couple of weeks since my last entry, as I was finishing up that aforementioned school play, which went off as smashingly as it could. Fame really is gonna' live forever, but I digress. As it is, I have been sitting on this Netflix movie for I don't know how long, as I was not really afforded the luxury of time to watch it. Now that the show is done, and the TV season spurts and sputters back to life, it's back to what I enjoy doing best: watching movies. I have been looking forward to watching Ed Wood for a long time because it's got a magical mix of ingredients, including direction by Tim Burton (a general favorite), a primary role by dreamy Johnny Depp, and a supporting turn by the fabulous Bill Murray. Anything else about this film was icing on the cake, so I was eager to give it a looksee. It didn't really live up to my expectations this time around, however, though I still found it to be an enjoyable and decidedly unique and affectionate tribute to the man deemed the "worst director of all time." The titular character (Depp) made what little name he had for himself directing B movies like "Plan 9 from Outer Space." He was also an unflinching transvestite, drawing comfort from angora sweaters. He surrounded himself with a variety of misfits, including Bunny Breckinridge (Murray), a gay actor looking for a sex change. Murray's performance was decidedly the funniest because it was so off his type and reaffirmed for me again how wonderful an actor he is. Ed Wood also makes an inspirational friendship with aging horror actor Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). Landau won the Oscar for his portrayal of Lugosi and for good reason - he steals the entire film. The pacing and story of Ed Wood leave something to be desired despite the painstakingly cheesy homage to the genre to which Wood devoted himself; I had to watch this film in two halves because I found it a little boring, even though it had the capacity to make me smile. If it weren't for the occasional appearance of Murray's Bunny and Landau's riveting and charismatic Lugosi, the film would have been a wash for me. As it was, Landau crackled with electricity as the man who simultaneously loved and hated his fame as the thespian behind Dracula. His inflections, his expressions, his accent, the journey of the character as an old has-been, addicted to pain killers, finding a spark of life in the low-grade cinema fare of Wood is reason enough to see this film. He was amazing. The rest of the film, despite Landau, can only be chalked up to something akin to cute in my opinion. The art direction, with all of the purposefully cookie-cutter props and period sets, was by far the most charming technological aspect of the film, and Tim Burton's expertise at visual story lent well to the affection he had for the subject. I also loved how the film was in black and white and some of the performances of the supporting characters, such as Delores (Sarah Jessica Parker), the less-than-understanding first girlfriend of Eddie's. Yet, the film was nothing more than a loosely told biopic, played for laughs. Fortunately, it never became too cartoony, but I just was not as riveted or laughing as hard as I thought I would. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it on some level. I think the sheer uniqueness of the film gives it credibility, even if it isn't the most entertaining thing I've watched in recent memory. Nevertheless, I feel the film deserves a 7.5 (between shaky and very good) for the slow and erratic pacing but otherwise likable qualities. I don't think it passes my test, though, and I also firmly believe that despite the loving care Burton showed his primary subject, this film is not his masterpiece. Big Fish is tops for me right now, followed by Sweeney Todd, but Ed Wood is definitely worth the watch, since its message of being true to oneself and one's dreams is contained within a slightly avant-garde and nicely quirky package. Perfect! Print it. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_black_and_white_movies_made_after_1970/190/27783/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/25/2008 1:11:46 AM
Body: Entirely in B&W: 1.) Angel-A 2.) Ed Wood 3.) Clerks 4.) Man Bites Dog 5.) Swoon Runner-Ups: Paper Moon, Pi Partially B&W: 1.) American History X 2.) Sin City 3.) Zentropa, or Europa (depending on your country) 4.) Pleasantville 5.) Memento Runner-Up: Renaissance, The Blair Witch Project
]]>Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:11:46 GMTmercurialTop 54/25/2008 1:11:46 AMEntirely in B&amp;W: 1.) Angel-A 2.) Ed Wood 3.) Clerks 4.) Man Bites Dog 5.) Swoon Runner-Ups: Paper Moon, Pi Partially B&amp;W: 1.) American History X 2.) Sin City 3.) Zentropa, or Europa (depending on your country) 4.) Pleasantville 5.) Memento Runner-Up: Renaissance, The Blair Witch Project http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_performances_of_actors_portraying_another/190/27216/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/11/2008 2:03:29 PM
Body: [quote user="Risselada"]Wow, yeah I always find that amsuing to see an actor being played by another actor, especially if they have to act as that actor acting!!!!Let me see if I can think of any more.The Aviator features a lot! Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law as Errol Flynn. Not that I think The Aviator is that great of a movie though.Geoffrey Rush plays Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Which also isn't that great.One that is great however is Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. That is of course if you want to categorize Kaufman as an actor.Martin Landau in Ed Wood is the only one that I've seen of your pics, but it's certainly the one I'd think of first as the best example.[/quote]I completely forgot about Man On The Moon. Not only a solid movie but a great performance by Jim Carrey.I would recommend you give Chaplin and Shadow of the Vampire a gander if you haven't seen them though. If you're a Charlie Chaplin fan, you should be able to appreciate RD Jr's performance a great deal. I can't say it's for everyone, but Wonderland actually surprised me as a pretty good film as well. Partly because I had no interest in seeing but I think my wife was curious about it. It really had nothing to do with porn, it was a murder story. I am dissapointed to hear the Peter Sellers film wasn't good, I'll probably check it out anyway, I was kinda looking forward to that one. I have to say, this is got to be the best idea for a group ever. I try to keep it as obscure as possible with my lists. Make people think.
]]>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:03:29 GMTleeroy711Top 54/11/2008 2:03:29 PM[quote user="Risselada"]Wow, yeah I always find that amsuing to see an actor being played by another actor, especially if they have to act as that actor acting!!!!Let me see if I can think of any more.The Aviator features a lot! Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law as Errol Flynn. Not that I think The Aviator is that great of a movie though.Geoffrey Rush plays Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Which also isn&#39;t that great.One that is great however is Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. That is of course if you want to categorize Kaufman as an actor.Martin Landau in Ed Wood is the only one that I&#39;ve seen of your pics, but it&#39;s certainly the one I&#39;d think of first as the best example.[/quote]I completely forgot about Man On The Moon. Not only a solid movie but a great performance by Jim Carrey.I would recommend you give Chaplin and Shadow of the Vampire a gander if you haven&#39;t seen them though. If you&#39;re a Charlie Chaplin fan, you should be able to appreciate RD Jr&#39;s performance a great deal. I can&#39;t say it&#39;s for everyone, but Wonderland actually surprised me as a pretty good film as well. Partly because I had no interest in seeing but I think my wife was curious about it. It really had nothing to do with porn, it was a murder story. I am dissapointed to hear the Peter Sellers film wasn&#39;t good, I&#39;ll probably check it out anyway, I was kinda looking forward to that one. I have to say, this is got to be the best idea for a group ever. I try to keep it as obscure as possible with my lists. Make people think. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_performances_of_actors_portraying_another/190/27214/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/11/2008 1:52:41 PM
Body: Wow, yeah I always find that amsuing to see an actor being played by another actor, especially if they have to act as that actor acting!!!!Let me see if I can think of any more.The Aviator features a lot! Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law as Errol Flynn. Not that I think The Aviator is that great of a movie though.Geoffrey Rush plays Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Which also isn't that great.One that is great however is Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. That is of course if you want to categorize Kaufman as an actor.Martin Landau in Ed Wood is the only one that I've seen of your pics, but it's certainly the one I'd think of first as the best example.
]]>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:52:41 GMTRisseladaTop 54/11/2008 1:52:41 PMWow, yeah I always find that amsuing to see an actor being played by another actor, especially if they have to act as that actor acting!!!!Let me see if I can think of any more.The Aviator features a lot! Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow, Jude Law as Errol Flynn. Not that I think The Aviator is that great of a movie though.Geoffrey Rush plays Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. Which also isn&#39;t that great.One that is great however is Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon. That is of course if you want to categorize Kaufman as an actor.Martin Landau in Ed Wood is the only one that I&#39;ve seen of your pics, but it&#39;s certainly the one I&#39;d think of first as the best example. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Top_5_performances_of_actors_portraying_another_ac/190/27184/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 4/10/2008 3:39:14 PM
Body: This is a list of performances by actor portraying a different actor (probably from the past)1. Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood 2. Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin 3. Willem Defoe as Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire4. Val Kilmer as John Homes in Wonderland Help me out here, all I can think of is these 4 and I'm not even sure if #4 counts.
]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:39:14 GMTleeroy711Top 54/10/2008 3:39:14 PMThis is a list of performances by actor portraying a different actor (probably from the past)1. Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood 2. Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin 3. Willem Defoe as Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire4. Val Kilmer as John Homes in Wonderland Help me out here, all I can think of is these 4 and I&#39;m not even sure if #4 counts. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspxhilarious
Number of films tagged: 222

Number of people who tagged: 165

Number of times used: 331

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT222165331Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
Number of films tagged: 6791

Number of people who tagged: 154

Number of times used: 978

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:40 GMT6791154978Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/movie/MemberTagFilms.aspxmovie
Number of films tagged: 363

Number of people who tagged: 114

Number of times used: 187

]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:09:46 GMT363114187Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Quirky/MemberTagFilms.aspxQuirky
Number of films tagged: 131

Number of people who tagged: 110

Number of times used: 249

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:54:25 GMT131110249Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/film/MemberTagFilms.aspxfilm
Number of films tagged: 657

Number of people who tagged: 82

Number of times used: 190

]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:35:41 GMT65782190Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fantastic/MemberTagFilms.aspxfantastic
Number of films tagged: 106

Number of people who tagged: 74

Number of times used: 137

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:19:21 GMT10674137Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/addiction/MemberTagFilms.aspxaddiction
Number of films tagged: 553

Number of people who tagged: 59

Number of times used: 117

]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:57:35 GMT55359117Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/underrated/MemberTagFilms.aspxunderrated
Number of films tagged: 139

Number of people who tagged: 48

Number of times used: 156

]]>Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:34:46 GMT13948156Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/clever/MemberTagFilms.aspxclever
Number of films tagged: 57

Number of people who tagged: 40

Number of times used: 74

]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:40:08 GMT574074Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/artist/MemberTagFilms.aspxartist
Number of films tagged: 2120

Number of people who tagged: 38

Number of times used: 75

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:40 GMT21203875Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/charming/MemberTagFilms.aspxcharming
Number of films tagged: 45

Number of people who tagged: 30

Number of times used: 56

]]>Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:04:54 GMT453056Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/oscar/MemberTagFilms.aspxoscar
Number of films tagged: 110

Number of people who tagged: 24

Number of times used: 103

]]>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:03:17 GMT11024103Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Different/MemberTagFilms.aspxDifferent
Number of films tagged: 50

Number of people who tagged: 23

Number of times used: 52

]]>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:29:57 GMT502352Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/director/MemberTagFilms.aspxdirector
Number of films tagged: 472

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 26

]]>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:03:08 GMT4721726Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/filmmaker/MemberTagFilms.aspxfilmmaker
Number of films tagged: 1675

Number of people who tagged: 17

Number of times used: 30

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:12:17 GMT16751730Tag