Charming

Edward D. Wood Jr. was an actor writer-director-producer, occasionally in drag, who combined meager bursts of talent with an undying optimism to create some of the most bizarrely memorable "B" movies to ever come out of Tinseltown. Though Wood died in obscurity as an alcoholic in 1978, his films have been considered cult classics for years.

He is consistently voted the worst director who ever lived. You would think this an odd subject, but director Tim Burton harnesses the undying hopefulness that made Wood such a character. Shot in black and white, just like Wood's creations, this stylized, witty production captures the poetic absurdity of Wood's films and his unconventional life.

Burton's recreation of Wood's wonderfully awfulPlan 9 from Outer Spacelooks much better than the original low-budget quickie. Burton tackled an extremely strange subject matter for a biopic, but Wood is presented as naive almost to the point of delusion, so the story works. The pace sags in the middle, as the weirdness starts to wear thin, but Depp proves himself an adroit actor, even while wearing angora and a blonde wig. Wood's unconventional repertoire company is faithfully reproduced, including an Academy Award-winning Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi.

Landau is pathetic, droll, and charismatic as the elderly junkie who made his last screen appearances in Wood's films.--Rochelle ...

Cast: Johnny Depp, Juliet Landau, Rance Howard, Matthew Barry, Vincent D'Onofrio, John Rice, Brent Hinkley, Biff Yeager, Mike Starr, Patricia Arquette, Louis Lombardi, Don Hood, Lisa Marie, Gene Lebell, Jeffrey Jones, Ned Bellamy, Norman Alden, Reid Cruickshanks, Ralph Monaco, Ray Baker, Melora Walters, Carmen Filpi, Bill Murray, Jonathan Ross, Bobby Slayton, Leonard Termo, Maurice LaMarche, Ryan Holihan, Don Amendolia, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary Portser, Martin Landau, G.D. Spradlin, Max Casella, George Steele, Patti Tippo, Gregory Walcott, Korla Pandit, King Cotton, Victoria Thomas, Alan Martin, Conrad Brooks, Lisa Malkiewicz, Charles C. Stevenson, Jr., Jim Myers, John Ross, Charlie Holliday, Danny Dayton, Stanley de Santis, Mickey Cottrell, Vinny Argiro, Gretchen Becker, Ric Mancini, Clive Rosengren, Anthony Russell, Edmund L. Shaff, Vasek Simek

Director: Tim Burton

Genre: Comedy

Release Date: September 28, 1994

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 2hrs 4min