It is almost impossible to give a star rating to PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. It is truly a bad, bad movie with terrible performances, ridiculous sets, horrid special effects and glaring continuity errors abound. On the other hand, it is far more interesting and entertaining than many "better" movies and the demented genius and unbridled passion of Ed Wood shines through every moment.
PLAN 9 is often referred to as "the worst movie ever made." Well, it isn't. Not by a long shot. I think any fan of B-movies can list several off the top of their heads that are worse than this one (how about ROBOT MONSTER, NIGHT OF 1000 CATS or CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE for starters). What is different about so many other "bad" movies, however, is the fact that most of them weren't even trying to be good. They were made to fill a vacancy in a theater program and had little in the way of artistic or social ambitions. They were pure exploitation and served no purpose other than to keep patrons in the theater for an extra 90 minutes to boost sales at the concession stand.
Ed Wood desperately wanted to fill his work with subtext and sociological relevance. He wanted his movies to be thought-provoking. He also hung out with a lot of very offbeat counter culture people, many of whom wound up as cast and crew members on his movies, which led to their being that much more bizarre.
Ed Wood was a terrible director. A terrible writer, too. He had no real connections, no money and no talent. Yet he managed to make six feature films in the space of ten years, five of which were theatrically released and a few of which even made a decent profit. That is a testament to his passion for cinema. The man never gave up.
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, to me, is one of the most inspirational movies ever made.
PLAN 9 is often referred to as "the worst movie ever made." Well, it isn't. Not by a long shot. I think any fan of B-movies can list several off the top of their heads that are worse than this one (how about ROBOT MONSTER, NIGHT OF 1000 CATS or CURSE OF THE SWAMP CREATURE for starters). What is different about so many other "bad" movies, however, is the fact that most of them weren't even trying to be good. They were made to fill a vacancy in a theater program and had little in the way of artistic or social ambitions. They were pure exploitation and served no purpose other than to keep patrons in the theater for an extra 90 minutes to boost sales at the concession stand.
Ed Wood desperately wanted to fill his work with subtext and sociological relevance. He wanted his movies to be thought-provoking. He also hung out with a lot of very offbeat counter culture people, many of whom wound up as cast and crew members on his movies, which led to their being that much more bizarre.
Ed Wood was a terrible director. A terrible writer, too. He had no real connections, no money and no talent. Yet he managed to make six feature films in the space of ten years, five of which were theatrically released and a few of which even made a decent profit. That is a testament to his passion for cinema. The man never gave up.
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, to me, is one of the most inspirational movies ever made.