Johnny Depp has really been on fire lately. However he's made great
films in the past that perhaps did not get the recognition they should
have. Ed Wood is one of those films which is great not only because Depp
is in the film but also because of the subject matter. Ed Wood is
another Depp-Burton collaboration that pays homage to cult-trash director
Edward D. Wood Jr which Depp does a wonderful job of playing. As with most
Tim Burton films, Depp draws much weirdness here and fulfills the role
of a man who made many bizarre films.
The story begins with Wood trying anything imaginable to make a
hollywood film. We see a stroke of luck for the young man when he meets aging
horror icon Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) one day. With this chance
encounter he immediately befriends the drug-addicted actor and uses his name
to open a few doors for himself. With Lugosi needing to be kept in the
spotlight and Wood having some of the most bizarre ideas ever, the two
begin collaborating on what some might call garbage while others call
it pure genius.
The film is not a critique on Wood's films, rather it's an opportunity
for Depp to once again expose his weird side. Wood is portrayed as this
almost giddy child ready to unleash his wrath on society through his
oddball looking glass at the world. Martin Landau does a frighteningly
realistic job of portraying the most burnt out of human beings making one
last gasp at fame. The film is a talker with not much action and plenty
of odd but fascinating storylines. Burton knows how to show a side of
people that others would probably overlook. The film had oscar buzz for
a reason and Lugosi comes to life through Landau in an Oscar winning
performance that should be seen to be understood.
The Disc:
The Special Edition DVD features an anamorphic widescreen transfer of
the movie in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The presentation is
enhanced for 16x9 TV sets and is absolutely free of blemishes or defects.
The film's sequences in black and white on the
disc just look outstanding. The sound quality is equally impressive
being presented in a a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital track which supplements
the presentation and mimics the 50s era soundtracks to perfection.
The Special Edition is also packed with extras for fans of the film. It
opens with an Audio Commentary Featuring Tim Burton and Martin
Landau, writers Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, Director of Photography
Stefan Czapsky and costume designer Colleen Atwood which rekindles
much of the passion that went into making this film which is now nearly
ten years old. I must admit that any chance to hear Burton speak is
wonderful and this time is especially true. He really is a joy to listen
to on these tracks.
Next up is several features beginning with "Let’s Shoot This
F#*%@r!", a behind the scenes look at the production of the movie. I must
admit after laughing at the title, I had a great time seeing all of
this footage because it truly shows how much fun these guys had making
this film.
There's also a feature on The Theremin, the invention which gave
this creepy sound effect to most of Wood's movies and has since become
a legend. Just hearing this thing in the film creeped me out
personally. Next there's "Making Bela", a feature that goes behind the
scenes with actor Martin Landau and make-up designer Rick Baker showing
how the two got the look of the actor down. Of course alot more had to do
with Landau's acting skills than makeup but I digress.
Finally there's deleted scenes, a music video and a feature called
"Pie Plates Over Hollywood", that looks at the production design of
the film and allows designer Tom Duffield to talk in-depth about his
approach to the film. His job of course was to bring out the look of the
1950's to the film and he did a wonderful job I must admit.
bottom line:
Ed Wood is another brilliant Depp/Burton collaboration that shows a
biopic of one of the first strange pairings in Hollywood. The film oozes
style and award winning acting and should not be missed by DVD fans of
fine quality films.
4.5 out of 5
By - Brian Gray
1/2
