Ed Wood (1994) Reviews

This biopic on "the worst director of all time" Ed Wood Jnr is utterly brilliant from start to finish. From its exhilarating beginning, helped by Howard Shore's brilliant score and Jeffrey Jones's delightful turn as Criswell, it completely gripped me. For me it isn't only one of Burton's better movies, but also one of the better movies of 1994. Tim Burton's works are admittedly strange and offbeat, and while people mayn't like that, I do. And that is why I loved this film, it was funny, it was touching, it was strange(well sort of) and it was offbeat. It is gorgeously shot, with black and white photography that is really a marvel to the eyes, and Burton lovingly directs. The script is funny and poignant, and the restoration of Wood's productions are astonishing. It was even nice to see Plan 9 From Outer Space, I know that critics cite it as the worst movie ever made, but there are other people who consider it as a "so bad it's good" movie, the way I have heard people talk about the film, whether they love or hate it, is quite fascinating. And the performances are brilliant; Johnny Depp is amazing as Ed Wood, portraying him as an optimist and an "anguished cross-dresser", and Martin Landau is absolutely superb as Bela Lugosi. Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Arquette are alluring and convincing as Delores and Kathy, and as Bunny Bill Murray does well even if Bunny could've been developed a little more. Overall, gripping, funny, touching and brilliant. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I actually saw this movie in the movie theater when it was released but since it was a while back and since I had it on DVD, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, after all these years, it is still one of Tim Burton's best efforts, definitely one of his most original project, and miles better than everything he has released during the last 10 years. Back then, Burton and Depp were quite amazing together, that's for sure. The black and white photography was just really neat , there was a really nice cast (Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Vincent D'Onofrio, Bill Murray, Lisa Marie) and the story was just so fun and entertaining. The only complain I might have was that Ed Wood was indeed a really really bad director... After watching this movie, I got really intrigued so I bought 'Plan 9 from outer Space' for my sister but the whole thing was just plain bad, not fun bad or cool bad, just awful and terribly tedious. So, eventually, I find it rather odd to love this movie when in fact Ed Wood's work really stinks. Still, in spite of this minor flaw, it is probably the goofiest biopic out there, I really loved the damned thing and I think it is definitely worth a look, especially if you want to see a good movie directed by Tim Burton for a change. 

Amazing Tim Burton film. They made one of the worst directors ever into quite a likeable character starring Johnny Depp.

This is a film about an unsuccessful and particularly eccentric director whose story Burton decided to put on a film. Black and white films and 50's photography always catch my eye yet this is just a film about the director Ed Wood. I respect different perspectives but I believe this film could have been much more interesting. Not my cup of tea, didn't enjoy it and would only recommend it if there is absolutely nothing else you could watch.

For those who have no idea who Edward D. Wood Jr is. He is an optimistic filmmaker that is famous or infamous for creating movies like "Plan 9 from Outer Space", and "Glen or Glenda" that people called them the worst films ever made. In the productions of his movie which he directed, wrote, edited and even acted in one of them. He works lighting fast, very cheap that his productions ends in an few days or more incase it's money problems. After Plan 9, he few into obscure in the 70s making porno films and books until his death in 1978. In the 80s, he became known when the Golden Turkey Awards called him the worst director while mentioning his films that got people interested to him that led to this film which came from the book that came out at that time "Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood Jr".

This film is directed by Tim Burton famous for making movies like “Pee Wee Big Adventure”, "Bettlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", and "Sweeney Todd". This is an biopic on his life that follows the making of "Glen or Glenda" and his other movies and the hardships he went to complete them among with the good and bad moments of his life during this time. During making them he runs into Bela Lugosi, an horror star famous for being "Dracula" at 1931 that unfortunately had no work at that time in his life and no one would care for him, Ed Wood became friends with him and gave Bela roles on his films to support Bela.

This movie works very well. The acting from the cast is very good. Johnny Depp as Ed Wood really captures his character of Ed Wood very well and even if you dislike Ed Wood and his movies, you can’t help but wanting him to complete his film, his dreams. Martin Landau who played Bela Lugosi did an amazing job on him and he definitely deserve the Oscar he got for his role. The use of black and white for the film is an perfect match for the feel of this. The designs of the scene they shot for Ed’s films are very well done and look almost the same.

Overall, this is an really great movie with great characters, acting, and theme of not giving up and always following your passion no matter what the things they throw at you. Granted there are facts in the film that are not true. Lugosi married to Hope Lininger in 1955 while she was never mention or in the film and Bela was never alone in his house. Other one is Bela knew what “Glen or Glenda” is and didn’t want to do it until he needed to work while in the movie, he had no idea what it’s about beside what Ed told him. And lastly Loretta King in real life wasn’t alleged to water as the film showed.

Would I recommend this? Yes I highly recommended this to Film fans, Tim Burton fans, and future filmmakers.

Pure excellence. Johnny Depp shows us all again, why he's one of the best actors ever. No-one else could have portrayed Wood, impossible. Ed wood was a crazy eccentric character. Most likely the worst actor ever, you still root for him in this biography/movie. Wood is like the 'under-dog' if you will.
Bella Lugosi is one of my favorite actors. He was the coolest monster, in my book. Landau did a fantastic performance as the famous vampire. He breathed life into the aged Lugosi and even humor! Bill Murray's small role as Breckinridge was quite funny as well.
Apart from the transvestites, whom freak me out, this film was hilarious with "wow" dialogue. Ed wood's love interests (S.J.Horse-face-Parker and Patricia Arquette), fire up the film with drama and even humor. I really liked this film a lot. I appreciate Ed Wood, even more now. I've always liked Plan 9's terrible-ness, yet loved it.
In conclusion, WATCH THIS FILM haha!

Ed Wood is a film from a director that was a bit of a hard risk because Tim has done dark film with imagination to it but he goes to a bio-pic and in a huge way. Ed Wood turned out to be a witty, hilarious, dark, dramatic and even romantic masterpiece that is definitely a film to be remembered. I loved this film for those reasons but also because of the way it was filmed. Ed Wood turned out to be a typical Tim Burton film because of the way it was filmed and the very bizarre person that was Ed Wood. Ed Wood's personality with films and with women was very witty and Burton is good at expressing characters in that way. This must have been a hard film to make because in the scenes where Ed Wood is shooting a scene in one of his films because there is a film making a film.


Johnny Depp's performance as Ed Wood was absolutely fantastic! It is definitely one of Johnny's best performances so far. His acting as Ed Wood when he is in women's clothes is just absolutely hilarious that I couldn't believe it. Was very funny and unique seeing Johnny in women's clothes. Johnny Depp should have earned an Oscar nomination for this film as well as a Golden Globe win for portraying Ed Wood. Martin Landau was awesome as Bela Lugosi but I was dead surprised that he beat both Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction and Gary Sinise in Forrest Gump to the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. I personally believe that was luck that he won it.


Ed Wood is an adventure of bad filmmaking as well as clumsiness, drama and romance. I loved this film all the way through but it doesn't quite beat Burton masterpieces Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands or Sleepy Hollow. Ed Wood is still a masterpiece from Tim Burton and is one of the greatest films of 1994 and that was a phenomenal year in cinema. I loved Johnny Depp's performance as Ed Wood but he is better in Sweeney Todd, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands and Finding Neverland. Ed Wood is a very unique masterpiece that I think cannot be beaten or be attempted at better than Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp.

'When it came to making bad movies, Ed Wood was the best.'

Maybe it was just Johnny Depp doing the striptease in woman's clothing.. but I really, really enjoyed watching this film. Johnny Depp working together with Tim Burton again, nothing can go wrong with this dynamic duo. Johnny Depp; the talented, brilliant, amazing and good looking actor. While Tim Burton is creative, wonderful, different, sometimes strange.. but together they make the most amazing movies. Ed Wood is no different to the others.

Ed Wood is eccentric, strange yet interesting. Each of Johnny Depp's characters are different to each other, all with their strengths and weaknesses.. but I found Ed Wood really enjoyable to see on the screen, somehow Tim Burton created him as sometimes loving and caring, and sometimes fun and exciting. This film is all about Ed Wood the director, his movies and his life.

It's hard to imagine any other actor playing Ed Wood as well as Johnny Depp did, he gave him so much more character and definitely made this movie a whole lot more entertaining. Martin Landau deserves to be mentioned for his brilliant performance, he was pretty much perfect for his role, I couldn't ask for anyone better. I normally can't stand Sarah Jessica Parker.. she's not exactly my favourite actress. But in this I survived watching her, probably only because Johnny Depp was on the screen whenever she was. Jeffrey Jones was a nice addition to the cast, another regular to Tim Burton's films and in this he was great as always. Oh, and Bill Murray was also excellent, another actor who made this movie more enjoyable.

I haven't really seen any other film like this before, so it was nice to see something different. It definitely has Tim Burton's style of directing, this is informative, enjoyable and humorous. I'd recommend anyone to see this for themselves.. I think I'm finally getting over my dislike for black and white films.