The conversation at the end of this movie between the Ed Wood character and Orsen Welles is one of my favorite scenes about creativity and being an artist. Its a simple scene, and almost certainly fiction, but so beautiful imo. Also, the Martin Landau performance is hilarious😂
Ed Wood's spirit, drive and vision made this film so good. You were really rooting for him. But also it's an example of an artist not being appreciated in his own time. It doesn't matter how his films are enjoyed. That's up to the audience, not the artist.
This film manages to be completely tongue in cheek and completely earnest at the same time. It doesn't alternate between the two, it is both, simultaneously. That kind of tonal wizardry borrows from movies like Young Frankenstein (which pokes fun at old monster movies while emulating them almost religiously) or The Princess Bride (in which stakes always operate on two distinct levels: playful and serious). But in Ed Wood, Burton applies this kind of dual perspective to real life events and people. People who are both absolute losers that we can laugh at, but also indomitable heroes that we admire. This makes them all that much more endearing, and the film that much richer.
I think many people miss the point of Tim Burton's "Ed Wood". They think of Ed Wood only as some sort of joke of a human being. "The worst director of all time". Yet I think the message of the movie is how this guy, despite all the roadblocks put in his way, still kept banging-away at trying to make movies. Critic Gene Siskel in his review of the film, described Ed Wood as "cheerful, decent, if slightly weird". Who continued to support his friends (such as Lugosi). If anything, the movie is about a guy's true artistic impulse. Who saw movies as an expression of art, and not just as a way to make money as so many moviemakers do today.
My cuz worked for the real Ed Wood in the early 70s and got a 5.00 check as payment. It was either that or he'd treat you to lunch. My cousin took the check.
Just to keep it short, let me say that, yes, a BIG YES, this is my favorite Tim Burton film also. I just LOVE ❤ it! And, of course, Martin Landau was hysterical as the great, but fading, Bela Lugosi. Even if people don’t care about Ed Wood, or want to see Johnny D. cross dressing, on the strength of Landau’s Academy Award winning performance alone, I always tell people to see this film. It is an absolute hands down winner!! And thanks for the post!🙋♀️🦇🥂🌹
Look up Karazewski and Alexander, the screenwriters, and you'll find they love movies and the ones behind the movie making themes of this. Burton brings the style, but it's these guys who brought the charm of the story.
Hey man, I love your channel. Since hardly any of my friends are cinephiles, I thought I'd ask you this question. The King of Comedy and The Heartbreak Kid (1972) are 2 films that have a very unique and subtle darkness to them despite being very funny and seemingly-broad comedies. Most dark comedies, even the great ones (Fargo, In Bruges, Trainspotting, Harold and Maude, Dr. Strangelove, MASH), tend to present the harshness and bleakness of their satirical stories right on the surface. But these 2 films are the only ones in which a vague and eerie sadness lingers with the viewer throughout the films. It's one of the rarest and most fascinating sensations I've ever had while watching a film. It was almost like watching a nightmare version of a sitcom. Can you or someone recommend some other films like what I tried to describe?
Yes. I love King of Comedy, and you are dead right about it. These are just my views. I think "Her" is truly great in the same way. It's hilarious and awfully sad. I've written about it here: joshmatthews.org/her-2013/ Others: almost everything by Hal Ashby, a director whom this channel has a video on. Namely, "Being There" and "Shampoo," plus the great "The Last Detail." I would disagree that "Harold and Maude" is bleak on the surface. Sure that younger character is infatuated with death. There's a real darkness to the movie though, in that he wants to and does procreate with an old woman. If the theme is playfulness and generativity, then why is he doing something so sterile? I think as well that Alexander Payne has picked up on Ashby's tone and produced some really great stuff -- that includes "About Schmidt" and "Nebraska." Think about how dark those movies are, especially the former. Mike Judge's Idiocracy I love, though it is on the surface a trashy comedy, is about dysgenic dysfunction. It is not in the cinematic ballpark as any of the others I mentioned, but I love it for the world it creates. I don't know if I've really mentioned anything that meets your criteria. Part of what you are asking for is subjective, and who knows how anything might strike an individual? Feel free to peruse my letterboxd lists, though, as you might find something you are looking for. You know that I like Payne, Ashby, Judge, and Jonze, plus whatever else I've praised on this channel, so I really like darker humor that makes me both laugh and think hard. letterboxd.com/joshmatthews/list/movies-i-recommend-to-nearly-everybody/ letterboxd.com/joshmatthews/list/my-favorite-movies/
@@LearningaboutMovies I've actually seen ALL the films you mentioned. Alexander Payne is a particular favorite of mine, especially Citizen Ruth and Election. And yes, Being There, The Last Detail, and Shampoo all have strong similarities to the relaxed, understated vibe of the 2 films I mentioned, but I guess at the end of the day the emotions those films aroused are extremely subjective. Anyway, thanks for the letterbox list and I will definitely check some of those films out.
In The Mouth of Madness, Upgrade, The Others, Oldboy, The House That Jack Built, Nightcrawler, I Saw The Devil, Saw (1), Sin Nombre, Amores Perros, Requiem Of a Dream, The Wrestler, A Cure For Wellness, Killing Of a Sacred Deer, Henry Portrait of A Serial Killer and well i can go on with a bit more assuming you've seen most if not all
I agree with you. “Ed Wood” is a great movie. Tim Burton & company pull off the near impossible. They turned a real life creep into a very appealing character. I read a biography on Ed Wood. There was nothing nice about him. The way Burton approached the material was perfect. In lesser hands the movie wouldn’t have worked. I saw “Ed Wood” in the theater. I’ve seen it a bunch of times since. It’s a lot of fun.
I think Tim Burton is often times more interested in his own vision than he is in the craft but sometimes they both come together. Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands are examples of this in my opinion
I thought it was the best movie I'd ever seen. Then reality hit me. I realized it was only fantastic. And I'm not saying that as a negative thing. BTW, opening credits are worth the price of admission.
