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Ed Wood Reviews

1994 Certificate 15
  • 70
  • from 14,088 members

Hollywood visionary Tim Burton pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (Johnny Depp) in his quest for film greatness as he writes and directs turkey after turkey, cross-dresses, and surrounds himself with a motley crew of Hollywood .. Read more

Starring Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray
Director Tim Burton
Genres Comedy, Drama

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  • Critics' reviews (3) of Ed Wood

    View all
  • 5 stars out of 5

    Only one of cinema's finest directors could have so lovingly crafted this homage to one of its worst. Tim Burton's wonderful celebration of awful art, and the fascination it continues to exert, traces the weird career of director Edward D Wood Jr, from his autobiographical exploitation quickie Glen or Glenda — in which he cast himself as an anguished cross-dresser — to his “masterpiece”, the truly terrible Plan 9 from Outer Space. Johnny Depp gives an amazing performance as Wood in a brilliant black-and-white evocation of 1950s life in Grade Z-land, and Martin Landau deservedly won an Oscar for his uncanny impersonation of Wood's low-rent inspiration, Bela Lugosi. The re-creation of Wood's blatantly anti-aesthetic productions is astonishing.

    • Radio Times
  • 2 stars out of 4

    A delightful, charming, straight-faced account of a hopelessly obsessive film-maker and transvestite, which turns his ineffectual life and career into some sort of triumphant celebration of the American dream, making a success of failure; its appeal, thou

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Burton's biopic of the man often described as the world's worst film-maker (Glen or Glenda, Plan Nine from Outer Space,... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Ed Wood

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  • 38 out of 44 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1.0 star

    Worst Film I have ever seen

    Don't waste your time. The worst film I have ever seen and switched it off near the end.

      • Emma from Scotland from Scotland
  • 13 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    A biographical masterpiece

    Without doubt this is a Tim Burton masterpiece. Johnny Depp is superb as Ed Wood, the B-Movie director and transvestite who struggles to make a name in movies ... more

      • Gareth from Stockport
  • 12 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    Edward D Wood Jr

    This is a classic true life film. Johnny Depp shines as the title character, the worst director of all time, and Sarah Jessica Parker as his girlfriend. ... more

      • A customer from here
  • Most recent members' reviews (2) of Ed Wood

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  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 3.0 stars

    Very Watchable and Good Performances

    This movie made in black and white and in the genre of the 1940/1950's relates the story of a constantly optimistic cross dressing director who never took ... more

      • A customer from Petersfield
  • 8 out of 12 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    One of hollywoods finest directors working once more with his favourite lead, one of hollywoods finest actors. Probably my favourite of all their callaborations... more

      • trotsuk from LONDON
  • 38 out of 44 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1.0 star

    Worst Film I have ever seen

    Don't waste your time. The worst film I have ever seen and switched it off near the end.

      • Emma from Scotland from Scotland
  • 13 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    A biographical masterpiece

    Without doubt this is a Tim Burton masterpiece. Johnny Depp is superb as Ed Wood, the B-Movie director and transvestite who struggles to make a name in movies ... more

      • Gareth from Stockport
  • 12 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    Edward D Wood Jr

    This is a classic true life film. Johnny Depp shines as the title character, the worst director of all time, and Sarah Jessica Parker as his girlfriend. ... more

      • A customer from here
  • 9 out of 14 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1.0 star

    Despite being a fan of Johnny Depp and 'arty' films, this one bored me senseless. Depp's character is totally unbelievable and the female actors are... more

      • Kim#10 from SOUTHSEA
  • 7 out of 7 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    Bravely unorthodox true-life comedy

    Johnny Depp plays the eponymous director of the film once rated as the Worst Movie of all Time: ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’.

    This is a ... more

      • star11 from Dorset
  • 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars

    UNBELIEVABLE, BUT TRUE!

    I find it quite incredible that anyone would give this man money to make films, but they did! Excelently made, the scenes of the filming of Plan 9 were ... more

      • CyberDan from London England
  • 8 out of 12 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    One of hollywoods finest directors working once more with his favourite lead, one of hollywoods finest actors. Probably my favourite of all their callaborations... more

      • trotsuk from LONDON
  • 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2.0 stars

    tim burton has done better

    this is my worst tim burton film. that does not mean it's not good in relation to so many other films but next to his others i liked sleepy hollow, edward ... more

      • andrea from London
  • 5 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1.0 star

    naff

    complete and total trash.yawn from 1st minute.would have give it minus stars if i could. the director should be ashamed.

      • blathersnipe from sandhurst,berkshire
  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5.0 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Tim Burton’s homage to a cross dressing director of trashy films

    Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood, rubbish writer, famous cross dresser and director of terrible films such as, Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From ... more

      • Daniel Pollard from Manchester, England
  • Critics' reviews (3)

  • 5 stars out of 5

    Only one of cinema's finest directors could have so lovingly crafted this homage to one of its worst. Tim Burton's wonderful celebration of awful art, and the fascination it continues to exert, traces the weird career of director Edward D Wood Jr, from his autobiographical exploitation quickie Glen or Glenda — in which he cast himself as an anguished cross-dresser — to his “masterpiece”, the truly terrible Plan 9 from Outer Space. Johnny Depp gives an amazing performance as Wood in a brilliant black-and-white evocation of 1950s life in Grade Z-land, and Martin Landau deservedly won an Oscar for his uncanny impersonation of Wood's low-rent inspiration, Bela Lugosi. The re-creation of Wood's blatantly anti-aesthetic productions is astonishing.

    • Radio Times
  • 2 stars out of 4

    A delightful, charming, straight-faced account of a hopelessly obsessive film-maker and transvestite, which turns his ineffectual life and career into some sort of triumphant celebration of the American dream, making a success of failure; its appeal, thou

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Burton's biopic of the man often described as the world's worst film-maker (Glen or Glenda, Plan Nine from Outer Space,... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
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  • 70

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    • Hollywood visionary Tim Burton pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (Johnny Depp) in his quest for ...

Rating breakdown

14,088 Member ratings
  • 100
1,334
  • 90
1,236
  • 80
2,786
  • 70
2,639
  • 60
2,527
  • 50
1,372
  • 40
946
  • 30
530
  • 20
466
  • 10
252

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