Reviews (150)

Good Movie about a horrible film-maker
Ed Wood, Jr. is more beloved than reviled as the "creative mind" behind such grade-z movies as "Plan 9 From Outer Space", "Glen or Glenda". Though it's generally accepted that Wood wasn't playing it straight with his horrible scripts ("he's been killed, murdered....and somebody's responsible!"; "Future events like these will affect you in the future!"), unbelievable special effects and nonesensical plots, this film slightly suggests that Wood actually bought into his own nonsense. Here, Johnny Depp (is there anything he can't do?) plays the beloved but infamous Ed, a WWII vet, failed movie maker and transvestite. Playing Ed as if doing an extended Jon Lovitz impression (his lines delivered all high-pitched and non-stop), Depp's Ed is mostly innocuous and guiless (his genuine belief in the implausible predictions of self-proclaimed seer, Criswell, are a hoot) and incapable of seeing his own sheer lunacy. The script uses "Glen" and "Plan 9" as bookends on Ed's checkered career - with the first film marking his collaboration with the then well-faded horror star, Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), and the second marking a sort of tribute to the star who died before its completion. Director Tim Burton stocks the film with a well-rounded cast - Bill Murray as transvestite "Bunny" Breckenridge, Jeff Jones as Criswell, Sarah Jessica Parker as Ed's long suffering girl friend, Dolores, Lisa Marie as "Vampira" and George Steele as Tor Johnson - that's a lot of fun, but doesn't do much with them. Bill Murray seems at times the saddest transvestite in history, mulling his paltry earnings from Ed's flicks to pay for his "procedure" while Jones' Criswell puts a damper on things when he makes all too clear how he invents his predictions. Instead, Burton's attentions are reserved for Ed and Bela, with Landau turning in a performance that's in turns hysterical (when revealing his hatred for arch-rival Boris Karloff), heartbreaking and terrifying (the forgotten star dies trying to kick a heavy heroin habit). Even so, the script doesn't stay consistent, with the emotional and humours highs isolated in their own scenes. The script reaches a depth of sorrow and horror when revealing Lugosi's profound suffering in de-tox, yet only briefly. (The script dangles the question of how well the dying star recognized the inanity of Woods' work). In other moments, the film hints at other real-life horrors like Ed's war experiences, but much of the film is actually shy of risk. Much of the conflict is between Ed and his backers - mostly evangelicals conned into thinking they were financing a religious picture and slowly realize Ed's true caliber as a film maker. Ed fights back to preserve his artistic vision without having to prove what his vision is or whether he even has one. His flagging self-confidence is restored by a chance encounter with Orson Welles (Vincent DoNofrio, also an underappreciated Hollywood fixture, his lines dubbed by the same guy who voices "Brain" on "Pinky and the Brain"). The more famed director is about to start work on a troubled epic of his own which, though never named, will be instantly recognizable to film students as "A Touch of Evil" ("Can you imagine Charlton Heston as a Mexican Cop?", Welles laments). Plunging ahead, the film works to the climax of Ed's career- the infamous "Plan 9 from Outer Space"! With Ed's trademark horrible special effects, unintelligible plot and insultingly poor script, "Plan" is almost guaranteed cult-status. Burton only recreates some of the scenes, so the last few minutes of the film plays like a montage of SNL skits, with Ed almost crying as he savors each frame. Leaving Ed before the credits roll on his "masterpiece", we never see Ed's lowly ends, his own substance abuse problems or the more clearly horrible films that marked his latter years. Burton never confronts this and misses an ironic motherlode - whether the ridiculous fantasy of Ed's pictures were supposed to be scary, or whether in seeming scary but so ineptly so, they were actually meant to symbolize a safer world than the one he experienced for real.

Plan 10 From INNER Space -- a true American classic!!!!
Yes, Eddie!
Not only Burton's best yet, but one of the finest
American films from the 90's -- or of any decade for that matter.
Cleverly written, lovingly directed, stylishly shot, acted
with empathy, scored and designed with tasteful camp, ED WOOD
is a virtual paen to Hollywoodism (whatever the hell THAT is!).

Just Czapsky's cinematography or Shore's soundtrack alone are
worthy of immense praise. And Tim Burton hits all the right notes flawlessly (for a change). Definitely his Citizen Kane.
Can't praise Depp and Lugosi enough, nor the editing, or....oh, hell! If you have any affection for the 50s, or B-Movies, or Bela Lugosi (God rest his soul), or Maila Nurmi (yum-yum), or angora, or pulp American cinema - meaning REAL American movies - then you should be a fan of this movie, regardless of what you think of Ed Wood's stuff.

Last point.
This movie is overdue for a worthy DVD treatment: docus, bios,
making-of-background -- the whole bit.
Was good enough for an Oscar for Landau, so why are we still waiting?
Yes indeed, pull that (angora) string!

No really this is good, honest
Watching Ed Wood movies and watching Ed Wood there is an alarming thing - Ed Wood's life was better suited to a movie than he was as a director! And as he tried woefully to express this side of his personality to the public with the woeful Glen or Glenda ( " Did you see the movie? Uh huh. Worst movie you saw in your life? OK but how about.....hello hello! )

Johnny Depp is hilarious as Ed and really plays the part extraordinarily well. You almost feel sorry for him as he gets rejected from everyone because he seems to have his intentions right no matter how skewed they end up being.

Of course Ed has a fetish for women's clothing which would make itself known in the film Glen or Glenda but Dolores wouldn't know about this until she read the script. Let's just say she doesn't take to it as well as Ed's rather naive script would like her to be! Although I have to admit that Sarah Jessica Parker is not exactly that easy to like in the movie

Martin Landau is the one who I think plays Bela Lugosi and I have to say that the resemblance is uncanny that you almost feel like singing the line from the Bauhaus song Bela Lugosi's Dead -" Oh Bela, Bela's not dead " indeed!

Bill Murray is fantastic in his role. As ever, he has the best lines in this movie. One of the best roles I've seen him in

I've seen this film - it must be about nearly 7 or 8 times and it's so funny that some of the lines in it are implanted in my head. One that has to be watched for those interested in seeing something a little unusual

My Favorite Movie of All Time
I have watched this movie probably 100 times and can never get enough. I cannot believe it hasn't been released on DVD yet.

The portrayal of Ed Wood is of a guy that never gives up even though he is terrible. Ever the optimist and the king of spin. He gives his pre-released version of 'Glen or Glenda' to a producer. When ED is told it's the worst movie the producer has ever seen---Ed's answer, "My next one will be better!"

When Ed is told that Bela will be kicked out of re-hab due to lack of insurance---Ed goes to Bela and tells him, "The tests all came back great---you can go home now."

Ed is a testament that it is more important to be positive and tenacious----rather than good.

Martin Landau REALLY deserved this Oscar. Like another reviewer said, he becomes Lugosi. I really feel Martin's portrayal of Bela more than I have ever felt any on-screen performance---ever. He brings me to tears almost every time. It's heartbreaking, funny and perfect in every single way.

From getting the whole crew baptized to finance a movie----to parading around the set in a wig and a dress. It's a great movie.

Enjoy!

Release it on DVD already!!
I'd heard good things about Ed Wood from critics, and decided to rent it to see for myself. After all, most of the movies I enjoy the most are movies that are panned viciously by said critics. Guess what? for once, I agreed with the "screen snobs" and enjoyed this movie just as much as the ones normally dismissed by the critics.

Johnny Depp is brilliant as the ever optimistic, supremely untalented Ed Wood. It is strange to contemplate the irony that it took such a top notch director, cast and writer to honor someone like Ed.

Speaking of brilliant, don't miss Martin Landau's Oscar winning turn as Bela Lugosi. By turns hilariously profane and poignantly troubled, Landau earned his Oscar for this part.

I just wish the powers that be at the studios would hurry up and put this gem on DVD so that we can all enjoy it! ... Read more

Description

Every year thousands of people move to Hollywood to pursue their dreams.Some succeed.Some go home.Others just… disappear.There are bad apartments – rats, bad plumbing, crazy landlords -and then there’s the Lusman building.Something evil lives deep in the building itself, something linked to the architecture itself… something that needs to keep killing to stay alive. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Tobe Hooper Reigns Again............
It is good to finally see a movie that doesn't have these extremely well known actors in it and actually have a great story to it. This movie also has some of the best death scenes it that I have seen in a while. Bottomline this is a great film and deserves some credit.

If these walls could talk......
When Nell (Angela Bettis) and Steven (Brent Roam) Barrows move into the historic Lusman building, things start going terribly wrong in Tobe Hoopers remake of "Toolbox Murders". Nell finds a box in her apartment with some human teeth in it, her noisy neighbor Saffron (Sara Downing) gets suddenly very quiet, and her new friend and fellow tenant Julia (Juliet Landau) suddenly disappears.

Nell, who spends her days all alone while her husband works as a resident doctor at the local hospital, is plagued with these and all sorts of mysteries throughout the movie. As things get weirder, and the tenants of the Lusman began vanishing, Nell goes on a quest to learn the history of the Lusman in an attempt to sort out the odd occurrences surrounding her. Of course, she ends up with way more than she bargained for.

Bettis (as usual) is great in her role. She holds the film together, but she can't save it.
Too many plot twists, not enough explanation, and a confusing third act make the whole movie tough to follow. However, "Toolbox Murders" has a lot going for it as well.

It's stylish, it's creepy, and at times it's just downright fun. I jumped through a couple scenes, and was on edge for several other. The principle photography and atmosphere of the film are very pleasing. There is also some pretty good death sequences, which really do take you back to the classic slasher films of the 70's and 80's.

I enjoyed "Toolbox Murders". Not Tobe's best work, but I can see what he was going for and I believe he achieved it. Horror movies rarely come full circle (in one film), and usually leave us wanting and needing more. "Toolbox Murders" is certainly no exception, but it does deliver a solid performance (Bettis), reasonable and sufficient gore, and a few good screams & laughs for the genuine horror fans out there.

Dissapointing Re-imagining.
Well, it had to happen did,nt it ? In this world of remakes and rehashes someone had to ressurect this horror classic, the only trouble is it just does,nt work! The interesting part of this double disc presentation is the excellent documentary EPK which is on disc two. This little gem is a must for those interested in going behind the scenes of these movies, very nicely done! The second documentary, The American Nightmare, has been a special feature on another horror DVD, which it makes it a dissapointing choice for a second special feature. Tobe Hooper tries to work his magic but the story just can,t decide whether its trying to be like Texas Chainsaw or Friday 13th. Jason Voorhees or Leatherface? Take your pick? The scriptwriters tell us that this is a re-imagining,not, a remake, but to be honest they might have made this a lot more scary if they,d stuck to the original premise! Angela Bettis is superb, its just a pity the fear factor scores a total of Nil!!!!

Tobe Hooper's Come Back, Sort Of.Old-Fashioned and Spooky
One of the respected horror directors Tobe Hooper comes back with the star Angela Bettis ('May' and TV's 'Carrie').This 'Toolbox Murders' is a remake of the 1978 film of the same title, in which a killer uses various items in ... er ... the toolbox.Though the gimmick itself is unchanged, the new version gives more stress upon the spooky atmosphere coming from the well-chosen locations.And Ms. Bettis (I really like her) is a real talent, which is a bonus to the film.

The film is about the married couple newly moving in a decaying apartment building in LA.The place is surely spooky, and looks either infested with evil spirits, or just tenanted by a bunch of strange, slightly crazy inmates.As you know, so many people come to Hollywood with dreams, and if you are acting like a little bit starnge, no one cares.Even if you suddenly vanish.

But Angela Bettis's heroine plucky Nell notices something different,What is the dirty package hidden behind the wall of her room?What do the marks signify engraved on the floor of the building?The film slowly builds up the story.

[GREAT LOCATION] Tobe Hooper chose The Ambassador Hotel, now closed, where Robert Kennedy was assassinated.I don't know how many films in the past used this building as location, but in this Hooper's new film the place becomes the spookiest.In usual places, an officious manager or a creepy repairman is a big no-no cliche; in here, they look so real that you might feel that Hooper is talking about an old-fashioned ghost story, not a serial killer horror.(But actually, it is a serial killer story.)

However, Hooper's 'Toolbox Murders' is not perfect.The third and final act suffers from confusing cat-and-mouse situations, and when you can solve the mysterious writings simply by, say, opening a book or two, what is the point of its being a mystery?The spooky atmosphere slowly vanishes from the air, which I regret very much.

But thanks to the good acting from Angela Bettis (whose debut was 'The Sparrow' directed by Franco Zeffirelli!), the film remains interesting.And a few bits from Rance Howard (Ron's dad) as the oldest tenant recounting the golden age of Hollywood add precious touch of credibility to the film.

SOME MISSING TOOLS
Angela Bettis plays Nell, a lonely housewife on the verge of cracking up in Tobe Hooper's effective yet bland remake of the 1978 low-budgeter THE TOOLBOX MURDERS.One thing is for sure, this film is ten times better than its original, even more worthy than many direct-to-video releases out there.But as a whole, the delivery is plain gray.There are many pivotal scenes that will guarantee fright (most noticeably the newly thinned victim attack, which will definitely make one think twice before entering a dark apartment).Hooper directs them with a sharp eye and a gusto attitude (check out also his Bonus Feature's uncut scenes).It's a joy to see the man at work.What he lacks however is a strong script.As interesting THE TOOLBOX MURDERS tries to be, the movie as a whole is plot free.A whodunit, yes, but one which doesn't really go anywhere.This may work as a low-budget biggie for an unknown director, but since Hooper is the mastermind behind such gems as Poltergeist and The (original) Chainsaw Massacre, a lot more is at stakes.His involvement in THE TOOLBOX MURDERS should have definitely deserved a better treatment.-----Martin Boucher

... Read more

Description

A wise-cracking police officer is forced to team up with her new partner, a sixty-five million year-old talking Tyrannosaurus Rex! Hillarious adventures follow as this unlikely duo tries to save the planet Earth from extinction. Starring Whoopi Goldberg. Year: 1996 Director: Jonathan Betuel Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Juliet Landau ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wonderful Review
If you saw the Dionosaur show that Henson did on TV, then you will enjoy this movie, and what's not to like about Whoopi, she makes anything bad good. So don't listen to the last reviewer, if you like Whoopi, buy this vhs, and I will look out for the DVD, as well. Whoopi you ROCK.

Raunchy
Just when you thought it was safe to watch television, this thing comes farting onto the screen. Basically, two cops in rubber suits try to take out a bunch of bad guys, and end up in supposed to be funny situations. Kids may, as the editorial said, enjoy the dino. Other than that, pray that this thing is not still on the air when smellavision is invented. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Cat and Mouse Strike Back!
DIRECT HIT effectively returns audiences to one of Hollywood's
best genres: the cat and mouse game. The movie reminds us that
flesh and blood adversaries, who display both motives and emotions, are more interesting to watch than the flanks of computer generated combatants populating big studio action flicks. "Hit" is a worthy diversion from all that blockbuster noise. Ensemble work by an excellent cast also makes a notable
difference and gives this film its compelling quality. William

Forsythe is John Hatch, a hit man with one last assignment from
the Agency before his retirement. He falls for his target, a
woman questionably charged with bribing a senator, and becomes
her protector. Hatch's boss (George Segal) dispatches another
agent, played by Richard Norton, to clean up the mess. In a smartly acted bar room scene, Norton admonishes Forsythe, "You
turned your target into people. Can't do that." Fans do not
need a reminder that Norton ranks among the best actors in action dramas and thrillers. Even so, Norton's finely nuanced performance in "Direct Hit" delivers another example of the remarkable skill and energy he consistently brings to the screen with every role.

It grew on me
The first scene is so stupid, I almost turned it off, but I stuck around to see Forsythe. Today's action heroes have to wipe out whole armies of bad guys without getting a scratch, and destroy lots of property. This movie is no exception. Forsythe is a hit-man with a heart of gold, unable to kill his target because she has a child. You have to believe that all this mayhem is caused by a 10-year-old photograph and that even though the woman's child has been kidnapped, she spends the night in bed with the hit-man. I had to watch this movie twice to appreciate it, but Forsythe makes a likeable unlikely hero. ... Read more