Ed Wood: Made in Hollywood USA

Journalist and podcaster Sloan (The Journal of Stoogeological Studies) delivers an entertaining critical evaluation of Ed Wood, the cult filmmaker often referred to as the “Worst Director of All Time.” Those familiar with Wood (1924–1978) by way of Tim Burton’s 1994 biopic will find a much more complex portrait of the director. Sloan takes a completist view of Wood’s work, ranging from his best-known movies like Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 from Outer Space to more obscure screenplays like The Beach Bunnies. He also chronicles how in his later years, Wood’s life was increasingly marked by poverty and alcoholism. He supported himself by writing pulp fiction, penning hundreds of short stories and over 50 books filled with sex and violence, and making pornographic films. Wood’s weaknesses as a filmmaker are laid bare, including his obviously fake, low-budget film sets and his sometimes hackneyed dialogue. But it’s these very flaws, Sloan explains, that made him an underground hit; after his death, cinephiles began admiring Wood as an “outsider artist,” repositioning his film’s alleged drawbacks as “punkish eccentricities.” Sloan presents a more nuanced view, arguing that Wood tried and failed to make Hollywood hits, achieving instead uncanny dreamscapes. Such thought-provoking analyses add up to a captivating portrait of an “accidental avant-gardiste.” Fans of movies so bad they’re good won’t be disappointed. (Oct.)