PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE

Three aliens, including a chesty female ET, land in California and put into action their plan to, as the poster sez, "PARALYZE THE LIVING AND RESURRECT THE DEAD! ". Although the plot could have served any of a dozens of Z—grade 50’s sci-fi flicks, this one was different because under Ed Wood’s masterfully inept misdirection the film turned into what is now widely acknowledged as one of the greatest pieces of trash ever committed to celluloid.

Ed Wood Jr. has been called, plainly, "mediocre". But that's actually an understatement; Ed was a genius of mediocrity who never accepted the fact that he was mediocre. Plan 9 offers proof by featuring unbelievable dialog; "You earthlings are all fools, fools, fools, do you hear me ..." and cheap sets like the alien spaceship interior which is just a long table in an empty room. Then, of course, there's the miniature shots of the spaceships (which look suspiciously like hubcaps suspended by strings) and finally, the piece-de-resistance: A double for star Bela Lugosi, who died two days into filming. (Depending on the story, the double was either a chiropractor or a gynecologist friend of Ed's). Essentially, all of this adds up to a smash trash film. One of our jaded staff's all time favorites!

Directed By Edward Wood Jr. Starring Bela Lugosi (almost), Tor Johnson, John Breckenridge (no relation to Myra), Lyle Talbot, and, Vampira (The Vampiress with a huge set of ... uh ... acting talents.)

U.S.A. 1956 80 minutes
ISBN 1-55881-307-1
$19.95

GLEN OR GLENDA
I LED TWO LIVES / I CHANGED MY SEX

Legendary schlock mogul George Weiss bankrolled this ditty and kicked off Ed Wood JR’s career. Perhaps no other filmmaker has had such a poor relationship with a camera--certainty no other filmmaker has turned out cinetrash so consistently. This, Wood's first flick, showcases his talent, or lack thereof, and offers a thrilling glimpse at how truly bad his future works will be. The film is largely a compilation of stock footage with Bela Lugosi as a spirit trying to explain the lives of transvestites and transsexuals. Wood himself plays the lead character opposite his real life wife who can't understand why he wears her clothes and has a special fetish for her angora sweaters. Minimalist sets, bizarre special effects (thunderbolts in the operating room as a sex change is performed) and nonsensical dialog add up to give us one of the best of the worst films ever made.

USA 1952 70 m.
ISBN 1-55881-305-5
$19.95

THE BRIDE OF THE MONSTER
Bride of the Atom

Lugosi in his prime hams it up as the Mad Dr. Varnoff, a fugitive Russian scientist who is holed up in a spooky Victorian mansion where he is conducting experiments to create a race of superbeings who will do his dirty deeds. When some men disappear a woman reporter starts snooping around and falls into Varnoff's evil hands. One of Wood's most inspired films with some great touches.A few of the more memorable include: Bela becoming a superman by donning platform shoes, the spine chilling battle with the rubber octopus and the fluorescent painted rocks.

Directed by Ed Wood Jr. Stars Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy (whose dad financed the film) Loretta King, Harvey B. Dunne, Paul Marcos.

USA 1955, 70 awful Minutes
ISBN 1-55881-306-3
$19.95