Happy 10th Anniversary to ED WOOD!

How time flies while you’re waiting for a DVD to be released! Today marks the tenth anniversary of the theatrical release of Tim Burton’s ED WOOD, a celebration of the courage, loyalty, and indefatigible spirit of the worst director in Hollywood history. Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood with just the right mix of desperation and enthusiasm; in interviews, he claimed he based his characterization on “the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, the enthusiasm of the Tin Man from THE WIZARD OF OZ, and [disc jockey] Casey Kasem.”

Martin Landau won a supporting actor Oscar and a Golden Globe as the fading star Bela Lugosi, whom Ed Wood befriends. Here’s what he said about Johnny in his Golden Globe acceptance speech: “This is for us, Johnny. No matter what happens tonight, this is for us, because [. . .] if you play tennis by yourself, it doesn’t work. That guy is the best young actor in this town. Not only that, he comes in prepared, he’s ready to work, and he’s willing to take chances, and I love him.”

The Region 1 DVD of ED WOOD, promised for February 3, 2004 and then mysteriously recalled from the shelves, will be released on October 19th. Amazon.com is offering a pre-release price of $20.99. Ed Wood never made a great movie, but his life inspired one. Somewhere in the Great Beyond, he must be smiling.

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