Plan 9 from Outer Space

 

Look, I know all the shortcomings this film has.  Changing from day to night and back again in the middle of scenes and low budget graveyard sets complete with headstones and trees that wobble and fall over are just to name a few.  They are pretty unforgivable but you can't blame Ed Wood for everything.  He didn't expect Bela Lugosi to drop dead just a few days into filming.  Having his wife's dentist or whoever it was come in and film a few scenes pretending to be Bela is just pivoting in order to get through a difficult situation. 

 

 

Is it a good movie?  Definitely not but it is a cult favorite.  There's enough here to keep your interest; I mean Criswell alone is nearly worth the price of admission.  Even the awkward dialogue doesn't hurt too much although there are some lines that feel like they went through a paper shredder before they were recorded and then left in after an editor went through the film.  I'm assuming this of course, it could just be how Ed Wood speaks.  

 

There is an adequate story in here and even if not, how can you go wrong with a guy named Dudley Manlove telling you all about his plan.  I doubt at this point anybody goes into plan 9 expecting anything other than what you get here.  A Sci/Fy film that is more spoof than it is serious but it is still a classic.  Even if it is so for all the wrong reasons.  I've seen this a few times before and it never gets old.  I give it three and a half pieces of solaronite out of four.