Plan 9 From Outer Space, Retro Movie Review

Some movies attain cult classic status on the grounds they're so much fun because there is so much wrong with them. They are so bad that they become good. Plan 9 from Outer Space by writer/director Edward D. Wood (IMDb link) is a wonderful example.

If you've never experienced Plan 9 from Outer Space (IMDb link), you are missing a local television station late Saturday night horror movie show standard. Programming where seeing a movie in color is an oddity.

The plot is aliens are coming to Earth to save the universe. Earthlings, in their drive for power, are developing bigger bombs and those pursuits will create a bomb that will destroy everything. Because the world's leaders are unwilling to even acknowledge the presence of the aliens they are going to use Plan 9 to stop it. Plan 9 is to animate the recently dead.

Of those who have seen the movie, there are usually thoughts about what it is, how bad it is, and generally the question of why it is.

Edward D. Wood made a lot of movies. In fact, after his death in 1978 he's had 19 more writing credits. It's said he wanted to make a movie will Bela Lugosi, but the actor had already passed away. To bring a movie to life with the actor, Wood wrote and directed Plan 9 and used stock footage to place Lugosi into the film. Another actor was used in the chase scenes. He's the one who moved about with the cape covering his face.

Plan 9 from Outer Space was made on a low budget and with a wide variety of experience for the actors. The flaws are legendary. In almost every scene there is something that can be identified. For those watching close enough, and who aren't laughing, they could probably find something in every scene shot. This has led to other movies being made to parody Plan 9. Those have usually played the flaws up.

There is some good acting, but there is more that is not. It would be wrong to say it was bad acting because most of was performed by inexperienced actors. One, who played the supreme leader, only had this one film credit. Many had only a few. Admittedly, others continued their careers and had numerous credits, mostly in television playing episodic characters.

Bela Lugosi

The actors' inexperience was intensified with the sets. There are wonderfully bad sets throughout the movie. There are backdrops of the skyline and walls that have folds and wrinkles, along with a mausoleum made of plywood. Those are enough to get you started looking at what was done. Finding the irregularities can become a competition when watching Plan 9.

Even with all the bad, here is a movie still being watched. It is a testament to having a desire to create. Others have become creators because of movies like Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Let this movie inspire you to do whatever you desire, no matter how inexperienced you are.

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