Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

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Algenon5
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Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by Algenon5 »

TITLE: "Plan 9 From Outer Space"
GENRE: Low-budget Science Fiction
PRODUCER-DIRECTOR: Edward D. Wood, Jr.
PRIMARY CAST: See text
RUNTIME: 78 minutes
PRINT QUALITY: Excellent
FREE DOWNLOAD: http://www.archive.org/details/Plan9FromOuterSpace_811
RECOMMENDED DOWNLOAD: DivX (avi) 613.7MB
RATED: 5 stars out of 5 (see text)

"Plan 9" is often referred to as the worst movie ever made. Baloney. I could easily name a dozen that are far worse. Don't misunderstand. By any reasonable standards this is a bad film. Why then is it still so popular, when many other movies from the golden age of drive-ins have faded into obscurity or disappeared entirely? One reason is it's anything but dull. But the main reason is its whacky creator simply didn't know he was making a bad movie. This naivete and the enthusiastic incompetence evident in every aspect of the production generated a flick that is hard to resist. What follows are the pieces that against all odds made up the whole:

Cast: Talentless amateurs, local characters and movie has-beens. Notables include: Criswell, phony tv psychic; Vampira, out-of-work late-night tv hostess; Tor Johnson, ex-wrestler; Lyle Talbot, ex-thirties leading man; Tom Keene, former B-western cowboy; Bela Lugosi (died prior to production). The deceased Lugosi's stand-in was Ed Wood's chiropractor.

Production values: Sets were constructed out of cardboard and plywood. When they ran out, shower curtains were used for space ship walls and an airliner cockpit door. Stock footage of jet fighters and World War II battle scenes for added "authenticity."

Continuity: Night turns into day and back again in the same scene. Police cars miraculously change year and color in the same scene, et cetera, et cetera.

Plot: Space aliens turn Earth's dead into zombies, because the aliens are convinced we are about to blow up the sun. (How the zombies are supposed to prevent this isn't explained.)The aliens don't succeed. In spite of this, so far we Earthians have failed to blow up the sun, although the Pentagon may still be working on it. (This plot synopsis is a lot more coherent that anything on you'll see on-screen.)

Beyond the bad acting, cheesy sets, gaffs and utterly absurd plot, it is writer-director Ed Wood's wonderfully awful and at times incomprehendible dialog that makes this drive-in epic unforgettably unique. Here are a few samples: "Future events like these will effect you in the future." "The sky to which she once looked was now only a covering for her dead body." "Take any fire, any earthquake, any major disaster, then wonder." "The saucers are up there and the cemetery is out there, but I'll be locked up in there." "Atmospheric conditions in outer space…" And the immortal, "All you of Earth are idiots!" (Which I use three or four times a day in ordinary conversation.)

So how could I give five stars to a film this bad? The answer is you will never see a more entertaining disaster. "Plan 9" isn't the worst film ever made, but it could be the most beloved bad movie of all time. Watch it once, and you will probably return to it again and again in drop-jawed amazement. Don't be surprised if you come to think of it as a feel-good movie. However, if you are a literalist who doesn't understand the concept of something being so bad it's good, this one isn't for you.

I know it's foolish, but I'm still anxiously waiting for Plan 10.

Now for the good news. This lovable debacle can be streamed online or downloaded for free at the Internet Archive, a nonprofit public archive run by volunteers. You don't have to join or even register, just go to the URL given above, and enjoy. There are a thousand more commercial-free movies at this site. Here is where to start thumbing through them.

http://www.archive.org/details/feature_films

BORING TECHNICAL STUFF: Regardless of your connection speed, the streaming video quality is less that of the download recommended above. The Internet Archive servers are heavily used, which on occasion results in a failed download. This is easy to prevent by using a free download manager, a sensible thing to do for all large downloads, regardless of their source. If you are a dialup user, a download manager is a must. Here is where to get the one I like:

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/

Finally, some of the black and white films available at the Archive benefit greatly by using the brightness and contrast controls on the GOM and VLC video players.

Any questions? PM me.

Al

48 screen caps follow, after which there is an additional post with bonus "Plan 9" stuff. Keep scrolling down.
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Algenon5
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

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Keep scrolling down.
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by Algenon5 »

Keep scrolling down.
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by Algenon5 »

Last 12 caps.
However, keep scrolling down for a bonus "Plan 9" post.
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Bonus "Plan 9" Stuff

Post by Algenon5 »

MYTHS & LEGENDS: Bela Lugosi died during production. False. The Lugosi footage was shot well before production started, and actually was meant for an entirely different movie.

The flying saucers were pie plates or hubcaps. I love this one, but it's false. They were models that came in kit form.

You can see strings holding up the saucers. False. The one professional aspect of "Plan 9" is its good cinematography.

The alternate title is "Grave Robbers From Outer Space." This is partially true. Prior to release, the Baptist church that financed much the production insisted on a title change. "Grave Robbers" was never used.

ED WOODABELIA: Two excellent documentaries on "Plan 9" and Ed Wood's life exist that are almost as much fun as the movie. They are "Look Back in Angora: the Ed Wood Story" and "The Plan 9 Companion." Neither will be easy to find, but are definitely worth the search.

Of course there is Tim Burton's wonderful, five-star biopic, "Ed Wood" (1994) that gets most of the facts straight.

Favorite "Plan 9" reviewer comments: "No matter when you watch "Plan 9," it seems like two o'clock in the morning." and "It's an anti-masterpiece!"

After you have laughed yourself breathless with "Plan 9," it will be time to move on to Ed Wood's "Glen or Glenda" (1953) and "Bride of the Monster" (1955). Unfortunately neither is available at the Internet Archive.
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by CapgunChuck »

Very nice review. I rate your review 5 out of 5. The only thing missing from the review is the year the movie was made, essential information for me when mainstream classics are reviewed. I agree with your comments about Plan 9 100%. Your review and excellent stills make me want to see it again. (I last saw Plan 9 circa 1980 and enjoyed it for the same reasons you do.)

CC
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by Algenon5 »

Hey CC,

Thanks for the kind words. You're right. I should have included the release date,
and will do so in future mainstream reviews. "Plan 9's" initial release date was
22 July, 1958. It was re-released to theaters and initially released on VHS in 1982.
It has since received world-wide distribution.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to get this download. The video and audio
quality are superb. Besides, twenty years is too long to go between viewings. I
watch "Plan 9" once or twice a year - and yes, it's usually around two in the
morning. Although I know every whacko line and every production gaff by heart,
they are as much fun now as the first time I watched this cinematic catastrophe
with my jaw in my lap.

Speaking of reviews, I hope we'll be seeing some new ones from you before too
long,

Al
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Re: Algenon5 reviews "Plan 9 From Outer Space"

Post by Algenon5 »

The highly recommended and highly entertaining Ed Wood documentaries previously mentioned are now available on YouTube.

"The Plan 9 Companion"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1HHEf667rc

"Ed Wood: Look Back in Angora"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1HHEf667rc

Al
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