Edward D. Wood Jr.

From Poughkeepsie, New York, USA • 1924 - 1978

Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor and novelist. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult classics, notably Glen or Glenda (1953), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) and Night of the Ghouls (1959). In the 1960s and 1970s, he moved towards sexploitation and pornographic films such as The Sinister Urge (1960), Orgy of the Dead (1965) and Necromania (1971), and wrote over 80 lurid pulp crime and sex novels. Marked by their campy aesthetics, technical errors, unsophisticated special effects, integration of poorly-matched stock footage, eccentric casts, idiosyncratic stories and non sequitur dialogue, Wood's films remained largely obscure until he was posthumously awarded a Golden Turkey Award for Worst Director of All Time in 1980, renewing public interest in his life and work. Some film critics, like Will Sloan, have argued against the Worst Director label, making the case that Wood was creative in working with the financial and cinematic limitations he faced. A biography, Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood Jr. by Rudolph Grey, was released in 1992. It was adapted into the film Ed Wood (1994), directed by Tim Burton. Starring Johnny Depp as Wood and Martin Landau as his frequent collaborator Bela Lugosi, the film received critical acclaim. (Via Wikipedia)