Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

"I'm muzzled by army brass!", 7 February 2008

Watching Plan 9 from Outer Space is like watching an instructional video on how to make a bad movie. It's all here – poor acting, dime store special effects, ridiculously flimsy sets, absolutely no continuity, bad editing, and an incoherent plot. But the most offensive part in my mind is the dialogue. It's completely inane. Criswell's opening monologue is a perfect example – "Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future…." Huh? Does any of that make the least bit of sense? Not to me.

Some people, however, go so far as to call Plan 9 from Outer Space the worst movie ever made. That's ludicrous if you ask me. It might be the most famous bad movie, but not the worst. There are any number of movies more unwatchable, more wretched, and more mind-numbing than Plan 9. For sure, it's bad, but it doesn't deserve the reputation it's gotten over the years. There are several positive aspects of Plan 9 I could cite, but I'll limit this to my old standard argument on Ed Wood as a filmmaker. He may not have had the most talent, the biggest budgets, the most gifted actors, and the best written scripts, but there's not denying Ed Wood's love for movies. You can see it in almost every frame of the film. His enthusiasm for his work is almost infectious. And in my mind that counts for something. It makes watching Plan 9 a reasonably fun experience. Sure, a lot of the fun comes from unintentional sources, but Wood's vision is still there for all to enjoy. And with the fun comes entertainment. I will continue to argue that entertainment is the most important factor for me in watching a movie. That's why I've got no problem giving Plan 9 a 5/10.

5/10