Ed Wood (1994)
"Ambitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams, despite his lack of talent."
Ed Wood is such a huge stand out, not just as a movie, but as a Tim Burton flick. The black and white is a huge factor in this. But the movie also has a biopic vibe to it in a very old fashion way. The film is set in old time Hollywood. The costume and set design do a good job of replicating the feel of the time period.
The story is sweet, to put it shortly. The individual arcs of Ed & Bela alone are the heart of the film. We feel for Bela Lugosi as the withering the star, and cheer on Ed Wood as the horrible film director. However the passion for film making is a major theme here as Ed struggles to make his dreams come true, and that's something we can all relate to. The true story of the real life Ed Wood on it's own is bizarre and interesting. While Wood didn't succeed the way he wanted to, he still left quite the legacy behind, and Tim Burton celebrated it perfectly.
Jumping into the stellar cast, let me just name drop some legendary and talented actors feature in the movie - Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray, Patricia Arquette, Jeffery Jones, and Buffy legend, Juliet Landau. This film was Depp & Burton's 2nd film together, still the beginning of a long career together.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆