DVD Review: Cult Icon Collected in ‘Big Box of Wood’

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CHICAGO – Would I love Ed Wood as much without Tim Burton’s amazing film of the same name? Probably not. I’ll admit that I can’t watch “Bride of the Monster” and NOT think of Martin Landau’s Oscar-winning performance and I smile when thinking of Wood directing some of his awesomely-bad features but I’m really picturing Johnny Depp more than the actual filmmaker. Does it matter? For whatever reason you enjoy the king of Z-movie cinema, the 6-disc “Big Box of Wood” set is a treasure for cheesy movie fans.

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

Where does one even begin to review the filmography of Ed Wood? He was a HORRIBLE director. And yet there’s something about his most beloved works (“Plan 9 From Outer Space,” “Bride of the Monster,” “Glen or Glenda” [which is, sadly, not includes in this 13-movie set]) that reflects the overwhelming love for cinema held by their director. Ed Wood loved movies. He was just no good at making them.

See for yourself with a massive set of films, some well-known and some appropriately buried by the passage of time. “Plan” and “Bride” are the real cult classics in the set and most of the rest of the discs are filled out with some of Wood’s pretty horrendous attempts at skin flicks like “Snow Bunnies” and “Orgy of the Dead.” A lot of these films are for adults only. Perhaps most interesting are the failed TV pilots — “Trick Shooting With Kenne Duncan” and “Crossroads Avenger,” as they prove that Wood could fail in a wide variety of ways.

Ed Wood is an awful filmmaker. But he never gave up. He had no money, no crew, and no real talent but he kept pumping out films. I think that’s why he’s so admired in certain circles. Would some of our notable filmmakers have the same drive without the millions handed to them by major studios? Probably not. Wood didn’t need studios. Or talent. See for yourself with “Big Box of Wood.”

Big Box of Wood was released on DVD on July 26th, 2011
Photo credit: S’more Entertainment

Movies and Special Features by Disc:

Disc 1
“Bride of the Monster”
“Jail Bait”
o Unedited Interview with co-star Delores Fuller
o “Bride of the Monster” poster
o Commentary track for “Bride of the Monster” moderated by Cult Filmmaker David Decoteau of rapidheart.com
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

Disc 2
“Violent Years”
“Plan 9 From Outer Space”
o Bela Lugosi interview as he leaves sanitarium
o Commentary track for “Plan 9” moderated by Cult Filmmaker David Decoteau of rapidheart.com
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

Disc 3
“Sinister Urge”
“Orgy of the Dead”
o On the set of “Orgy of the Dead”
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

Disc 4
“Snow Bunnies”
“Drop Out Wife”
o Unedited interview with Kathy Wood
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

Disc 5
“Fugitive Girls”
“Beach Bunnies”
o Unedited interview with Steve Apostolof
o Commentary track for “Fugitive Girls” moderated by Cult Filmmaker David Decoteau of rapidheart.com
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

Disc 6
“Hot Ice”
“Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan”
“Crossroad Avenger”
o Unedited interview with Joe Robertson
o 4 trailers: The Sinister Urge, Married Too Young, Fugitive Girls, Drop Out Wife
o Intros to each film by producer/actor/director Ted Newsom

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]