Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Screenplay: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Starring: Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Duke Moore, Tom Keene, Tor Johnson, Vampira, Bela Lugosi
Country: United States
Running Time: 79 minutes
Year: 1959
BBFC Certificate: PG
American filmmaker Ed Wood remains notorious for making the original ‘so-bad-it’s-good movies’ in the 1950s on micro-budgets. He’s also known as the subject of a phenomenal eponymous biopic directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp in 1994.
The BFI has packaged two of his sci-fi/horror B-movie films on Blu-ray, headlining the set is Plan 9 From Outer Space and included on a second disc is Bride of the Monster (1955). These have been restored by the label and presented in High Definition.
Plan 9 comes with the option of watching it in the original intended wide-screen format of 1.85:1 or the unintended slimmer 1.37:1 version which reveals off-screen gaffes like microphones going into shot – the sort of thing which sent audience members into gales of laughter.
The BFI has included a range of special features old and new. These include four audio commentaries, two for each film, a video essay on Plan 9, a range of interviews with friends and family of Wood, and a range of archival footage and programmes.
Originally titled ‘Grave Robbers from Outer Space’, in the main feature, aliens land on earth and execute ‘Plan 9’ which involves reviving corpses in a Californian cemetery and creating a small zombie army. We see flying saucers on strings delightfully whizzing around miniatures while causing their mischief. A local airline pilot, the police and the military team up to stop the aliens’ wicked scheme.
I went into this film really hoping to enjoy it. However, the “so-bad-it’s-good” parts just weren’t funny enough to barely crack a smile. It was truly a difficult and laborious watch. I love the imagination behind, however, and the audacity of Wood to make such a low-grade movie. The fact he gave the great Bela Lugosi top billing when he only had test footage of Lugosi walking around and then he just used a standard with his face (unconvincingly) covered is just extraordinary.
As a huge fan of the Dracula actor, I much preferred Bride of the Monster in which he actually plays the starring role. He’s in full unabated mad scientist mode and he has one of the best monologues I’ve ever seen him perform.
If you like the old Universal and Columbia mad scientist and monster movies, then this film scratches that same itch. While it’s held back with some woeful special effects, including a stationary flaccid monster prop, the story is engaging and remains compelling throughout. (As a side note, I’d encourage any fans of Wood to check out his far superior Glen or Glenda (1953) which is actually a very powerful movie and stars Wood seemingly playing a version of himself in the starring role).
The BFI’s transfer for both films looks spectacular, bearing in mind the crudity in which Wood produced his films. I decided to watch Plan 9 in its intended wide screen format and was very pleased. These films were sourced through a 35mm print from the national archive and looks very clean, crisp and crystal clear.
It has the vivid grayscale hues of black and white photography on full display. Oddly enough, I found the ‘unrestored audio’ option on Bride of the Monster far clearer than the ‘restored’ default audio choice.
Films:
Special Features
- Bride of the Monster(1955, 69 mins): arguably Ed Wood’s most ambitious film sees a classic ‘mad scientist’ tale unfold in classic Wood style!
- Newly recorded audio commentary on Plan 9 From Outer Space by writer and artist Ken Hollings and the BFI’s Vic Pratt
- Archive audio commentary on Plan 9 From Outer Space by filmmaker David De Cocteau and writer Ted Newsom (1.37:1 version only)
- Criswell Predicts 2026 (2026, 11 mins): Ken Hollings celebrates Ed’s enduring masterwork in this vivid video essay
- Mark Kermode on Plan 9(2026, 4 mins): the critic introduces the film
- Out of Step: Other Worlds are Watching Us (1957, 13 mins): intrepid television journalist Daniel Farson investigates the British saucer flap in this groundbreaking Rediffusion documentary programme
- Kadoyng(Ian Shand, 1972, 60 mins): another mysterious visitor from Outer Space with a plan to sort out stupid humans arrives in 1970s England, in this fabulous Children’s Film Foundation feature
- All About Ed: Archive interviews with family and friends(2011, 96 mins): interviews with Dolores Fuller, Kathy Wood, Stephen C Apostolof and Joe Robertson
- Bela Lugosi Leaving the Sanitarium(1955, 5 mins): rare footage of the master of horror chatting to reporters following his 1955 rehabilitation – introduced by Ted Newsom
- Newly recorded audio commentary on Bride of the Monsterby the BFI’s William Fowler and Vic Pratt
- Archive audio commentary on Bride of the Monster by filmmaker David DeCocteau and writer Ted Newsom
- White Lite(1968, 3 mins): you’re invited to ‘meet anti-matter and the bride of the monster’ in this far-out experimental film homage to Wood’s Bride of the Monster by artist Jeff Keen
- Theatrical trailers
- Image galleries
- Reversible sleeve featuring original poster for Bride of the Monster
- **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Will Sloan, Jaye Hudson, Mark Pilkington, Vic Pratt, William Fowler, Jane Giles and Jan Manthey
The BFI have bundled quite a lot of extras in there, along with the two films. However, I feel it really was missing an Ed Wood documentary or some sort of featurette on the man’s life. It could also have done with new interviews with critics and more than one video essay. I think if this release hadn’t packaged Bride of the Monster as an ‘extra’ on the disc, the worthwhile extras would have looked slim.
With the audio commentaries, the default options with Vic Pratt, are the better of the two options for each film. These are the newly recorded BFI commentaries. The film also comes with archival recordings with American film experts. I found the British commentaries superior as it seemed there was far less guesswork about Wood and his methods and I particularly enjoyed all their wistful talk about Lugosi and his legacy on the second feature.
The video essay Crisswell Predicts was a highlight – but I found only having one single video essay for these two films quite disappointing. Plus, at 11 minutes, it felt rather fleeting. The essay repeats a lot of the behind the scenes information in the commentaries and what you’ll find in the excellent 1994 biopic. It delves into the original title, the film’s ‘second plot’ and the book it’s thought to be based on.
Unfortunately, the interviews with friends and family aren’t very good. The BFI have whacked on the raw footage, and the interviews are quite slow and meandering. I wish the label had edited these together in a tightly cut more entertaining video, perhaps with images, movie posters and clips also included. This more sophisticated approach used to be the standard for DVD and Blu-ray release, and it’s a shame this seems to have died out.
The best archival extra is likely Daniel Farson’s documentary short Out of Step: Other Worlds are Watching Us which was included on Daniel Farson’s Guide to Britrain Volume 1 which I reviewed, here. It’s a fun quick and quirky watch. Kadoyng (1972) was also entertaining. A Doctor Who rip-off which seemed closer to modern day Doctor Who than the original show with an alien visitor who looked strikingly similar to David Tennant.
Special Features:
The BFI released the Plan 9 From Outer Space Blu-ray on 19 October, 2026.