The beauty of horrible movies

I enjoy good movies, but a movie can still be entertaining even when it is horrifyingly bad. I was reminded of that the other day when I stumbled across "Plan 9 from Outer Space" when I was flipping the channels. Even casual movie fans know this flick is considered by most critics to be the worst movie of all time.

Directed by Ed Wood, it is a masterpiece for all the wrong reasons. Cheap sets, wooden acting, stilted dialogue and more contribute to the fun. Several years ago, director Tim Burton made a film about Wood's life (appropriately titled "Ed Wood") and is well worth seeing if you missed it. A significant chunk of the film deals with the filming of "Plan 9..." It stars Johnny Depp and has a strong ensemble cast.

As for "Plan 9..." its plot primarily deals with aliens trying to impose their will on America. There are many things that make this film hilarious, but the best example is how Wood dealt with the death of actor Bela Lugosi. Lugosi died during the film's production, but instead of re-shooting Lugosi's scenes, he kept him in the film.

However, Wood also hired a replacement actor to shoot the remaining scenes involving Lugosi's character. So, two actors are playing the same character in the film. Actually, calling the replacement an "actor" is a stretch because he was a chiropractor by profession.

It didn't help that the chiropractor/actor looked nothing like Lugosi. In fact, he looked so different that Wood had him hold a vampire's cape over his face in every scene he was in. I guess Wood thought nobody would notice.

If you haven't seen this film, it is a hoot and well worth your time.

And while you're at it, also check out “Road House” with Patrick Swayze.

Oh, baby, it's bad.