Plan 9 from Outer Space

Aliens plot to resurrect an army of the dead to prevent mankind’s eventual discovery of a weapon capable of destroying the universe.

Plan 9 from Outer Space is often cited as the worst film of all time, which is untrue. There are plenty of films worse than this one. That’s not to say Plan 9 isn’t bad, it is. It’s just bad like a kindergarten play is bad.

You see, you can’t help but get the feeling that writer-director Ed Wood Jr. was really trying here. Sure, he missed horribly, but he it’s clear he wasn’t phoning it in, and had a genuine love for the material.

Of course, it didn’t help that star Bela Lugosi had died before the filming began, but did that stop Wood? Of course not. He simply rewrote the story around the few minutes of footage he’d already shot of Lugosi, secured financing from a Baptist church, and set off shooting on a non-existent budget. Given the cost of film, almost every take was a keeper, and thus, the resulting film is full of miscues such as visible mikes, misplaced props, and flubbed lines.

Yet, despite it all, Plan 9 from Outer Space is fun. All the goofs give the film the air of a live play rather than a feature film. The performers seem to be enjoying themselves despite the limited production, and you can almost feel Wood’s infectious enthusiasm emanating from behind the camera.

Plan 9 from Outer Space is certainly a bad film, but any movie this entertaining, be it intentional or otherwise, can’t be considered the worst ever.