Plan 9 from Outer Space
March 2006 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Humans are a dangerous lot. First it was the firecracker, then grenades, then the atom bomb, and soon it will be solarnite, at least according to the advanced aliens that have been watching our progress as a species. What's solarnite? A weapon that can explode particles of sunlight and, according to the aliens, will begin a chain reaction that will destroy the entire universe.

In order to stop these events from unfolding, the aliens attempt to make contact with the leaders of Earth. Eight times they've tried, and eight times they've failed. Now they fall back to their next plan: Plan 9.

Yes, Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood's famously awful 1959 sci-fi epic, the one with hubcaps for flying saucers, a cast of nobodies and a script that makes no sense. But so what if it's amateurish and incomprehensible? How does that make it any worse than your average summer blockbuster? Yes, the "acting" is so bad that we can safely refer to it in quotes and the effects are anything but special, but Ed Wood obviously had a true passion for filmmaking. And in Plan 9 that love shines through.

Legend Films has really done a superb job of restoring Plan 9. Considering the film's origins, it probably didn't look this good when it debuted. The black-and-white version is crisp, and definitely looks better than any previous release.

The color version is the real surprise, however. We've come a long way since the days when a colorized film looked as though someone had unleashed an army of three-year-olds with boxes of Crayolas. Legend Films has made a name for itself by turning out color versions of old black-and-white films, and the color looks really good. If you've seen Legend's psychedelic release of Reefer Madness, don't worry -- Plan 9 is nowhere near as wild. I want to stress that again: the color version of Plan 9 will make you forget that the movie was shot in black and white.

This disc presents a great selection of extras, starting with a commentary track from Mystery Science Theatre 3000's Mike Nelson. MST3K never got the chance to riff on Plan 9, but now we get a hint of what the episode would have been like. For those who have always wondered, we also learn what happened to Plans 1 through 8.

Proving that it is not just Ed Wood's movies that are terrible, we get to see a selection of commercials that he shot on spec. There's also home movie footage that features Ed in front of the camera more than behind it. There are a few "deleted scenes" that are, in reality, just short jokes at the movie's expense, and finally, the film's trailer, also colorized.

With a great picture and sound, some cool extras and a surprisingly good color version, there is no reason not to buy this DVD. Well, no reason other than the movie itself, but can't we overlook a minor flaw like that?

• Go Back