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21 September: PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE on Blu-ray

Ed Wood’s infamous sci-fi oddity PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE (1959) blends aliens, zombies and flying saucers with boundless sincerity. Long celebrated as a cult classic, it remains an endearing monument to outsider filmmaking. Recently remastered by the BFI from a 35mm print held in the National Film Archive, this re-issue comes packaged with Wood's rare feature Bride of the Monster (1955).

Peacock wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 10:12 am Oh wow?!? I did not see this one coming from BFI! Thank you for including Bride of the Monster as well.

I wonder if the Wade Williams estate has finally chilled out a bit, what with Invaders from Mars and now this?

Oh and… Any chance of a feature length commentary by Michael Brooke?

Lowry_Sam wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 3:37 pm I thought there was some (serious) gossip of Criterion doing an upgrade of the Ed Wood box at one point, but Plan 9 & the additional bonus film is definitely welcome as I'm sure many people will want just this, as the audience for Glen or Glenda is smaller & not necessarily overlaps.

Orlac wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 12:08 pm I wager Kim Newman will be on this somewhere.

swo17 wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 4:17 pm I thought I remembered talk of someone working on a Wood box but not necessarily Criterion. Maybe Severin or VS?

swo17 wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 4:17 pm I thought I remembered talk of someone working on a Wood box but not necessarily Criterion. Maybe Severin or VS?

The Elegant Dandy Fop wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 4:59 pmHas anyone read the new Will Sloan book on Ed Wood? I enjoy Sloan's film writings, but like so many contemporary critics, feels he's weighed down by his need to post semi-amusing, ironic comments online.

Sloan is not in sympathy with the fashionable 'misunderstood genius' take (the 'accidental avant-gardist' one has more legs), and the tragedy of Wood's protracted decline and early death is intensified by much greater detail about his final two decades. But, again and again, the book reminds us of why Wood remains such a weirdly compelling figure, not just because of the sui genesis likes of Glen or Glenda but also because he remains what Sloan calls "the default signifier: directors of exceptionally bad movies are inevitably branded 'the new Ed Wood'", as if that was some kind of gold standard. It's an extraordinary life, and Sloan's amused, quizzical but deeply sympathetic approach catches just the right tone.

Peacock wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 4:34 pmThere was speculation that Severin had it as they replied to someone online that something was in the works or happening with those films.

But Film Masters in the US now owns the entire WW catalogue or at least all the Ed Wood titles. They are releasing Plan 9 on UHD soon.

The Elegant Dandy Fop wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 4:59 pm AGFA has a copy of Glen or Glenda they circulate in 2K with an alternate title (I believe He or She?) that I've seen, but don't know who technically owns it or claims ownership as Wade Williams did. I presumed with Williams dead, we'd see all these get release and glad it's finally happening. I also wonder what the best available version of these films are, especially as this is being scanned from an archival print. I presume the negatives for all of these films are long gone, right?

Does anyone know what happened to Ed Wood biographer, Rudolph Grey? His book on Ed Wood is rather good and apparently he used to sell it at his shows. His albums with The Blue Humans is worth checking out too for anyone into noise rock. "Clear to Higher Time" with Alan Licht and produced by Thurston Moore is a real favorite.

Has anyone read the new Will Sloan book on Ed Wood? I enjoy Sloan's film writings, but like so many contemporary critics, feels he's weighed down by his need to post semi-amusing, ironic comments online.