2011-08-01

Bride of the Monster

The following is my contribution to Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear's Monster Movie Mania Blogathon.




 Bride of the Monster (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1955)

This Science-fiction meets horror meets Monster flick extravaganza by the infamously worst director of all time, Ed Wood, tells the story of a mad scientist, played by the always frightening Bela Lugosi, who lives in a dark manor with a stupid assistant, Tor Johnsson, and a “monster”. The so-called monster is a giant octopus living in the swamp near the manor. This is also the story of a policeman who wants to find the truth about the many disappearances around the swamp and a stand-up woman on the same trail.

This film reveals a lot about how Wood worked and how he perceived Cinema and the society. The work of Ed Wood has often been criticized for his amateurism and flaws. Always perceived as the worst director of all-time, which by the way I think Michael Bay or Brett Ratner could easily hold that dishonour, Wood deserves some kind of respect because he made films the way he liked them and in his own very particular way. Like them or not he has left a name behind him and his films will stay.


First, you have the presence of the strong woman who wants to clear the mystery around the monster of the swamp. Wood emphasized those characters of stand-up women that wanted to participate in the action of the film instead of being relegated to the supporting props they are typically casted. It reminds me of how the great Howard Hawks used to cast upfront and bright women. He was one the first directors to actually use feminine characters in a very affirmative way especially when you look at His Girl Friday.

Let’s get back to Bride of the Monster, the world of Wood is very strange and some aspects of his vision are simplistic and even stereotyped. Especially the scenes with the policemen who look like stupid investigators, reading papers and bird lovers... Those characters are one dimensional. The professor is also a simple version of every professor or scientist found in our childhood perception of life. This perception of life by Wood is clearly influenced by comic books for his “mise en scène” and the kind of plot he worked with.

However, Bride of the Monster isn’t a turkey or a complete failure, within the genre it’s almost a comedy, you have action, jokes and very hilarious dialogues. Ed Wood’s film is a lot of fun and even if it’s not deep and meaningful as The Day the Earth Stood Still or The Thing From Another World it has this retro/kitsch signature of a good old Monster movie.

Bride of the Monster 

17 comments:

  1. You make a really interesting point on Ed Wood, and how his films reflected his own, personal point of view. Whether we want to admit it or not, Ed Wood, in writing-directing-producing his films, does meet the criteria of 'auteur' when we look at his work. Thanks for your post!

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  2. And thanx for your comment! He's an "auteur" whatever is the quality of his work!

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  3. Retro/kitsch is a good thing. Maybe not so much if that's not your intention, but still, a good thing.

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  4. Watched this a long time ago when I attempted to catch as many of Ed Wood's film as I could. Hilarious trash as you allude to.

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  5. Great post! I agree that Ed would fall back on stereotypes a lot, which is frustrating because he could create really interesting characters sometimes.

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  6. Great article! Have you ever seen the Tim Burton film "Ed Wood?" There's a great scene where they try and film the scene where the squid attacks Lugosi.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4riE2sQLAI

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  7. The only Ed Wood movie I have seen is Plan 9, but I'll have to check this out sometime as it sounds like a lot of fun.

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  8. I think where people make their mistake in evaluating Wood's work is that he's not necessarily the worst but he certainly would rank on a list of the most inept. Nevertheless, Bride of the Monster is loopy fun, particularly the final epic battle between Lugosi and squid.

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  9. Thanx for all your comments!!!

    @Nathanael, Yes I have seen Burton's film and it's one of my favorite films about filmmaking! This is hilarious but I think the original scene is even funnier!

    @RVChris, Plan 9 is something but I think Bride of the Monster is my favorite of Wood's filmography.

    @Ivan, I couldn't agree more with you! And yes this is an EPIC battle scene!

    @Stacia, Thanx your post was also great too!

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  10. The question remains, was any one ever inspired to take up police work after watching an Ed Wood movie? His lawmen are so dumb, they're miraculous.

    And I'm still disappointed they didn't keep this one under the much more enigmatic title, Bride of the Atom.

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  11. @Rachel, Good ones!
    This title is indeed mysterious! And a little bit weird too!

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  12. I totally agree with your take on Wood. What comes across is his *earnestness.* As a film student in Los Angeles in the 1970s, I knew some people who worked on his films. You may like this remembrance I wrote: http://www.postmodernjoan.com/wp02/?p=1315

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  13. Michael, I've tried several times to leave comments on your Monster Mash post, but to no avail. If this one comes through, just letting you know how much I enjoyed your overview of Ed Wood's style and this particular film.

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  14. @Doug. I discovered your blog with this great post you wrote! It's great I put it in my daily reads!

    @Yvette, sorry for the $%?* about posting comments on this blog. I'll probably pass to Disqus soon... Thanx for the comment this is very much appreciated! I also loved your contribution for this blogathon!

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  15. You're right about Ratner and Bay. I doubt anyone will be talking about their stuff over 30 years after they're gone.

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  16. I have a lot of affection for Ed Wood Jr, mostly because he had his own vision and he followed it as much as possible. He may not have been a technically skilled filmmaker, but he made up for that with outrageous belief in his stories.

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  17. @KC you're so right! He followed his vision! A true "auteur".

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