The unconventional biopic Ed Wood was released in 1994, at the peak of director Tim Burton's popularity. He had released a string of highly successful films in previous years, including two Batman movies, and was among the era's hottest directors. Ed Wood tells the story of one of Hollywood's least talented filmmakers, played by frequent Burton collaborator Johnny Depp.
Despite Burton's popularity at the time, the film was a massive box office flop, grossing less than $6 million. It's since been regarded as one of Burton's best films, though of course, there are other titles in his filmography for which a case can also be made.
Ed Wood Is The Best: A One-Of-A-Kind Biopic
Most biopics feature a subject who excelled in their particular field, be it sports, music, politics, or anything else. Ed Wood, on the other hand, is a cinematic tribute to one of cinema's most notorious failures. This alone makes it a standout movie. What makes the film especially clever is that as much as it lampoons its subject, it's undoubtedly affectionate in its portrayal of the real-life Ed Wood.
Even though Wood's films were bad, the audience can appreciate his passion and commitment to his craft, which makes him a heroic character nonetheless.
Alternative: Edward Scissorhands
1990's Edward Scissorhands is another unconventional movie, but, like Ed Wood, brings a surprising about of emotional sincerity to such an oddball subject. Johnny Depp plays Edward, an artificial man who is rendered incomplete when his creator dies prematurely. Because of his appearance, he's sadly condemned to a life of solitude before being introduced to a suburban family who takes him in.
The movie was very well-received by critics and audiences alike. Despite its quirky premise, it grossed an impressive $86 million at the box-office.
Ed Wood Is The Best: It's Burton's Most Personal Movie
Tim Burton is one of the most distinct voices in American cinema, but he isn't known for making particularly personal movies. His stories typically take place in imaginative alternate realities and contain larger than life subject matter.
Ed Wood takes place in the real world and is about a real person who, in a way, is a kindred spirit to Burton himself. Burton is a more talented filmmaker than Ed Wood, but watching the movie, one gets the feeling that had Wood been more skilled, he could have been the Tim Burton of his time.
Alternative: Beetlejuice
1988's Beetlejuice is a comic ghost story, told from the perspective of the ghosts. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play a deceased couple who are inconvenienced when a living couple movies into their house. They enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them out, but things quickly spiral out of control.
The great Michael Keaton is excellent in the title role, creating an iconic character who would spawn an animated TV series based on the film. The cast, the script, the set design, the musical score, and the Oscar-winning makeup effects make Beetlejuice a truly one-of-a-kind film.
Ed Wood Is The Best: Johnny Depp's Performance
Johnny Depp is one of the world's biggest stars with almost 100 credits to his name, and so it's incredibly difficult to narrow down his best movie roles. Ed Wood, though, is certainly a top-tier Depp performance. Depp has played every type of character from real-life people like George Jung and Donnie Brasco to mythical heroes like Ichabod Crane and Captain Jack Sparrow.
His depiction of Ed Wood feels like half portrait, half caricature, which is exactly the right combination, given the semi-serious tone of the film. It's a truly terrific performance and one unlike any other in Depp's filmography.
Alternative: Batman
Burton's 1989 Batman was a landmark film in its own right. It's really the first superhero film to drastically reimagine the world in which the story takes place. The 60's Batman TV series and movie were both lighthearted and cartoonish, and even the Superman movies of the late '70s and early '80s were fairly consistent with the tone of the comics.
Burton's Batman was considerably darker in tone, exaggerating even some of the original comics' more sinister themes. Nowadays, audiences expect a certain neo-noir quality to any Batman release, but that all started with Tim Burton's imaginative 1989 adaptation.
Ed Wood Is The Best: The Ensemble Cast
Burton has a troupe of actors who he's worked with regularly over the years, including Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Helena Bonham Carter. The cast of Ed Wood, however, is the strongest ensemble he's ever put together, and it's uniquely of its time.
Martin Landau won an Oscar for his role as Bela Lugosi, and the cast is rounded out by great performances from Bill Murray, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, and Jeffrey Jones. Vincent D'Onofrio also appears as Orson Welles in a great scene between the world's best and worst filmmakers at the legendary Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard.
Alternative: Sleepy Hollow
Almost all of Tim Burton's movies have horror elements in them, but oddly enough, none of them are straight "horror" films - except for 1999's Sleepy Hollow. It's a modern retelling of the famous story by Washington Irving, meticulously brought to life by Tim Burton and an Oscar-winning production design team. The film was also shot by 3-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who earned his second career nomination for this film.
Sleepy Hollow may lack the depth of Burton's other masterworks, but it's undoubtedly one of his most stylish and impeccably crafted movies and by far his bloodiest and most frightening.
Ed Wood Is The Best: Brilliant Black And White
The decision to shoot any modern-day movie in black and white is always a risky one, as nowadays, black and white movies tend to be box office poison. Ed Wood had a terrible box office run, which could be partly explained by its black and white color palette.
But given the subject matter, it's impossible to imagine a technicolor version of the movie being nearly as effective. Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky's black and white photography gives the movie the classic feel that it's going for, and also makes the movie-within-the-movie scenes all the more convincing, seeing as they of course all took place in the era of black and white.
Alternative: Big Fish
2003's Big Fish is among Burton's most vividly colorful films, marking a true stylistic departure from much of his previous work. It's also one of his best films, full of both visual and emotional beauty. It's the story of a father on his deathbed retelling his life story to his son, exaggerating his life experiences with surrealist flair, often combining elements of real-life and fantasy.
The visual depictions of his stories are wonderfully imaginative and charming, full of both humor and sadness. Some critics compared Big Fish to Ed Wood in that, despite being very different movies, they both are examples of Tim Burton stepping outside his comfort zone with great success.