Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writer:

Edward D. Wood Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

2 June 1995 (Sweden)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Unspeakable Horrors From Outer Space Paralyze The Living And Resurrect The Dead!

Plot:

Aliens resurrect dead humans as zombies and vampires to stop human kind from creating the Solaranite (a sort of sun-driven bomb).

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Plan | Cemetery | Outer Space | Pilot

Cast

Gregory Walcott	...	Jeff Trent
Mona McKinnon	...	Paula Trent
Duke Moore	...	Lt. John Harper
Tom Keene	...	Col. Tom Edwards
Carl Anthony	...	Patrolman Larry
Paul Marco	...	Patrolman Paul Kelton
Tor Johnson	...	Inspector Daniel Clay
Dudley Manlove	...	Eros
Joanna Lee	...	Tanna
John Breckinridge	...	The Ruler
Lyle Talbot	...	General Roberts
David De Mering	...	Co-Pilot Danny
Norma McCarty	...	Stewardess Edith
Bill Ash	...	Army Captain
Reverend Lynn Lemon	...	Minister at Insp. Clay's Funeral
Ben Frommer	...	Fat Mourner
Gloria Dea	...	Mourner
Conrad Brooks	...	Patrolman Jamie
Vampira	...	Vampire Girl
Bela Lugosi	...	Ghoul Man
Criswell	...	Himself / Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald A. Davis	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Johnny Duncan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Karl Johnson	...	Farmer Calder (uncredited)
Tom Mason	...	Ghoul Man with Cape Over Face (uncredited)
J. Edward Reynolds	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Clay Stone	...	Mourner Reading Bible in Opening Scene (uncredited)
Hugh Thomas Jr.	...	Gravedigger (uncredited)
Edward D. Wood Jr.	...	Man Holding Newspaper (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward D. Wood Jr.		writer

Produced by
Charles Burg	....	associate producer
J. Edward Reynolds	....	executive producer
Hugh Thomas Jr.	....	associate producer
Edward D. Wood Jr.	....	producer

Cinematography by
William C. Thompson

Film Editing by
Edward D. Wood Jr.

Costume Design by
Richard Chaney		(as Dick Chaney)

Makeup Department
Tom Bartholemew	....	makeup artist
Harry Thomas	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Vampira	....	Vampira makeup (uncredited)

Production Management
Kirk Kirkham	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Willard Kirkham	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tom Kemp	....	set constructor
Tony Portoghese	....	property master
Harry Reif	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Dale Knight	....	sound
Sam Kopetzky	....	sound mixer: pickups (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Duncan	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Mankin	....	grip
Larry Smith	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Chaney	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Gordon Zahler	....	music supervisor
Emil Ascher	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Karl Johnson	....	picture vehicles (uncredited)

Other crew
Donald A. Davis	....	production assistant
Diana N. Loomis	....	script supervisor
Jim Woods	....	electrical effects

Production Companies

• Reynolds Pictures

Distributors

• Distributors Corporation of America (DCA) (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1959) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Grand National Pictures (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Wade Williams Productions (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (video) (Betamax)
• Lumivision (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Rhino Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Englewood Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MPIC Video (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Clint Hickman Productions (2006-2007) (worldwide) (all media) (3D version)
• Genius Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Admit One Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (2006) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Deimos Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Legend Films (2006) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Lumière (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Manga Films (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Media Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS) (????) (as Nostalgia Merchant)
• Prime Time Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD) (as Enjoy Movies)
• Salzgeber & Company Medien (1995) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Clint Hickman Productions  3D process
• Legend Films  colorization
• Legend Films  restoration

Also Known As:

Grave Robbers from Outer Space (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18451) | Australia:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Spain:T | Italy:T | West Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Quality Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Reynolds Pictures

Trivia:

Named 'Worst Film of All Time' in the book "The Golden Turkey Awards".

Goofs:

Continuity: Day changes to night and back and forth in the same scene, many times.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Criswell: Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Stitch! The Movie (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Operations Room

Aspiring film makers take note

For anyone that wants to make movies, Plan 9 is a must see. Not for it's lush style, great dialogue, fabulous production design, nor for the compelling performances given by the players. It doesn't have any of that. What it does have though, is poor production design, continuity gaps you can drive a space shuttle through, and writing that's so bad, it's amazing anyone had the nerve to show it. That is what makes it a must see.

Ed Wood, Jr. was not talented, but he was determined. He did something that many extremely talented people have not done. He got it released. He wrote it, produced it and directed it. When his star, Bela Lugosi, died during filming, he still finished it. Not just this one either, he put out several films, and not one of them is any good.

So for all of you aspiring Scorseses or Spielbergs, when the world gets you down, and you just don't know how you can get it done, when you feel like you've lost it, pop in "Plan 9". I bet you'll feel better.