... In that film the production of this film, Glen or Glenda, is highlighted as one of the important events of Wood's life.
Wood had delusions of grandeur and ability in his Hollywood ambitions, and he tried to make a mark by doing it all himself. Thus, when you see the credits and look up ... Read review
Often mentioned as a contender for the title of Worst Movie Ever Made,Glen or ... more
Glenda?(a.k.a.I Changed My Sex, a.k.a.I Led Two Lives, a.k.a.He or She) remains Ed Wood's weirdest film--and, for the director ofPlan 9 from Outer Space, that's saying something. YetGlen or Glenda?goes way beyond camp, into some unique zone of demented personal expression, an essay/collage/autobiography that is no less fascinating just because it comes from a second-rate mind. Wood himself, under the pseudonym Daniel Davis, plays a transvestite struggling to reveal his tendencies to his wife (the toneless Dolores Fuller, Wood's missus in real life). Mixed in with this exploitation story is a tonne of irrelevant stock footage, as well as disconnected glimpses of Béla Lugosi bellowing at the audience; Lugosi's dialogue is a tapestry of non sequiturs and portentous warnings. The behind-the-scenes creation ofGlen or Glenda?forms part of the action ofEd Wood, Tim Burton's affectionate tribute to the B-movie master. Wood himself was a transvestite, which accounts for the cracked sincerity ofGlen or Glenda?; the passion for angora sweaters is real, not a fluffy plot device. Truly a flabbergasting 68 minutes in film history.--Robert Horton
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Great camp classic Disadvantages: It's so bad, but that's part of its charm!
...the production of this film, Glen or Glenda, is highlighted as one of the important events of Wood's life.
Wood had delusions of grandeur and ability in his Hollywood ambitions, and he tried to make a mark by doing it all himself. Thus, when you see the credits and look up the information on the IMDB site, you see that this film is directed by Ed Wood, written by Ed Wood, starred Ed Wood in the title role, and much of the production ... ...
Glen is the main character, not sure how to explain to his girlfriend that he is not in fact homosexual, he simply likes to dress in women's clothing, which of course is autobiographical for Wood. In many respects, this film is way ahead of its time trying to promote tolerance and diversity in lifestyles, but the execution of the filming was also beyond most audiences ability to appreciate, then or now. Wood's artistry is definitely ... more
Directed by Ed Wood, Jr. who was voted the worst director in Hollywood history, this film is so bad it is great! Perhaps this film is better known because of the feature film based on the life of the director, Ed Wood, which starred Johnny Depp and Martin Landau. In that film the production of this film, Glen or Glenda, is highlighted as one of the important events of Wood's life.
Wood had delusions of grandeur and ability in his Hollywood ambitions, and he tried to make a mark by doing it all himself. Thus, when you see the credits and look up the information on the IMDB site, you see that this film is directed by Ed Wood, written by Ed Wood, starred Ed Wood in the title role, and much of the production was done with Ed Wood filling in lots of roles.
I remember one person writing that no matter what one thinks of Wood's films, and they are very bad indeed from many aspects, they definitely have a style all their own. Wood was originally commissioned to produce a thriller/feature for the regional theater circuit in the middle American states, but having a hands-off producer, he rewrote the story to explore inner demons and impulses of his own.
This was the time of the famous Christine Jorgensen successful sex-change operation that made headlines around the world. The basic plot of the film is not so much about the idea of a sex-change, but around a transvestite who commits suicide, and the police investigation around that, that includes digging through "the facts" about transvestitism.
Instead of being a thriller, or even a mystery, there is a sense of this trying to be a documentary. There is a clinical voice that overlays much of the shooting, describing in medical and psychological terms (such as they were in the 1950s around this issue) what goes on with a transvestite.
Let us not forget what makes Ed Wood great - stock footage galore! There is a lot of stock footage in this film, not all of it appropriate. This is almost stream of consciousness film editing as it isn't always clear why any particular image or scene is being included. This includes the declining and unintentionally tragic figure of Bela Lugosi. He gives his now-famous "Pull the String!" performance, relating in some way to his desire to continue to direct his own life.
Glen is the main character, not sure how to explain to his girlfriend that he is not in fact homosexual, he simply likes to dress in women's clothing, which of course is autobiographical for Wood. In many respects, this film is way ahead of its time trying to promote tolerance and diversity in lifestyles, but the execution of the filming was also beyond most audiences ability to appreciate, then or now. Wood's artistry is definitely present in this and many other films, but it is lost in the various over-kill aspects. Just what the herd of buffalo, the World War II scenes, and the nearly endless parade of stock footage of streets and factories has to do with anything I don't know.
The film lasts a little over an hour, with Lugosi inexplicably popping up in various places to play the mad scientist, stock footage fleshing out the time, and Glen turning into Glenda, and only at the end do we get any piece of the idea of sex change operations.
Ed Wood was not hired again by this production company, and went from disaster to disaster, becoming far more famous after he died and the "genius" of his terrible films was rediscovered.
According to the IMDB, this film has had several names over time and geography distribution:
... aka Glen or Glenda: Confessions of Ed Wood ... aka He or She ... aka I Changed My Sex ... aka I Led 2 Lives (UK) ... aka The Transvestite
There was also a revisiting of the film in the 1990s, directed by Frank Marino, that did a good job of staying true to the film, neither improving it dramatically nor making it a parody. How one can parody something that is practically a parody of itself already would be a real stretch!
Watch with an open mind. Watch with astonishment! Watch and laugh. But do watch it.
--------------------------------------------- Please take note: It is hard to assign the typical standards to a film like this. When I list something as "outstanding", that doesn't mean outstanding in a good way, and so on.
Advantages: Unique, original, mysterious and deeply heartfelt. Disadvantages: No decent DVD exists as of yet. Oh, and all that "Worst Film Ever" stuff.
...Smug as anyone). Glen Or Glenda is perhaps the quintessential Edward D. Wood Jnr film. More so than Plan 9 From Outer Space, even, Glen Or Glenda seems to have spilled undiluted from Wood's mind onto the screen, with no compromise, no concessions to any "audience demand" standing in the way of the man's vision.
The film tells of both Glen (played by Wood), a closet transvestite (although he does wander the streets in female apparel as "Glenda") ... ...yes, it IS in many ways an amateur-feeling affair, and it's reach far, far exceeds its grasp on numerous occasions, but approached with an open mind, one may well find oneself looking beyond the superficial "badness" of the enterprise and stumbling upon the truly unique charm Glen Or Glenda holds. ...
DavidJay 13.09.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glen or Glenda DVD
Advantages: Personal, heart-felt, and very very funny Disadvantages: Does YOUR local video shop have it?
The story of Glen, who would be Glenda. In the style of a public information film, we see writer-director Ed Wood in the title role of a man who's a little bit of Category A, a little bit of Category B (but NOT a homosexual, we are regularly reassured). The way he comes to terms with his cross-dressing is detailed, with traumatic dream sequences and plenty of longing looks into dress shop windows. Bela Lugosi (who PROBABLY knew what the film was ... ...influencing the lives of those below him and playing with his chemistry set. Other well-rounded characters include Glen's lovely young finacée (will she accept his dubious tendencies? Will she run off leaving him with just a huge dry-cleaning bill?), and the policeman investigating the suicide of a tranvestite (who is very keen to learn about tranvestitism, in order to fully understand the ordeals of everyday life for these poor unfortunates).
This ...
Danieru 02.08.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glen or Glenda DVD
Advantages: A work of real genius Disadvantages: The film fails in all its aims
"Glen or Glenda" must be one of the good intentions that the road to Hell is paved with. Why not make a docu-film about a pressing social problem, namely transvestism, of which director Ed Wood had much knowledge and experience, fill it with your film star friends, and spark off an important public debate?
To which the answer is, because of the total lack of talent of everyone involved. Wood himself was a movie disaster, whose reputation as the ... ...film. He gives his all as Glen, a hapless transvestite caught at the mercy of social forces. The film is narrated by Bela Lugosi, a star in his day but now completely washed up. No one could doubt Wood's sincerity, but sincerity is at the root of all bad art; the film is appallingly scripted, acted and edited.
Why then is it so compelling? In a way, Wood was a genius. Anyone could make a bad film, but there's a poetry in Wood's incompetence. As ...
NeilHudson 06.03.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Glen or Glenda DVD
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Glen or Glenda DVD"
Advantages: The bonus material is just as funny as the film Disadvantages: none really
, with interviews with all three dolls, Chucky, Tiffany and Glen/Glenda, who give you their own views on the new movie. Plus the making of Seed Of Chucky, with commentary from the Director of the movie Don Mancini, really does inform you of how much work goes into these puppet dolls to make them work, and the time it takes to accomplish a film like this.
Cast - Jennifer Tilly (herself and Tiffany's Voice) Redman (Himself), also voices from Billy Boyd (Glen/Glenda) and Brad Dourif (Chucky)
DVD EXTRAS
Interviews with the cast, including the Dolls (Hilarious)
The making of Seed Of Chucky with commentary by Director Don Mancini.
This horror / thriller / comedy has very strong language, violence, gore and sexual content.
Overall comment on this movie is that I think it is a great buy, brilliantly funny horror, where you just won't believe your ...
![Glen or Glenda [DVD] [1953] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/81500345.jpg "Glen or Glenda [DVD] [1953] [US Import] [NTSC]")
![Ed Wood Vol.2 - Glen Or Glenda [DVD] [1953]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78500911.jpg "Ed Wood Vol.2 - Glen Or Glenda [DVD] [1953]")
