Plan 9 from Outer Space Reaction!
Added 2026-01-01 18:34:01 +0000 UTCHappy New Year Everyone!
Comments
Yes.
Josef Schiltz
2026-01-02 04:49:21 +0000 UTCDoes anyone read the essays?
Imperial Mort
2026-01-02 00:21:59 +0000 UTCGood question on the Ralph Ineson of it all. I could have brought up more about the behind-the-scenes than I did, but I knew that we’d be here a while if I did. If we get Jess to see Ed Wood, we first need to get her to see Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster. (I also think too that it’s good that any needle business in Ed Wood is kept offscreen.) As we both say, Ed Wood is Tim Burton’s best film. Not terribly accurate in several ways, but the best film of his. Read that Bela’s son gave it high praise with the only real complaints were held against the film having Bela curse as much as he did, and he and Boris Karloff’s daughter refuted the idea of their fathers having a feud with each other. I’ve heard word about the newer Bela film in the works, and I’m sold. Think it would need to be Killers of the Flower Moon length as for even a single lifetime, there were such stories and experiences that Bela had well before Dracula. That was one of the great things about reading the books and biographies about him. Think it should end before even the Broadway Dracula. True that all of the quality of this isn’t all on Ed Wood. Heard about the cropping of the aspect ratio. And yeah, Criswell had the control of his dialogue given his manner of speaking. Heard Tony Gilroy had to be mindful of that with Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgård during Andor. The latter he also had to be mindful of a stroke that he had. The visitors line, I too sort of note that it works for the reason you mentioned. Sort of reminds me of in Coneheads when David Spade’s character queried about aliens being Air Force responsibility, and Michael McKean’s character has the plausible argument that if they were simply visiting, yes, but once they try to get jobs in America, then it’s his ballgame. (He never does outline how he was planning to deport the Coneheads though.) The cops do feel along similar lines of Martin in Dracula, or at least like normal guys who would act in the way they do in the face of the plot of this. Sort of does get lost amidst all the other madness. Love we both worked in the one line. As mentioned in the Dracula reaction, my attention was directed towards Bela for reasons that I still don’t fully understand how it happened. That was twenty years ago this summer. Started with Dracula. He was always great. He does some pretty damned impressive work in Bride of the Monster, even with dealing with all that there is in that. Yeah, the footage of Bela as the grieving man, he has a full meal of a performance all without dialogue. Makes you sadder that he couldn’t get more parts like that. Adore how we all are having the shared appreciation for the killer cape work. Tor Johnson is great here. Nice to see him play a normal guy before the change. Both his accent and George Steele’s accent I can understand fine, though the latter does sound noticeably thicker at spots. (And I hear you on the whiff of xenophobia by the way.) The story does struggle to settle on the aliens’ approach. The scene with Eros having such blunt disdain for our stupid minds does age VERY well by today’s standards. One would assume that his viewing the Earthlings with such stupidity is the reason for the detailed descriptions. I noted that too about Wood being fairly progressive for his time that it stinks when the sexism reared its head in this. Glen or Glenda holds up fairly well in that respect. That and as you say discussions of Wood’s sexuality do encounter the speed bump of older vocabulary. Reminds me of The Crying Game where there is the dated awareness of the time, yet the central message still translates well. Or like in The Silence of the Lambs, you are stuck with Lecter and Clarice using the term “transsexual” rather than “transgender” because that was the accepted term back then, and is considered outdated today. Still ironing out best picture rankings, what with the upcoming ceremony, though yeah, the ones at the bottom four are worse than this. Still have Annie Hall in the bottom five which I can’t tell if it’s just the Woody Allen of it all, or is it just something I didn’t like. Diane Keaton is very good in it. Still not seen Crash, which I’d imagine you have on the lower end on your own rankings. But yes, if you go into this with the right mindset/approach like how Jess had, this is an absolute blast. Know that the MST3K guys did tackle this through Rifftrax, but I get how they didn’t do this film originally. It was surprising to see Jess go into this pretty much completely blind. Made for an even better reaction than I was anticipating. Been a long time since I last saw the next film too, but it was fun as I recall. This was just a perfect way to start a year.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-01 22:59:50 +0000 UTCAfter getting to know the movie so well, I have to wonder just how Jerry thought shouting out wisecracks would go. All the possible jokes had to have been made even back in the '90s. The zombie performances are all the more remarkable since this was twelve years before Night of the Living Dead solidified the modern idea of them. I so wish there was at least one surviving clip of Vampira's show to compare this to. If I ever get to Lugosi's grave, I'm definitely saying in a Peter Lorre impression "You think we should stake him just to be sure?" and see if anyone gets it.
Ryan
2026-01-01 22:16:19 +0000 UTCHappy new year to all, and I know we're all thinking the same thing: after Nosferatu and Frankenstein, what remake of a classic horror movie with Ralph Ineson playing a doctor will we get this year? And I can't think of a better celebration than seeing you go through the first movie to get a negative score on the Pritchard scale. Several bits of how it was made have already been brought up, so I won't bother with that, and just recommend you see Tim Burton's Ed Wood, which is largely made up but still perfectly captures the soul of who Wood was, a guy with genuine love for film who wanted to be a great director, but just didn't have the talent for it. Its writers have just announced they're making a biopic of Bela Lugosi's younger years, which even if it stops before he ever played Dracula should have plenty to make people disbelieving so much could fit into a single life. I also have to point out not all the famous foibles about the movie can be laid at Wood's feet. Most notably, the version of the film we have now is taken from the raw footage before it was cropped for a widescreen release, so anything at the top and bottom of the frame like the occasional boom mic or the script on the actors' laps in the cockpit wasn't supposed to be there. And all of Criswell's narration was written by the man himself, since he had a complex set of speech impediments and only his innate knowledge of which sounds he had to avoid could ensure a script he could deliver (and of course that's also the reason for his occasional weird word choice). I also have to stick up for the oft-ridiculed line "Visits? That would indicate visitors," which makes perfect sense in context as saying responding to them like invaders is wrong. And with all the times I've seen this movie, I've become pretty sure that the cops are supposed to be bumbling comic relief, which is just hard to pick out from the incompetence around them so they just come off as more of that with how straight everyone plays it. As for the rest...well, what do you know? Haven't you heard of suspension of disbelief? I first encountered Bela Lugosi through the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode of another Ed Wood film, Bride of the Monster, where even through the awkward dialogue and inanimate octopus wrestling, he still had a screen presence that instantly hooked me and made me want to see more of him. And what little we get of him here is a genuinely powerful performance of a grief-stricken man, occasionally interrupted by killer cape work. The other major player here is Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson, who got a lot of B-movie work as scary monsters because, well, just look at him, but by all accounts was a super nice guy who was a joy to work with. And here we get a rare chance to see him playing a regular person before he does his usual thing, where his accent has gotten a lot of mockery for supposedly being incomprehensible but I've never had a problem understanding him (ironically, George Steele as him in the Ed Wood movie is a lot harder), and that's always had a whiff of xenophobia which I'm old enough to have to acknowledge was very in vogue when the movie first got its reputation. The story is confused at best, with the aliens never seeming able to decide if they're trying to stay secret or frustrated that humans refuse to accept their presence. Another part that used to get a lot of jokes but has become more accepted is Eros' blunt disdain for our stupidity, unlike most anything else you'd hear in a movie like this at the time as evidenced by the others in this bunch, but it can now feel refreshingly modern and very sympathetic. Though I have to imagine there was a better approach than describing the very thing he doesn't want humans to do step by step. The sexism is a real downer, especially since Wood was quite progressive for the time. He was a crossdresser himself (discussion of his sexuality is naturally hampered by the lack of vocabulary for it at the time, and he always insisted he was 100% hetero), and his first film Glen or Glenda is an earnest plea for acceptance of gender nonconformity that must have just blown people's minds back then. Plus he hung out with people like John Breckinridge who has his only acting role as the aliens' leader, an openly gay Hollywood socialite who frequently talked about wanting to get a sex change, though he never actually went through with it. Far from being the worst movie of all time (I can name at least five Best Picture winners that are way worse), this is a total blast if you're willing to meet it on the proper level. Even MST3K famously refused to ever use it, saying it makes fun of itself far more effectively than they ever could. And I adored seeing you discover it from what seems like a remarkably unspoiled place for taking this long. Time to cap things off with a movie I've only seen once, but as I recall it's a lot of fun.
Ryan
2026-01-01 22:05:28 +0000 UTCHappy flattening!
Thomas Corp
2026-01-01 20:39:53 +0000 UTCAbsolute cinema, indeed!
Thomas Corp
2026-01-01 20:39:42 +0000 UTCI know that Amazon has available to stream, the colorized version of this. I get so pissed off at that because seeing this in black-and-white is the way to do it, hence my making sure to see it as such when rewatching to get ready for the reaction.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-01 20:39:07 +0000 UTCOh, we are starting the year off right with none other than the Citizen Kane of bad cinema: Plan 9 from Outer Space. (Or is it Planet 9? No worries about that, Jess.) One of the more perfect ways to start a new year with you, Jess. The question of do I love this ironically? No, actually. This thing is amazing, as you said. I love it unironically. I don’t doubt that this would remain in the top five movie reactions of 2026. Because after all: This isn’t plans 1 through 8. This is Plan 9. This is the one that worked!!! Your further question was this meant to be ridiculous or was that accidental. ...Yes? And to all the people who refuse to embrace the beautiful madness of the film, we say, “What do you know? Haven’t you ever heard of suspension of disbelief?” Wise of you to not interrupt Criswell in the opening. He would know if you did. He is Criswell, he knows all. Knew you’d love that future line. And indeed, I knew you’d adore the dialogue in this. We got fantastic poetry in this. Your laughter and all your delightful reactions to the legendary dialogue in this, I did not know how much I needed this in my life. You succinctly describe it as very wooden, yet so brilliant. Naturally, I eat it up with a spoon as it is all so delicious. I accept your decision to make a video ranking the dialogue in this. Make it so. Many make the comparisons to The Day the Earth Stood Still. Shows how money makes a big difference. Though like you say, the silly effects have the charm. Roger Corman was always a champion for how less money increased creativity. Is Ed Wood at the talent to be able to achieve that, perhaps not, but it’s so fun, so who gives a shit. Plot kicks off fairly quickly. The pilots are already worried about if they had the grilled halibut for dinner. Flying saucers getting thrown into the mix is too much for them. Then there’s all the drama about the Albuquerque ball. So long as they steer clear of any Los Pollos activities, Gus and Mike will leave ya be, don’t worry about it. The police got so many great reactions from you. The sterling detective work, yeah, they’re doing astonishing Lieutenant Columbo level of excellence, detecting-wise. Inevitable that you would say “Wakanda Forever.” when the aliens do their salute. Most everyone new to this usually makes that remark, or some form of jest related to that. I had the reverse problem when I first saw Black Panther. Makes it an interesting experience when the film came out and the months following where I was yelling, “Has the whole world gone CRAZY!?!? AM I THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE WHO SEES THE PLAN 9 SALUTE IN THIS!?!?!?” Ed Wood, there’s your answer for the inconsistency with the zed words versus the Nosferatu of it all. And tis Bela. Not sure why Vampira was more zed word though. Love the attention given to Maila Nurmi, more professionally known as Vampira. Horror movie host, predecessor to the likes of Elvira and Svengoolie. Love the remark of “What in the Morticia Addams?” Of course, you’d live for her nails. It’s amusing how Tor Johnson is known more for his work with Ed Wood than his wrestling. Like The Day the Earth Stood Still, the aliens came to read us to filth. Devolving into just the repetitious contradictions that’s just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says. You do feel for Eros finally reaching his wit’s end with the, “They’re driving me CRAZY!! These Earthlings are stupid! Stupid!! STUPID!!!”, venting, which, well, I don’t argue with him on that one. Love your own reaction to that famous bit of dialogue.They try to warn us that the Solaranite bomb is inevitable. It’s probably being worked on as we speak. It will be a long arduous process where Preparations A through G will be unsuccessful in building it, but in the years to come we will have the successful plans to build said Solaranite bomb, which we shall name... Preparation H. And yes, the old days when even the aliens were sexist. Rewatching this, I was honestly surprised it took as long as it did for the sexist lines. You made the comments about Tanna trying to do the flying, in response to those comments, I suppress a laugh, saying, “Didn’t want to say that.” Not the first time people wouldn’t be on anyone’s side in a movie. Happens more often than you’d think. In this case, I don’t know about you, but I was rooting for Bela. Bringing us to one of the film’s more notable legacies. That is connected to Bela. It is great how you saw him as Dracula before this. And I do adore, Jess, the love you showed him there and here. Tragically, Hollywood and the general public never really let him escape the typecasting/default image of Dracula. Years went by and that, combined with a morphine addiction that came as a result of old World War I injuries lead to his career sadly dovetailing. In the last years, he struck up a friendship with Ed Wood who cast him in his films, thus giving us Bela’s swan song. Bride of the Monster is genuinely very good, in all honesty. The footage of Bela in this, which just like everything the man was in, he gave it his all, is actually nothing to do with the plot of this. The footage of him as the grieving man and the footage of him living his best Dracula life was footage for separate projects that never got off the ground following Bela’s death at the age of seventy-three. Sidenote, I have been to the cemetery where he’s buried; paid respects as it were. The whole film, for better or worse is Ed Wood’s efforts to give Bela one last film. This is the result. One problem is that Bela plays a big character, and he can’t film anymore. Hence Tom Mason as the fake Shemp for all the other scenes with Bela’s character. Leonard Maltin drew particular attention to that, as I recall. This, as mentioned, is the end. This is the final time we saw Bela in film. Interesting timing with this as it will be seventy years since Bela’s death as of this August. One nice thing is that the last time we see him in film, he gets to do a whoosh or two with the cape. After all, “If you have a cape, you might as well whoosh.” Just like you said, Jess, and it’s a sentiment that Bela very much embraced. He also did have the great coat/cape that I’m very envious of, love your compliment there. A wonderful thing to share with you encouraging Bela to have the drama with the cape. I need to start suggesting more Bela pictures for you to react to. If I got my family into it, you would LIVE for a lot of his films. There is so much more I could say, but I will ramble so much, so I’ll stop here. For now, I have now seen you react to Bela as Dracula, and now his last project, and both were more than everything I was hoping for. This reaction was MAGNIFICENT, Jess.
Thomas Corp
2026-01-01 20:36:41 +0000 UTC"Just a movie?! You don't understand. This isn't Plans 1 through 8 from Outer Space, this is Plan 9, this is the one that worked. The worst movie ever made!", Jerry, "Seinfeld - The Chinese Restaurant" The title of the movie series suggestion was "Classic Sci Fi Movies I Should Have Seen By Now". I suggested twelve movies - and eleven of which fall into exactly the type of SF movie you would expect. This one is in a different category. Now, I probably wouldn't have voted for "Plan 9 from Outer Space" had it come to a vote - but it *is* a movie that people "Should See By Now", at least under the category of "The Worst Classic SF Movies Ever Made". It's so bad - it goes way beyond "bad" back to being "wonderfully fun". It's a cult classic. And it even has a few "The Day the Earth Stood Still" vibes. BTW: not only was this released on DVD (which would have cost money) but then someone decided that it was worth the expense of colorizing it - to be more palatable for young people, I suppose - (which would have cost money). And then later someone released a 3D version of that colorized version (which would have cost money). "... a small group, gathered in silent prayer around the newly-opened grave of the beloved wife of an elderly man.", Criswell, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" I can't quote a single line from the "old man" because all of the scenes of Bela Lugosi were filmed silently (weeping at the funeral, picking the rose, walking towards the camera with his Dracula cape etc.). But none of these were filmed as scenes for this particular movie - they were for completely different projects. But Lugosi died and it was decided to use the footage for this SF film. And so whenever the character needs to be in another scene they use a body double with his arm over his face. And it also explains the zombie vs vampire acting vibes. "You got me that time, Mac. This American Flight 812 requesting ...", Danny, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" Spot the huge shadow of the boom-microphone in the flash of light from the aliens. So wonderful! "Even when Clay was alive he couldn't run fast enough to catch me, so when he does, you grab Mrs. Trent and run like lightning in the opposite direction.", Larry, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" Jess's favorite monster speed! Random fact: there is a niche computer operating system called "Plan 9 from Bell Labs" (normally just called "Plan 9") which was named as a reference to this movie.
Andrew Vignaux
2026-01-01 20:29:01 +0000 UTCNow THIS is cinema!
Faction Paradox
2026-01-01 18:51:24 +0000 UTCEek! . . . um . . . . eek! What a choice! Happy New Year, Jess. The chronopodal march moves swiftly onwards. Spike Milligan once envisioned time as a steam roller flattening out calendar months as it went along. Happy flattening!
Josef Schiltz
2026-01-01 18:51:21 +0000 UTC
