Ed Wood's "Necromania"

[lostwire]

Long-Lost Final Film by Ed Wood Rediscovered.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Considered the worst film maker of all time, Ed Wood
won a cult following after his death and now fans can see his long-lost last
film "Necromania," a work some say shows he was so bad that he was
brilliant.

But it's not for the faint-hearted. The 1971 movie is a porn film
documenting the sexual enlightenment of a young couple at the hands of a
coven of witches.

The much maligned creator of enduring cult classics such as "Bride of the
Monster," Wood was himself the subject of Tim Burton's 1994 biopic, the lead
role played by Johnny Depp.

That film shows the making of Wood's most famous film -- "Plan 9 From Outer
Space" from 1956 -- in which actors screw up their lines and "special
effects" include pie tins for flying saucers.

"Necromania" -- the last film Wood directed -- was filmed over two or three
days with a budget of no more than $7,000 and the only copies went missing
soon after it was made. The movie tells the story of Danny and Shirley, a
young couple who visit the mysterious Madame Heles for help with their
flagging sex life. The lessons they are taught involve skulls, spells and
sex in a coffin.

Rudolph Grey, author of a biography of the director, and a fellow Ed Wood
enthusiast, movie distributor Alexander Kogan, unearthed "Necromania" in a
warehouse in Los Angeles after more than 15 years of detective work.
A year ago they contacted the editors of a pornography Web site called
Fleshbot, which this week will start selling the DVD by mail order for
$19.99.

"I knew of its existence since about 1982 and it intrigued me because it was
supposedly one of the last feature movies that Ed Wood did, so naturally I
wanted to see it," said Grey.

At one point Grey and Kogan were frustrated to be told the only person who
might know the film's whereabouts was in jail -- as a result of a porn bust
in Florida.

They waited until he got out and resumed the search, striking gold in 2001.
PURE GENIUS?

"This is something more than just porn," said Fredrik Carlstrom, executive
producer of the DVD featuring two versions of the film, one soft core, the
other more explicit.

"This is an old film. It's in the '70s, they're hairy, they don't look the
way we are used to now," Carlstrom said.

"It has a story, it has ambition ... It's like all his films, like anything
that's so bad it becomes good. Or maybe it's pure genius. That's the appeal
of Ed Wood."

Struggling to find backers for more mainstream work, Wood turned to smut in
the 1960s, making a string of films and "loops" -- short porn flicks shown
in coin-operated booths -- up until his death in 1978.

Grey, author of the biography "Nightmare of Ecstasy," said those who dismiss
him as naive and talentless are plain wrong.

"These movies seem to exist in another plain of existence where nobody pays
any attention to them whatsoever, and that must have been frustrating to Ed
Wood," Grey said.

He says "Necromania" displays Wood's wit and style and he points to a scene
where the main character Danny is struggling to untangle a pair of red
pajama bottoms to put them on.

"The guy's fumbling for about 15 seconds and he's starting to laugh -- the
actor, he can't get the pajama bottoms on and he's laughing," Grey says. "He
could have cut that out but Ed Wood left that in intentionally. He was
having some fun."

[larphillips]

Damn, why did they have to sell distribution rights to a porn producer??? This disc would've been much more acessable (and affordible) had someone like Blue Underground, or Shriek Show picked it up.

70's Exploitation Film I am currently watching -- Freulien Leather

[Notoriousaurus]

Originally Posted by larphillips

...had someone like Blue Underground...

Quit...being...their...WHORE!

Seriously though lar. At $19.95, it isn't exactly unaffordable.

[larphillips]

Originally Posted by Notoriousaurus

Quit...being...their...WHORE!

Seriously though lar. At $19.95, it isn't exactly unaffordable.

Just a fan, just a fan. I do wish they'd start sending me free screeners, though.

And that price is just too high for what it is. Plus, coming from a porn distributor, there will be very little competition and very few places to buy it. I like a good bargain, damn it.

[Marq]

Whoever orders this first may send me a copy as well, at their leisure. Thanks. PM me for my mailing address.

[JFelix]

Originally Posted by larphillips

Damn, why did they have to sell distribution rights to a porn producer???

Fleshbot is a webblog about pornography and sexuality, and isn't a pornographic producting/distribution company, in fact "Necromania" is their first title.

[JFelix]

EDITS, QUOTES, THEY'RE THE SAME BUTTON.

[SephirothClone]

Well I just got done watching this. I personally like Ed Wood's movies, but this was just boring. I love the old Kay Parker/Christy Canyon hairy/large natural breasted pornography of the 70's where we actually got a story, rather than just straight stylish sex. This had a decent story going, but the execution of the sex scenes were rather unentertaing. Worth a rental for the laughable sexual dialogue, but not a buy.

In total there were 5 1/2 sex scenes. Three with woman/woman, and 2 1/2 with male/female. The last sex scene gets a 1/2 because it's mostly hidden from us in a coffin.

[PunkMunkey]

Originally Posted by SephirothClone

In total there were 6 1/2 sex scenes. Three with woman/woman, and 2 1/2 with male/female. The last sex scene gets a 1/2 because it's mostly hidden from us in a coffin.

How do you get 6 1/2 from 3 + 2 1/2?...and can you do it with money?

[SephirothClone]

Originally Posted by PunkMunkey

How do you get 6 1/2 from 3 + 2 1/2?...and can you do it with money?

Yikes, thanks for catching me off my second grade math or lack of thought.