Plan 9 From Outer Space – Weekend at the Movies
Plan 9 From Outer Space is considered one of the worse movies ever made. I am sure there are more than a few people that have not seen it yet so here you go. In my first “Weekend at the Movies” I figured why not start things with an iconic, for all the wrong reasons, movie?
From IMDb: "Can your heart stand the shocking facts about grave robbers from outer space?" That's the question on the lips of the narrator of this tale about flying saucers, zombies and cardboard tombstones. A pair of aliens, angered by the "stupid minds" of planet Earth, set up shop in a California cemetery. Their plan: to animate an army of the dead to march on the capitals of the world. (The fact that they have only managed to resurrect three zombies to date has not discouraged them.) An intrepid airline pilot living near the cemetery must rescue his wife from this low-budget terror. "Can you prove it didn't happen?" Stars: Tor Johnson, Vampira, Tom Keene, and Gregory Walcott COPYRIGHT NOTICE From Video-Cellar: This film is in the public domain. “Grave Robbers From Outer Space” was originally published in the USA in 1959. The film was not immediately registered for copyright. It was registered by it's producer “Reynolds Pictures Inc.” in 1981 (PA0000102338). The film's copyright was renewed in 1986 by Wade Williams 3 (RE0000279707). In 1981, Williams lodged a quitclaim from Kathy Wood (Edward D. Wood Jr.'s second wife [1956-his death] and heir. USCO doc. no. V1831P045) and separate quitclaims of interest from Norma McCarty (Edward D. Wood Jr.'s first wife - falsely listed on the filing as “Mrs. Edward D. Wood, Jr., successor of all rights to the Estate of Edward D. Wood, Jr.”, which she was not, as their marriage had been annulled) - and Reynolds Pictures, Inc. This renewal was legally invalid for these reasons: 1) The registration and renewals were lodged providing the incorrect title on screen, date-in-notice and publication date for the original publication. 2) In order for a successor in interest to renew a copyright they have to demonstrate that they own the copyright through a valid transfer of rights from the party owning the copyright at or immediately before the renewal window. None of the parties Mr. Williams sought quitclaims from were valid owners of copyright immediately prior to the renewal window. Valid copyright successors for this film “James Flocker Enterprises Inc.”, “Gold Key Video”, "Vidtronics Inc.”, and “Medallion Pictures”, all companies who are successors in the chain of ownership post registration, are not present in Williams' quitclaims. Williams has, instead, provided the USCO with a series of meaningless assignments from parties which no longer held any copyright interest in the work in order to demonstrate “ownership” of the intellectual property in the film. The screenplay was further registered as an unpublished work in 1989 (Pau001211635). This again is rendered legally invalid by the mere fact that large portions of the screenplay were previously published as part of the registered motion picture for which no valid copyright renewal exists.
Cast
=Credited=
• Gregory Walcott as Jeff Trent
• Mona McKinnon as Paula Trent
• Duke Moore as Lt. John Harper
• Tom Keene (actor) as Col. Tom Edwards
• Carl Anthony as Patrolman Larry
• Paul Marco as Patrolman Kelton
• Tor Johnson as Insp. Dan Clay
• Dudley Manlove as Eros
• Joanna Lee (writer) as Tanna
• Bunny Breckinridge as The Ruler
• Lyle Talbot as General Roberts
• David De Mering as Danny
• Norma McCarty as Edith
• Bill Ash as Captain
• Rev. Lynn Lemon as Minister at Insp. Clay's funeral
• Ben Frommer as Mourner
• Gloria Dea as Mourner
• Conrad Brooks as Patrolman Jamie
• Maila Nurmi (credited as Vampira) as Vampire Girl
• Bela Lugosi as Old Man/Ghoul Man
• The Amazing Criswell as Himself / Narrator
=Uncredited=
• Donald A. Davis as Drunk
• Johnny Duncan
• Karl Johnson as Farmer Calder
• Tom Mason as Ghoul Man with Cape Over Face
• Hugh Thomas Jr. as Gravedigger (also associate producer)< name="Craig"></>
• J. Edward Reynolds as Gravedigger (also executive producer)< name="Craig"/>
• Ed Wood as Man Holding Newspaper
• Marcus Hutton as organ (music) Player
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I love watching the old Ed Wood movies. He was absolutely awful as a filmmaker, but he clearly had passion to make movies. This particular film was funded by a church. Mr Wood somehow made this movie telling them he would use the profits to make a bible film. He used stock footage of a dead Bella Lugosi. He also was infamous for not using multiple takes. He was fine with prop failures and poor acting! Truly a work to savor when you are looking for a campy b movie to watch.
That is awesome, well the story is, not the fact he swindled a church to make this movie.