A popular type of film is the ‘so bad, it’s good’ subgenre. These are the films that entertain viewers in ways the filmmakers didn’t intend. Movies that miss the mark in every conceivable way often bring us joy and laughter. When mentioning these types of movies, one name seems to be the king of schlock. Edward D. Wood Jr., or simply Ed Wood, was a filmmaker primarily operating from the ’50s through the ’70s, and each film he laid his hands on was unintentional comedy gold.

Thanks to movies such as Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 From Outer Space, Wood has earned the unsavory title of ’the worst director of all time.’ Taking a quick glance at some of his movies, it might seem clear why he has this nickname. But at the end of the day, does he truly deserve it? His movies may be entertaining in all the wrong ways, but there is one constant through each of his films that suggests he wasn’t all that bad.

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Ed Wood didn’t get into the film business because he thought he could make a quick buck. He began to make movies because he had a burning passion for the medium. The monster films from the ’40s and movies such as Citizen Kane (which even back then was known as one of the best films of all time) lit a fire inside him that he could never quite extinguish. He made it his life’s mission to create movies and bring his imagination to life. Wood was never quite able to break into the Hollywood scene in ways he had hoped, so he took matters into his own hands.

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A vast majority of his movies were financed by himself. Oftentimes, he would hold fundraisers of sorts in an attempt to find finances for his zany visions. Watching some of his films, it is clear that Wood didn’t quite have the skill required to bring his films to life, but this didn’t stop him. Even if he had to keep the camera rolling after a huge flub in order to conserve film, he would do whatever it took to complete his film. Not because he had dreams of stardom, but because he had a genuine love for the craft.

While he may not have been especially good at what he did, he still did it with the same passion as his idol Orson Welles. For someone to pour their heart and soul into a project destined to fail - one has to admire the effort if nothing else. In a sense, this made him an early cinematic progenitor of punk rock, which is often defined as having more unbridled passion than the skill it takes to traditionally convey it. From the beginning, critics were harsh and relentless to Wood and his films, but this didn’t bother him in the slightest. Ed Wood was not afraid to be himself under any circumstances. If this meant directing a film wearing an angora sweater, so be it. Wood had his sights set on his dreams, and he wouldn’t let anything, including the death of his leading man, stop him.

Ed and Bela

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As stated before, Ed was heavily inspired by the classic horror films from the ’30s and ’40s. Because of this, he had great admiration for Bela Lugosi. The aging horror icon was rarely seen on screen by the time the ’50s dragged on. A chance meeting with Ed Wood allowed Lugosi to spend his final days where he had always belonged, on the big screen. The former (and influential) Dracula actor had been struggling with substance abuse and other personal issues, but Wood still saw a shining star in Lugosi. Even if it was just a nonsensical narrator part, Wood would always find a place to put Bela in. While Bela was far from his peak, seeing him have the time of his life on screen is heartwarming if nothing else. Even when Lugosi passed away before he could begin filming Plan 9 From Outer Space, Wood saw to it that the late actor would be featured in one final film.

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Ed Wood’s relationship with Lugosi was never exploitive. Wood didn’t feature Lugosi because he thought it would sell more tickets; he included him because he wanted to give Bela a genuine chance to see his name in lights once again. While he may not have been very talented on a technical level, there is no doubt that Wood had a giant heart.

Worst Director

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So Wood’s movies may have been bad, but does this make him the worst director of all time? Not exactly. While naming something “the worst” is purely a subjective opinion, there are a few things that could truly make a bad director. The biggest thing is if someone is only in the medium for fame and fortune. If somebody makes movies just because they can make a quick buck, it is clear in the final product. Ed Wood’s movies may have been bad in their own way, but each frame shows clear effort and passion, regardless of how misguided it was. It is harsh to call Wood the worst director, because he genuinely did care about the art form and wanted to create all the good he could before he passed away.

While he began making science-fiction and monster movies, his constant failures led him to make exploitation and adult films later in his life. Even when nearly everyone gave up on him, Wood still pushed himself to make films, because that is what he truly wanted to do. He died nearly penniless, but none of that mattered to him. He left behind a legacy. A legacy many filmmakers want to avoid, sure, but a legacy nonetheless.

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With each passing year, more and more people are discovering Wood’s bizarre catalog of films. With each new fan comes a new appreciation for the man and his life’s work. While his movies still aren’t considered genuinely good, they are oddly inspiring. Wood’s love for the medium has inspired fans of all ages to tackle their own dreams. Ed Wood proves that even if you fail, it doesn’t matter if you are still doing what you love. As long as you never give up, nobody can take that from you. As laughably bad as it is, people still talk about Plan 9 From Outer Space; the actual worst directors, it could be said, are the ones who are never remembered.

Tim Burton made a biopic about the director in 1994, titled Ed Wood and starring Johnny Depp, and to many it’s one of Burton’s best films. While not one hundred percent accurate to real events, it still shows just how much Wood loved what he did and the incredible lengths he went through to see his visions come to life. Ed Wood’s movies are prime so bad they’re good viewing, but each movie has something that many other bad films don’t, and that is the bizarre fingerprints of Ed Wood scattered throughout.