Bad Films, Worse Rentals

Many fans of B-movies will probably flock to Tim Burton’s quirky “Ed Wood” when it opens Wednesday, but those whose appetites are whetted for the real thing will find that seeing Wood’s actual films will prove a bit more difficult.

Regarded by some as one of the worst directors in Hollywood history, Wood may be the subject of a major Disney film and portrayed onscreen by heartthrob Johnny Depp, yet many of his own films are not readily available on video, especially outside major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and New York.

In fact, finding Wood’s films for sale is much easier than renting them in most areas; except for 1958’s “The Bride and the Beast,” all eight of his released films can be bought via mail order. Prices generally range from $9.95 to $22.95.

A sampling of video outlets shows a range of availability of Wood’s films:

* Most Tower Video stores sell “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” “Jailbait” and “The Violent Years,” but do not rent them.

* Vidiots (302 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica) rents and sells “Plan 9,” “Glen or Glenda” and “Bride of the Monster.”

* Blockbuster Video in Santa Monica has only “The Violent Years” available for rent.

* The Burbank-based Discount Video Tapes (P.O. Box 7122, Burbank 91510, (818) 843-3366), which also rents tapes by mail, sells “Glen or Glenda,” “Plan 9,” “Jailbait” and “Night of the Ghouls.”

* Sinister Cinema (P.O. Box 4369, Medford, Ore., 97501-0168, (503) 773-6860) sells “Jailbait,” “The Violent Years” and the tougher-to-find “The Sinister Urge.”

* Cinema Classics (P.O. Box 174, Village Station, New York 10014, (212) 675-6692) sells almost every Wood film, including the never-released “Orgy of the Dead.”

Some cult film buffs don’t foresee any great run on requests for Wood’s films, however.

“I think ‘Ed Wood’ will bring back some interest in him,” says Sinister Cinema owner Greg Luce. “How much is debatable.”

But at least one outlet is hoping to be prepared just in case. John Thrasher, Tower’s vice president of video purchasing and distribution, says the chain may highlight some of Wood’s films in the stores’ Midnight Movies section. “It’ll be a curiosity piece for a lot of people,” Thrasher says. “You really get these (movies) to laugh and maybe have a party.”*