The Ghoulish Plot: after not writing these October reviews for a few years I was under no illusion that it would be an internet sensation; this is a WordPress blog I’ve used only to post show details and videos for years and there’s nothing the internet needs less than more movie reviews.

So this month has been a fun writing exercise aimed at the couple-dozen folks who are stopping by regularly. And my guess is that at least a handful of those folks will see this combo and think, “that’s a pretty great match.” Cuz it IS. I’m a genius, praise me, and send me all your money.

Both movies are set in that bygone era of moviemaking filled with silly horror tropes and gimmicks and writer/directors trying to carve out a niche for themselves. “Ed Wood” is based on the real life of the guy who directed “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” and “Matinee” is based on a real-life producer. Both of these were directed by people who were at the height of their powers (Tim Burton and Joe Dante, respectively), both include great performances from their casts and both feature a look into the cost of ambition and self delusion about artistic skill, all wrapped up in the world of corny monster movies.

“Ed Wood” has been a favorite of mine since it came out, and is part of the 4K Blu-Ray collection. I hadn’t seen “Matinee” in years and it holds up supremely well. Are they scary? Only if you compare yourself and your ambition to the protagonists of these films as they try and (mostly) fail to succeed despite their willingness to do whatever it takes. Plus there’s an Oscar-winning Bela Lugosi performance and a movie-within-a-movie called “Mant” that is just fantastic.

The Scariest Part of the Movie(s): that moviemaking like this doesn’t happen anymore. I mean, Tim Burton fell off HARD after Ed Wood was released and it felt almost like he blew out the pipes completely. Joe Dante has continued working but after Gremlins 2 and this, he stopped getting the same carte blanche (even though both of those are better than the Gremlins movie that made all the money).

Spookiness Factor: if you yourself have ever pursued something creative, you will wonder if you are anything like Ed Wood, and it will haunt your dreams.

Rating: 10 out of 10 Twix