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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Billy Zane in comedy masterpiece, 15 October 2004
10/10
Author: Kim Morgan (kim-morgan) from London, England

Cor blimey. This film really surprised me as it is a comedy masterpiece. Billy Zane is stunning as the central character, and everyone manages to play it straight enough for the comedy to be natural and easy.

The soundtrack is really good, and the set pieces are a joy to behold. I recommend that you watch this film with a bunch of mates, a few bottles of your liquor of choice, and prepare to be astonished and highly entertained.

This carries on so perfectly from kitsch masterpieces like Plan 9 From Outer Space that it is in the true "B" movie tradition. But what makes it more than that is the caliber of the people who took part in the film. Ron Pearlman for example. I still find my self giggling at the scene where Zane prances down a set of steps for no apparent reason in an almost ballet style. All a bit mad, and all the better for it.

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13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Ed Wood is back!, 15 February 1999
9/10
Author: Juha Rislakki (juha.rislakki@gnwmail.com) from Brussels, Belgium

I saw this film at the International Film Festival Of Brussels. I also met the director of the film. I heard that Ed Wood wrote the story in 10 years! I'm sure he thought his would be his masterpiece - his triumph.

Well, if you take the film seriously (like mr. Wood did) it is really one of the worst films you will ever see. And this is cool. The big joke of I Woke Up Early The Day I Died is that it doesn't even try to be a decent film.

This makes the film very, very good. The script is filled with nihilism and anarchism - a lot of black humour. Billy Zane's role is absolutely excellent. You see, this is either high art...or low rubbish.

****/*****

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14 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Ed Wood's latest masterpiece..., 13 April 1999
10/10
Author: anonymous from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This is a script that Ed Wood worked over 10 years on trying to get made. Aris Iliopulos finally got the chutzpah to film a script that Wood saved from his burning home at the expense of other, more transitory valuables.

This is a dialogue-free movie, that some may foolishly describe as silent. In fact, it is a quite noisy film, without the inane chatter of most flicks. In the hands of these filmmakers, the music and sound effects provide a rich audio experience that works better than almost any grist from the Hollywood script mill, particularly that stupid boat movie Billy Zane last was in ('Watch out!', 'Oh no!' - J. Cameron.... ick...) I'll take Zane's wonderfully communicative monosyllabic grunts in this film over empty dialogue any day.

Billy Zane heads a team of players who obviously really wanted to be in this film. Ricci is radiant as always, and the gods are shining when you can put Sandra Bernhard, Rick(y) Schroeder, Eartha Kitt and Andrew McCarthy's name on the same poster.

The design is perfect, the pyramid set exquisite, and Ron Perlman's beastly performance is simply wonderful. Overall, this is a chaotic, visceral masterpiece lovingly crafted by fans of Ed Wood Jr., auteur and cinenephile. A must see for anyone who really loves movies the way that the first rate Iliopulos and his cast obviously do. A film to make you wish you had made it yourself.

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Slapstick expressionism & Ed Wood, 24 August 2002
10/10
Author: Tobin Fields from Louisville

I've been disappointed, if not surprised, at the lack of appreciation this film has received. Once again, Billy Zane proves he's more than just a Hollywood pretty boy in a silent performance that combines spastic slapstick with understated pathos. Calling this a silent film is inaccurate, as there's a lot of music and sound. It has a manic pace and is full of the goofy inventiveness that Ed Wood is finally beginning to be appreciated for. Look at the cast listing, and realize that everyone shines. No one is there just to show their face. I believe they're all in the movie to show their appreciation of Wood, and to do a broad, physical kind of acting not seen much these days.

But, today, reviewers try to guess what's going to become a hit much more than they show any kind of esthetic appreciation for a movie. And IWUETDID has no discernable target audience. It was made mostly out of love for Wood's script. Even after his death, the trendy social parasites have dealt him another serious blow, and deprived the world of a minor classic. This is a highly entertaining and a genuinely experimental film that really deserves to live, at least on DVD.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
strange and worth seeing, 2 December 2006
5/10
Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

Knowing that "I Woke Up Early the Day I Died" comes from a script by Ed Wood, it would seem that anyone should prepare heckling comments before watching it. It turns out that, although the movie makes little if any sense, there is a definite charm to it, possibly to the point of meriting a serious viewing. The plot - or whatever it is - centers on a mental patient (Billy Zane) escaping from the hospital, killing a bank teller, attending the funeral, and then getting involved with the people in the man's life. I think that that's the story; the absence of dialogue made it a little hard to follow.

So, it seems to be the sort of movie that you watch to study, just to see whether or not you can make anything out of the loosely strung together events portrayed. I can't say that I've been able to make anything out of it. Maybe you can. Also starring Tippi Hedren, Ron Perlman, Bud Cort, John Ritter, Christina Ricci and Karen Black. So perhaps we can call "IWUETDID" the almost unheard-of movie with a stellar cast.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A great homage to Edward D. Wood Jr., 20 September 2003
Author: crowdsurfer (sschaf20@student.scad.edu) from Savannah, Georgia

Ed Wood's "I woke up early the day I died" is unbelievably impossible to get a hold of, since it has only ever been released on video in Germany, but once I got myself a copy and watched it, I was happy I did.

As a die hard Ed Wood fan, I loved watching this film. In true Ed Wood film making fashion, they used cheesy props, a load of stock footage, and single takes, with continuity errors and dodgy editing.

My only question now is: where can I get my hands on a copy of the soundtrack?

The fact that this movie was even made and that so many random stars are in it just goes to show how much of an impact the "worst director of all times" had on the film industry and all that work in it!

A must see for every Wood fan, and for anyone who likes weird and dodgy movies.

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7 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Just saw the movie on TV, 27 October 2004
Author: vmmr73-1 (vmmr73@hotmail.com) from Tecate, Mexico

Unique film, certainly breaks the mold of mainstream movies without going into the 'art film' category. This is another example of Ed Wood's weird but entertaining film making style. He never forgot that movies were entertainment, but also made sure his movies showed us twisted and surreal takes on life that get the viewer hooked without the formulaic approach most Hollywood movies take - regardless of the genre.

It's a shame the movie isn't available in the US and that it wasn't released in theaters. I just saw it here in Mexico on a movie channel called movie planet, not sure it's available in the U.S. but if you van get your hands on the movie, it's worth seeing.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Really Good Fun!, 28 March 2003
9/10
Author: Kim Morgan from London, England.

I am not a huge fan of camp kitsch and the "so bad it's good" type of viewing. However, I really like this film for its fun factor and - believe it or not - it's innovation.

The whole thing has a ring of John Waters and is boundlessly enthusiastic, but with some superb actors and considered direction making the most of the slapstick and styalised movements. Billy Zane moves with incredible expression (see the scene on the bus for a text-book lesson in how to use movement) and is framed by some unexpected stars.

You may not like this film, you may not enjoy it, but if you get the chance to watch it, then spare the time because chances are you will end the film with a confused smile on your face, and a new perspective on the sense of humour of some big stars. Highly reccomended.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
An interesting failure, 27 March 2001
5/10
Author: RicciBoi from Melbourne, Australia

Criticizing this film needn't go much beyond its premise - not that of the script, but the idea of producing a 'lost' Ed Wood script. Said script is a dialogue-free(!), surprisingly dark comedy about an asylum escapee, and in true Wood style it's a consummate triumph of imagination over any kind of narrative purpose or skill. Bright spots are Billy Zane's astonishing grasp of physical comedy, and some clever use of soundtrack, framing, jumpcuts and flashbacks. Still, it's unevenly paced and overlong, and neither slapstick nor camp-value can sustain it. The amazing supporting talent is unforgivably wasted. All up, a bold and fun experiment, but pointless.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
An ensemble of-a-train-wreck o' movie...that I liked!!, 3 April 2005
9/10
Author: gloovins from Beverly Hills, Mich

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

OK, so I know of this movie because of a friend of mine's in it and I actually visited the set when they were filming, so from a personal stand-point, I was intrigued to finally view this obscure little gem. If you dig at all on info regarding this movie, you'll find it's mired in legal troubles (even over 7 years after being filmed) so, if you are at all like me -- then you'll do whatever it takes to obtain a copy. My source? Ebay. About $15 but I felt ripped because when I got it today in the mail, it was a very rough, grainy copy of a "SCREENER ONLY" release, complete with annoying top mini time-code but alas, I could still enjoy it but not as much as if I had a proper copy, something I suggest you obtain if you want the full impact this film may or may not have on you. From what I have gleaned, it's been released on DVD in Germany & now Spain. With that, good luck & happy searching/bidding...;). The score/sndtrk is worth it alone. Very eclectic and varied (somethinbg rare these days IMHO in film) -- I think that will be my next sndtrk/score to locate, but I digress...

Now, onto the review. The film opens as Billy Zane's character is injecting a nurse in the mental ward he is apparently locked up in. He steals her clothes (even shoes) and quickly moves into a series of holding up a bank/loan shop but after escaping with the loot, well, I guess this is where the "plot" begins -- he inadvertently looses it. After perpetrating several campy over-the-top crimes & dalliances to various A to C-list celebs to locate the money, he finds himself somehow in a cemetery where a funeral -- I think for the dead guy he shoots in the loan office/bank, and -- even with 1950's police cars and cops looking all over for him steadily throughout -- he never gets seen or nabbed. (He sees daily newspapers reporting his "crimes") This I liked, because it gave the thin plot an extension. After all, it's a MOVIE (see: fiction) & director Iris Iliopulos does what I think is everything possible to 1) Bring Wood's vision to fruition and 2) Give it an updated feel, yet have shots of authentic 50's police cars intertwined with, ahh, local L.A..99$ stores -- so well hence my 9 rating. If the period and props were authentic -- I would have given it a 10. Now it wraps it self up kinda weird and I won't spoil it for anyone but let's just say the final ending is somewhat disappointing for it, to me, it had promise, action and comedy -- all up till the end, so...with ALL that said --locate a copy at your own discretion.

Just realize that, as there is no dialouge (except for some narration and singing) this may be up your alley -- maybe not-- but I definitely think it's worth a watch. The actors all do fine performances and it's only the inconsistency in proper period pieces that really made me long for just that correction -- then I would say by all means check this film out for it's not like anything these studios put out these days (or will in the future, too) I am sure.

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