Plan 9 from Outer Space (60th Anniversary) the Ed Wood Classic - Rental Reviews

Plan 9 from Outer Space: The “Middle Movie”

The panel celebrates the 60th anniversary of Plan 9 from Outer Space by arguing that it isn’t really the worst movie ever: if a film is entertaining, they say, it can’t be the worst. One panelist jokingly proposes a new frontier instead—the “middle movie,” perfectly mediocre in every way.

They make the case for Ed Wood’s oddball classic as an inspired low-budget production. Its mash-up of gothic horror and science fiction brings together Bela Lugosi, Vampira, and Tor Johnson, while its aliens try to stop humanity from creating a devastating bomb. The hosts admire Wood’s determination to make the movie despite limited resources, even as they gleefully point out its visible strings, flimsy sets, painted backdrops, falling gravestones, and an airplane “cockpit” that looks like a tiny stage set.

They also puzzle over the cigar-shaped UFOs, a character entering a car through the passenger door, and the repeated “yard lights” line.

Plot and Legacy

The plot gets its share of teasing: the aliens’ plans seem contradictory, their explanations drag on, and their grand threat is met with a punch. The panel also riffs on the movie’s strange, sleepy atmosphere and wonderfully baffling dialogue—especially “You stupid, stupid minds!”

They recommend a documentary about the film’s production and reflect on how Wood’s reputation grew after his death, with Plan 9 becoming a pop-culture touchstone.

First Anniversary

To mark the show’s first anniversary, the group unveils a themed Terminator 2 display and a gruesome eyeball cake, complete with edible-looking shards of “glass.” The cake is aimed at Tony’s stabbing-eyeball phobia, and its reveal sparks jokes about how to cut it—and whether anyone should eat the glass.

The episode closes with a mock-Criswell narration asking whether viewers can prove the show was entertaining.

Personalities Appearing

James Rolfe, Mike Matei, Justin Silverman, Tony, and Kieran.