Precisely what these sins are is unclear in most cases, but the punishment always involves dancing and stripping for the amusement of The Emperor and the Black Ghoul. Together they hold court over an assemblage of damned souls, who are punished according to their sins. He is accompanied by The Black Ghoul (Fawn Silver) a vampiric being clearly inspired by his Plan 9 co-star Vampira. This proved somewhat problematic as the film offered him his largest role ever in an Ed Wood movie, having previously appeared as the narrator in Plan 9 From Outer Space and Night of the Ghouls.Ĭriswell plays The Emperor – a mysterious being of undefined dark power. The famed TV psychic was completely unable to remember his lines. This is a professional way of saying that Ed watched a lot of Los Angeles strippers perform and then asked them if they wanted to be in a movie.Įd also held up the cue cards for his old friend Criswell, who was also falling on hard times when Orgy of the Dead came out. In addition to writing the screenplay (based on his novel of the same name) Wood served as the film’s production manager and casting agent. While Ed didn’t direct it, it is still numbered among his films due to the extensive role he took in overseeing its production alongside director A.C.

Orgy of the Dead has the distinction of being the final feature-length movie Ed Wood was involved in that saw wide distribution. (Now you know why that Johnny Depp movie ended where it did!) By the end of his career, however, Ed Wood had begun writing pornographic novels and working on exploitation films.

Once upon a time, the infamous shlock director got funding from the First Baptist Church of Beverly Hills and made movies that dealt with the moral evils of pornography and juvenile delinquency. Wood Jr.’s career ended the way that it did. There is a certain degree of irony that Edward D. Today, Matt Morrison examines the 1965 exploitation film Orgy of the Dead. Stream This? is a feature devoted to exploring and reviewing some of the lesser known and often-times weirder films that can be found on various streaming services.

Orgy of the Dead by Ed Wood