"God help us in the future."

In noting earlier this week that John Johnson, director of The Skeleton Key (2006), was not Iain Softley, director of The Skeleton Key (2005), I checked out Johnson's catalog. Nothing too notable, but the guy does his own writing, director, editing, cinematography, producing, and score, so that gets him a line of credit in my book.

It seems likely he'll max out that line of credit with his next project: Plan 9, a title-simplified remake of Ed Wood's infamous Plan 9 from Outer Space, a popular choice for the mantle of 'worst film of all time.'

Aiming for 9/9/09 (roughly coinciding with the 50th anniversary), Johnson hopes to make a film in the intended sci-fi/horror spirit of the original Plan 9, rather than the result. From the website: "a serious-minded retelling of the original story, paying homage to the spirit of Wood's film without resorting to camp or parody."

Conrad Brooks, sole surviving cast member of the original, will appear in the remake; the gig includes a promotion from Patrolman to Lieutenant. Brooks, who's acted in 21 direct-to-video flicks in the last ten years, has gotten his mileage out of time spent working with Wood. Besides a cameo in Tim Burton's Ed Wood, he's shown up in numerous Wood-related, Wood-inspired, and Woodesque flicks. Most directly related: I Woke Up Early the Day I Died, a 1998 adaptation of a previously unfilmed Wood screenplay boasting a rather surprising cast.

As far as Woodesque and Wood-inspired: Brooks has appeared in more improbably titled films than anyone this side of the Lina Wertmüller oeuvre. After dropping out of film in 1961 with Coleman Francis's worst-ever contender Beast of Yucca Flats, he returned in 1985 with Polish Vampire in Burbank. Since then, just to name a few:

It Came from Trafalgar
Zeppo: Sinners from Beyond the Moon!
Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots
Corpses Are Forever
Max Hell Comes to Frogtown
Ghost Taxi
Armageddon Boulevard
Ice Scream
Rollergator
Blood Slaves of the Vampire Wolf
Baby Ghost
Little Lost Sea Serpent
And who can forget his immortal turn as Police Chief Arbogast in 2002's Raising Dead?

I was gonna give Brooks a hard time for performing in Jan-Gel 3: Hillbilly Monster, until I noticed that he directed the entire trilogy. I should probably give him a much harder time for that.


Plan 9 from Outer Space is in the public domain, allowing John Johnson to write a new screenplay. You too can take advantage of its status. Enjoy!