8

TUESDAY

Although many consider Plan 9 From Outer Space to be the pinnacle—or nadir—of Ed Wood’s tragically desperate career, a strong case can be made for Bride of the Monster. The 1956 effort was Bela Lugosi’s final speaking role, for which he pocketed but $1,000. An insulting amount for such an icon, but enough to keep him in formaldehyde cocktails for a while. With Lugosi as mad scientist Dr. Vornoff and Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson as his manservant, Lobo, sadness seeps from every hysterical frame, but Bride of the Monster contains the second-greatest closing line in movie history. After an absurdly unlikely nuclear explosion destroys Lugosi, Wood regular Harvey B. Dunn deadpans the moral: “He tampered in God’s domain!” No, I haven’t ruined the movie for you. Wood did that, but that’s beside the point. Celebrate the triumph of the failure of the triumph of the human spirit tonight at 8 p.m. at the Lucky Bar, 1221 Connecticut Ave. NW. $2 (suggested donation). (202) 331-3733. (DN)