''I Woke Up Early the Day I Died'' is a 1998 American

camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

film, based on a unproduced screenplay written by Edward D. Wood Jr. in 1974. Wood originally wrote the script in 1961 as ''Silent Night'', then rewrote it in 1974 as ''I Awoke Early the Day I Died'', but he died before he could get it filmed. The 1998 film, directed by Aris Iliopulos, stars Billy Zane,

Tippi Hedren Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American actress, animal rights activist, and former fashion model. A successful fashion model who appeared on the front covers of ''Life'' and '' Glamour'' magazines, among others, Hed ...

, Ron Perlman, Sandra Bernhard, Karen Black, Eartha Kitt, Summer Phoenix and Christina Ricci, among many others. The film has no dialogue, only atmospheric sounds, alternating bursts of laughter, and screams. Several of Ed Wood's old friends from the 1950s were featured in bit parts, including Maila Nurmi, Conrad Brooks, David Ward and Wood's widow Kathy O'Hara Wood.

Plot

Overpowering a nurse and dressing in her clothes, a madman escapes from the Casa de la Loco Sanitarium. The Thief ( Billy Zane) then goes on a crime spree that nets him a gun, a car, a fortune in stolen cash, and one dead loan office manager. As he escapes the murder scene, he comes upon a forbidden cemetery just as a burial is taking place, replete with bagpipe music and a bizarre ceremony employing tuning forks and strange icons. As the undertaker, the caretaker, and an odd assortment of mourners leave the service, The Thief peers into the coffin, thinking it is a good place to hide his briefcase full of ill-gotten gains. As he strikes the tuning fork that is buried with the robe-draped skeleton, bagpipe music fills the air and throws him into convulsions. The coffin lid slams shut, locking his money inside, and The Thief is thrown into an open grave, knocking himself unconscious. When he awakens, he sets off to track down everyone who had been present at the funeral in an attempt to find his missing cash, killing anyone who gets in his way.

Cast

* Billy Zane as The Thief * Ron Perlman as Cemetery Caretaker *

as Maylinda Austed / Professional Mourner *

Andrew McCarthy Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as ''St. Elmo's Fire'', ''Pretty in Pink'', and '' Less ...

as Cop *

Will Patton William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor and audiobook narrator. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies''. He also appeared in the films ''Remember the Titans'', ''Armageddon'' ...

as Preacher * Carel Struycken as Undertaker *

Max Perlich Max Perlich (born March 26, 1968) is an American film and television actor. In 1990, Perlich won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the hit indie film '' Drugstore Cowboy'' and was nominated for the same ...

as Assistant Undertaker * Patrick Painter as Assistant Undertaker #2 *

John Ritter Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American actor. Ritter was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is known for playing Jack Tripper on the ...

as Robert Forrest / Professional Mourner *

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portrayi ...

as Honey Child * Sandra Bernhard as Sandy Sands / Professional Mourner and Stripper * Eartha Kitt as Cult Leader * Ann Magnuson as Loan Secretary *

Abraham Benrubi Abraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi (born October 4, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running medical television drama '' ER'', for his first role as Larry Kubiac on the series '' Parker Lewis C ...

as Bouncer * Christina Ricci as Teenage Hooker *

Jonathan Taylor Thomas Jonathan Taylor Thomas (born Jonathan Taylor Weiss; September 8, 1981) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Randy Taylor on ''Home Improvement'' and voicing young Simba in Disney's 1994 film ''The Lion King'' and Pinocch ...

as Boy At Beach *

Michael Greene Michael Harris Greene (November 4, 1933 – January 10, 2020) was an American actor who was active from the 1960s through the 1990s. Career Greene was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Gladys () and Harry Greene. Early in his caree ...

as Tom Harris, Professional Mourner / Barfly *

Roberta Hanley Roberta Hanley is an actress and movie director. She directed the 1998 movie ''Brand New World'', for which she was awarded the ''Grand Jury Prize'' for Best Feature Film at the 2001 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. Films ...

as Housewife * Robert Musselman as Eartha Kitt's Escort * Marvin Lorence as Eartha Kitt's Piano Player * Megan Odebash as Wardrobe Mistress *

Rain Phoenix Rain Joan of Arc Phoenix ( Bottom; born November 21, 1972) is an American actress, musician, and singer. She is the older sister of Joaquin, Liberty and Summer Phoenix and younger sister of River Phoenix. Early life Phoenix was born Rain Joan ...

as Bartender #1 *

Summer Phoenix Summer Joy Phoenix (née Bottom) is an American actress. She is the youngest sibling of actors River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix, and Liberty Phoenix. Early life Phoenix was born in Winter Park, Florida. Her mother, Arlyn Sharo ...

as Bartender #2 / Girl At The Beach * Steven M. Porter as Detective #2 * Jed Reghanti as Prom King *

Tara Reid Tara Donna Reid (born November 8, 1975) is an American actress. She played Vicky in the films '' American Pie'' (1999), '' American Pie 2'' (2001), and '' American Reunion'' (2012), and Bunny Lebowski in '' The Big Lebowski'' (1998). In 2013, s ...

as Prom Queen / Nightclub Bartender * Joann Richter as Woman At Supermarket * Kathleen Robertson as Ticket Girl * Mark Rolston as Hot Dog Vendor * David Ward as Cruiser Cop #1 *

Rick Schroder Richard Bartlett Schroder (born April 13, 1970) is an American actor and filmmaker. As a child actor billed as Ricky Schroder he debuted in the film '' The Champ'' (1979), for which he became the youngest Golden Globe award recipient, and went o ...

as Cruiser Cop #2 *

Nicollette Sheridan Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera '' Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the rom ...

as Ballroom Woman *

Gregory Sporleder Gregory Sporleder (born April 14, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker, notable for playing military men in films such as '' The Rock'', '' Black Hawk Down'' and ''Renaissance Man'', as well as Calvin Norris in the HBO series ''True Blood'' ...

as Loan Manager *

Steven Weber Steven Robert Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Brian Hackett on the television series ''Wings'' which aired from April 1990 to May 1997 on NBC, as Sam Blue in '' Once and Again'', and ...

as Policeman In Alley * Kathleen O'Hara Wood as Woman At Carnival * Billie Worley as Fat Taxi Driver * Lee Arenberg as Parking Lot Attendant * Mark Boone Junior as Cop #3 *

Conrad Brooks Conrad Brooks (born Conrad Biedrzycki; January 3, 1931 – December 6, 2017) was an American actor. Career Brooks moved to Hollywood, California, in 1948 at age 17 to pursue a career in acting. He got his start in movies appearing in Ed Wood film ...

as Cruise Cop #3 * Joseph Darrell as Uniform Cop #1 * Leif Garret as Cruiser Cop #4 *

Dana Gould Dana Gould (born August 24, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice artist who has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. He voiced Hi Larious in the TV series ''Father of the Pride'' (2004–2005) and the ...

as Carnival Barker * Michael G. Hagerty as Flop House Manager * Brent Hinkley as Detective #1 * Jeff Horny as "Smokey" *

Denice D. Lewis Denice D. Lewis (born November 28, 1960) is an American fashion model, actor, and abstract artist. Following her modeling career, Lewis returned to America to further study visual arts in Hollywood including photography, fine art painting, and fil ...

as Star Stripper * Blake Lindsley as Ticket Girl * Anna Austin as Nurse *

Maila Nurmi Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress who created the campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon, where she worked in tuna and s ...

as Woman In Hotel Lobby * Donita Ganzon Gold as Savannah *

Bud Cort Walter Edward Cox, known professionally as Bud Cort, is an American actor and comedian, known for his portrayals of Harold in Hal Ashby's film ''Harold and Maude'' (1971) and the eponymous hero in Robert Altman's film '' Brewster McCloud'' (19 ...

as Shopkeeper Lord Heinrich "Binky" Alcoa III * Louise Ashby as Show Girl (uncredited) * Angella Kaye as Girl (uncredited) * Celeste Octavia as Ballerina (uncredited) * John Patrick Patti as Pimp (uncredited) * Roberto Santana as Conga Player (uncredited) * Tilghman Branner as Policeman In Alley / Snakewoman Cirus

Production

The movie, produced two decades after Edward D. Wood Jr.'s death, was done as a tribute to him. Wood was awarded a posthumous Golden Turkey Award for being The Worst Director Of All Time, and has since gained a cult following. The producers of this film used many techniques that Wood himself would use, such as including stock footage to save filming expenses. The cast was made up of a huge list of actors, including several who were previously associated with Wood's films in the 1950s.

Reaction

The film received negative reactions by fans and critics alike, achieving a 30% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

. Many criticized Iliopulos's failure to recreate Wood's innocent ineptitude at film making, including ''Entertainment Weekly'', which said the movie "never truly finds a way to evoke ood'sfractured hard-boiled syntax, his inimitable idiocy".

Music

The instrumental soundtrack for the film was composed by

Larry Groupé Lawrence Nash Groupé, born April 1957, best known as Larry Groupé, is an American film score composer for Immediate Music's offshoot label, Imperativa Records. Groupé has composed and orchestrated music for dozens of films and television pro ...

and recorded and mixed by John Kurlander.

Instrumental Soundtrack Track listing

#"Escape!" – 2:05 #"My Kingdom For A Hot Dog" – 2:15 #"My Ears Hurt" – 1:20 #"Parking Booth Fight" – 0:54 #"The Bank Job Tango" – 3:30 #"Scaffold Dream" – 2:40 #"Cult Waltz & Processional" – 3:57 #"Caretaker's Lament" – 1:51 #"Cemetery Knight" – 1:42 #"Coppers" – 1:21 #"Journey Continues" – 0:45 #"Where's The Money?" – 0:58 #"Caretaker's Death" – 1:18 #"Mausoleum" – 1:30 #"The Coffin Has No Money" – 2:23 #"Shack Attack" – 2:16 #"Purse Snatch" – 1:29 #"Desperation" – 2:03 #"Head Over Heels" – 1:20 #"Torment And Woe" – 1:59 #"Journey Smoke" – 1:03 #"Long Ride Home" – 1:00 #"Bagpipes Of Death" – 3:36

Additional Music

There is additional music featured in the film that was not composed by Groupé. These songs were never released in compilation as a soundtrack to the film. The following is the listing of songs as they appear in the end credits of the film. * Jesus I Was Evil by

Darcy Clay Darcy Clay (born Daniel Robert Bolton, 5 December 1972 – 15 March 1998) was a New Zealand singer, songwriter and musician, who was made famous in 1997 for his Number 5 hit "Jesus I Was Evil", in which he recorded all of the instruments in his ...

* Plastic Bag by Minty * Minty by Minty * Puttin’ and Takin' by

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ac ...

* Geezer by ZVH * Courtesy Phone by ZVH * El Guapo by ZVH * Elephant Graveyeard by ZVH * Sandy Dance by ZVH * Bink e Bink by

Lisa Zane Lisa Zane (born Elizabeth Frances Zane; April 5, 1961) is an American actress and singer. Personal life Zane was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Thalia and William George Zane Sr., founders of a medical technical school. Her family's ...

* Love of Life by Gene Bua * If You Want To Go Away by

Nico Fidenco Nico Fidenco (artistic name Domenico Colarossi; 24 January 1933 – 19 November 2022) was an Italian singer and film soundtrack composer who gained considerable popularity in 1960 with the release of the song "What a Sky" (Italian: "''Su nel cie ...

* Anywhere I Hang My Heart by Eartha Kitt * Heavy Water by Ray Davies and His Funky Trumpet * Nature Boy by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

* Inside the Hut by Nathan Haines * Adios al Presidio by Los Hermanos Vega * Opera Buffa by Penelope Anderson * Circus Macabra by Frank Macchia * Temper by

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is a British music producer and DJ. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musician in t ...

References

Sources

* ''The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr.'' (1996), documentary film directed by Brett Thompson *

Rudolph Grey Rudolph Grey is a musician and the biographer of filmmaker Ed Wood. As an electric guitarist, Grey has recorded and performed with Mars, under his own name, as well as leading various ad hoc ensembles called The Blue Humans. His music draws on ...

, ''Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr.'' (1992)

External links

* * * * {{Ed Wood 1998 films 1990s black comedy films 1990s serial killer films American black comedy films American psychological films American serial killer films Films about murderers Films scored by Larry Groupé Films with screenplays by Ed Wood Psychological comedy films Films without speech 1998 comedy films 1999 comedy films 1999 films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films