Plan 9 from Outer Space is a 1957 American independent science fiction-horror film produced, written, directed, and edited by Ed Wood.

The film was shot in black-and-white in November 1956 and had a preview screening on March 15, 1957, at the Carlton Theatre in Los Angeles under the title Grave Robbers from Outer Space.

[3] Retitled Plan 9 from Outer Space, it went into general release in July 1958 in Virginia,[4] Texas and several other Southern states,[5][6] before being sold to television in 1961.

[7] The film stars Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson, and "Vampira" (Maila Nurmi) and is narrated by Criswell.

The Atomic Age, heralded by the development of nuclear weapons and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, had inspired science fiction films to deal with the dangers of unrestricted science, while space flight and the existence of extraterrestrial life and civilizations (more "traditional" elements of the genre), seemed to hold a new fascination for audiences at the beginning of the Space Race.

(This line appears in the narration for General Motors' "Futurama" ride and its accompanying film, To New Horizons, which were part of the 1939 New York World's Fair—years before Criswell's television program.

The narrator claims that "we" (the filmmakers) are bringing to light the full story and evidence of fateful events, based on the survivors' "secret testimony".

The narration seems to emulate the style of sensational headlines in tabloid newspapers, and promises audiences access to "lurid secrets" as if following the example of True Confessions and similar scandal magazines.

[14] The film's postscript, also narrated by Criswell and delivered in the same tone as the introduction, provides the audience with a challenge ("you have seen this incident based on sworn testimony.

)[16] Through Jeff's initial conversation with his wife, the film introduces the notion of a government and military conspiracy to cover up information on documented UFO sightings.

Thomas had created some rubber chin appliances to elongate their faces, as well as "cat's eyes" contact lenses and green wigs to lend them a more unearthly appearance.

[14] Shortly before Lugosi's death in August 1956, he had been working with Wood on a handful of half-realized projects, variously titled The Vampire's Tomb or The Ghoul Goes West.

They featured Lugosi weeping at a funeral, picking a rose from a bush in front of Tor Johnson's house in the daytime, walking in and out of the Johnson home's side door at nighttime, and a daylight scene, on a patch of highway, with Lugosi stalking toward the camera and dramatically spreading his Dracula cape before furling it around himself, then walking back the way he came.

[21] Plan Nine was shot in November 1956 (under the shooting title Grave Robbers From Outer Space) and premiered on March 15, 1957, at the Carlton Theatre in Los Angeles.

The original shooting title is mentioned at the end of Criswell's opening narration when he asks the audience: "Can your heart stand the shocking facts about ... grave robbers from outer space?"

[26] During the first aircraft cockpit scene, the first officer is reading from a script in his lap, and a flash of light from a flying saucer reveals the boom microphone's shadow.

[33] Autographed pre-release copies of the DVD were made available in 2005, and the colorized version was also given special theatrical screenings at various U.S. theaters, including the Castro Theatre.

[34][35] The DVD featured an audio commentary track by comedian Michael J. Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame, in which he heckles the film in a style similar to an episode of the series, a restored black-and-white version of Plan 9, a home video of Wood in drag performing a striptease (Wood cross-dressed throughout his life), a subtitled information track and a comedic feature narrated by Nelson detailing the "lost" Plans 1–8.

That same year, Rudolph Grey's book Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr., was published and contained anecdotes about the making of this film.

[41] In 2006, the documentary Vampira: The Movie, by Kevin Sean Michaels, chronicled Nurmi's work with Wood and her role as television's first horror host.

[46][47] As of September 2009, there was an additional proposed remake: Grave Robbers from Outer Space was written and directed by Christopher Kahler for Drunkenflesh Films.

[49] Horror host Mr. Lobo, Brian Krause, and internet celebrities Matt Sloan, Aaron Yonda, James Rolfe, and Monique Dupree performed in the film,[50] which was released through video-on-demand on February 16, 2016.

The website's critical consensus reads, "The epitome of so-bad-it's-good cinema, Plan 9 from Outer Space is an unintentionally hilarious sci-fi 'thriller' from anti-genius Ed Wood that is justly celebrated for its staggering ineptitude.

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, for instance, claims that "the film's reception modulated away from jovial mockery of its wanton indifference to normal professional standards of script, performance, and effects, in favour of a more nuanced appreciation of its dreamlike narrative assemblage of genre tropes, resonantly unspeakable dialogue, and irrepressible budgetary ingenuity.

features the alien protagonist causing mayhem at a drive-in theater that is playing on loop the scene when the flying saucers are being attacked by the U.S. military.

[66] In 1991, Eternity Comics released a three-issue miniseries, Plan 9 from Outer Space: Thirty Years Later!, which served as an unofficial sequel to the film.

It was advertised as a "Three Riffer Edition", due to Nelson's solo commentary for the film's colorized DVD release, which had previously been sold as an audio file on the Rifftrax website.

[69] The 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas includes a minor character "Behemoth" who serves as an homage to the appearance of the zombified Inspector Daniel Clay.

The 1994 film Ed Wood is an Oscar-winning American comedy-drama biopic produced and directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.

[73] American metalcore band Crown the Empire included a sample of Criswell's opening monologue in its single "Hologram", from its 2016 album Retrograde.