Movies: The Room (2003) - By Tommy Wiseau

[Rodgerwilco]

Often described as "The Citizen Kane of bad movies"... Written, directed, produced, funded entirely by, and starring Tommy Wiseau The Room is a cult classic drama (and unintentional comedy) which focuses on topics like friendship, love, betrayal, and human interaction. This labor-of-love film is chock full of absolutely hilarious quotable lines, horrifically shot and acted scenes, and more plot holes than a metaphorical piece of cinematic Swiss cheese. A great part of the allure of this movie is the amount of mystery surrounding the creator Tommy Wiseau, who mysteriously funded the $6,000,000 budget personally and maintained full creative control of the film, insisting on many creative oddities throughout.

There's not much I can say about this movie that hasn't already been said before. It's great, it's horrible, it's everything in between. But it is certainly an experience I think that everyone should have. If you've never seen this movie, I can't recommend it enough. It's pretty easy to find online. The film was also the subject of an award winning biographical comedy by James Franco entitled The Disaster Artist, which was itself based off of the memoir of Greg Sestero, Tommy's best friend and co-star in the film.

If you've seen the film before, what was your experience like and have you attended any interactive screenings of it? I went to my first one last weekend dressed in full Tommy Wiseau costume and had an absolute blast.

Click to read more...

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

I saw it twice when it ran in a local theater about a decade ago. The first time I wasn't sure what to expect but within just a few minutes it was clear that this was an interactive exhibit and it didn't take long for me to join in the heckling. I'm pretty sure I've never experienced such a "participatory" kind of movie before or since, and it's definitely more fun to watch it with a lot of people.

 

[Ceremony]

I've never seen it but this video about sums up my thoughts on it and the thought of watching it in a room filled with people shouting things out:

 

[Shareefruck]

I've never seen it but this video about sums up my thoughts on it and the thought of watching it in a room filled with people shouting things out:

I agree with him about the idea of people ruining things by making an event out of them and these types of shouty, cheery, riffing parties being miserable/eye-rolling rather than fun to me (hell, I feel that way about the idea of watching sports or concerts live, with lots of morons yelling dumb things and cheering over them as well), but I disagree with him about the first part-- The Room's a legitimately great experience that lives up to the hype even when watching it by yourself in solitude, in my opinion.

I'm generally not even a "so bad it's good" person, and I kind of have a distaste for campy things being elevated in general, but The Room feels like a perfect storm of it to me (almost like the universe having a sense of humor and making a genuinely good/impressive movie through this guy's unintentional idiocy or something).

 

[JohnC]

The Room is amazing. I feel like every time I watch it I notice some other absurd thing I didn’t notice before.

The ending of The Disaster Artist when they played the scenes side by side with the original movie was the hardest I’ve ever laughed in a movie theater.

 

[Blender]

Probably the greatest "so bad it's good" movie there is.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I've never seen it but this video about sums up my thoughts on it and the thought of watching it in a room filled with people shouting things out:

It's definitely not an experience for everyone, I can imagine how people would hate it, but man the energy in that theatre was amazing. 10 seconds in and everyone is just laughing and having a great time. Theatre staff handed everyone a bag of spoons and some tiny footballs, I even got a free movie ticket for showing up in costume lol.

I agree with him about the idea of people ruining things by making an event out of them and these types of shouty, cheery, riffing parties being miserable/eye-rolling rather than fun to me (hell, I feel that way about the idea of watching sports or concerts live, with lots of morons yelling dumb things and cheering over them as well), but I disagree with him about the first part-- The Room's a legitimately great experience that lives up to the hype even when watching it by yourself in solitude, in my opinion.

I'm generally not even a "so bad it's good" person, and I kind of have a distaste for campy things being elevated in general, but The Room feels like a perfect storm of it to me (almost like the universe having a sense of humor and making a genuinely good/impressive movie through this guy's unintentional idiocy or something).

I think I'd mostly agree with you about things being ruined, but in the case of this film, it seems that the interactive showings are what really catapulted it into its status, similar to Rocky Horror. I absolutely agree that it really is just a great experience on its own. Your 'perfect storm' comment is so true. I don't think a movie like this could ever be made intentionally. Tommy's passion and sheer belief that he was creating the next big dramatic film (he described it as having 'all the passion of a Tennessee Williams play') is what really makes it what it is.

My favorite way to watch it is by showing it to others and watching them react. It's always interesting to me to see what parts that jump out to them.

 

[Osprey]

I'm not judging, but there are lots of weirdos in this world. People like Tommy Wiseau, people with foot fetishes, people who like hairless dogs, people who wear socks with sandals and people who willingly watch The Room more than once.

 

[Blender]

I'm not judging, but there are lots of weirdos in this world. People like Tommy Wiseau, people with foot fetishes, people who like hairless dogs, people who wear socks with sandals and people who willingly watch The Room more than once.

 

[BertCorbeau]

The Room is amazing. I feel like every time I watch it I notice some other absurd thing I didn’t notice before.

The ending of The Disaster Artist when they played the scenes side by side with the original movie was the hardest I’ve ever laughed in a movie theater.

I'd recommend watching this movie before actually watching The Room to give some additional context for hilarity

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Oh, hi Mark.

 

[HanSolo]

It's unreal how a movie that's so poorly made still has this magnetic quality about it. Like there's an earnestness in its attempt to tell a good story and utterly failing in the most hilarious way imaginable.

 

[Deadpool8812]

It's so bad, it's good

"Oh hi, Mark"

 

[Blender]

It's unreal how a movie that's so poorly made still has this magnetic quality about it. Like there's an earnestness in its attempt to tell a good story and utterly failing in the most hilarious way imaginable.

 

[HanSolo]

I got the results of the test back. I definitely have breast cancer.

 

[Roo Returns]

It reminds me of one of those Cinemax (aka "Skinamax") or Showtime movies you'd see in the early to mid-90s when Shannon Tweed and Sally Kirkland ruled the Saturday Night Cable airwaves (weekends=watch your NHL team, play whatever video game you rented for Sega Genesis/SNES, and end the night with either MTV's Headbanger's Ball or Skinamex/Showtime).

I saw it live with Tommy and Greg in attendance back in 2010. It was a complete circus in a good way. Very memorable night and spoons flew everywhere.

 

[zombie kopitar]

I'd recommend watching this movie before actually watching The Room to give some additional context for hilarity

not sure about that

 

[HanSolo]

not sure about that

Yeah I'd say it's the reverse. Disaster Artist didn't make me appreciate the Room more. But because I was so familiar with The Room, it helped me appreciate The Disaster Artist more.

 

[JohnC]

Yeah I'd say it's the reverse. Disaster Artist didn't make me appreciate the Room more. But because I was so familiar with The Room, it helped me appreciate The Disaster Artist more.

Agreed - without the context The Disaster Artist would be just another comedy.

The Room enhances The Disaster Artist experience.

 

[Shareefruck]

The part that I don't hear mentioned a lot that always dumbfounds me and is stuck in my memory is that brief conversation he has with the lady in the flower shop. It's the most normal and simple scene possible but it feels so much like an alien wrote it and got the order all wrong or something.

Yeah I'd say it's the reverse. Disaster Artist didn't make me appreciate the Room more. But because I was so familiar with The Room, it helped me appreciate The Disaster Artist more.

Bingo.

 

[zombie kopitar]

I think the way I got into The Room is just always hearing about it's cult status, so I watched tons of compilation videos on youtube of the 'best scenes' quite a few times, like at least 40mins worth of the movie multiple times and I knew it's history. And then I watched Disaster Artist just cause it was on netflix, and then shortly after found a stream for the OG.

Not the perfect order but it worked. I wish I would have seen The Room without knowing anything about it first probably

The part that I don't hear mentioned a lot that always dumbfounds me and is stuck in my memory is that brief conversation he has with the lady in the flower shop. It's the most normal and simple scene possible but it feels so much like an alien wrote it and got the order all wrong or something.

well that's just patently false, for sure one of the most famous scenes of the movie, like top 5.

Hi doggie
Oh hi mark
Anyway how's your sex life
In a minute bitch
You are tearing me apart, lisa


edit-idk there so many actually, cancer scene, drug scene, lol it's just best

 

[Blender]

I think the way I got into The Room is just always hearing about it's cult status, so I watched tons of compilation videos on youtube of the 'best scenes' quite a few times, like at least 40mins worth of the movie multiple times and I knew it's history. And then I watched Disaster Artist just cause it was on netflix, and then shortly after found a stream for the OG.

Not the perfect order but it worked. I wish I would have seen The Room without knowing anything about it first probably


well that's just patently false, for sure one of the most famous scenes of the movie, like top 5.

Hi doggie
Oh hi mark
Anyway how's your sex life
In a minute bitch
You are tearing me apart, lisa


edit-idk there so many actually, cancer scene, drug scene, lol it's just best

The drug scene is a classic.

 

[HanSolo]

The part that I don't hear mentioned a lot that always dumbfounds me and is stuck in my memory is that brief conversation he has with the lady in the flower shop. It's the most normal and simple scene possible but it feels so much like an alien wrote it and got the order all wrong or something.




Bingo.

I'm pretty sure Tommy redubbed all the lines and it's one of the best scenes in the whole movie.

 

[Shareefruck]

I think the way I got into The Room is just always hearing about it's cult status, so I watched tons of compilation videos on youtube of the 'best scenes' quite a few times, like at least 40mins worth of the movie multiple times and I knew it's history. And then I watched Disaster Artist just cause it was on netflix, and then shortly after found a stream for the OG.

Not the perfect order but it worked. I wish I would have seen The Room without knowing anything about it first probably


well that's just patently false, for sure one of the most famous scenes of the movie, like top 5.

Hi doggie
Oh hi mark
Anyway how's your sex life
In a minute bitch
You are tearing me apart, lisa


edit-idk there so many actually, cancer scene, drug scene, lol it's just best

Really? I always see the other scenes referenced ahead of it (some more obviously than others, like a lot of the stuff you listed). Just peripherally though-- I don't keep up with the movie's community or whatever.

Like.. the timing of when he says "That's me", as if he's just now responding to something that happened ten seconds ago as well as how he felt the need to shoehorn her saying that he's her favorite customer gets me a lot more than the "Hi doggie" part.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I'm not judging, but there are lots of weirdos in this world. People like Tommy Wiseau, people with foot fetishes, people who like hairless dogs, people who wear socks with sandals and people who willingly watch The Room more than once.

I cannot entirely disagree with your assessment here, my friend haha.