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 What else is there to say, really than that droopy-eyed face up there? You all know it, you all love it, we need to just have a good time discussing the shittiest of lovely movies. And also the movie based on the book based on the making of them movie. Because that's happening. Wait, what is The Room??? Oh, my friend, you are about to enter a whole new world. A world of accents, plot threads that just hang loosely, spoons, and an unspeakable act performed upon a red dress. The Room is the story of Johnny, a "good person" who has a job at a bank, and a living room with a bedroom upstairs and his Future Wife Lisa who cheats on him with his best friend Mark while they help her mother cope with breast cancer and their young mentally handicapped friend Denny get off "drugs". Ok, those latter points are 2 of the dropped plot threads. Really, the movie is about Tommy Wiseau, possible Vampire, and his desire to be the biggest star in Hollywood. After a string of failed attempts to break through into a major motion picture, he decided "Fuhk this, I'll show them, I'll di-rect it maiself.", pulled 8 million dollars out of his rear end, suckered his best friend into being the second male lead, and put an incomprehensible mess he wrote into a movie. It's more than a movie, though, it's an experience. And then 10 years later his best friend Greg Sestero decided to write about the experience of not only making the Citizen Kane of bad movies, but the experience of meeting and becoming friends with the mysterious Tommy Wiseau.  The Disaster Artist is an absolutely amazing read. If you've seen The Room, you need to read this book. It doesn't answer any of the questions watching the movie might leave you with, such as "Why is the camera so focused on the foreign guy's rear end?" (Wiseau's answer? "I need to show my rear end, or the movie won't sell."), but it does clear up some of the insanity such as why a new character is suddenly introduced in the final 15 minutes of the film. It also makes you wish for the movie that could have been, which would've involved Johnny's Flying Vampire Car. I am dead serious.  And finally, we have the new movie, being made by Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogan, and James Franco. In fact, Franco is playing Wiseau. (I reserve judgement until I hear his accent.) No word on the release date yet, but celebrity fans of the film are 100% behind it. But how has The Room affected you?
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May 8, 2014 22:49
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 11:19 |
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As I've said in other threads, I first saw The Room in 2010 when one of my friends turned me on to it and I was immediately hooked. I watched it a few more times on my own and with different groups of friends and loved how it was consistently hilarious and never seemed to get old for me. Then a local single-screen theater started playing the movie at midnight every so often. I went the first time they screened it and I was totally unaware of all the in-jokes like the commentary yelled by audience members and the throwing of spoons every time a framed picture of a spoon is shown on screen. I enjoyed it immensely and went several more times and joined in each time. And in early 2013, I even met Tommy and Greg when they attended one of the screenings at that theater and Tommy signed my Blu-Ray. He's just as weird in person as you might think. That was right before Greg started writing The Disaster Artist, or maybe he had just started writing it, but he promised us a book about the making of the movie was coming. So when it came out, I read it and laughed my rear end off throughout the whole thing because it was completely absurd. Tommy is the weirdest human being in existence, which almost makes him seem like an extraterrestrial. So naturally all of Greg's stories about him are totally ridiculous. Greg came back to the same theater in January of this year to do a Disaster Artist event during which he signed books (I got mine signed), read excerpts from the book, showed a video of the cast members in the present day reflecting back on their experiences, and brought a copy of the original script for the movie and brought audience members on stage to read parts with him. If you can believe it, the original script is even more insane than what ended up making the final cut. I've seen The Room...probably over 20 times at this point, and I'm still not tired of it. It's honestly become one of my all-time favorite movies over the past few years because I can revisit it so many times and never get tired of it. And every time I go see it at midnight at the local theater, the crowds are always different, so just when I think I've heard everything I can hear from an audience during that movie, a new crowd will yell stuff during a screening that I've never heard before and I'll laugh and laugh. It's such a dynamic experience. I can't wait to see what happens with The Disaster Artist movie. I mean, at this point I can't really imagine a scenario where it isn't totally absurd and hilarious.
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May 9, 2014 00:05
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Rageaholic Monkey posted:I can't wait to see what happens with The Disaster Artist movie. I mean, at this point I can't really imagine a scenario where it isn't totally absurd and hilarious. There's at least one scene that won't be absurd and hilarious. The driving scene. edit: And the part where Greg's friend shows him The Talented Mr. Ripley.
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May 9, 2014 00:20
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Ensign_Ricky posted:There's at least one scene that won't be absurd and hilarious. The driving scene.
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May 9, 2014 00:24
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Rageaholic Monkey posted:Oh yeah, that's true. There are a few depressing/touching moments in that book, but most of it is just bizarre as gently caress and I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably at it. Absolutely. Ever since watching it for the first time, I've slipped Johnny quotes into everyday conversation in my best Wiseau-accent. Usually just a "Oh hai, (blank)!", but occasionally getting in a "It seems to me you're the expert!" I have yet to have occasion to drop a "YOU ARE TEARING ME APAHT!" though. As far as the book, I read it the first time, then immediately read it again. I think I've read it 5 or 6 times now, finding new gold everytime. (I can't wait to see Tommy's "STELLA!" captured on film.)
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May 9, 2014 00:28
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I've used "What are you talking about? I just saw you!" on my girlfriend a few times, both in and out of context  But she's a big Room fan too so she knew what I was saying.I've also used "They are using me and I am the fool!" a couple times in conversation before.
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May 9, 2014 00:40
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I've seen The Room 3 times and I don't think I can ever make myself sit through it again. (Maybe if I skip all the awkward sex scenes) This is the first I'm hearing of this Disaster Artist thing, though. I'm totally going to give that a read.
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May 9, 2014 02:35
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Rageaholic Monkey posted:If you can believe it, the original script is even more insane than what ended up making the final cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3yvgUeGmk The stage directions are amazing too. "Johnny puts on a heavy metal music and the mood changes to fast dancing." Apparently, Tommy used to have a website where he posted very early versions of things like the roof scene. Mark used to be played by a black guy who actually wasn't that bad of an actor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrUtRlDVWiU
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May 9, 2014 02:44
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Oh hey The Room is up on youtube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzmTaEJufQI Edit: And I was only able to get through the first 20 minutes...
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May 9, 2014 04:37
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Also worth noting is The Room used to be Adult Swim's April Fool's Day movie. I say "used to be" because I don't know if it still is, but it was a few years ago at least. They censored out all the sex scenes with a single black bar which grew bigger throughout the entire movie, so that by the end of the movie it took up 90% of the screen 
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May 9, 2014 05:05
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Outpost22 posted:Oh hey The Room is up on youtube! Skip past anything involving nude Wiseau and you'll be okay. snackcakes posted:This is the first I'm hearing of this Disaster Artist thing, though. I'm totally going to give that a read. You need to read this book. The story behind the "I did not hit her!" scene is loving amazing.
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May 9, 2014 05:43
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Honestly while I'm excited for this movie, this honestly could have been like Oscar worthy or a film of the decade. The novel and story behind the Room is just so weirdly compelling, it should honestly be a prestige picture like Wolf of Wallstreet or something.
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May 9, 2014 08:44
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Just started watching The Room, do the interminable sex scenes let up any time soon?
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May 9, 2014 09:30
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massive spider posted:Just started watching The Room, do the interminable sex scenes let up any time soon? You're adorable.
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May 9, 2014 09:41
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A friend of mine was once trying yo show a group of people how hilarious The Room but no matter how he jumped around always seemed to land on a sex scene making it look like he was showing them softcore porn.
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May 9, 2014 10:29
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I just tried to watch this and I continue to be mystified by people's love of bad movies. What's so funny about an ineptly written and directed movie with a weird alien man as the lead? Sometimes the way the Wiseau guy reads his lines is funny but everything else is excruciating. It's repetitive and annoying.
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May 9, 2014 11:20
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cat doter posted:I just tried to watch this and I continue to be mystified by people's love of bad movies. What's so funny about an ineptly written and directed movie with a weird alien man as the lead? Sometimes the way the Wiseau guy reads his lines is funny but everything else is excruciating. It's repetitive and annoying. Cool.
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May 9, 2014 11:42
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cat doter posted:I just tried to watch this and I continue to be mystified by people's love of bad movies. What's so funny about an ineptly written and directed movie with a weird alien man as the lead? Sometimes the way the Wiseau guy reads his lines is funny but everything else is excruciating. It's repetitive and annoying.
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May 9, 2014 11:53
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Scylla posted:Try and find the Rifftrax version. It makes it much more tolerable (and actually enjoyable). The poster doesn't understand the appeal of Bad Movies in general. I doubt there's anything you can do to help the poor thing.
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May 9, 2014 12:28
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Nothin wrong with peeps that enjoy that stuff, but I just can't seem to get into it, bad movies just annoy me in general. I've tried a bunch of times but I guess I'm just not one of those dudes. Honestly if anything I feel a little left out, bad movie nights sound like fun.
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May 9, 2014 12:41
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Watching bad movies alone and sober is kind of the worst way to experience them.
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May 9, 2014 14:05
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I've never fully watched the Room, but everything around it (except for maybe its cult-y fans) fascinates me. Can someone tell me if the title of the movie actually refers to anything? Please say no, it's a mystery only Wiseau might understand.
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May 9, 2014 17:45
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davidspackage posted:I've never fully watched the Room, but everything around it (except for maybe its cult-y fans) fascinates me. Can someone tell me if the title of the movie actually refers to anything? Please say no, it's a mystery only Wiseau might understand. Also, here's a pro-click: Tommy explains the spoons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ6mdxbCHI0
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May 9, 2014 18:12
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I think that the movie was originally supposed to be set entirely in one room, and Wiseau didn't bother to change the title when he abandoned that concept. Did anyone get the idea from The Disaster Artist that Sestero knew a lot more about that Drew Caffrey guy that Wiseau credited as a producer than he let on? He knew that he died in 1999, but doesn't say much of anything else about him. People were speculating in the Book Barn thread that he may have been in a gay relationship with Wiseau and left him a lot of money, but who really knows. Also, Wiseau made a documentary short about homelessness that wasn't mentioned at all in the book. This stuck out to me because I read about it in a Harper's article that was written by the book's co-author. I wonder if Sestero just didn't want to talk about it for some reason, or maybe he didn't know about it until after The Room's premiere (I wish the book hadn't ended there)
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May 9, 2014 19:26
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The Monkey Man posted:I think that the movie was originally supposed to be set entirely in one room, and Wiseau didn't bother to change the title when he abandoned that concept. Considering the book is primarily about The Room, the documentary isn't as important to the story (and also, I don't think he made it until afterwards, but I could be wrong). Rageaholic Monkey posted:I can't find a decent quality video of it right now, but at the Q&A at the event where I met him and in other interviews he's given, he's answered that question the same way, which is something like "The Room is not a room, but THE room. It's a special place you have in your heart." Yeah, on How Did This Get Made, they play a clip where Tommy is explaining just that, that "The Room" is a safe place where you can have a good time or a bad time. After which Sestero points out that there's nothing safer than dying on your bedroom floor. FreudianSlippers posted:A friend of mine was once trying yo show a group of people how hilarious The Room but no matter how he jumped around always seemed to land on a sex scene making it look like he was showing them softcore porn. That does make it tricky. As I recall, there are 3 of them in the first 30 minutes, then another one between Mark and Lisa, then Johnny and the red dress during the finale.
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May 9, 2014 22:11
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cat doter posted:Nothin wrong with peeps that enjoy that stuff, but I just can't seem to get into it, bad movies just annoy me in general. I've tried a bunch of times but I guess I'm just not one of those dudes. Honestly if anything I feel a little left out, bad movie nights sound like fun. All "bad movies" are not the same, nor should they be judged on the same level. There are only a few truly "great" bad movies. The Room, Space Mutiny, and Time Chasers are examples. What makes those films great are that (a) they are not comedies and all the laughs are unintentional, (b) they are inept on so many levels that re-watches only show even more levels of ridiculousness that you may not have noticed the first time (ie: people coming back to life due to editing errors, pictures of spoons in the background), and (c) they are paced well and the absurdness of the film only builds on itself as it goes on to end up becoming a surreal experience. Because of that combination, those movies can be watched sober, alone, with no commentary, and still be amazing experiences. What makes them so great is, understanding film making as a whole and seeing everything done wrong, but yet, the finished product somehow still being released is amazing and fascinating in itself. You have a "second tier" that's more fun in a group or with commentary, but is not so funny alone, like Troll 2, Plan 9, or Manos: Hands of Fate, where the movie has really long, boring parts that don't pace things out as well, are purposely stupid and thus not funny, or are so ineptly done that there isn't even a narrative to follow at times. Then you have movies that are just loving annoying, like Leonard Part 6 or the unfunny parody "Movie" movies. The more you learn about film, the more fascinating the first grouping is, because you see so much going on in there on so many levels. The Room is actually one of my favorite films of all time for this reason, nothing has quite hi every level of "wrong" perfectly as it has, making it one of the most fascinating films of all time. The Disaster Artist was also a fantastic read. massive spider posted:Just started watching The Room, do the interminable sex scenes let up any time soon? They're all front loaded. The structure is so ridiculously badly done that you have 4 or so sex scenes right after each other before even being introduced to the characters, then after you know the characters, they basically stop. Darko fucked around with this message at 22:50 on May 9, 2014 |
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May 9, 2014 22:48
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Darko posted:They're all front loaded. The structure is so ridiculously badly done that you have 4 or so sex scenes right after each other before even being introduced to the characters, then after you know the characters, they basically stop. Yep. 3 to start, then one, and then one more right at the end. The Red Dress scene counts, dammit. 
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May 9, 2014 22:52
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Ensign_Ricky posted:Yep. 3 to start, then one, and then one more right at the end.
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May 9, 2014 23:08
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Darko posted:
The 3 tier 2s you listed are definitely tier 1s. Manos and Plan 9 are both "visionary" fascinating works, and Troll 2 has it's own thing going on that's hard to pin down.In my ranking, Tier 2 would be mostly sleazy/exploitation stuff. Terror at Tenkiller, To the Devil a Daughter, Pieces etc. I guess you could also throw most 50s monster/ufo movies in there. Stuff that's bad, but not really transcendent. Tier 3 is just poo poo movies like you mentioned. I want Tommy to remake Manos and cast himself as Torgo.
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May 10, 2014 00:04
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Troll 2 fascinates me because a lot of the humor is clearly intentional, but it still hits. People laugh at how bad it is, when in actuality they're laughing at some really fun and goofy jokes that just happened to have strange delivery.
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May 10, 2014 01:19
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Robotnik Nudes posted:I want Tommy to remake Manos and cast himself as Torgo. The Mahster, he doesn't like those devices. Hai, doggy.
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May 10, 2014 01:29
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TrixRabbi posted:Troll 2 fascinates me because a lot of the humor is clearly intentional, but it still hits. People laugh at how bad it is, when in actuality they're laughing at some really fun and goofy jokes that just happened to have strange delivery. Yeah, that bit where the dad tightens his belt kind of impressed me, because holy crap, they're doing an actually cute comedy bit there, but the delivery is just so weird that it goes off the rails.
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May 10, 2014 01:37
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Crappy Jack posted:Yeah, that bit where the dad tightens his belt kind of impressed me, because holy crap, they're doing an actually cute comedy bit there, but the delivery is just so weird that it goes off the rails. So much of that movie is deliberately funny. The popcorn witch, the pissing on the food, "My dad will eat your little nuts up!" It's just that the inept acting and terrible goblin costumes cause it to, as one of you guys said, become transcendent.
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May 10, 2014 01:48
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The thing that separates movies like Troll 2 from The Room is simply some of the decisions Wiseau made. Like filming the rooftop scenes on a greenscreen. Outside. In a parking lot. Despite the fact that Tommy owned a building in San Francisco that could've easily been used for those scenes. In fact, that rooftop is where all the greenscreen footage came from, as well as the shots during the opening credits of Alcatraz and the SF skyline. But no, they had to do it like that because Tommy genuinely believed that "It is how big studios do it. We do no different, no Mickey Mouse stuff." I mean, I'll go on record and say that with the exception of Tommy, everyone in The Room turns in a competent performance with the script they had. Except not-Peter, he was just terrible.
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May 10, 2014 01:58
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Yeah, the thing about The Room/Space Mutiny/etc. is that they actually hurt my head to think about. I can't empathize how certain choices were made, no matter how hard I try. Me legitimately being stumped is what makes them so fascinating to me.
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May 10, 2014 02:45
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Ensign_Ricky posted:I mean, I'll go on record and say that with the exception of Tommy, everyone in The Room turns in a competent performance with the script they had. Except not-Peter, he was just terrible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H77AOypE21Y
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May 10, 2014 02:55
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Darko posted:Yeah, the thing about The Room/Space Mutiny/etc. is that they actually hurt my head to think about. I can't empathize how certain choices were made, no matter how hard I try. Me legitimately being stumped is what makes them so fascinating to me. The thing about Space Mutiny compared to The Room, is that Space Mutiny...I don't want to say it's trying harder to be good, but it seems to have more of an idea about what a movie is supposed to be, if that makes any sense at all. I mean, when you cast Reb Brown, you're kind of asking for a total schlock-fest as the guy has exactly 2 settings: scream and shoot. But aside from the rusting basement of the ship, you could almost, almost buy that it was a large spaceship. Almost. There's incompetence to be sure, but there seems to be a different level of it behind the two movies. Or hell, even between Manos and The Room. Tommy is off on his own little mental planet where he is convinced that this is how everyone makes movies, despite it not being even close to how.
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May 10, 2014 04:16
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While I don't think The Room is ever boring, I can completely understand how first time watchers would get frustrated by the first twenty minutes being 8 minutes of terrible sex scenes. It's a movie that requires more than one person. However, the first time I saw it I watched it alone. I was so aghast that I immediately called friends to come over and watch it with me.
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May 10, 2014 06:16
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weekly font posted:While I don't think The Room is ever boring, I can completely understand how first time watchers would get frustrated by the first twenty minutes being 8 minutes of terrible sex scenes. It's a movie that requires more than one person. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwrRkOSIoLs At almost every midnight screening I've been to, the crowds have sung along to all of these and swayed their cell phones in the air instead of lighters. It's been magical. e: Also, Seth Rogen talks about The Room on Opie & Anthony radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYI60SxpYMY Rageaholic fucked around with this message at 08:00 on May 10, 2014 |
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May 10, 2014 06:41
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The Room is magical because it's badly made in such a consistent way that you do, on some level, buy that it's supposed to be intentional. Most bad movies are boring, The Room is ineptly constructed completely consistently, even as it makes no actual sense. It's telling that the send ups various comedians did (like Patton Oswalt) can't nail Wiseau's style because it's not conceived by someone who makes any sense.
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May 10, 2014 08:29
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