"The Room"

[floyd the barber]

f`*ck me..amazing...

 

watched twice, then invited a bunch of friends over.....biggest laugh in ages..

 

If you havent seen it....i plead for you to do so..

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ4KzClb1C4&feature=related

 

also great article here...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6067024.ece

 

and....here

 

http://www.lytrules.com/blog/2006/05/28/room-at-the-top/

 

 

 

"I thought I had experienced it all. But I was wrong.

 

If youve seen THE ROOM on DVD, youve been privy to the spectacle. But until youve experienced it live at the Sunset 5, you have no f***ing idea.

 

 

 

I did some Internet searches before going, hoping to find some reviews of the movie from when it first came out, to see how it was received. All I found was one paragraph by Scott Foundas in Variety, saying it was the kind of movie that made people demand their money back in less than 30 minutes. Nothing on Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB links or MRQE. I need to remedy this.

 

I also learned that writer-director-star Tommy Wiseau, in addition to purchasing that humongous billboard on Highland thats been up for 3 years now effectively making him the new Angelyne actually submitted this thing for an Academy Award, and took out a full page for your consideration ad in Variety. How can he do that? Let us merely note that he claims to have raised $6 million for his movie, and the film itself looks it was done for AT MOST $100,000. And thats assuming no-one involved in the production got a good deal on anything, though the credits note that part of the movie was shot on location at the Tommy Wiseau Stage.

 

So why all the fuss, you may ask? What IS this movie?

 

In one sentence, its the story of a guy whose fiancee is cheating on him with his best friend. But thats like saying CITIZEN KANE is about a guy who misses his sled and then dies.

 

Heres the official synopsis submitted to IMDB by the producer:

 

The Room is an electrifying American black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies. It has five major characters. Johnny, played by Tommy Wiseau is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. Johnny can also be a little too trusting at times which haunts him later on. Lisa, played by Juliette Danielle is a beautiful blonde fiance of Johnny. She has always gotten her way and will manipulate to get what she wants. She is a taker, with a double personality, and her deadly schemes lead to her own downfall. Mark, played by Greg Sestero is a young, successful and independent best friend of Johnny. He has a good heart, but gets caught up in Lisas dangerous web and gives into temptation. This eventually brings him to great loss. Claudette, played by Carolyn Minnott is the classy, sophisticated mother of Lisa who has had disappointing relationships in her life. She wants her daughter to be married as soon as possible so she can benefit. Denny, played by Philip Haldiman is an orphan boy, naive and confused about life, love, and friendship. Denny is very ambitious and also very grateful to the people that are in his life. The Room depicts the depths of friendship and relationships in ones life and raises lifes real and most asked question: Can you ever really trust anyone?…..Are you ready for this quirky new black comedy?….Are you ready to see reflection of your life?,,,,Experience this quirky new black comedy, its a riot! Director Tommy Wiseaus style is reminscent of Tennessee Williams.

Note the quotes attributed to nobody. Initially pushed as a drama, the movie has been re-pushed as a dark comedy due to its newfound cult of people who laugh at it, not with it. Dark? Dork comedy would say it better.

 

Lets start with Wiseau himself. Vaguely resembling Lurchs shorter brother, he speaks with an accent that seems to combine Arnold Schwarzenegger with Cousin Balki and Pepe Le Pew, usually concluding every sentence with a half-assed effete laugh. Im not sure if he even exists in this dimension he seems to be on another plane of existence from the other actors in his film. Check out the terrifying animated gleaming eye version of Tommy on the official site.

 

Now, bear in mind that he cast himself as a romantic lead, including some nude sex scenes (actually just one that gets re-used twice). The man is in shape, but his body has a weird texture that resembles papier-mache, and makes you suspect that maybe he got third-degree burns as a kid. During the sex scene, he appears to be humping his costars navel.

 

Another weird quirk is that Tommy, who in a humongous acting stretch plays a character named Johnny, insists on greeting every character who enters frame, every single time. So most of the dialogue is taken up with lines like Oh hiiiiMark, whas new wit you?; Oh hiiiDenny, whas new wit you? Theres even a scene with a dog where he says Oh hiiiDoggy!

 

Theres a character who casually mentions that she has breast cancer, only to never speak of it again. Theres a drug dealer referred to only as Chris R. who shows up with a gun and then disappears, with the apparent assumption that hell turn himself in. There are repeated scenes on a fake rooftop with the San Francisco skyline bluescreened in. Theres a scene where everyone is wearing tuxedoes, apparently for Johnnys wedding, except that we later learn his wedding is weeks away. Lots of football tosses from people standing three feet away from one another, which Wiseau claims is supposed to give the audience the idea that they dont have to play by the rules.

 

Theres a soundtrack mostly featuring songs with choruses that repeat the same phrase endlessly. You are myrose you are myrose youa re my RO-O-OSE/You are myrose you are myrose youa re my RO-O-OSE That is the height of creativity compared to I will I will I will I will I will I will I will I will…

 

Characters weve never heard of suddenly show up as if theyve been part of the story since the beginning, in one instance to just randomly have sex in their best friends living room. A tape recorder apparently keeps running for several days, somehow only managing to record the one incriminating conversation it needs.

 

You get the idea. Ive seen plenty of bad movies as a critic, and even several that are fun in a bad way, but none so monumentally inept and yet gut-bustingly funny at the same time. PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE gave me nowhere near as many belly laughs. Tommy Wiseau is a bit like Shatner or Schwarzenegger before they became self-aware. Wiseau does get that people think the movies funny, but Im not convinced he understands why. Or that he understands English.

 

Now, when this movie plays at the Sunset 5, Wiseau shows up. As do a vocal crowd of fans whove memorized the movie and know exactly how to point out the glaring errors of the film in the funniest possible way.

 

Wiseau begins with a Q&A. Most movies do this AFTERWARD, so that people have a chance to see the thing before asking questions, but never mind many of the audience are diehard regulars (I may join them).

 

I wasnt taking notes at the time, but roughly paraphrasing, here are some of the questions and answers:

 

Did Lisa ever get that twitching neck thing taken care of?

Ha, yes, well, maybe in the sequel well do a move about it, did you say twitching or witching? Because it could be like witchy-witch, you know? Haha.

 

Did you realize Lisa was that fat when you hired her?

No, but you shouldnt say fat because its not a good word.

Pleasantly plump?

No, thats two words. You have to substitute one word with one word.

 

Were you influenced by the existential angst of Dostoevsky? [the guy had to rephrase this question three times before Tommy got it]

No, I have no influences. I influence myself.

 

Whats your favorite movie?

I like Awesome Welles

 

Whos Awesome Welles?

 

Then, Tommy decided to show off his improvisation skills by asking the audience to pick a word, after which he would tell a story involving that word. The word was push-ups. And the story was something like: Remember the part where Im in the park running? Im running and running, and then I got down to do push-ups, and this woman was running by and she went over me because I was down on the ground, and I looked up and I saw two apples.

 

Unfortunately no recording was allowed, so thats not word-for-word. But close.

 

And then the movie got going. Moving pans across the San Fran skyline elictied the chant go! go! go! go! and the word ALCATRAZ! yelled out every time the famous island showed up. Every time there was a random cutaway to unfamiliar scenery, someone would yell something like Meanwhile, in ROME…

 

One of the set decorations is a framed photo of a spoon. Whenever it shows up onscreen, everyone yells SPOON! and throws plastic spoons in the air. People clap along to the songs. Not all of Tommys onscreen greetings to other characters are acknowledged, except for the charcter named Denny, whose every appearance is greeted by the audience with a loud HI DENNY! Think of Norm on Cheers.

 

Its truly weird that this ineot little movie has become a grassroots cult phenomenon, but there you go. Hedwig and the Angry Inch tried for similar status, but isnt there. SHOWGIRLS attempted a revival as camp. But this verges on ROCKY HORROR in its screening vibe. I dont know if it would be as amazing if Tommy didnt show, though.

 

The next screening is June 24th, same night as the Press Club awards, and its the third anniversary. If I get done in time, Im going."

Edited February 14, 2010 by Lets get Masched