“The Room” has seen a revival thanks to “The Disaster Artist,” in which James Franco portrayed the calamitous history of the film which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
There is a film that is so bad it becomes great: The Room, the absurd feature film that Tommy Wiseau financed out of his pocket, wrote and directed 20 years ago, is such a kitsch and unintentionally work of art funny that when it was promoted its creator even stopped selling it as a drama and called it a comedy.
The Room is a disaster that reaches the sublime, ideal to see with friends and in its original version – because it is the only film whose dubbing almost “improves” it, according to Espinof. Along with Troll 2, they are also considered the two “best worst films” in history. As with the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the atmosphere of its anniversary screenings is incredible: a kind of ceremony with a group of fans dressed in plastic spoons chanting lines of dialogue and shouting at every key moment.
THE REASONS FOR ITS SUCCESS
What differentiates The Room to other “bad” films, it’s that you never get bored for a second. We are captivated by its absurdity, its egocentric character and the man who created it. The movie of Tommy Wiseau is indeed an endless collection of awkwardness and improbable moments that feel like it was shot in the 90s and features its main character who fascinates so much he is insane. Johnny is a man betrayed by his friends and his girlfriend: a martyr in a modern drama with an emaciated appearance and a lost look that reveals a being who does not seem quite human to us.
Wiseau-Films
Shot with a digital camera and 35mm film at the same time – and therefore with lighting that differs from one device to another – it is impossible to sum up in a few words “the experience The Room”. Conflicts that creep in and disappear instantly, sudden mood swings in the characters, their unreal expressions and their fishy memories: it’s all there.
Adaptation of the author’s own play that no one wanted to finance, the feature film also got its 500-page novel version that no one wanted to edit either. But Wiseau was a man on a mission and decided to risk some $6 million out of his own pocket. Nobody knows where he gets this sum from but above all, nobody really knows who he is, where he comes from or what he really does for a living – although he claims that the money comes from his activity of importing leather jackets… Everything around the man is dubious and participates in the UFO side of the project.
However, his obsessive nature made filming impossible. He had to replace most of the team because people refused to work with him. Even one of the main characters, Peter, is played by a different actor right in the middle of the film.
A SUSTAINABLE CULT PHENOMENON
And yet, the cult of The Room is very topical with its midnight projections, its millions of memes, its parodies and its video games. During this time, Tommy Wiseau entertains the gallery with each of his tweets, probably addicted to attention after The Disaster Artist, the making-off of the film directed and played by James Franco, for which the latter also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a comedy for his portrayal of Wiseau. The film was also nominated for an Oscar for its screenplay and for a Golden Globe in the category “best comedy”.
A24 / Warner Bros. Pictures
The Room has since had the right to a remake entitled The Room Returns! (2023) with none other than Bob Odenkirk playing Wiseau and Mike Flanagan as Peter.
The world is now waiting for the next movie of Tommy WiseauBig Shark, featuring a shark attack in New Orleans, with the director successfully taking on his role as an offbeat icon.
Check out the Big Shark trailer below: