In 2003, Polish-American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor Tommy Wiseau set out to take Hollywood by storm with his debut film “The Room.” The film was epic in scope and the plot nothing short of Shakespearian.
It tells the tale of Johnny (Wiseau), a sensitive, kind-hearted banker and his “future wife” Lisa (Juliette Danielle), who looks great in a red dress. Trouble stirs when Lisa begins an affair with Johnny’s best friend, Mark (Greg Sestero). To add to the drama of this tragic love triangle, B-plots are introduced, including gun-wielding drug dealers, mothers diagnosed with cancer, and a whole lot of football. After hearing such a description, it is easy to see why critics and fans alike have coined “The Room” as the worst movie ever made. But still, almost 15 years after its release, “The Room” is selling out theaters.
On Friday, Oct. 13, the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline screened a midnight showing of “The Room.” This was my introduction to the legendary piece of cinema history. The movie has gained quite a cult following with a line of people almost stretched around the block as a testament. Some people were even turned away as the movie sold out. People behind and in front of me were already quoting and joking about “The Room.” One viewer stated in all earnestness that he genuinely loves this movie.
Inside the theatre is packed. Fellow moviegoers offer me spoons. I was utterly confused, but once I looked around and saw everyone holding fistfuls of plastic cutlery, I felt inclined to accept despite not knowing why I needed them. After a short disclaimer asking not to throw footballs at the screen, the feature started and the theatrical experience was like nothing I had ever seen before. The audience was raucous and chaotic, but the mood was pure joy.
To a virgin viewer, as I was, the experience can feel like you are around friends who have inside jokes you aren’t in on. But as the man sitting next to me advised, “you just have to go with it.”
It’s hard to describe what makes “The Room” so amusing to watch. The film itself is objectively bad, the acting is ham-fisted, multiple scenes are out of focus, subplots and entire characters just disappear halfway through the movie, and the plot itself is melodramatic to say the least. But you just can’t look away. Tom Bissell, co-author of the book “The Disaster Artist” describes it as such: “like a movie made by an alien who has never seen a movie, but has had movies thoroughly explained to him.” This just about sums up the tone of the film. The dialogue and plot are unbelievable, yet handled with such earnestness and passion.
Much of the enjoyment of watching “The Room” is separate from the movie altogether. The audience is as much a part of the experience as the film itself. Don’t expect to hear every line of dialogue—you won’t. There will be moments when audience members hurl insults and jokes at the screen in such rapid-fire succession that whatever is being said on screen is drowned out. If you choose to sit in the front, do expect to be showered with plastic spoons at random intervals throughout the film. In the theater, you are able to let loose in ways that are unacceptable at your average movie-going experience, creating a freeing atmosphere that is all too often forgotten in our daily lives.
Later this year, James Franco is set to release a film based on the making of “The Room,” titled after the book titled “The Disaster Artist.” One can only hope that the release will inspire other theaters to show the original movie with the tradition of the best worst movie continuing on.