The expression “so bad it’s good” is overused. Usually, the movie in question is just plain bad. Not this time. Filmmaker extraordinaire Tommy Wiseau’s The Room is so magnificently rotten that it’s wonderful – bust-a-gut, pee-your-pants hilarious.
In the vain, irrepressible Wiseau, the spirit of Ed Wood lives again. Wiseau writes, directs, produces, distributes, and stars in this labor of love, so there is no doubt about who deserves credit for this monument to schlock. (Wiseau’s achievement is so enviable that, according to Entertainment Weekly, a script supervisor is now battling him for a directing screen credit.)
Wood, patron saint of the bad movie, would be proud of this film, because its flaws are legion: continuity errors, drunken editing, abysmal acting, awkward love scenes, incomprehensible storytelling – it’s all here. If Wiseau falls short of Wood’s standard, it is only because, unaccountably, the cinematography isn’t awful. And the soundtrack isn’t bad. But please don’t let those virtues stop you from enjoying this film.
I suppose a plot summary is in order. Nah – there’s no point. The story has something to do with lovable, long-haired Johnny (Wiseau), whose fiancée (Juliette Danielle) is cheating on him with his best friend. I won’t say more, partly because it might spoil the story, and partly because the story makes absolutely no sense. Grade: F
Strange But True: The deleted scenes on the DVD are much better than the actual film. In fact, if you just saw the outtakes, you might be led to believe that The Room is a pretty decent film.
Director: Tommy Wiseau Cast: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero, Philip Haldiman, Carolyn Minnott, Robyn Paris, Mike Holmes, Kyle Vogt, Greg Ellery Release: 2003
Watch the Trailer (click here)
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