Tommy Wiseau...who is this guy? The IMDb biography is pretty scant and his vaguely Eastern European accent is not at all explained. What also isn't explained is how he was able to somehow get $6,000,000 to make this film--as well as HOW it could cost that much to make this movie. After all, none of the actors are professionals (and it shows), the sets look like they are the homes of Wiseau or his friends and Wiseau himself wrote/directed/starred in the film. So where did all the money go?! Perhaps some could have been spent on TVs (see the end to know what I mean). I think most young filmmakers could do just as well with $47 and a HandyCam and chimp actors!
"The Room" seems to have nothing to do with a room. Instead, it's like a soft-core porno film where the camera gets blocked anytime you are about to see most of the nudity. I counted something like 6 sex cenes--3 of which were in the first 25 minutes!! So is the film therefore sexy--God no!! I will be nice and not make any more comments about this--you just have to see the writhing bodies to know what I mean. After all, I'm a middle-aged chubby guy and so I don't have much room to talk. But wait, I am NOT starring in a film...so yes, I can say that they were kind of scary looking--particularly Wiseau. So, if there was an award for least sexy film, this one might win....unless Ernest Borgnine made a porno.
So why has this film become a cult favorite? It's the dialog....and the acting to a lesser extent. It's as if much of the dialog were written by someone with only a limited knowledge of the English language. So often the same catch phrases are repeated again and again. And often what characters say seems very, very random. And, to make it worse, the post-production dubbing is hilariously out of sync at times. Honestly, the dialog in "Plan 9" is no worse--especially since Wood was not trying to make a serious film--whereas "The Room" is deadly serious.
Is it ONLY the dialog and acting? Well, no. The writing is god-awful--inconsistent, with missing plot lines AND the inexplicable need for all the men to suddenly break into a game of tossing the football--even though they are only 3-5 feet apart and even when they are in tuxedos! I can clearly understand why at L.A. showings of the film, crowd members reportedly bring footballs and toss them about during the film! And, the musical dubbing is occasionally terrible. And, the plot is dull. And, there's the problem with Wiseau's character being the greatest yutz in film history--knowing that his girlfriend is cheating on him near the beginning of the film yet continuing to stay with her AND doing the funniest temper-tantrum scene in film history late in the movie (he should have yelled "Hulk SMASH!!!").
By the way, the film says the couple in the film have been together five years and then later in the film it says seven. Either way, considering the age of Wiseau's co-star, she would have been between 11 and 13 when they first became a couple.
Also, on the DVD there is an interview with Wiseau. You must see this--the dubbing was hilarious even for this 'making of' mini-films! Plus it tries to explain the repeated use of footballs in his film! And, he wears a nice suit.
In conclusion, I must quote the film. "Why, Johnny,...why?!?..."
"The Room" seems to have nothing to do with a room. Instead, it's like a soft-core porno film where the camera gets blocked anytime you are about to see most of the nudity. I counted something like 6 sex cenes--3 of which were in the first 25 minutes!! So is the film therefore sexy--God no!! I will be nice and not make any more comments about this--you just have to see the writhing bodies to know what I mean. After all, I'm a middle-aged chubby guy and so I don't have much room to talk. But wait, I am NOT starring in a film...so yes, I can say that they were kind of scary looking--particularly Wiseau. So, if there was an award for least sexy film, this one might win....unless Ernest Borgnine made a porno.
So why has this film become a cult favorite? It's the dialog....and the acting to a lesser extent. It's as if much of the dialog were written by someone with only a limited knowledge of the English language. So often the same catch phrases are repeated again and again. And often what characters say seems very, very random. And, to make it worse, the post-production dubbing is hilariously out of sync at times. Honestly, the dialog in "Plan 9" is no worse--especially since Wood was not trying to make a serious film--whereas "The Room" is deadly serious.
Is it ONLY the dialog and acting? Well, no. The writing is god-awful--inconsistent, with missing plot lines AND the inexplicable need for all the men to suddenly break into a game of tossing the football--even though they are only 3-5 feet apart and even when they are in tuxedos! I can clearly understand why at L.A. showings of the film, crowd members reportedly bring footballs and toss them about during the film! And, the musical dubbing is occasionally terrible. And, the plot is dull. And, there's the problem with Wiseau's character being the greatest yutz in film history--knowing that his girlfriend is cheating on him near the beginning of the film yet continuing to stay with her AND doing the funniest temper-tantrum scene in film history late in the movie (he should have yelled "Hulk SMASH!!!").
By the way, the film says the couple in the film have been together five years and then later in the film it says seven. Either way, considering the age of Wiseau's co-star, she would have been between 11 and 13 when they first became a couple.
Also, on the DVD there is an interview with Wiseau. You must see this--the dubbing was hilarious even for this 'making of' mini-films! Plus it tries to explain the repeated use of footballs in his film! And, he wears a nice suit.
In conclusion, I must quote the film. "Why, Johnny,...why?!?..."