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The Room: The Definitive Guide
Oh Hai! The The Definitive Guide is the ultimate key to the biggest pop culture phenomenon of the 21st century, Tommy Wiseau's The Room . Arguably the worst film of all time and certainly one of the most beguiling, the masterpiece of so-bad-it's-good filmmaking has grown since its release in 2003 to become one of the most popular theatrical releases of all time, with an extremely loyal and vocal fan base.
Within the book, readers will find everything required to step into The Room for the first time and understand the traditions, characters, and (lack of) logic at play within the ultimate cult film. Favorite customers of the film will also find a dozen red roses as the book takes a look back at the history of the phenomenon, features extensive and in-depth analysis of the film, includes extensive interviews with the cast and crew, and, of course, studies the film's enigmatic and visionary auteur, Tommy Wiseau.
This is the first available book guide to The Room . And an added bonus is the graphic design from cult film artist Mute, which will give the book an eye-catching and distinctive look.
So get your tuxedo on, grab your football, have your spoons at the ready, and prepare to shout, “You're tearing me apart, Lisa!” for the first or thousandth time, as we enter The Room .
Within the book, readers will find everything required to step into The Room for the first time and understand the traditions, characters, and (lack of) logic at play within the ultimate cult film. Favorite customers of the film will also find a dozen red roses as the book takes a look back at the history of the phenomenon, features extensive and in-depth analysis of the film, includes extensive interviews with the cast and crew, and, of course, studies the film's enigmatic and visionary auteur, Tommy Wiseau.
This is the first available book guide to The Room . And an added bonus is the graphic design from cult film artist Mute, which will give the book an eye-catching and distinctive look.
So get your tuxedo on, grab your football, have your spoons at the ready, and prepare to shout, “You're tearing me apart, Lisa!” for the first or thousandth time, as we enter The Room .
- GenresNonfiction
214 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2014
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 6, 2016
The Room is a supremely dreadful film made in 2003 by a guy called Tommy Wiseau. One noted critic summed up the movie in fairly strong terms :
There is no relief to be had from this relentless tsunami of crapness on every possible filmic level from minute one to minute last. *
*
The Room is not to be confused with
The Room, a dreadful dreadful novel by Hubert Selby Jr which is about a homicidal mad guy locked up in a room
Room - last year’s Oscar winner, which I thought I would hate but I liked it (however how come the kid didn’t get a nomination? He was brilliant)
And
Room , an obscure 2005 movie about a woman who has seizures during which she sees a room
*
This excellent guide to what they call The Roomiverse covers all the angles. A large chunk of it is a scene by scene demolition of the movie, pointing out all the major continuity errors, plot irrelevancies, appalling acting, weird off-centre logic, general inanity and colossal lack of eptness – all of which are to be attributed to Tommy Wiseau, who produced, directed and starred in this $6 million vanity project. Plus the fact that almost everybody who worked on The Room had never acted or been involved with movies before. And Tommy has a weird, unplaceable accent.
There’s already a very nice book about The Room by Greg Sestero called The Disaster Artist – Greg is the other male lead in the movie. So you may think that when you’ve seen the movie & gone to a few public screenings where the audience participates a lot, and read these two books, that would be it.
But no. The Room is the gift which keeps on giving. I read here that none other than James Franco is making a proper movie of The Disaster Artist to be released in 2016 under the title The Masterpiece . There’s also a musical (The Roomsical) and a computer game, blah blah.
TWO QUOTES
Juliette Danielle, who plays the saucy minx Lisa, Tommy’s two timing girlfriend :
For me to be able to watch the film through again, in a packed theatre, and not be negatively affected, would require me to be heavily sedated… No one that I know of has experienced the same degree of humiliation I did on that fateful premiere night of The Room.
Payman Benz, who directed Tommy in one of his few later projects
Here’s an example of what happened several times:
Me : All right, Tommy, you ready?
Tommy : Yeah, of course I’m ready, what do you think? Ha ha.
Me : Great… and action.
Tommy : Line!
Me : The line is, “Alien, why are you doing this to me?”
Tommy : OK! OK! I got it now, OK?
Me : And…action.
Tommy : Line!
Me : “Alien, why are you doing this to me?” Action.
Tommy : Why are you alien…. Line!
Me : Alien, why are you doing this to me?
Tommy : OK! I got it. OK Mr Director. Geez.
Me : Okay, great. We’re still rolling…and action.
Tommy: ……….. Line!
*From a review of The Disaster Artist by P Bryant
There is no relief to be had from this relentless tsunami of crapness on every possible filmic level from minute one to minute last. *
*
The Room is not to be confused with
The Room, a dreadful dreadful novel by Hubert Selby Jr which is about a homicidal mad guy locked up in a room
Room - last year’s Oscar winner, which I thought I would hate but I liked it (however how come the kid didn’t get a nomination? He was brilliant)
And
Room , an obscure 2005 movie about a woman who has seizures during which she sees a room
*
This excellent guide to what they call The Roomiverse covers all the angles. A large chunk of it is a scene by scene demolition of the movie, pointing out all the major continuity errors, plot irrelevancies, appalling acting, weird off-centre logic, general inanity and colossal lack of eptness – all of which are to be attributed to Tommy Wiseau, who produced, directed and starred in this $6 million vanity project. Plus the fact that almost everybody who worked on The Room had never acted or been involved with movies before. And Tommy has a weird, unplaceable accent.
There’s already a very nice book about The Room by Greg Sestero called The Disaster Artist – Greg is the other male lead in the movie. So you may think that when you’ve seen the movie & gone to a few public screenings where the audience participates a lot, and read these two books, that would be it.
But no. The Room is the gift which keeps on giving. I read here that none other than James Franco is making a proper movie of The Disaster Artist to be released in 2016 under the title The Masterpiece . There’s also a musical (The Roomsical) and a computer game, blah blah.
TWO QUOTES
Juliette Danielle, who plays the saucy minx Lisa, Tommy’s two timing girlfriend :
For me to be able to watch the film through again, in a packed theatre, and not be negatively affected, would require me to be heavily sedated… No one that I know of has experienced the same degree of humiliation I did on that fateful premiere night of The Room.
Payman Benz, who directed Tommy in one of his few later projects
Here’s an example of what happened several times:
Me : All right, Tommy, you ready?
Tommy : Yeah, of course I’m ready, what do you think? Ha ha.
Me : Great… and action.
Tommy : Line!
Me : The line is, “Alien, why are you doing this to me?”
Tommy : OK! OK! I got it now, OK?
Me : And…action.
Tommy : Line!
Me : “Alien, why are you doing this to me?” Action.
Tommy : Why are you alien…. Line!
Me : Alien, why are you doing this to me?
Tommy : OK! I got it. OK Mr Director. Geez.
Me : Okay, great. We’re still rolling…and action.
Tommy: ……….. Line!
*From a review of The Disaster Artist by P Bryant
December 14, 2014
Oh, hai!
In 2003, an independent feature-length film was released under an unassuming title - The Room. A bewildering script, shoddy camerawork, poor acting, and genuine...terribleness...should have quickly buried the movie with many other bad films. However, The Room continues to sell out at screenings 11 years later - why? Is it the weird but kind-hearted writer/director/producer/star Tommy Wiseau, the cult following the film has attracted, the fact that literally everything is so wrong about this movie that it ends up feeling so right? My guess is that it all plays a part in the epic atmosphere around The Room, and this is what Ryan Finnigan tries to dissect as well in his book The Room: The Definitive Guide.
I was aware of and had seen the film and some of the related material prior to reading this book. However, when I watched The Room for the first time, I didn't get much out of it. Yes, it was bad, but my eyes had not yet been opened to the complexity of the film. I now have a slight affinity for bad films, such as Birdemic: Shock and Terror and my personal favorite movie, Troll 2. Despite my love for Troll 2, I must admit that it is missing one thing that makes The Room such an enjoyable experience - a community. In fact, many other cult favorites and genuinely good films don't have the sort of following that Wiseau does. Nor do their creators have such an involvement with fans or such a compelling personality. I revisited The Room recently when I referenced it to a friend, and again when I noticed this book, and this is where my affection toward it grew more tangible.
The book is broken down into three parts:
1. Preparing for, viewing, and recommending The Room
2. "10x10," a serialized analysis of the entire movie start to finish
3. Details on Wiseau's other projects and the plethora fanmade miscellany
The first section is all about introducing the reader to The Room, whether you are already a committed fan or have never heard of the phenomenon until you happened upon the book. Ryan Finnigan gives a brief history of how The Room rose to infamy and began to spread all over the world. He also tackles the various ways to watch and share the film for the best viewing experience. The viewing is where the inside-jokes of the film come into play. If you're like me, then this section is the perfect springboard for a viewing or re-viewing (preferably with friends and alcohol, this time!).
The second section contains an analysis of the movie from start to finish, spliced with interviews from the cast that provide insight into the production of The Room and what it was like working with T-Wis. It delves deeper into the "inside jokes," continuity errors, and other problems that make the movie so bad. This was the most valuable section for me, because it laid bare in a hilarious and comprehensive format everything that I was missing when I first saw the film, nuances that are literally in the background of a scene or require some sort of education in film studies to pick up on.
My favorite section of this book was the third part, "Life Outside the Room," which discusses Wiseau's other projects as well as the products of the Roomate fandom culture. Naturally, I was fascinated with the mystery surrounding Wiseau and wanted to learn more about him and to see more of him. I was excited to find that there is plenty of Wiseau to keep the Internet going until his next big break. Like I said earlier, The Room has a following that is unprecedented. There's a deeper fanbase than even I knew - past the hilarious YouTube clips, colorful commentary and reviews, and even movies and books based on Wiseau. I was really excited to learn about the material I was previously unaware of because now I have plenty of material with which to host my own viewing party.
Scattered across the chapters are interviews with virtually everyone whose life Wiseau has touched - from fans (affectionately referred to as Roomates), to the cast of the film, to people who have worked with Wiseau on other projects, as well as snippets from previous interviews with Wiseau himself. I would definitely have liked to have seen an interview with Wiseau solely for/about this book, however I do wonder what Wiseau's opinion of this book, and the author Ryan Finnigan, is. If his past reactions are any indication, he will probably "support him 50%."
The Room: The Definitive Guide is an engaging, speedy read. Even though it's nonfiction, the subject matter makes this whole "reality" thing seem a little illogical. The book is so in-depth and interesting that it would make a great required reading for a film course - that said, I would love to take a film course about bad movies. If you are interested in one of the worst films of all time (feel free to step in with a different recommendation, Kanye) and want to know every little detail about how it was made, what makes itterrible wonderful, and what to do to keep the magic alive, I highly recommend this book. If not, then leave your stupid comments in your pocket.
P.S. - I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley to review. YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, FTC GUIDELINES!!!
In 2003, an independent feature-length film was released under an unassuming title - The Room. A bewildering script, shoddy camerawork, poor acting, and genuine...terribleness...should have quickly buried the movie with many other bad films. However, The Room continues to sell out at screenings 11 years later - why? Is it the weird but kind-hearted writer/director/producer/star Tommy Wiseau, the cult following the film has attracted, the fact that literally everything is so wrong about this movie that it ends up feeling so right? My guess is that it all plays a part in the epic atmosphere around The Room, and this is what Ryan Finnigan tries to dissect as well in his book The Room: The Definitive Guide.
I was aware of and had seen the film and some of the related material prior to reading this book. However, when I watched The Room for the first time, I didn't get much out of it. Yes, it was bad, but my eyes had not yet been opened to the complexity of the film. I now have a slight affinity for bad films, such as Birdemic: Shock and Terror and my personal favorite movie, Troll 2. Despite my love for Troll 2, I must admit that it is missing one thing that makes The Room such an enjoyable experience - a community. In fact, many other cult favorites and genuinely good films don't have the sort of following that Wiseau does. Nor do their creators have such an involvement with fans or such a compelling personality. I revisited The Room recently when I referenced it to a friend, and again when I noticed this book, and this is where my affection toward it grew more tangible.
The book is broken down into three parts:
1. Preparing for, viewing, and recommending The Room
2. "10x10," a serialized analysis of the entire movie start to finish
3. Details on Wiseau's other projects and the plethora fanmade miscellany
The first section is all about introducing the reader to The Room, whether you are already a committed fan or have never heard of the phenomenon until you happened upon the book. Ryan Finnigan gives a brief history of how The Room rose to infamy and began to spread all over the world. He also tackles the various ways to watch and share the film for the best viewing experience. The viewing is where the inside-jokes of the film come into play. If you're like me, then this section is the perfect springboard for a viewing or re-viewing (preferably with friends and alcohol, this time!).
The second section contains an analysis of the movie from start to finish, spliced with interviews from the cast that provide insight into the production of The Room and what it was like working with T-Wis. It delves deeper into the "inside jokes," continuity errors, and other problems that make the movie so bad. This was the most valuable section for me, because it laid bare in a hilarious and comprehensive format everything that I was missing when I first saw the film, nuances that are literally in the background of a scene or require some sort of education in film studies to pick up on.
My favorite section of this book was the third part, "Life Outside the Room," which discusses Wiseau's other projects as well as the products of the Roomate fandom culture. Naturally, I was fascinated with the mystery surrounding Wiseau and wanted to learn more about him and to see more of him. I was excited to find that there is plenty of Wiseau to keep the Internet going until his next big break. Like I said earlier, The Room has a following that is unprecedented. There's a deeper fanbase than even I knew - past the hilarious YouTube clips, colorful commentary and reviews, and even movies and books based on Wiseau. I was really excited to learn about the material I was previously unaware of because now I have plenty of material with which to host my own viewing party.
Scattered across the chapters are interviews with virtually everyone whose life Wiseau has touched - from fans (affectionately referred to as Roomates), to the cast of the film, to people who have worked with Wiseau on other projects, as well as snippets from previous interviews with Wiseau himself. I would definitely have liked to have seen an interview with Wiseau solely for/about this book, however I do wonder what Wiseau's opinion of this book, and the author Ryan Finnigan, is. If his past reactions are any indication, he will probably "support him 50%."
The Room: The Definitive Guide is an engaging, speedy read. Even though it's nonfiction, the subject matter makes this whole "reality" thing seem a little illogical. The book is so in-depth and interesting that it would make a great required reading for a film course - that said, I would love to take a film course about bad movies. If you are interested in one of the worst films of all time (feel free to step in with a different recommendation, Kanye) and want to know every little detail about how it was made, what makes it
P.S. - I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley to review. YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, FTC GUIDELINES!!!
December 1, 2014
Not as good as The Room Soundboard
July 5, 2016
UPDATE: After posting this review the author has commented on it with some important clarifications. I have updated my review but have not deleted any of the original content since 1) it reflects my honest impression of the book and 2) it would make the author's comment make less sense. The additions in places where I was wrong or misinformed are in [brackets]. I STRONGLY urge you to read his comment below for further enlightenment!
Original review:
Although I had some fun reading the book, I would hesitate recommending it because I'm not convinced of its honesty. First of all, the writer has a limited contribution to it [actually, the author's contribution is 100% bookwide. Although there is material penned by others, the book required research, interviews and editing of said material, all done by the author]. Much of the book is interviews or small pieces written by cast members or room-adjacent individuals. A substantial part of it is a scene-by-scene description of the film (not written by the author), which can be funny at times, unnecessarily mean at other times and page filler most of the time. You can find everything in this book on the Internet, just like the author did [this is untrue and I do apologise! Indeed a lot of the SOURCE material can be found online but that does not deprive the book of its value. There is also a good amount of entirely original interviews and pieces in it—my favourite being the one of the composer]. The one positive thing about it is the design. Unfortunately I could not shake the feeling of it being a cash-grab, especially given the high price tag for such a brief read [the author has clarified that he didn't run off to Hawaii with my money, and I'll gladly take his word for it, but that doesn't mean some executive hasn't...]. If you're a die hard fan this might have some value, otherwise, skip it.
If you are truly interested in Room lore, do yourself a favor and read The Disaster Artist, a truly honest and deeply touching read.
Original review:
Although I had some fun reading the book, I would hesitate recommending it because I'm not convinced of its honesty. First of all, the writer has a limited contribution to it [actually, the author's contribution is 100% bookwide. Although there is material penned by others, the book required research, interviews and editing of said material, all done by the author]. Much of the book is interviews or small pieces written by cast members or room-adjacent individuals. A substantial part of it is a scene-by-scene description of the film (not written by the author), which can be funny at times, unnecessarily mean at other times and page filler most of the time. You can find everything in this book on the Internet, just like the author did [this is untrue and I do apologise! Indeed a lot of the SOURCE material can be found online but that does not deprive the book of its value. There is also a good amount of entirely original interviews and pieces in it—my favourite being the one of the composer]. The one positive thing about it is the design. Unfortunately I could not shake the feeling of it being a cash-grab, especially given the high price tag for such a brief read [the author has clarified that he didn't run off to Hawaii with my money, and I'll gladly take his word for it, but that doesn't mean some executive hasn't...]. If you're a die hard fan this might have some value, otherwise, skip it.
If you are truly interested in Room lore, do yourself a favor and read The Disaster Artist, a truly honest and deeply touching read.
January 26, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://ulrphantomhive.booklikes.com
Perhaps you've heard about what is arguably the worst film out there. Maybe you've never seen The Room. This book still promises to bring you all you need to know (and a lot more) about it.
I saw The Room a few months ago with a friend, and there's no denying it's a very bad movie. Some claim it's 'so bad it's good', but I was mostly bored and hoped it would end soon. But when I heard about the whole cult following this movie has and I then saw this book on Netgalley, I was interested in finding out more.
The book certainly gives you a lot of information as well as interviews with cast members and some guides as to how to throw your spoons in the appropriate manner. They don't the big screenings where I live, but they sound like a lot of fun. I particularly liked the part where the movie is dissected in ten parts. With a lot of cynicism and humour they talk you through the movie. You don't need to have seen the movie multiple times to know exactly what they're talking about or find it funny. Unfortunately there are some scenes I'll probably never forget. The last part of the book was dedicated to other work of Tommy Wiseau, the more than a bit weird directer/producer/MC of the movie, it was also the part I liked less. I'm not really planning on watching more of his films actually. I think I've seen enough of it.
If you don't want to waste a complete hour and a half watching the movie and don't feel like reading an entire book about it, why not just watch the CinemaSins?
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchang for an honest review!
Perhaps you've heard about what is arguably the worst film out there. Maybe you've never seen The Room. This book still promises to bring you all you need to know (and a lot more) about it.
I saw The Room a few months ago with a friend, and there's no denying it's a very bad movie. Some claim it's 'so bad it's good', but I was mostly bored and hoped it would end soon. But when I heard about the whole cult following this movie has and I then saw this book on Netgalley, I was interested in finding out more.
The book certainly gives you a lot of information as well as interviews with cast members and some guides as to how to throw your spoons in the appropriate manner. They don't the big screenings where I live, but they sound like a lot of fun. I particularly liked the part where the movie is dissected in ten parts. With a lot of cynicism and humour they talk you through the movie. You don't need to have seen the movie multiple times to know exactly what they're talking about or find it funny. Unfortunately there are some scenes I'll probably never forget. The last part of the book was dedicated to other work of Tommy Wiseau, the more than a bit weird directer/producer/MC of the movie, it was also the part I liked less. I'm not really planning on watching more of his films actually. I think I've seen enough of it.
If you don't want to waste a complete hour and a half watching the movie and don't feel like reading an entire book about it, why not just watch the CinemaSins?
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchang for an honest review!
February 17, 2016
5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars
November 16, 2021
This book really covers everything The Room related from top to bottom. It definitely does a great job of pointing out the absurdity of the film without poking fun. My only criticism is that I want more biography on Tommy.
November 14, 2022
Title: The Room: The Definitive Guide
Author: Ryan Finnigan
Year: 2014
Genre: Nonfiction - Film studies
Page count: 214 pages
Date(s) read: 11/11/22-11/13/22
Reading journal entry #301 in 2022
Author: Ryan Finnigan
Year: 2014
Genre: Nonfiction - Film studies
Page count: 214 pages
Date(s) read: 11/11/22-11/13/22
Reading journal entry #301 in 2022
January 17, 2023
Decent in depth synopsis of the film for fans, but sometimes spends too much time analyzing scene by scene. Would have been more enjoyable with input from Tommy or Greg, even if just interviews.
January 21, 2015
After the second of what I can only hope will be an annual family viewing tradition of Tommy Wiseau's cinematic masterpiece, we all -- well, mostly my dad and I -- went a little Room-crazy. Not content to allow the magic of each ineptly-conceived and disastrously-executed scene wash over us in silent awe and contemplation, we began to seek out answers: who, what where, when, and for-the-love-of-gawd WHY? Seriously, you can watch this entire film once or a hundred times and not find sufficient answers to these burning questions. Some intrepid souls have tried though, the most well-known of whom being Greg Sestero, witness to the unfolding epic from day one, and author of The Disaster Artist. Now, British author Ryan Finnigan adds his own voice to the pilgrimage of exposition in his compendium, The Room: The Definitive Guide.
The book starts with a helpful guide for exposing your friends and loved ones to The Room>. This can be a touchy point, because done incorrectly, you may end up with fewer friends and loved ones than you had before. But, done right, exposure to The Room can only heighten intimacy and strengthen bonds, in the way that shared hardships do for soldiers and pioneers and initiations into mysterious rites do for religious novices.
Then, onto some essays by various people who struggle to grasp their own obsession with The Room. These cathartic exercises are redolent with the whiff of an AA meeting; except, no one is looking to earn a chip. Along come some interviews and pieces written by various actors and others who actually took part in making The Room, and who seem as mystified as the rest of us by its alluring hold on the imagination. The most poignant of these is from the female lead, Juliette Danielle, who has been subject to far too much scrutiny and abuse for her character and appearance in the movie, and who seems like the nicest person, so undeserving of such scorn.
There are some other things in the book, like interviews and essays on various Room tributes and introductions into further works in the Wiseau oeuvre. The best part of the whole book, though, is a line-by-line, scene-by-scene examination of the entire movie taken in 10-minute increments. It is really very funny. My only quibble with it is something that my dad pointed out to me: the author of the dissection, Alan Jones, lacks warmth and affection for the movie and its crew and verges too often into cruelty. Yes, snark is good in a situation like this, but we who love and appreciate The Room do both from a place of goodwill and good cheer. What made Greg Sestero's book, The Disaster Artist such a delightful piece of writing, on the other hand, was his obvious love for and wonder at the enigmatic Master behind The Room: Tommy Wiseau.
The book starts with a helpful guide for exposing your friends and loved ones to The Room>. This can be a touchy point, because done incorrectly, you may end up with fewer friends and loved ones than you had before. But, done right, exposure to The Room can only heighten intimacy and strengthen bonds, in the way that shared hardships do for soldiers and pioneers and initiations into mysterious rites do for religious novices.
Then, onto some essays by various people who struggle to grasp their own obsession with The Room. These cathartic exercises are redolent with the whiff of an AA meeting; except, no one is looking to earn a chip. Along come some interviews and pieces written by various actors and others who actually took part in making The Room, and who seem as mystified as the rest of us by its alluring hold on the imagination. The most poignant of these is from the female lead, Juliette Danielle, who has been subject to far too much scrutiny and abuse for her character and appearance in the movie, and who seems like the nicest person, so undeserving of such scorn.
There are some other things in the book, like interviews and essays on various Room tributes and introductions into further works in the Wiseau oeuvre. The best part of the whole book, though, is a line-by-line, scene-by-scene examination of the entire movie taken in 10-minute increments. It is really very funny. My only quibble with it is something that my dad pointed out to me: the author of the dissection, Alan Jones, lacks warmth and affection for the movie and its crew and verges too often into cruelty. Yes, snark is good in a situation like this, but we who love and appreciate The Room do both from a place of goodwill and good cheer. What made Greg Sestero's book, The Disaster Artist such a delightful piece of writing, on the other hand, was his obvious love for and wonder at the enigmatic Master behind The Room: Tommy Wiseau.
December 17, 2014
We’re all born Room virgins, and that’s a fact!
First you need to see The Room. It’s a movie that got bad reviews, but somehow bad reviews turned into a perfect storm and it got watched, It’s a movie that director Tommy Wiseau apparently put his best effort into, and it’s become a bigger thing, an experience that must be shared, the definition of cult status.
In other words, it’s fun. Writer Ryan Finnigan attempts to collect and document everything about the movie. This is an encyclopedia and a guidebook. Wiseau wisely resists when people ask him to interpret the movie. He claims everything in it is intentional. That makes it more excellent. That this movie exists in the post-Mystery Science Theater culture is a landmark.
The book depicts the four stages of watching The Room, beginning with shock and moving into empathy.
One section attempts to prepare those who have not seen it. Comedian Paul Scheer points out that a gratuitous sex scene takes up one-third of the first 12 minutes of the movie.
Comedian Michael Rousselet writes the chapter “How To Discover A Cult Phenomenon.” He initiated the first Rocky Horror-style call and response viewings, and he’s amazed that his work is being adapted and improved upon.
The star of the movie Juliette Danielle writes a chapter, too. As I read, I realized more neatness about this thing. In 2014, we can document this as it happens. Nobody published Rocky Horror or Plan 9 From Outer Space books within 10 years after they premiered.
My favorite chapter in the book is one that compares Tommy Wiseau to Orson Welles. It starts on page 131. This is a real chapter, and it is spectacular.
You probably will not understand the movie more when you finish the book. I daresay the book is enjoyable even if you never watch The Room.. But after you do watch, you may realize other movies are not for you, and you need to keep watching The Room, using this book to help you seek enlightenment.
August 24, 2016
This is a comprehensive introduction to what the author calls "The Roomniverse," particularly recommended for new Roomies who have seen/loved the movie and need more Wiseau in their lives. I read over the tips inside before I went to my first midnight screening, finding them both funny and useful, and I also enjoyed the minute-by-minute breakdown of the movie and the interviews with the cast. The editing is not perfect (Greg Sestero's name is spelled incorrectly a couple times, among other errors), and it's hard to imagine its value to anyone who doesn't already love "The Room"-- or hasn't read The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, for that matter-- but overall the desired audience should find it a pleasant exploration of this greatest of films.
April 25, 2015
This work borrows heavily from Greg Sestero's amazing memoir about one of the best bad movies I kmow. The first section was about screening the movie, but it was surprisingly light on any instructions on any of the rituals except spoon-throwing. The third section was an update of the cast's current projects, which was largely missable. But the middle section was a long, funny, and insightful recap of the film, interspersed with interviews with most of the cast and a collection of original art that I want hanging in my living room (or tattooed!). It's a quick read, and it's only for real Room fans, but I enjoyed it.
November 11, 2015
Me hizo reír un poco más que The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made :D
¡Quién diría que había tantas cosas sobre The room faltando en mi vida!
¡Quién diría que había tantas cosas sobre The room faltando en mi vida!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews