Five Reasons Why You Need To Watch The Room

By Tamiera Vandegrift on September 23, 2016

First, I want to go ahead and apologize to everyone. I was planning on saving my praise for The Room for the spring when the Student Life Cinema at Florida State screens this film, but due to popular demand, it would seem that I have to review it this week.

Second, if you’re part of the small minority that has never seen, or even heard of The Room, then y’all are gonna learn today.

If you’re part of that small minority, you’re probably asking yourself any of the following questions: What is The Room?, Why does it have such a large fan base?, Is it that Oscar-winning movie with Brie Larson? (Ha, guess again)

The Room, my sweet summer child (The first person to get that reference is going to get a high five), is a drama written, directed, and produced by Tommy Wiseau. It tells the story of a wealthy and successful banker named Johnny, his fiancee Lisa, and his best friend Mark. Everything is all hunky dory until Lisa and Mark begin an affair behind Johnny’s back. From there, drama ensues, tears are shed, and nothing will ever be the same.

It seems like your general dramatic plot, right? Why on earth would such a boring synopsis get so much of a following that it is regularly screened by several theaters all over the country? Be patient. Here’s five reasons why YOU need to get on this bandwagon.

5. Just Watch The Trailer

Have you ever heard the phrase, “it’s so bad, it’s good”? After watching the trailer for this movie, your common sense voice will be screaming at you to run far, far away as fast as you can. I encourage you to make an exception just this once and quiet this little voice. The movie is terrible. Everything about it is done completely wrong. The production was completely disorganized. Characters were added and deleted during takes. Scenes were rewritten while filming. The movie is just terrible, but in such a way that it’s too incredible to comprehend. Every line of dialogue is just so awkward and unnatural that it’s impossible not to feel a smile creep across your face. Every frame of this movie just feels like something out of a D+ soap opera. Even though this movie is a complete bastardization of everything that makes cinema great, there’s something so beautiful about it that every movie fan really should witness.

4. Tommy Wiseau Is A Riot 

Tommy, if by any chance you should ever stumble across this article, please know that I mean no offense by what I’m about to say and that I actually do revere you as a genius in a very quirky, unique way.

Tommy Wiseau is just a riot. While you’re watching this movie, you’re constantly reminded that Wiseau was the grandmaster behind everything: the writing, the directing, and the production. For every uncomfortable line and scene, thank Wiseau. For every unfortunate instance of cinematography, thank Wiseau. For every godforsaken line of unnatural dialogue, thank Wiseau. My favorite description of Wiseau’s performance came from a user’s review on IMDB, who referred to Wiseau as a “half-drunk Croatian cyborg”. Besides that, I’m going to stay as vague as possible because, let’s face it, if I give away too much regarding the genius of Wiseau, then why should you even bother to see the movie? Go watch it for the Wiseau experience. Trust me when I say every second of its 99 minute running time is more than worth it.

3. It’s Ridiculously Quotable 

Think of all of the classic movies out there that our species has stolen quotes from. Really, think about it. I’m talking about Mean Girls, Anchorman, The Princess Bride, and more.  What do they all have in common? They’ve all got such a unique air to them that its impossible not to find some relatable piece of dialogue to apply to every day life.

When someone is stepping outside their realm of knowledge, “She doesn’t even go here! “ 

When a situation gets out of hand at an alarming rate, “Well, that escalated quickly.

When you’re trying to plot revenge against the six-fingered man that murdered your father, “You killed my father. Prepare to die.” 

The awkward, crazy dialogue of The Room gives you an entirely new galaxy to draw your pop culture-based vocabulary from, such as: “Oh hi, [insert name here]“, “Keep your stupid comments in your pocket“, and most notably, “You are tearing me APART, Lisa!”  If you think you’ve found a treasure trove of comedic opportunity, then by all means, watch the movie and keep digging.

2. The Fan Base Is Incredible 

If you think that the energy and zaniness of the screenings for Rocky Horror Picture Show are the bees’ knees, then the SLC’s annual screening of The Room is sure to blow you away. Just like Rocky, you will be given a little bag of props to interact with throughout the movie. Not only is the usage of props ridiculously fun, but the vibes and audience participation make every screening burst with hilarity. Get ready to enter a whole new world of traditions and gimmicks that will have you coming back to the SLC for more every spring.

1. It’s inspiring 

Yes, you read that correctly. This piece is sincerely inspiring. After you watch the movie, I strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero, the actor who plays Mark. In his autobiographical piece, he gives all the details of his friendship with Tommy and a behind the scenes look of what it was like to be on the set of The Room. Believe it or not, I found myself getting a little misty-eyed by the time I finished reading the book. Even though The Room is a cinematic masterpiece of destruction, the intentions behind its creation were surprisingly innocent and golden. The film was sincerely one man’s dream to be a successful filmmaker and from his story, a lot of inspiration can be drawn. By sticking to your values and following your dreams in a way that only you can, you will find success in one way or another, even if that success includes a large audience tossing plastic spoons at the screen your film is being projected on.

This is only a surface level explanation of why The Room is a film that everyone should experience. I hope to see you at the SLC’s upcoming showing of The Room to experience the laughs and the cringes time and time again.

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