Cult Television and Cinema

What is The Room?

The film that I have chosen to write about is in my opinion the pinnacle of cult films. ‘The Room’, created in 2003 is an independent film written, produced, directed and stars Tommy Wiseau. Much of the history behind the creation of this film is shrouded in mystery which has enhanced its status as a cult film over the years. Many of the anecdotes surrounding the Room and its inception comes from the book ‘The Disaster Artist’ written by Gregg Sestero, who plays Mark in The Room, in the book Gregg details how he met Tommy at an acting class in Los Angels and would late accompany him to San Francisco where the film was eventually shot.

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How did it become a cult film?

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Little is known about Tommy until his ‘big break’ with the room, it is said in the disaster Artist that Tommy was born somewhere in the Soviet Union in the 1960s, and the first official trace of him was when he was arrested by the French Police in the 1980s. While the film does have many elements that one would expect from a cult film, such as quotable lines and memorable scenes, it is the enigmatic personality of Tommy Wiseau which has elevated the film into cult stardom. In recent years, many more mainstream audiences have bare witness to Tommy and his work due to the film adaption of the Disaster Artist, this film adaptation was directed, produced and starred James Franco and Seth Rogan.[1]

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The plot

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The plot of the Room is very unique, with a range of themes and subplots. The main story centres on ‘Johnny’, portrayed by Wiseau. Johnny is a prominent banker in San Francisco where he lives with his fiancée ‘Lisa’. While initially all appears well between these two lovers, it soon becomes clear that Lisa has become uninterested in Johnny and soon engages in an affair with Johnny’s best friend Mark, played by Gregg Sestero. Along with the 3 main characters, there are other characters we are introduced to, such as, Denny, Johnny and Lisa’s neighbour, Claudette, Lisa’s mother, Peter, Johnny’s psychologist and ‘Chris R’ a drug dealer that is owed money by Denny and played by a former Armenian Olympic bobsledder. While these characters have limited screen time, relative to Johnny, Lisa and Mark, their cult legacy is evident in their dialogue and actions, notably Claudette’s casual announcement to Lisa that she ‘definitely has breast cancer’ and Chris R’s ‘Where’s my money?!’ scene.[2]

The plot shows Johnny’s mental pressure and eventual breakdown as he comes to terms with Lisa’s affair. While it is hidden from Johnny for some time, he is sure that Lisa is up to something. We learn of Johnny’s suspicions during a meeting with his psychologist and Mark, following this Johnny overhears a conversation between Lisa and her Mother signalling that she is having an affair. Johnny continues to be friends with Mark and support Denny their neighbour but his mental state begins to deteriorate and he begins to tape Lisa’s messages. After dealing with Chris R the drug dealer, Johnny steals Chris R’s gun and hides it within his bedroom. Later, at a surprise party for Johnny, the truth of Lisa and Mark’s affair comes out, leading to a fight between Johnny and Mark and eventually, Johnny’s suicide.

While the plot alone could be considered cult-like, it is the details surrounding the film which has cemented its place as a cult classic. For instance, every picture frame in the film has a picture of a metal spoon, and following the release of the film Wiseau paid and rented out a billboard in San Francisco encouraging people to watch the film. The film initially was a bit of a flop, as it was released in the early 2000s. It was not until the age of streaming and downloading films online that the room’s audience grew, this was also backed by a number of celebrities admitting to having seen it, such as Jonah Hill and Seth Rogan.[2]

 

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Present day Cult-following

Since the early days of the Room it has become a cult hit, with midnight screenings all over the world which are often attended by some of the cast. There are countless reaction videos of the Room over the internet, and with the release of Sestero’s book and James Franco’s film adaptation the room has become notorious among the younger generation and cult film fans alike.[3]

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Bibliography:

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[1] Barber, N., 2016. The Room: Why so many love ‘the worst film ever made’. [online] Bbc.com. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160212-the-room-why-so-many-love-the-worst-film-ever-made> [Accessed 15 March 2021]. 

[2] IMDb. n.d. Room (2015) - IMDb. [online] Available at: <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170832/plotsummary> [Accessed 15 March 2021]. 

[3] Hunt, K., 2017. The Midnight Magic of The Room: Tales From Screenings of the Worst Movie Ever Made. [online] /Film. Available at: <https://www.slashfilm.com/the-room-midnight-screenings/> [Accessed 15 March 2021]. 

Youtube.com. 2011. CNN Interview: 'The Room' - Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero pt1. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEfJ4jEH69A> [Accessed 15 March 2021].

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