Film / News
The director of the worst film ever has made another one
Say what you like about oddly-accented Tommy Wiseau’s The Room – the Citizen Kane of bad movies, if you will – but this 2003 disasterpiece now ranks as the cultiest of cult films, whose celebrity fans include JJ Abrams, Bryan Cranston and Kristen Bell. As The Guardian enthused: “To make a movie that’s so bad it’s good you need vision, drive, luck and obsessive vanity. Fortuitously, The Room’s writer/producer/director/star Tommy Wiseau appears to possess all of these qualities, combined with a total lack of acting talent.”
https://youtu.be/EE6RQ8rC8hc
Whenever it’s shown in Bristol, The Room sells out well in advance. Back in February, Mr. Wiseau made it across the pond for two screenings at the Redgrave Theatre. The previous October, his best mate and co-star Greg Sestero came to the Bierkeller for an event based on his memoir about making The Room, The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room. This too sold out rapidly.
is needed now More than ever
So you’d be strongly advised to grab tickets early for Bristol’s biggest ever celebration of Mr. Wiseau’s distinctive talents, which runs at the Redgrave Theatre from September 13-16. Better yet, these screenings include the first local outing for his eagerly anticipated new collaboration with Sestero, Best F(r)iends (geddit?). Wiseau hasn’t actually directed this one, but he stars in it alongside Sestero, who wrote the script. You can catch The Room on Sept 14 & 16 and Best F(r)iends on Sept 13 & 15. The icing on the cake is that Mr. Wiseau and Mr. Sestero will be present for all screenings. They’ll also be conducting post-screening Q&As – but only after Best F(r)iends.
In case you’ve never seen it, you need to know that The Room is at heart a love triangle story. Wiseau plays a banker who fears that his girlfriend may be cheating on him with his best friend (Sestero). But this doesn’t begin to prepare you for the feast of ineptitude that follows, with its bizarre unresolved sub-plots, jaw-dropping performances, profoundly unerotic sex scenes and truly awful use of green screen.
As for Best F(r)iends, it’s apparently inspired by a road trip the duo took together, with Sestero playing a fella who encounters a lonely mortician (Wiseau). They then embark on what is described as a ‘wild journey’. “After watching Best F(r)iends, your mind will find paradise,” Wiseau has promised.
Dave Franco as Greg Sestero and James Franco as Tommy Wiseau in ‘The Masterpiece’
Later this year, we can expect big screen comedy-drama The Masterpiece, which is adapted from Sestero’s memoir. This stars brothers James and Dave Franco as Tommy and Greg. James Franco also directs, and the film’s A-list supporting cast includes Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Sharon Stone, Alison Brie, Melanie Griffith, Josh Hutcherson and Jacki Weaver. The Masterpiece received a standing ovation when it was premiered as a ‘work in progress’ at SXSW back in March, and has been universally acclaimed by critics. The Hollywood Reporter described Franco as “absolutely hysterical as the brooding, deluded Wiseau . . . delivering a winning, Ed Wood-esque blend of comedy and pathos that could very well earn its own cult status.”
As a consequnce of all the buzz, Warner Brothers have lined up an awards season release for the film on December 1 in the US. The UK release date has yet to be confirmed.
Tickets for the Bristol screenings of The Room and Best F(r)iends are available here. There’s also a Facebook event page here.
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