Picture this: You’re stuck in a dead-end job and your life’s looking bleak. Your fiancée is cheating on you with your best friend, your mother-in-law has breast cancer, your bastard boss won’t give you the promotion he promised you months ago and you’ve grown fed up with this world of betrayal.
As dismal as that situation sounds, it’s positively hysterical in 2004’s cult classic film, “The Room.” Like the situation described above, “The Room” is a perfect storm.
Every aspect of it is crafted with palpable love and incompetence—from the poorly constructed, hole-filled plot, the mindboggling, terrible performances, the unintentionally hilarious melodrama and even the replacement of an actor midway through the movie. All of these elements are stitched together with bizarrely terrible-yet-perfect precision by part-time writer/director/producer/actor and full-time madman Tommy Wiseau.
If you haven’t had the chance to see this epitome of shlock, now’s your chance: State Theater in Ann Arbor is hosting a midnight screening of the movie this weekend.
The premise of the movie is fairly simple. Ringleader Wiseau takes center stage, portraying Johnny, a man who works hard for his fiancée, Lisa. Lisa cheats on Johnny throughout the course of the film and betrays his love and trust.
“I really enjoyed the blatant self-insert of Tommy Wiseau,” Eastern Michigan University freshman Scott Humphrey said of Wiseau’s performance.
Through the direction and the writing, the movie does often feel like Wiseau made this movie based on personal experience, and Johnny and Lisa are exaggerated portrayals of himself and an ex-lover.
That’s a lot of what makes this movie so special. It’s obviously an important, personal story to Wiseau and his attempt at dramatic execution is so feeble and absurd that it quickly becomes laughable.
It’s a movie that truly has to be seen to be believed. There are few movies that are more fun to watch with a group of friends. Trying to explain the appeal is difficult; you just have to witness it with your own eyes.
Since not long after its release, “The Room” has been a frequent component of the midnight movie screening circuit. Not unlike “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” fans of “The Room” flock to the midnight screenings with the intention of carrying out the many traditions that go hand-in-hand with seeing “The Room” in a theater.
Some of the most well-known traditions include throwing plastic spoons at the screen when the movie showcases its affinity for spoon-related art, throwing a football around when the characters on screen do so, and responding “Oh hi!” to Johnny’s affable greetings throughout the movie.
While “The Room” is a disturbingly entertaining film in its own right, seeing it at a midnight screening is a different kind of beast.
“At a midnight screening, you’re among people who enjoy it,” EMU sophomore Rachael Rose said. “It gives a chance for the cult fans to crawl out of their apartments and enjoy it as a community.”
A hint of discretion, though—if you decide to attend the midnight screening, prepare to be slightly nauseated as well as entertained. The movie’s drawn-out sex sequences are indeed comical, but they expose the viewer to the naked form of Mr. Wiseau, which is unfortunate.
“All the soft-core lovemaking is completely unnecessary,” senior Austin Kelly said with a hint of repulsion.
That small fault aside, this movie is a masterpiece of hysterical atrocity. No straight comedies really match up with the riotous laughter that this movie provides.
If you’re looking for a way to spend a Saturday night, throwing spoons at the best worst movie of all time is as good of a choice as any.
“The Room” is playing March 16 at 11:55 p.m. at the State Theater, at 233 S. State St. in Ann Arbor. Doors open at 11:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at ticketweb.com for $7.
