Best F(r)iends - Tommy Wiseau

[Van Dammage]

New film starring Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau. This film hasn't properly been announced yet and there's no information online about it from what I can gather. I was at a behind the scenes documentary screening about The Room today and Greg Sestero ("Oh hai mark") was in attendance for a Q&A along with some other things. At the end he showed a trailer for this new film without telling us what it was and without mentioning that Tommy was a part of it (cue massive applause when he turned up on screen). The trailer is a bit vague but it seems MUCH more focused and much better quality than the room, probably because Tommy isn't directing or writing (I don't think). Tommy still sounds the same of course and for some reason he drives a hearse in the trailer. It seems to be a dark crime comedy but I'm not really too sure. Tommy didn't actually look too bad in the trailer so this might possibly be goodish, certainly worth a look just to see how it plays out. Greg also mentioned that Sony are funding the film.

I'm actually quite looking forward to this, the trailer isn't available anywhere yet I only saw it once so it's hard to judge but anything involving Tommy Wiseau will always have my interest. Anyone else interested in this? (I know my description is quite shite so it's hard to judge but the idea of seeing Tommy Wiseau in a film again is exciting)

[billtheburger]

I tried to watch The Room last night - and really couldn't. It was skipped through to the end at around the 20 minute mark.
The legend is far more entertaining than the film.

[Custard]

Bill, mate

[billtheburger]

What?
It's bloomin painful.
I'm not sure I can watch any more of his productions.
I'm pretty sure Wiseau's given his Neighbors project 10/10 reviews on IMDB, too.

[A Car With No Doors]

For all its reputation as an unintentional comedy masterpiece, I actually found The Room kinda depressing. The baffling dialogue and Wiseau's "unique" performance aside, it's essentially a feature-length screed against those horrible bitch whore women by a mentally-disturbed man.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of funny moments (I'm particularly fond of "don't TATCH me motherfucker"), but it's a bit bleak.

[Monsieur Verdoux]

I've found that 'The Room' can be monumentally depressing if watched alone because of the pervading feeling that it's been made by someone who is totally isolated from actual human emotion or real, unpitying affection. When watching it without friends the 'emptiness' of the thing really becomes very haunting, if that makes any sense. Unlike a lot of actual comedy films, there's no inherent warmth to it that makes it entertaining even if you're not laughing along with it. It's essentially a grim, lengthy suicide note made by a deeply lonely and bitter person. Of course, it's ridiculous for being that, but it has the potential to throw the lonely and unglamorous nature of life into sharp focus for just long enough to become a bit of a downer.

Best enjoyed with friends and an irony shield.

[Crabwalk]

I find almost every moment of it hysterically funny but I do sometimes catch myself and feel bad for laughing at the tormented outpourings of a fundamentally tragic man.

My favourite moments shift from viewing to viewing and it's endlessly fascinating from a filmmaking perspective. Last time I watched it, about a month ago, I became fixated on the blocking. Like there's that one scene where Denny and Lisa just crouch by an armchair for a chat for no apparent reason and the camera has to  move and peek over it to see them. Just insane decisions being made by Wiseau every second of the runtime - and that's putting to one side the script, plot and performances.

[Noodle Lizard]

I can watch it endlessly, alone or otherwise.  It'd perhaps be more depressing if Wiseau had any sense of self-reflection, but that's a characteristic he seems manifestly incapable of having[nb]The Neighbors proved this, for me - you can't take the Wiseau out of Tommy[/nb].  In his mind, he made a movie which is loved by millions and still sells tickets every month of the year over a decade later.  It worked out quite well, all things considered.  The Disaster Artist sheds some more light on that kind of stuff, definitely an essential read.

As for this new thing?  Fuck knows.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

OH HAI DOGGIE

[Van Dammage]

The Disaster Artist sheds some more light on that kind of stuff, definitely an essential read.

As for this new thing?  Fuck knows.

I'm still surprised that Tommy and Greg have remained friends after that book. Although having said that, Greg did say that Tommy told him he 60% approved of it. Whatever that means.

[Shit Good Nose]

I'm with Bill.

Being a long-time MSTie, I'm almost pre-programmed to sit through and enjoy garbage like that and enjoy it immensely (also cf. Death Wish 3, Shark Attack 2 and 3, Ice Pirates etc), but I just found it to be incredibly dull.  It's not even a "so bad it's good" effort, it's just unremittingly bad.

It's probably the worst "so bad it's good" film ever made.

I actually found The Room kinda depressing...but it's a bit bleak.

Which is what Wiseau originally intended, of course - serious drama and all that.  So you're his one audient success!

[prwc]

Bleak creepiness aside, The Room is possibly the most blisteringly entertaining film I've seen. The Neighbours didn't disappoint either (more people should really see that), so I'm very excited to hear about this.

Not sure I'll bother with the upcoming Room Full Of Spoons documentary though, apparently it spoils a lot of the mysteries that The Disaster Artist only added to.

[Noodle Lizard]

I'm still surprised that Tommy and Greg have remained friends after that book. Although having said that, Greg did say that Tommy told him he 60% approved of it. Whatever that means.

I think Tommy just has a very odd way of processing information.  He can take something which would seem to be negative (the book, the screenings etc.) and just appreciate the attention and adulation.  At least that's the impression I got.  It's not too hard to understand since nobody's really particularly rude to his face, they mostly just say how much they love the film, do some quotes back and forth, get their pictures taken with him etc.  It would be easy for a somewhat delusional person to interpret that as only being a positive thing - after all, he mostly just wanted to attain celebrity icon status and he's kind of managed that in a roundabout way.

As such, I can't imagine him really having problems with the book, no matter how daft it makes him look, as long as it were more or less true.  "60%" he says?

I honestly can't understand people who just think it's boring or "just a shit film, who cares?"  It's an absolutely fascinating piece of work.  The overtly comical aspects it shares with other "so bad it's good movies" (dodgy acting, ropey green screen, cheesy music etc.) are probably the least interesting thing about it.  It's the bizarre internal logic, the complete lack of any understanding of narrative convention (despite its best efforts) and, most importantly, that it really offers an entry-level insight into the man who created it.  I mean, he's put himself in a film he wrote about how this great guy is just treated so badly by everyone else, despite being such an amazing great guy who everyone loves.  It's a vanity project taken to its furthest extreme, but by someone who doesn't even seem to understand human interaction, let alone have the formal ability to try and disguise its narcissism like Vincent Gallo.  It literally could not have been made by anybody else, and there aren't all that many films you can say that about.

I dunno, maybe it appeals more to people who have been around delusional aspiring artists of some sort, or indeed have been that way themselves.  It's basically the worst excesses of that mentality and then some, sired by someone (inexplicably) wealthy enough to actually get it made.  It's an essential document.

[Noodle Lizard]

There's a trailer and article here:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/room-director-tommy-wiseau-star-937339

I dunno.  It doesn't look as self-consciously "wacky" as I thought it would be, but I can't help thinking it's just a case of Greg further exploiting his relationship with Tommy.  Literally all the spiel is about The Room (REUNITED AFTER 15 YEARS etc.), even though the movie itself is unrelated.  I imagine it'll still be worth a watch just for some Wiseauisms, but not much more than that.

Kudos for being the first movie to use a quote from Andrew WK in its promotion though.