The Disaster Artist

Then is it fair to say you're a fan of The Room?
I wonder if you were more invested in The Disaster Artist than I was because of that.
Had you seen any Ed Wood films before you watched Ed Wood?
 
No, not a fan of “The Room”. It's dreadful. Like many others I was
fascinated with Wiseau. What it took for someone with no talent at
all to make a film.

I had seen four of Wood's films before I saw “Ed Wood”. Unlike “The
Room” I enjoy the absurd badness of them. I especially like “Jail Bait”.
I think he actually had some talent.
 
I guess one doesn't really need talent to make a film if it's bad & if you have money. I recently read the book the Ed Wood film was based on. He did have some talent. Unfortunately he sacrificed quality for speed & cheapness. And it's unclear if he even recognized what quality was. It's a pretty depressing cautionary tale toward the end.

Have you seen the Vice documentary about Birdemic? It's about another film that people like for its awfulness, & its director can't seem to recognize how bad it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZoFNVhEfpE
 
I feel like this thread is bordering on becoming nothing more than people throwing stones from glass houses.

Reminder: filmmaking isn't just an art, it's a business. Sometimes those two things go hand-in-hand. Sometimes they don't. How many producers on this forum have turned a profit? Not many.
 
It's not my intention at all to throw stones.
Are you objecting to us saying The Room is bad?
I thought that's the reason people like it.
 
I feel like this thread is bordering on becoming nothing more than people throwing stones from glass houses.
I'm sorry you feel this way. I'm enjoying the conversation. I feel
it's much more than throwing stones. To me we are discussing
filmmaking. Not everyone is good at it. To me it's fascinating how
a truly bad film can reach an audience and become admired even
as it is acknowledged for what it is.

Reminder: filmmaking isn't just an art, it's a business. Sometimes those two things go hand-in-hand. Sometimes they don't. How many producers on this forum have turned a profit? Not many.
I'm not sure I'm following your point. I think all of us understand that
filmmaking is a business too. Producers on this forum who haven't
turned a profit still have opinions on movies they see, so I think I'm
missing your point.

Wiseau did something remarkable. It is my opinion that "The Room"
is a truly terrible movie. I suspect it would be unwatchable outside
of the way I have seen it - with an enthusiastic audience that interacts
with the movie as it is screening.

Have you seen either "The Room" or "The Disaster Artist" CF? Did you
read the book it was based on? Any thoughts?
Have you seen the Vice documentary about Birdemic?
Not until now. Thanks!
 
I think CF said he's already seen The Disaster Artist 3 times & wants to go again. So he is a fan of The Room.
So directorik, when you saw The Room, was the audience laughing & enjoying it?

I don't mean to put these films & their creators down, CF. Making a film is very hard, so people that finish, even a bad one, deserve acknowledgement, especially if they have little money. I applaud their determination to keep going when people around them may be saying it's bad. A person can seem stupid or crazy for going against everyone's advice. But sometimes you have to be like that when you're doing something new & different that people aren't used to. You need to believe in yourself & push on when things get tough.

On the other hand, this strong self belief can go wrong if you're not able to be a bit objective & be really open to people's opinions. That seems to be the case with these 3 directors in varying degrees. It's a tough balance. How can you tell who's right when you're so close to it? I like learning what I can from these examples.

To Tommy's credit, he did seem to recognize after the audience screenings that The Room is bad, & his willingness to market it that way is why it has fans.
 
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Just watched the Birdemic doc: it is hilarious, tragic and fantastic at the same time.
Haven't seen the Room or the Disater Artist, but when I watched Tim Burtons Ed Wood I did not only love tremendously, I also loved the perseverance and motivation. It breaths love for filmmaking, just like the Birdemic doc does.
And I find some kind of inspiration in it, because those are filmmakers who were not letting themselves be stopped by anything to persue their dreams. The outcome might be bad, cult or savage art, they did it. They did what most people just mention as 'one day...' and then continue with their 'normal' life.
 
I love The Room! It's definitely the best/worst movie that I've ever seen. It's life changing. Disaster Artist is great, but imho it's kinda difficult to top the room!
 
I think CF said he's already seen The Disaster Artist 3 times & wants to go again. So he is a fan of The Room.
So directorik, when you saw The Room, was the audience laughing & enjoying it?

I don't mean to put these films & their creators down, CF. Making a film is very hard, so people that finish, even a bad one, deserve acknowledgement, especially if they have little money. I applaud their determination to keep going when people around them may be saying it's bad. A person can seem stupid or crazy for going against everyone's advice. But sometimes you have to be like that when you're doing something new & different that people aren't used to. You need to believe in yourself & push on when things get tough.

On the other hand, this strong self belief can go wrong if you're not able to be a bit objective & be really open to people's opinions. That seems to be the case with these 3 directors in varying degrees. It's a tough balance. How can you tell who's right when you're so close to it? I like learning what I can from these examples.

To Tommy's credit, he did seem to recognize after the audience screenings that The Room is bad, & his willingness to market it that way is why it has fans.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE "The Disaster Artist" (the movie; haven't read the book). Maybe I'll watch it again today. :D

Thank you for sharing these thoughts, buscando; I agree with most of what you've said.

I understand that a lot of people have fun making fun of how horrible "The Room" is, and yes, that is something I can agree with -- that movie is really shitty. But I don't enjoy laughing at shitty things.

*except for the line, "oh, HAI Mark!" That one is never not funny. :lol:

I used to be a film critic. My reviews were published in the local newspaper, twice weekly. I wasn't afraid to give films I loved all the accolades I thought they deserved. I also wasn't afraid to tear a movie to shreds, in as humorous a manner as possible. The editor I worked for liked it when I did this. My readers liked it when I did this.

I don't remember what the turning-point was, but I eventually grew tired of hating on movies. I eventually had an epiphany -- instead of critiquing other people's films, I should make my own. That's my origin-story.

Occasionally, I will shit all over a movie if I really think it deserves it, for ethical reasons. But when it comes to artistic quality, which of course is subjective, I now choose to mostly reserve my public comments for movies that really impress me, in one way or another. Like "The Disaster Artist"!

What's my point, directorik? Yes, of course, we are all entitled to our opinions. It's just that not all opinions are created equally. In my freshman year of college, I remember some random asshole shouting out from the back of Psych 101 that, "opinions are like assholes - we all have one, and they all stink."

Okay, technically that's true. But it paints an incomplete picture. Some buttholes are stinkier than others. How do I know this to be true? Because I ride a bike for a living, in a city that is just as hilly as SFC, and my life-schedule doesn't allow me to shower until AFTER work, and by then, my butthole is VERRRRRRYYYYY stinky!

Sure, everyone can have an opinion about any movie they want. There are people who really enjoy my debut feature film. I know, because they've told me. And there are people who really didn't enjoy my debut feature film. I know, because they've told me. So, is my debut feature film "good" or "bad"?

Here's the answer -- I don't give a fuck! It served a purpose. It got an actual theatrical release. I'm on Rotten Tomatoes. We won some awards at some regional festivals. I made friends with some REALLY talented thespians.

I made that film always intending it to be a stepping-stone and that is EXACTLY what it turned out to be. So why the fuck would I care about the opinion of anyone who might think it's a "bad" movie? I don't.

I've seen some of the films made by other producers on this forum. Some of them are really great. Some of them are really shitty. How many of them have I ever publicly hated on? Zero. Because I know the struggle and I am a firm believer in the idea that all of us benefit when we build each other up.

So, back to my original point -- is "The Room" a "good" movie? Is "Birdemic" a "good" movie? Those are the wrong questions to be asking, and all low-budget filmmakers should instead be asking -- did they turn a profit? And how did they do that?

And more importantly, is there anything I can do to help?
 
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Glad you liked that video, directorik & WalterB.
Thanks for the detailed reply, CF.
Just to be clear, I'm not hating on The Disaster Artist, I said it was good overall. I'm not hating on The Room or Birdemic either, although if I was, that's fine too for any film. I'm just saying a majority of people think The Room & Birdemic are bad. And I'm studying the wide gulf between their director's aims & the audience response. When I asked directorik if the audience laughed at The Room, I wanted to find out if their enjoyment got him to enjoy the movie too, even for a bit. Didn't most people who liked The Room like it because it made them laugh?

I can understand wanting beginning filmmakers to make a profit, & wanting to help them regardless of whether the film is good or bad. But one of the best ways for a film to make a profit is for it to be good. And some filmmakers do like getting opinions, & sometimes they benefit if they figure out which ones are valid. The opinion of a person who knows what they're talking about can be very helpful, balanced with the filmmaker's goals & target audience. Each situation is different.

The butthole analogy is great. I can also tell you some buttholes don't stink after a thorough shower & if you're really into that person. So ya, some opinions are actually sexy, I mean good. I meant good :)
 
Dick James Franco calls Tommy Wiseau on stage then pushes him away from mic with "whoa whoa" like you're not supposed to speak even though this movie was based on you. Anyone see this?
 
Trust me it happened. I rewound. Hollywood elite.
 
Picture Julia Roberts calling Erin Brockovich on stage and stopping her from talking with "whoa whoa" and a hand in her face, and you get the idea. Dickiest move I've seen in a long time.
 
Dick James Franco calls Tommy Wiseau on stage then pushes him away from mic with "whoa whoa" like you're not supposed to speak even though this movie was based on you. Anyone see this?

He's afraid that tommy is going to say something bad about the movie
 
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