So I have to start by confessing my embarrassment to not knowing this movie even existed until earlier this year, when a friend put me on to it. It's been nearly 20 years since this movie came out, yet having now seen it I am ashamed that I have let such a masterpiece go unwatched, unnoticed, for nearly half my life. A movie that is admittedly challenging, but yields some of the finest cinematic rewards I could ever experience. From the hyperbolic lead in to it's revelation, I think you all probably know what movie I'm talking about....
....I finally saw "The Room".
And even now, some 48 hours later, I'm still processing it. Whether that's because I'm still in awe of it, or am still trying to figure out how Tommy Wiseau got $6 million financing for it (or where that money went since it clearly wasn't spent on the movie), or whether he, or any of the cast, are actually human beings, I don't honestly know. Those who are aware of this movie are also aware of it's legendary reputation, and it is deserved. Like so much incredible comedy, trying to be funny is nowhere near as funny as trying to be serious, and being unable to do so. It is at times implausible to think this wasn't made as some sort of absurdist black comedy, but that's what makes it so good, this was legitimately Tommy's attempt at a magnum opus.
Going through the technical details of the film seem pointless to a degree, but at the very least the plot is about as straightforward as it gets: Yuppie dude is being two-timed by his fiance with his best friend. Now I assume the other non-sequitur scenes here are Tommy's attempt at some sort of avant-garde cinema, but about 75% of the movie is these non-sequiturs that you often cannot figure out why the exist, especially since they are never followed up on. But they still yield amazing, and unexpected, rewards. The conclusion is supposed to be a deep, emotional climax, but in the spirit of the movie ends up yielding perhaps the biggest laugh of all.
But whatever Tommy's intentions, he did something most movie makers can only dream of: He made a totally unique, and unforgettable cinematic experience. Every human being owes it to themselves to watch this movie, but it really should be in a group setting. I cannot imagine watching this alone, it feels like it defeats the purpose to sit and watch this in a serious, analytical sense. No, you need to be with some friends so you can all bond over who Chris R was, what drugs Denny was on, why that flower shop scene exists (and manages to be so hilarious), why the boil on Lisa's neck shows up in that one scene only, how the quality of the acting can make every scene seem dubbed, why the grandma is excited at all of the non-sequitur plot points, or whether even a nice set of boobs can redeem the least erotic sex scenes ever made.
There are few things in human history that can be a better bonding experience then slamming copious amounts of substances and having a complete laugh riot. The midnight screenings sound like so much fun, maybe one day Calgary will have one. If we do get one you can bet your ass I will be there.
0/10 as an actual technical movie
10 CHEEEEEEP-cheep-cheep-cheep-cheeps/10 for the fun.
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Last edited by Senator Clay Davis; 05-23-2022 at 10:39 AM.
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George Carlin is my religion. The observation, the spotlight on the human condition and the point blank shotgun blast to the face about America (and IMO its subsidiary countries).
A man who evolved to staring the humanity monster straight in its face and telling it how forked it is. All while doing it with an intelligence few possess.
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
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So I have to start by confessing my embarrassment to not knowing this movie even existed until earlier this year, when a friend put me on to it. It's been nearly 20 years since this movie came out, yet having now seen it I am ashamed that I have let such a masterpiece go unwatched, unnoticed, for nearly half my life. A movie that is admittedly challenging, but yields some of the finest cinematic rewards I could ever experience. From the hyperbolic lead in to it's revelation, I think you all probably know what movie I'm talking about....
....I finally saw "The Room".
And even now, some 48 hours later, I'm still processing it. Whether that's because I'm still in awe of it, or am still trying to figure out how Tommy Wiseau got $6 million financing for it (or where that money went since it clearly wasn't spent on the movie), or whether he, or any of the cast, are actually human beings, I don't honestly know. Those who are aware of this movie are also aware of it's legendary reputation, and it is deserved. Like so much incredible comedy, trying to be funny is nowhere near as funny as trying to be serious, and being unable to do so. It is at times implausible to think this wasn't made as some sort of absurdist black comedy, but that's what makes it so good, this was legitimately Tommy's attempt at a magnum opus.
Going through the technical details of the film seem pointless to a degree, but at the very least the plot is about as straightforward as it gets: Yuppie dude is being two-timed by his fiance with his best friend. Now I assume the other non-sequitur scenes here are Tommy's attempt at some sort of avant-garde cinema, but about 75% of the movie is these non-sequiturs that you often cannot figure out why the exist, especially since they are never followed up on. But they still yield amazing, and unexpected, rewards. The conclusion is supposed to be a deep, emotional climax, but in the spirit of the movie ends up yielding perhaps the biggest laugh of all.
But whatever Tommy's intentions, he did something most movie makers can only dream of: He made a totally unique, and unforgettable cinematic experience. Every human being owes it to themselves to watch this movie, but it really should be in a group setting. I cannot imagine watching this alone, it feels like it defeats the purpose to sit and watch this in a serious, analytical sense. No, you need to be with some friends so you can all bond over who Chris R was, what drugs Denny was on, why that flower shop scene exists (and manages to be so hilarious), why the boil on Lisa's neck shows up in that one scene only, how the quality of the acting can make every scene seem dubbed, why the grandma is excited at all of the non-sequitur plot points, or whether even a nice set of boobs can redeem the least erotic sex scenes ever made.
There are few things in human history that can be a better bonding experience then slamming copious amounts of substances and having a complete laugh riot. The midnight screenings sound like so much fun, maybe one day Calgary will have one. If we do get one you can bet your ass I will be there.
0/10 as an actual technical movie
10 CHEEEEEEP-cheep-cheep-cheep-cheeps/10 for the fun.
Ohh.. The Room. A masterpiece of disaster.
I love that there are still so many question marks around Wiseau, where he came from and how he just casually funded a bloated 6 million dollar project out of pocket.
The little theater in Kensington has been running showings of The Room for years now. It's an event in itself and draws a full house. Every one would get character masks and plastic utensils to throw at the screen to their hearts desire at key moments/lines. They also served Scotchkas (the drink featured in the film). Literally the entire theater would recite the lines in unison as the characters said them. Once they even had Greg Sestero join as a special guest. One of the most fun social events you can be a part of as a film/pop-culture geek.
Make sure to check out his and Sestero's second film too. It's Wiseau with a bigger budget and 15 years of critical reception over his first effort to mull over and practically nothing improved whatsoever. It's brilliant.
Saw the new Top Gun. It’s a fun popcorn movie as expected. The aerial scenes are very well done. It’s rough seeing Val Kilmer but they give him, and Iceman, a proper sendoff.
Didn't love the second Sonic the Hedgehog movie as much as the first. They spent waaaay too much time focusing on annoying af human characters, and it just killed the movie in its tracks. But as soon as the disastrous second act ended, the movie got rolling again.
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Man. I don’t know if I could be friends with someone who doesn’t enjoy Everything Everywhere All At Once.
So great.
Haha I’m literally the opposite and baffled that people enjoyed a movie with that sort of pacing
I found it to be completely exhausting and not in a good way. A weird combination of really pretentious and also somewhat childish? Bizarre movie for sure
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I’m glad I read a few breakdowns of The Green Knight before watching. It’s definitely not for everyone. Not having to try and figure out WTF was going on meant I could focus on the story and themes. I enjoyed it. I instantly want to watch it again.
I think a lot of blowback for that movie was because people found the trailer misleading
I kind of liked it but I get where that criticism comes from. It’s real slow and they used every exciting moment in the trailer essentially
Similar to Everything, Everywhere it’s a movie that critics loved but I noticed people leaving the theater and not coming back
Haha I’m literally the opposite and baffled that people enjoyed a movie with that sort of pacing
I found it to be completely exhausting and not in a good way. A weird combination of really pretentious and also somewhat childish? Bizarre movie for sure
Yeah, it was try-hard quirky IMO. And not nearly as smart as people think. A bit ho-hum. Kind of like Scott Pilgram. You get it, then you just have to sit there while they beat a dead horse over and over and over.
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Top Gun? I can't remember the last movie that lived up to the hype that I really liked. The story was simple but the aerial cinematography was beyond amazing. We likely won't ever see anything like it ever again. That sucked you into the plane and made you feel every G. Color me impressed. Congrats Tom Cruise. You saved movies. For a minute at least.
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
Yeah, it was try-hard quirky IMO. And not nearly as smart as people think. A bit ho-hum. Kind of like Scott Pilgram. You get it, then you just have to sit there while they beat a dead horse over and over and over.
I really like Scott Pilgrim, I think it's a very under-appreciated film. (And better than EEAAO in many ways, although once again EEAAO had a much smaller budget.)
I really like Scott Pilgrim, I think it's a very under-appreciated film. (And better than EEAAO in many ways, although once again EEAAO had a much smaller budget.)
I agree. Scott Pilgrim is really great, but suffers from the illusion of being a light film. It's quickly paced but full of clever moments and jokes that are so quickly presented that a lot of people miss it, or don't appreciate how good it was.
I'd recommend the graphic novel series for anyone interested. They're a lot of fun and have a bit more gravitas to them than the film did.
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Watched The Mitchells vs. The Machines and you can put me in the group of people wondering how Encanto won best animated picture over this. Encanto is good, but Mitchells is excellent. It's a visual masterpiece that goes even further than what Sony Animation did on Spiderverse, while providing an engaging story with deep characters and legitimate humour. The rewarding emotional conclusion would even make Pixar writers feel jealous. Could nit pick the satire was a bit on the nose at times and the plot is sometimes absurd but it doesn't feel out of place in essentially a kids movie. I had a lot of fun watching. 10/10
Also watched No Time to Die, a movie that stretches out the run time to provide a 164 minute goodbye for Daniel Craig's James Bond. The cinematography is well done with fun actions scenes and Craig giving a great performance but it's let down by a story that feels too ambitious. This was a direct sequel to Spectre that also had a coming out of retirement story while introducing a new villain and trying to wrap up the entire series including every loose end. Speaking of Spectre, I found some similarities here as No Time to Die also really engaged me with the visuals and action in the opening scenes but as the story got deeper I started to lose interest. More Ana de Armas may have helped. I did however like the focus on more personal aspects of the Bond character and this did succeed in providing a solid farewell to Craig. 7/10
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Best Animated Feature at the Oscars is just a popularity contest. Even among the Disney/Pixar noms it wasn’t even second best (Luca and Raya are much better films), but it just happened to blow up and have a song go super popular just before the awards.