The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
This book is definitely not Mickey Mouse stuff. I came for zany stories trying to explain the seemingly unexplainable questions surrounding the making of the room. I stayed for the stories of friendship, finding your way in the world as a struggling actor, and making your dreams come true. I was amazed at how awful and yet how sympathetic Tommy is. This is definitely a must read book for anybody who has seen and reveled in The Room. I can remember when I was living in Los Angeles and seeing a billboard advertising for "The Room" movie, and there being an RSVP with a phone number. The billboard was there forever, but I had forgotten about it until I ordered the DVD online and saw the same image on the cover. It was funny to learn that Tommy Wiseau (whom the story is mostly centered on) paid for this prime billboard spot for five years...yes, FIVE YEARS! At $5,000 per week for the advertising space times fives years, I believe that adds up to $1.3 Million and it all came out of his pocket as well as the cost for the movie ($6M) and only earned $1,800 at the box office.I was reading an article where James Franco was listing his three favorite books of 2014 and my interest was peaked when he mentioned this book. He said that Seth Rogan had bought the rights to make a film about it, or something to that nature. I decided to read the premise and I knew I had to purchase it once I read all of the praise it had received and what it was about. Not only that, but I ordered the DVD(as stated above) so I could really jump into the experience and even had a friend watch along with me. I swear we laughed so hard that my stomach hurt the next day! The movie was so intriguing that my friend also bought the book. Although we purchased the book we broke down and ordered the audiobook as well, of which I would recommend because Greg Sestero (narrator and co-author)really nails Tommy's accent and makes the experience that much more enjoyable.So what's it about? Well, basically it is about what most consider the worst movie of all time. It's terrible! It's so terrible that it's good, in a comedy sense. The movie was directed, produced, written, and starred Tommy Wiseau, a man of mystery. He speaks with a thick eastern European accent and has an incredible amount of money that one can only speculate where it came from considering he was poor until his thirties. Tommy has a love for America and the film industry and knows that the only way he will ever star in a movie is by making one himself and on his own dime. Tommy has a mindset that his film is spectacular and worthy of an Oscar. It's not. This movie has plot holes galore, the acting is terrible, it goes in way too many directions, a random actor appears at the end that hasn't been in the entire movie and who in the hell he is was never implied. There is a scene where four friends dress in tuxedo's and throw a football around...why? Who knows. In another one, they go to a coffee shop where we see various people ordering drinks and then he sits and talks with his friend about basically nothing. My favorite was when two characters just squat down in the doorway and have a conversation. He thrived on scenes that would normally be cut out of a movie because it adds absolutely nothing to the movie or doesn't progress it in any way. It basically makes no sense and has zero continuity, but this book helps give some idea into the making of the script and its origins. Afterward, I actually wanted to watch it again and again with a new perspective. I've seriously never laughed so hard and the whole experience of watching the movie and reading the book was incredibly fun. I highly recommend for those with a well-rounded sense of humor.
What do You think about The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made (2013)?
Get the audiobook version. Greg Sestero's imitations of Tommy Wiseau are spot on and hilarious.
—Stephanie_t
Haha, Water story Mark. Oh Hi doggie. Your my favorite customer. bye bye.
—faithj
This was so fascinating and at times I couldn't put it down!
—shannon
