‘The Room,’ which inspired Oscar nom ‘Disaster Artist,’ a boon for indie theatres
TORONTO — It’s considered one of the worst movies of all time, yet whenever “The Room” screens at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, it packs in a crowd — not to mention footballs and spoons.
“It’s been a huge fan favourite here where we can sell it out pretty regularly,” says Corinne Lea, owner and operator of the Rio, which has been screening “The Room” sporadically since 2011.
Released in 2003, “The Room” has been called “the ‘Citizen Kane’ of bad movies” for its ludicrous look at a love triangle, starring eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau as well as Greg Sestero and Juliette Danielle.
But it’s become a cult phenomenon based on late-night participatory screenings, in which audience members shout out some of the lines, heckle, and throw spoons and footballs during certain scenes.