Scarlett Media presents Ten Ways Tommy Wiseau SAVED The Room
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Released in 2003, the accidentally brilliant anti-masterpiece, The Room, did not take the world by storm. It did not win awards. It did not recoup it’s 6 million dollar budget and it did not make a mark on the landscape of Hollywood. But thanks to the often unappreciated genius and passion of Tommy Wiseau, The Room has now gone down in history as one of the most influential and memorable films of all time.
10 Ways Tommy Wiseau Saved The Room
Oh hi Mark; today, Scarlett Media presents an after school special on the 10 ways Tommy Wiseau saved The Room and changed the world. Don’t forget to tear apart the like button if you agree or do “noooooooot” and throw a football at the dislike button if you disagree and don’t mind being wrong.
#10 Tommy made his dreams come true.
Everyone has a dream. A life they wish they were living, though all too often give up on, to live an ordinary life. But not Mr. Wiseau. Proving that Tommy exists on a higher plane than us mortals, he took his fate into his own hands and never took no for an answer. When no one would hire him, telling him he would never be a leading man due to his seemingly undead appearance, when he was laughed at by Hollywood for his Draculian New Orleans accent, when seemingly all hope was lost, Tommy dipped into his inexplicable vast wealth and deep creativity to bring us a cinematic masterpiece.
#9 Tommy took care of his friends
Not only did Tommy move mountains to realize his own dreams but he took his best friend along for the ride. Aspiring actor Greg Sestero had the fortune of meeting our hero in an acting class and from that fate filled day, Tommy took Greg under his wing and gave him the lead role of Mark in The Room. This was Greg’s first major role after moving to Hollywood, giving him the exposure he so badly desired.
#8 Tommy is a quadruple threat
Hollyweird is filled with amazing talent. writers, producers, actors, directors but few can do it all. Joining the ranks of cinema masters like Tina Fey, Christopher Guest and Orson Welles, Tommy not only starred in but directed and produced his magnum opus. This unto itself is remarkable but Tommy took it to the next level and also took the role of marketer, making him a true quadruple threat. Some may argue that he did none of these things well, but to these Neanderthals we ask; when is the last time you changed the world as much as The Room did.
#7 Tommy Is Truly Humble.
Tommy notoriously downplayed his personal wealth. He refused to talk about how he afforded his lifestyle, car and of course, how he was funding his dream. Some people may call this secretive or shady but Tommy was simply a humble man who did not want to talk about his prior successes. Whether his money came from flipping real estate, importing leather jackets from Korea or if it came from an ancient Transylvanian estate, Tommy kept his pride in check and refused to flex on his friends.
#6 Tommy Reinvented Guerilla Marketing
Though many of the costs were unnecessary according to the traditional movie making sheep, The Room’s reported production budget of 6 million dollars did more than just buy equipment and pay the salaries of the Shakespearean level cast. On top of the production costs, Tommy invested five thousand dollars a month for five years to put his face on a giant billboard to spark public interest in The Room. He also paid for the film to be shown in a theatre for two weeks so it would be eligible for Oscar nominations. Though unfortunately The Room was robbed and received no nominations, Tommy’s efforts were not wasted. The buzz generated through his innovative tactics eventually caught the attention of the world.
#5 Tommy Is Idolized
14 years after the release of The Room, Hollywood elite powerhouse James Franco, turned Greg Sestero’s story about the making of The Room into a blockbuster film named The Disaster Artist. Franco clearly relished the idea of getting into the skin and mind of the great Tommy Wiseau as he followed in his footsteps, directing and starring in the film. James Franco was far from the only personality pining to be a part of this project. Thespians and Artists such as Seth Rogan, JJ Abrams, Bryan Cranston, Sharon Stone, Zac Efron, Kristien Bell, and so many more, fell over themselves at the chance to be a part of this ode to greatness.
#4 Tommy is award winning.
Though an Oscar eluded Tommy himself, in 2004, his genius was recognized at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival, winning the audience award. Though Tommy’s trophy case may be relatively bare, the previously mentioned film; The Disaster Artist, has received over 30 awards, over 80 nominations, including one for an Oscar. Rightfully, James Franco had the class to invite Tommy onstage when receiving his Golden Globe. This is another example of Tommy not just making his own dreams come true but inspiring others to greatness.
#3 Tommy Is Fearless
On countless occasions, Tommy has proven to be a trailblazer who is unafraid to try new things that break convention. Though at the time people may not have understood why, Tommy took risks and made magic.
You think the kamasutra lists all possible sexual positions, Tommy knows better, why not make love to your costar’s belly button. Some people think that buying and filming a motion picture on two cameras would be overkill, not Tommy, he embraced traditional film and the digital age. So-called artists may criticize a choice to have picture frames with images of spoons on the set of your film, but not Tommy, he knows that art is subjective. Think a vampire focused B story has no place in a dramatic film? Tommy knows better though sadly cut it from the final draft of the script. There are those who would use a real set opposed to a green screen, not Tommy, using cutting edge technology just makes real look more real. Some actors would react like a human when being told a story about a woman who was beaten, but not our Tommy, laughing like a robot is so much more powerful.
Like Leonardo Da Vinci, Tommy was ahead of his time and history will prove his impact on the world. Our only wish is that Tommy included the vampire storyline in the final cut. Hashtag Release The Wiseau Cut
#2 Tommy Defines Style
No list discussing Tommy Wiseau’s greatness would be complete without mentioning his impeccable style and unique fashion. The pioneer of multiple belts and oversized suit jackets, the forefather of dirty vampire chic and the master of flowing locks. Though not contributing directly to the success of The Room, as an extension of Tommy’s personality, his style has set a new bar for fashion trends and sir, we thank you for it.
Before we share the top reason whyTommy Wiseau is a god among men, don’t forget to laugh inappropriately at the subscribe button. We will be putting out more videos about who or what ruined or saved some of our favorite movies and shows every week.
#1 Tommy is Tommy.
Sarcastic logic aside, you can say what you will about Tommy Wiseau, but deep within his outer creature of the night shell, he has a passion and drive that is truly unique and captivating. There has never been a film as perfectly terrible as The Room. It has gained a cult following that is only rivaled by classics like the Rocky Horror Picture Show. From the casual home viewer to the celebrity fan who attends The Room’s midnight screenings, everyone can enjoy this catastrophe. It’s often been said that if you tried to make something this awful, you would still come up short and certainly not become a cultural phenomenon.
So what’s special about The Room? Tommy. Tommy is nothing anyone has ever seen before, or will again.
Did we forget anything? How else did Tommy make this world a better place? Comment below. Thanks for watching.
Credits:
Writer: AB Scarlett
Editor: Angel Gustanski
Voice: Scott Tunnix
Video: Dhananjay Singh & Angel Gustanski
Scarlett.Media productions are for commentary, criticism and parody. All media samples are for transformative and fair use.
See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).