Heralded as the “worst movie ever made”, 2003’s THE ROOM starring, written and directed by Tommy Wiseau has gained Cult Classic status, selling-out screenings on the midnight circuit even to this day. Intended originally as a gripping Drama, the Film is seen as the inverse. Premiering this September at TIFF ’17, THE DISASTER ARTIST is an Adaptation of The Room star Greg Sestero‘s 2013 Memoir of the same title. James Franco directs and stars in the Film as Wiseau in one of the year’s most-talked-about performances. In fact if his Gotham Award for Best Actor earlier this week is any indication, he and the Film will be a major force Awards Season. Truly you don’t need even to have seen The Room to get The Disaster Artist, but this Adaptation gives us a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how The Room was made. Don’t think of the Film as a Parody, it is a love letter to Wiseau.
We had the pleasure of chatting with stars Ari Graynor (Juliette Danielle/Lisa), Paul Scheer (Raphael Smadja, Director of Photography) and Dave Franco (Greg Sestero/Mark) about making delightfully-funny The Disaster Artist, this Holiday’s most-unlikely feel-good Movie.
Their own connections to THE ROOM
Franco: “The Room is a relatable story about two guys after dream and not taking ‘no’ for an answer. The challenge from the beginning is how you get people interested who haven’t heard of The Room. There is a universal story underneath it all.”.
Graynor: “I’d heard about it for years but hadn’t seen it until James texted me about being in it. I watched it alone in my apartment and was screaming and grabbing at imaginary arms. Can you believe this? I had wondered how this will be for people who don’t know it. It doesn’t matter if you’re not one bit familiar with The Room. It’s really a behind-the-scenes look at the fulfillment of so many people’s dreams, which is what if we get to make a Movie and hope it’s the best thing in the world. It’s about dreams.”.
Scheer: “It’s kinda like a drug, where you ask your friends, ‘Hey ever heard of this thing? No? Let’s watch it!’. At first it’s kinda weird and as soon as you’re done and your first reaction after seeing it is you want to share it with someone else. It’s something you need to tell the world about.”.
“The Disaster Artist works as a Prequel and a Sequel. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a great intro and if you’ve seen it already, it’s an amazing side of the story you’ve never seen.”.
Greatest challenges re-creating THE ROOM
Graynor: “Meticulously recreating scenes from The Room is one of the toughest thing I’ve done in my career. It was such a specific acting talent. It wasn’t about doing bad acting, it was about trying to match the rhythm of this Movie that makes no sense. We would be studying on the iPad these clips harder than we were studying for the SATs to get these moves right. And that was one of the most fun and challenging things I’ve ever done!”.
Franco: “Greg is a subtle, complicated character. You want the audience to understand why he’s so drawn to bizarre individual (Tommy). I met with Greg several times before we began filming and I asked him if The Room could be any good. And he kept saying ‘no’, but there’s something in his inflection I don’t believe. As a young actor you’re just excited to be on a movie set so you come in with blind ambition and have to believe this thing could be good.”.
Scheer: “It’s hard to make it work. Like Tennesse Williams through Google Translate. How do you make this work? These actors did their best job with what they were given. It’s like the Corn Husk Dress Challenge on Project Runway... it’s still a corn husk dress. You’re not gonna get cornsilk.”.
Tommy Wiseau‘s reaction to The Disaster Artist
Franco: “Tommy decided he didn’t want to see it until premiered at SXSW. He was watching amongst 1,000 people who were also watching him watch his own crazy story on-screen. We figured he should like our Movie because we humanize him. It’s a celebration of Tommy, but that being said, who knows how he’s gonna react because he’s Tommy. We didn’t give him a mic at the Q&A, so when we went offstage, we asked what him what he thought. He’s famous for saying that Greg‘s book is only 40% accurate and he said this Film was 99.9% accurate.”.
Graynor: “What’s the .1% missing then you wonder? He told James, ‘I think you need to talk to DP about the light!’.
Scheer: “Tommy has no money value in Greg‘s book, that’s why he didn’t give it 100%!”.
WORKING WITH JAMES FRANCO
Franco: “There’s so many cameos and people would pop-in for a day. We let them know they’re not being directed by James Franco but by Tommy Wiseau. I love working with my brother. He’s a great actor, director and puts a lot of time into casting the right people. He lets actors trust their instincts and to do their own thing.”. “When you feel more safe, you’re more willing to take risks and try things you don’t normally try.”.
Scheer: “We’d work with six-page scenes, one long take. It allows you to get into a rhythm you don’t normally get. To get a real rhythm and know we’re not stopping for five pages, it doesn’t happen that much.”.
Graynor: “Trust was biggest thing. It was like really trusting that people could be responsible for themselves and the Movie and improvise, play and throw each other ideas. It felt like being at movie camp. It was very playful.”.
TAKEAWAYS
Graynor: “You have to put passion into everything. Your expectations will always be off somehow. With The Room, to see the journey it has gone on when it first got shown in a theatre to qualify for Academy Awards to becoming a midnight cult hit and now be at one of the greatest Film Festivals in the world. You just never know what’s gonna happen!”.
Scheer: “Tommy didn’t collaborate. When you have someone so singularly-focused and not listening to DPs nor actors, anyone. Film is a collaborative medium. Don’y get so full of yourself in your vision that you’re not asking other people for their help.”.
Elevation Pictures release THE DISASTER ARTIST Friday, December 1, 2017 in Toronto and Friday, December 8, 2017 across Canada.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Are you ready for the ultimate showdown ever? The new Trailer for AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR at last has surfaced!
Synopsis:
An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
See the Trailer:
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Friday, May 4, 2018.
(Photo/vido credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
After a record-breaking opening in Mexico, Disney•Pixar‘s COCO is the choice of Moviegoers this U.S. Thanksgiving weekend with a $49 million opening from 3,987 theatres across North America. It earns a sensational A+ CinemaScore and a 96% on the Tomatometer. Can we call it an Oscar Contender?
An annual fixture within the Chinese-Canadian community, the Miss Chinese Toronto Pagaent took place last night at Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The Winner of the Competition goes on to complete in the Miss Chinese International Pageant, broadcast on Hong Kong’s premier Network, TVB. Several Finalists in the past have gone on to use the Pageant as a springboard to successful careers in Asian Television and Cinema.
This year’s Special Guest was Sammy Sum, who has risen to prominence as an Actor, Singer and Songwriter in recent years. He actually immigrated to Montreal from Hong Kong as a child before launching a prominent career in Asia. Sum in addition to making appearances for Canada’s top Chinese Television Station Fairchild, he also busked amidst the bustle of Chinatown yesterday.
We were lucky enough to meet the star who was en route back to Hong Kong after a musical performance at last night’s Pageant. Learn more about Miss Chinese Toronto here. We are proud of our friend Gloria Li, last year’s winner who handed her tiara to this year’s Victress Tiffany Choi.
Sum‘s Instagram can be found here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Sammy Sum)
We should’ve known she’d go big! In addition to the Billboard Hot 200-topping success of her Album of the same name, P!NK gives us some Thanksgiving delight with the new Video for BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA starring herself and Channing Tatum! We love the role reversal!
See the Video:
(Photo/video credit: Sony Music Entertainment)
Fox Searchlight x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance first to see THE SHAPE OF WATER, hot off a rousing reception at TIFF ’17.
Screenings take place as follows:
THE SHAPE OF WATER – TORONTO
Wednesday, December 6 / 7:00PM / Cineplex Yonge and Dundas
THE SHAPE OF WATER – VANCOUVER
Wednesday, December 13 / 7:00PM / Cineplex International Village
THE SHAPE OF WATER – CALGARY
Wednesday, December 20 / 7:00PM / Scotiabank Chinook
Synopsis:
From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER – an other-worldly fable, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
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Fox Searchlight release THE SHAPE OF WATER Friday, December 8, 2017 in Toronto, Friday, December 15, 2017 in Vancouver and wide Friday, December 22, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Fox Searclight)
Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’17 selection, THE DISASTER ARTIST, based on Greg Sestero‘s Memoir about his experience working on Tommy Wiseau‘s Cult Classic, THE ROOM.
Synopsis:
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tommy Wiseau‘s The Room (2003), starring Tommy (James Franco) and his best friend, actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). The two met during an acting workshop, when Greg was just an aspiring actor.
Tommy takes Greg under his wing, setting him up in Los Angeles in an apartment Tommy rarely uses. While Greg soon finds an agent (Sharon Stone) and a girlfriend (Alison Brie), Tommy isn’t as lucky, so he decides to write, direct and star in his own movie, despite lacking talent in any of those areas.
The Room, made on a production budget of $6,000, was notoriously awful. It opened in two Los Angeles theaters in June 2003 and grossed a pitiful $1,200, but in a twist of fate, went on to earn a cult following, earning the dubious honor of being dubbed “the Citizen Kane of bad movies.”
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this corresponding Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!
Elevation Pictures release THE DISASTER ARTIST Friday, December 1, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’17 selection, THE BREADWINNER, produced by Angelina Jolie.
Synopsis:
Parvana (Saara Chaudry), a little girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, goes with her father to the market to earn money to buy food for their family. Women are not allowed out in public, so her mother and older sister stay home, but Parvana tries to keep a low profile in order to not attract attention.
Unfortunately, some members of the Taliban take offense at her presence in the market square and take her father away to prison for breaking the rules. As the food supply for the family, including her baby brother, dwindles, Parvana finally has to cut her hair in order to disguise herself as a boy so she can make money for food before they all starve.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City.
Elevation Pictures release THE BREADWINNER Friday, November 24, 2017 in Toronto and nationwide Friday, December 15, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
I’m sure many of you are just as excited as we about STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. In addition to an amazing fan event held in Mexico last night in which Director Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley attended, now comes a brand-new look at the eagerly-awaited Film!
See the new look:
Photos from last night’s Black Carpet event:
You can buy tickets now here!
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Friday, December 15, 2017.
(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
We grew-up with Peter Rabbit but you’ve never seen him look so good! See the new Trailer for the upcoming Film Adaptation of the beloved bunny.
Synopsis:
Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter’s feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm, with Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley performing the voice roles of the triplets, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail.
See the Trailer:
Sony Pictures Canada release PETER RABBIT Friday, February 9, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)
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