The Room | Big Joel

Tommy Wiseau's The Room has been given a lot of attention since its release, but none of that attention seems to treat it seriously as a topic for analysis. Now, with the planned release of The Disaster Artist, there is a great deal of renewed interest in this so bad it's good masterpiece. So that's this video.
Support me on Patreon: / bigjoel
Follow me on Twitter: / biggestjoel

[@colombi1anjay]

somebody send this to Tommy, it'd make his day.

[@pedroaguiar2496]

Except for the part where it says that Tommy clearly has no idea of what he's doing.

[@NoOne-ky1er]

Pedro Aguiar He wouldn't make it to that part.

[@vladskiobi]

Pedro Aguiar Tommy tends not to pay attention to criticism as long as it's peppered with compliments, one-track mind, that dude.

[@PinkandPinkandPink]

It would tear him apart!

[@McPoyleBros]

I have a feeling Tommy would wouldn’t understand a bit of it.

[@zadarasimoleons1019]

I just realized this movie passes the Bechdel test. Lisa and Claudette talk about Claudette's breast cancer. Briefly, but it's there. Pass.

[@LauM]

Oh my fucking god.

[@LiLMARSLI]

Thank you random person on the internet for teaching me something I have never heard before :) I will always do the Bechdel test on every movie from now on. I went and did a quick search for it, and realized that more movies didn't pass this test than I would guess. It seemed ridiculous to me at first, seemed very unnecessary to have this test. But as I went along with the idea and saw many movies that didn't pass, I started to think it is a quite necessary test. If you use it for males, I don't believe you would find any movie that can't pass it.

[@americanbookdragon]

@@LiLMARSLI Jane Austin books. It surrounds women but men do not pass the Bechdel test.

[@jasonalbert6251]

I... never thought something from Rick and Morty would actually prove useful. Huh.

[@myrianrose3619]

I think Girl, Interrupted doesn't pass the male Bechdel. There's like one scene where two men talk and it's about the girl protagonist. But yeah, it's very rare.

[@Melissa-tw2gp]

You make this movie seem less like a hilarious trainwreck and more like a Lynchian thought experiment.

[@VaatiOfDarkness]

That's the idea! Hahaha

[@lauradowling1604]

You actually help me understand the depths of badness! Lol

[@tturpin98]

I find it odd that people compare The Room to a Lynch film. The difference between The Room and a Lynch film is that Lynch knows what he's doing and why he's doing it. Tommy W. didn't know what he was doing. Check out Slavoj Zizek's analysis on David Lynch's Lost Highway - The Art of the Ridiculous Sublime. Though Lynch's films are hard to wrap your head around, Zizek's analysis really helps you understand what he's doing and why he does it. It will also help you understand the significance of his work. Just because Lynch is a surrealist and strays away from the traditional way of fiilmmaking, we CANNOT place his work in the same conversation as The Room. The Room is trash. Great analysis! Because you are taking an academic approach, it seems that people can't help to think that there's some sort of important theme or intellectual approach to The Room. But in hindsight, your analysis actually shows us that he had no clue what he was doing!

[@tturpin98]

Melissa , I know you're not comparing this to Lynch, but a lot of people do. It's hilarious!

[@HadBabits]

@@tturpin98It makes sense to me. I'm certainly no authority on Lynch, but one impression I get from his work is that he likes twisting the mundane and tropes, basically creating an /approximation/ of life. Or at least, that's my impression with Twin Peaks and its fascination with soap-operas, as well as Eraser head. The Room feels like seeing the world through Wiseau's own peculiar lens. I'd like to think it's because he's trying to create the kind of thing Twin Peaks parodied, the Soap-opera, a 'realistic' emotional drama. But he lacks all the deliberate skill of someone like Lynch so the end product is a drama, but it feels 'off' in so many ways. Basically I think they just happen to hit a similar vibe for different reasons. So I'm not saying there's anything 'intellectual' behind it, but I do think there's stuff there to talk about. I've been quite interested in authorial intent lately, and I find the idea that one person could skillfully tap into the same vein of humanity that another stumbles onto really fascinating. Regardless of if it's literally true, it raises a lot of interesting questions about the validity and value of authorial intent vs happenstance.

[@Jared_Wignall]

Hahahaha! What a story Joel

[@TheWerecatboy]

Oh hi Joel, I didn't know it was you! You're my favorite customer. Byyyyyeee!

[@melteddali8000]

YOU ARE TEARING ME APART JOEL

[@madcircle7311]

Oh, hi Jared.

[@sluffnut7507]

Anything for my princess!

[@otiose2921]

Anyway, how's your sex life?

[@patrikmichalu8637]

This review seriously scared me. I was listening to it in the middle of night, kinda dozing off, and the creepiness of the uncanny nature of the characters really dawned on me and kinda induced this lucid nightmare-ish state in my head as well. I am now almost convinced The Room is an intentional psychological horror and Tommy is a genius who intended that effect.

[@manospondylus4896]

Patrik Michalu After this video I'm seriously starting to think that the characters (or at least Lisa) are aware that they are just characters in a bad fictional story and try to break out of it, but they can't because the movie and the other characters force them into their assigned roles. Mark is only semi-aware and every time he is about to realize what world he is in by asking questions, he gets silenced and forced by the movie into his role. Johnny escapes the movie by committing suicide and Lisa accepts her fate, but at least tries to make the movie more interesting for her amusement by creating conflict. In a way she herself continues the status quo by not allowing Mark and Claudette to become self-aware and forcing them into their roles, so that she can manipulate and play with them.

[@tomknoll5546]

What a story Mark...

[@greasehardbody4018]

Well now I'm spooked of the movie as well

[@firetarrasque4667]

​@@manospondylus4896What if the movie is purposely designed not just to look really bad, but to seem at just the write point that there's a deeper meaning or plot in it, like he planned it this way all along, but there's isn't?

[@kharris3352]

Unrelated, that waking-lucid nightmare you described happened to me a couple times but I never had the words to describe it. I’m glad I saw this comment to show I’m not crazy

[@guerreiro943]

I honestly think my obsession with this movie is getting out of hand.

[@ahri3887]

Least ur not the only one. Anyway, how's your sex life?

[@zenithquasar9623]

It is the only film that I managed to watch 6 times and still enjoyed it!

[@tam2237]

guerreiro943 I know, right?

[@danielsosa63]

I watched it 10 times the first week I found it

[@Aaron-uq7ld]

Just go with it dude

[@gabsgoo7716]

You made Lisa into one of the most interesting and relatable characters in film. You legend.

[@jschnei3]

tfw The Room almost seems to have some merit

[@jamdeluxe7456]

big joel does the impossible

[@garnetavi]

The thoughts about her motivation are actually really interesting because supposedly she's based on an ex-girlfriend who wronged the author. Yet in questioning her part in the narrative, it's possible we are actually catching glimpses of a real person's experience despite a highly biased source telling.

[@LiliaBrilliant]

Oh hi utena!

[@justinokraski3796]

I see her as somebody who spent an entire life with a dishonest, railroading mom who forced her into her particular circumstances, and she has a breakdown offscreen that causes her to rebel against everything she knows

[@chrisscorpio5651]

Your esoteric understanding of Wiseau`s inner dialogue of man and his frailty is unparalleled.

[@tiagodias3927]

Chris Scorpio Quite

[@watsonwrote]

From what I read in the Disaster Artist, that conflict between the "status quo" and abnormal/deleterious behavior seems to define how the movie was made and also Tommy as a person. He wants desperately to make a big budget Hollywood movie in what he perceives as the "correct" de facto way movies are produced (which is the reason behind him using an analogue camera, building sets unnecessarily, etc). He wants to seem like a normal, successful american guy. But somehow in pursuing his artificial vision of normalcy things veer off into the bizzare and uncanny. I feel like this could be a really fascinating topic to explore more

[@daltonbedore8396]

tl;dr he's pursuing a made-up fantasy of what being a "hollywood director" is, and since he's also not from the usa, he has no idea how silly that looks to the rest of us

[@henrytuttle2645]

Dalton Bedore He’s as much a director as the current President is a leader. Both Wiseau and Trump are people without any talent who bought their way into elite status. Except I like Tommy Wiseau because he keeps his fake fantasies where they belong, in the world of entertainment. He makes weird movies and we go on with our lives. The President’s whims and fantasies, on the other hand, have real impacts on the world.

[@Anon-fd8ui]

@@henrytuttle2645 "Huhuh let's bring shitty politics onto a youtube video about The Room huhuh" Get a hobby, pal.

[@EebstertheGreat]

@@daltonbedore8396 To the extent that he long insisted he was born in America. He still insists he grew up in the U.S., which just isn't possible given his accent.

[@islandboy9381]

Basically he has a very distorted vision of what a normal Hollywood movie is.

[@helioskitty9328]

That delivery of “What kind of drugs do you take?” makes Lisa sound like she wants some xD

[@MalleeMate]

Fentanyl, it’s the cool new thing 🫡

[@rudeboyzippo]

The room is a colossal failure, but I have no doubt that Tommy was trying to make a true drama, drawing from his personal experience and pain. He has no talent, and therefore it comes across as farce, but you can tell, he was trying to make something powerful, and real, and true. It's kinda sad, because I'm sure it really hurt him, when people reacted the way they did.

[@tonigrosso7544]

Supposedly a girl really did this to Tommy.

[@CMCAdvanced]

This movie is definitely not a failure

[@decepticonne]

it's a failure as a serious drama, but it's a resounding success as a high camp, psychological horror experience

[@darkninjafirefox]

@Wary Trout tuition z d

[@darkninjafirefox]

8 zz

[@user-fn8tq2wg2e]

I would argue that the flower shop scene actually has a purpose - not for the plot, but for Johnny's character. It reinforces two ideas: a) Johnny is a good, likeable guy (even some random saleswoman likes him); b) Johnny buys a lot of stuff for Lisa (he's the favorite customer at the store selling flowers and gifts, which must mean he buys flowers and gifts pretty often).

[@Empyre18]

29:00 Greg Sestero had a really insightful comment about this trend in the movie. He pointed out that Tommy Wiseau was intending for Johnny’s life to be “perfect,” but his idea of a perfect life was not one which most people would imagine if they could wave a wand and describe their perfect life. A 9-5 office job where he doesn’t get his promotion, a decent-but-nothing-special condo, buying expensive gifts for his girlfriend, etc. Greg really made an insightful point here when he said that Tommy “did not know how much he didn’t know about other people’s dreams.”

[@dorriley3954]

the "Dozen red roses" scene (the shop scene) makes complete sense. assume Johnny called ahead and had the order of roses waiting. the clerk asks what she can get for him. he says "a dozen red roses". she says, "ohh, hi johnny! i didn't know it was you (that was the one that had ordered the roses)". because it was before caller ID and he must have called from work. this also explains why she pulls them from the counter, already arranged and johnny says "that mee!". because that was his order. i implore you all to rewatch the scene and tell me i'm wrong

[@dorriley3954]

also keep in mind that Wisseau's natural eccentricities in portraying Johnny don't necessarily reflect the intention with which he was written. Wisseau has claimed to not know he has an accent.. why would he find Johnny's voice or appearance super distinct?

[@MrJohndoakes]

@@dorriley3954 Caller ID came out in the mid-'90s and this was made in 2003....but even today there are numbers without ID tags, so your explanation works if Johnny's work phone was not given an identifier. But it's still bizarre because the scene does nothing for the film's reading of itself as a romantic tragedy. It only works if you are laughing at it.

[@lithiumkid]

@@MrJohndoakes it tells us he buys gifts like flowers for Lisa quite often, which is sweet and romantic & shows us he's a pretty nice boyfriend (in this aspect at least). it fleshes out their relationship.

[@NicoleBe]

@@dorriley3954 as someone who struggles to recognise faces, I agree with this. In this movie, Tommy is playing an American character whose only weird thing is probably his long black hair, his looks accent are not meant to be unusual in this movie. The viewer should act a suspension of disbelief. In this movie Johnny is meant to look like any other normal American guy with long hair.

[@marioventura6055]

I honestly think that what made this movie so funny was the production value, so that it looked and sort of felt like most movies, but then the content within this appearance was all wrong. It's like the concept of uncanny valley if it applied to movies: the appearance of it contradicts what it really is.

[@BigJoel]

Yeah, I definitely think that's a huge part of why people like it

[@cnking27]

Again, it contradicts itself.

[@dysmissme7343]

That’s a great way to describe it

[@nicoleh3703]

I always interpreted the "Johnny doesn't drink" line differently. I think it's Claudette's way of catching Lisa in a lie. She doesn't believe that Johnny would drink so she sort of doesn't believe her daughter's story. I have watched this analysis WAY too many times lol

[@Eseteemece]

I thought the same

[@Lucasp110]

Yeah, that's my takeaway too

[@Mistardmuster]

Something that fascinates me about The Room is that it's a movie about complex adult relationships written by a person who has a child's understanding of how adult relationships work. As I got older I realized that tommy wiseau had a lot of writing habits I see in young childrens' attempts at writing, including my own: trying to discuss "important, dark" topics continuously, very isolated social exchanges between characters, using catchphrases that don't mean anything outside the context of the writer's mind. As a young teen I found this movie funny because of how awkward it was- as an adult, it's become hilarious because I've realized with age and experience that actual people don't talk like that.

[@kiwo579]

@IBSSnapeyi love “there is a theory” comments as if its not just some random made up bullshit from reddit or adjacent forumsites, like the idea of it being a ‘theory’ masks it being complete nonsensical horseshit

[@justanotherredheadattheend955]

Honestly, when Claudette says that Lisa 'can't support herself' like it's this completely obvious fact, it DOES feel like a glimpse of some whole other setting. Like...why not? Why CAN'T she get a job, leave Johnny, find a roommate, and start over by herself? Everything about Lisa seems like she's about to realize she's in the Matrix. It's like there's this bizarre, authoritarian world going on in the background, where this movie just happens to take place. And the fact that the story never addresses it, is eerie and kind of sinister in its own right; as though this was made for an in-universe audience who passively understands this reality. I highly endorse this alternate fan-viewing 😳

[@Sandalphonium]

The Room is what happens when you mix The Matrix, and The Truman Show, but never let the consumers or characters notice or gain awareness

[@jayyyzeee6409]

The title of the movie gives it away. It's shot from the perspective of the room. Those seemingly unnecessary characters are among the things that take place in the room, so those events are significant to the room. The room is the main character.

[@tinybed]

woah

[@em791]

When he originally wrote it as a play, Tommy had every single scene take place in the same room. The play was apparently adapted from his 500+ page novel.

[@KOTEBANAROT]

@@em791 its very strange how tommy has this strangely refined taste for character driven cinema when otherwise he's very childish

[@nickname8619]

@@KOTEBANAROT childish? More like creative. This man surpassed everyone in this comment section probably

[@blazrrr-4082]

Dude, MIND BLOWN

[@cheyeser]

It seems to me that you're the expert Joel.

[@McPoyleBros]

Ahah Hahaha

[@S11tep1a82]

Only real experts know what you mean Dude😂 anyways, how's your sexlife?

[@beback_]

I completely agree. There is something about the movie’s lack of nuance, transparent writing and crappy production that feels very intimate and genuinely beautiful. It’s an honest, no bullshit window into its creator’s mind in a way that elaborately architected art usually isn’t.

[@andresfgp13]

one thing that i want to comment about Wiseau´s subtle writing is the famous "oh, hi mark!" scene, in which he is seriously angry about the lies that Lisa is telling about him, but at seeing his friend Mark he inmediately calms and relaxes, this shows how strong his bond with Mark is, that just seeing his best friend calms him and he is able to take control of his emotions again, which just makes Mark´s betrayal later in the movie even more painful.

[@finno.5412]

this is legitimately one of the most interesting and thorough commentaries i've ever heard wrt this movie and i appreciate it so much. your whole framing of the unnatural repetition and jaunty tone shifts as "nightmarish" in a literal sense was super interesting/accurate and i absolutely love the amount of attention and care you give media that many would just brush aside as being "haha its funny bc its shitty" and the sense of authenticity you approach all of your analysis with. i've been binging your videos the past few days but finally got around to watching this one and it really sold your approach to me, i can't wait to see what else you do!

[@xingcat]

I produce a new plays festival at my local theater every year, and though it seems like The Room is unique in its odd shifts of tone, its repetition of phrases and scenes, and its employment of single-use characters who steer close to complexity only to abruptly stop, if you read enough scripts by amateur writers, The Room is sadly not unique in this at all. I think the main oddity of The Room is the fact that it was produced for such a large budget and released with such a lot of promotion, due to the amount of money involved. Reading submitted plays in the hundreds every year tips you off to the fact that some mistakes are made in writing all the time, and it's a good thing they don't get made.

[@snowpdx]

“The best advice I can give on this is, once it's done, to put it away until you can read it with new eyes. When you're ready, pick it up and read it, as if you've never read it before. If there are things you aren't satisfied with as a reader, go in and fix them as a writer: that's revision." - Neil Gaiman

[@jschnei3]

^This is an important comment. Joel's analysis can give one the impression that The Room is a singular anomaly. This impression arises because one is not *used* to an analytical deep-dive into a garbage heap. But just because you've picked apart one garbage heap and become intellectually acquainted of its rottenness, doesn't mean it is fundamentally any different from the other garbage strewn all over the world.

[@mouseypublishings]

WATER!

[@kissarococo2459]

How tragic. How many funny movies are not being made because of sharp-eyed proof-readers....

[@MrJohndoakes]

@xingcat The trick is that "The Room" allegedly was a novel first - if that is true, then this was a train wreck long before Tommy turned it into a script. It may have been a worse story before Wiseau edited/rearranged things while converting the novel into a script, and it still came out bizarre as a finished film.

[@calebalwayswill7423]

Haha alright, "cheesecake subplot" gave it away

[@IIIlIl]

gave what away?

[@aderyn7600]

@@IIIlIl how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know.

[@soulmechanics7946]

@@aderyn7600 Nice. 😂

[@SatanasExMachina]

@@aderyn7600 278. Results may vary.

[@RachelAnnPotter]

Damn, now I'm craving cheesecake

[@YouFightLikeACow]

This is actually one of the few non sarcastic sincere analyses of The Room and trying to breakdown the auteur that is Tommy. I like!

[@julieanderton1716]

Really breaks down why the characters seem so hilariously simple and the movie feels errie and surreal. Great analysis.

[@BigJoel]

Thanks!

[@loose2th]

"Mark randomly starts to murder Peter"

[@stevesan]

the best description of The Room: An alien observes humanity, and does its best to make a movie that realistically depicts humans.

[@missmarkle6827]

Yessssss! You nailed it!

[@pupyfan69]

a polish smuggler tries to make a film styled after mid-20th century american drama and fails miserably

[@LauM]

So basically like when AIs write scripts or interviews based on several hours of that same kind of content, right?

[@Molotov_Milkshake]

hahaha

[@GabiN64]

@@LauM yep that too. We will see a lot of content created by AI. Movies, music etc..

[@AlexisHiemis]

I love your analysis of Lisa and I wanted to add something: that I think she got her sense of drama from her mother. Because I don't thinkClaudette even has breast cancer, she seems to be the kind of manipulative person that wants to make things go her way and invents problems to make people pitty her. Thats why Lisa is so unimpressed by her claims, stating that everything will be fine - she knows this is just fake drama to make her care for her unhappy mother. Claudette just never expected Lisa to learn from her all the wrong things: that in order to get what she wants, she has to be manipulative, too. Also Claudettes failed relationships in the movie suggest that she has, conscious or not, given Lisa the impression that relationships are basically worthless if not for status and security. Lisa, unhappy with this, realizes that she won't be happy with Johnny, so she just throws everything away.

[@GoogleAccount-vh8ei]

TschinTonik ty never thought of this before

[@justinokraski3796]

I've thought of this before but could never quite put it into words. Well done.

[@blauwzakjecrack]

Ffs , this also makes so much sence. What is going on here!

[@PhilosophiPie]

The one thing I always found most striking is that Lisa constantly rebels against the society and it's restrictions but she doesn't come up with a constructive alternative. The line " If Johnny can't, someone else will" is the point at which this becomes apparent, even though she rebels against the idea of someone providing for her she can't think of an alternative to someone caring for her. She is truly tragic she notices her own unhappiness and it's reasons but it incapable of resolving the issues at hand.

[@2012thefreshprince]

Danny, as a metaphor, is the good version of Mark. Think about it, he has the same issues that Mark has but Johnny is preventing him from falling apart and becoming a Mark. 1. Danny has drugs problem but johnny is helping him and teaching him that drugs are bad. Mark on the other hand is already using drugs and according to the script, the drugs are messing with his head and he can't think straight. Drugs have already ruined Mark but Danny was saved. 2. Danny is falling in love with Lisa but johnny is preventing him from betraying their friendship. Mark is already having an affair with Lisa which later on ruins his friendship with Johnny. Danny is what Johnny preceive to be a good person, and is the complete opposite of Mark. The Room is a movie about loyality and friendship, that's the main theme of the story. Sorry for my English not in advanced

[@missmarkle6827]

Denny

[@DanteSparda-wo7ls]

Very good points 👏

[@RegsaGC]

Yer English is fine don't worry about it

[@marvelousmoostacheman5560]

Haha, I've always thought Denny was a useless character, but when you put it like that, his arc kinda makes sense.

[@firetarrasque4667]

You know, the one English mistake I spotted was that is should be advance, not advanced.

[@polnaszek5]

Dude, this is great stuff. Instead of just getting on the bandwagon of making fun of The Room. Instead you take time to explore what Wiseau was trying (and of course failing) to accomplish with this passion project. You’ve earned a sub from me! Keep up the quality content. 👌

[@Anon-fd8ui]

@@Schwallex "You've earned yourself a sub" is a common turn of phrase denoting praise for the content creator for making good content. Why those few words present such a colossal issue to you is almost unnsettling.

[@heartache5742]

@@arunkeshavadas7171 the room has created joy for many people it's not trump

[@tiffanyl4829]

@@arunkeshavadas7171 Do you believe there is a human who isn’t?

[@iggykidd]

The Room is so uniquely surreal from other "so bad it's good" movies because it LOOKS like a real hollywood movie, for the most part. You expect a Neil Breen or a Birdemic to be incompetent because it looks awful, but The Room had real industry veterans and a decent budget for an indie, so it has this constant on-screen struggle of trying to be an actual movie while the script, director, and lead are constantly throwing it down the drain. Truly the perfect storm.

[@KarbinCry]

This is a great video. Taking The Room seriously is really untouched ground, and it actually made me think about how we treat the person and intent of the Author in critique, as it seems we tend to discount choices of those authors we pre-suppose to be "bad" as mishaps, as coincidences, instead of true choices on their part.

[@banacek8675]

You always playing psychologist wit da charactahs Joel!

[@chriscothron9728]

banacek8675 but you’re a psychologist

[@MattJDave]

You misspelled 'Sockawlajist'

[@hahawas]

Haha you think about everything!

[@BigJoel]

You know what you need? You need a drink.

[@mrmeseeks8790]

You are my best friend.

[@S.D.323]

@@mrmeseeks8790 and I love lisa so much

[@nicoleh3703]

This was completely unexpected! I've actually used The Room as white noise many times, and found the scenes to be jolted by the dialogue alone. Your analysis of Lisa's character being referenced using material things made perfect sense. Now that I think about it, when Johnny dies in the end, he doesn't immediately think of Lisa. It's only when he holds her red dress that the memories return. Even in his last moments, Johnny associates Lisa with something material rather than emotional.

[@markhaus]

I always thought “the room” is basically just a more realistic version of the game “The Sims”. Like it’s awkwardly AI generated as a facsimile of reality and that it throws in fun quirks to keep the game amusing.

[@nplt8263]

My god, that seems so, on point

[@ms.aelanwyr.ilaicos]

Headcanon acquired

[@freelance_commie]

Every time I see the flower shop scene, I know whats coming, I feel like I’ve seen it so many times I don’t expect to feel anything from it. But as soon as she says, “you’re my favorite customer” I end up busting. It happens so fast and the talking over each other is just so unnatural and funny.

[@duffman18]

The breast cancer scene makes perfect sense. It shows how self-centred Lisa is that even when her mom gets cancer she says it doesn't matter compared to her problems And the "haha what a story Mark" makes sense too because Johnny is very naive about the world and so he's saying he doesn't believe it happened. He just calls it a story. Goes along with the whole innocent naive person gets duped by evil conniving people thing that's going on throughout the film

[@NicoleBe]

I've always thought that the "what a story mark" scene made sense because Johnny felt like the girl deseved to be hit after having cheated on her partner with LITERALLY TWELVE PEOPLE. When I was younger I would have probably thought that too (I'm talking about middle school) given that Tommy seems pretty immature and conservative it would make sense for him to think that.

[@rory1336]

I feel like watching the room is getting extremely deep and personal with a downward spiral of thoughts, rationalizations, emotions of Tommy about his relationships.

[@TryinaD]

Agreed! This movie is a reflection on what Tommy thinks about gender roles, relationships and daily life.

[@gustavsson867]

I think the reason for all of the "hi" and "goodbye/i have to go" is because the film was written as a play, where every character announces themselves as they enter and leave the stage.

[@DumpTrunks]

Johnny has a lot on his plate, and sees his friends symbolized in the silverware he needs to get through it all. He appreciates the sharp observations of knife personalities like Claudette, Peter, and the Flower Shop lady, and also the good points they make... but only from a safe distance. He likes fork folks Lisa, Mark, and Michelle to stick around, but doesn't know if they go in the dish rack prong up or down. Then there's Johnny's spoon boy, his pride and joy, Denny, his Lovin' Spoonful, never far from his lips and framed in places of honor throughout The Room.

[@Pluveus]

You made an "Oh hi" montage and you didn't include the "Oh hi Mark!" bit? Shame.

[@heathercalun4919]

Oh my god! The San Francisco of "The Room" is an early Westworld prototype! Think about it! The bad melodrama, the larger yet uncanny mechanations of the world around them, the extreme emphasis on repetition, the handful of catchphrases that the characters say in response to situations, the stilted delivery. It all makes sense now! They're literally robots!

[@bowser_inthe_darkworld2]

Hi, I've got to say, I am so happy to see this video. I love it. There are so few in-depth analyses of Wiseau's work, and yet, like you say, there is so much more to say than to just shrug it off and laugh! The film is exquisite in its composition, and after reading The Disaster Artist, I realize it's exquisite even in its mistakes! I love what you say about repetition, I hadn't noticed that Lisa mentions twice how she's going to try the dress on, and that is a very good point. It is pure slice of life, to allow the film to breathe, to be spontaneous in the same way life is ("don't plan too much, it may not turn out right!"). And what you say about Denny's drug scene is fantastic, too, how it's like an intersection of two worlds, and we get to see what'd going on in Denny's world simply because at that point in time Lisa is also there to witness it. Like you say, I think the weirdness of this movie would not work as well as it does if it wasn't for this slice of life realism. The way the weirdness cuts into reality is much more poignant this way... Like how actors enter in and out of set like they were on a theatre stage... I also love that "Mark murders Peter" scene, how the camera brings in sharp fear, but the incongruency of it is terrifying on a whole other level: it's scary in the way a nightmare is scare, yeah, like you said. Things change tone so radically, like the whole texture of the film is very rigid but suddenly becomes fluid without warning... In regard to serious analyses of The Room, you might have seen it, but I really enjoyed this article about the me underwears scene. It dissects it in a way similar to your video and was an enjoyable read: thelesserfeat.blogspot.com.es/2010/08/on-greatness-of-tommy-wiseaus-room.html And in case you may be interested, I have some The Room analyses of my own, but they're more on the "obsessive psychoanalysis of dream symbolism" kinda analysis haha kzbin.info/aero/PLgG7Af58jjyl0sovEEt5wVUBPj_FyvwDe

[@BigJoel]

wow, thanks so much. I actually have read the first article you're referring to and the disaster artists. Both things are great. Also, I'll be sure to check out your work.

[@norbertalbertz3918]

😂😂😂

[@ziggyzhang4156]

Wow I posted a separate comment on this video just to promote your playlist's work! I've been enjoying it for quite some time!

[@j9andphoenix]

No one noticed flower shop scene he doesn't leave and get into his car with a bunch of flowers but a plastic shopping bag? Oh Johnny - didn't recognise your flowers!

[@allenu]

Nah, I think he’s just holding the flowers upside down

[@martaelisa4417]

I love that everybody now calls her the FUTURE WIFE instead of fiance

[@tmwbadh]

Tommy's just a regular American guy, he doesn't use french words!

[@ms.aelanwyr.ilaicos]

WIFE OF THE FUTURE

[@shytguy]

"Haha you must be kidding aren't you" seriously this was good though

[@wongar1886]

I'm convinced that if somebody remade the script of the room with sitcom pacing and laugh track it would be eerily exactly what Tommy Wiseau thought he was making. Imagine WandaVision but centering around Lisa

[@ziggyzhang4156]

I bet the new Twin Peaks: The Return is heavily influenced by this

[@UltimateKyuubiFox]

I cannot believe this was 35 minutes. I was reading the comment section after watching it and someone asked if you planned on making more long video essays and I went to check the time because it felt like 12 minutes. That’s how great the pacing of this was. Excellent work, man. This felt incredibly thorough and illuminating. It really feels like I can see the movie Tommy Wiseau thought he was making.

[@thomas5076]

Hey man, I just wanted to take a quick second and say that your analysis here is absolutely stellar. Not only was this video essay incredibly fun to watch, but it was also informative and very persuasive. I love the room, but before this I only used it as a thing to laugh mindlessly at while high with friends, as you said in your conclusion, I was unable to look past its glaring faults and consider that actual decisions were made to make some things they way they were. So thanks, this was a fantastic watch. Subbed :)

[@BigJoel]

Thank you so much!

[@thomas5076]

Do you have any concrete plans for future longer video essays like this one? And do you have a place you have subs go to give suggestions, or should that just be done through the comments? Thanks again for the wonderful video :)

[@BigJoel]

Hmm, you know, I haven't yet made plans to make another really long video essay. I wouldn't be averse to doing one, but I like to release these things once every other week, and the longer the essay is, the more time it takes. I haven't yet created a something like a subreddit or twitter for people to send suggestions or ask questions. Maybe I should get on that haha. Anyway, yeah, sending them over the comments is the way to go for now.

[@thomas5076]

Sounds good! And creating a subreddit is incredibly easy, wouldn't take 10 minutes to do so :) Have a good one! Looking forwards to your next video!

[@BigJoel]

Thank you! And yeah, it wouldn't take too long, but I have this weird desire to wait on those things until I have a lot of people watching. It's kind of irrational, haha.

[@MrConredsX]

You play psychologist with us, Joel

[@gysoran]

i've never seen the room but watching this makes me feel like you're showing me scenes from a TV series instead of a movie

[@raycearcher5794]

I actually think the "I definitely have breast cancer" line is pretty realistic. Some people get very emotional about serious illness, but plenty of folks just throw it out, like "what are you gonna do?"

[@S.D.323]

it represents the stoicism of marcus aurelius you see you have to have a very VERY high IQ to understand the room every single shot has so many things going on

[@onewaylife4all]

It seems to me that you are the eeexpert Joel!

[@gooweepyoutube]

spelled expeert wrong you idio

[@selenite1]

I've often thought that if Wiseau had any competence as a filmmaker then the Room really wouldn't have any villains, just a bunch of character making really bad decisions having it blow up in their faces.

[@devintariel3769]

When Tommy says everything was intentional I understand now

[@keegster7167]

Yea, did you notice the spoon in the Room?

[@4dultw1thj0b]

I think I kinda want to see The Room adapted into a play. A lot of the accidental themes you discuss here could be explored in really interesting ways with good direction and casting.

[@LilyCat2399]

Omg a "The room" stage play would be amazing 😮!

[@rassilontdavros3004]

I believe Wiseau actually originally wrote it as a play.

[@theyellowmeteor]

If The Room had the same script, same actors, same awkward acting and direction, but were a play instead of a movie, it would have been officially declared a masterpiece.

[@darth_kal-el]

Tommy Wiseau originally wrote The Room as a play then turned that stageplay into a book and when he couldn’t get the book published decided to turn it into a film adapting the book into a screenplay.

[@darth_kal-el]

@@rassilontdavros3004 it was originally written as a play. Then he took the script and turned it into a 500+page book. He couldn’t get the book published and decided to make it a film.

[@avosthyric]

I genuinely cannot tell if Henry is joking and taking all of us for a ride or if this is his serious analysis of the movie

[@ocesamroblox1816]

Johnny was always there to help his friends, give them advise and comfort them... No one was there for Johnny at the end.

[@BigJoel]

I really wanna think this is Tommy Wiseau

[@andyroobrick-a-brack9355]

The Doggie that Jonny said hi to is the best character.

[@dennytheslim]

This was so good what the hell

[@BigJoel]

Thank you!

[@gooweepyoutube]

@@BigJoel idc stop

[@0smundSaddler]

The Room is a film I didn't fully understand until I played the Newgrounds game which forces you to -read- the dialogue. Having to read it instead of hearing it spoken for some reason ignited a supercharged awareness of just how bizarre and unnatural everything that happens is.

[@anastasiab1066]

in 2024 my college put on a screening of the room, I think my favorite part of the experience was the passion from the crowd, people were yelling in joy or anguish the whole time, especially the ending, you could really feel people’s attachment to the movie

[@FuzzballStudios]

I just noticed that Johnny asks Michelle, “Did you get a new dress?” But here’s the thing… She’s not even wearing a dress in the first place! 😂

[@emmetkuczmynda7861]

i enjoy how the writing of this video is sometimes mirroring the movie, exploring contradictory points and stuff. very good vid

[@darrenparker5619]

This film is a masterpiece written produced and directed by a misunderstood genius

[@markwalsh2992]

Darren Parker Apparently he was in a serious car accident... He probably got brain damage And sued for millions!! Which explains his never ending pile of money.

[@kimaya4503]

It's been years and this video is still a masterpiece.

[@booklover569]

This is the most straight-forward analysis of The Room I've ever seen

[@thephilosiphizer9227]

Well, I have Friends who sort of do the catch phrase thing. One of my friends always says " howdy howdy" when casually greeting someone, another one hums a discordant, random tune and when he wants to emphasize something, he breathes in sharply. I guess it's a simmilar thing, I don't know.

[@blargenshmuckil]

It's interesting that you argue that the movie can be read as pivoting around Lisa's surrealist transgressions against the realist, materialist, oppressively so, tendencies of the world around her. Do you have any thoughts on the fact the movie ultimately attempts to write a tragic downfall of a hero? After all, the movie was initially meant to be a tragedy, but somehow along the way, the movie accidentally picks Lisa as its protagonist rather than Johnny, albeit a villainous protagonist - in fact, the whole point of The Room videogame is to explore Johnny's side of the events in the movie, given how much focus the movie puts on Lisa rather than Johnny. Despite being the lead, Johnny becomes the object of movements around him; the only time he actually engages with the main plot is when he records everything and later, kills himself. Can Johnny's almost total lack of agency and interaction with the story fit into your larger arguments about the tension between the natural and the surreal in The Room? By the way, I love your videos! Really good stuff.

[@BigJoel]

I definitely think you're onto something here. Jonny's passivity can be associated with the fact that he embraces normalcy. That is to say, he's totally passive and static in a world that seems to appreciate passivity and stagnancy above all else. Thanks for watching and writing such a thoughtful comment.

[@lucalinadreemur9448]

Yogesh wait wait wait, there's a the Room video game other than Silent Hill 4?

[@manospondylus4896]

All of this I think opens up the possibility that the characters (or at least Lisa) are aware that they are just characters in a bad fictional story and try to break out of it. Mark is only semi-aware and every time he is about to realize what world he is in, he gets silenced and numbed by the movie, which causes the repetition. Johnny escapes the movie by committing suicide and Lisa accepts her fate, but at least tries to make the movie more interesting for her own amusement by creating conflict.

[@kai_plays_khomus]

Totally without an I Ging involved forcing them to recognize the fictional caracter of their world.. Also this film fits perfectly in what Wilson and Shea called a "Mindfuck"..

[@Evil_Befall]

hai doggie

[@AniMerrill]

If any of this had been intended, Tommy Wiseau would go down in history as some kind of genius director. Like it's almost sad that it was intended to be some kind of drama about a guy who's wife cheats on him because it definitely works much better as a postmodern and surrealist piece of anti-art commenting on the futility of the human condition.

[@catherinespark]

To be fair, it is majorly annoying when someone brings up something and then says they don't want to talk about it. THAT, at least, is true to life in my experience. And conversations DO repeat and go round in circles often when people are stubborn in their outlook and ideas. And a lot of life seems strained and contrived when people are not being honest.

[@motherofthetans]

The addition of details about the minor characters show that Mark and Lisa's actions weren't just going to ruin Johnny's life. Their whole circle of friends would be affected, very likely irrevocably changed, and not for the better. Including their stories could have really added some depth to the film, had the impact on the friendship been handled correctly (or addressed at all), but of course it wasn't, and we're left to wonder what would have happened to everyone after everything went down.

[@mads888]

This in depth analysis is tearing me apart, Lisa!

[@jamesmason7979]

This is the best video I've seen on the room so far. Most videos focus on the story and characterization with the filmmaking aspect overlooked. By focusing on the filmmaking aspect you've essentially added another layer of value to the film that should be analyzed. Excellent work!

[@aaronsarchive82]

I've seen this movie enough times to where it isn't healthy. Your video brought up points I've never thought of. Despite having The Room ingrained into my brain, I will be watching it with new eyes the next time I see it.

[@dougthedonkey1805]

I like to imagine Big Joel made this because someone told him to “read the room” and he took it wrong

[@GlaceonStudios]

Why doesn't this have more likes?

[@Koffingrockz]

I just noticed- he is holding the flowers upside down after leaving the flower shop. Is this symbolic of the the future downfall? Is his love and devotion towards Lisa what truly lead to his downfall leading to his tragic end? I find it very evident that Wiseau is in opposition to commercialized love. Also remember that Jonny is shown ripping the red dress right before shooting himself. His devotion to Lisa truly is tearing him apart

[@yllejord]

I think this is how you're supposed to hold flowers.

[@vee5294]

A year late, but In eastern European countries it is the common way to hold flowers pointed downward, although I am not sure why. This makes sense that Tommy might naturally carry them this way since his original nationality is Polish.

[@LauM]

@@vee5294 I read once that they do this to keep the flowers from drying so quickly, since the water in the roots goes to the petals instead, keeping them fresh longer.

[@vee5294]

@@LauM Oh, I see. Yes, that would keep the petals looking nicer for presentation. Good point!

[@smasher.338]

What if in 500 years people look back on this film as the greatest movie ever made?

[@nicoleh3703]

I watched this again and thought of something else. I think an interesting thing is that one reference always drags the characters back to the fact that the movie is about Johnny. It can be summed up in two lines: "Johnny's my best friend" and "He's your future husband." These bring the audience away from the sub plots. Also, I realized, in a weird way, the goal is to make these statements untrue by the end of the film. Johnny and Lisa break up, and Mark and Johnny's friendship ends. I was actually going to make a joke saying 'RIP TV', then I thought of something else. When Johnny goes and throws his temper tantrum at the end, he takes his anger out on material things. In a way, he's destroying the things that he, as a person, is defined by since he's financially stable.

[@alevtinasherman3411]

Tommy explaining his dialogue structure: "I will have Lisa repeat stuff in my movie. I will have her repeat stuff to make her seem as... a person. As a human bean. See, like Denny. Lisa loves Denny as a person. As a human bean."

[@DerekPower]

I have had two different yet complementary conclusions about what The Room is. One is that it seems as if Tommy Wiseau watched a lot of daytime soap operas. I think because it not only explains the use of melodramatic tropes (especially the love triangle plot), but also the multiple not main storyline episodes that seem to suggest another parallel story occurring. This, of course, doesn’t work in cinema as it is primarily a single and self-contained story, even if it serves as large-scale franchise or even one that’s connected across films (your current Marvel/DC fare). The other idea is an analogy I devised after watching it on its own a few months back. Imagine someone who is not a trained musician yet loves listening to music, particularly classic piano repertoire. One day, after listening to it for a long time, his music neophyte decides to perform his own piano work that is on the level of his favourite piano works. And he’s going to compose and perform it completely in his own way without any kind of training, research, analysis or any other activity other composers have done. So the day of his public performance arrives. And ... it *vaguely* sounds like something familiar but it sounds less like a coherent and cohesive work and much more like a collage of vaguely familiar yet not functional music. This explains the audience reaction to it where one watches it and lots of what is there looks and sounds like something that *could* work but it doesn’t because it was made by someone who *thinks* he’s breaking and following the rules when he knows how to do neither. Finally, it was interesting that you brought up naturalism in the beginning because it instantly reminds me of Richard Linklater, who is a master of that cinematic style. But the reason why his efforts work (whether or not you like the results) and Wiseau doesn’t is: 1) Linklater is a much more detailed and aware observer and 2) he knows how to craft it and give it shape. Tying it back to the piano analogy, Wiseau may think he’s employing naturalism but doesn’t understand how to make it work. If nothing else, The Room is a fascinating look inside this particular mind unfiltered yet presented in a way that paradoxically nonsensical and approachable.

[@Aster_Risk]

And now I want to see a video about Big Joel/Henry's take on Richard Linklater. :D

[@ziggyzhang4156]

Wow the criterion review guy! Nice crossover!

[@paulm6081]

I love that this was your first review Joel

[@DBabbers]

Please...consider Neil Breen at some point. Just give him a look.

[@glanni]

Yes yes yes, please daddy

[@MeanT241985]

Isn't that corrupt??!!

[@mackickinback3649]

I come back to this video so often, one of my favorites ever. I don’t think I’ve gone as long as 2 months without watching it again since the first time I saw it, thanks you for making it

[@chimominino5083]

This was fantastic; I really appreciate your sincere and analytical style! One thing that occurred to me regarding Lisa, and her independence that you mentioned, is that even as she wants more, and knows she won’t have a satisfying life with Johnny, or possibly even with Mark, she is still pinning her hopes on ‘someone else’ to give her what she wants. She hasn’t got the the stage of actualising, let alone contemplating, reliance on herself. This is not a criticism of the woman Lisa, as there are circumstances under which women’s agency is very much restricted; and the male-dominated, materialistic world built in The Room seems to be one of those circumstances. There are strong-willed women all over the world who find ways of exercising their power within the confines of the systems they are in. From a contemporary feminist perspective, I found it interesting that Lisa is rebelling, but rebelling within the boundaries of the system, as opposed to attempting to break down or move beyond the system altogether.

[@RSLpunk]

An in-depth analysts of the room, ur a brave man for trying

[@waedjradi]

YOU ARE TEARRRRINGGG MEEEE APART, JOELLLL !!!!

[@bebeenderson7863]

This is like a warped version of the Truman show where everyone has to act according to how they think Johnny would want them to act and Lisa is the protagonist who subtly realizes that she doesn’t have to be there.

[@Eeeemomo]

I watched this while sick and had a terrifying fever dream afterwards

[@practicalpisces]

I think that Lisa's unspoken motive for cheating on Johnny is that she recently noticed all of his odd quirks and cannot bring herself to overlook them. She tries to revive her old feelings for him but ultimately fails. To avoid marrying him she maintains the lie that Johnny "hit her". To make the lie more believable she convinces Johnny to drink and get out of his comfort zone. To eliminate the chances of getting married to Johnny Lisa goes to Mark. The fact that she is sneaking around with another man while she is engaged excites her. The reason why she "doesn't want to talk about it" is because she does not want to be reminded that she is engaged to someone she finds repulsive.

[@ryukisgod2834]

It’s like Josh Groban sang: 🎶If you saw a movie that was like real life you’d be like “what the hell was that movie about? It was really all over the place” life doesn’t make narrative sense🎶

[@LauM]

Oh, my God. A CXGF reference.

[@CarolineofTheInternet]

I sing this out loud on a semi-regular basis. 😊

[@Thrlta]

I love that this is your first currently public video.

[@alevtinasherman3411]

O hai, Joe. I didn't know it was you. You're my favorite reviewer.