Plaza Theatre Celebrates ‘Disaster Artist’ With Screenings Of Film That Inspired It
Dave Franco, left, and James Franco are shown in a scene from “The Disaster Artist.”
Justina Mintz / A24 via AP
“The Room” is known as one of “the best worst films” ever made. The book “The Disaster Artist” chronicles the making of that film, co-written by “The Room” star Greg Sestero.
Now, that book has been adapted into a major motion picture of the same name, directed by and starring James Franco as the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau, the writer, director and star of “The Room.”
Since its original release in 2003, “The Room” has become a cult classic, shown regularly in movie theaters across the country, like the Plaza Theatre here in Atlanta. The Plaza’s new owner, Christopher Escobar, spoke with “City Lights” about both films.
Escobar agrees that “The Room” is pretty bad, but offers this caveat: It’s “maybe the worst movie made for $6 million.” The Plaza started screening “The Room” in 2007, and he says that each screening is a little different. Even though it’s “technically the same film,” it’s “not the same experience.” That’s because, like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” audiences have developed their own traditions when attending the movie.
So do you need to see “The Room” before “The Disaster Artist”? Escobar recommends it, if only to appreciate the “nuggets” in the latter a little better.
And the Plaza has you covered.
In honor of the release of “The Disaster Artist,” they’re offering almost daily screenings of “The Room.” If you’d rather check it out on your own first, you can rent a copy from businesses like Videodrome (“The Room” is not available on streaming services).
For more information about attending a live screening of “The Room,” check out the Plaza Theatre’s website.
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