'The Room' When Bad Films Go Good

Imagine for a moment, a film made by some of the worst writers, directors and actors in Hollywood. A Michael Bay film with Adam Sandler and Melissa McCarthy in the lead if you will. You can imagine it being pretty bad right? But would it come close to The Room level of bad? Not a chance. The Room is one of those rare cult films that's so painfully bad in all imaginable ways that it's actually extremely enjoyable, it's a film that people watch to laugh at its unintentional hilarity and sheer awfulness, a film that has reached a whole new level of bad that it makes Transformers look like Star Wars. But what is The Room?

For the unlucky few of you who are unaware of this film, The Room is a 2003 romantic drama film that follows the deterioration of a mans life when his fiance begins having an affair with his best friend. Not so bad right? Wrong. The film was written, directed and produced by a certain Tommy Wiseau who also takes on the lead role of Johnny despite his horrible acting. This man is the Orson Welles of bad and The Room is his Citizen Kane. Through his awful performance, terrible dialogue and every bizarre inconsistency in this film, Tommy Wiseau managed to present the world with the worst film of all time, but also the most beloved worst film of all time. The Room has since become a cult sensation and has found a huge fanbase all over the world, people quote it, people get it on t-shirts and people worship the mythical figure that is Tommy Wiseau. Nowadays watching The Room makes you part of a large community of fans who admire it for all of its many many flaws.

I myself am a huge fan, I remember watching it in full for the first time and being completely overwhelmed by how terrible it was but also by the fact that I was enjoying how terrible it was. Never have I laughed so much at a film before, not even at Airplane! This is mainly down to it's laughable dialogue that's so unnatural that you can't help but remember all of those quotes. One of my personal favourites is in a scene where Mark (Greg Sestero) Johnny's best friend argues with Johnny before yelling at him 'keep your stupid comments in your pocket!' That's the kind of stuff we're dealing with here, Sestero himself has since admitted that he had a hard time bringing himself to say that line due to how horribly unnatural it is. One of the films most iconic pieces of dialogue however, comes when Johnny expresses his emotions to his fiance Lisa (Juliette Danielle), channeling his inner James Dean by screaming 'you're tearing me apart Lisa!' On paper it's nothing but it's the delivery that makes that moment so golden. Such horrible dialogue can't help but etch itself into your brain which is one of the reasons why this film is so iconic, it's got so many memorable (albeit terrible) quotes courtesy of writer/director/producer/actor, Tommy Wiseau.

The mastermind behind The Room, Mr. Wiseau is quite the character, the strange accent, the long, dyed black hair, he is something of an enigma. Never revealing his true age or the source of his vast fortune used to fund the film, Tommy Wiseau is shrouded in mystery and has become something of a cinematic icon (for all the wrong reasons) thanks to his work on The Room. Onscreen he is a pleasure to watch, his terrible acting and the way he delivers his lines is almost otherworldly, every time he appears onscreen we wait in the hope that he will open his mouth, delivering another memorable quote. In doing this he never fails. But if you think Tommy Wiseau is bad onscreen, his offscreen antics are even more outlandish. Insisting to shoot in both HD and 35mm, annoying actors so much that they were forced to quit, annoying crew members so much that 3 different crews were used, these are just a few examples of what Wiseau got up to behind the scenes. It is believed that he annoyed the actor who originally was set to play Mark intentionally so that he would quit and be replaced by his friend Greg Sestero. His worst victim however, was Juliette Danielle who plays his love interest Lisa as she was forced to film a very long sex scene with him, so long that footage from it was reused to make another one. One can only imagine how excruciatingly painful it was for her to film these scenes. To top this all off, Wiseau supposedly insisted on having his ass onscreen 'or else this film wouldn't sell'. And all that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Aside from the dialogue and Tommy Wiseau's mere existence, another reason why this film is so memorable is that it's one of those films where you notice something new each time. The first time around is all about the real memorable stuff, the infamous roof scene for example where Johnny screams about how he did not hit Lisa or Lisa's dismissal of her mothers breast cancer. The second time is when you notice more smaller details, why are the men throwing a football around in tuxedos? Why are there framed pictures of spoons everywhere? The more times you watch it, the more narrative flaws and sheer oddities you discover. I've watched it many times at this stage and I still spot some new inconsistency every time without failure. Last time I watched it I only realised that Johnny's psychologist friend Peter (Kyle Vogt) disappears for no reason and later on there is a new, unnamed character that seems to fill his role. Apparently Kyle Vogt had to leave the production for personal reasons and instead of rewriting the script or giving his lines to another existing character, Wiseau invented a new character to fill in for Peter in one scene. I'm sure I'll notice something else next time I watch it and I look forward to doing so. There are just so many strange qualities about this film that I cannot even begin to list them all, it really is something that you have to see to believe.

Multiple plot holes, cringe worthy acting and dialogue, and the close up of Tommy Wiseau's buttocks, The Room is a film that is full to the brim with flaws. However it is these very flaws that have made it such a cult film, all over the world people attend screenings of The Room where they shout quotes in unison and throw spoons at the screen. It has become a communal experience of sorts. While a lot of bad films are that way because they try too hard, Michael Bay's explosions, Kevin Hart's 'comedy', The Room is the opposite, it is effortlessly bad. Being bad just comes so naturally to this highly unnatural film and I think there are very few films that have managed to reach this caliber of bad. Of course not everyone will enjoy The Room, many people will just see it as bad and will find no entertainment from its many many flaws. But there is a huge community of fans, including myself, who cannot help but be mesmerised by this trainwreck of a film. This is the type of film that will live on for generations, 100 years from now I like to think that people will still say 'oh hi Doggy' in their best Tommy Wiseau accent whenever they pass a dog in the streets. I encourage you all to watch this film and if you like it then I suggest reading The Disaster Artist also, a book written by Greg Sestero about his experience with Wiseau and with The Room. You will not be disappointed.

'Batman: The Killing Joke' Review

Earlier this year it was announced that the people at Warner Bros. Animation were working on an animated adaptation of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, an R-Rated one at that. Fans everywhere went nuts, not only is The Killing Joke one of the most iconic and controversial Batman stories ever, but Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill were set to return as Batman and The Joker respectively. Along with this, veteran voice actor Tara Strong was set to play Batgirl while Twin Peaks star Ray Wise would play Jim Gordon. With such an established voice cast, iconic story and that R-Rating under its utility belt it seemed impossible for this film to fail, which is why it is so surprising that it did. Batman: The Killing Joke left me feeling somewhat disappointed, I was expecting so much more but unfortunately it just did not deliver.

This films biggest weakness is undoubtedly the first half hour, a prelude of sorts which acts as a means of setting up Batman and Batgirl's relationship to provide more depth to their characters. This could have worked, this could have really set things up for a heartbreaking second act but unfortunately it falls flat. Aside from taking up almost half of the film with a story that has nothing to do with the rest of The Killing Joke, the film completely ruins the character of Barbara Gordon. She is no longer the strong, spunky sidekick looking to prove herself to Bruce, instead she is more of a swooing fangirl whose sole reason for joining Batman is because she fancies him? Not only that but the writers take that subplot as far as the duo doing the nasty which is completely unnecessary and almost disturbing for Bat Fans everywhere. Instead of growing to like this version of Barbara, we feel nothing for her as she basically spends the entire first HALF AN HOUR of a 75 minute film moping about her unrequited love for Batman. Their mentor/pupil relationship becoming more romantic than necessary is this films biggest weakness.

For a film with so much hype that it gained a theatrical release in select cinemas, the animation in Batman: The Killing Joke isn't exactly movie quality. Not to say it's terribly drawn, but compared to previous animated bat flicks such as Year One and The Dark Knight Returns this film just looks a bit amateurish. The Joker looks a bit worse for wear and that iconic scene where he emerges from the polluted water and laughs maniacally after seeing his new appearance just looks like a bad gif that is completely out of place. It would not have been a problem if it were a series, but the fact that it even got theatrical releases makes it deservant of a higher quality of animation. Having said that, there are a number of scenes that look fantastic such as that in the Joker's funhouse and the iconic scene in Barbara's apartment.

One of the films redeeming qualities by a longshot however, is its voice cast. Once again Conroy and Hamill have proven themselves to be the definitive Batman and Joker and hearing the latter recite The Joker's iconic lines from the comic is goosebump enducing. As expected Conroy shines as well, not many people could make Batman laughing actually seem okay. Tara Strong and Ray Wise also give great performances as the Gordon's and they share a nice chemistry in their scenes together, it half makes up for the whole Batman/Batgirl thing in the first act. Once that first half an hour is over and the actual story finally kicks in things start to pick up, it's just as twisted and disturbing as its source material and the R-rating is put to excellent use. The scenes where Gordon is mentally tortured by The Joker are particularly chilling and almost hard to watch at times. It was comforting to see that despite messing up Batman and Batgirls relationship, the writers still managed to get the story of The Killing Joke right.

Uneven, underwhelming and downright mediocre, Batman: The Killing Joke feels like quite a let down. It was a film that had so much potential, the source material, the voice cast, it looked as though things were falling together perfectly but sadly this was not the case. While the voice acting is superb and the last 45 minutes are a pleasure to watch, the film just can't make up for that dreadful first half an hour that feels extremely out of place and downright wrong. In fairness, The Killing Joke is only a short story but surely there are plenty of other ways this could have been dragged out without having Batgirl and Batman having sex? It has some great moments and a wonderful cast but not even Mark Hamill reciting The Joker's infamous flashlight joke can save this film.

10 Incredibly Bleak Feel Bad Films

I always see articles talking about 'feel good' films, films that warm your heart and all that stuff, but what about the polar opposite of that? What about those films that make you sit there for hours after the credits finished rolling feeling dead inside? I've managed to put together a list of what I feel are the ten best 'feel bad' films, the ones that I've seen anyways, from grizzly torture porn to films that are simply depressing, there are a fair mix of genres here. Also be warned, THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD.

10. Se7en

David Fincher's films are known for being quite bleak and at times nihilistic, and there is no better example of this than his comeback hit, Se7en. Set in a nameless gloomy city, the film follows veteran detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie Mills (Brad Pitt) as they attempt to stop a mysterious killer who bases his murders off the seven deadly sins. Visually this film is bleak enough as it is, it rains for the majority and all of the crime scenes are devilishly grizzly in their own unique way, like most of Fincher's films this one is really dark. But gruesome crime scenes and excessive precipitation is only the beginning and it is not until the films chilling climax that things get really dark. As Mills and Somerset confront the villainous John Doe (Kevin Spacey) in the desert, it is revealed that his most recent victim was Mills' loving wife Tracy (Gwyneth Paltrow) whose severed head is inside a box. It's a big shocker and a highly unsettling scene and if that wasn't enough it is also revealed that Doe had been watching Mills and his wife right from the beginning, creepy stuff. It's quite a grim ending to a grim film, but that's just the tip of the iceberg on this list.

9. Eraserhead

Before Blue Velvet or Twin Peaks, David Lynch broke onto the scene with his bizarre sci-fi film Eraserhead. Set in a dystopian future, the film follows the timid Henry (Jack Nance) who begins to lose his mind while trying to raise his mutated newborn baby. Like the aforementioned Se7en, this film has a very bleak environment only this time it is set in a run down council estate in some dystopian society, it's also shot in black and white which accentuates the gloomy atmosphere. As it is a David Lynch film it's got some very surreal moments such as the dream sequence where Henry's head is used to make erasers and a bizarre moment with a twitchy chicken. But again, it's not really that bad until the ending where things all get too much for Henry and he stabs his mutant baby to death. It's a rather unsettling scene due to the visuals and the distorted crying from the baby, if it wasn't so inhuman looking it would probably be extremely upsetting. Thankfully however, the bizarre Lynchian visuals manage to keep us distracted from the dismal ending which makes this film much less upsetting than it probably should be.

8. Antichrist

While a lot of films aren't really bleak until the very end, Antichrist gets us from the very start as a young child falls to his death from a very high window, it is part of Lars von Trier's 'depression trilogy' after all. Things only get worse from there on as the rest of the film deals with the mother's (Charlotte Gainsbourg) descent into violent insanity. A lot of the film is Gainsbourg's character crying and mourning while her husband played by Willem Dafoe attempts to act as her therapist. There is so much crying and burts of rage in this film that it's very hard to watch at times and that's before it even gets to the violent bits. Aside from all of the emotional trauma, there are some very gruesome scenes in this film which aren't frequent, but when they do happen they're definitely quite..eh..ballsy to say the least. Antichrist is literally 108 minutes of misery right from the beginning, there isn't a single moment of happiness or humour in this, not even a sliver. But sure what do you expect from a director who compared himself to Hitler before.

7. Eden Lake

Sounds like a lovey romance film eh? Nope. Eden Lake sees couple Jenny (Kelly Reilly) and Steve (Michael Fassbender) heading for a romantic getaway to the seemingly idyllic town of Eden Lake, but things don't go to plan when they encounter a gang of ultraviolent teenagers lead by the psychopathic Brett (Jack O'Connell). I had no idea how utterly joyless this film would be, there's this constant atmosphere of hopelessness throughout as Jenny desperately attempts to find safety but fails every time. Being lost in a vast forest is bad enough on its own but being pursued by violent teenagers in said forest is even worse. If that all wasn't bad, poor Fassbender doesn't even make it to the last half hour as he is burned to death by those evil little shits. Not to mention it that it was before his character could propose to his fiance Jenny. Why kill Fassy? It's just one of those films where you fear so much for the protagonist yet you know deep down there's no hope for them and unfortunately for poor Jenny, that is exactly the case. As for the ending, well, out of the frying pan into the fire as they say. 

6. Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling? Michelle Williams? The word 'valentine'? Surely this is a wholesome romance film right? Wrong. The film follows a couple at the beginning and the end of their relationship and shifts back and forward through time showing how they got from A to B. It's really disheartening watching the decline of their once happy relationship, especially considering how much Goslings character wants things to work for the sake of their daughter. Sad Gosling equals sad audience after all. One minute we're watching them falling in love and the next they're getting divorced, it's pretty harrowing stuff and feels all too realistic for a romance film. We really root for Gosling here, we want him to win back Williams' character, but in the end things aren't that easy and that final scene where he walks away from his wife and daughter really pulls on the ol' heart strings. Superbly acted with an equally emotional soundtrack, Blue Valentine is without a doubt the most desolate romance film ever made.

5. Martyrs

Okay back to the blood and gore now, this time it's the extremely violent French-Canadian horror film Martyrs. Starting off as a revenge story of sorts, the film begins with childhood friends Anna (Morjana Alaoui) and Lucie (Myléne Jampanoi) seeking vengeance on the people who kidnapped the latter as a child. However things soon take a dark turn and not everything is as it seems in this ultraviolent descent into terror. Essentially, half the film is the protagonist getting brutally tortured and if you don't think that's a bit grim then you're probably a hardcore sadist. She is tortured relentlessly to the point where she is skinned alive and incapable of even moving, it's very difficult to watch even for the more extreme fans of the genre. Again, there is this constant feeling of hopelessness throughout and as much as we want the heroine to escape we really can't see how it would be possible. Brutally violent and unrelenting, Martyrs is enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs.

4. Funny Games

Despite the ironic title, there is nothing funny about these games. This Austrian thriller from director Michael Haneke sees a family heading to their lakehouse for a fun getaway only to become terrorised by a duo of strange young men clad in white. This film goes against the conventions of your usual thriller, turning the genre on its head and having a great time in doing so. It is a very self aware film and the main antagonist Paul (Arno Frisch) frequently breaks the fourth wall and shows signs that he is aware of the fact he's in a film. I found it to be very clever but it's also incredibly dark and dismal. The dog dies, the young kid dies, basically everyone dies. It does it's best to not conform to the conventions of cinema and therefore takes many directions that the audience generally would not expect, i.e. killing the young child. All of the acts of violence are done so nonchalantly and without hesitation in this film which makes the death scenes particularly bleak, once again there is no hope for the protagonists. It's a clever little film but it's very heavy at times and will leave you sitting there with a weird feeling in the pit of your stomach afterwards.

3. A Serbian Film

Yes it's that film. That controversial film you've probably heard about but still haven't brought yourself to watch because of what you've heard. If you know nothing about this film, basically it's generally considered to be the most depraved and disgusting film ever made, this is arguable but it's definitely up there with the big ones. Whether it is or not one thing is for certain, it is incredibly depressing. It follows a a retired Serbian pornstar who goes back into the industry for one last job in order to help with his families financial issues, big mistake. What follows is a disturbing journey filled with horrific acts of sex and violence that you'll have to see to believe. But that's not really what makes this film so cheerless. The protagonist and his family are all likeable characters, well-written, good onscreen chemistry, we like them all right from the beginning. It is this emotional connection to the characters that sets us up for the kill, making the final impact much more severe. It's quite an ominous film and it takes a while for stuff to actually happen, but as it reaches its cathartic climax we realise why it has such a bad reputation. I don't want to spoil the ending of this one as it's way too messed up for me to ruin, just don't expect things to end well for our loveable Serbian family.

2. Leaving Las Vegas

Nick Cage! He's funny right? Shouting about bees, stealing the declaration of independence and such, well not in this film. Believe it or not, this film actually got Cage an Oscar for best actor, I swear it. The film sees Cage as Ben, a struggling alcoholic drinking himself to death in Las Vegas. It is here where he meets Sera (Elizabeth Shue), a troubled prostitute and the two form a strange relationship together. It's not a story of two starcrossed lovers finding each other though, if that's what your thinking, it's about how their destructive relationship effects their lives and themselves. Cage gives a fantastic performance and we genuinely do feel sorry for him, his character has gotten to the stage where he feels as though he has nothing to live for and therefore wants to drink himself to death. Meanwhile Shue's character is very much in love with him but knows that there is nothing she can do to stop his addiction. It's a tragic love story destined for destruction and the two leads share a wonderful chemistry onscreen, unfortunately their love cannot conquer Ben's addiction. There are some very harrowing scenes such as the infamous rape scene and many of Cage's scenes, the realism of it all only makes it more distressing to watch. Definitely Cage's greatest performance.

1. Requiem For A Dream

I distinctly remember going to bed after this feeling like somebody close to me had just died. Yes number one on this list is Darren Aronofksy's psychological drama Requiem for a Dream that follows for people with drug addictions and how those addictions effect their lives. This film is just one big downward spiral, we are initially introduced to the four protagonists who all seem to be leading relatively happy lives despite their drug problem. However, things slowly go downhill and their addictions get worse, ultimately culminating in one of the most disturbing climaxes in any film ever. One of the films stories involves widow Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn) as she takes an excessive amount of pills in order to lose weight so that she can appear on a gameshow. However her addiction becomes too much and she gradually begins to lose her mind. It got Burstyn an Oscar nomination and a well deserved one at that, her character's story was definitely the most harrowing for me. Ominous and incredibly bleak, Requiem for a Dream is 100% guaranteed to make you feel like absolute shit.

So those are my choices for the 10 bleakest feel bad films, I'm sure you all have opinions and such so if you have a feel bad film not on this list then let me know in the comments! Until next time, readers.

'The Neon Demon' Review

Last night I was lucky enough to attend an advanced screening of Nicolas Winding Refn's new film The Neon Demon (shoutout to my friend Eoin for the tickets), the latest film from the Danish director known for works such as Drive and Bronson. This film is Winding Refn's first horror and follows aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) as she enters the world of the fashion industry in LA, putting her on a dark and twisted path. I was really excited for this one as I felt it was only a matter of time before Winding Refn tackled the horror genre with his unique style, and while everything in the film certainly looked amazing, The Neon Demon left me feeling very conflicted.

As I said, the films strongest asset is its visuals, Refn makes excellent use of lighting and mirrors to create a very dreamlike reality that's very reminiscent of the Argento classic Suspiria. The colourful lighting scheme and use of shadows are so hypnotic that you'll be afraid to even blink in fear of missing out on another beautiful frame. The film also boasts a superb electronic soundtrack courtesy of composer Cliff Martinez, and when combined with the psychedelic imagery it makes the film even more mesmerizing for the viewer. Winding Refn really shows off his directorial skills here, using lingering shots and silences he creates tension that can at times be unbearable, it's not a constant sense of dread but when it happens it's effective. But unfortunately these long silences and pauses can have a negative effect on the story as well and that becomes evident about halfway through this film. The dialogue is witty but it's so drawn out that at times I felt like screaming 'get on with it' to the characters onscreen. It works when there's suspense but other than that it just makes things feel a bit tedious at times.

Aside from the beautiful visuals, the highlight of this film is definitely Elle Fanning's performance as Jesse, a young model admired by some and envied by many due to her striking looks and talent. Fanning is immaculate at embodying Jesse's sense of innocence, a 'deer in the headlights' look as described by Jenna Malones character. Despite her innocent demeanour however, she never once comes across as naive and there is this sense of mystery and intrigue surrounding her from the very beginning. Fanning not only excels in portraying Jesse as the innocent newcomer but she also does a wonderful job displaying her development throughout as she slowly becomes a narcissistic egomaniac. Brilliant performance from the talented young actress. I also really enjoyed Jenna Malone in this film as she plays makeup artist Ruby, she brings her signature charm to the rather friendly character yet despite it all the audience can't help but feel there's something sinister about her. She reminded me a lot of the Castevet's in Rosemary's Baby, amiable yet off. It was definitely one of Malone's greatest and most interesting performances yet especially considering the whole necrophilia scene, I've said too much already.

Other noteable performances come from Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote as Sarah and Gigi, two doll-like models who grow envious of Jesse, then there's Alessandro Nivola as the likeable asshole of a fashion designer who brings a unique sense of humour to all of his scenes. And of course I have to give a mention to Keanu Reeves who seems to have recovered from last year's Knock Knock, his initial appearance caused the audience to erupt with laughter but in his defense he gives a brilliant performance as Jesse's violent landlord Hank.

The drawn out dialogue can be witty at times but often feels very unnatural, then again everything about this film feels unnatural; the sets, the lighting, certain characters and their appearances, nothing seems real here. Winding Refn entices us into his surreal, almost nightmarish version of Hollywood where everything appears so clean and polished and everybody looks like mannequins. It is very dreamlike and very surreal, moments involving a cougar appearing in Jesse's room and a bizarre 'demon dance' at a nightclub really enhance the hypnotic vibe established through the visuals and poses the question of what's real and what isn't. Not since David Lynches Mulholland Drive has somebody presented such a nightmarishly surreal version of Hollywood. Despite all of this however, viewers are kept waiting a long time for something to happen due to how drawn out it is and at times it becomes almost painful waiting around, however the almost cathartic climax makes all the waiting worthwhile and will remind you exactly why this is a horror film.

The Neon Demon does a great job at expressing its key theme, beauty. Every frame is so visually appealing and masterfully shot that it almost entrances the viewer at times, but like some of the film's characters it's beauty can not hide the fact that it's lacking something. It is very slow moving and although at time this helps with suspense, generally speaking it doesn't do much for the story and causes the film to feel a bit boring at times. It all pays off by the end however in one of the most shocking climaxes ever, if you're a fan of extreme cinema I highly encourage you to invest your patience as it will be worth it for the last half hour or so. If not then I'd say give this one a miss, don't be expecting another Drive. The Neon Demon is a hypnotic and devilishly witty horror film that requires a certain amount of patience in order to enjoy it, very slow at times but by the end of it all you'll be glad you gave it your time.