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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
May 2, 2005
/ 23 Nisan, 5765
From Horror to Simply Horrible
By
Joel Stein
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I've always wondered how "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" became a cult hit. Did one guy just show up in latex one night, pelting people with rice to the delight of the couples in the audience? "Honey, I believe that gentleman has a splendid idea. What say next week we return in gender-bending S&M gear of our own?"
Now I know. "The Room," an indie drama advertised for the last three years on a creepy-looking billboard on Highland Avenue, plays now and then at midnight at West Hollywood's Laemmle Sunset 5 theaters. People dress as the characters, shout out the lines, throw roses and plastic spoons, clap along to the music, count the number of times dialogue is repeated and constantly yell back at the screen.
The cultization of the film started two years ago when some undergrad USC film majors went to a free screening, which star/writer/director Tommy Wiseau had promoted with a personal fortune-worth of billboards, local TV commercials, free T-shirts, postcards and a genius L.A. Weekly full-page ad that claimed you could not call yourself a real actor if you didn't come see the movie. This, I believe, is basically the same ploy Robert Evans used to meet women.
Before last weekend's showing, I went to a pre-"Room" party hosted by Richard Lukas, who wore a long black wig, sunglasses and an askew tie like the film's Wiseau. Reuben Sears, who was seeing the film for a fifth time, made me a drink named after his favorite character, Silk Shirt Guy. "I keep a postcard of 'The Room' in my car," said Sears, an actor. "Every time I feel bad about my career, I flip down my visor and say, 'If these people are in a movie, maybe I can have a career too.' It's a good motivator for me."
More than 140 people showed up, some of them instructed to see it by their New York Film Academy teachers as an example of how not to make a film. The guys in back of me had endless packages of plastic spoons, along with bubble soap they never used. The embarrassing bubble-blowing scene, they later realized, was in "Fever Pitch."
"The Room" is a lot like what a movie would look like if it were made by a North Korean dictator. The actors weren't the age they claimed to be, their wigs didn't fit, a woman suddenly said she had breast cancer and never mentioned it again, the San Francisco skyline is shown on a blue screen on an L.A. rooftop, and a soft-core sex scene had Wiseau positioned in a way that looked like he was enjoying his girlfriend's stomach which, having looked at her, would have been impossible.
By the time I left, the thing I was most shocked by other than the fact that the characters mixed a drink that was one part whiskey with one part vodka was that Wiseau, who spent six years on the film and submitted it for an Academy Award, was handing out a documentary he made about the audience reaction. He had become a willing party to his mockery. It was like he stole George W. Bush's playbook.
I met Wiseau at Jerry's Deli, where he wore his Oakley sunglasses the entire time and spoke in a thick pan-European accent he refuses to identify. He said he always intended to provoke the audience with his extreme choices. "In America, we don't play football in tuxedos. Or from 3 feet away," he said. "It says you can break the rules. Freedom of expression is the idea."
When I pressed him on what it feels like to have to reedit your website so "a film with the passion of Tennessee Williams" is immediately followed by "experience this quirky new black comedy!" he said he always meant for it to be a comedy. Then he paused and added, "I wanted people to see my movie. That's the irony of the story."
When I got home, I was still thinking about how pathetic it is to need attention so badly that it feels good to be abused. Later that night, a friend e-mailed to tell me she saw Lewis Black's stand-up routine and he mentioned me in a punch line. And, for a good while, I was excited about it.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Joel Stein is a Los Angeles Times columnist. Comment by clicking here.
04/26/05 Rin Tin Tin Ate My Homework
04/18/05 For an Intergalactic Wedgie, Stand Right Here
04/12/05 Drew, Babaloo, Barf and Boston
04/05/05 I regret finally learning how to get to Sesame Street
03/21/05 Counting curses and blunt-force injuries
© 2005 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate
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