Screen Scene for week of Jan. 5: Dreams do come true - Apparently awful ‘The Room’ gets a nationwide release
Special screening
▪ “The Room” – Tommy Wiseau’s dream finally comes true – his labor-of-love film that he wrote, directed and stars in will finally get a nationwide theatrical release, 15 years after he made it, presented by Fathom Events. The film is widely regarded as the worst film ever made, with continuity errors, wooden acting, character flaws, unresolved subplots and more, but went on to become a cult favorite, playing at midnight movies and gaining notoriety online. (It has been called the “Citizen’s Kane” of bad movies.)
The film, which follows a love triangle between a successful San Francisco banker (played by Wiseau), his fiancee (Juliette Danielle) and his best friend (Greg Sestero), will be shown at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, across the country in select theaters for one showing only. In Wichita, it will be shown at the Warren East, West and Old Town theaters. The film is rated R. (Note: Warren Old Town’s $5 Wednesday promotion is not in effect for this screening.)
This comes on the heels of “The Disaster Artist,” which James Franco wrote, directed and stars in as Tommy Wiseau. It’s a sort-of homage and tribute to “The Room,” which has sparked renewed in interest in the film. “The Disaster Artist” is now playing in Wichita at the Warren East.
Opening Friday in theaters
▪ “Insidious: The Last Key” – There they go, throwing that “last” word around again (not if this one is a hit, I assure you.) This fourth installment in the “Insidious” series (but only the second in its timeline since the last two films were prequels) has parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier (acting vet Lin Shaye) facing her most fearsome and personal haunting yet – in the house where she grew up and against an entity that she may have unleashed. Oopsie!
▪ “Molly’s Game” – Jessica Chastain stars as a skier who channels her shattered Olympic dreams into running a high-stakes poker game until she’s busted by the FBI.
This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Screen Scene for week of Jan. 5: Dreams do come true - Apparently awful ‘The Room’ gets a nationwide release."