TOGETHER : Tuesday 5th August 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'TOGETHER' this week at my local multiplex, and this Australian and US Co-Produced horror Sci-Fi romance film is from Writer and Director Michael Shanks in his feature film making debut. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, went on general release in Canada, the UK, the US, here in Australia and a handful of other territories from last week and for the rest of the world throughout August, September and October. The film has so far grossed US$14M from a production budget of US$7M, and has generated positive critical reviews. 

The film opens with a search party looking for a missing couple Simon and Keri lost it is believed in remote woodland. Two tracker dogs enter an underground cavern and both drink what appears to be fresh water from a well. The owner of the dogs returns them to his house later that evening after the search is called off, locking them inside a pen in the yard for the night. The dogs, sit patiently observing each other. Later that night the owner is woken by strange noises coming from the outdoor pen. He takes a flashlight and investigates what the commotion is all about, only to be horrified by the scene in front of him, as the two dogs have fused together as one. 

We then cut to an apartment in which Millie (Alison Brie) and her long term boyfriend Tim (Dave Franco [real life married couple Franco and Brie who also both Co-Produce here]) are hosting a leaving party with their closest friends as Millie has secured a job in the country teaching elementary school English, while Tim is a struggling musician. At the party, Tim gives a stilted speech after which Millie gets down on one knee and proposes marriage to him, to which he hesitates to reply only embarrassing her. 

Having moved into their new home in an isolated house in the country, the pair one fine day decide to go for an exploratory hike through the woods. However, a rainstorm closes in and the pair quickly become drenched through and lose their bearings. Tim falls into a cave partially concealed by undergrowth and Mille follows. With the rain pouring down they decide to camp inside for the night, and light a fire. Tim drinks from a pool in the cave, says it's fresh water and is good to drink, and fills a water bottle for Millie.

Upon waking up the next morning, Tim and Millie find their legs partially stuck together but dismiss the incident after separating, with Tim saying that it's just mildew. Tim begins to experience episodes where he becomes inexplicably and almost magnetically physically drawn to Millie, confusing and frustrating them both. Millie's coworker from the school, Jamie (Damon Herriman), shows up at their home to welcome them to the neighbourhood, and she invites him in for an impromptu dinner, which Tim cooks because Millie can't. The couple recollect their experience at the cave, which Jamie explains was a New Age church before it caved in some years ago. 

Millie drops Tim off at the train station for a gig, because Tim can't drive and doesn't have a license. She tells him to enjoy his night of freedom and to not worry about coming home, to which he reluctantly agrees. As the train pulls up Tim experiences another episode and drags himself to Millie's workplace, leaving his guitar and his gear on the platform. An outraged Millie confronts him in a boys toilet block whereupon they have sex in a cubicle, after which their genitals become stuck together. After they painfully force themselves to separate, Jamie who by now has entered the boys toilet having been alerted by a young lad, tells Millie to clean herself up as he sees blood running down her leg. As he turns to leave he sees Tim feet as he steps down from the toilet bowl having tried to conceal himself. Millie later visits Jamie's house to apologise. In the ensuing conversation, she begins to open up about some of the problems she and Tim have been facing in their relationship. Jamie relates Plato's theory of the nature and origin of eros and encourages her not to let go of her 'other half', then reminisces on his relationship with his seemingly deceased husband. Millie leaves quickly after spotting a disoriented Tim lurking outside looking in.

Tim visits a doctor, who dismisses his symptoms as panic attacks brought on by a sudden change in their surroundings and their new more relaxed lifestyle. He prescribes Tim muscle relaxant pills before mentioning that a local couple, Simon and Keri, recently went missing in the locale. Using data extracted from their social media photos, Tim discovers that they visited the same cave he and Millie fell into after noticing the same symbols surrounding the cave on their uploaded posts. Tim unsuccessfully tries to convince Millie that the two of them may suffer whatever fate Simon and Keri did. 

That night, Millie suggests to Tim that should sleep in separate bedrooms, but later they are supernaturally drawn together, causing their bodies to contort in unnatural ways until their arms become fused. They manage to prevent further fusion after consuming Tim's pills in a panic before passing out. 

Tim awakens bound to a chair with Gaffer Tape, where Millie saws through their fused limb with a battery powered hand saw. With both their arms heavily bandaged, Millie decides to drive them to the hospital, but realises she had left her keys at Jamie's house. Tim promises to wait for her while she retrieves them, but secretly returns to the cave in an attempt to locate Simon and Keri, and finds them partially fused together as a grotesque humanoid. 

Meanwhile, Millie enters Jamie's house after seemingly finding no one at home, and finds a small TV playing, in what appears to be a walk-in-robe, the wedding tape of two men she does not recognise, and featuring the depiction of a ritual in which the men appear to fuse together. Jamie appears out of the darkness and is revealed to be the result of that fusion. He promises that they are happier after 'becoming whole' and implores Millie to complete the fusion process with Tim. When she resists, he cuts her arm down lengthways the same way his constituents had their arms cut in the tape, before she is able to escape.

Millie reunites with Tim in the driveway of their home. He attempts to commit suicide by slitting his throat to save Millie, despite her pleading with him not to. Her wound from Jamie nearly causes her to fatally bleed out, but Tim saves her by fusing his arm to her wound. Accepting their fate, the two affirm their mutual love, strip down naked and slow dance to '2 Become 1' by Millie's favourite pop group The Spice Girls, embracing as they fuse together into a singular being. That following Sunday Millie's parents arrive as planned for lunch. They clang the door bell with a physical bell retrieved from the cave, and are greeted by a seemingly normal, androgynous person, that is a mix of Millie's and Tim's facial characteristics, who says simply 'Hi!'. 

Here first time feature film Director Michael Shanks has delivered us an impressive debut that is at once darkly humorous, anxiety inducing, and a bold examination of codependency, paranoia and a seemingly unwavering reliance upon the devil you know. Real life partners Dave Franco and Alison Brie prove that they are up for anything as their bodies contort, writhe and ultimately bond together to become one, and their on (and clearly off) set chemistry shines in their performances. This film won't be for everyone, but for fans of body horror, a tight and taught script, and squirm inspiring practical effects, 'Together' is up there as a must see for aficionado's of the genre.

'Together' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN : Tuesday 16th February 2021.

I finally got around to seeing 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN' this week following its release in Australia on 7th January. This MA15+ Rated American thriller offering is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Emerald Fennell in her feature film making debut. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2020 and went on general release Stateside on 25th December 2020 having so far taken approaching US$9M at the Box Office and garnered positive Reviews. It was named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review, with Carey Mulligan also winning Best Actress, and has received fifty-three award wins so far plus a further 114 nominations including four nods at the upcoming 78th Golden Globe Awards on 1st March, including Best Motion Picture, Drama.

The opening scene of the film sees three male colleagues in a bar late one evening all ridiculing a female colleague. One of the men, Jerry (Adam Brody) notices what's look to be a very drunk young and particularly attractive woman sat all alone. Egged on by his colleagues he siddles up to the woman playing the concerned and caring gentlemen who offers to share a cab home with her to ensure she arrives safely. On the journey he suggests a stop off at his place which is close by for a nightcap. She complies with his wishes and once home and after said nightcap, the woman says she needs to lie down. Jerry seizes the opportunity to get her onto his bed and starts groping, kissing and removing her underwear. At this, the woman sits bolt upright and asks what the hell he thinks he's doing, now as sober as a judge. Jerry is somewhat surprised to say the least at the woman's sudden sobriety, and starts to backtrack as the woman gives him a very stern dressing down.  

It turns out that the woman in question is thirty year old Cassandra 'Cassie' Thomas (Carey Mulligan) who lives with her parents Susan and Stanley (Jennifer Coolidge and Clancy Brown respectively). They have breakfast together every morning and Cassie's mother especially berates her for not having a boyfriend, having no friends, for still living at home, and for having a near non-existent social life. Cassie responds saying that's just the way she likes it. Cassie works at a coffee shop owned by Gail (Laverne Cox), and there one day comes in Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham) whom nine years previously she was in medical school with. Ryan is now a paediatric surgeon, while Cassie who was the brains of their class is working in a dead end coffee shop! Ryan asks Cassie out, but she initially refuses his advances. 

A few nights later and Cassie is with Neil (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), once again pretending to be very drunk in his apartment. Neil snorts a couple of lines of coke and encourages Cassie to do the same, but she blows instead of snorts. Neil comes on all sympathetic and caring about Cassie's inebriated state and starts to grope and kiss her and puts his hand up her dress. At which point, Cassie reverts back to her completely sober state and asks what he thought he was doing. Neil is taken aback and starts to be fearful of the repercussions that Cassie might bestow up on him, and is left defenceless as she pins him against the wall and reads him the riot act. 

The next days Ryan is back in the coffee shop and again asks her out on a dinner date - this time Cassie responds in the affirmative. On their first date Ryan mentions that their former classmate Alexander 'Al' Monroe (Chris Lowell) is getting married soon. Now it comes out that at medical school Cassie was very close friends with a Nina Fisher who was raped by Al Monroe nine years ago. As a result, both the school and the legal system failed Nina and as a consequence both Nina and Cassie dropped out of medical school despite being Grade A students, and subsequently Nina committed suicide. 

Hearing the news of Al's forthcoming wedding, Cassie begins plotting her revenge on those she considers responsible for the rape and death of her best friend. She first invites an old friend from medical school, Madison McPhee (Alison Brie), who didn't believe Nina's accusations, to lunch at an upmarket restaurant and gets her drunk on Champagne and red wine, then has a man she hired take Madison to her hotel room. After the incident, Cassie ignores all of her many calls. 

Next, Cassie targets Elizabeth Walker (Connie Britton), the medical school dean who dismissed Nina's case due to lack of evidence. Cassie pretends to be a makeup artist for a band called 'Wet Dream' that Walker's teenage daughter Amber (Francisca Estevez) loves and tricks the teenager into getting into her car. Later, Cassie meets Walker under the pretense of resuming her education and questions her about the events that led to Nina's dropout and death. When Walker explains away her actions, Cassie tells her she dropped Amber off at a dorm room with a bunch of drunk male students, and not to worry!! After a fearful Walker apologises for her inaction, Cassie reveals Amber is safe at a local diner. 

Next up Cassie pays a visit to Jordan Green (Alfred Molina), Al's lawyer who harassed Nina into dropping her charges. When Green expresses remorse for his actions, having suffered a mental breakdown over his guilt and now on a forced sabbatical from his law firm, Cassie forgives him. After visiting Nina's mother (Molly Shannon), who urges her to move on, Cassie abandons the rest of her plans for revenge. And so Cassie's relationship with Ryan goes from strength to strength, so much so that the pair find themselves falling in love with each other. 

One day when returning home, Cassie finds Madison waiting outside her house, still distraught and desperate to know what happened after their lunch having woken up in a hotel room with a strange man with whom she has no memory. Cassie reassures her that nothing happened. In response, Madison gives Cassie an old phone containing a video of Nina's rape before telling her to never make contact with her again. As she watches the video, Cassie is shocked to see Ryan among the onlookers. She confronts him at the hospital where he works and threatens to release the video unless he tells her where Al's bachelor party is being held. Ryan tells her and begs for forgiveness, but Cassie refuses and turns her back on him.

Cassie arrives at Al's bachelor party as a stripper in a nurses uniform, plying Al's friends with spiked alcohol to knock them all out and takes Al upstairs to be alone. She handcuffs him to the bed which he willingly volunteers to, and then reveals her true identity to him. However, as she tries to carve Nina's name into Al's stomach, he breaks free from one pair of cuffs, overpowers her and suffocates Cassie under a pillow. 

The next morning, Al's friend Joe (Max Greenfield) comes up to the room, discovers a sobbing Al and the lifeless body of Cassie still under the pillow, consoles him and helps him burn Cassie's body to destroy any evidence. A couple of days later Cassie's parents file a missing person report, and the Police begin an investigation. A Detective questions Ryan at the hospital, but Ryan does not reveal where Cassie was going and states that they split up five days ago and suggests she was mentally unwell and possibly suicidal.

During Al's wedding reception in the grounds of the house where the bachelor party was held, it is revealed that Cassie had sent Jordan Green the phone with the video of Nina's rape, along with information on where she was headed and who would be responsible if she went missing. The Police begin to arrive immediately after the wedding ceremony, and with Police tracker dogs uncover the burnt remains of Cassie's body. At the reception in front of all the gathered guests, the Police arrest Al and cart him away handcuffed, while Joe flees the scene and Ryan receives several scheduled texts from Cassie, explaining that this is not the end, until it is. She signs off in her name and a ; )

This is a thought provoking, of the moment, pitch black revenge thriller comedy that starts of light but culminates in a real sucker punch by the time the end credits roll, that will leave an impression firmly planted in your brain long after you have left the theatre. For her debut movie making outing, Director and Writer Emerald Fennell has here delivered a bold, audacious, never boring and highly relevant film underpinned by perhaps a career best performance from Carey Mulligan playing completely against type, and she absolutely nails it. The rest of the principle cast are alas undercooked in the often fleeting scenes they are in, but carried along on Mulligan's coat tails which should propel her into the Best Actress nominations at this years upcoming Oscars. 

'Promising Young Woman' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE POST : Tuesday 30th January 2018.

I caught the much praised historical political thriller 'THE POST' earlier this week as Directed and Co-Produced by Steven Spielberg. This film tells the story of The Washington Post newspaper and how, together with The New York Times, exposed the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Officially titled 'United States – Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense', this serves as a United States Department of Defence history of the United States' political-military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The papers were released by a former Pentagon staffer, who had worked on the study which were first brought to the attention of the public on the front page of The New York Times in 1971, and immediately thereafter by The Washington Post. The film saw its Premier and limited release in the US just before Christmas, and went on wide release in the US and Australia in mid-January. Costing US$50M to make, the film has so far recovered US$86M and has picked up in total so far twelve award wins and another 79 nominations including two yet to be announced Academy Award nods for Best Film and Best Lead Actress.

The film opens up in 1966, in Vietnam, as a platoon of American Troops set off for the jungle, accompanied by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys) who is there to observe and document the progress (or not) of the American military activities in the region for his boss, Secretary of Defence Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood). En route back to the US after a tour of reporting duty, McNamara states to President Lyndon Johnson and Ellsberg that the War in Vietnam is a lost cause, that no progress is being made and that their efforts are near hopeless. Upon landing however, McNamara expresses to the gathered throng of reporters a completely different story citing that they have seen very positive strides forward, and that he is encouraged by the progress being made.

Fast forward some years, Ellsberg now works for a private military contractor, and he takes it upon himself to begin photocopying the entire 7,000 page Top Secret and highly Classified Report that documents in every detail the progress, or lack of it, of the Vietnam War, dating back to President Truman's time. Once copied he distributes these documents to The New York Times, spelling out clearly over two decades worth of under the radar, confidential activities and brutally truthful admissions of just how poorly the war had been going for the Americans. Meanwhile Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) as the owner and publisher of The Washington Post is seen to be busy juggling her social calendar with preparations for an imminent float of her company on the Wall Street Stock Exchange, whilst keeping a watchful eye on her newspapers content, dwindling readership and the fact that it is still seen as a small local newspaper. Plus, the fact that she is very much a woman all alone in a mans world, and lacks the confidence in herself and her abilities as a result of being looked down upon and frequently overruled for many years by her more assertive advisors and Board Members.

Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is her Editor-in-Chief, and while struggling to find any real newsworthy stories to cover, notes that the top investigative reporter over at The New York Times, Ed Sheehan, has been uncharacteristically quiet for sometime. Bradley surmises that he must be working on something big, and so sends an intern over to the offices of The Times to conduct some undercover investigating. In the meantime, McNamara who is also a long time friend of Katherine Graham and a trusted advisor confides in her that in tomorrows New York Times there will be published a very unflattering exposé into the US Government's long running lies and deceit to the American public into the affairs surrounding the Vietnam War. After a number of days of sensational reporting by The Times blowing the lid off the whole long running sordid, sorry and mismanaged affair, the series is halted in its tracks by a Court Injunction banning any further publications of such stories.

At the same time, a shoe box wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with string winds up on the desk of a Post staffer. Curious he unwraps the box and inside finds a sample of the leaked documents and takes these around to Bradlee's office all post haste. The Post's Assistant Editor and former associate of Ellsberg, Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) believes that Ellsberg is the sources of the leaked documents so begins tracking down his old friend who has gone under deep cover for fear of being hunted down and persecuted by the Government for crimes against the state and treason. However, he is able to track down Ellsberg, who provides him with copies of the same material that he provided to The New York Times.

Back at the Bradlee household, a small team of his reporters convene to sift through 4,000 or so jumbled up pages that Bagdikian sourced from Ellsberg in two archive boxes. While trying to piece together the disorganised and random pages to make a bigger picture story, the Post's legal team have been made aware and advise Bradlee against publishing, for fear that Nixon's administration will bring the full force of the Government down upon them and file criminal charges, which could shut down the newspaper and throw Graham, Bradlee, the Board and the Reporters in jail.

With the clock ticking on their print deadline to make the next morning's newsstands, Graham deliberates long and hard on whether to publish or not. She seeks the counsel of the men around her, including McNamara, Bradlee and various Board Members. All of those except Bradlee coach Graham not to publish for fear that the legal and political fall out would ruin the newspaper and destroy her deep rooted family legacy. On the flip side, if she stands her ground and successfully defends any legal proceedings, she could propel The Post into the realms of a relevant and important news publication on the national stage. She opts for the latter and decides to publish, while The Times remains inactive under its Court Injunction.

The day of publication the White House sends an opening salvo by summonsing both The Post and The Times together before the Supreme Court to plead their First Amendment right for the freedom to publish the leaked documents. Meanwhile, all around the country, other local and State news publications have picked up the story too, made it their front page headlines and come out in support of The Post and The Times. The court determines in favour of both newspapers so validating Graham's decision to publish. Bradlee and the entire office team gather around a small screen to hear the outcome of the determination. In closing President Nixon is seen talking on the telephone banning any representative from The Washington Post ever stepping foot inside the White House again, or attending any Presidential or Governmental event whether at the White House or elsewhere. The final scene, sees a night-time Security Guard interrupting a break-in in progress at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters housed in the Watergate Office complex. The rest as they say, is history!

The film also stars Tracy Letts as Fritz Beebe (Chairman of the Board at The Washington Post); Bradley Whitford as Arthur Parsons (Board Member), Alison Brie as Lally Graham (Katherine's daughter), Sarah Paulson as Antoinette Bradlee (Ben's wife) and Jesse Plemmons as Roger Clark (Legal Counsel to The Post).

This is the first time that Hollywood heavyweights Hanks, Streep and Spielberg have worked together on a film, and judging by the quality of this offering, hopefully it won't be the last. Of course Hanks and Spielberg have plenty of history together, most recently on 'Bridge of Spies' and before that on 'Terminal', 'Catch Me If You Can' and 'Saving Private Ryan'. The quality of the performances from the principle cast, most notably Hanks, Streep and Odenkirk is top notch as you would expect, as is the quality of filmmaking also first rate with Spielberg's deft touch at capturing the real sense of urgency, the power struggle, and the relevance with the political machinations between then and now - albeit with a smattering of poetic license along the way! For equally compelling viewing of this same story you can check out 'The Pentagon Papers' from 2003 - a historical television film about Daniel Ellsberg (portrayed by James Spader here) and the events leading up to the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, or 'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers' - a 2009 documentary film based on the same course of events. This is a good solid film, up there with other investigative journalism films including 2014 'Kill The Messenger', but lacking the greatness of 'All The President's Men' from 1976, 'The Killing Fields' from 1984, and more recently 'Spotlight' from 2015 to name but a few investigative journalism offerings.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE DISASTER ARTIST : Wednesday 6th December 2017.

'THE DISASTER ARTIST' which I saw this week, is based on the now cult classic for all the wrong reasons, 'The Room' which was released in 2003 and Written, Produced, Directed and starred Tommy Wiseau at a cost out of his own pocket of US$6M. At the time of its limited release it was panned by Critics for its bizarre and unconventional storytelling and various technical and narrative flaws, was described as 'the Citizen Kane of bad movies' and others have touted it as one of the worst films ever made. Upon its release in one single theatre, the film took US$1,800 at the Box Office over the two week period of its screening. Originally labelled as an independent romantic drama film, the movie found cult status subsequently and continues to be shown in limited screenings at select theatres to this day and as a result, the film has more than recovered its budget outlay. Wiseau retrospectively characterised the film as a black comedy, even though audiences have generally viewed it as a poorly-made drama, a viewpoint supported by some of the film's cast. In 2013 Greg Sestero, the films other principal Actor published a memoir titled 'The Disaster Artist : My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Film Ever Made' about the making of 'The Room' which has inspired this film. The film was shown at TIFF back in September and took out the top prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and has garnered generally positive Reviews with James Franco in particular being praised for both his Direction and starring roles.

And so James Franco Directs, Co-Produces and stars in this biographical comedy drama offering that features him as Tommy Wiseau, with his brother Dave Franco cast as Greg Sestero. Charting the meeting and early friendship between Wiseau and Sestero which occurred via acting classes in San Francisco back in 1998, and over the following months the two strike up a close, and at times somewhat bizarre friendship. Sharing a dream to make it big in Hollywood, Wiseau persuades Sestero to move with him to Los Angeles where Wiseau owns an apartment centrally located for tinsel town and where they'll be able to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of the movie industry.

However, fairly quickly their combined hopes and dreams come crashing down around their ears after rejection follows rejection, despite Sestero being signed up quickly by one of the top casting agents of the time. One early evening feeling dejected and at a particularly low ebb, Sestero mentions to Wiseau that they should just make their own film. Wiseau takes Sestero's suggestion literally, and over the next three years spends his time writing his own screenplay, called 'The Room', which he presents to his friend in a diner upon completion to be the first person to read it through.

Recognising that the story is totally incoherent, Sestero acknowledges that the script is great to massage Wiseau's ego. Wiseau offers his friend the lead role of Mark, and also makes him a Co-Producer of the film. The pair then go in search of a production company and find one in North Hollywood. Wiseau is insistent that he wants to buy outright all the camera equipment despite the normal arrangement being to rent because of the cost prohibitive nature of outright equipment purchase. He further insists on shooting with two cameras - 35mm and HD digital simultaneously, which just doubles the cost of production unnecessarily, but Wiseau is adamant that he is a filmmaker with a vision destined for greatness, and this is the way its gonna be.

The production company introduces Wiseau and Sestero to Rafael Smadja (Paul Scheer) and Sandy Schklair (Seth Rogen) as Cinematographer and script supervisor respectively, with the latter doubling up as Wiseau's surrogate Director. Production on the planned forty day shoot starts out reasonably well all things considered, but as time progresses Wiseau grows increasingly short tempered, angry, self centred and more demanding of his cast and crew putting his own failings aside and blaming everyone for his shortcomings but himself. He forgets his lines, turns up late almost every day, won't provide the basic needs like air conditioning and water on a stinking hot day while filming inside and verbally abuses his cast and crew with increasing regularity.

Needless to say the crew grow more and more resentful of Wiseau, culminating in an on set showdown in which Smadja reaches the end of his tether and is briefly fired. Wiseau also reveals that he knows that everybody hates him having seen the extensive behind-the-scenes footage being constantly filmed during production, and how nobody, including Sestero, shares his vision for the film. Having gone way over schedule, on the last day of shooting back in San Francisco where it all began, Sestero and Wiseau fight questioning his age, background and source of income which has been a constant source of doubt since they first met, and to which Wiseau has been especially aloof. They part company and don't see each other for approaching a year - until the world Premier of 'The Room' in fact.

At the Premier of 'The Room' to which Sestero has been invited by Wiseau and reluctantly attends, the pair are pleasantly surprised to see the entire cast and crew turn out for the event, and a packed theatre. Wiseau makes an introduction and announces his film. As the film begins to unfold, the audience increasingly erupt into bouts of laughter over just how wrong the film is on almost every level. Wiseau initially leaves the theatre half way through the screening, but is halted from leaving by Sestero who comforts him saying that whilst it may not have been the reaction he was wishing for, the audience are having a great time nonetheless. As the end credits roll, Wiseau returns to a standing ovation.

You don't need to have seen 'The Room' to appreciate what this film is all about. James Franco nails it as Tommy Wiseau in what may yet prove to be a career defining role. Rather than paint a picture that lauds up the source movie with ridicule and rejection, he here delivers a character and a story of unwavering passion and unrelenting dedication to his craft that makes you feel an empathy towards Wiseau, despite his failings. Also worthy of note is the faithful recreation of scenes from 'The Room' duplicated with exacting detail on 'The Disaster Artist' - many of which are shown side by side in the closing credits sequence - all kudos here to the production team, and the cast too for their near seamless performances in re-creating those from the original film.  Also starring Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alison Brie, Jackie Weaver, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Zoey Deutch with celebrity cameo's from the likes of Bryan Cranston, Zach Braff, J.J. Abrams, Danny McBride, Judd Apatow, Kevin Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Lizzy Caplan, Kristen Bell amongst others, here Franco has united an ensemble cast the likes of which have not been seen in a single film for a very long time. We never do discover just how old Wiseau really is, or what his origins are, or indeed where he got his funds from to support his lifestyle and the production of the film, but this is part of the mystique surrounding the filmmaker and his project 'The Room' - a film so bad, it's good! This is a good film about the making of a bad film that is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-