The Canadian filmmakers of “The Room” documentary, “Room Full of Spoons,” were set to release their film in 2017, that is until Tommy Wiseau prevented the release from happening because he found it unflattering. The feud went to court and, unsurprisingly, Wiseau lost and will have to now pay filmmakers Richard Harper, Fernando Forero McGrath, Mark Racicot, and Richard Towns a whooping sum of $700,000.
Wiseau was peeved off by the fact that the documentary revealed his mysterious country of origin, his age and how he managed to get funding for “The Room,” all of which has been a total mystery for more than 20 years now [via Variety]:
The judge also dismissed Wiseau’s claim that the documentary had violated his privacy by disclosing his birth name, birthdate and birthplace in Poland, finding that such information does not meet the high standard for a civil offense in Canada.
“This information was available from public sources, which is how the defendants obtained and confirmed it,” Schabas wrote. “Wiseau may be sensitive about this information because he has cultivated an aura of mystery around it, but disclosure of these facts is not, objectively speaking, something which can be described as ‘highly offensive.'”
The judge also revealed that Wiseau’s courtroom behavior was erratic, as he kept seeking last-minute delays and was a no-show during the first day of the trial. Wiseau tried to testify via videoconference, but the judge denied that motion. Wiseau eventually had to show up on the third day of trial to testify. During his testimony, Wiseau avoided answering questions and kept complaining about the process.
How did “The Room” cost six million dollars to make? Where exactly did all that money go touring production? We learned that Wiseau filmed the movie using both SD and HD cameras, which he also bought. What’s odd about this is that movie studios typically rent cameras because technology is constantly changing and improving and you don't want to get stuck with obsolete equipment. But not Mr. Wiseau. No siree. Wiseau outright bought the cameras and filmed “The Room” on HD digital and 35mm. Which is even more insane due to the different lighting demands for each medium.
I can confirm that Joel Coen’s “Jack of Spades” is based on Frances Frederica Montrésor’s 1901 novel “The Alien: A Story of Middle Age.” It’s a ghost story. A gothic mystery.