A new side-by-side video for The Disaster Artist reveals the sheer level of detail that went into recreating key scenes from The Room for the James Franco film. The Room is considered one of the most entertainingly terrible movies ever made. It's badly acted, directed, edited and shot, but there’s such a sincerity and weird charm to it that the movie somehow works. It also helps that director, producer, writer and star Tommy Wiseau is an endlessly fascinating (and strange) guy.

The cult surrounding the movie has only grown since its release in 2003 thanks to regular screenings and clips online. This, in turn, prompted The Room co-star Greg Sestero to write The Disaster Artist, a book exploring his friendship with Wiseau and the chaotic production of the movie. It soon became a bestseller, and the bizarre story behind the film attracted James Franco as star and director.

Franco went to painstaking detail recreating scenes from The Room for his film, and a new video compares The Disaster Artist to the original Wiseau footage. The video (posted by YouTube user 'Amélie Poulain') shows that everything from the camera movement to the line delivery is almost identical; they even capture the awkward editing pauses. Apparently when The Disaster Artist was being previewed some audience members had no idea The Room was a real movie, so it was decided to run the side-by-side comparison over the end credits so viewers would know it was a true story.

James Franco reenacting the Mark scene in The Disaster Artist

The Room has had a wild ride since its release. It was intended by Tommy Wiseau to be a truthful, emotional drama, but it soon became infamous for its unintentional comedy, wild tonal shifts, and Wiseau's bizarre lead performance. The director has since embraced the cult fanbase that surrounds it, and The Room even has celebrity fans in Edgar Wright, Paul Rudd, and Seth Rogen (who also costars in The Disaster Artist). Now The Disaster Artist is likely to bring the film an even bigger legion of fans.

The Disaster Artist has also attracted strong awards buzz, with critics focusing on Franco’s direction and his flawless impression of Wiseau. Even Wiseau likes the film, telling Franco he approved of it 99.9%; apparently, he wasn’t a fan of the lighting in some early scenes. He also felt that Johnny Depp should have been the one to play him in The Disaster Artist, before relenting and telling Franco he would make a good second choice.

MORE: The Room Gets Its Honest Trailer

Source: Amélie Poulain

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