If it's your first time watching The Room...

[itsjustsomerandomguy]

...Is it best experienced riffed or unriffed? Some say it's unwatchable without the riff, but others say it's hysterical all by itself. What say you? I just want to know if I should even bother watching it unriffed before watching it riffed.

[Darth Geek]

Watch it riffed first. You will then know if you want/dare/can stomach watching it unriffed.

[torgosPizza]

Yeah, I agree. The guys love it but I almost didn't make it through without the riffing.

[D.B. Barnes]

I've only watched it riffed. I really don't think I could have made it, especially knowing that I could be watching it with an accompanying riff.

[Lovye]

Weak as water!

Go for it unriffed.  You'll appreciate the riff so much more.

[stansimpson]

Weak as water!

Go for it unriffed.  You'll appreciate the riff so much more.

Indeed!  What, do you think those sold-out midnight screenings are watched with the rifftrax?  (I know, they have their own kind but nowhere near what rifftrax does).  I say... unriffed!  Then riffed.  Then never unriffed again.   

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

I recommend watching it unriffed after you watch it riffed......

And watching it unriffed has good and bad....

Good - You can hear just how really lousy the film is...

Bad - You can now hear all of the heavy breathing during the sex scenes (thank god for mute buttons...or fast forward, for that matter).

If you want to try an unriffed showing with friends, found this list of things to do during the film compiled by A.V Club:

SPOONS
Whenever you see a piece of artwork in the set featuring a spoon throw plastic spoons at the screen. Catch the ones landing in your lap from those behind you and throw them at the screen too.

SESTOSTERONE
Yell it whenever Greg Sestero comes on screen, especially when about to do something manly.

CANCER/I PUT MY EVIL INSIDE YOU
Lisa's mother mentions once she has cancer and the film never returns to it. When she touches Lisa on the nose shout "I put my evil inside you".

DENNY
To be shouted whenever Denny comes in. And '"GOODBYE DENNY" whenever he leaves.

ONE...TWO...THREE...FOUR
To be counted up every time Mark says about being Tommy's best friend.

FOCUS/UNFOCUS/DAMN YOU TODD BARRON
The film is constantly out of focus. Todd Barron is the Director of Photography. Of course during the horrid sex scenes you might want to shout "Please unfocus"!

BECAUSE YOU'RE A WOMAN
To be shouted randomly, making reference to the film overt misogyny

ALCATRAZ
To be shouted whenever the scene has bars.

GO GO GO GO GO
Used to cheer on the tracking shots across the bridge.

MEANWHILE BACK IN SAN FRANCISCO
Whenever a shot uses the iconography of San Fran to remind us, yep, we're still here.

WHO THE *beep* ARE YOU?
Two characters that have not yet been introduced are found to be having sex in Tommy's house! Can be used as other characters are randomly introduced (and disappear!) in the film.

[Doctor Who?]

I watched the first ten minutes unriffed once and I felt like killing myself.  Unless you are with friends do not watch unriffed.

[Thrifty]

If you enjoy bad movies ironically, watch it unriffed.  If you could, say, watch an Ed Wood movie without riffs, you can and should watch The Room.

[doggans]

I haven't watched it riffed yet; I've only seen it at a midnight screening in LA. Standing next to Tommy Wiseau and The Dude Who Plays Mark in the back of the overcrowded theater.

THAT is how you want to see the movie for the first time!

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

I haven't watched it riffed yet; I've only seen it at a midnight screening in LA. Standing next to Tommy Wiseau and The Dude Who Plays Mark in the back of the overcrowded theater.

THAT is how you want to see the movie for the first time!

OMG!  Did you stifle your reactions?

If not, how did they react?

How did they react to the reactions of the audience?

[doggans]

Wiseau did a barely-comprehensible Q&A beforehand and encouraged everybody to have fun with the movie. He seemed fine with all the laughter; I think the only person he's managed to convince that this was MEANT to be a comedy is himself.

Side note: This was on June 28th, and in his Q&A, Wiseau dedicated the screening to the memory of Michael Jackson. When the film started, when Denny jumped in bed with the couple, some random guy in the audience shouted out "Remember, this show is dedicated to Michael Jackson!"

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

I heard about that!!!!   

[Courtney]

I haven't watched it riffed yet; I've only seen it at a midnight screening in LA. Standing next to Tommy Wiseau and The Dude Who Plays Mark in the back of the overcrowded theater.

THAT is how you want to see the movie for the first time!

I would very much enjoy standing next to The Dude Who Plays Mark.    Rawr.  Cat sounds.

There's something almost childlike and Ed Wood-ian about Tommy Wiseau.  He's gross and has weird cellulite old man skin over his muscles, but he really seems to enjoy his movie.  He just liked putting on a show.  A terrible show, but a show.

[carlobee]

now i have to watch it.