The Room Star Greg Sestero with Tom Bissell and Rookie’s Tavi Gevinson

Episode 95

12th November 2013

Guest host Jordan Morris sits down with actor Greg Sestero and journalist Tom Bissell. In 2003, Greg co-starred in a movie called “The Room”. Its stilted dialogue, weird plot points and bizarre aesthetics turned the movie into a cult hit. There were a lot of questions about how and why it was made, so Greg worked with Tom Bissell to write a book about the film and its eccentric director Tommy Wiseau. Then later we revisit Jesse’s conversation with fashion blogging star Tavi Gevinson. She’ll talk about how weird it is to be a teenager in the world of fashion and why her website Rookie is alternative, but not in the way you’d expect. Plus, Jordan asks the LA Times’ Carolyn Kellogg about what two books you should be reading right now and we play exclusive material from Kyle Kinane’s stand-up comedy set at this year’s MaxFunCon.

Episode notes

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The Room co-stars Juliette Danielle, Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero


“The Room” Star Greg Sestero with Tom Bissell: Behind the Scenes of a Spectacularly Bad Movie

Ten years ago, an indie film called The Room entered theaters in Los Angeles. It showed in two theaters, and it grossed only $1800 before it was pulled. The few critics who saw it, panned it. The dialogue was stilted and the plot didn’t make sense. It was billed as a drama, but the effect was comedy. The movie was written and directed by its star, Tommy Wiseau.

Though he may not have intended to, Wiseau created a film that’s been hailed as “the best bad movie ever made”.

Greg Sestero co-starred in the movie and acted as Wiseau’s right hand man throughout the production. His new memoir, written with the journalist Tom Bissell, explores his relationship with the mysterious Tommy Wiseau and the hows and whys of the making of The Room. The book is called The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made. It’s in bookstores now.

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Photo by Kenneth Lecky at MaxFunCon 2013

Comedy: How to Talk to Humans and Cats with Kyle Kinane

Comedian Kyle Kinane details a couple of his latest interactions with other beings — both human and feline.
This set was recorded at MaxFunCon 2013, held in Lake Arrowhead, California. Tickets for MaxFunCon 2014 go on sale the day after Thanksgiving. More information can be found here.

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Fake Fables and Emily Dickinson’s Tiny Handwriting: New Book Recommendations with Carolyn Kellogg

The Los Angeles Times book critic and blogger Carolyn Kellogg stops by to share some of her favorite new books. She suggests The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, a graphic novel of fake fables (have you heard the one about the old lady and the poisoned sausages?).

And whether you’re a poetry freak or just someone who enjoys beautiful things, Carolyn recommends getting a copy of The Gorgeous Nothings: Emily Dickinson’s Envelope Poems to try and decipher Dickinson’s tiny handwritten poems, as seen on her original correspondence.

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Rookie’s Tavi Gevinson on Her Teenage Experience

Tavi Gevinson‘s interest in the artistry of fashion inspired her to start her blog, Style Rookie, when she was in middle school. Drawn to unusual color combinations, proportions, and textures, Gevinson sought to create narratives with her outfits — which caught flack at school, even as fashion magazines praised her sense of style.

Most recently, Gevinson founded and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the online magazine Rookie, a beautifully curated website for teen girls featuring content spanning myriad topics, including feminism, fashion, and how to build the very best forts. Gevinson has curated some of Rookie’s first two years of content into Rookie Yearbook One and Rookie Yearbook Two.

Gevinson joins us to discuss what sparked her foray into the fashion world, people’s tendency to fixate on her age, and the qualities that make people worth writing about.

This interview originally aired November 20, 2012.

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The Outshot: The Station Agent

For some of the best hanging out ever committed to film, Jordan Morris suggests a viewing of The Station Agent, starring Peter Dinklage and Bobby Canavale. Then, grab a friend and prepare to get to know them better.

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In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Guests

  • Greg Sestero
  • Tom Bissell
  • Tavi Gevinson
  • Carolyn Kellogg

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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Senior Producer

Producer

Maximum Fun Producer

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

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