--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Upon its debut, The Room was a…" description: "\"Upon its debut, The Room was a spectacular bomb, pulling in all of $1,800 during its initial two-week Los Angeles run. It wasn't until the last weekend..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/greg-sestero-8487_bombs_upon-its-debut-the-room-was-a-spectacula_1272227.jpg" --- # Upon its debut, The Room was a spectacular bomb, pulling… ![“Upon its debut, The Room was a spectacular bomb, pulling in all of $1,800 during its initial two-week Los Angeles run. It wasn't until the last weekend of the film's short release that the seeds of its eventual cultural salvation were planted. While passing a movie theater, two young film students…” quote by Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/greg-sestero-8487_bombs_upon-its-debut-the-room-was-a-spectacula_1272227.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/greg-sestero-8487_bombs_upon-its-debut-the-room-was-a-spectacula_1272227.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17e/greg-sestero-8487_bombs_upon-its-debut-the-room-was-a-spectacula_1272227.jpg) > “Upon its debut, The Room was a spectacular bomb, pulling in all of $1,800 during its initial two-week Los Angeles run. It wasn't until the last weekend of the film's short release that the seeds of its eventual cultural salvation were planted. While passing a movie theater, two young film students named Michael Rousselet and Scott Gairdner noticed a sign on the ticket booth that read: NO REFUNDS. Below the sign was this blurb from a review: “Watching this film is like getting stabbed in the head.” They were sold.” [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The film’s early commercial failure set the stage for its later cult status, driven by curious viewers and ironic promotion. **In simple terms:** Early flop led to cult fame. Key Takeaway Embrace failure as a stepping stone. Themes failure cult phenomenon marketing film reception Mood ironic curious reflective Type cultural humorous inspirational When to use this quote - Film screenings - college film studies - media analysis - fan conventions Key Concepts Cult cinema viral marketing audience perception Questions to Reflect On - What factors turn a flop into a cult classic? - How does irony shape audience reception? A Different Perspective Cult status may not translate to mainstream success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Debut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debut/) [Debut Room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debut-room-4082797/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-students/) [Initials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/initials/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [Movie theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-theater/) [Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing/) [Passings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passings/) [Pulling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulling/) [Refunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refunds/) [Refunds Sign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refunds-sign-4082799/) [Release](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/release/) [Reviews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviews/) [Room Spectacular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/room-spectacular-4082798/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Seeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeds/) [Spectacular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spectacular/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Tickets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tickets/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-weeks/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) [Weekend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weekend/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [When I first came out, I was a film student and my mom sewed clothes. I was already doing a million things then, whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/when-i-first-came-out-i-was-a-film-student-and-my-mom-sewed-clothes-i-2/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [This is a good thing to say to film students. If there's a story point that you don't feel right about, that there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/this-is-a-good-thing-to-say-to-film-students-if-there-s-a-story-point/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I think too many film students in America are losing the artistry and not learning lighting the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-think-too-many-film-students-in-america-are-losing-the-artistry-and/) [Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/) > [Film students should stay as far away from film schools and film teachers as possible. The only school for the cinema is the cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernardo-bertolucci/film-students-should-stay-as-far-away-from-film-schools-and-film/) [Bernardo Bertolucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernardo-bertolucci/) > [Film theory has nothing to do with film. Students presumably hope to find out something about film, and all they will find out is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/film-theory-has-nothing-to-do-with-film-students-presumably-hope-to/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I wanted to be in film. I wanted to be a film student, possibly be a director or cinematographer, not an actor. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-grier/i-wanted-to-be-in-film-i-wanted-to-be-a-film-student-possibly-be-a/) [Pam Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-grier/) > [It's a very good thing for students also to be exposed to people who aren't film students or film scholars but who work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mayer/it-s-a-very-good-thing-for-students-also-to-be-exposed-to-people-who/) [Robert Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mayer/) > [As I talk to film students now especially, I say, "The easiest job you'll ever get is to try to make your first film."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/as-i-talk-to-film-students-now-especially-i-say-the-easiest-job-you/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I have somewhat lost my enthusiasm in the last years. Mainly because film students using digital video these days have not really produced anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-have-somewhat-lost-my-enthusiasm-in-the-last-years-mainly-because/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I like doing commentary. As a filmmaker and film student, I think it's really interesting to hear what a director did and how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-hardwicke/i-like-doing-commentary-as-a-filmmaker-and-film-student-i-think-it-s/) [Catherine Hardwicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-hardwicke/) > [When I talk to film students, I always say, "Buy the DVDs and listen to the commentaries, look at the making of, look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-hardwicke/when-i-talk-to-film-students-i-always-say-buy-the-dvds-and-listen-to/) [Catherine Hardwicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-hardwicke/) > [I encourage film students who are interested in cinematography to study sculpture, paintings, music, writing and other arts. Filmmaking consists of all the arts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-encourage-film-students-who-are-interested-in-cinematography-to/) [Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/) > [Smaller tax refunds are not a bad thing - they're a sign that people are keeping more of their money as they earn it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/smaller-tax-refunds-are-not-a-bad-thing-they-re-a-sign-that-people/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [You should always ask for a refund at the theatre, apart from my shows, of course, where I won't be handing out any refunds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lycett/you-should-always-ask-for-a-refund-at-the-theatre-apart-from-my-shows/) [Joe Lycett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lycett/) > [I had sex with a prostitute when I was 21, I was so bad, she gave me a refund.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-had-sex-with-a-prostitute-when-i-was-21-i-was-so-bad-she-gave-me-a/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) ## More by Greg Sestero > [I think, reading about yourself through somebody else's eyes, you're always going to have your own story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-think-reading-about-yourself-through-somebody-else-s-eyes-you-re/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“Money, you could say, was the elephant in The Room .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/money-you-could-say-was-the-elephant-in-the-room/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [We've all had someone break our hearts or have been fired from a job or have been cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/we-ve-all-had-someone-break-our-hearts-or-have-been-fired-from-a-job/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“I know the name of your character now,” Tommy said, looking at me. “You will be called Mark – like this guy Mark Damon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-know-the-name-of-your-character-now-tommy-said-looking-at-me-you/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I can't take 'The Room' and show it to an agent and say, 'Hey man, cast me in something.' It's an alien film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-can-t-take-the-room-and-show-it-to-an-agent-and-say-hey-man-cast-me/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I didn't think 'The Room' was going to really go anywhere. But you know, in the back of your mind, you hope that any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-didn-t-think-the-room-was-going-to-really-go-anywhere-but-you-know/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I used to watch 'Private Resort' and laugh all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-used-to-watch-private-resort-and-laugh-all-the-time/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I still think that, uh, the original draft from 'The Room' was brilliant in its own way. It made me laugh, which is -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-still-think-that-uh-the-original-draft-from-the-room-was-brilliant/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I learn new things about what 'The Room' does wrong or oddly every time I see it with a crowd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-learn-new-things-about-what-the-room-does-wrong-or-oddly-every-time/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“If you can, I implore you to watch this scene. It’s seven seconds long. Three hours. Thirty-two takes. And it was only the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/if-you-can-i-implore-you-to-watch-this-scene-it-s-seven-seconds-long/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“I started showing them some of Tommy’s greatest acting hits. “Oh my God,” one of them said, laughing. “This is so terrible.” Another one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-started-showing-them-some-of-tommy-s-greatest-acting-hits-oh-my-god/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“However, this is a man whose skin Occam’s Razor cannot cut. The enigma of Thomas P. Wiseau is that there never seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/however-this-is-a-man-whose-skin-occam-s-razor-cannot-cut-the-enigma/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [You can't really ever recreate 'The Room.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/you-can-t-really-ever-recreate-the-room/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [“This book is about what might be the world’s most improbable Hollywood success story. At its center is an enigmatic filmmaker who claims, among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/this-book-is-about-what-might-be-the-world-s-most-improbable/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) > [I feel that all of us believe that we're rock stars or actors deep down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-sestero/i-feel-that-all-of-us-believe-that-we-re-rock-stars-or-actors-deep/) [Greg Sestero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) [Explore all 80 Greg Sestero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-sestero/) ## More Bombs quotes > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The pace of science forces the pace of technique. Theoretical physics forces atomic energy on us; the successful production of the fission bomb forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-pace-of-science-forces-the-pace-of-technique-theoretical-physics/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I call on the Iranian people: it is not too late to replace the corrupt regime and return to your glorious Persian heritage, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-call-on-the-iranian-people-it-is-not-too-late-to-replace-the/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [My God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you shoot and get shot at! Where you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/my-god-the-english-language-is-a-form-of-communication-conversation/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [I am not sure why, but I have been obsessed by the Atom Bomb ever since it first happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lanford-wilson/i-am-not-sure-why-but-i-have-been-obsessed-by-the-atom-bomb-ever/) [Lanford Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lanford-wilson/) > [Everybody I've ever met was destroyed by a member of the opposite sex early on and that damage you took into every relationship after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/everybody-i-ve-ever-met-was-destroyed-by-a-member-of-the-opposite-sex/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [I had a very well-respected writer ask me point blank to my face whether it actually mattered to me. 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