Room Full of Spoons is a 2016 Canadian documentary film directed by Rick Harper about the 2003 cult film The Room.
Synopsis
Rick Harper, "Canadian documentary maker and The Room superfan", a longtime associate of Tommy Wiseau, director of the infamous 2003 film The Room, explores the story behind the film's troubled production and researches Wiseau's mysterious background, concluding that he is Polish and originally from the city of Poznań.
Cast
Rick Harper
Juliette Danielle
Philip Haldiman
Carolyn Minnott
Robyn Paris
Scott Holmes
Dan Janjigian
Kyle Vogt
Sandy Schklair
Michael Rousselet
Doug Walker
Alan Bagh
Production
Ottawa filmmaker Rick Harper, with Fernando Forero, Martin Racicot and Richard Towns, formed Rockhaven Pictures.
Release
On February 10, 2016, Rick Harper introduced Room Full of Spoons at University of Sheffield Students' Union, with questions and answers with Ryan Finnigan, author of The Room: The Definitive Guide.
Legal issues
After a brief theatrical run in April 2016, the documentary was quickly pulled when independent theaters reported receiving legal notices of copyright infringement from Tommy Wiseau, the director, writer, producer, and star of The Room. Another attempt to release the film in 2017 to capitalize on the film The Disaster Artist was stymied by Wiseau, who filed an injunction in Ontario courts, preventing a DVD release of the film and setting up a lengthy legal battle. After a final trial in January 2020, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge Paul Schabas ruled in favour of the makers of Room Full of Spoons, therefore allowing the film to be marketed and released. He ordered Wiseau to pay the filmmakers US$550,000 in compensatory damages, CDN$200,000 in punitive damages and defendants' court costs.
Wiseau Studio appealed the Superior Court of Ontario's April 2020 Judgement, and on July 23, 2021, Wiseau's appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
On January 15, 2021, in Wiseau Studio, LLC v. Harper, 2021 ONCA 31, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, for the first time, an Ontario court ordered security for a trial judgment pending appeal.
See also
Best Worst Movie
References
Further reading
Statement of Claim - Wiseau Studio, LLC June 13th, 2017
Statement of Defence - Room Full of Spoons Inc. August 9th, 2017
Injunction Dissolved, Reasons for Judgment - Justice Koehnen, Ontario Superior Court of Justice November 1st, 2017 Factum of The Plaintiffs, Motion for Leave to Appeal - Wiseau Studio, LLC March 23rd, 2018 Factum of The Defendants, Motion for Leave to Appeal - Room Full of Spoons Inc. April 11th, 2018 The Decision, Motion for Leave to Appeal - Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Divisional Court) June 15th, 2018 Trial Timetable June 4th, 2019 Defendants' Motion to Dismiss November 25th, 2019 Trial Management Issues December 10th, 2019 Plaintiffs Motion to Adjourn Trial December 31st, 2019 Plaintiffs Motion to Discontinue Main Action January 3rd, 2020 Reasons for Judgement April 23rd, 2020
External links
Leonard J. French, Esq..