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The Fourth Wall: When art imitates 'art' ... who's the joke actually on? Tommy Wiseau, left, who made the classic bad movie "The Room," attends a film premiere with James Franco ó the director and star of "The Disaster Artist," which tells the story of the making of Wiseau's film. [Getty Images] Friday Dec 15, 2017 at 2:00 AM Dec 15, 2017 at 5:30 PM By Robert Galvin Mail Tribune “The Disaster Artist,” a new film directed by and starring James Franco that opened at Tinseltown last weekend, might not be your particular cup of cocoa — but it has garnered the type of cachet that leads entertainment writers to use the word “cachet.” It’s “in,” it’s “hip,” it’s “knowing” — in short, it’s the type of film anticipated by folks who want to see films that are anticipated by the in, hip, knowing crowd. For the rest of, “The Disaster Artist” goes behind-the-scenes with auteur Tommy Wiseau as he makes a bizarre, bumbling, borderline-psychotic movie called “The Room” – which is destined to be known as one of the worst movies of all time. “The Room” — which deals with the adventures of best friends Johnny and Mark, who are best friends — should not be confused with the 2015 release “Room,” which found Oscar-winner Brie Larson and “Wonder” star Jacob Tremblay held captive in a 10x10 space for seven years before their escape. Watching best friends Johnny and Mark in the Wiseau masterpiece only makes you think you’re trapped in a movie theater for seven years. It isn’t a bad movie in the same way that “Ishtar” is a bad movie. (Heck, even “Ishtar” isn’t as bad a movie as “Ishtar” is considered to be.) And it’s not in the same category as the low-budget, B-movies regularly skewered by the good folks from MST3K – although they did poke hole in “The Room” as part of their 2015 live tour. What makes “The Room” unique is that it simply shouldn’t have been able to be made at all … and certainly by the motley crew of neophytes who were able to pull it off. And that’s the emotional hook of “The Disaster Artist” — it’s an in, hip, knowing comedy about a work of art that really should exist. The Franco film also continues in the tradition of a particular Hollywood sub-genre … the backstage biopic about artists whose talent reaches far shorter than their grasp. Consider last year’s “Florence Foster Jenkins” – which starred Meryl Streep as a rich arts patron whose desire to be an opera singer led to a string of well-attended, well-intention disasters. Or the film that is the twin son of different mothers to “The Disaster Artist” – the 1994 dark comedy “Ed Wood,” about the famed director of “Plan 9 From Outer Space” and “Glen Or Glenda” …two unintentional cult (and camp) classics. Both those films portrayed their protagonists with a benevolent eye and a knowing wink for the audience. Not only do the supporting characters know that their artistic endeavors are futile, but the filmmakers show us that they know it as well. Heck, by going to see “The Disaster Artist,” we’re in on the joke as well ... so we leave our stupid comments in our pockets. We go into the theater having paid money to see the story of someone whose creative output would kill to be thought of as mediocre. (In that sense, it's like actually paying money to read this column.) There’s obviously comedic (and Oscar) gold to be mined in the premise — Mel Brooks proved that nearly 50 years ago in the first iteration of “The Producers.” And once in a blue moon a movie comes along that realizes that it’s off the rails (such as the criminally underrated “Hudson Hawk”) and lets us laugh along. Still, there’s something a little … ummm … I think the technical term is “icky” … about the praise being lavished on “The Disaster Artist.” Florence Foster Jenkins and Ed Wood were long-dead and a part of entertainment lore long before films were made about them. Wiseau not only is still among us; but, unless it’s the longest put-on in history, still doesn’t grasp why people think his film is so terrible. He’s even showing up at red carpet events with Franco — in much the same way Tonya Harding is getting standing ovations while attending premiere showings of her Hollywood close-up, “I, Tonya.” Does Wiseau know that the allure of the film about his film comes from a celebration of an absurd level of awfulness? And is it truly in, hip or knowing to turn “The Room” and “The Disaster Artist” in on themselves as some sort meta-joke thought-piece on what constitutes the nature of art? Jenkins, Wood, Wiseau (and even Harding) exist on the fringes. Dark comedies can be made of their efforts because the truth doesn’t hit too close to the heart of Hollywood (how that’s for an oxymoron?). Where might his trend lead over the next 20 or so years? Two films came to mind. “Heaven’s Gate” and “Bonfire of the Vanities” were high-profile failures that tarnished reputations and studios. Each led to acclaimed books that detailed the cynical sausage-making of the business. (There’s a documentary, “Final Cut,” based on the book about the lasting impact of “Heaven’s Gate.”) Could a behind-the-scenes film about the making of either get made, or even financed? Maybe it would be deemed too close to home to hone the humor; that too many people involved in those movies are still working far away from the fringes of show business. Or maybe it would be just too much like winking at the mirror.  — Copy editor Robert Galvin, who can be reached at [email protected], also writes the "Get Off My Lawn" column in Sunday's Mail Tribune.