'The Room' star, author of 'The Disaster Artist', to make appearance at Ciné screening

In most cases when a movie is considered one of the worst of all time, the actors involved would do well to leave it off of their list of credits and try to forget they'd ever had anything to do with it. Greg Sestero made the decision to lean into his notoriety, and his career seems to be all the better for it.

As lead character Mark in the infamous 2003 low-budget thriller "The Room," Sestero performed alongside eccentric writer-director Tommy Wiseau and chronicled the experience in the bestselling memoir "The Disaster Artist," which went on to become an Academy Award-nominated movie.

Sestero will be in attendance for a screening of "The Room" on Sept. 9 at Athens Ciné, which has regularly played the film for late-night audiences since 2007. Fans will be able to meet Sestero for autographs and photo ops prior to the film, and an audience Q&A is planned for after the show.

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In October, Sestero's "Oh, Hi Mark!" tour visited Athens for the first time, and the actor praised the fans and Ciné for providing a warm reception.

"I was so happy to see so many young people taking a chance on ("The Room"), it was so exciting," Sestero told the Banner-Herald. "Athens has a great vibe, and the people at the theater really love movies."

Despite attending countless screenings of "The Room" over the years, Sestero said he has only sat and watched the entire movie about six times, including special events in which he provided a "live riff" making fun of the film along with the audience.

Since the last Athens visit, Sestero has been busy promoting the recently-released "Cyst," a retro-themed sci-fi comedy, and preparing his directorial debut, "Miracle Valley," for a limited theatrical release. In "Cyst," which is available now for streaming rental, Sestero co-starred with George Hardy, the lead in another beloved "bad" movie, 1990's "Troll 2."

Just as gross as the title suggests, most of Sestero's memories of making "Cyst" involve being covered in sticky red goop for most of the shoot.

"That stuff was really cold. After I'd done the last scene, I was so ready to get all of it washed off," Sestero said. "When they called me back in to do another take, I thought they were joking at first. But I dove right back in and it was great."

In "Miracle Valley," Sestero played one of the main characters in addition to serving as writer, director and producer. Inspired by the gritty survival horror movies of the 1970s, the plot concerns an obsessive wildlife photographer (Sestero) and his girlfriend (newcomer Angela Mariano), who travel to the Arizona desert to take a picture of a rare bird.

Once there, the couple crosses paths with a violent religious cult and must fight for their lives in order to escape. Equal parts "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Race With the Devil," "Miracle Valley" features gorgeous cinematography, well-choreographed action set pieces and heart-pounding suspense. Sestero said the film will be released on streaming later this year.

"Back when I made 'Retro Puppet Master,' the director (Dave DeCoteau) told me not to think too many steps ahead in my career," said Sestero. "You just need one movie that's really going to connect people to you. So I'm continuing to honor ("The Room") while moving forward with my passion for making movies. I'm grateful to have something people connect to."

Ciné is located at 234 W. Hancock Ave. For tickets, visit athenscine.com.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: 'The Room' star Greg Sestero will be in Athens for movie screening