CapnHook revisits the RENT movie- Page 3
CapnHook revisits the RENT movie
#50Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 3:15pm
We barrel full steam into the title song without a shred of exposition.
You hit the nail on the head. That is what killed it for me right from the start. After that, I knew it was all downhill. It's sort of like opening Forum with That'll Show Him.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#51Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 3:24pm
So much dead air, so many long, pointless silences. So many shot shots of the miserable people at the Life Support meeting.
I think another reason the movie was such a disappointment to a lot of fans was because (and people touched on this earlier) all this stuff kept coming from the production (especially Columbus and Rapp) about how it was very faithful to the stage show (which it is structurally. But it's only "faithful" if you consider jettisoning half of the score being faithful - this is a problem I had with Dreamgirls, too, when the intitial word kept saying how the first half was the show verbatim, when it wasn't in the slightest) and how nothing was going to be compromised in order to avoid a (hypothetical) R rating.
To that, all I can say is, THIS LOT IS FULL OF ARTISTS.
#52Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 9:28pm
RENT was what got me into theatre. I grew up listening to the OBCR because of my mother, but we'd never seen the show. It changed my whole life and I find the show to be very near and dear to my heart. When my mother and I saw the movie, we both loved it. I was hooked on that version and the soundtrack for a few months before I bought the OBCR and then I couldn't put that down. I saw the show live for the first time in May of '08 when it was in Stockton in California. Seeing the show live didn't change my opinion of either the movie or the show. I still love both of them deeply. I understand that the film most definately has its faults. They've all been pointed out numerous times throughout the thread, but it's not really the movie itself that matters to me. It's the story. It's the show. It's the music. It was really my first introduction into the show.
I will admit that I was pissed when the movie ended. I thought that was the dumbest ending ever, even without having seen the stage show. I even think then ending of the stage show is dumb. There were quite a few things I was confused about, having gone in and seen the movie only knowing the cast album of the Broadway show. The dream sequence during Tango: Maureen? Santa Fe? Out Tonight? The randomness during Another Day? The film is bad, I'll admit it.
I'm going to follow the example of the OP and refrain from watching RENT until after I'm through with my community theatre production here in Sacramento if I get cast. I haven't seen RENT in any form since the actual DVD of the filmed stage version came out. I haven't even seen the movie in about a year. If I do get cast in the show, I'm going to rewatch the movie once the run is over and hopefully reform my opinion. I don't really have one and I hope this experiment will give me one.
Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, RENT, Mamma Mia!, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Evita (with Julia Murney), Hairspray (with Paul Vogt), Peter and the Starcatchers (with Christian Borle), Lion King, Altar Boyz, Legally Blonde (with Lauren Zackrin).
MusicSnob1
Broadway Star Joined: 10/19/09
#53Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 9:51pm
"I don't really have one"
You don't really have an opinion? What are these?
"I still love both of them deeply."
"I understand that the film most definately has its faults."
"I will admit that I was pissed when the movie ended."
Those are all personal thoughts/opinions. And yet, they all become irrelevant when we look at this gem...
"but it's not really the movie itself that matters to me"
This entire thread is about the movie and for someone who doesn't care about it, you sure do have some strong opinions.
When I think about you, I touch myself.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#54Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:07pmShe didn't like the movie because Mimi didn't wear the blue pants.
#55Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:13pmYou forgot Roger's plaid ones, how dare you!
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#56Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:16pmI'm a bad ReNt fan. I should be descarfed!
Marquise
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/1/04
#57Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:28pm
RENT was what got me into theatre. I grew up listening to the OBCR because of my mother, but we'd never seen the show. It changed my whole life and I find the show to be very near and dear to my heart. When my mother and I saw the movie, we both loved it. I was hooked on that version and the soundtrack for a few months before I bought the OBCR and then I couldn't put that down.
I'm confused. So which is it angelxschunard? Did you grow up listening to the OBCR because of your mom or did you buy it after seeing the film and being hooked on the soundtrack for a few months?
MusicSnob1
Broadway Star Joined: 10/19/09
#58Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 11/30/09 at 11:30pm
SO MANY PLOT HOLES IN HER STORY. JUST LIKE JONATHAN LARSONS. SHE SHALL BE TARRED AND FEATHERED.
Phyllis - do the honors, my dear. Take me...out tonight. Please.
When I think about you, I touch myself.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#60Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 12/1/09 at 3:25amWhat's with this habit of making films of shows that are essentially through sung--and then making much of the sung dialogue into spoken dialogue, but KEEPING the original rhyme schemes, etc (OK maybe only Rent and Phantom did this but it comes off as beyond bizarre and I have no doubt that any audience would have simply had an easier time accepting the sung dialogue)
#61Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 12/1/09 at 4:20amIt is impossible for anyone on this board to simply ask a question without being a ****, isn't it?
Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, RENT, Mamma Mia!, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Evita (with Julia Murney), Hairspray (with Paul Vogt), Peter and the Starcatchers (with Christian Borle), Lion King, Altar Boyz, Legally Blonde (with Lauren Zackrin).
#62Re: RENT --> The Power of American Cinema
Posted: 12/1/09 at 4:27amIt's so easy to insult others than admit you were caught in your lies, isn't it?
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
#63Re: RENT
Posted: 12/1/09 at 5:30am
Easily one of the worse stage-to-musical adaptations. I remember enjoying it back when it came out when I was younger, but it's a movie that is basically impossible to re-visit, it's so terrible. The acting is simply atrocious where most of them are concerned. Rosario Dawson manages to do a good job despite the incredibly flawed storytelling, but for the most part, the cast is disappointing and some of them are too stage-bound (Adam Pascal stands out as the stagiest of the bunch). Also, for film you need actors who registers on the screen which the RENT actors just couldn't do, and yes, they were too old indeed.
It's hard to blame anyone but Christopher Columbus for thinking he could do a movie musical, and for thinking that that movie musical should be RENT. The man gave us the cleanest, tamest, most fake view of gay people and HIV/AIDS that I have seen on screen. The movie also looks cheap and not in a "this is meant to look cheap since they are poor" kinda way. It just looked underproduced and uninspired.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
MusicSnob1
Broadway Star Joined: 10/19/09
#65Re: RENT
Posted: 12/1/09 at 10:42am
Hahaha! I now love this thread so much.
Hey Angel - stay classy. good luck in your community theatre production of rEnT.
Stop by later, if you'd like to try and have a conversation with us that doesn't completely contradict everything you say.
When I think about you, I touch myself.
#66Re: RENT
Posted: 12/1/09 at 12:36pm
This movie is by far the furthest thing from a cinematic masterpiece, but I love it still. It is complete cheese. I remember seeing it in the movie theaters on opening night and going....really?? oh dear! but, i still bought the DVD the day it came out and watch it whenever I am in a crappy mood. I take it for what it is. I don't expect much from it. Yes, in general, the OBC should not have been used, but I will be selfish and be glad they were because I love them.
ICY(R) and Without You will make me cry my eyes out everytime, Tango maureen dream sequence & OTM will make me laugh hysterically (and not in a good way) and in all my Adam obsessiveness the cliff scene and a few shots of his flowy hair will make me cringe, but I'm still glad I have it to watch.
BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless
SOMMS: I knew it was Tink!
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#70Re: RENT
Posted: 12/1/09 at 3:55pmThat's how it was with me. When I first saw it in theaters I was trying to take it all in and I actually didn't think it was that bad. The second time I went in with a more analytical mindset and it was then that I saw how bad it was.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
MusicSnob1
Broadway Star Joined: 10/19/09
Broadway Star Joined: 12/31/69
#73Re: RENT
Posted: 12/1/09 at 6:45pmI am new here and have never discussed The RENT film so here goes. I hope I don't make anyone angry.As sad as I am to admit this about the actors I agree. They didnt seem comfortable on film or something but I do love their voices and it is nice to see almost all the original cast together. When rent premiered I was 10 so I never got the chance to see them together.I never understood why Halloween and Goodbye Love was cut out of the film (thank God for deleted scenes. The scenes are emotional and the movie lost something with them cut out. I dont care for Adam Pascal's hair but thats not really important. I guess I can't hate it because it is a film based on my favorite musical of alltime but I wouldnt say its a good adaptation.
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