RENT SCREENING review (11/8/05) — Page 6

I was at the screening tonight too (I know, I shouldn't have gone AGAIN) and was surrounded by people who knew NOTHING about Rent.

The reactions were varied and very interesting. Teenaged boy behind me got the giggles every time someone started singing. Teenaged boy in FRONT of me who was completely against it being a musical cried during "I'll Cover You:Reprise" - that I think was the best part for me.

The two women beside me were really impressed - they were initally very excited about Taye Diggs, they were SO cute.

I actually only have ONE complaint about the show, and it is about some... and I hesitate to call them this... "Rentheads" a couple of rows ahead of me.

They wanted to make it QUITE clear to the audience that they were Rent "insiders" - and SCREAMED in anticipation every time something happened... Mimi blowing out the candle, a note of music starting, making loud "AWWWW" noises every time there was a closeup of Anthony, etc. The worst was when the primary offender shouted "YES" when Mimi came back to life. Come on kid, you're wearing 947937 pieces of Rent crap, you've seen the show.

The people around us were rather perplexed (probably never having encountered nutters such as this at the Nederlander as I have) and kept going "what is wrong with that girl?" and "why does she think that line is funny?" (she laughed as loud as possible when someone said a line that was worded like a sung line)

Just a reminder to those who have trouble controlling yourselves... while that is probably "pretty cool" and "SO inside" of you to do at a midnight screening full of Rentheads, it was really rude to an audience who was trying to take the film in for the first time.

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Updated On: 11/10/05 at 10:24 PM

I would have the usher kick that person out, if i was paying to see this movie, nothing worse than people who spoil a movie viewing for other people.

Everythingisrent why that may be fine, you guys want this to be a huge hit, how many people left that screening, thinking the movie might have been good, but for the renthead down the front, who did everything possible to spoil it foe everyone else..

From the early reviews this film needs as much word of mouth as possible.

Just a thought

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Allee, I love you darling!! I hope excited reactions would make people more interested, not annoyed. Oh well.

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Updated On: 11/10/05 at 10:46 PM

how about accepting the fact that at a SCREENING people are OBVIOUSLY going to react like that.

Seriously, you should expect and accept it. If you don't like it, don't go.

Go cry about it.

...bitches.

There's a fine, fine line.....

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*curtsy*

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Sorry for the mispellings. I wanted to ge tthis up ASAP. I promised myself I wouldn't post and yet have you poor people read yet ANOTHER reviews -another take of the movie. But on the bus ride back I decided to do it. I will probably correct the mispellings tomrrow.

I tried my luck and with no tickets commuiting from Jersey I fainlly got a pass (thank you generous girl wharever you are).

I really like (and I don't call an "homage" hee hee) the way the important staging from the show was intertwined within the movie. I think Rentheads will eat it up -not so sure about the general public. I would like to think so but it's hard to tell.

Personally I loved the simplicty of the stage version and think many attriubted carry over in the movie. Though I do think even the last minute of two of Goodbye Love would be amazing (adds demension to the story, and shows up more of the cast's acting). Some parts are as if the cast is winking at the audience who has seen the show. I wish there was more of a dailouge seen or something to get more Angel time in there. Everytime Wilson smiled, I just was so happy that no one else took his place.

I was mad how the Thank you to Mr. Larson wasn't even in the beginning of the movie and if youw anted to catch the thank you you have to wait ALLLL the way through the end credits. Come on now!

For me, I feel an general audience may feel the pacing is a little off. There were sections that just felt needed to flow a tiny bit better.

I loved the opening. Honestly there was so much excitement and enthusiatic audience members I would like to view it a second time to see how another audience would feel. I am so glad that this will expose more people to this show. I loved how the music felt so different from the motion picture soundtrack. I loved Take Me or Leave Me. I really like the realism within the movie but I felt it could of been a little more gritty. At times (sexaul elements) were in there just to shock the audience (because they were so focused on by the camera) or if playing it less flashy would of been better.

The cast is remarkable how each of them have grown into their roles (some of them have had say at least 9 years others not as long). Love the voice mails, added Buzzline office scene.

The sound was superior and standouts were: Will I, Without You, Glory. Tango was teriffic, but as someone commented I am not sure how well it fits with the movie (the random dream sequence).

I hope the world is ready for such a important story, but I know many are going to blast Mr. Columbus but because of who he is. I give him a lot of credit and making sure our voices were heard.

Only staging number I really did not like - Another Day. (Just stand and sing and then add people didn't do it for me). Life Support people very touching. I love Seasons of Love B and how it worked in there. And I liked how at times the characters aren't just singing on screen (flashbacks, overlay video). Varies it.
I really want to see it again, without the craziness of tonight and really focus on the storytelling. To all the new friends I've made, if this screening is any indication many people will be seeing this movie.


The one thing I like about hte show is it really shows the community: The random cast of characters we meet in Christmas Bells, on the Street, etc. I like how Colombus did a little of that in there but seeing more characters come to life would've been cool

Updated On: 11/11/05 at 11:55 PM

*Spoilers* kinda

I was at the screening tonight. As a very big RENT fan, I personally enthusiastically enjoyed the film. I took a friend who has only seen it on broadway once (and with Mel B), and after the movie she was more worked up than I was. She couldn't even talk about it - she needed minutes to collect herself.

About things that have led to heavy discussion around the boards...

April's death: Yea, they don't mention that she committed suicide, but it is clear that she is the one that gets HIV and passes it to Roger. It was not a huge deal not knowing that she had committed suicide. Roger looked just as depressed as he would have had he known she killed herself.

Goodbye Love/Halloween Cuts: I interrogated my friend after we saw it for about an hour on every aspect and what she thought. She wasn't confused by the plot, but after I mentioned the cuts, she said they might have helped. Her impression was: what was mark's purpose? All his friends are coupled off, they're all sick, and he's just standing there totally fine. She felt like the rest of the characters should be jealous of Mark because he's just *perfect*. There was basically no resolution in Mark's story, which upsets me since I think it sounded great on the soundtrack and I love Anthony. After mentioning it to my friend, she did say it seemed a little bizarre for Roger to go to Santa Fe and come back within 60 seconds. However, she didn't really bring it up until after I had mentioned it, so I guess it wasn't that big of a deal.

*Corny* moments: The impression I got from actually watching the film and listening to people talk afterwards was that WYO was a bit *corny*. It just seemed a little too perfect for me. You know....driving along...wind-blown hair...

Another Day: It is clear that Columbus has issues staging confrontational scenes. As with his problems with the confrontation in GL, when it got heated in AD, Columbus's response was to send Mimi out the door. With the two of them singing so far away, we didn't get those great close-ups, and there wasn't really anywhere for Roger to go up on that fire escape. It would have been great to see each other all up in each other's faces.

General comments:

It was SO much more intense seeing all the close-ups and the true emotion. It made everything seem so much more personal between the film and the viewer. You do truly care about the characters by the end of the film.

I was very impressed by the acting. All the little subtleties in there were great – just the looks between the cast told their own story. I could not have imagined this film without these members of the OBC, if I had any hesitation; it was totally knocked out from the beginning. They ARE the characters.

OTM was definitely filmed live, as it is slightly different from the soundtrack. *Please* please watch the screens in back of Maureen – they are absolutely hilarious.

I think that’s all for now. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. If I think of anything else, I’ll add it in tomorrow. I really think any RENT fan will love it. So don’t worry guys, it’s gonna be great. (Btw…if it makes you feel any better Teen Vogue gave rent 3.5 out of 4 stars lol)

One more thing, why oh why does the screen say “Thank You, Jonathan Larson” at the very, very end of the credits? It should be right up there before the credits actually start rolling. Please stick around and see it, you know he deserves it.

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I think with a movie, where not everyone knows whats going on, a lot is left up to assumption. No, they never say he got it from her. But April has it, Roger has it. I guess they assume we'd make the conenction. And I didn't feel like he was guilty because the way they presented it, there wasn't anything for him to be guilty about.

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Well.... despite having to get up for school in a few hours, I just read through this entire thread. After reading all of that I just really need to let out my feelings that emerged from the previous seven pages.

I am a bit broken up about all the comments regarding major holes in the story and characters because of the cuts. I knew right from the moment I read the Chobosky script almost a year ago, that unless major changes were made to the writing and staging, this picture was going to end up a mess. As I began hearing reports from the set and then seeing clips from the film, it seemed that Columbus may have rescued things somewhat. I grew more and more confident and lately even CERTAIN that this film was going to be great. In a way, I guess, the previous pages have provided me with a cushion, softening the blow of the fact that this film as a whole could be at worst a campy, confusing mess.

I literally almost cried when I found out that the end of "Goodbye Love" was cut.... to me that cut, storywise, just makes absolutely no sense. Whoever said that cutting "Goodbye Love" would be like cutting the iceberg scene from "Titanic" really hit the nail on the head. It is a major turning point for the characters emotionally in the story. Eliminating it compromises the character of Angel as well as EVERY relationship in the film. The excising of "Halloween" takes away from the character of Mark, but doing away with "Goodbye Love" detracts from ALL the characters.

Those looking for a person to blame need look no further then Chris Columbus... bad staging is the director's fault. If that is why "Goodbye Love" was cut, then it is HIS fault.

My favorite point though was brought up by Emcee, who said that despite the cuts and failings of the film, what ultimately mattered to Mr. Larson was the "politics" of the film so to speak. The issues of AIDS, homosexuality, poverty, art, love, life, death, "carpe diem": that is what "Rent" is really about! "Christmas Bells" and "Halloween" are gone, fine, but as long as this film asks the audience to live for today and love the people in their lives as if tomorrow will never come, then I think Jonathan would be happy. If it softens one audience member's view on a homosexual or a person with AIDS, then I think Jonathan would be happy. If the movie gets even one person to leave the theater, inspired and moved by the power of theatrics and music, then I think Jonathan would be happy. I guess that's what it is truly about. All along we asked the creators not to destroy Jonathan's vision.... and from what I've seen, his vision, his message, is intact.

That had been pent up for a while... I don't even care if nobody reads it.... I feel better for having put into words what I'm feeling. This movie means so much to me, and I refuse to allow myself to be totally letdown. I am thankful that at least some part of Mr. Larson and his brilliant work is now imprinted permanently on celluloid for future generations to discover. That to me is the most valuable contribution of the "Rent" movie.

I'm looking so forward to my sneak preview on the evening of the 22nd.

~Jason

** Just a note to potentially over-excited Rentheads... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take heed to the warnings of the above posters! Don't make fools of yourself in the theater by ruining the experience for other audience members. I know how hard it is to control the urge to vocally get into what is onscreen, and trust me I will be facing the same struggle, but one of the main excitements about the movie is getting "Rent" out to the rest of the world. Be respectful please!

All the best,
Goodnight!

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just to make you feel a bit better Em, Adam's acting was pretty great. I was quite surprised. Get excited...

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Maybe it was just me, so others who saw it should jump in, but I didn't see Roger as feeling guilty about anything. Maybe it was just me...

Also, what was the name of Adam's band prior to Rent?

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