What was wrong with the RENT movie?- Page 3

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:01pm

Why Oy? Is this bad?

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:02pm

I assume you haven't seen it. Either that or you are very young.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:04pm

Not that everybody has to like everything, but WSS "dumb?"

I know some people can't get past the "oogly-poo" beatnik slang, but do you really think the entire show is dumb?


EDIT: "Why Oy? Is this bad?"

Okay, seriously? Are you that sheltered? You don't have to be Jewish or live in NY to know what "Oy" means. And I think I'm beginning to understand your POV now, and why you think WSS is dumb.

I thought TV was the great cultural equalizer, but you're sure proving me wrong.

Updated On: 6/9/11 at 08:04 PM

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:27pm

I didn't ask what it means. I asked why he said it. I do think it is silly not dumb. My fault for miss use of words.

Also why does everyone have to like WSS? Updated On: 6/9/11 at 08:27 PM

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:52pm

"As far as directing goes, I greatly admire Chris Columbus' directing when he's given an original script to work with (ex. Mrs. Doubtfire), but when he's given an adaptation it's generally not anywhere near as good."

"Mrs. Doubtfire" is an adaptation. It was based on a children's book called (I think) "Alias Madame Doubtfire" or something.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:03pm

Everything but Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms (ironically, the only non-original cast members) was dead wrong with this awful adaptation. "La Vie Boheme" looked like a Gap commercial. It was embarrassingly phony to the core.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:39pm

Also why does everyone have to like WSS?

That's like asking why everyone has to like Shakespeare, or the Beatles. Even if it's not your favorite or you do not personally enjoy it, you have to at least respect the talent behind it and admire the work for what it did for the art form.

To say that you find West Side Story dumb and, in fact, cannot find a single redeeming quality about it, does nothing but give the impression that you are very young and know NOTHING about the art form you say you love.

I can't stand Eugene O'Neill plays. I find them tedious to sit through and even more obnoxious to read. But I would never say that O'Neill is a hack or that THE ICEMAN COMETH is dumb.

There is a difference between a subjective reaction to a work, and an objective determination of quality and/or importance.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:42pm

And to answer the original question: Chris Columbus. He had no clue how to handle the material, and he was TOO reverent to the stage show. He thought he could just film the show on cooler sets, and that didn't work. The best musical-to-movie adaptations are the ones that change the material to work for film, that make the material something new and different from the stage show.

He didn't even want to change the script, so when people spoke in normal conversation and their lines rhymed, it was laughable.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:45pm

True, I was exaggerating when I said I hate everything. There are usually a couple good performances and the choreography is good. But the choreography is what I find makes it silly. I actually can't respect the music. I feel bad because Bernstein wrote Candide which is my favorite score of all time and Sondheim is amazing. But to me the score has nothing redeeming. Also when people say it is amazing and the perfect musical made me go in with such high expectations. Then I hated MOST things about it. i saw twice after that and still hated MOST things about it. True saying I hate everything about it was rude and an insult to the hard work that went into that.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:51pm

The choreography is what made the piece so hugely important. This is what I mean when I say that you seem to know nothing about the history of musical theater.

Another example: I don't like OKLAHOMA. I think it's just silly and cheesy and the songs seem to come from nowhere, and that ballet? But I also know what musical theater was when OKLAHOMA was written, so I can recognize that some of the very things I don't like were actually huge leaps and bounds towards the form we have now, and that without it, we wouldn't have shows like COMPANY. I recognize and admire the invaluable merits in the show without personally enjoying it.

Updated On: 6/9/11 at 09:51 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:55pm

The choreography in WEST SIDE STORY is perhaps the most important, famous and brilliant choreography ever designed for the American Musical Theater. Saying what you're saying here is essentially like walking into a church and telling the congregation you think Jesus was a fag.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 9:57pm

I never said the show wasn't important. I said I don't like it. In the version I saw the choreography had to be scaled down. It was still nice but I find the gangs dancing all the time silly. Where did I say it wasn't important in my other post. I said it had nice choreography but found the show was silly.

I just find I couldn't take it seriously. I can see how people would like it. It is just the opposite of what I like.
Updated On: 6/9/11 at 09:57 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:01pm

It's probably best you just stop now.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:02pm

Okay I can't have my opinion without being called young or stupid. That is nice.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:05pm

Because it's a young, uninformed opinion.

It's funny I didn't like West Side Story but I hate everything about that show. Including the score.

You hate everything about the show. EVERYTHING. That includes its significance, its impact, its importance, etc. etc.

If that's not what you meant, then stop speaking in ridiculous hyperbole. Then maybe we'd stop questioning your opinion, experience, experience, and intelligence.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:07pm

I later addressed that fact I said everything and said it was rude and there were positives.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:09pm

It's an uninformed opinion, which is quite different. It's obvious you are young. I'm guessing 14 or 15 years old (not that that's a bad thing at all) but you need to know that the people you are having THIS discussion with are older and have spent years learning about theater. I'm not saying you won't become as knowledgeable as others in time or that you aren't entitled to your opinions. I'm just letting you know that here, right now, you are coming off as very naive.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:12pm

I'm not 14 or 15. I don't understand what the big deal is. I got too defensive, I admit. Jordan can you tell why it is so amazing?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 10:51pm

Yes, but not tonight. I'm not in the mood to write an essay on it's historical importance, it's music, orchestrations, choreography, direction, cast, impact on musical theater etc.

[Steel Pier Fan]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 11:23pm

Jordan, it wasn't meant to sound rude. Just wondering your opinion. Because I read my post and it could come across as rude.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 12:07am

HEAD - - - -> DESK : BAM! BAM! BAM!

[Kad]

Posted: 6/10/11 at 12:18am

You are free to not like WSS. I wouldn't go out of my way to see a production of it unless I had reason to. But, regardless of whether or not you enjoy it, you HAVE to be able to respect it as an extremely important and formative piece of theatre. You HAVE to acknowledge that its choreography was a milestone.

You can disagree with Abraham Lincoln's politics and policies and actions, but you HAVE to acknowledge that he was an extremely important American historical figure. You wouldn't go up to an historian and say 'I don't think Lincoln was important'.

This is the same thing. No one is asking that you LOVE LOVE LOVE West Side Story. Just that you are able to acknowledge its importance and respect that.