Stressed? Out of Control? Try Dianetics!

Background Noise: Have yourself a merry little shopping season
Last Visited:
Random Thought: there are plenty of people in this world who want to make movies; why do people keep hiring Chris Columbus?
Mood: urg.

So, i'm back at 'bucks after my jaunt this afternoon to Berekely and "Rent," and the dudes with the Dianetics table outside are still here. Well, they had to move 6 feet down the sidewalk, but they're still scaring the crap out of people trying to come in for their caffine fix. Dave threatened to throw egg nogg on them, i threatened to print out copies of Penn Jillette "There is no God" and pass them out to everyone who was accosted.

Neither of us actually followed through on our threats, but we felt better expressing those warm and fuzzy feelings on this the start of the holiday season.

Ok, i've tried to ignore why i'm back in 'bucks instead of home all comfy and cozy, but i can't delay any longer. Here's my plea to the void: if you have any feeling towards the play, the book, the opera, the music of Rent do not go see the movie. Please, i beg you. I know you think that it's not as bad as the critics say, you claim that musicals are just misunderstood, that you have to be able to accept that people break out into song, etc, etc, and so forth. But it is undeniable, this production of Rent, for lack of a better word, blows.

I love musicals, on stage, on film, in an alley, in the back of a barn, i really don't care when or how they're performed as long as the performers and the people filming them love and believe what they're doing. This film doesn't care about the text, the score, or the original cast they struggled so hard to bring back ten years after this show premiered. Chris Columbus steals the heart and soul of the work leading you to ask yourself how in hell Rent won a Pulitzer.

*sigh*

I'm sorry. I wanted to like Rent the movie; no, i wanted to love it. I wanted to have to fight from singing along with the score, i wanted to be moved to the greatest heights and lowest lows and want to ride the ride again after the end credits rolled. I wanted to be able to say that the critics were wrong, and herald the start of a new golden age of movie musicals.

Instead i'm only reminded that mainstream Hollywood will only ever play it safe and produce a load of crap, destroying some of the best material they could ever be handed. Everyone says that Hollywood is in trouble because of piracy; that's a load of garbage: they're in trouble because they produce by committee, and leave the creativity to the small studios, the idependant filmmakers. Fine. If all the major studios are good for is a few blow 'em up blockbusters in the summer, maybe they should play to their strengths and leave the rest of the stories to people who give a damn about telling a story.

And with that, i'm going home. At least i'll be seeing Pride & Prejudice again tomorrow; i'd like to end my break on a good note. You know? i'm almost sad that this week is up; believe it or not, i've grown to like not having to work. I really needed this time off.

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