Yea, about to say, Mark and Maureen don't have AIDS... if they did, then Joanne would have AIDS too, and then the movie would just be one big happy AIDSfest. I really liked how they did One Song Glory and Without You (except, the Without You scene revolved around Mimi, but Roger sings in the song also...)
Seasons of Love was a little interesting at the beginning, I like how they opened with it though to give you the feel that you are actually seeing it in the theater. And since there wasn't an intermission in the movie, they couldn't have put it at the beginning of Act 2 like it usually is.
I'm very glad that the MPAA slipped up and made that movie PG-13, otherwise I would have had to sneak in AND not be able to buy the DVD when it comes out.
Oh and yes, they did take out quite a bit of La Vie Boheme, including the bit when Benny and Mimi talk about how they used to date and such, which I think would have helped clear up some confusion. And this must be said: Roger can give me AIDS any day, and I will gladly take Mark out of his desperate singledom any day, too.
And one more thing... don't kill me for saying this, but I actually like the movie soundtrack better than the original Broadway cast soundtrack. One, in the OBC there are hardly any drums, and you can hardly hear what little there are. Tied into that, you hardly hear the instruments because the quality's kinda crappy. For example, in the movie, Rent was a really upbeat rock song, whereas in the OBC it sounds like someone casually struttin' his guitar. And once again don't kill me for saying this, but I don't really like Daphne Rubin-Vega's voice (Mimi in OBC); her voice is harsh and she sounds like a man. I think Rosario Dawson nicely (but not perfectly) mixed sweet girl with badass stripper girl.
P.S. I sooooo want to change my voicemail greeting to "speeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaak"
To me, that was the point: everyone is dying of AIDS, not just four people. In the stage version, when the AZT alarm goes off in "La Vie Boheme," more than half the people at the stage get out medicine. It's got more of a shock impact like that.
My problem with the visual bits added in "One Song Glory" and "Without You" (and a little in "What You Own") is that I find it more powerful to see a person's face as they're singing the song than to see clips with their voice in the background. I like to see how what they're singing makes them feel, not why they're singing what they're singing. Put it in score or something, not the best parts of the song!
I would hardly kill you for not liking the OBS. I wouldn't call Mimi masculine, but she sounds like she has a throat problem and (to go total choral geek) her vowels are rarely as pure as I like. Rosario Dawson is a huge step up. Also, I believe Angel's voice has matured to fit the part a little better. But I can't say I like the dialouge missing from a few of the songs, and I prefer "Life Support" beginning where it begins in the OBS. But OBS's are usually about as shitty as it comes, so what do you expect? I can't say I agree with you about the instrumentals; I know you're in band, so it means more to you, but what I care about is the singing, and the instrumentals in Rent have never meant much to me.
Seasons of Love was a little interesting at the beginning, I like how they opened with it though to give you the feel that you are actually seeing it in the theater. And since there wasn't an intermission in the movie, they couldn't have put it at the beginning of Act 2 like it usually is.
I'm very glad that the MPAA slipped up and made that movie PG-13, otherwise I would have had to sneak in AND not be able to buy the DVD when it comes out.
Oh and yes, they did take out quite a bit of La Vie Boheme, including the bit when Benny and Mimi talk about how they used to date and such, which I think would have helped clear up some confusion. And this must be said: Roger can give me AIDS any day, and I will gladly take Mark out of his desperate singledom any day, too.
And one more thing... don't kill me for saying this, but I actually like the movie soundtrack better than the original Broadway cast soundtrack. One, in the OBC there are hardly any drums, and you can hardly hear what little there are. Tied into that, you hardly hear the instruments because the quality's kinda crappy. For example, in the movie, Rent was a really upbeat rock song, whereas in the OBC it sounds like someone casually struttin' his guitar. And once again don't kill me for saying this, but I don't really like Daphne Rubin-Vega's voice (Mimi in OBC); her voice is harsh and she sounds like a man. I think Rosario Dawson nicely (but not perfectly) mixed sweet girl with badass stripper girl.
P.S. I sooooo want to change my voicemail greeting to "speeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaak"
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My problem with the visual bits added in "One Song Glory" and "Without You" (and a little in "What You Own") is that I find it more powerful to see a person's face as they're singing the song than to see clips with their voice in the background. I like to see how what they're singing makes them feel, not why they're singing what they're singing. Put it in score or something, not the best parts of the song!
I would hardly kill you for not liking the OBS. I wouldn't call Mimi masculine, but she sounds like she has a throat problem and (to go total choral geek) her vowels are rarely as pure as I like. Rosario Dawson is a huge step up. Also, I believe Angel's voice has matured to fit the part a little better. But I can't say I like the dialouge missing from a few of the songs, and I prefer "Life Support" beginning where it begins in the OBS. But OBS's are usually about as shitty as it comes, so what do you expect? I can't say I agree with you about the instrumentals; I know you're in band, so it means more to you, but what I care about is the singing, and the instrumentals in Rent have never meant much to me.
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