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| One of Rocky Horror's many pastiches. |
KATE SAYS since I pretty much tear into the philosophy behind Rent on my blog, I decided (in the interest of tone and space) to restrict my comments here to the musical as craft rather than the musical as message.
Rent provides a tolerable viewing experience, and it gave me a great deal of
insight into Spike’s song in the Buffy musical (more on this much, much later).
The problem is never really paid off, but I was actually grateful for this since
it allowed Benny to remain himself.
The film is watchable. It flows well. The cinematography is strong
enough to keep the viewer’s attention although in general Chris Columbus’s direction
is fairly pedestrian. The music, images, and occasional dialog mesh. And the
actors are obviously talented (who knew Jesse L. Martin could sing?!).
I would be interested in watching the Live performance, only
because although the film is effectively filmed, I didn’t find it particularly
memorable. I quite like the main theme song, “Seasons of Love” plus “One Song
Glory” and “I Should Tell You.” Otherwise, the film’s overall energy struck me
as rather . . . eh. I’m not sure if this is due to the musical itself or to Columbus’s direction.
In contrast, although seriously disturbing, The Rocky Horror
Picture Show is a far more energetic wild-ride of pastiches and unself-conscious counter-culture.
Theme-wise, it is also substantially more honest than Rent (and much less
lecture-y). Tim Curry does indeed deliver the role that made him famous (and for powerhouse singing, check out "I'm Going Home"). And
well gosh darn it, Meatloaf shows up! Which is really all one could ask for.
Charles Gray as the narrator—that’s icing on the cake.
As precursors to current rock operas like Repo! The Genetic
Opera, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a far better indicator than Rent. I find
Repo!’s music completely intolerable (except for the hauntingly beautiful “I Didn’t Know I Loved You So Much” and Shilo’s finale: “Genetic Emancipation” ),
but that over-the-top-chewing-the-scenery-we‘re-just-telling-a-really-weird-story-for-its-own-sake feel is closer between Repo! and Rocky Horror than between the former two and Rent.
I quite honestly find it hard to understand why Rent won so
many awards—okay, maybe not: I’ve watched the Tonys and they are sillier than
the Oscars. But I can’t really recommend it as art; it’s more like commentary.
Whatever The Rocky Horror Picture Show is attempting to do, it is art.
I mean, shoot, who can fault a musical where a main character says, without any wink-wink-nudge-nudge (even though the wink-wink-nudge-nudge is there), "Didn't we pass a castle back down the road a few miles? Maybe they have a phone."
MIKE SAYS one of the great things about this blog is that often it gives me a reason to watch something I really should have already seen. Given Rocky Horror's cult status, its age, its cast, its history, and its genre . . . I really should have watched this ages ago. My having not seen this movie before is like meeting a 12-year-old that can't tie his own shoelaces. Sure, it happens, but most people roll their eyes when they find out about it.
Watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an experience I will keep with me the rest of my life. It's not often that I sit down to watch a movie, only to be caught off guard by every single scene change, every plot twist. I had no idea where the film was headed, nor did I have any idea of just how far it was willing to go. The film is disturbing, ridiculous, and completely brilliant.
Rent, on the other hand, was an experience that I'll probably strain to remember next week. While the music is catchy and fun, the movie is an emotional social drama that often skips action and plot for a chance to lecture and preach. There were some things I did enjoy about it; however the film got so distracted by the human drama and what it revealed about society, that the story got kind of lost.
The rock musical (I wonder what the difference is between rock musical and rock opera?) could really do no better for its poster child than Rocky Horror. The soundtrack is classic style rock with nods to favorites and classics along the way. But the whole mood of the flick screams rock. From the corny Transylvanian accents, to the leather outfits and decayed corpses, Rocky Horror is stylistically exactly what you might expect, and hope for, from a rock musical.
Rent, on the other hand, is Rock in music only, and even then probably only because of an electric guitar and a couple drums. The spirit of Rent is more a 90's alternative girl band. It may sound hardcore, but in the end, well, Rent just wants to whine about stuff.
Rocky Horror, however, doesn't have a single whiny bone in its body; the film is unapologetically and unabashedly what it is. The film demands to be taken as what it is, and refuses to back off or try to make you feel bad about it. While it is, undoubtedly, the strangest film I have ever seen, at the same time I really enjoyed it, because the film doesn't try to justify or explain itself. It just IS. Which, really, is what Rock is about.
Rent, on the other hand, is really just a dressed-up lecture. While some of the issues it explores are definitely worth the time, the film never really comes to any firm resolution about it. In fact, the plot for which the film is named gets dropped almost completely by the halfway mark. While Rent doesn't pull any punches either, its motivation is tainted. Rocky Horror has fun being what it is; Rent tries to entertain you while making a point (which is never really clear).
These films actually ended up creating a nice sort of counter-balance. Rocky Horror is a Rock Musical both in form and theme, whereas Rent, despite pursuing topics that were not traditionally socially acceptable, is really a Rock musical in form only. Rent tries, but a bunch of grungy hipsters will never be more Rock & Roll than a man in full leather drag . . . though, thankfully, not as disturbing either.
I mean, shoot, who can fault a musical where a main character says, without any wink-wink-nudge-nudge (even though the wink-wink-nudge-nudge is there), "Didn't we pass a castle back down the road a few miles? Maybe they have a phone."
MIKE SAYS one of the great things about this blog is that often it gives me a reason to watch something I really should have already seen. Given Rocky Horror's cult status, its age, its cast, its history, and its genre . . . I really should have watched this ages ago. My having not seen this movie before is like meeting a 12-year-old that can't tie his own shoelaces. Sure, it happens, but most people roll their eyes when they find out about it.
Watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an experience I will keep with me the rest of my life. It's not often that I sit down to watch a movie, only to be caught off guard by every single scene change, every plot twist. I had no idea where the film was headed, nor did I have any idea of just how far it was willing to go. The film is disturbing, ridiculous, and completely brilliant.
Rent, on the other hand, was an experience that I'll probably strain to remember next week. While the music is catchy and fun, the movie is an emotional social drama that often skips action and plot for a chance to lecture and preach. There were some things I did enjoy about it; however the film got so distracted by the human drama and what it revealed about society, that the story got kind of lost.
The rock musical (I wonder what the difference is between rock musical and rock opera?) could really do no better for its poster child than Rocky Horror. The soundtrack is classic style rock with nods to favorites and classics along the way. But the whole mood of the flick screams rock. From the corny Transylvanian accents, to the leather outfits and decayed corpses, Rocky Horror is stylistically exactly what you might expect, and hope for, from a rock musical.
Rent, on the other hand, is Rock in music only, and even then probably only because of an electric guitar and a couple drums. The spirit of Rent is more a 90's alternative girl band. It may sound hardcore, but in the end, well, Rent just wants to whine about stuff.
Rocky Horror, however, doesn't have a single whiny bone in its body; the film is unapologetically and unabashedly what it is. The film demands to be taken as what it is, and refuses to back off or try to make you feel bad about it. While it is, undoubtedly, the strangest film I have ever seen, at the same time I really enjoyed it, because the film doesn't try to justify or explain itself. It just IS. Which, really, is what Rock is about.
Rent, on the other hand, is really just a dressed-up lecture. While some of the issues it explores are definitely worth the time, the film never really comes to any firm resolution about it. In fact, the plot for which the film is named gets dropped almost completely by the halfway mark. While Rent doesn't pull any punches either, its motivation is tainted. Rocky Horror has fun being what it is; Rent tries to entertain you while making a point (which is never really clear).
These films actually ended up creating a nice sort of counter-balance. Rocky Horror is a Rock Musical both in form and theme, whereas Rent, despite pursuing topics that were not traditionally socially acceptable, is really a Rock musical in form only. Rent tries, but a bunch of grungy hipsters will never be more Rock & Roll than a man in full leather drag . . . though, thankfully, not as disturbing either.
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