Change Your Image
Tollpatsch
Reviews
Rent (2005)
Well worth a few hours of your life...
I was a little concerned going into this one. Rent's such an original show and, although Larson's family and best friend were involved in the project, I wasn't sure how well it would adapt to the screen. My fears were quickly put to rest--I think they did a very good job with it. Some songs were cut and the order of everything was changed around a bit from the original musical which took a little getting used to, but it was no less powerful than live in the theater. Although I was disappointed by the missing songs, the story made more sense without them.
The actors actually get a real set to play with this time and definitely take advantage of the cameras and special effects. What I liked most about the movie was the fact that the actors who originated the roles on Broadway were given their roles once again. It's got to be a precedent, but a great one. Those of us who never got to see them on Broadway finally got to see the faces behind the voices, and the new actresses held their own. The new Mimi's voice blends beautifully with Adam Pascal. In any case, there are worse ways to spend a Friday night than watching Rent. They dun good.
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
It's not Christmas until A Christmas Together
A Christmas Together actually came before my time, but I've been raised on John Denver and the songs from this special were always my family's Christmas music. For years we had a crackling cassette made from a record that meant it was Christmas. A few years ago, I was finally able to track down a video of it on Ebay, so after listening to all the music for some 21 years, I got to see John and the Muppets in action for myself. If you ever get the chance, it's a lot of fun--great music, heart-warming and cheesy. It's also interesting to see the 70's versions of the Muppets and compare them to their newer versions today. I believe Denver actually took some heat for doing a show like this--I guess normally performers don't compromise their images by doing sing-a-longs with the Muppets, but I'm glad he did. Even if you can't track down the video, the soundtrack is worth it too. It has some Muppified traditional favorites, but also some original Denver tunes as well.