11/23/2005
A Few Thanksgiving Odds and Ends
Cooking for Thanksgiving? Bloghungry may have some answers for you, depending on what's on the menu.
If you're ready to take the plunge into the next holiday, but at this point only from the safety of the Internet, you can check out houseblinger, a site that catalogues houses in the UK that have been dressed up in lights. Mom and dad always used to drive us around the neighborhood to looks at the lights this time of year. Here's a way to do the same thing but save gas.
I've heard from the most die-hard Rent fan I know and he gives a thumbs up to the new Chris Columbus adaptation of the musical that opens today. The NYT seems to agree: "In telling their entwined stories, Mr. Columbus has managed a feat similar to the one he pulled off with the first two 'Harry Potter' movies; he has taken a source that is fiercely and jealously loved by its core fans and refrained from messing it up. It is not just that he shows dexterity and imagination in transferring the spectacle onto the actual streets of the East Village in Manhattan. The real key to his success is his utter lack of condescension." This is definitely the movie to see this weekend.
If you've got some time on your hands and want a creative project over the long weekend, here's something unique you can make for someone's gift this season. It's a flipbook printed on business cards, created from .avi movies. And unfortunately, it's for Windows only. Grrr.
Posted 11:16 AM EST by Andy in Current Affairs | Permalink
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love the ideas...thanks!
Posted by: Roy | Nov 23, 2005 12:31:27 PM
I've been hearing good things about RENT as well. I was worried, though, when the ads were quoting no-name sources as praise for the movie. I am seeing it tomorrow. I have seen the stage version 13 times so hopefully the movie won't disappoint
Posted by: Jon-Marc | Nov 23, 2005 1:31:57 PM
Unfortunately, USA TODAY gives RENT mostly a pan today - 2 out of 4 stars. They seem to be the exception, though.
Posted by: Alan | Nov 23, 2005 3:33:41 PM
Ugh...I HATED "Rent". (I think the only stage musical I ever hated more was "Cats".) Two hours of having lyrics SCREACHED at me, whiny characters with no redeeming qualities.... I'm going to be taking a pass on the movie version.
Posted by: Zeke | Nov 23, 2005 6:51:15 PM
Well I'm also a "die-hard" Rent fan. I've seen in 3 times on Broadway, and have listened to the Original Broadway cast recording over a 100 times... but last night I saw the movie version and it was PAINFUL to sit through just once. God Awful. Don't know who your friend is that recommended it, but at the Arclight Dome theater in Hollywood last night (filled with fans that had purchased their tickets days in advance) almost everyone I saw walked out disappointed. Chris Columbus should stick to childrens movies. In every way possible, the movie failed. Casting the original characters, who have aged so badly (especially Adam Pascal who now looks like Smeagal from Lord of the Rings) was just one of the idiotic choices made. When you're young and strugling as an artist, you can understand why people who have trouble paying their rent, but with these old clowns you just wanted to scream "Get a Fuckn job already and pay your damn rent, you losers!" Awful. No emotional attachment at all to the characters. Each time I watched the stage version I cried when Angel died... this time I was just happy knowing that the movie was almost over. What a total disappointment. I can just imagine what this movie could have been in the hands of someone like Baz Luhrmann... now that would have been great!
Posted by: Robert | Nov 24, 2005 1:11:25 PM
I would like it known that, long before Matt Stone and Trey Parker unleashed their bile at 'Rent', I had the show's number. A friend adored it and made me listen to the cast album. At which point, I said - more than once - "Jesus Christ. Everybody's got AIDS."
Beyond that, it's just a lousy score. Period.
Besides, gay culture didn't need a show to call its own: 'Follies' has been around for 35 years.
Posted by: Giacomo | Nov 25, 2005 6:34:28 AM