Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, December 1, 2005
What do fake palindromes and violins have
in common? See page 8 to find out.
Hollywood rents this new classic, with mixed results
The movie 'Rent/ based on the musical of the same name, features most of the
cast members from the original Broadway production reprising their roles
BY KRISTEN GERHARD
PULSE REPORTER
There's a group of people, a phenomenon in our country,
affectionately referred to as "Rentheads." Chances are
you're friends or at least acquaintances with one of these
individuals. They're often characterized by ownership of
certain memorabilia, such as a two-disc soundtrack from
the original Broadway musical that opened in 1996; a cast
posterthat looks like an abstract Technicolor version of the
Brady Bunch; or more than one ticket stub from the show,
proof thatthey are a true "Rent" aficionado.
Proponents of the newfilm adaptation of "Rent," which
hit theaters last week, will more than likely be composed of
members from this sect However, whether a fan of the
original musical or not, audience members will probably
leave this film feeling more than a bit bewildered. This is not
to say they will certainly like or dislike the film, but some
confusion about what happened to them during the past
135 minutes of their life will undoubtedly be present.
"Rent," originally written by Jonathan Larson and based
loosely on Puccini's opera "La Boheme," tells the story of
seven friends living in New York City's East Village in a time
period that, while undetermined, seems to be somewhere
in the '80s. Upon its release, the musical was both heralded
and scorned for its unabashed portrayal of AIDS, homo
sexuality, drug use and the counterculture lifestyle of alter
native musicians, independent filmmakers and abstract
stage performers.
What excited most Rentheads about the film
adaptation wasthatthe main characters in it would be re
vived by almost all of the original Broadway cast. Indeed,
the heart these actors and actresses brought to their roles
was palpable. Most noteworthy was the portrayal of Angel
Dumott Schunard, a transgender street performer with
AIDS, by Wilson Jermaine Heredia. The performance
that won the actor a Tony and a Drama Desk award for
Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1996 is unquestion- 't|
ably the most powerful of the film. Overall, one must give
credit to the castfor being able to finesse the same
roles on the big screen thatthey performed on
the stage.
In this way, a fine line between
success and failure exists when
adapting a
screenplay from
any other medi
um. For instance,
when creating
a film from a
book, screen
writers and
directors
frequently
grapple
with
the
prob
lem of limited
time, which
means they must
learn to give life t<
only the most
vivid of scenes and sift out only the most important plot
points. When moving from the theater to film, however, the
challenges are quite different. Characters must be toned
down from their ostentatious stage versions to be more be
lievable, and they must be able to move in settings that
were once unembellished in the playhouse but have be
come a real world with all its complexities on the screen.
The setting of the film works at times and fails mis
# ,i| erably at others, though it more often falls into a
works—as it did in the "Tango
murky and apathy-inspiring
middle ground. When it
RENT, page 9
Courtesy
■ In my opinion
TREVOR DAVIS
STAY CLASSY
‘The Real World killed
the music video star
Once Dave passes out after a few too many
drinks, his friend Mike dresses him up in women's
clothing. Mike takes pictures and posts them on
the Internet
What does Dave do to seek revenge? He calls
up Ryan Dunn.
Welcome to the world of MTV. The new show
"Homewrecker" is hosted by Dunn, who became
famous after appearing on the MTV shows "Jack
ass" and "Viva La Bam." Dunn helps friends get
revenge by redecorating rooms in a notorious
fashion. Mike's room gets turned into a spa, com
plete with a woman getting her corns removed
and a man relaxing in a mud bath.
The picture leaves MTV viewers wondering
where the music went.
MTV was launched in August 1981 by Warner
Amex Satellite Entertainment Company, when
creators thought music videos would be a low
cost form of advertising for record companies.
DAVIS, page 12
John MayerTrio,'Try!": Too many musicians fell off the deep end this year and
failed to satisfy loyal fans with their new releases. These artists seemed to have lost
touch with their roots and instead attempted to please the masses rather than the
fans that have been around sincethe beginning. Thank goodness John Mayerdid
not follow that path.
John Mayer is best known as a pop star. He began his journey into stardom with
the sugary "Room for Squares," followed by 2003's "Heavier Things." True fans of
Mayer’s—the ones who appreciate him acoustic and live and really can't listen to
"Room for Squares" because it induces vomiting with its cheesy background vo
cals and horrible poppy beats — should welcome "Try!" the first release from the John MayerTrio. Mayer has fi
nally released the album true fans have been anticipating since the beginning: a bluesy, live recording with a de
lightful mixture of classics like Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman" and Jimi Hendrix s Wait Until Tomorrow, as well as
new favorites such as "Vultures' and "Good Love is on the Way. And for those who can t quite let go of Mayer as
a solo artist, he performs his well-loved hit "Daughters" as one of the encores.
"Try!" follows the exact set list that the John MayerTrio played at the Roseland Theatre in Portland at the begin
ning of September, and with good reason. The songs flow nicely into one another, and for those lucky enough to
have caught the show live, it brings back a flood of memories of seeing an amazing trio of musicians playing their
hearts out. With talented bassist Pino Palladino — who has jammed with such legends as Eric Clapton, The Who
and BB King — and mind-blowing drummer Steve Jordan — who has rocked out with Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and
the Rolling Stones—the John Mayer Trio is composed of amazing musicians who truly know what they're doing.
Pick up "Try!" today and let it take you in a new direction of musical appreciation.
-Amy Lichty
INSIDE PULSE
PUSLSE PICKS
This week the
Pulse staff picks
theTop 5 media
releases of2005
AMY LICHTY
PULSE EDITOR
1. "Scrubs"-Seasons 1
and 2
2. "The Life Aquatic
with Steve Zissou"
3. "Sin City"
4. Jack Johnson -
"In Between Dreams"
5. Radar Magazine
TREVOR DAVIS
PULSE REPORTER
1. "Good Night, and
Good Luck"
2. "The Colbert Report"
3. Bill Watterson—
"The Complete Calvin
and Hobbes"
4. Beck-"Guero"
5. "Lost"-The
Complete First Season
ANDREW MCCOLLUM
PULSE REPORTER
1. "Resident Evil 4"
2. The Hold Steady -
"Seperation Sunday"
3. Broken Social Scene
- "S/T"
4. Kanye West-"Late
Registration"
5. "A History of
Violence"
_jUtfe-:-'_
KRISTEN GERHARD
PULSE REPORTER
1. J.K. Rowling-"Harry
Potter and the Half
Blood Prince"
2. Murs and Slug —
"Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa
Bonet"
3. "South Park"
Season Six
4. "Sin City"
5. HBO miniseries
"Rome"
MATTTIFFANY
PULSE COPY EDITOR
1. "Batman Begins"
2. "Wallace & Grommit
and the Curse of Were
Rabbit"
3. "Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire"
4. Iron & Wine
"Woman King EP”
5. Fiona Apple -
"Extraordinary
Machine"