this rent ain't that bad

back in 1996, fresh of the plane from HK, this boy had a few things on his mind. besides trying to find a job, a mjor priority was to go and watch the broadway musical called rent. after waiting in line from 7am, we made the cut of 1st batch fans that could got front row seats to that evenings show. needless to say, the original cast (many who are in the film version) not only made an impression, but also represented a landmark incident of my new york adventure.

flash forward a decade later, sitting in yet another dark theatre (this time a movie one) and the opening keys of 'seasons of love' brought back memories and emotions that i hadn't felt of in years; it was a beautiful and bittersweet moment.

which is how i feel about the movie version of rent. representative of a different era, the music still lingers in your head days after hearing it, the energy of the performances jazzes you up (even though you know that most of the cast is nowhere near being the age they claim to be) and the realization that new york city just ain't as exciting as it used to be.

does the question of a films relevance to current society affect the long term box office chances of rent? perhaps, but all i can say is that i've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop since i saw the film (even did a round of rent-karaoke). it's that timeless quality that hopefully will introduce a whole new generation to the memories and emotions that us cult members have carried with us for the past decade. welcome to the club, rent-geeks!