Mr. Columbus, I'm sorry I ever doubted you.

I think I've embarassed Ryan enough by leaving that post for his birthday up so long. So, here's an updated blog for all you Lance hungry bloggers out there.

I just saw RENT last week and now must humbly apologize for this. I was wrong, and I am so sorry. Shan, you had it exactly right. RENT doesn't glorify sex, drugs, and violence it's just there. It's sexual content, drug content, and mild violence. I was just upset about the crappy preview showboating it as the Holiday feel good movie of the year. It certainly isn't the "feel good movie of the year," but as sad as the story gets, the message really is, "No day but today," and that always made me feel good. For some reason I thought these adult issues were way more adult than they really were. After seeing it, and loving it almost as much as that first time in New York, I feel the only reason why it would be rated R is because most teenagers probably wouldn't appreciate it as much. So why hold back. But then I saw it, and they didn't hold back (except for that onomatopoeic sex song under the sheets. That was edited out in the movie).

I expected less from Chris Columbus in directing RENT as I did Joel Schumacher's ability to direct Phantom of the Opera, and they both blew me away. I just remember Chris as the guy who directed the Home Alone movies, which are great movies, but not of the same calibur as RENT. He also did the first 2 Harry Potter movies and Stepmom, so it just seemed like he was more of a family movie type of director. And it took me a long time to forgive Joel Schumacher for ruining Batman, until I rewatched the first 2 and realized Tim Burton did a pretty good job of screwing it up in the first place.

Anyway, I realized I was just type casting these guys (which you can do to directors, not just actors). They were probably only doing specific kinds of movies because Hollywood was type casting them too. Andrew Lloyed Webber specifically chose Joel Schumacher for Phantom because of his directorial choice of music in the classic vampire 80's flick The Lost Boys. Chris Columbus could've just had a strong passion for the play RENT like Rob Marshall had for Chicago, and that's why he did such a great job. There were scenes in the film that I watched thinking, "Holy shit, that's exactly how I saw it in my head when I decided I wanted to make RENT a movie." And that's not to say that because he did what I would've done that it makes it good movie. I'm simply saying he didn't disappoint me. I loved the movie so much I bought it the next day at Best Buy. Yes, cute girl was working there. Yes, she checked me out at the register. No, I still haven't asked out. No, she hasn't seen RENT, but yes, she did laugh at me when I told her it was, "Incredible." No, I didn't invite her to come over and watch it in my one room efficiency. Yes, I'm done talking about cute girl at Best Buy.

So, to Mr. Columbus & even Mr. Schumacher:
Here's to opportunities to direct something outside your usual style to work on your versatility, and just plain making good films. Kudos, boys. Kudos.