Repo Man
September 3rd 2008 22:59
It was released in 1984, starring a young, bright-eyed Emilio Estevez as Otto, a young punk kid that finds himself with a job as a repo man, following a surly, old-school agent, played by Harry Dean Stanton.
Stanton plays Bud, a repo man that stay up all night, doing lines of speed, drinking beer, and getting into high-octane scenarios where he repossesses a car, or gets shot at. Stanton is a terrific actor, one of Roger Ebert's favourites, and it's easy to see why. He speaks like an American from an old movie; dressed like a shabby PI, he makes the perfect Repo Man.
"Repo Man" does not try to be an examination of the Repo industry, nor does it provide something more than a subtle nod to commentary on the decaying class structure of Los Angeles, which, at the time, was struggling to hold up blighted neighborhood and pockets full of violent crime, while the entire country was gorging on commercial homogeneity.
Cox films the run down areas of LA, and, somehow, with that filmmaker's eye, it looks stunning. The garbage and decay, combined with the bright LA sun, making it look like a city filled with characters and personality.
The film veers off into the surreal as Cox pieces together a bizarre story involving aliens, a fugitive scientist and the CIA. The film would almost be unwatchable, but the sheer perseverance of the filmmaking and the love of the material raise "Repo Man" to cult classic.
While other 80s movies were using pop synth soundtracks, "Repo Man" sounds brilliant with its punk tracks making up the accompanying music. Iggy Pop does the opening track, and Black Flag and Circle Jerks fill out the soundtrack. It's perfect music to go along with Repo men getting shot at, driving their huge Chevrolets down abandoned commercial streets.
There's almost a romantic feel to the life of a Repo Man... sure, you're despised by the society at large, but as Bud says: "Look at 'em, ordinary fucking people, I hate 'em.". They bind together like a band of brothers, and know their way through the scummy neighborhoods, walking freely among the winos and burnouts.
"Repo Man" doesn't exist for film critics to gush over it, raising it on a feathery velvet pillow. It is what it is, a punk translation of indie cinema, made in the dirt and smoke of LA. A hysterical, nonsensical film that offers nothing except the sense of confusion and the pounding beat of anarchy.
"An ordinary person spends his life avoiding tense situations. A repo man spends his life getting into tense situations"
I say: A great movie for fans of movies with an unusual, surreal flavour...
See it for: The visual gags in this movie are wonderful, the best being the generic brand food on display in all the stores, from "Beer", "Drink", and, most nauseatingly, "Food".
*this image is from the review on monstersandcritics.com
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I was working in a car detailers at the time, surrounded by some very unsavory characters with a mixture of drugs and violent histories. Yet it was place that had almost the same ethos and character of Repo Man. It was like they made Repo Man for me at that time. Great film, great characters and aliens.
Whatever you do not open the trunk.
When they say cult classic i guess they are talking about me.
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
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Damo, sounds fascinating... you were the Repo Man? Did you get in the car and go for a drive? Did you know Cox penned a sequel, it was never produced, so they made a graphic novel out of it that was published this year?
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
I did not know about the sequel but I guess the story should have ended where it did. The punk era wasy dying at by then.
No, I was not chasing down aliens in the boot of a car but I did get drive just every thing that had wheels on it.
You get to see the real underbelly of oz at the time. Rough and illegal, drugs and crime. It was great.
One fellow was like a young version of the guy talking about time travel and others were a very odd mix of illeterates, jailbirds an and reformed heroin addicts regretting their decisions to become one of the normals.
Long time ago.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
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It was a business the suffered from HDT.
High Dickhead Tollerance.
Comment by Miswanderlust
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Mis
Comment by Anonymous