I I I I've chosen Repo! the Genetic Opera as my first movie review. why? what, you've never seen it? 'cause if you had, you wouldn't be asking me silly questions like that.
Repo! was written by the wonderful Terrance Zdunich (met him. SO very nice) and his (former?) writing partner Darren Smith. It began life as a stage play, but I never had the fortune of seeing it. (sad pants) But I DID get the pleasure of buying the DVD, and I have never been happier with myself than when I watched it for the first time. It was love at first disembowelling. Darren Lynn Bousman directed it, and yes, you should recognise his name, he directed Saw 2, 3 and 4, as well as several other great movies that I recommend you go see!. (met him too, he's also kinda awesome!)
It stars Alexa Vega (yep, from Spy Kids) as Shilo Wallace, a girl locked up in her own home by her over protective father, Nathan Wallace, (Anthony Stewart Head, known as "Rupert Giles" of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame) the loving, murdering, lying RepoMan/ex surgeon, working for GeneCo, a company that basically leases out body parts for fashions sake, run by Rotti Largo, (Paul Sorvino, Goodfellas) his children Luigi Largo (Bill Moseley AKA Choptop from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Pavichi Largo (Nivek "Ogre" Ogilvie from Skinny Puppy) and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton. 'nuff said). If you default the payment of your new parts, the Repoman comes after you and takes out what you didn't pay for, in most unpleasant ways. It also has Sarah Brightman (WONDERFUL opera singer) as Blind Mag, who, unknown to Shilo is her GodMother, best friend to her deceased mother, (whom Nathan has never gotten over, and has some massive issues regarding) and spokeswoman of GeneCo, as her eyes are bionic, and kinda really awesome. Terrance Zdunich himself plays the Graverobber, a quirky fella that steals the glowing blue pain drug Zydrate from the nasal cavities of the dead. I recommend going to IMDB and read about other people that were in the movie, they deserve to be acknowledged too.
Repo! was written by the wonderful Terrance Zdunich (met him. SO very nice) and his (former?) writing partner Darren Smith. It began life as a stage play, but I never had the fortune of seeing it. (sad pants) But I DID get the pleasure of buying the DVD, and I have never been happier with myself than when I watched it for the first time. It was love at first disembowelling. Darren Lynn Bousman directed it, and yes, you should recognise his name, he directed Saw 2, 3 and 4, as well as several other great movies that I recommend you go see!. (met him too, he's also kinda awesome!)
It stars Alexa Vega (yep, from Spy Kids) as Shilo Wallace, a girl locked up in her own home by her over protective father, Nathan Wallace, (Anthony Stewart Head, known as "Rupert Giles" of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame) the loving, murdering, lying RepoMan/ex surgeon, working for GeneCo, a company that basically leases out body parts for fashions sake, run by Rotti Largo, (Paul Sorvino, Goodfellas) his children Luigi Largo (Bill Moseley AKA Choptop from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Pavichi Largo (Nivek "Ogre" Ogilvie from Skinny Puppy) and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton. 'nuff said). If you default the payment of your new parts, the Repoman comes after you and takes out what you didn't pay for, in most unpleasant ways. It also has Sarah Brightman (WONDERFUL opera singer) as Blind Mag, who, unknown to Shilo is her GodMother, best friend to her deceased mother, (whom Nathan has never gotten over, and has some massive issues regarding) and spokeswoman of GeneCo, as her eyes are bionic, and kinda really awesome. Terrance Zdunich himself plays the Graverobber, a quirky fella that steals the glowing blue pain drug Zydrate from the nasal cavities of the dead. I recommend going to IMDB and read about other people that were in the movie, they deserve to be acknowledged too.
Set in the year 2056, in a time after the human body begins to all but fail, GeneCo, a company that basically leases out organs to those that can afford it, steps in to "save the day" by being pompous, "we run the world our way dammit" types, who kill nearly as many people as the organ failures did. Once they become established and controlly, they make getting new parts a fashion statement, which of course, the sheep trendies of the world simply have to be a part of. Of course, people can't keep up with the payments, so the Repomen are called in to take back what has defaulted. The story follows our favorite effed up Repoman, Nathan Wallace, who will hunt you down and take out your new parts, all nicely labelled with GeneCo barcodes, by slicing you open where ever he happens to catch you, and singing dark, depraved, somewhat crazy songs, which, i might add, effing rocks.
the opening sequence of the film is the comic book style telling of this possible future, drawn by the multi-talented Terrance Zdunich himself (here to for known as TZ) We get a dose of wonderfully dramatic music which is, well, catchy and awesome. We see a brief introduction to the Largo family, why GeneCo was started, how it started, and a showing of the further decline of the human race by buying new organs for the hell of it, instead of just their health. I'm pretty sure it also shows Nathan as he was, before the tragedy (mentioned later) forces him to become the dreaded Repoman we all love to hate.
After the comic scene is our introduction to the Graverobber, (TZ! YAY!) singing (in his excellent baritone voice) the gruesome tale of the Repoman (everybody now! REEEEEPOOOOOMAAAANNN!) and the fact that once you find yourself on the repo list, you might as well just bend over and take what he's dishing out, 'cause you are NOT getting away with all the parts you had when you woke up that morning. Basically a sung scene showing a woman running in vain from a huge guy in a scary leather outfit who wants to turn inner bits into outer bits.
the opening sequence of the film is the comic book style telling of this possible future, drawn by the multi-talented Terrance Zdunich himself (here to for known as TZ) We get a dose of wonderfully dramatic music which is, well, catchy and awesome. We see a brief introduction to the Largo family, why GeneCo was started, how it started, and a showing of the further decline of the human race by buying new organs for the hell of it, instead of just their health. I'm pretty sure it also shows Nathan as he was, before the tragedy (mentioned later) forces him to become the dreaded Repoman we all love to hate.
After the comic scene is our introduction to the Graverobber, (TZ! YAY!) singing (in his excellent baritone voice) the gruesome tale of the Repoman (everybody now! REEEEEPOOOOOMAAAANNN!) and the fact that once you find yourself on the repo list, you might as well just bend over and take what he's dishing out, 'cause you are NOT getting away with all the parts you had when you woke up that morning. Basically a sung scene showing a woman running in vain from a huge guy in a scary leather outfit who wants to turn inner bits into outer bits.
A slow panning of what a city might look like in this possible future is next, showing corpses, a broken bridge and LOTS of graveyards, brilliantly set to the sounds of various news reports about organ repossessions, ads for GeneCo "fixes", and blurbs about Blind Mag and her concert. It finishes it's pan in Rotti's office, with his brood laying about doing what they do best. Nothing. Rotti flips thru photos of what his dissappointments have been up to that week, stealing faces, killing, and getting high on street Zydrate. His poor doctor comes in with bad news about the health of the benevolent leader, and is shot for his efforts. This takes us to a song sung by Rotti (I didn't know Paul Sorvino could sing, and i was VERY pleasantly surprised) the song is a haunting tale of how he's acknowledged he's going to die, and that his ungrateful brats get NOTHING when he goes. it fades very nicely to Shilo's introduction.
Girl wearing oxygen mask, walking thru an underground tunnel that leads into a good sized tomb, has a seat at the feet of the sarcophagus, removes her mask, drops the contents of her purse, begins eating a sandwich, pulls out a book, and begins to read, comfy as anything, and the feet of her dead mother. (I like this kid!) We learn she has a thing for bugs, and she spots a glowing insect (which alot of fans have dubbed the "zydrate corpse fly") it escapes thru the door of the tomb, and Shilo sings about how she'll catch it quick and head right back in, when she spots our beloved Graverobber doing his thing, sucking the glowing blue goo out of dead peoples faces with his lucky syringe, and singing a lovely song about it.
Girl wearing oxygen mask, walking thru an underground tunnel that leads into a good sized tomb, has a seat at the feet of the sarcophagus, removes her mask, drops the contents of her purse, begins eating a sandwich, pulls out a book, and begins to read, comfy as anything, and the feet of her dead mother. (I like this kid!) We learn she has a thing for bugs, and she spots a glowing insect (which alot of fans have dubbed the "zydrate corpse fly") it escapes thru the door of the tomb, and Shilo sings about how she'll catch it quick and head right back in, when she spots our beloved Graverobber doing his thing, sucking the glowing blue goo out of dead peoples faces with his lucky syringe, and singing a lovely song about it.
(cause it's my job, to steal and rob, GRRAAAAAPPPEESSSS! *all hail fan jokes*) The song is a quite good commentary on life, even now, how we're becoming more and more dependant on technology, and it'll be our downfall, one way or another. (btw, ladies, hang onto your panties for this one, he has a voice, and KNOWS how to use it. *fans self*) Further song commentary about how as a society we seem to feel the need to change who we are to suit who people want us to be. which is, well, stupid. The GeneCops find them, chase them, and we find out that Shilo has some form of sickness that causes her to black out just as the cops grab her, and the Repoman shows up. Mr. Repo shoves away the cops, and Rotti tells them to let the two of them go.
Shilo wakes up in her bed, bald, dad comes in to check on her and tell her that she was in fact, not outside, just hallucinating. they have a minor song fight, he sings about how her mother passed the blood disease that killed her on to Shilo, and he is trying to cure it. He has a crazy man moment, goes back to loving doctor Dad. (I need a moment here. Tony Head's voice is just.. *sigh* ahem. moving on) He leaves and Shilo sings us a song about her shite genetics, and how hard it sucks being sick. we learn that she isn't allowed to go anywhere due to her blood issues.
We then get a comic telling of Nathan's Story. what happened to his wife the day Shilo was born, why he's a bit off, and how he became the much feared RepoMan. He sings a soliloquy type song to his departed wife Marni, (who's picture is EVERYWHERE throughout the house) confessing his Repoman sins, and how he can never tell Shilo the shame of his double life. It's a beautifully written piece, haunting and sad, wonderfully acted by the fantastically expressive face and voice of Anthony Head. (I admit, I cry from the power of this song. not ashamed.) The tale of a father's love for his sick daughter, and the pain at the loss of his love and having to keep secrets. The end of the song shows his Repo life, in a secret Repoman bat-cave in the basement of his house, complete with a victim, and lots of shiny tools of death. It gets very Hannibal Lecter here, and I love it.
Lungs and livers. that is all.
Mark it up is a scene involving the Largo children in all their douchbaggy glory. The boys get involved in a song fight, each declaring themselves the best, and the rightful heirs to their fathers fortune. It's a comedy scene, and it's fantastic. and VERY gory. Brains, hearts and stabbing. Awesome.
A quick scene with Shilo on her bed, singing along with Blind Mag, who is also talking about her bionic eyes, when Shilo gets a phone call from Rotti, who asks her to meet him in the tomb, and he begins his plot.
Comic telling of Rotti's story, informing us that Marni was once with him, left him for Nathan, and how he got his bitter revenge.
A reprise of the "things you see in a graveyard" song, with more of his story, and the nasty little plot twist contained there in. He continues to sing, talking to Marni, with Shilo nearly learning his big secret. He gets his henchwomen to grab Shilo from the tomb, they stick her in the limo, and Rotti sings a soft song about how he wants to help her meet Mag, take her to the opera, and fix her blood disease. (And may I just say, Paul Sorvino's voice? WOW. that man has a set of pipes on him)
Lungs and livers. that is all.
Mark it up is a scene involving the Largo children in all their douchbaggy glory. The boys get involved in a song fight, each declaring themselves the best, and the rightful heirs to their fathers fortune. It's a comedy scene, and it's fantastic. and VERY gory. Brains, hearts and stabbing. Awesome.
A quick scene with Shilo on her bed, singing along with Blind Mag, who is also talking about her bionic eyes, when Shilo gets a phone call from Rotti, who asks her to meet him in the tomb, and he begins his plot.
Comic telling of Rotti's story, informing us that Marni was once with him, left him for Nathan, and how he got his bitter revenge.
A reprise of the "things you see in a graveyard" song, with more of his story, and the nasty little plot twist contained there in. He continues to sing, talking to Marni, with Shilo nearly learning his big secret. He gets his henchwomen to grab Shilo from the tomb, they stick her in the limo, and Rotti sings a soft song about how he wants to help her meet Mag, take her to the opera, and fix her blood disease. (And may I just say, Paul Sorvino's voice? WOW. that man has a set of pipes on him)
One of the best scenes in the movie in my opinion, "Thankless job". Nathan dressed in full Repoman regalia, singing about his job collecting organs and never being thanked for it, while dancing about the room preparing to slice open the hapless victim strapped nicely to his vertical table. His voice is very different, a little crazy, and kinda scary. This scene illustrates his ever spiralling descent into madness, and how he's beginning to realise that he ain't all there no more. The end of the scene is kinda epic. (think, meat puppet)
Quick scene of an ad featuring Mag, with a voice over ad for the genetic opera fading into a literal media circus gathering around the city.
Quick scene of an ad featuring Mag, with a voice over ad for the genetic opera fading into a literal media circus gathering around the city.
"Genterns" quick song showing the Genterns putting on Pavi's newest face, then Luigi's famous temper, because he wanted a damn coffee! Then Amber's divaness ending with another song fight, ended by the ever stern Rotti. Shilo gets to meet Blind Mag, her hero btw, Rotti sings a brief song about how nice it is to see the two of the girls together at last.
Mag recognises Shilo as Marni's daughter, then we get a comic story of how Mag got her eyes. Turns out she was Marni's best friend, and she had to sign a contact for life with GeneCo to get the bionic orbs.
Another quick song scene, this one about Mag wanting to leave GeneCo, Rotti trying to change her mind, all in front of a crowd of poparazzi, at the opening of the opera. Catchy opera song, Shilo gets taken to a surgery tent to wait. Nathan gets a Repoman call, goes to find the guy to collect his organs.
Another quick song scene, this one about Mag wanting to leave GeneCo, Rotti trying to change her mind, all in front of a crowd of poparazzi, at the opening of the opera. Catchy opera song, Shilo gets taken to a surgery tent to wait. Nathan gets a Repoman call, goes to find the guy to collect his organs.
The Repoman casually begins his repossession of a poor guys spine when his medicine reminder beeps, and he calls Shilo to ask if she took her meds. A cute song ensues in the form of a comversation between Shilo and Nathan, him thinking she's at home, her thinking he's at work just doing surgery. Its actually kinda funny, in a sort of ironic kind of way. This scene is a must watch. Graverobber pops his head into the tent with Shilo in it, looking for zydrate guns, finds her, offers to show her the way home.
In front of the press a reporter sings about the taboo subject of zydrate use, and its abuses, Rotti tries to hand him over to Amber, the mind behind the zydrate support network, but she's a no show, most likely out high as a kite.
In front of the press a reporter sings about the taboo subject of zydrate use, and its abuses, Rotti tries to hand him over to Amber, the mind behind the zydrate support network, but she's a no show, most likely out high as a kite.
Graverobber and Shilo end up in an alley full of "scalpel sluts" where he begins to sing about the drug market, and his personal question of why he's even in that line of work. The crowd writhes all over him, trying to entice him into giving them the drug (Terrance refers to this song as the druggies lullaby, and I can see why). It's an amusing, rhyming song about zydrate and how it works. Amber shows up and gets her fix, and demonstrates through near hallucinations how the drug affects people. She gets all uppity and bitchy about Blind Mag and we learn that the Repoman is going to be after her to collect her eyes, since she wants to leave. It ends with GeneCops breaking up the alley party, and Graverobber and Shilo hopping on a body truck to hitch a ride home. Shilo sneaks into her house and is nearly caught by her father coming out of the Repo-cave. He gets called in to work, checks on Shilo, leaves, she reads her magazine about Mag.
In Rotti's office Nathan is told by Rotti and his kids that Mag's eyes need to be repo'd. He tries to refuse, but gets reminded that he owes them his service, since he killed his wife, and he doesn't want Shilo to learn that, all in dramatic song. I love the next song, "Night Surgeon". Well written, well performed, and a great scene showing the two sides of Nathan Wallace. Anthony very clearly separates the two personalities with two very different tones of voice, the beautiful soft fathers tone, full of agony, regret, and love, then the dark twisted voice of the Repoman, the uncaring killer that will stop at nothing to complete what he was sent to do, with the climax being him refusing to do the job at hand, sealing his fate in the eyes of the Largos.
Blind Mag decides to show up at Shilos doorstep in the mean time, in order to inform her that she is in fact, Shilos godmother, that she had been told Shilo had died with her mother, her regrets for her own life, and hopes for Shilo's future. We see an awesome effect with Mags eyes projecting the image of Shilo's mother singing inspiraional words, which has Shilo yearning for her mother. A sweet song is sung between the women, about wishing they could be in each other lives, but many things prevent it.
Dad shows up at the end and sings with Mag, telling her in no uncertain terms to gtfo because his kid is sick. It becomes a three person song, with each singing over each other in a fairly dramatic scene, Mag telling Nathan to let Shilo out, Shilo telling her dad to hide Mag, Nathan kicking Mag out and telling Shilo to go to bed. Mag gets booted, Shilo tells Nathan about the Repoman coming for Mag's eyes, shows him the article, a song argument occurs, feelings get hurt, he sings an apology, she snarkily sings a reply, then breaks into a great teen angst rock song about needing her freedom now that she's 17, and very much alive, unlike her mother.
Wanting to break free from her mothers shadow, and that her dad needs to let her go. Joan Jett magically appears in the room, on a very convenient stage that wasn't there before. The scene works very well as a "dammit daddy, bugger off I'm not a baby anymore, and I'm sure as hell not mom" song. Nathan shuts her up with a good hard slap to the face, and Shilo begins to pass out.
a scene with Rotti and Amber gives us a better look into the mind of Amber and her father's relationship, the twisted "Daddy gimme money I need a new face *pout*" "hey kid, I grew up poor as shit, but gave you every damn thing ever, and you're a bitch about it" relationship. They sing at each other about her wants, and what he thinks of them. Turns out her face was massively effed up, almost causing him to gag just seeing it. He agrees to fix it, sings a good song about how gold runs the world, and his kids ain't getting his. He reveals his plot to make Shilo his heir, mostly to piss everyone off, and if she does something for him in exchange. Once again a song showcasing Paul's wonderful tenor operatic voice.
Nathan overhears a message from Rotti to Shilo and has a Repoman moment, with Shilo almost hearing him. He denies that Mag is her Godmum, goes downstairs, Shilo gets out of bed and heads out the door to Rotti's limo while Nathan gets attacked by GeneCops in his Reporoom. "Tonight we are betrayed" is a good back and forth of Nathans two sides. it's very short, but shows his loving fatherness, and need to protect Shilo from harm, and his demented Repo side, who wants to break the world around her.
"At he opera tonight" is a song involving everyone, singing about their various roles in the upcoming opera. A cure, revenge, ending a career, getting surgery and starting a career, the violence of the night to come, and ending all the bs in one way or another.
"Bloodbath" gives a brief 'what's about to happen' by Graverobber.
"We started this op'ra shit" is an open testimonial for and by the clients of GeneCo, who was helped, why, and how happy they are now. It's peppy, uplifting, and looked like a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.
Shilo had been led up to a big room, where she now gets her instructions via recorded message to take out the Repoman, and she'll get her cure.
Nathan overhears a message from Rotti to Shilo and has a Repoman moment, with Shilo almost hearing him. He denies that Mag is her Godmum, goes downstairs, Shilo gets out of bed and heads out the door to Rotti's limo while Nathan gets attacked by GeneCops in his Reporoom. "Tonight we are betrayed" is a good back and forth of Nathans two sides. it's very short, but shows his loving fatherness, and need to protect Shilo from harm, and his demented Repo side, who wants to break the world around her.
"At he opera tonight" is a song involving everyone, singing about their various roles in the upcoming opera. A cure, revenge, ending a career, getting surgery and starting a career, the violence of the night to come, and ending all the bs in one way or another.
"Bloodbath" gives a brief 'what's about to happen' by Graverobber.
"We started this op'ra shit" is an open testimonial for and by the clients of GeneCo, who was helped, why, and how happy they are now. It's peppy, uplifting, and looked like a hell of a lot of fun to shoot.
Shilo had been led up to a big room, where she now gets her instructions via recorded message to take out the Repoman, and she'll get her cure.
Amber sweet. "Blame not my cheeks". Paris Hilton loses face in front of the audience. That's all I have to say about that scene. Seriously. Watch it and you'll understand.
We get to see Sarah Brightman doing what she does best with "Chromaggia". An Italian song, I believe, telling 'the story of a bird trying to fly from an arrow chasing her, then realising the arrow was tied to her wing and she was just hurting people dragging it around with her, so she flies into the arrow to stop it from hurting anyone else, even tho it will kill her'. Mag's face shows the determination to do things her way, and her contempt for her soon to be former boss, as she reaches out and tears her own eyes out, ending quite messily with her impaled on a fence. Rotti tells the crowd its part of the act. Then sings about shilo and how he'll cure her.
Back to the room Shilo is stuck in, Repoman thinks Mag is in the chair, goes to get her, Shilo thumps him with a shovel, he goes down. There's a good holy shit moment when he realises who hit him, and she realises who her father really is. "Let the monster rise" is a song between a betrayed daughter and her lying father, who tries to defend himself, but fails. She storms out, he sings about how he did his damn best, but Rotti betrayed him, so it's all his fault. 'I failed my daughter, and she left me, so screw my dad persona, I'm the damn monster now.'
Now, this part is hard to describe. It's a very powerful scene with nearly every emotion running high, it's the big climax to the movie, and just generally kicks ass. Nathan wants revenge for the stealing of his daughter and the murder of Mag, Rotti tells Shilo Nathan's secrets, the sons join in, Shilo demands answers, the crowd thinks it's an act, more secrets get spilled. All of this is done in song of course, with everyone singing over each other, making it actually fairly hard to tell who says what, until you've watched it a dozen or so times, which I gladly have. Nathan gets hurt, Shilo collapses, Rotti convinces Shilo she doesn't need her meds, while Nathan song pleads for help from the dumbass audience. Shilo passes out, has a mild hallucination that recaps the movie to this point, she wakes feeling ok but covered in blood. Nathan is now tied to a chair, Rotti tells her to kill her dad and she'll get the company, they argue sing about it, Nathan gets all fatherly and apologetic, realises his past mistakes and begs for forgiveness in a very touching powerful song moment. Rotti ends up shooting him, then he himself drops dead, declaring his shame for his obnoxious children.
Shilo and Nathan sing about their familial love for each other while she holds him bleeding in her arms. This is by far ones of the best songs I've heard. A song of forgiveness and love, washing away the past with the realisation that they truly did love each other, despite all the crap they put each other through. Nathan dies, Shilo leaves on a triumphant song about how genetics tell what your made of but not who you are, and how she now realises that she doesn't have to be like him, or her mother, and that now she is free to be who she needs to be for herself.
Graverobber recaps the story of the opera, and how GeneCo could make it if it undergoes some big changes. There is an epic line here, which i actually think about fairly often, you'll know it when you hear it.
During the credits we get to see what the Largo brats are doing now that their father is dead and they basically own the place, tell us they will now be changing how things are run, and plan a better future.
The deleted songs are featured during the credits, I wish they were actually in the movie, but hey, what ya gonna do. Buy the soundtrack and listen to them ALL THE TIME is what I did!
~Kelly
During the credits we get to see what the Largo brats are doing now that their father is dead and they basically own the place, tell us they will now be changing how things are run, and plan a better future.
The deleted songs are featured during the credits, I wish they were actually in the movie, but hey, what ya gonna do. Buy the soundtrack and listen to them ALL THE TIME is what I did!
~Kelly
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