Repo! The Genetic Opera

Seriously your argument is flawed, which made me sign up just so I could challenge you.

1/10 seriously? Maybe this movie is not for everyone but a 1?

I am a fan of the movie - and have seen the director and writer talk at numerous events.

This script has been around for over 10 years. It has been a stage show; and before that it was a 2 man musical.

My point is, this 'thing', REPO has been around in some form of another since 1996.

If you did some searching, BIOSHOCK, which I have played, and love, was brought into the market in 2007.

While Repo was already in PRE-PRODUCTION which means already past script stage, and already green-lit by a studio.

And to end your argument, you say the creators STOLE the idea from BIOSHOCK? Are you really one to talk? I see you're from Turkey, and voting on REPO. Has the film been released in TURKEY? Or did you just download the movie illegally?

Get your facts straight before spewing your ignorance.

Fewer words, I imagine, strike greater fear in the minds of audiences and producers alike when the words "passion project" are thrown around. After helming three straight Saw sequels, long-suffering director Darren Lynn Bousman finally gets to cut loose creatively with his gory rock opera Repo, which evolved from a series of quickie stage improvisations courtesy of the film's writer/composers, Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich. Unfortunately, the film turns out to be more Across the Universe than Hedwig and the Angry Inch, eager to please but ultimately less than enjoyable for anyone not a devout enthusiast of its chosen musical framing – except in this case, it's a nostalgia-fest for turn-of-the-90's goths instead of baby boomers.

Bousman, to his credit, assembled an intriguing cast: Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anothny Stewart Head (a stage veteran who's also appeared as Frank n' Furter in Rocky Horror), Spy Kids star Alexa Vega, elevator-music superstar Sarah Brightman, renowned character actor Paul Sorvino (Law and Order, Goodfellas), horror vet Bill Moseley, and, in a shrewd bit of meta-casting, tabloid magnet Paris Hilton. In much the same manner that reading the cast list seems to create a logic fissure in the universe, the film's disparate elements never coalesce into anything coherent. Ostensibly an elaborate comment on consumer society and celebrity obsession, Repo seems to serve mainly as a hyperactive springboard for a filmmaker overeager to prove his uniqueness.

Set in a cartoonishly grim future, Repo revolves principally around Nathan (Head), a "repo man" who impolitely collects organs from hapless citizens on behalf of GeneCo (led by Sorvino's sinister, dying Rotti), a massive conglomerate that swooped in to commodify healthy organs following a deadly epidemic of organ failures. His daughter, Shilo (Vega), is ill with the blood disease that claimed her mother, and is kept in unwilling sanctuary in his home. Meanwhile, Rotti's offspring (Moseley, Hilton and Skinny Puppy's Nivek Ogre) bicker, in an obvious nod to King Lear, over which one will inherit their decaying father's empire. Oh, and somewhere in the mix there's also Mag (Brightman), a celebrity singer with GeneCo-implanted holographic eyes who's trapped in a dead-end contract.

If the plot seems needlessly dense, that's because it is, and the film is crippled at the outset by its ludicrous number of characters and plot threads, never to recover. This undercuts both the plot's coherency – already tenuous at the outset – and the integrity of the performances proffered by its diverse cast. Particularly wasted is Moseley, who brings his character to slyly sadistic life, but doesn't get much chance to develop in his eight or so minutes of screen time. Others get shoehorned into thankless roles – Vega, who has Broadway experience and shows evidence of being a capable performer, is saddled with a bratty, shrill heroine, and Sorvino, as the film's principal villain, is never able to find a consistent tone either of internal anguish or righteous indignation, largely because he's provided with a few too many motivations relating to nearly every other character. The supporting cast is uniformly competent – including the widely reviled Hilton – but none besides Mosely leave much of an impression. Head's "repo man" suffers most - his character enjoys his grisly work at some points and is disturbed by it at others, simply at the film's convenience, making him useless either as a figure of scorn or sympathy.

Smith and Zdunich don't only botch the film's plotting but also its densely arranged musical score, which spends most of its time occupying a confounding space somewhere between Ministry and Evanescence that simply shouldn't exist. Occasionally, a novel vocal harmony or passably funny lyric will arise (particularly in scenes where Head and Sorvino duet), but none of the individual songs are at all memorable. There's an opportunity for redemption in the film's embrace of over-the-top satire near the film's conclusion (featuring a memorable moment where Hilton's character loses face a bit) but ultimately opts for a lame, sequel-ready non-ending. For all of the film's references and targets, its Vaseline-on-the-lens aesthetics, leaden musical numbers and generally witless approach keep it from joining the ranks of the beloved "outsider" musicals its creators so obviously worship.

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I s**t you not, this really really is a musical (or Operatic) Horror film. Right from the start this film is bonkers but soo soo colourful and engaging - the opening credit's themselves should keep you hooked and wondering what the hell is going to happen in the film. I wasn't 100% convinced about the musical score but it wasn't at all out of place and did serve as great narrative drive as the film progressed. There are comic-book flashbacks which serve to keep this nerds taste buds moist.

The film takes place in 2046 in it's own Gothic and dark world - it's visually stunning and due to the complexity of the construct I can see a lot more films being spawned from this. Organ failure is a common problem and to assist civilization companies like GeneCo have been set up. GeneCo is a bio-tec company offering organ transplants for a cost, the largest company. For a price they will fix it's customers, but should they miss a payment the RepoMan will be sent to hunt them down to get GeneCo's product back. This is normal everyday life for a culture addicted to painkillers and medication.

Anthony Head is the RepoMan, contracted by Paul Sorvino's Rotti Largo character in an almost Faustian pact to repossess organs and limbs of people unable to maintain payments. This is the deal for Head thinking/assuming that he killed his wife and Rotti lets him continue believing this. Meanwhile Head's daughter Shilo (Alex PenaVega) is struggling with life growing up with a degenerative disease which will ultimately kill her. Shilo has her own adventures but will cross paths eventually with the Largo family members and some home truths about her childhood. The Largo kid's (Paris Hilton, Bill Mosely, and Nivek Ogre) are all fighting for the power to control Largo Rotti's GeneCo empire. A chance encounter allows Shilo to meet Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman) who helps assist Shilo discover herself and the deals which were made when her mother dies and the RepoMan was born. The climax of the film is a brilliant fight scene/opera song worthy of any musical.

I recommend this film highly to anyone similar to myself who likes brilliantly bonkers spectacular movies, who might just have a penchant for horror or the occasional musical - FTR this is not as 'camp' as you'd expect from a musical, sure it's got songs to replace speeches but it works extremely well and you may just find yourself humming some of the songs after the credits have rolled. If you enjoyed "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or "Sweeny Todd" this is a natural progression and you will not be disappointed. A total departure from what I'd expect the director of 'Saw' films to make but well done Darren Lynn Bousman, I take my hat off to you.

I can see this film being a cult classic and shown on many midnight Halloween film events. It's extremely original, it's visually stunning, and direction and production values are extremely high. Casting is brilliant and you'd normally expect such big names to get more screen time, the complex relationships between characters is explored via comic style flashbacks which just add to the beauty and appeal of this film. I really can't say enough superlatives about this film, just leave expectations at the door and let the film's world immerse you in itself.

I watched the second showing in Atlanta tonight. Some disclaimers:

As a fan of musicals, especially musicals that are not your usual fare, my expectations were high. I love Rocky Horror, was an avid fan for many years, and have been one of those who can quote not only the whole musical but all those lovely shout out lines in between. I also am a fan of stage musicals, and I would have to say Sweeney Todd has been my favorite since I first heard the music back in the early 90's. So I'm not afraid of a little blood with my music.

I also am a big fan of the Buffy musical. So I like Anthony Head's voice and acting. I should be foaming at the mouth at this movie. It's like it was made for me.

Unfortunately, I walked out of the movie thinking it was okay. Not great, but okay. That's when I ran into the fans, dressed like the characters and all chatting about how great it was. And it clicked.

This is supposed to be the next Rocky Horror... but without the long agonizing wait for a cult following. This was insta-cult classic! Just add water! The problem is, it's just not as good.

Believe me, I wanted it as much as the next Rocky/Buffy/Brightman fan, but the failing for me was in the music. I'm even a fan of this style of music, and it was not catchy. It was patchy. There were a few songs that were okay, but none of them were memorable. I'm not singing bits of them right now, and after a good musical you should be. As I talked to some of the fans who were wearing the costumes (some of whom I actually knew), their response to my critique was that "it grows on you" and that "I need to see it a few times".

They were gonna like this movie regardless, because they need another movie like Rocky Horror. And who doesn't? It gets boring watching the same movie for years and years - I know, I did it. But it's just not as good. And everyone is trying so hard to make it good.

This leads me to my last comment - I sat in front of a die-hard fan who was trying as hard as he could to make this movie great. He laughed the loudest and even tried to "Rockyfy" the movie by inserting his own shout-out comments. I remember thinking, "Dude, this isn't that movie" and I was only 5 minutes into it.

Don't try to make a movie good. Be objective. Even if it's your favorite kind of movie, don't be afraid to say that it's not that good. Wait for the ones that are.

This modern, actually futuristic, opera is unlike anything I've seen. Many of its qualities remind me of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,' a film that was never on my list of favorites. This is better simply because it's able to hold together a more plausible and serious story yet still present itself in the aesthetic of a psychedelic musical. It blends brutality with comedy and music very effectively, in fact, there were far more laughs in our theater than anything else. The interactions between the characters as they sing their parts make for great character development and story progression simultaneously. The character's themselves are all well performed, including Paris Hilton (what happens to her needs to be seen, not described). I'm not the type to like weird, cult films but this held my attention. It's definitely worth a viewing, and if you have time to immerse yourself, then it's definitely worth some good applause.