Fine, stylish debut from Alex Cox with some great turns from the two leads.
Repo Man (1984)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 37
Fresh: 36
Rotten:1
Average Rating: 7.9/10
Consensus: Repo Man is many things: an alien-invasion film, a punk-rock musical, a send-up of consumerism. One thing it isn't is boring.
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: Otto (Emilio Estevez) is a Los Angeles punk, a loser with no direction and no role models. But he discovers a code of honor and higher purpose when he joins a select group of latter-day knights:... Otto (Emilio Estevez) is a Los Angeles punk, a loser with no direction and no role models. But he discovers a code of honor and higher purpose when he joins a select group of latter-day knights: the repo men. As a fledging apprentice, Otto slowly learns the ways of these high-caliber, overmedicated auto repossessors. And when a $20,000 bounty is placed on a mysterious missing car, Otto eludes the police, feds, religious cultists, and other repo men in a frantic search for this holy grail. Could one man's destiny lie in the back of a 1964 Chevy Malibu? Alex Cox's feature-film debut boasts a clever, satirical script that combines the larger-than-life edginess of urban L.A. with a bizarre array of science-fiction conspiracy theories. The film also features a strong soundtrack by an array of early 1980s punk and new wave bands and a terrific lead performance by Estevez. [More]
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Vonetta McGee, Olivia Barash
Starring: Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Vonetta McGee, Olivia Barash, Tracey Walter, Sy Richardson, Susan Barnes, Fox Harris, Del Zamora, Eddie Velez, Zander Schloss, Jennifer Balgobin, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, Richard Foronjy, Biff Yeager
Director: Alex Cox
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Reviews for Repo Man
Repo Man has the type of unerring energy that leaves audiences breathless and entertained.
Cox's style is a step beyond camp into a comedy of pure disgust; much of the film is churlishly unpleasant, but there's a core of genuine anger that gives the project an emotional validation lacking in the flabby American comedies of the early 80s.
A sci-fi thriller takes a wacky look at a particular LA subculture and a zany farce with lunatic characters, including a TV evangelist who preaches against "Godless Communism" abroad and liberal humanism at home.
There are endless things to enjoy, from Robby Müller's crisp camerawork to a superb set of performances, from witty movie parodies to a tremendous punk soundtrack.
Right up there with the 1980s cult classics like Heathers, Buckaroo Banzai, and Brazil.
...the movie, more often than not, just comes off as strange for strangeness' sake.
Gloriously weird and wonderful, and may Mr. Stanton's line about 'ordinary people' long resound.
Repo Man comes out of left field, has no big stars, didn't cost much, takes chances, dares to be unconventional, is funny, and works. There is a lesson here.
wherever you see young snotbags and anti-authoritarian pranking today on film and TV, you can bet somebody working on the script was cribbing from Repo Man
Latest News for Repo Man
December 04, 2008:
Repo Man Sequel Starts Filming in January ![]()
"Repo Chick," Alex Cox's David Lynch-produced, recession-inspired sequel to "Repo Man," will begin filming next month. More...
April 30, 2008:
Total Recall: Who's the Man?
This week, the long-awaited Iron Man storms theaters. Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff Bridges also star, but Robert Downey Jr. is the man of the hour, playing Tony... More...
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