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Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out New York

A few scant pleasures can be had with Repo! The Genetic Opera, a tuneless slab of musical schlock. First comes the sight of Paris Hilton playing the plastic-surgery-obsessed daughter of a future magnate. While singing onstage, her entire face slips off like an especially silky negligee. Yuck—but a fascinating image. Second comes the embarrassing but riveting spectacle of Goodfellas’ Paul Sorvino crooning as the pungently named Rotti Largo, president of a company that reharvests organs when recipients can’t make their payments. Sorvino must think he’s doing Puccini. Finally, the inimitable Joan Jett makes a wordless cameo as a guitarist chugging behind some awful caterwauling. Her smirk says it all.

Working from an underground 2002 stage play, director Darren Lynn Bousman is trying to make the leap from the Saw movies (he did three of them). But he shouldn’t be so quick to forget those films’ crude but effective measures. Bousman’s big idea this time is to float the camera around aimlessly. None of his performances come to life, especially sub-Idol talent Alexa Vega as our heroine. Even a singer as experienced as Sarah Brightman is swaddled in distracting makeup and noise. There’s no song in Repo!’s heart—plus, it’s disembodied and squashed on the floor.

Author: Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out New York Issue 684: November 6 - 12, 2008


User reviews of this film

  • whipster said...
    Posted on Dec 22 2009 15:14 I totally disagree with good 'ole Joshua. Have to admit I'm not a particular fan of Anthony Head - bit too smug for my tastes - however as the lead here he's really rather good! Plenty of visceral humour and, after the first listen, some good songs a la Rocky Horror. For me this is better than it's obvious counterpart. The more edgy themes work well - plenty of fetishishtic costuming and posturing - what is most surprising is that it manages to retain a fairly high level of emotional content!!! No really - you may find yourself having to wipe away a tear at the sad conclusion! Good fun, interesting and a refreshing change to the usual musical genre. 5 stars!
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  • Andy said...
    Posted on Dec 08 2008 09:23 your fulla **** repo is an amazing film!
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Cast & crew

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Cast: Alexa Vega, Anthony Head, Paul Sorvino

Duration: 98 mins

US Release: Nov 7 2008




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