Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Abegail Noëlle While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Art Vandelay Since this pile of cr@p is in heavy rotation on cable eventually there would come a day when it was the least-worst thing I could watch. Tonight was that night.I'm almost certain the hack director filmed a bunch of scenes, maybe based off a working script but not necessarily - and then assembled them in random order in the editing room. It's not clever or funny or filmed in an interesting way. I've seen better acting in Italian Neo-Realism movies where the entire cast is amateurs plucked off the street. The soundtrack reminds me why the 80s were a wasteland of bad music. Electro-pop on Hit Radio and pretentious, unlistenable ''punk'' ''created'' by self-absorbed middle-class suburban white boys in the clubs.This movie has nearly zero redeeming value.

Scott LeBrun Made by a then-29 year old British UCLA film school graduate named Alex Cox, the endearingly loopy sci-fi punk cult comedy "Repo Man" is a true original. It combines many interesting details and clever gags with a satirical sensibility. Cox dots the landscape with an amazing ensemble of eclectic faces and fills the soundtrack with some very catchy tunes. He also films his quirky story in some of the less aesthetically pleasing areas of Los Angeles, giving it the perfect look. His characters are compelling, especially Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), the career repo man who has his own way of doing things. There's some very funny dialogue and even some priceless, philosophical moments courtesy of wacked-out yardman Miller (Tracey Walter).Emilio Estevez is just fine as Otto, an unambitious young man who is conned into repossessing a car by Bud. Soon desperate for money, he agrees to go to work with Bud and his gang. Otto, who's rather conservative for the kind of world he lives in, starts to find enjoyment in this new profession. Meanwhile, a Chevy Malibu with a "Kiss Me Deadly" style secret in its trunk, being driven by a nutty scientist (the memorable Fox Harris), becomes a hot ticket item.What's so great about "Repo Man" is the fact that it's utterly unpredictable. One is never really sure where it's going to be going from scene to scene. Presented by ex-"Monkey" Michael Nesmith (who'd previously done the cool time travel adventure "Timerider"), it avoids being overly political although it does have some things to say about mindless consumerism (products in the movie are labelled simply "food" or "beer"), honour, and the nature of the universe.Stanton delivers one of his all time best performances. He and Estevez are well supported by such players as Walter (whose "plate of shrimp" speech is a gem), the cute Olivia Barash, Sy Richardson, Susan Barnes, Harris (who's a real hoot), Del Zamora, Eddie Velez, Zander Schloss, Jennifer Balgobin, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, the lovely Vonetta McGee, and Richard Foronjy. The Circle Jerks have a great cameo in a night club.Everything finishes with a wonderfully far-out resolution that is perfect for the material. It's definitely the sort of thing you don't forget. Those film fans jaded with more conventional storytelling need to really give this one a look.Eight out of 10.

Mr-Fusion My wife's reaction to "Repo Man": "Someone was trippin' balls when they made this movie."I've seen some cult movies in my time, but few are this satisfying. Despite the trippy subject matter going on here, there's an otherworldly appeal that makes it a fun ride. For one thing, if you need a reason why Harry Dean Stanton is a cinematic treasure, this is it (well this an a slew of others, certainly, but he always enhances a movie). And Emilio Estevez plays his hapless delinquent role to some amusing lengths (there's just something about his voice that makes it funny). It's kinda like "After Hours", only less caffeinated - at least in terms of that desolate nighttime feel. Both movies might actually work as a double bill. And everything about this comes together in a sort of oddball harmony. The punk soundtrack dovetails nicely with the overall middle-finger attitude. This flick is steeped in all manner of weirdness, but there's a reason I keep coming back to it every so often. It's somehow charming in a rebellious sort of way.8/10

pontifikator Released in 1984, "Repo Man" is at the confluence of punk rock and generic brands. Starring Emilio Estevez as Otto, "Repo Man" is the hip story of disaffected youth. In the early 80s, men were still wearing wide lapels, paisley ties, and coiffed hair, and our hero in "Repo Man" has a buzz cut and a pierced ear sporting a cross. And when he drinks beer, it comes in a white can that says "BEER," and the can has a huge UPC on the side.In addition to Mr. Estevez, we have the inimitable Harry Dean Stanton and Sy Richardson as Otto's mentors in the car repo business. Otto's fellow repo men are named Bud, Miller, Lite, and Oly. If you can see "Repo Man" on the big screen, I recommend it because the signs in the background are part of telling the story of the punk esthetics, with Mr. Stanton's voice over and Mr. Richardson's smooth lyricism. Read all the signs.Among the strange things about the punk movement is how modern it still is. Compare the costumes here with, say, "Earth Girls Are Easy," a film released four years later. The costumes in EGAE are hopelessly dated, but you'd be hard pressed to put a year on "Repo Man" based on how people dressed.And unlike EGAE, "Repo Man" still holds up. It's a funny movie still.