February 09, 2009
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What?
Darren Lynn Bousman's baffling 2008 organ transplant musical Repo! The Genetic Opera has the singular distinction of being the only film I've ever seen that has, against all odds, kept me glued to the screen despite the overwhelming urge to yank the disc from my trusty DVD player and unceremoniously shatter it into a million jagged pieces. Visually speaking, the film is a triumph of imagination over budget, in particular Bousman's ability to craft a snazzy, Blade Runner-inspired cityscape with next to no funding whatsoever. Once the visceral buzz has worn off, however, the audience is left with what can only be described a second-rate slip-shod off-Broadway musical executed with the finesse of a plodding, poorly constructed 90-minute Evanescence song peppered with wonky dialogue and scores of vocal buffoonery. Songstress Sarah Brightman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer veteran Anthony Head are the clear exceptions, as is co-writer and composer Terrance Zdunich, who also has the honor of spearheading the only memorable song in the entire picture. Cheers and jeers aside, I honestly can't ascertain who this film was made for. Is it too much of a musical for horror fans? Too violent and disturbed for musical aficionados? Judging from the relatively high score at IMDb, it would appear the movie has found its audience, Robert Smith lookalikes and all. Personally, I don't know what to think. If nothing else, it's unforgettable.
Recipe For Confusion: Great Visuals + Horrible Dialogue + It's Just Campy Enough To Warrant Investigation
Please God No: Rumors abound of a 150-minute extended cut that may or may not find its way onto DVD sometime soon.
Why would you intentionally do that to a person?
2 Spasms:
Repo is definitely unusual, and I'd looked forward to seeing it. But like you I wasn't all that impressed.
My take on it is this: you can't have a good musical with boring, lousy music. Also, any film where Paris Hilton doesn't give the worst performance has issues. I'm pretty sure a 150-minute cut would cause viewers to commit suicide.
I'm hoping for a Bollywood remake. That could be hilarious.
God, the music was awful. Incredibly awful, even. And even though it's been nearly a week since I've watched it, I still don't know what to think about the whole thing.
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