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Repo Man (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]
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Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
DVD
January 24, 2006 "Please retry" | Collector's Edition | 1 |
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| $25.00 | $18.28 |
DVD
August 28, 2000 "Please retry" | Limited Edition | 2 | $38.64 | $17.95 |
DVD
April 16, 2013 "Please retry" | The Criterion Collection | 2 | $39.92 | $19.99 |
DVD
January 20, 2004 "Please retry" | DVD | 1 | — | $12.86 |
DVD
August 28, 2000 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
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| — | $14.99 |
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Genre | Comedy, Cult Movies |
Format | Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC |
Contributor | Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey Walter, Alex Cox |
Language | English |
Runtime | 1 hour and 32 minutes |
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Product Description
A quintessential cult film of the 1980s, Alex Cox s singular sci-fi comedy stars the always captivating Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) as a weathered repo man in desolate downtown Los Angeles, and Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club) as the nihilistic middle-class punk he takes under his wing. The job becomes more than either of them bargained for when they get involved in reclaiming a mysterious and otherworldly Chevy Malibu with a hefty reward attached to it. Featuring the ultimate early-eighties L.A. punk soundtrack, this grungily hilarious odyssey is a politically trenchant take on President Reagan s domestic and foreign policy.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED DVD SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
- New high-definition digital restoration, approved by director Alex Cox
- Audio commentary featuring Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and actors Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del Zamora
- Interviews with Cox, Richardson, and Zamora; producers Peter McCarthy and Jonathan Wacks; actors Olivia Barash, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, and Harry Dean Stanton; musicians Keith Morris and Iggy Pop; and Sam Cohen, the inventor of the neutron bomb
- Deleted scenes
- The complete cleaned-up television version of the film, prepared by Cox
- Trailers
- PLUS: An essay by critic Sam McPheeters
Product details
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 4 ounces
- Item model number : 35221475
- Director : Alex Cox
- Media Format : Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Run time : 1 hour and 32 minutes
- Release date : January 26, 2016
- Actors : Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Tracey Walter
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : Criterion Collection
- ASIN : B016XFV3RY
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #27,106 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #3,421 in Comedy (Movies & TV)
- Customer Reviews:
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"Repo Man" is primarily the coming of age story of Otto, played by Emilio Estevez. When we first meet Otto he gets fired from his job for cursing out his boss and assaulting his coworker and friend Kevin (played by Zander Schloss). He somewhat reluctantly accepts a job as a repo man. We then find Otto being pulled in different directions. On one side is his group of friends who are always getting in trouble “doing crimes”. On the other side are his fellow repo men who become somewhat like father figures to him.
First we have Bud (Harry Dean Stanton) who initially takes Otto under his wing. He is the moral father, operating within the Repo Man code. He is a sort of Ahab character in that he has his own great white whale in the form of the Rodriguez brother’s car, a repo he just cannot seem to wrangle. The excitement of this rivalry is what finally hooks Otto into the Repo Man lifestyle.
Next is Lite (Sy Richardson) who is a big talking showboat with a lot of tricks up his sleeve. He is so full of himself, however, that he often misses what is right in front of him. While throwing personal property out of one particular repo (which is against the Repo Code) he inadvertently tosses out a large bundle of money. His repos are always full of excitement and mishap.
Finally there is Miller. He’s a sort of maintenance guy that works at the repo yard. He has his own take on life that mostly has to do with time travel, aliens and conspiracy theories but is offering (or rather giving) Otto unsolicited and unwelcomed guidance of his own.
If that is not enough, there is also the love interest, Leila (Olivia Barash). Otto picks her up while feeling big, driving a Cadillac he has just repossessed. Meanwhile, Leila is being chased by the Blond Guys (government agents who aren’t very subtle) because she is part of an organization who is going to go public about a government/alien conspiracy.
The final plot element is the MacGuffin, a 1964 Chevy Malibu, license plate number 127-GBH. It is being driven by a rapidly deteriorating J. Frank Parnell (played by Fox Harris). He evidently has alien bodies in his trunk which are now decomposing, emitting intense heat and radiation. Whenever J. Frank Parnell finds himself in trouble he subtly convinces people to look into the trunk which instantly disintegrates them. Curiosity, distrust and reverse psychology are strong weapons.
This story is propelled by action, intrigue and a punk rock soundtrack. The mood is always intense and often angry. The dialog can be ridiculous but incredibly quotable.
Some noteworthy quotes are:
"It happens sometimes. People just explode.”
“There's f*ing room to move as a fry cook, man.”
“Let’s go do some crimes.”
The overall tone of the film is tongue-in-cheek. Some funny moments include the generic labeling that appears throughout the movie. In one scene Bud tells Otto, “Let’s go get a drink.” Next thing we see is a four pack of tall boys labeled “drink.” In another scene we see Otto eating out of a can that is simply labeled “food.”
There are cameos from a couple different bands. The Circle Jerks appear as the band in the cave bar and the Untouchables as the scooter gang. There are also some allusions which are fun little Easter eggs. The license plate of the Malibu is a reference to punk band GBH who oddly enough are not on the soundtrack. There is also a bus that says, “Edge City" which was the name of Alex Cox's student film.
The final scenes of the movie contain many twists and turns; crosses and double-crosses. The Malibu changes hands so many times that even the characters get confused about who has it. There is a little bit of heartache thrown in too. After all of this, there is still time for Otto to make one more bad decision.
What I like about this movie is the irreverent tongue-in-cheek humor. I like the action pace, the twists and turns, the attention to detail and the cool cameos from punk rocks legends. The soundtrack is pretty good too. I think most of the acting is great especially Harry Dean Stanton, Sy Richardson and Tracey Walter (who plays Miller). Walter’s part was originally much smaller but the producers liked what he was doing so much that they expanded the role and even changed the ending of the movie.
“Repo Man" rates a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 82% on Metacritic. I would be closer to Metacritic, in the low 80s or so. I really like this film but it’s not what I would call fine art. “Repo Man" is like going on a roller coaster with your worst best friends, the ones who ended up dead or in jail…but they sure knew how to have a good time.
“Repo Man is always intense!”
Other recommendations:
“Straight to Hell" (1987) Alex Cox
“The Blue Iguana" (1988) John Lafia
“Suburbia” (1984) Penelope Spheeris
“This is the End" (2013) Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg
“Dead Snow: Red v. Dead" (2014) Tommy Wirkola
Sometimes the films that "capture" America best - with unique a point of view - are made by people from abroad. Films and directors such as Roman Polanski(Chinatown) Atlantic City(Louis Malle) Zabriskie Point, The Ice Storm (Ang Lee), Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas), John Boorman (Point Blank) Michael Winner (Death Wish) and various films by Hitchcock, Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and Werner Herzog are other great examples.
Cox moved to L.A. In the early 80s from the U.K. (a small island off the coast of Europe as the old saw goes), and was fascinated by the endless suburban sprawl of Las Angeles - and, of course, the hardcore scene in particular.
Imagine: being a stranger in a strange land. Reagan's America. The shameless consumerism, the late-night televangelists, UFO freaks, and suburbanites who rob liqour stores because they're bored, the freeways and all those cars. L.A. as a melting pot (an estimated 80 languages are spoken) - many ethnicities in key roles in this film, very unusual for an 80s film. It's probably the most "authentic" portrait of L.A.s Chicano culture - certainly one of the earliest - and Cox (wisely) doesn't make a big deal about it. This isn't the dreaded Statement Film.
And, of course, the disenfranchised suburban kids (largely middle-class whites "with all the advantages" ) that made up the punk scene. The Punks in England were often working class, If not poor, and more politically oriented. Surely writer/director Cox must have been bemused! But Cox understands that the white, middle class can be disenfranchised, too.
Alex Cox truly made the best, and ultimate punk period piece. Penelope Spheeris' Suburbia(too cartoonish and exploitative.) and the doc The Decline of the Western Civilization was mostly about the most obnoxious and nihlistic aspect of the featured bands; "the kids" are portrayed as foolish followers - Sid Vicious wannabes. Besides, many of the concerts were staged... sorry for the digression.
Thank god Repo Man was made, again, not just a great film, but a document of a time and place. A quintisential L.A. movie - certainly one off the funniest ever.
Also, an early gig for cinematographer, Robby Mueller who shot Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., Barfly and most(if not all) of Jim Jarmusch's films. Mueller was also an expat - he got his start in Europe, shooting for the aforementioned Wim Wenders.
The cast includes: The late Harry Dean Stanton, in one of his best roles. Sy Richardson (Colors), cult fave Tracey Walters(you'll know when you see him), Dick Rude, Lonette McGee (Blacula, The Eiger Sanction) and Emilio Estevez - before he sold his soul. (See The Boys Next Door, also by Penelope Spheeris for a great early performance.) And finally, the great Zander Schloss as Kevin, Otto's hapless buddy - the inspiration for Napoleon Dynamite?
Schloss would later appear in Coxs' Straight To Hell. and joined the Circle Jerks (bass) the same year.
The Circle Jerks (with punk's greatest drummer, Chuck Biscuits on guitar) can be seen playing a lounge version "When the S*** Hits the Fan," sadly not included on the classic Soundtrack. Look for Rodney Bingenheimer in the audience! Zander Schloss later scored Cox's Highway Patrolman and was a long time collaborater with the late Joe Strummer.
Great release: extras, packaging, great sound and picture. A few pages in the hefty booklet includes phony(and funny!) 80s hardcore flyers - a graphic design feat! Even a knock-off by the great Raymond Petibone - best known for his Black Flag logo and iconography. All the "flyers" witty references to the movie.
I highly recommend the broadcast TV version that's included: lots of dialogue and scenes removed, but classic scenes are extended. And scenes that wound up on the cutting room floor are rescued. A good example would be Stanton and Otto driving down Hollywood Boulevard, complete with Stanton's riffing on The Code - and his nutty (yet weirdly sensible) observations on the state of the world. Essential viewing for the die hard fan - it's an alternate Repo Man that will enrich your appreciation of the official film. A real revelation!
So glad to finely own on bluray. A definite upgrade from the DVD.