Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Michael Allen
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman.
Writer: Darren Smith (screenplay) and Terrance Zdunich.
Rating: 3.5/5.
From the director of the Saw movie saga comes an imaginative tale of splatter-punk. Originally a stage play, the film adaptation of Repo! The Genetic Opera takes viewers onto a roller-coaster ride in what is simply one huge music video. Forget about the 2010 reworking of the tale in Repo Men. Here, one can delve into a film with a darker edge, set in a post-apocalyptic future.
In the year 2056, an epidemic is killing people and organ transplants can stop this disease for a price. A mega-corporation, GeneCo, emerges as an organization that mortgages out body parts for those people intent on living. But when a client misses a payment or can't pay the bills, the Repoman will come to claim what is owed. Nobody knows who this person is, but Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino) does. For this mysterious killer, he enjoys his job too much as he candidly shreds his victims like Jack the Ripper.
There is meaning behind this tale, but one has to listen carefully to everything that's sung to hear its messages about counterculture. And like the drug the Graverobber (Terrance Zdunich) serves up, some of the tunes are addicting to listen to. He's a more frightful version of another cult classic bard, who've been looking for blond hair and a tan - and he's not wearing stilettos.
While this film won't unseat the Rocky Horror Picture Show anytime soon, it will eventually get there as word spreads. This definitive classic has been around for decades and Repo needs to prove its staying power. What works with this film is the comic book style narrative, but what doesn't is the non-stop tunes. Some rest is needed so the acts can transition to the next scene, and some scenes are better off being spoken than sung out loud.
But for those who want to rock, the song "Zydrate Anatomy" certainly has to be saluted. To crank it up will just show how monstrous Zdunich's performance is. And despite what some ears may say, the supporting vocals from Hilton isn't that bad. Alexa Vega lends her voice to this song as she plays the innocent young Shilo Wallace - a girl that's trapped in the madness of one huge family squabble that her father, Nathan (Anthony Stewert Head), is sheltering her from.
Even this duo sings wonderfully well together. For maestro Sorvino, he fully demonstrates his operatic range and Sarah Brightman wonderfully serenades the eerie tune of "Chromaggia" to its chilling end.
This title released in January of 2009, with Repo Men going to theatres in 2010:
Repo's resting place on the interweb:
The Film's Homepage (Prepare for Music)
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Posted in: 2009,alexa vega,anthony stewert head,darren lynn bousman,darren smith,repo the genetic opera,sarah brightman,science fiction movie review,terrance zdunich,thriller
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