Repo Man (1984)
Where Punk meets Aliens and nobody wins the lottery
The Repo Code
Never break into a car.
Never hot-wired a car.
Never break into a truck.
'I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof, nor through inaction let the personal contents thereof come to harm.’
"Repo Man" is like that weird uncle at a family gathering who insists on telling you about his conspiracy theories while guzzling his 4th can of the cheapest beer he could buy.
It's a chaotic, nonsensical, and oddly charming ride that's as confusing as it is entertaining.
Let's start with the plot, if you can even call it that. Emilio Estevez plays Otto, a young punk who stumbles into a job as a repo man. It's like a real-life version of "Grand Theft Auto," except with less violence and more existential dread. Otto quickly gets tangled up in a bizarre scheme involving stolen cars, aliens, and a whole lot of bad haircuts.
Quote
Bud: Credit is a sacred trust, it's what our free society is founded on. Do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia? I said, do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia?
Otto: They don't pay bills in Russia, it's all free.
Bud: All free? Free my ass. What are you, a fuckin’ commie? Huh?
Otto: No, I ain't no commie.
Bud: Well, you better not be. I don't want no commies in my car.
No Christians either.
The movie's pacing is all over the place, like a toddler on a sugar rush. One minute you're laughing at a hilarious one-liner, the next you're questioning the meaning of life. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and not always in a good way.
The acting is a mixed bag.
Harry Dean Stanton, as the grizzled repo man Bud and doing Harry Dean Stanton as only Harry Dean Stanton can do, steals the show with his deadpan delivery and world-weary charm.
Emilio Estevez, on the other hand, seems a bit lost, like he accidentally wandered onto the movie set from a different movie and acts a little dazed or maybe a little gleeful he’s getting paid for hardly acting ( he definitely doesn’t have the talent his father has and his brother had. ).
Quote
Liella: “ lovely friends you have there, Otto”
Otto : “ Thanks, I made them myself “
The supporting cast is a motley crew of eccentrics, but stars one of my favourite character actors from that era, Tracy Walter, a man you may not remember by his name but you’d definitely recognise the face, an actor who has appeared in over 170 movies and Tv series.
Quote
Miller: “ A lot o' people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinking about a plate of shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate of shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in looking for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconsciousness.”
Otto: ”You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?”
The soundtrack is an American punk rock masterpiece, featuring bands like Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, The Plugz and The Circle Jerks , also Iggy Pop and Steve Jones ,of Sex Pistols fame and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the film's chaotic energy.
"Repo Man" is a cult classic for a reason. It's a weird, wonderful, and unique film that defies categorization and one that I’ve loved since first watching it on VHS in 1985.
Quote
Miller: John Wayne was a fag!
All: The hell he was…
Miller: "He was, too, you boys. I installed two-way mirrors in his pad in Brentwood, and he come to the door in a dress."
Oly: “Doesn’t mean he was a fag, Miller. A lot of straight guys like to watch their buddies fuck. I know I do.”
It's a movie that you'll either love or hate, and there's no in-between. So if you're in the mood for something strange, funny, and thought-provoking, then "Repo Man" is definitely worth checking out.