Repo! A Genetic Opera Blu Ray Review
The Film:
Jon: It’s true. It’s all true. Everything you’ve heard about Repo! A Genetic Opera is true. No, not what the narrow minded critics have been saying, in fact they are quite uninformed about what they think they saw. I’m actually talking about the completely original, unique, bizarre vision director Darren Lynn Bousman and co-writers Terrance Zdunich and Darren Smith have brought us.
Donny: Repo! The Genetic Opera was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’m sure people will compare it to Sweeney Todd or The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in all honesty Repo! actually rises above those films when it comes to pure originality.
Jon: Yeah, that’s why it’s so hard to describe Repo! and I think that’s where many critics have given up on it and had made them think it’s a complete mess. Actually, it might be moot to describe it because whatever I think it is, it will be something reminiscent of something else for someone else. That’s the diving line right there. Repo! is so crazy, beautiful, and unique that many will be confused by what they see. Its okay, even its creators don’t mind if you don’t vibe with it, but it’s off-putting to see so many critics ripping on it for the silliest of reasons.
First of all, it is an opera. The typical musical, let’s say Rocky Horror Picture Show, is a musical with talking between singing. Repo! is constantly referred to as a film that features a few songs here and there to break up the dialogue. We’re used to that. In fact, musicals have been on a high as of late, but Repo! isn’t that, it’s practically 99% song over dialogue. The songs are magnificent. Featuring more songs than any six musicals put together, Repo! showcases some of the fun and musical ingenuity that will stick with the people that enjoy it. That’s another thing; I don’t think many mainstream critics dig the rock opera aspects. Most songs blur genres together, like “Chase the Morning” which features Sarah Brightman’s incredible voice against some dark Euro-pop hooks and industrial, NIN-influenced beats.
Donny: Director Darren Lynn Bousman said that he wanted to make something different, a rock opera, and that’s exactly what he did. His casting choices were brilliant, even in the case of Paris Hilton, who not only surprised me, but showed depth and emotion as the surgery addicted Amber Sweet. While Bill Moseley is great as the violently obnoxious Luigi, and Brightman is awesome (and sexy) as Blind Mag, it’s Alexa Vega and Anthony Head that are the real stars of the flick.
Jon: Exactly! Anthony Head is the best of the bunch as he has the most duality in his character of Nathan Wallace/Repo Man to work with. He’s constantly shifting from loving father to raging monster, even in song, but it’s never campy or over-acted. His long working relationship with Joss Whedon comes in handy here, I believe. Bill Moseley is a delight too, a raunchy, vulgar man, a prefect role for him to ham it up. Hell, I’ll say it-even Paris Hilton is good here playing Amber Sweet a surgery-addicted druggie, you’ll forget all of the tabloid stuff. But the surprise to me is Alexa Vega. I was blown away by her strength and vulnerability in the role of Shilo, but her singing is also really impressive. Her duet with Anthony Head in “I Didn’t Know I Loved You So Much” is mature and rocking at the same time.
Donny: Alexa is wonderful as Shilo, and Anthony Head is beyond amazing. He basically plays two characters, Nathan and the Repo Man, both of which he knocks right out of the park. But it was Graverobber (Terrance Zdunich) that intrigued me the most. He is a drug dealer that sells Zydrate (a drug used to deal with the pain of constant surgery), and he knows everything about the future he lives in. He knows the city, its inhabitants, and he ties it all together with a neat little bow.
I know critics have been tearing this movie apart, but the only reason I can see for the hatred they have towards this flick is pretentious nose in the air bullshit. Repo! the Genetic Opera was not only a unique movie-going experience it’s an event that demands multiple viewings. Bousman created a monster that not only lives, it demands to be heard.
Jon: Repo! is a unique experience, an experience that must been seen. If you dig it, like Donny and I did, then there’s so much to enjoy and talk about. I can’t wait for a cult to get going on this film, as it’ll be a lot of fun. If you don’t like it, at least you took a chance at something wild and different, and in this current Hollywood climate of rehashes and sequels, that’s got to mean something.
The Blu Ray:
Audio/Video: Should there be any doubt that a film shot on a HD camera and transferred digitally to Blu Ray, should be sparkling and gorgeous? Repo! looks fantastic, maybe even better here than theatrically. With sharp details, vivid colors, and no flaws of any kind, this is an amazing transfer. The audio is heavy on bass, but I was hoping since it was a DTS track to be louder. It’s a rather soft sounding track, although nothing bad, I just expected to sound like I was at a concert.
Commentary 1: This is the fun track of the two, with Bousman and actors Bill Moseley, Alexa Vega, and Orge. They offer up info on working with this collective mix of actors and musicians, experimenting and other fun trivia.
Commentary 2: Bousman’s back and with Darren Smith, Terrance Zdunich, and Music Producer Joseph Bishara. More technical in discussion but offers up a great track on the history and making-of; it’s defiantly worth a listen.
Select Commentary with Paris Hilton: With Bousman, they talk over some of Amber Sweet’s scenes and what it was like to work with each other, doing the music, and her persona. Decent.
Video Sing-alongs: Bousman wanted the film to be an experience, a crowd involvement film, so these segments are a great idea. Four are presented, “Zydrate Anatomy”, “Legal Assassin”, “Chase the Morning”, and “At the Opera Tonight”, and with a bouncing heart over the lyrics we can all sing along! Good stuff and will go a long way to enhance fan participation.
Webisode Featurettes: Covering the origin of the film and concept, Blind Mag, Amber Sweet, and Nathan Wallace, we’re giving audition tapes, interviews, and recognition for the actors and characters. They are short but informative.
Deleted Scenes: These are a Blu Ray exclusive and offer optional commentary between Bousman and Paris Hilton. The fist deleted scene is really good, a musical number between Amber Sweet and Graverobber. It’s a good song that hopefully, we’ll get to own or hear. The others are deleted extended parts, and one offers a whole subplot that’s dropped from the film that could’ve altered our feelings on two characters.
Poster Gallery in HD and a Trailer also in HD are offered.
Conclusion: I have a strong feeling that this will be a main stay on the midnight screening circuit and I expect a few critical re-evaluations in the near future too. This Blu Ray is really good and the one to get because of the exclusives. While I hoped to see this 10 minute short Bousman directed with Shawnee Smith to get the studio interested and some more deleted scenes, I can’t recommend this enough
Rating: 
