SCREAM YOUR ENTHUSIASM (20)
By:
December 6, 2024
One in a series of 25 enthusiastic posts, contributed by 25 HILOBROW friends and regulars, on the topic of favorite horror movies. Series edited by Heather Quinlan.
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA | d. DARREN LYNN BOUSMAN | 2008
Blockbuster, 2008: You get two old movies for free when you rent one new movie. So I look for new movies first. (Older ones I go by the box in the horror section and the best-looking creature features.) I see a whole section of The Princess Bride and in one tiny slot I see a guy in a leather suit with lasers coming out of his eyes. Upon further inspection I see it stars Anthony Stewart Head (Giles from Buffy) and Paris Hilton from House of Wax. What more do I need?
So, I hunker down with the lights off and the opening is a comic-book panel. Interesting. Then the panel moves and a song plays for the Repo Man, describing what he does and what the movie is about. [SPOILER It is about a company that does plastic surgery and more, but if you can’t pay, well, you meet the Repo Man! END SPOILER] Yes, it is a thankless job, but somebody’s got to do it. And yes, this was a musical — but with enough blood and laughs to make you get into the music, and the second time you play it you will sing along.
It was in my second watching that I realized the character of Blind Mag is played by Sarah Brightman, the lead from Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera. (And there’s also one very cool guitarist who actually plays the guitar.) I urge you to pick this movie next time you’re scrolling through endless hours of what to stream, and you too will be waiting for the unfortunately, never-going-to-happen sequel. But ask a Gentern what movie they prefer and ten out of nine will say Repo! The Genetic Opera is the film to see!
SCREAM YOUR ENTHUSIASM: INTRODUCTION by Heather Quinlan | Crockett Doob on THE SHINING | Dean Haspiel on TOURIST TRAP | Fran Pado on M3GAN | Erin M. Routson on THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT | Adam McGovern on THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER | Michele Carlo on THE EXORCIST | Tony Pacitti on JAWS | Josh Glenn on INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) | Kathy Biehl on HALLOWEEN | Annie Nocenti on ROSEMARY’S BABY | Carolyn Campbell on WAIT UNTIL DARK | Marc Weidenbaum on DAWN OF THE DEAD | Amy Keyishian on SHAUN OF THE DEAD | Gabriela Pedranti on [•REC] | Mariane Cara on PARANORMAL ACTIVITY | Trav SD on FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY | Colin Campbell on EVIL DEAD (2013) | Lynn Peril on NIGHT GALLERY | Heather Quinlan on THE CHANGELING | Kenny Simek on REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA | Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons on IT (1990) | James Scott Maloy on CONTAGION | Nick Rumaczyk on THE BOY WHO CRIED WEREWOLF | Max Alvarez on THE INNOCENTS | Michael Campochiaro on BLACK CHRISTMAS.
JACK KIRBY PANELS | CAPTAIN KIRK SCENES | OLD-SCHOOL HIP HOP | TYPEFACES | NEW WAVE | SQUADS | PUNK | NEO-NOIR MOVIES | COMICS | SCI-FI MOVIES | SIDEKICKS | CARTOONS | TV DEATHS | COUNTRY | PROTO-PUNK | METAL | & more enthusiasms!