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Repo Man (1984)

 -  Comedy | Crime | Sci-Fi  -  2 March 1984 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 17,732 users   Metascore: 75/100
Reviews: 136 user | 112 critic | 11 from Metacritic.com

Young punk Otto becomes a repo man after helping to steal a car, and stumbles into a world of wackiness as a result.

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Title: Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man (1984) on IMDb 6.8/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Bud
...
...
...
Leila
...
Lite
Susan Barnes ...
Fox Harris ...
J. Frank Parnell
...
Oly
...
Lagarto
...
Napo
Zander Schloss ...
Kevin
Jennifer Balgobin ...
Debbi
Dick Rude ...
Duke
...
Archie (as Michael Sandoval)
...
Marlene
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Storyline

Frustrated punk rocker Otto quits his supermarket job after slugging a co-worker, and is later dumped by his girlfriend at a party. Wandering the streets in frustration, he is recruited in the repossession of a car by a repo agent. After discovering his parents have donated his college fund to a televangelist, he joins the repossession agency (Helping Hand Acceptance Corporation) as an apprentice "repo man". During his training, he is introduced into the mercenary and paranoid world of the drivers, befriended by a UFO conspiracy theorist, confronted by rival repo agents, discovers some of his one-time friends have turned to a life of crime, is lectured to near cosmic unconsciousness by the repo agency grounds worker, and finds himself entangled in a web of intrigue concerning a huge repossession bounty on a 1964 Chevy Malibu driven by a lunatic government scientist, with Top Secret cargo in the trunk. Written by Baroque <gopher_baroque@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

repossession | punk | ufo | urban | police | See more »

Taglines:

Meet Otto. He's a clean-cut kid in a dirty business. He's a Repo Man. He steals cars legally. Now, he's out to repossess a '64 Chevy Malibu...with an amazing reward of $20,000. But Otto is not alone. There are others who want the car and will do anything to get it. The risks are great, because hidden in the trunk is something so incredible it could destroy them all. We'll give you a hint... it glows in the dark. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Sci-Fi

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

2 March 1984 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

El reclamador  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Lite and Otto are working together, they break every rule of Bud's "repo code." See more »

Goofs

In the scene where Otto walks into the Repo Yard for the first time after following Bud in - you will notice that the Open/Closed sign changes back and forth during the scene (indicative of multiple shoots). See more »

Quotes

Lagarto Rodriguez: Hermanos Rodriguez do not approve of drugs.
Marlene: Neither do I, but it's my birthday.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Credits scroll down instead of up See more »

Connections

Referenced in S1m0ne (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

"When the Shit Hits the Fan"
Performed by The Circle Jerks
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
One for the first of the crapped-on generations...
15 June 2004 | by (Southern Hemisphere) – See all my reviews

Those who were unlucky enough to reach adulthood during the 1980s or 1990s will relate most to this film. Like all the best films, it sets no specific genre for itself, instead preferring to tell a story and leaving the audience to respond in its own way. Many don't get this film as a result, and a lot of the sight gags require an understanding of 1980s commercialism. The reward for getting it, on the other hand, is one of the trippiest films ever committed to celluloid.

Director Alex Cox uses his connections to, or perhaps that should be knowledge of, the American punk scene to full effect here. The soundtrack is unlike anything heard in films of the same period, with numerous standout tunes that demand just as much attention as the on screen action. With lyrical snatches like "let's all leech off the state, gee, money's really great!", every moment in the film, musical or otherwise, is a commentary on the plight of Otto's generation, and generations since.

Aside from the cameos from numerous musicians that you can connect to more famous figures in a Kevin Bacon sort of manner (Chuck Biscuits would later drum for Danzig), the film is very well-known for containing some figures who were either famous at the time, or would become famous in subsequent years. The obvious example is Emilio Estevez, but cast members like Harry Dean Stanton or Sy Richardson will also give off a spark of recognition. A lot of the film becomes a game of "where have I seen that guy before?". Not only that, but at least half of the lines are inherently quotable.

If there is one flaw in the film, I can't think of it. The rain of ice cubes is a bit poorly realised, but that just adds to the film's effect. One notable writer has been quoted as saying "learn to see the worst films, sometimes they are sublime". Repo Man is sublime, but is also one of the best, for a number of reasons. Instead of using the money hose to wash away its creative problems, it revels in its inherent stupidity or weirdness. Where else can you see a woman with a robotic hand made out of tinfoil, and actors working so well around it?

In all, I gave Repo Man a 10 out of 10. If you're into weirdness, this is the Holy Grail. Those who enjoyed films like This Is Spinal Tap or Rebel High, ponder no further - get this film on DVD-Video *now*.


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Coming to Criterion! eskenazi
What happened to Bud? chrisrobins2000
this film is so good it depresses me : ( midnight_cinephile
Emilio Estevez in feud with director Alex Cox over Repo Man comments velveteenhabit-1
Did anyone else hate this movie as much as I did? sakurabubbles666
Repo wives GMEllis625
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