WARNING: CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
Hey readers! We're now in the month of October,
which means Halloween is approaching, so I thought I'd start the
season off with a review of a film with scenes that could turn your
insides out! And if the concept of this film ever becomes a reality-
that could well be the case!
Two weeks ago I decided I'd finally get round to
watching 'Repo! The Genetic Opera'. For those of you that don't know,
it's a musical set in the not-too-distant future, where organ failure
became an epidemic & a company called GeneCo was started to
comcat this, offering organ transplants under a payment plan, both
for those in need & those wanting “genetic perfection”.
However, those that fail to repay for their surgery have their organs
repossessed by the Repoman. The story itself follows 17 year old
Shilo Wallace, who's (supposed to be) kept in the confines of her
bedroom by her over-protective father due to her, apparently,
suffering from a blood disease inherited from her late mother. She
does, however, venture outside, tempted by GeneCo founder Rotti
Largo, who promises her a cure. Outside, she's exposed to the harsh
realities of the world she inhabits, but does she get the cure she's
promised, or is she just a “mighty small drop in a mighty dark
plot”?
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| Shilo Wallace, portrayed by Alexa Vega |
Initially, I had mixed feelings about this film.
After I first watched it, I felt I'd enjoyed it but it wasn't as good
as I'd hoped. Over the next two weeks, it grew on me, trying to write
this up I kept re-watching part of it, & eventually I had more of
the song lyrics getting stuck in my head & I came to realise that
I really did enjoy it!
The plot was good, focussing more on Shilo than
the act of organ repossessing, something that I wasn't aware of until
I watched it. This being the case, it was good to see how it panned
out & I enjoyed seeing how the backstories & plot came
together. What I really liked about the backstories (this, to me,
includes the introduction at the beginning) was the comic book style
in which they were shown, the dark tones complimenting the gothic
style of the live action well. That's another thing I liked, the
gothic theme- certain costumes, such as those for Shilo, Graverobber
& especially Blind Mag, were brilliant. I especially loved Blind
Mag's make up- it looked amazing! Shilo's outfits were great to, a
very simple colour palette of black & white worked well- the
white expressing her innocence & the black reflecting her a
rebellious edge.
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| Graverobber, portrayed by Terrance Zdunich |
Graverobber I'd say was my favourite character,
despite him not being in it very often. Terrance
Zdunich did an excellent job of
playing this charismatic & striking character & I wish he had
been in it more often, rather than just narrating & being
conveniantly helpful to Shilo. What I feel is the best song belongs
mainly to him, which is 'Zydrate Anatomy'. After I first watched the
film, this was the song stuck in my head, & the only one I felt
wasn't a conversation to music. The song is catchy & has some
good hooks it, such as the repetition of certain lines & the
heavy rock guitars. I also liked when this tune was reprised in
'Epilogue'- I have a feeling this is why it got stuck in my head!
Here's the song, absolutely brilliant!
Other songs I enjoyed were '21st
Century Cure'- another by Graverobber, where Zdunich shows off the
deep tones in his voice, which work excellently! 'Chase The Morning'
is another favourite of mine, again, it's another I find catchy, &
I love the tones in Sarah Brightman's voice here. Plus the
harpsichord sound in that song & the whole performance of it is
just brilliant. 'Seventeen' I liked as it deviated away from
everything else & had a good rock & roll feel, & after a
re-listen & having it stuck in my head, I'll add 'I Didn't Know I
Loved You So Much' to my favourites list as well- such a good song
that captures the unconditional love between Shilo & her father.
'Mark It Up' is another that's been stuck in my head, but I wouldn't
call it a favourite.
 |
| Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag during 'Chase The Morning' |
Speaking of songs, this brings me to the point of
things I didn't quite like about the film when I first watched it. As
I mentioned briefly earlier, I felt quite a lot of the songs were
pretty much conversations to music. Some of the rhyming was pretty
poor, &, to steal a phrase from a friend of mine who's also
watched it, cringeworthy. Through some of the songs, I did find
myself sat there thinking “really?” & shaking my head at how
bad some of the lyrics were. This was the main thing that initially
put me off though, everything else I enjoyed!
Before I end this review, I'd just like to add
another couple of things. I would recommend anyone who's into horror,
the gothic style or anything a bit weird give it a watch. It isn't
for the faint hearted, there are scenes which contain blood &
guts & will make you squirm, although the reposessing part isn't
in it as much as I initially expected.
 |
| Rotti Largo, portrayed by Paul Sorvina |
Overall, it is a good film. An original story &
concept, ok some of the songs aren't great but still, it's something
I'd recommend watching at least once. Rating wise, I'd give it a
7/10, as it has grown on me over the past week & really isn't as
cringeworthy as I initially thought it would be.
So if you're considering a night at the opera this
October, why not opt for a cheaper version & nab yourself a copy
of this film? With a plot & characters worth following & a
view into a dystopian future that isn't completely unlikely, I'd say
it's definitely something to add to your watch list this October!
Thanks for reading all, I hope you've enjoyed
tonight's post! :)
NOTE: IMAGES USED ARE NOT MINE & I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THEM
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