Otto (Emilio Estevez) is having a bad day. No, make that a very bad day. He loses his job as a grocery store clerk and his girlfriend, and just when he thinks his life can’t get any worse, he runs into a repo man named Bud (Harry Dean Stanton). With nothing to lose, Otto accompanies Bud on a job, and finds himself a member of an elite group of men. Eccentric is more like it. After taking the Repo Man’s code, Otto finds himself out on the street, hunting down cars.

High on everyone’s list is a 1964 Chevy Malibu that comes with a $20,000 bounty. The elusive car is worthless. It’s what is in the trunk that is priceless. It’s also very deadly. Whoever comes into contact with it vaporizes. Most men would hesitate. For the Repo Men, it’s just more of a challenge.

Welcome to writer-director Alex Cox’s film “Repo Man,” a 1984 off-beat little film that has gone on to cult status. With it’s raging punk soundtrack and cast of quirky characters, “Repo Man” is a surprise from its first frame to its last. Even when you begin to expect the unexpected, Cox stays one step ahead of you.

The dialogue is sharp and well defined, providing the cast with plenty to say and do. You follow these characters because you want to know where they’re headed. The detours Cox places in front of his characters only make the film more interesting. Cox combines so many genres together that he creates his own. He also lines the mean streets with interesting characters who do their best to stop Otto and his friends from collecting on the car.

When it comes to what is in the trunk, Cox takes his cue from Alfred Hitchcock. We’re not supposed to know what is in the trunk because it’s not important. It’s the McGuffin, a piece of information used to keep us at a distance. Quentin Tarantino borrowed the gimmick for “Pulp Fiction.”

The actors are more than serviceable, they actually go along for the ride. Emilio Estevez is perfect as Otto, a young man looking for meaning in his life and finding it on the road behind a wheel. Harry Dean Stanton plays the old guard with a knowing presence. You feel like this man has been doing this for a long time. His words of wisdom are spoken with honesty.

“Repo Man” wasn’t a big hit in theaters, but has found an audience in ancillary markets like cable and video. Now available on DVD, “Repo Man” lives on as a testament to a time that allowed directors like Cox to experiment with and tweak convention. It’s no surprise that the film was produced by Michael Nesmith, the former Monkee who revolutionized long-form video. It takes someone with vision to allow Cox (who directed the insanely dramatic “Sid & Nancy”) to fulfill his vision without compromise.

COMPLETE CHECK-UP

VISION: 20/20

1.85:1 Widescreen

16:9 Enhanced

Excellent digital transfer perfectly captures the neo-punk look of the film without any sacrifices. The colors are absolutely vibrant and live, while the images are sharp and vivid. Flesh tones are positively lifelike, and blacks are so strong they absorb light. Just kidding. The original negative is as clean as they come, providing for pure whites and shadows. Color pallette is especially effective, with no bleeding or over saturation. Depth of field is also amazing, with nice attention to detail. Absolutely no compression artifacts. Nice job Anchor Bay.

HEARING: Excellent

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround

Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Pick the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround soundtrack for a real treat. Jump in, tighten your seatbelt, and prepare for your sound system to take you for a ride. The sound stages are all represented, and each one contains definitive data. The front sound stage is alive with stereo effects and a dialogue mix that is strong. Basses are powerful but not overwhelming, while middle and high ends are so clean they purr. Stereo splits are great, including the front to rear spatial separation that puts you right in the middle of the car chases. Ambient noise is especially effective, creating the illusion of time and space. Rear speakers kick in with unforgiving musical cues and stereo effects. Overall, the track is expressive and well defined.

ORAL: Good

Closed captions in English for the hard of hearing

COORDINATION: Good

Full-length audio commentary featuring director Alex Cox, producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and cast members Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss and Del Zamora. Kind of like a class reunion for the bad boys and girls of cinema. Cox is a real character, even if time has mellowed him some. It’s nice to have Nesmith along for the ride, plus several members of the cast who help Cox relate the trials and tribulations of making an independent film like “Repo Man” on the cheap. the conversation is lively and constant, with lots of good natured ribbing and remembrances.

The film’s original theatrical trailer, plus a special video trailer

Cast & Crew bios and filmographies

Special Easter Egg that takes you to the “Repo Man” Code

Animated main and scene access menus

PROGNOSIS: Excellent

There’s nothing wrong with this DVD. It’s alive and should live a long and happy life in your collection.

VITALS: $29.98/Rated R/92 Minutes/Color/20 Chapter Stops/Keepcase

ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen

PATIENT: REPO MAN

BIRTH DATE: 1984

HMO: Anchor Bay Entertainment

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 14th, 2001 at 5:51 am and is filed under Film Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.