Never Trust a Surgeon

Having posted one rather self-indulgent update about my favourite computer game of the last two years, I'm now going to do one about my favourite film - possibly of all time - apart from Se7en, Fight Club, Animalypmics and the Land Before Time (the first one, not the subsequent ones). This film is Repo! The Genetic Opera, and I'm going to tell you why it is so fantastic.

Repo! is little heard of cult classic. It arrives in your lap purely by morbid curiousity and word of mouth, or word of internet generally. It stars Anthony Steward Head as the titular Repoman, Alexa Vega as his sick daughter, Terrance Zdunich as the narrative 'Graverobber', Paul Sorvino as the evil mafia-style baddie, and inspired choices such as Sarah Brightman playing an opera singer and Paris Hilton playing a rich, spoilt, talentless prostitue and drug addict. Interested?

Repo! The Genetic Opera, is a muscial. Or possibly an Opera, depending on who you ask, although the infrequent talking and use of cartoons mark it less as The Marriage of Figaro and a little bit (only vaugely, mind) like the Sound of Music with bucketloads of gore. Now I don't want to tell you much more. Its one of those things you're just going to have to watch.

Set in a dystopian future, humanity has suffered massive organ failure and a fabulously evil bio-tech company called 'Geneco' has come to the rescue selling organs with payment plans. Unfortunately, much like owning that car you can't afford, if you don't make the payments Geneco dispatches one of its legal assassins to find you, and well, cut out your spleen or something. The story focus' on Nathan Wallace (Head, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a Geneco employee, his alternative persona, the Repoman, and his relationship with his daughter - Shilo (Alexa, Spy Kids). Set against this is Rotti (Sorvino, Goodfellas), and his despicable and insane children Luigi (Bill Moseley, Devil's Rejects), Pavi (Ogre, Skinny Puppy), and Amber (Hilton, 1 Night in Paris).

Unravelling through the film is the past relationship between Nathan and his deceased wife, Marni - friend of Mag (Brightman) and former lover Rotti. The plot unfolds in a dark and fantastically twisted manner with an ending that would make Shakespeare beam with pride if he wasn't busy vomiting noisly when someone's face falls off. Head is fantastic as the tortured Nathan with an evil split-personality, and having a fantastic singing voice, and Sorvino may as well have been born into the role of evil mafia-style Geneco owner, probably as a result of his role in Goodfellas. Brightman, obviously, does her role as a refined, beautiful and tragic opera singer very well while Zdunich narrates the twisting and changing plot with a style and enthusiasm that you can expect from the guy who co-wrote it with Darren Smith. The other cast all perform their roles well, and a special mention must go to Hilton, who I had previously viewed as being a complete fleshwaste. Her portrayal of a shallow, spoilt, drug atticted, sex-crazed, rich heiress is very believable. Although the small dog is absent from her side.

Repo! is one of those films that you really have to watch. It is a masterpiece of little fame, and much better than the Jude Law spinoff (Repomen) which more than vaugely resembles the premise of Repo! only done badly. And with Jude Law. I'll finish with a favourite teaser of mine, which doesn't even come close to summarizing the awesomeness Repo! The Genetic Opera, but still.

"Why are they doing this?"
"The man on the left is insane. The man on the right is wearing someone else's face."