Repo! The Genetic Opera
Encyclopedia
Repo! The Genetic Opera is a 2008 horror
-rock opera
musical film
directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
. The film is based on a play written and composed by Darren Smith
and Terrance Zdunich
.
The film opened in a very limited release
on November 7, 2008, on seven screens in Pasadena
, Chicago, Mobile
, Charlotte
, Kansas City
, Toronto and Ottawa.
The film took in an average of $3,250 per screen on its opening day. A 22-track soundtrack was released online on September 30, 2008, with an extended version containing 38 tracks released almost exclusively for download on February 20, 2009. The DVD and Blu-ray were released January 20, 2009.
To coincide with the film's release, Bousman, Smith and Zdunich, as well as various cast members, did a tour version of the film. Principal cast and crew also did extensive Q&A sessions following each screening. Because of strong ticket sales, a second and third touring session were added, in addition to a British tour across four locations. A Repo! Road Show was announced on January 28 in 10 cities. This show was similar to the Repo! Road Tour, except it was almost completely fan-run.
The president of GeneCo, Rottissimo "Rotti" Largo (Paul Sorvino
), is dying. Meanwhile, Shilo Wallace (Alexa Vega
), a 17 year-old, believes she inherited a rare blood disease from her deceased mother. She visits her mother's tomb and runs into GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich
), who is digging up bodies. They flee from GenCops and enter a massive graveyard. After passing out, Shilo wakes up to find her overprotective father, Nathan Wallace (Anthony Head
), watching her. He has kept her locked away for 17 years, supposedly because of her disease. Shilo is bitter towards her mother, Marni (Sarah Power), for giving her the genetic disease. Nathan prepares for work as the head Repo Man for GeneCo. Previously a surgeon, Nathan was forced by Rotti into becoming a Repo Man. Marni had left Rotti for Nathan, so Rotti killed Marni and convinced Nathan that he was responsible for her death. Rotti promised to keep it secret if Nathan went to work for GeneCo.
Rotti's children, Luigi (Bill Moseley
), Pavi (Nivek Ogre
) and Carmela "Amber Sweet" Largo (Paris Hilton
), meet at a GeneCo warehouse. Luigi and Pavi bicker over who will inherit GeneCo. Nathan, meanwhile, repossesses an intestine. The two siblings irritate Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman
), a famous pop-opera singer who works for GeneCo. Amber joins in and taunts Mag about being her replacement. Rotti then introduces Mag to Shilo, who Mag thought had died at birth.
Nathan, while repossessing a spine, calls Shilo, who is under guard by Rotti's henchgirls. GraveRobber then helps Shilo escape. Rotti announces that Blind Mag will be performing her final song. GraveRobber explains Zydrate, which is harvested from the brains of corpses. Those who are addicted to surgery, including Amber, need Zydrate to ease the pain. Amber arrives and gets a shot of the drug, explaining that she will be replacing Blind Mag after Mag's eyes are repossessed after her final song. GenCops arrive and everyone scrambles to escape, except for Amber and her two valets, who hold her up as she passes out. Nathan delivers the repossessed spine to Rotti, who gives Nathan his next target: Blind Mag. However, Nathan refuses. Rotti, Pavi and Luigi follow Nathan as he kills another victim, trying to guilt Nathan into repossessing Blind Mag's eyes.
Later, Rotti sends his henchgirls with Blind Mag to Shilo's house. Mag reveals that she is Shilo's godmother and that she and Marni were good friends, prior to Marni's death. Blind Mag tries to convince Shilo to come to the Genetic Opera, while also warning Shilo to be careful with GeneCo. Nathan arrives and kicks Mag out after she scolds him for keeping Shilo from her. After Shilo says that Repo Men will take Mag's eyes, Nathan insists there are no such people. When she resists, he asks what a 17 year old could possibly do.
Back at GeneCo, Amber complains to Rotti that her latest surgery ruined her face. Rotti told her not to get so many surgeries, but he eventually says that he will take care of it. After she leaves, Rotti signs his will, which shows Shilo as his sole benefactor. Nathan finds the GenCops searching his basement. They are there to find the "rogue Repo Man". Nathan finds Shilo left and the GenCops stole Marni's body. The next scene shows Nathan, Shilo, Mag, Amber Sweet, GraveRobber, Rotti, Luigi and Pavi getting ready for the Genetic Opera.
Everyone arrives at the Opera, where the performance begins. Amber takes the stage for her premier, but her solo is cut short when she trips and her face falls off. Mag sings her final song, ending it with a final act of defiance by gouging out her eyes, stating that she'd rather be blind. Rotti cuts the cords suspending Mag, dropping and impaling her on a fence. Rotti insists that Mag's death is part of the performance and convinces the audience to stay by saying that he will cure Shilo's illness.
Shilo attacks Nathan in his Repo Man gear, hitting him in the head with a shovel. She then realizes that the Repo Man is her father. Rotti then reveals that Nathan has been making Shilo sick by giving her poison. Nathan explains that he was trying to protect her from the terrible world. Rotti tells Shilo that if she kills her father, she will inherit GeneCo. When she refuses, Rotti uses the last of his strength to shoot Nathan. Rotti then dies on-stage from his disease. Shilo and Nathan say goodbye before Nathan dies. Shilo leaves, free from her genetic destiny.
The following day, GraveRobber reads about the events at the Opera the previous night and reveals that Shilo has disappeared, leaving GeneCo with no legal heir. Smiling, he tells the audience the company could still survive with a little 'surgery'.
Joan Jett
appears as a guitarist and Melora Creager
of Rasputina
plays cello on the soundtrack. A 7-track demo CD, dubbed the "Pre-Surgery Sampler", was released on July 24, 2008. A 22-track soundtrack was released on September 30. Songs do not appear in the same sequence on the CD as they do in the film. On February 20, 2009, an extended edition of the soundtrack was released online. The "Deluxe Edition" contains 38 tracks and the song "Zydrate Anatomy" was re-cut and used in its film version for this edition.
In the film, the following songs are performed: (* = instrumental)
had a friend who was going through bankruptcy
and whose possessions were going into foreclosure. Inspired by this, Smith came up with the idea of a future where not only your property could be repossessed, but also your body parts. Smith and Terrance Zdunich
collaborated ideas and plot lines to create "The Necromerchant's Debt".
The first version of Repo! was The Necromerchant's Debt, which told the story of a graverobber in debt to a Repo Organ Man. It was first performed at the John Raitt
theater. After being such a success, creators Smith and Zdunich expanded on the universe to create all of the storylines that became Repo! The Genetic Opera.
Many changes were made, gradually, to the characters and music. For example, Rotti, in the earliest performances, was not the father to Luigi, Pavi, and Amber. Instead, he was a younger brother to Luigi and Pavi, while Amber was Luigi's daughter.
Lyrics were adjusted to new arcs, and some songs were dropped altogether, for example, "But This Is Opera!", which was cut out in an effort to change the direction of Blind Mag's character. After years of being performed as a stage play, Repo! was adapted into a 10-minute short film directed and financed by Darren Lynn Bousman
to pitch the idea to film companies. The film starred Shawnee Smith
(Amanda Young
in the Saw films) as Amber Sweet (then named "Heather Sweet"), Michael Rooker
(Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
) as the Repo Man, Kristen Fairlie as Shilo Wallace, Terrance Zdunich
as GraveRobber, and J. Larose
as Pavi Largo.
Once Repo! was picked up by Lionsgate, shooting began on September 2007 in Canada. The film was scheduled to be released on April 25, 2008, but was pushed back to November 7. X Japan
member Yoshiki Hayashi produced the soundtrack, along with composing one extra track for the film. He also serves as one of the film's producers. Paul Masse was the cast's vocal coach for the film's soundtrack.
A "Repo! Road Tour" was later set up for one-night screenings of the film in seven different cities across the United States and was so successful that it was followed by a second and later third Repo Road Tour all of which were attended by a member of the cast. A UK road tour later went on in March.
in the United States and Canada on November 7, 2008. It had a further limited Canadian release, playing in Toronto
from November 21 to November 27, 2008. It was released in the Czech Republic
on November 20, 2008, this was followed by a theatrical release in Spain
on January 2, 2009. In December 2008, several more US theatrical screenings were announced running between 13–24 January 2009 in several cities The Repo! Road Tour made its 4th and final leg (thus far) in Europe from March 7–12, 2009.
Even after the initial theatrical release and DVD sales, fan support has caused Repo! The Genetic Opera to be played in select theaters for the duration of 2009 and well into 2011, some with "shadowcasts" in which a group of actors and performers re-enact the film in front of the big screen while the film is playing on stage. It was re-released in a special screening at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Reviews of Repo! appearing in major news outlets like The New York Times
and The Los Angeles Times were all extremely negative.
The film review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes
reports generally negative reviews, with only 33% of reviews being positive. The consensus of the film given is: "Bombastic and intentionally gross, Repo! The Genetic Opera has a unique style, but lacks the wit and substance to be involving."
Horror.com called it "a spirited, absorbing, astounding, thought provoking futuristic fulsome fable". Bloody Disgusting
website wrote that it was "fresh, unique and exciting…remarkable". This was followed by horror network FEARnet
who branded it "an instant cult classic" and "absolutely mind-blowing on a visionary level" according to Canada's Horror-movies.ca.
Even before its release, Repo! had gained a cult film
following.
Hilton's performance as Amber won her the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. This was despite her performance being praised as "subtle" by some critics, with director Darren Lynn Bousman himself describing Hilton as "pitch-perfect" and "awesome". At the same time, Hilton won the Worst Actress for The Hottie and the Nottie
.
and Blu-ray
in the US. In Canada, the DVD was released on January 20, 2009 and the Blu-ray was released February 10, 2009. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on March 9, 2009. It was released in Ireland on March 6, 2009. The DVD was released in Germany on April 14.
The US DVD release contains two audio commentaries
(one by Bousman and actors Vega, Moseley, and Ogre; the other by Bousman, creators Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, and music producer Joseph Bishara), two featurette
s (From Stage to Screen and Legal Assassin - A Repo Man), and the theatrical trailer
.
The Blu-ray contains all the DVD features including a select scene audio commentary by the director and Paris Hilton, 2 more featurettes (Zydrate Anatomy - Amber Sweet: Addicted to the Knife and Chase the Morning - Blind Mag: The Voice of GeneCo), a video sing-along with bouncing heart, four deleted scene
s (Needle Through a Bug, Buon Girono, Extended Version of Shilo and Graverobber Escape and Come Up and Try My New Parts), and the theatrical trailer.
and iTunes
.
, Alexa Vega
has been quoted as saying: "From the very, very beginning, we always talked about a prequel or a sequel to this film. And it's hard, because as of right now, we all want to do it, but, you know, it didn't really do as we hoped. We didn't really have a lot of support. But we're hoping that the fans will come back, and it will be an underground cult classic that will grow, and that will eventually spark us to do another."
Bousman has also indicated interest, stating; "I would love to follow up Repo and finish the story, because it was conceived as a three-part movie. But this movie is all about support from the internet, and support from fans. This is not a movie where you'll see billboards or bus stop ads or trailers on TV."
It is also expected that Hilton would return in her role as Amber Sweet.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
. The film is based on a play written and composed by Darren Smith
Darren Smith (actor)
Darren Smith is an American actor, writer, composer, and producer.- Career :He, with Terrance Zdunich, composed and wrote both the short film and theatrical film Repo! The Genetic Opera. Smith also had a minor role in the film.-External links:...
and Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
.
The film opened in a very limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
on November 7, 2008, on seven screens in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, Chicago, Mobile
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Toronto and Ottawa.
The film took in an average of $3,250 per screen on its opening day. A 22-track soundtrack was released online on September 30, 2008, with an extended version containing 38 tracks released almost exclusively for download on February 20, 2009. The DVD and Blu-ray were released January 20, 2009.
To coincide with the film's release, Bousman, Smith and Zdunich, as well as various cast members, did a tour version of the film. Principal cast and crew also did extensive Q&A sessions following each screening. Because of strong ticket sales, a second and third touring session were added, in addition to a British tour across four locations. A Repo! Road Show was announced on January 28 in 10 cities. This show was similar to the Repo! Road Tour, except it was almost completely fan-run.
Plot
Comic style panels explain how an epidemic of organ failures devastates mankind in the future. The multi-billion dollar biotech company GeneCo emerged as a result. It provided for-profit organ transplantation, in addition to financing options. GeneCo was able to even repossess defaulted organs. Clients who were behind on payments feared the "organ repo men", contracted by GeneCo to recover GeneCo's property by any means necessary.The president of GeneCo, Rottissimo "Rotti" Largo (Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
), is dying. Meanwhile, Shilo Wallace (Alexa Vega
Alexa Vega
Alexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
), a 17 year-old, believes she inherited a rare blood disease from her deceased mother. She visits her mother's tomb and runs into GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
), who is digging up bodies. They flee from GenCops and enter a massive graveyard. After passing out, Shilo wakes up to find her overprotective father, Nathan Wallace (Anthony Head
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
), watching her. He has kept her locked away for 17 years, supposedly because of her disease. Shilo is bitter towards her mother, Marni (Sarah Power), for giving her the genetic disease. Nathan prepares for work as the head Repo Man for GeneCo. Previously a surgeon, Nathan was forced by Rotti into becoming a Repo Man. Marni had left Rotti for Nathan, so Rotti killed Marni and convinced Nathan that he was responsible for her death. Rotti promised to keep it secret if Nathan went to work for GeneCo.
Rotti's children, Luigi (Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley
William "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
), Pavi (Nivek Ogre
Nivek Ogre
Nivek Ogre is a Canadian musician, performance artist and actor best known as a founding member of the industrial band Skinny Puppy. Since that band featured another Kevin and was produced by another Ogilvie Nivek Ogre (born Kevin Graham Ogilvie December 5, 1962) is a Canadian musician,...
) and Carmela "Amber Sweet" Largo (Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
), meet at a GeneCo warehouse. Luigi and Pavi bicker over who will inherit GeneCo. Nathan, meanwhile, repossesses an intestine. The two siblings irritate Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
), a famous pop-opera singer who works for GeneCo. Amber joins in and taunts Mag about being her replacement. Rotti then introduces Mag to Shilo, who Mag thought had died at birth.
Nathan, while repossessing a spine, calls Shilo, who is under guard by Rotti's henchgirls. GraveRobber then helps Shilo escape. Rotti announces that Blind Mag will be performing her final song. GraveRobber explains Zydrate, which is harvested from the brains of corpses. Those who are addicted to surgery, including Amber, need Zydrate to ease the pain. Amber arrives and gets a shot of the drug, explaining that she will be replacing Blind Mag after Mag's eyes are repossessed after her final song. GenCops arrive and everyone scrambles to escape, except for Amber and her two valets, who hold her up as she passes out. Nathan delivers the repossessed spine to Rotti, who gives Nathan his next target: Blind Mag. However, Nathan refuses. Rotti, Pavi and Luigi follow Nathan as he kills another victim, trying to guilt Nathan into repossessing Blind Mag's eyes.
Later, Rotti sends his henchgirls with Blind Mag to Shilo's house. Mag reveals that she is Shilo's godmother and that she and Marni were good friends, prior to Marni's death. Blind Mag tries to convince Shilo to come to the Genetic Opera, while also warning Shilo to be careful with GeneCo. Nathan arrives and kicks Mag out after she scolds him for keeping Shilo from her. After Shilo says that Repo Men will take Mag's eyes, Nathan insists there are no such people. When she resists, he asks what a 17 year old could possibly do.
Back at GeneCo, Amber complains to Rotti that her latest surgery ruined her face. Rotti told her not to get so many surgeries, but he eventually says that he will take care of it. After she leaves, Rotti signs his will, which shows Shilo as his sole benefactor. Nathan finds the GenCops searching his basement. They are there to find the "rogue Repo Man". Nathan finds Shilo left and the GenCops stole Marni's body. The next scene shows Nathan, Shilo, Mag, Amber Sweet, GraveRobber, Rotti, Luigi and Pavi getting ready for the Genetic Opera.
Everyone arrives at the Opera, where the performance begins. Amber takes the stage for her premier, but her solo is cut short when she trips and her face falls off. Mag sings her final song, ending it with a final act of defiance by gouging out her eyes, stating that she'd rather be blind. Rotti cuts the cords suspending Mag, dropping and impaling her on a fence. Rotti insists that Mag's death is part of the performance and convinces the audience to stay by saying that he will cure Shilo's illness.
Shilo attacks Nathan in his Repo Man gear, hitting him in the head with a shovel. She then realizes that the Repo Man is her father. Rotti then reveals that Nathan has been making Shilo sick by giving her poison. Nathan explains that he was trying to protect her from the terrible world. Rotti tells Shilo that if she kills her father, she will inherit GeneCo. When she refuses, Rotti uses the last of his strength to shoot Nathan. Rotti then dies on-stage from his disease. Shilo and Nathan say goodbye before Nathan dies. Shilo leaves, free from her genetic destiny.
The following day, GraveRobber reads about the events at the Opera the previous night and reveals that Shilo has disappeared, leaving GeneCo with no legal heir. Smiling, he tells the audience the company could still survive with a little 'surgery'.
Cast
- Alexa VegaAlexa VegaAlexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
as Shilo Wallace - Paul SorvinoPaul SorvinoPaul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
as Rottissimo "Rotti" Largo - Anthony HeadAnthony HeadAnthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
as Nathan Wallace - Sarah BrightmanSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
as Magdalene "Blind Mag" Defoe - Paris HiltonParis HiltonParis Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
as Carmela Largo/Amber Sweet - Bill MoseleyBill MoseleyWilliam "Bill" Moseley is an American film actor and musician who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films, including House of 1000 Corpses, Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil's Rejects. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as Chop Top...
as Luigi Largo - Nivek OgreNivek OgreNivek Ogre is a Canadian musician, performance artist and actor best known as a founding member of the industrial band Skinny Puppy. Since that band featured another Kevin and was produced by another Ogilvie Nivek Ogre (born Kevin Graham Ogilvie December 5, 1962) is a Canadian musician,...
as Paviche "Pavi" Largo - Terrance ZdunichTerrance ZdunichTerrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
as GraveRobber - J. LaroseJ. LaroseJ. Adam Larose, who uses the professional name J. LaRose, is an American actor.He has worked with Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the films in the Saw series, on five projects; Identity Lost, Butterfly Dreams, Saw III, Repo! The Genetic Opera, and the Fear Itself episode "New Year's Day"...
as Vanity & Vain news reporter - Darren SmithDarren Smith (actor)Darren Smith is an American actor, writer, composer, and producer.- Career :He, with Terrance Zdunich, composed and wrote both the short film and theatrical film Repo! The Genetic Opera. Smith also had a minor role in the film.-External links:...
as Band leader - Sarah Power as Marni Wallace
- Joan JettJoan JettJoan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
(cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) as Guitarist
Musical numbers
Repo! The Genetic Opera holds the record for the most songs ever composed into one film, with a total of 64. This is the official list of all the songs in the film. Some were cut from the final edit of the film.Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
appears as a guitarist and Melora Creager
Melora Creager
Melora Creager, formerly Melora Mather, is an American cellist and singer-songwriter best known for her role as lead singer and chief composer of the cello rock trio Rasputina....
of Rasputina
Rasputina
Rasputina is a cello-driven band based in New York that is renowned for their unconventional and quirky music style as well as their fascination with historical allegories and fashion, especially those pertaining to the Victorian era....
plays cello on the soundtrack. A 7-track demo CD, dubbed the "Pre-Surgery Sampler", was released on July 24, 2008. A 22-track soundtrack was released on September 30. Songs do not appear in the same sequence on the CD as they do in the film. On February 20, 2009, an extended edition of the soundtrack was released online. The "Deluxe Edition" contains 38 tracks and the song "Zydrate Anatomy" was re-cut and used in its film version for this edition.
In the film, the following songs are performed: (
- "Depraved Heart Murder at Sanitarium Square"*
- "Genetic Repo Man" - GraveRobber
- "Crucifixus"*
- "The Prognosis"*
- "Things You See in a Graveyard (Part 1)" - Rotti
- "21st Century Cure" - GraveRobber and Shilo
- "Shilo Wakes" - Nathan and Shilo
- "Infected" - Shilo
- "Nathan's Story"*
- "Legal Assassin" - Nathan and Marni
- "Lungs and Livers" - GeneCo Chorus
- "Mark It Up" - Genterns, Amber, Luigi and Pavi
- "Tao of Mag (Part 1)" - Mag
- "Rotti's Story"*
- "Things You See in a Graveyard (Part 2)" - Rotti
- "Limo Ride" - Rotti and Shilo
- "Thankless Job" - Nathan
- "A Ventriloquist's Mess"*
- "Tao of Mag (Part 2)" - Mag
- "No Organs? No Problemo!" - GeneCo Chorus
- "Largo's Little Helpers" - Child Chorus
- "Genterns" - Genterns and Pavi
- "Luigi, Pavi, Amber Harass Mag" - Luigi, Mag, Amber, Pavi and Rotti
- "Seeing You Stirs Memories (Part 1)" - Rotti
- "Blind Mag's Story"*
- "Seeing You Stirs Memories (Part 2)" - Rotti and Mag
- "My, What Big Scissors You Have" - Shilo
- "Housecall" - Rotti (spoken)
- "Inopportune Telephone Call" - Nathan and Shilo
- "Before the Escape"*
- "GraveRobber and Shilo Escape" - GraveRobber and Shilo
- "Zydrate Support Network" - Rotti
- "Worthy Heirs?"*
- "Zydrate Anatomy" - GraveRobber, Shilo, Amber and Zydrate addicts
- "Disposal Crew" - Disposal crew
- "A Dump Truck Home"*
- "Who Ordered Pizza?" - Luigi, Pavi, Nathan, Rotti and Amber
- "Night Surgeon" - Nathan, Rotti, Henchgirls, Luigi, Pavi and Genterns
- "The Visitor"*
- "Chase the Morning" - Mag, Shilo and Marni
- "Everyone's a Composer" - Mag, Nathan and Shilo
- "Come Back!" - Nathan and Shilo
- "What Chance Has a 17 Year Old Girl" - Nathan and Shilo
- "Seventeen" - Shilo
- "Pre-Happiness"*
- "Happiness is Not a Warm Scalpel" - Amber and Rotti
- "Gold" - Rotti
- "Nathan Discovers Rotti's Plan" - Nathan and Shilo
- "Tonight We Are Betrayed" - Nathan
- "At the Opera Tonight" - Shilo, Mag, Nathan, Amber, GraveRobber, Rotti, Luigi and Pavi
- "Bloodbath!" - GraveRobber
- "Not Your Parents' Opera"*
- "We Started This Op'ra Shit!" - Luigi, Pavi, Rotti and GeneCo Chorus
- "Interrogation Room Challenge" - Rotti
- "Blame Not My Cheeks" - Amber and GeneCo Chorus
- "Chromaggia" - Mag
- "Mag's Fall"*
- "Pièce De Résistance" - Rotti
- "Let the Monster Rise" - Nathan and Shilo
- "A Ten Second Opera"*
- "Sawman's Lament" - Rotti, Luigi, Pavi, Shilo and Nathan
- "The Man Who Made You Sick" - Rotti, Shilo and Nathan
- "Cut the Ties" - Rotti, Luigi, Shilo and Pavi
- "Shilo Turns Against Rotti" - Shilo, Rotti and Nathan
- "The King is Dead" - Rotti (spoken)
- "I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much" - Shilo and Nathan
- "Genetic Emancipation" - Shilo
- "Epitaph" - GraveRobber and Zydrate addicts
- "VUK-R" - Katie Fitzgerald (end credits)
- "Repo Man" - Pavi (end credits)
- "Needle Through a Bug" - GraveRobber and Shilo (deleted scene)
- "Bravi!" - Mag, Luigi, Pavi, Rotti, Amber and Genterns (deleted scene)
- "Aching Hour" - Mag (end credits)
Cut songs
Bits and pieces of some of these songs were used in the film. Most of the songs' scenes were entirely cut (*).- "Crucifixus" - Mag, Ghostly Whispers (used as the screen closes in to GeneCo; instrumental version used in film)
- "Bravi!"* - Mag, Pavi, Luigi, Rotti, Amber (end credits, a commercial that would have been used before "Mark It Up"; heard briefly between "Infected" and Nathan's Story)
- "Tao of Mag" - Mag (a commercial starring Mag that promotes the Genetic Opera; heard briefly between "Mark It Up" and Rotti's Story)
- "Can't Get It Up if the Girl's Breathing?"* - Amber, GraveRobber (Amber telling GraveRobber that there are other ways to pay for Zydrate; would have succeeded "Housecall") (also a deleted scene on the Blu-ray release)
- "Come Up and Try My New Parts"* - Amber (Amber seduces GraveRobber to get out of paying for Zydrate; succeeds "Can't Get It Up") (also a deleted scene on the Blu-ray release)
- "GraveRobber and Shilo Escape" - GraveRobber, Shilo, Amber (GraveRobber and Shilo escape from the Italian festival; alternate version used in film, Amber not included) (also a deleted scene on the Blu-ray release)
- "Buon Giorno"* - Rotti, Pavi, Luigi, Genterns (Genetic Opera greeting; would have come after "We Started This Op'ra Shit!") (also a deleted scene on the Blu-ray release)
- "Rotti's Chapel Sermon"* - Rotti (the scene was reedited to make up "Interrogation Room Challenge"; succeeds "Buon Giorno")
- "Needle Through a Bug"* - GraveRobber, Shilo (deleted scene where Shilo must pass another of Rotti's tests; succeeded "Rotti's Chapel Sermon") and plays entirely during credits (also a deleted scene on the Blu-ray release)
- "Aching Hour"* - Blind Mag (Mag sings about her imminent death during the Renaissance festival; plays entirely during credits)
Production and history
In 1996, Darren SmithDarren Smith (actor)
Darren Smith is an American actor, writer, composer, and producer.- Career :He, with Terrance Zdunich, composed and wrote both the short film and theatrical film Repo! The Genetic Opera. Smith also had a minor role in the film.-External links:...
had a friend who was going through bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and whose possessions were going into foreclosure. Inspired by this, Smith came up with the idea of a future where not only your property could be repossessed, but also your body parts. Smith and Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
collaborated ideas and plot lines to create "The Necromerchant's Debt".
The first version of Repo! was The Necromerchant's Debt, which told the story of a graverobber in debt to a Repo Organ Man. It was first performed at the John Raitt
John Raitt
John Emmett Raitt was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theater.-Early years:...
theater. After being such a success, creators Smith and Zdunich expanded on the universe to create all of the storylines that became Repo! The Genetic Opera.
Many changes were made, gradually, to the characters and music. For example, Rotti, in the earliest performances, was not the father to Luigi, Pavi, and Amber. Instead, he was a younger brother to Luigi and Pavi, while Amber was Luigi's daughter.
Lyrics were adjusted to new arcs, and some songs were dropped altogether, for example, "But This Is Opera!", which was cut out in an effort to change the direction of Blind Mag's character. After years of being performed as a stage play, Repo! was adapted into a 10-minute short film directed and financed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman
Darren Lynn Bousman is an American film director and screenwriter.-Personal life:Bousman was born in Overland Park, Kansas, the son of Nancy and Lynn Bousman. He is a graduate of the Film School at Full Sail University. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park,...
to pitch the idea to film companies. The film starred Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith
Shawnee Smith is an American film and television actress and singer. Smith is best known for her roles as Amanda Young in the Saw films and Linda in the CBS sitcom Becker....
(Amanda Young
Amanda Young
Amanda Young is a fictional character in the Saw film series. She is portrayed by Shawnee Smith. At first a minor character in the original film, her role expanded in the sequels until she became one of the most important characters in the series, being the only character besides Jigsaw himself to...
in the Saw films) as Amber Sweet (then named "Heather Sweet"), Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker
Michael Rooker is an American actor.-Early life:Rooker, who has eight brothers and sisters, was born in Jasper, Alabama and studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, where he moved with his mother and siblings at the age of thirteen, after his parents divorced.-Movie career:He made his...
(Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a 1986 crime horror film directed and co-written by John McNaughton about the random crime spree of a serial killer who seemingly operates with impunity. It stars Michael Rooker as the nomadic killer Henry, Tom Towles as Otis, a prison buddy with whom Henry is...
) as the Repo Man, Kristen Fairlie as Shilo Wallace, Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich
Terrance Zdunich is an American actor, writer, composer, producer, illustrator and storyboard artist. He is most known for his role as Graverobber in the 2008 film Repo! The Genetic Opera.- Early career :...
as GraveRobber, and J. Larose
J. Larose
J. Adam Larose, who uses the professional name J. LaRose, is an American actor.He has worked with Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the films in the Saw series, on five projects; Identity Lost, Butterfly Dreams, Saw III, Repo! The Genetic Opera, and the Fear Itself episode "New Year's Day"...
as Pavi Largo.
Once Repo! was picked up by Lionsgate, shooting began on September 2007 in Canada. The film was scheduled to be released on April 25, 2008, but was pushed back to November 7. X Japan
X Japan
is a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
member Yoshiki Hayashi produced the soundtrack, along with composing one extra track for the film. He also serves as one of the film's producers. Paul Masse was the cast's vocal coach for the film's soundtrack.
Promotion
Due to Lionsgate's lack of promotion, director Bousman and creator Zdunich did much of their own promotion.A "Repo! Road Tour" was later set up for one-night screenings of the film in seven different cities across the United States and was so successful that it was followed by a second and later third Repo Road Tour all of which were attended by a member of the cast. A UK road tour later went on in March.
Release
The film received a limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States and Canada on November 7, 2008. It had a further limited Canadian release, playing in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
from November 21 to November 27, 2008. It was released in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
on November 20, 2008, this was followed by a theatrical release in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on January 2, 2009. In December 2008, several more US theatrical screenings were announced running between 13–24 January 2009 in several cities The Repo! Road Tour made its 4th and final leg (thus far) in Europe from March 7–12, 2009.
Even after the initial theatrical release and DVD sales, fan support has caused Repo! The Genetic Opera to be played in select theaters for the duration of 2009 and well into 2011, some with "shadowcasts" in which a group of actors and performers re-enact the film in front of the big screen while the film is playing on stage. It was re-released in a special screening at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Critical reception
On March 4, 2008, there was a test screening, with many critics and crew in attendance. The reviews written from the screening were all extremely positive. However, the film they saw was not the fully completed version. Some noted that the sound mixing was not finished. The director finished the final touches on the film as of March 31, 2008. The Fantasia Film Festival, held in Montreal, Quebec on July 18, 2008, had the first official fully edited screening of Repo! the Genetic Opera. The show was sold out and the film won the "Fantasia Ground-Breaker Award". The Fantasy Filmfest, held in different towns of Germany (August 2008), showed a very positive review to Repo!.Reviews of Repo! appearing in major news outlets like The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and The Los Angeles Times were all extremely negative.
The film review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports generally negative reviews, with only 33% of reviews being positive. The consensus of the film given is: "Bombastic and intentionally gross, Repo! The Genetic Opera has a unique style, but lacks the wit and substance to be involving."
Horror.com called it "a spirited, absorbing, astounding, thought provoking futuristic fulsome fable". Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
website wrote that it was "fresh, unique and exciting…remarkable". This was followed by horror network FEARnet
FEARnet
Fearnet is a cable channel, website and Video on Demand television service owned by Horror Entertainment LLC, a joint venture between Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment...
who branded it "an instant cult classic" and "absolutely mind-blowing on a visionary level" according to Canada's Horror-movies.ca.
Even before its release, Repo! had gained a cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
following.
Hilton's performance as Amber won her the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress. This was despite her performance being praised as "subtle" by some critics, with director Darren Lynn Bousman himself describing Hilton as "pitch-perfect" and "awesome". At the same time, Hilton won the Worst Actress for The Hottie and the Nottie
The Hottie and the Nottie
The Hottie And The Nottie is a 2008 romantic comedy film starring Paris Hilton, Joel Moore, Christine Lakin, and Greg Wilson. It was written by Heidi Ferrer . The film started shooting in January 2007 and was released February 8, 2008. Its first-day earnings were $9,000, and it went on to earn...
.
Home media
The film was released January 20, 2009 on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in the US. In Canada, the DVD was released on January 20, 2009 and the Blu-ray was released February 10, 2009. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on March 9, 2009. It was released in Ireland on March 6, 2009. The DVD was released in Germany on April 14.
The US DVD release contains two audio commentaries
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
(one by Bousman and actors Vega, Moseley, and Ogre; the other by Bousman, creators Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, and music producer Joseph Bishara), two featurette
Featurette
Featurette is a term used in the American film industry to designate a film whose length is approximately three quarters of a reel, or about 20–44 minutes in running time - thus midway between a short subject and a feature film; thus it is a "small feature"...
s (From Stage to Screen and Legal Assassin - A Repo Man), and the theatrical trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
.
The Blu-ray contains all the DVD features including a select scene audio commentary by the director and Paris Hilton, 2 more featurettes (Zydrate Anatomy - Amber Sweet: Addicted to the Knife and Chase the Morning - Blind Mag: The Voice of GeneCo), a video sing-along with bouncing heart, four deleted scene
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
s (Needle Through a Bug, Buon Girono, Extended Version of Shilo and Graverobber Escape and Come Up and Try My New Parts), and the theatrical trailer.
Soundtrack
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released September 30, 2008 and only available through Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
- "Genetic Repo Man" - GraveRobber, Chorus
- "Crucifixus" - Mag, Ghostly Chorus
- "Things You See in a Graveyard" - Rotti, Mourners
- "Infected" - Shilo
- "Legal Assassin" - Nathan, Marni, Ghostly Whispers
- "Bravi!" - Mag, Luigi, Pavi, Rotti, Amber
- "21st Century Cure" - GraveRobber
- "Mark It Up" - Amber, Luigi, Pavi, Genterns
- "Can't Get It Up If the Girl's Breathing?" - Amber, Eunuch valets, GraveRobber
- "Zydrate Anatomy" - GraveRobber, Shilo, Amber, Zydrate Support Group, Genterns
- "Thankless Job" - Nathan
- "Chase the Morning" - Mag, Shilo, Marni
- "Seventeen" - Shilo, Chorus
- "Gold" - Rotti
- "Night Surgeon" - Nathan, Rotti, Henchgirls, Luigi, Pavi, Genterns
- "At the Opera Tonight" - Shilo, Mag, Nathan, Amber, GraveRobber, Rotti, Luigi, Pavi, Chorus
- "We Started This Op'ra Shit!" - Band Leader, Genterns, Luigi, Pavi, Single Mother, Rotti, Opera Audience, GeneCo Chorus
- "Needle Through a Bug" - GraveRobber, Shilo, Chorus
- "Chromaggia" - Mag
- "Let the Monster Rise" - Nathan, Shilo
- "I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much" - Shilo, Nathan
- "Genetic Emancipation" - Shilo, Chorus
Possible sequel
In regards to the possibility of a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Alexa Vega
Alexa Vega
Alexa Ellesse Vega is an American actress, singer and pianist. She is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids film series and Shilo Wallace in the movie Repo! the Genetic Opera. In 2009, she starred as the title character Ruby Gallagher in the ABC Family series Ruby & The...
has been quoted as saying: "From the very, very beginning, we always talked about a prequel or a sequel to this film. And it's hard, because as of right now, we all want to do it, but, you know, it didn't really do as we hoped. We didn't really have a lot of support. But we're hoping that the fans will come back, and it will be an underground cult classic that will grow, and that will eventually spark us to do another."
Bousman has also indicated interest, stating; "I would love to follow up Repo and finish the story, because it was conceived as a three-part movie. But this movie is all about support from the internet, and support from fans. This is not a movie where you'll see billboards or bus stop ads or trailers on TV."
It is also expected that Hilton would return in her role as Amber Sweet.