Repo Chick
Encyclopedia
Repo Chick is a 2009 comedy film and sequel
to Repo Man, written and directed by Alex Cox
. Like Cox's first feature, it centers on the repossession
trade and a mysterious vehicle with a large reward. It is the second of Cox's "microfeatures," produced for a very low budget and given very little theatrical distribution. It was released on DVD in North America and the United Kingdom in February, 2011.
family. After countless tabloid scandals, her parents disinherit her, and tell her she must find a real job in order to regain her part of the fortune. When her car is repossessed, a member of her entourage suggests she get a job as a repossessor, a booming industry among widespread credit collapse.
She is immediately successful at her new job, to such an extent that the veterans are threatened. Gainfully employed, she tries to reconcile with her family, only to find they have given her part of the inheritance to charity. Out of revenge, she asks co-worker Lola to hack
their credit and leave her family destitute and homeless.
Pixxi notices a wanted poster promising a $1,000,000 reward for the successful return of an antique train. She finds the train as it is departing with several prominent figures on a supposed tour of a proposed energy pipeline. Pixxi talks her way onto the train, and the hosts, intrigued by Pixxi's celebrity stature, oblige.
As the tour proceeds, the hosts reveal themselves to be eco-terrorists. The caboose of the train contains six nuclear bombs left over from the Cold War
, which the terrorists threaten to use to destroy Los Angeles unless the sport of Golf is banned nationwide and all members of the federal government become vegan. Pixxi, at various points, manages to escape for long enough to place calls to her co-workers and members of the military. She is asked to put the train on another track, but cannot from within the train. She calls her co-worker Arizona Gray and asks him to reach the switch. He arrives just in time, but collapses before throwing the lever.
Pixxi's call to Gray is picked up by Rogers, her father's manservant. Rogers, now homeless with Pixxi's family, insists that Pixxi must agree to reconcile with her family before throwing the switch. He does, and the train is redirected to Arizona, where Predator drones are deployed to take the train out. The drones crash as the train enters the tunnel, as Pixxi dupes her captor into freeing her, allowing her to free the other hostages and bring the train to safety.
for $180,000, elected to produce the movie as a "microfeature", below the minimum line governed by the Screen Actors Guild
of $200,000. To accomplish this, he shot almost the entire movie in front of a green screen
on a sound stage in 10 days. Backgrounds, consisting largely of minatures and composites, were added in afterwards to give the film a deliberately artificial look, suggesting the entire movie is set in a scale model world.
Several actors from Repo Man, including Zander Schloss
, Jennifer Balgobin, Del Zamora, and Miguel Sandoval
return in Repo Chick, but in completely different roles. Both films feature plots centering on the repossession of a vehicle with a high reward, which is suspected to contain weapons of mass destruction
, and both are set primarily in and around Los Angeles
. Beyond this, there is very little connection.
Despite this, Universal Pictures threatened Cox with a cease and desist
order, and released the movie Repo Men, which Cox suggested was deliberately retitled to exploit interest in his film and confuse audiences into believing it was a sequel. No litigation has followed on either side.
Sequel
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...
to Repo Man, written and directed by Alex Cox
Alex Cox
Alexander Cox is a British film director, screenwriter, nonfiction author and sometime actor, notable for his idiosyncratic style and approach to scripts...
. Like Cox's first feature, it centers on the repossession
Repossession
Repossession is generally used to refer to a financial institution taking back an object that was either used as collateral or rented or leased in a transaction. Repossession is a "self-help" type of action in which the party having right of ownership of the property in question takes the property...
trade and a mysterious vehicle with a large reward. It is the second of Cox's "microfeatures," produced for a very low budget and given very little theatrical distribution. It was released on DVD in North America and the United Kingdom in February, 2011.
Plot
Pixxi De La Chasse is a spoiled, self-centered celebutante heiress of a wealthy Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
family. After countless tabloid scandals, her parents disinherit her, and tell her she must find a real job in order to regain her part of the fortune. When her car is repossessed, a member of her entourage suggests she get a job as a repossessor, a booming industry among widespread credit collapse.
She is immediately successful at her new job, to such an extent that the veterans are threatened. Gainfully employed, she tries to reconcile with her family, only to find they have given her part of the inheritance to charity. Out of revenge, she asks co-worker Lola to hack
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
their credit and leave her family destitute and homeless.
Pixxi notices a wanted poster promising a $1,000,000 reward for the successful return of an antique train. She finds the train as it is departing with several prominent figures on a supposed tour of a proposed energy pipeline. Pixxi talks her way onto the train, and the hosts, intrigued by Pixxi's celebrity stature, oblige.
As the tour proceeds, the hosts reveal themselves to be eco-terrorists. The caboose of the train contains six nuclear bombs left over from the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, which the terrorists threaten to use to destroy Los Angeles unless the sport of Golf is banned nationwide and all members of the federal government become vegan. Pixxi, at various points, manages to escape for long enough to place calls to her co-workers and members of the military. She is asked to put the train on another track, but cannot from within the train. She calls her co-worker Arizona Gray and asks him to reach the switch. He arrives just in time, but collapses before throwing the lever.
Pixxi's call to Gray is picked up by Rogers, her father's manservant. Rogers, now homeless with Pixxi's family, insists that Pixxi must agree to reconcile with her family before throwing the switch. He does, and the train is redirected to Arizona, where Predator drones are deployed to take the train out. The drones crash as the train enters the tunnel, as Pixxi dupes her captor into freeing her, allowing her to free the other hostages and bring the train to safety.
Production
Originally written with a $7,000,000 budget in mind, Alex Cox, after successfully completing Searchers 2.0Searchers 2.0
Searchers 2.0 is a 2007 road film directed by Alex Cox. It stars Del Zamora and Ed Pansullo. Described by Cox as a "microfeature," it was shot on digital video in 10 days for a budget of $180,000...
for $180,000, elected to produce the movie as a "microfeature", below the minimum line governed by the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
of $200,000. To accomplish this, he shot almost the entire movie in front of a green screen
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
on a sound stage in 10 days. Backgrounds, consisting largely of minatures and composites, were added in afterwards to give the film a deliberately artificial look, suggesting the entire movie is set in a scale model world.
Connection to Repo Man
Although billed as a "non-sequel", Repo Chick has invariably been associated with Cox's earlier cult classic Repo Man. Cox shares the rights to Repo Man with Universal Pictures, such that neither can produce a true sequel without the other's consent. Because of this, all connections are indirect, without referencing any specific characters from the previous movie.Several actors from Repo Man, including Zander Schloss
Zander Schloss
Zander Schloss is a Los Angeles, California based musician, actor and composer. He is perhaps best known as bass player for The Circle Jerks and The Weirdos and for his contributions to a number of independent feature films. His first screen appearance was as "Kevin the Nerd" in Repo Man...
, Jennifer Balgobin, Del Zamora, and Miguel Sandoval
Miguel Sandoval
Miguel Sandoval is an American film and television actor.Sandoval was born in Washington, D.C. He began working as a professional actor in 1975 when he joined a mime school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He later joined the troupe full time and continued his study of mime. He began his film career in...
return in Repo Chick, but in completely different roles. Both films feature plots centering on the repossession of a vehicle with a high reward, which is suspected to contain weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
, and both are set primarily in and around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Beyond this, there is very little connection.
Despite this, Universal Pictures threatened Cox with a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
order, and released the movie Repo Men, which Cox suggested was deliberately retitled to exploit interest in his film and confuse audiences into believing it was a sequel. No litigation has followed on either side.