Repo: The Genetic Laughingstock
Yes, I said it, and I don't care if all those "REPO Armies" come after me for it :P (Then again, they're as real as the Republican teabag parties).
The Repo fans are just about as bad as those mentally insane Twilight fangirls, perhaps even worse. And that really says something. Not only do they try to copy Rocky Horror, they try to copy Blade Runner and even Sweeney Todd. The end result looks like a music video for either an emo rock band, or a tween popstar's attempt to "mature".
The only thing I can give it is that Sarah Brightman made the best of a bad situation. She's just as beautiful both in looks and in voice as she is in her theatrical work. I can see why even the Repo haters go easy on her. I hope she's given far better roles in the future, especially since word has it she was a last minute replacement.
No movie has any right to call itself a cult classic within mere MONTHS of release. And you lose credibility if Paris Hilton is one of your stars. What's even sadder is that she was one of the better things about it. And she was performing at just about the level you expect from her. What's funny is that she was handed the script while she was in jail. Who knew Paris in jail could deliver a negative reaction for society?
The music is just stupid wallowing crap that makes RENT look bearable. (Yes, I said it. RENT sucks too. Sue me.) See, Rocky Horror had good music and a plot that didnt try to go for shock value or adhere to fanboys (Snakes on a Plane, I'm looking at you!). And the talent in RHPS is actually fulfilled, putting one of the cinema's greatest actresses on the map, and launching the careers of some truly gifted and enjoyable stars of the stage and screen.
Of course, the only reason why it hasnt been overstocked to death at the local Hot Topic is because they still gotta clear out all of the Twilight crap. But I've seen more Repo crap there than I wish to ever see again.
And, on a filmmaking note as a film student, this movie is a prime example of how cinema may become less and less realistic over time in terms of settings. It reminded me too much of the 2008 version of Speed Racer, and how its graphics and colors gave me a terrible migraine. It's also very upsetting to see obvious bluescreen settings throughout the entire movie to where I'm not even sure there was one actual set built for it.
I've been given permission by my friend Kevin to post his blog regarding a Repo "shadowcast performance" he went to last week. What he's written can best describe it all.
__________
In other news, Cos and I went with some of TDA (The Denton Affair of Cincinatti, OH) to see Repo at the Esquire on Saturday with a "cast."
Do I write a recap of the evening or not? So many things I gotta say but I don't know if it's worth the time that I do not have.
No one can call us "haters" now---we went into that theatre with an open mind and we sat down to give it a chance. I think I'm gonna send Terry Zadoinko a bill for the 95 minutes of my life that I want back.
I'll admit that I had not sat down and watched the thing from beginning to end in one sitting. I got through about an hour of it over about two weeks. I really want to know how anyone.....ANYONE can look me in the eye and tell me Shock Treatment or Phantom Of The Paradise are shitty movies.
Supposedly when the thing ran at the Esquire last time it sold out twice and people were all over the theatre singing and saying lines and having a great time. I have one question:
Where were those people last Saturday?
I am no longer worried about Repo muscling in on RHPS. If there are really serious Repo fans, where were they to "testify" for their beloved movie? They can only show up when the director is there I guess.
The "cast" consisted of three teenage girls who had a trivia contest before the movie, asking questions even I knew the answers to. The best part was when they mistakenly introduced the contest as a "Rocky Horror" trivia contest.
So, they asked about three questions and gave out 15-cent glowsticks to the oh-so-lucky winners. Then they had a contest where they had people shout out the word "graves"--just like in that stupid song.
That was it. The whole "pre-show".
Then the "cast" apologized for not being able to start the movie right away because they don't know why the "bitch-ass management" didn't start the movie yet. They said a few other nasty things about the Esquire staff but I can't really remember what, I was kinda in shock. What a great way to start your first show as a cast---publicly put down the management. They must have had some training from Jon Rowland.
So when the movie DID start, the "cast" ended up sitting in the front row loudly singing along with the movie. That was their contribution to the giant bucket of shit we had to sit through for the next 95 minutes.
I want to say this one more time for all those Repo dorks who have been giving us shit about not liking the movie: WE TRIED TO GIVE IT A CHANCE.
As soon as the movie started, everyone....and I mean EVERYONE in the theatre was yelling random AP and making fun of the movie. I don't mean they were doing callbacks like at RHPS--it was the total opposite, they were cat-calling and putting the movie down. I know we do that on some level to RHPS, but everyone in the theatre was just shouting out everything they could think of to put the movie down. Apart from the "cast" made up of 5 teenage girls in the front row, it was clear that everyone in the theatre hated the movie.
So, of course we had to chime in with some callbacks. We got quite a few laughs and we weren't even trying. People were walking out on the movie when it was still on the first reel.
That movie is awful. I mentioned this on Rocky Radio and I'll write it here: I really wanted to like the movie. I was sold at Anthony Head. Of course his singing in the movie was REALLY amazing, but the music is pure shit. He could have sang the directions for a microwave and it would have been more entertaining.
I know bad musicals. I LOVE bad musicals. Repo is beyond bad. The music is so crappy and horribly-written that I was figuring out the lyrics before they were even being sung. It was like reading a Dr. Seuss book for the first time, you can kinda figure the text out as you go along. First rule of writing a musical and/or opera: you need one good memorable song. There isn't one song in Repo worth remembering or humming as you're walking out the door. The entire production design of the movie is ripped off of every movie ever made. There wasn't one original element to the whole look and design of the movie. The cast is decent---Tony Head, Bill Moseley, Paul Sorvino? It has one hell of a cast, but they are totally wasted, like watching an old episode of 'The Love Boat'--you can tell the celebrity guest stars are asking themselves "What the fuck am I doing here??!!!??"
Repo is pure shit. It's a great idea that was turned into an awful movie. I know that the film was a back-breaking labor of love for the filmmakers and all that, but I don't like it. I don't know why none of the Repo fans can accept the fact that someone hates their movie. I have dealt with people putting down RHPS my whole life. I'm fine with it...in fact, if everyone loved RHPS & Shocky I'd probably have no interest in it. I *like* the fact that it's not everyones cup of tea. Why is it so important to so many people that Rocky fans just HAVE to love Repo?
Another thing: someone mentioned to me that the Repo fans/casts also cannot stand the movie. They say "it's just like all the Rocky fans who don't really like the movie."
I've said this a million times, but I am NOT one of those fans who hates the movie. I would never spend so much of my time on something I hate. Cosmo and I would never put up thousands of dollars to throw a party centered around something we don't like. That's just dumb. If you go to RHPS and you don't like the movie, that's cool. Some people just dig the social scene and being there. I can live with that, but it's not me. I am NOT gonna go along with this Repo shit just 'cause it's a fun place to hang out. I can go to RHPS for that or I can sit at home and play with my wife or myself if I want a good time.
We gave it a chance and now we hate it even more than we did before. It was worse than we ever thought it would be. I'm ashamed and mad at myself for even going. The only reason we actually sat through the whole thing was because it was kinda like watching a car accident, and also because we were in shock. I cannot imagine how Cos, Aaron and Missy felt sitting in their home theatre and watching that shit.
The Denton Affair has nothing to worry about. There are so many fun things that go on at RHPS at the Esquire apart from the movie. The minute you get there the entire front of the theatre is swarming with audience members hanging out. When you go in there's music and a party atmosphere that is enough to cheer up anyone. The cast is always more than friendly and they go around talking to everyone before the show. The pre-show usually involves not only the virgins but the entire audience. By the time the movie starts, you already feel that your ticket money was well-spent.
Rocky Horror in a theatre/cinema survives on repeat business. If it weren't for people coming back the movie would have died years ago. The Denton Affair's show is one worth going back to. Every time you go you'll see something new.
I cannot think of any reason why anyone would go back to Repo a second time. It's like spending $8 for someone to give you a colonoscopy with garden tools. I ask again, where were the people who sold out the show months ago? If they're such die-hard fans hell-bent on making it the next Rocky Horror, where the hell were they? I guess they think it's only a midnight movie if the director is there.
Even if by some chance the Esquire decides to keep running Repo, they'll end up losing money. I give it maybe two more shows before it dies.
Repo sucks.
The end.
The Repo fans are just about as bad as those mentally insane Twilight fangirls, perhaps even worse. And that really says something. Not only do they try to copy Rocky Horror, they try to copy Blade Runner and even Sweeney Todd. The end result looks like a music video for either an emo rock band, or a tween popstar's attempt to "mature".
The only thing I can give it is that Sarah Brightman made the best of a bad situation. She's just as beautiful both in looks and in voice as she is in her theatrical work. I can see why even the Repo haters go easy on her. I hope she's given far better roles in the future, especially since word has it she was a last minute replacement.
No movie has any right to call itself a cult classic within mere MONTHS of release. And you lose credibility if Paris Hilton is one of your stars. What's even sadder is that she was one of the better things about it. And she was performing at just about the level you expect from her. What's funny is that she was handed the script while she was in jail. Who knew Paris in jail could deliver a negative reaction for society?
The music is just stupid wallowing crap that makes RENT look bearable. (Yes, I said it. RENT sucks too. Sue me.) See, Rocky Horror had good music and a plot that didnt try to go for shock value or adhere to fanboys (Snakes on a Plane, I'm looking at you!). And the talent in RHPS is actually fulfilled, putting one of the cinema's greatest actresses on the map, and launching the careers of some truly gifted and enjoyable stars of the stage and screen.
Of course, the only reason why it hasnt been overstocked to death at the local Hot Topic is because they still gotta clear out all of the Twilight crap. But I've seen more Repo crap there than I wish to ever see again.
And, on a filmmaking note as a film student, this movie is a prime example of how cinema may become less and less realistic over time in terms of settings. It reminded me too much of the 2008 version of Speed Racer, and how its graphics and colors gave me a terrible migraine. It's also very upsetting to see obvious bluescreen settings throughout the entire movie to where I'm not even sure there was one actual set built for it.
I've been given permission by my friend Kevin to post his blog regarding a Repo "shadowcast performance" he went to last week. What he's written can best describe it all.
__________
In other news, Cos and I went with some of TDA (The Denton Affair of Cincinatti, OH) to see Repo at the Esquire on Saturday with a "cast."
Do I write a recap of the evening or not? So many things I gotta say but I don't know if it's worth the time that I do not have.
No one can call us "haters" now---we went into that theatre with an open mind and we sat down to give it a chance. I think I'm gonna send Terry Zadoinko a bill for the 95 minutes of my life that I want back.
I'll admit that I had not sat down and watched the thing from beginning to end in one sitting. I got through about an hour of it over about two weeks. I really want to know how anyone.....ANYONE can look me in the eye and tell me Shock Treatment or Phantom Of The Paradise are shitty movies.
Supposedly when the thing ran at the Esquire last time it sold out twice and people were all over the theatre singing and saying lines and having a great time. I have one question:
Where were those people last Saturday?
I am no longer worried about Repo muscling in on RHPS. If there are really serious Repo fans, where were they to "testify" for their beloved movie? They can only show up when the director is there I guess.
The "cast" consisted of three teenage girls who had a trivia contest before the movie, asking questions even I knew the answers to. The best part was when they mistakenly introduced the contest as a "Rocky Horror" trivia contest.
So, they asked about three questions and gave out 15-cent glowsticks to the oh-so-lucky winners. Then they had a contest where they had people shout out the word "graves"--just like in that stupid song.
That was it. The whole "pre-show".
Then the "cast" apologized for not being able to start the movie right away because they don't know why the "bitch-ass management" didn't start the movie yet. They said a few other nasty things about the Esquire staff but I can't really remember what, I was kinda in shock. What a great way to start your first show as a cast---publicly put down the management. They must have had some training from Jon Rowland.
So when the movie DID start, the "cast" ended up sitting in the front row loudly singing along with the movie. That was their contribution to the giant bucket of shit we had to sit through for the next 95 minutes.
I want to say this one more time for all those Repo dorks who have been giving us shit about not liking the movie: WE TRIED TO GIVE IT A CHANCE.
As soon as the movie started, everyone....and I mean EVERYONE in the theatre was yelling random AP and making fun of the movie. I don't mean they were doing callbacks like at RHPS--it was the total opposite, they were cat-calling and putting the movie down. I know we do that on some level to RHPS, but everyone in the theatre was just shouting out everything they could think of to put the movie down. Apart from the "cast" made up of 5 teenage girls in the front row, it was clear that everyone in the theatre hated the movie.
So, of course we had to chime in with some callbacks. We got quite a few laughs and we weren't even trying. People were walking out on the movie when it was still on the first reel.
That movie is awful. I mentioned this on Rocky Radio and I'll write it here: I really wanted to like the movie. I was sold at Anthony Head. Of course his singing in the movie was REALLY amazing, but the music is pure shit. He could have sang the directions for a microwave and it would have been more entertaining.
I know bad musicals. I LOVE bad musicals. Repo is beyond bad. The music is so crappy and horribly-written that I was figuring out the lyrics before they were even being sung. It was like reading a Dr. Seuss book for the first time, you can kinda figure the text out as you go along. First rule of writing a musical and/or opera: you need one good memorable song. There isn't one song in Repo worth remembering or humming as you're walking out the door. The entire production design of the movie is ripped off of every movie ever made. There wasn't one original element to the whole look and design of the movie. The cast is decent---Tony Head, Bill Moseley, Paul Sorvino? It has one hell of a cast, but they are totally wasted, like watching an old episode of 'The Love Boat'--you can tell the celebrity guest stars are asking themselves "What the fuck am I doing here??!!!??"
Repo is pure shit. It's a great idea that was turned into an awful movie. I know that the film was a back-breaking labor of love for the filmmakers and all that, but I don't like it. I don't know why none of the Repo fans can accept the fact that someone hates their movie. I have dealt with people putting down RHPS my whole life. I'm fine with it...in fact, if everyone loved RHPS & Shocky I'd probably have no interest in it. I *like* the fact that it's not everyones cup of tea. Why is it so important to so many people that Rocky fans just HAVE to love Repo?
Another thing: someone mentioned to me that the Repo fans/casts also cannot stand the movie. They say "it's just like all the Rocky fans who don't really like the movie."
I've said this a million times, but I am NOT one of those fans who hates the movie. I would never spend so much of my time on something I hate. Cosmo and I would never put up thousands of dollars to throw a party centered around something we don't like. That's just dumb. If you go to RHPS and you don't like the movie, that's cool. Some people just dig the social scene and being there. I can live with that, but it's not me. I am NOT gonna go along with this Repo shit just 'cause it's a fun place to hang out. I can go to RHPS for that or I can sit at home and play with my wife or myself if I want a good time.
We gave it a chance and now we hate it even more than we did before. It was worse than we ever thought it would be. I'm ashamed and mad at myself for even going. The only reason we actually sat through the whole thing was because it was kinda like watching a car accident, and also because we were in shock. I cannot imagine how Cos, Aaron and Missy felt sitting in their home theatre and watching that shit.
The Denton Affair has nothing to worry about. There are so many fun things that go on at RHPS at the Esquire apart from the movie. The minute you get there the entire front of the theatre is swarming with audience members hanging out. When you go in there's music and a party atmosphere that is enough to cheer up anyone. The cast is always more than friendly and they go around talking to everyone before the show. The pre-show usually involves not only the virgins but the entire audience. By the time the movie starts, you already feel that your ticket money was well-spent.
Rocky Horror in a theatre/cinema survives on repeat business. If it weren't for people coming back the movie would have died years ago. The Denton Affair's show is one worth going back to. Every time you go you'll see something new.
I cannot think of any reason why anyone would go back to Repo a second time. It's like spending $8 for someone to give you a colonoscopy with garden tools. I ask again, where were the people who sold out the show months ago? If they're such die-hard fans hell-bent on making it the next Rocky Horror, where the hell were they? I guess they think it's only a midnight movie if the director is there.
Even if by some chance the Esquire decides to keep running Repo, they'll end up losing money. I give it maybe two more shows before it dies.
Repo sucks.
The end.