Rent Repo Man (1984)

The coolest film you will see - Repo Man review by CS

“This is intense."It is also a timeless classic of a film that predates many others you’ve liked since and you’ll notice that most films you think are ‘cool’ have borrowed from it since its release , Mr Tarantino esp. for one. No BS: it’s bizarre, entertaining and very very funny. I have been watching this now and again for getting towards 40 years FFS and it has lost nothing over the years, one of my top 5 of all time. Emilio Estevez stars as Otto, headstrong and heavy drinking sometime punk rocker. He's recruited for a driving job in the street by the excellent Harry Dean Stanton - a man who specialises in taking speed and getting into intense situations-and enjoys it especially when he realizes just how intense the life as a repo man is. Meanwhile there's a deranged J Frank Parnell driving a quite literally “hot" '64 Chevy Malib with a $20k finders’ fee. “You don't want to look in the trunk” he tells everybody when he gets into a spot of trouble now and again. Is that because there are the remains of an alien in it that melt everybody instantly when exposed to it ? Could be ... Director Alex Cox combines street smart urban ghetto realism with the bizarre and the film boasts a cool punk soundtrack and a brief cult appearance by the Circle Jerks who play a lounge number to Otto’s bitter disappointment (“I used to be into those guys “) Of the supporting cast , Sy Richardson as Lite, a black supercool repo ace, truly “out-Samuel Jacksons ” Samuel Jackson with his commentaries and words of advice for young Otto; Tracey Walter as Miller, a demented street conspiracy theorist and another repo person with attitude (Vonetta McGee ) are great . The real pull aside from the actors mentioned is in the street-set shenanigans , the sharp dialogue, and so many welI observed and subtly delivered sight gags. Great fun. Altogether now: “ I was a teenage dinosaur, stoned and obsolete .....I didn't get f***ed and I didn't get kissed ....I got so f***king dense ... using my head for an ashtray ...now I'll tell you who I am ..... I'm the repo-man !!!