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The DVD Music Inside Repo! The Genetic Opera
by Larson Hill
 A few years ago The Deadbolt's Troy Rogers was on the phone with director Darren Lynn Bousman of the Saw franchise (one of a few calls in recent years) to get the goods on the third sequel, Saw II. After the Bousman chat was over and Troy hung up the phone, that was the first I heard of Repo! The Genetic Opera. Although I was intrigued by the title and organ transplant storyline, I was shocked when I heard that Repo! was being made as a musical/cinematic opera. In a day and age when musical movies are about as rare as a comic book movie becoming the second biggest grossing film of all time, it was hard to imagine how Darren Bousman would pull off a futuristic horror set to music. Perhaps even more of a mind-blower was how Bousman could put former Phantom of the Opera diva Sarah Brightman in the same movie next to Paris Hilton. But that's the type of uniquely original and bizarre level of extremes that makes Repo! The Genetic Opera stand out from the weekly slush-pile of unoriginal and unimaginative movies.
At the time of our talk with Bousman, the Saw II director was putting the final touches on a brief Repo! trailer that he had cut to lure financiers to the project. It all seemed so bizarre since the director was riding high with the Saw franchise. But what we also learned that day was that Darren Lynn Bousman was looking well beyond the Saw films to make his mark as a director. What a better way to do it than with a musical bloodbath freak-out about worldwide organ failure and the rise of a biotech company that offers organ transplants at a price? And for anyone in the story who dares to default on their organ payments, they soon get slated for repossession with their fate in the hands of a dreaded Repo man.
 Sure Repo! The Genetic Opera will find its place in certain fan circles as a cult favorite on the same level of Rocky Horror Picture Show. But in today's film market, it's a bold step for a director whose name was becoming synonymous with one franchise only. In a bold creative endeavor, Bousman serves up a highly original modern throwback to the days of pure artistic and expressionist storytelling that's almost non-existent today, except for the projects created by Baz Luhrmann and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Although it's hard to rank Repo! among the great musical films of days gone by, or even the many elite productions on Broadway, given the bloody cheese factor you find in most B-level sci-fi and horror films, the dark future of a world stricken by plague and gone awry from our inability to control ourselves plays on your inner fears of an unknown tomorrow. It's a new world reborn from the ashes of human remains and the almighty corporation controls both hope and survival. In this case, GenCo, the supposed savior of humanity, creates body parts for those in need. As you can tell by now, this isn't your granddad’s Singing in the Rain.
Here's the deal, though: If you don't like musicals, Repo! The Genetic Opera may be a tough sell. Almost the entire movie is "in tune", so to speak. I could hit the stage theater every night and watch a musical, and I love Moulin Rouge, so I have a higher tolerance for movies like this. But any musical with Sarah Brightman isn't going to be bad at all from either acting or vocal standpoints. I mean, Brightman's one of two amazing halves that made Phantom of the Opera such a phenomenon. Featuring a cast that also includes Alexa Vega, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head, Bill Moseley, Ogre, and Paul Sorvino, Repo! isn't lacking in the performance department. And if you can handle how Bousman manages to give Paris Hilton a purpose, you'll walk away knowing the pro celeb only added to the film's unique weirdness. But oddly enough, although the movie is top heavy with song, the soundtrack doesn't carry the weight of a major musical in terms of must have, must hear music. Surprisingly, there's no signature tune that you'll be singing in your head for days to come.
 As a DVD, Repo! The Genetic Opera isn't too deep in the extras department but the disc is heavy with decent commentary, as the two highly informative and diverse tracks make for the best entertainment value. The first features Darren Lynn Bousman and actors Bill Moseley, Alexa Vega, and Ogre while the second explores the technical and musical maturity of the film with Bousman, co-creators Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, and music producer Joseph Bishara. Aside from the theatrical trailer, the disc also serves up two featurettes that cover the stage to screen adaptation and the concept of Repo men, futuristic organ transplantation, and an entertaining look at the legal assassins within the world of the film. Surprisingly, though, there's no song selection or lengthy visual segments that could have served the DVD much better. Instead, the only drawback is the fact that sitting through two commentary tracks requires a bigger investment in rehashing the entire movie three times, which might be too much to ask for some.
Overall, Repo! The Genetic Opera is a wild unique experience. If you haven't checked it out, you'll probably either love it or hate it. It's the same as how some people feel about Rocky Horror Picture Show. But since most movies these days are derivative of formula that we've seen many times over, Repo! is a wild original ride that's worth your time just to experience once. It's the kind of bold expressionist filmmaking we could use more of in a cinematic slush-pile filled with endless, predictable knock-offs. No matter what you say when the credits roll, it'll stick in your mind for years to come even if you’re not a fan of "the musical".
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