11th January, 2013.
I’ve GOT to admit, January has proved two things too me.
Really.
Firstly … ?
Well, firstly, that terrestrial, free to view, TV channels* don’t necessarily have the greatest amount of eye-catching content.
Bar Sherlock on a Sunday night: and the last episode of that is on, tomorrow night.
At ANY rate … ?
At any rate, my point, here, is that I’ve a little credit left over from Christmas: credit in my iTunes account, that I tend to save for JUST those occasions when I’ve nothing to do, and nothing to watch.
Like tonight.
Given that … ?
I rent movies …
~≈∏≈~
But you’d guessed that, hadn’t you … ?
You’ve probably being following me long enough to realise I rent a film or two, occasionally: and then tell you about it, afterwards.
Renting a film is EXACTLY what I’ve done, tonight. And, in this case … ? It’s the 1984 oddity that is the Alex Cox directed, s-f, comedy, crime caper that is …
~≈∏≈~
Set in present day Los Angeles, Repo Man sees Emilio Estevez as Otto Maddox: a young man who’s boredom gets him fired from his job, stacking shelves at a local supermarket.
And who gets persuaded — by Bud, played by Harry Dean Stanton — that repossessing cars is exactly the sort of job a young man in need of quick cash could do with.
The role involves sex (possibly), drugs (certainly) and rock and roll. Or, at least, a dubious local band in a local night club.
What Otto doesn’t realise, until he mets Leila‡, a young woman on the run from some government agents, is that the Chevrolet Malibu he and Bud have been keeping their eyes open for … has a bit more of a dubious history than most repossessed cars.
Oh …
And some dead, radioactive aliens in the boot …
~≈∏≈~
Now …
Was Repo Man any good … ?
It really does depend on what you mean.
If you were to ask if this was the artistic high-point of Alex Cox’s directing career — or the acting careers of the various cast members — I’d really have to say no.
I’d ALSO have to add that however big the budget was, it LOOKS as is it spent on special effects.
On the special effects of someone else movie project.
Repo Man is NOT a big budget film, not by any stretch of the imagination.
However, if you asked whether Repo Man was a tongue in cheek, comedy sci-fi film that wasn’t lavish, but that had it’s tongue firmly stuck in it’s cheek … ?
I said it’s definitely that!
It might be bad. But bad with a wink in its eye and a smile on its face.
Repo Man
★★☆☆
* Well, they have some†. Just not necessarily anything I want to watch. Bar the already mentioned Sherlock.
† And frankly … ? I don’t know that I’d have that much more in the way of choice, were I paying for a set of subscriber channels: things like Sky or BT Vision. While I believe I’d get to see SOME things, I feel I’d ALSO get a lot more dross.
‡ Played by Olivia Barash.
No comments:
Post a Comment