gavin6942 Young punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) becomes a repo man after helping to steal a car, and stumbles into a world of wackiness as a result.Films like these are why I have always preferred Emilio Estevez over Charlie Sheen. While Sheen has some great films, including "The Chase", when it comes to the crazy movies of the 1980s, Emilio is where it's at. Between this and "Maximum Overdrive", he is the master.This film is even better than many ult films, because it has the distinction of being honored by the Criterion Collection. How often do cult films get recognized by the defining label of classic film? Other than "RoboCop", I cannot think of another example.

Scott LeBrun Made by a then-29 year old British UCLA film school graduate named Alex Cox, the endearingly loopy sci-fi punk cult comedy "Repo Man" is a true original. It combines many interesting details and clever gags with a satirical sensibility. Cox dots the landscape with an amazing ensemble of eclectic faces and fills the soundtrack with some very catchy tunes. He also films his quirky story in some of the less aesthetically pleasing areas of Los Angeles, giving it the perfect look. His characters are compelling, especially Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), the career repo man who has his own way of doing things. There's some very funny dialogue and even some priceless, philosophical moments courtesy of wacked-out yardman Miller (Tracey Walter).Emilio Estevez is just fine as Otto, an unambitious young man who is conned into repossessing a car by Bud. Soon desperate for money, he agrees to go to work with Bud and his gang. Otto, who's rather conservative for the kind of world he lives in, starts to find enjoyment in this new profession. Meanwhile, a Chevy Malibu with a "Kiss Me Deadly" style secret in its trunk, being driven by a nutty scientist (the memorable Fox Harris), becomes a hot ticket item.What's so great about "Repo Man" is the fact that it's utterly unpredictable. One is never really sure where it's going to be going from scene to scene. Presented by ex-"Monkey" Michael Nesmith (who'd previously done the cool time travel adventure "Timerider"), it avoids being overly political although it does have some things to say about mindless consumerism (products in the movie are labelled simply "food" or "beer"), honour, and the nature of the universe.Stanton delivers one of his all time best performances. He and Estevez are well supported by such players as Walter (whose "plate of shrimp" speech is a gem), the cute Olivia Barash, Sy Richardson, Susan Barnes, Harris (who's a real hoot), Del Zamora, Eddie Velez, Zander Schloss, Jennifer Balgobin, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, the lovely Vonetta McGee, and Richard Foronjy. The Circle Jerks have a great cameo in a night club.Everything finishes with a wonderfully far-out resolution that is perfect for the material. It's definitely the sort of thing you don't forget. Those film fans jaded with more conventional storytelling need to really give this one a look.Eight out of 10.

Fluke_Skywalker The cult film. We all have at least one. Truly loving an obscure or absurd film is like being in a secret society. It has its own lingo, and sometimes even its own dress code. Somehow I've managed to avoid 'Repo Man', one of the ultimate cult films, for nearly thirty years. So when I stumbled upon a VHS copy while on a recent thrift store sojourn, I thought it was well worth ninety nine cents to see what the fuss was about. Turns out not much.I really wanted to like this film, even thought for a few minutes that I would love it, but ultimately its nothing more than a proto 'Dude, where's my car?' with more four letter words and less narrative clarity. In short; I hated it. With its heavy satire, punk rock soundtrack and absurd story, I can definitely understand why it became a cult classic. I'm just not ready to drink the Kool-Aid.

Mr-Fusion My wife's reaction to "Repo Man": "Someone was trippin' balls when they made this movie."I've seen some cult movies in my time, but few are this satisfying. Despite the trippy subject matter going on here, there's an otherworldly appeal that makes it a fun ride. For one thing, if you need a reason why Harry Dean Stanton is a cinematic treasure, this is it (well this an a slew of others, certainly, but he always enhances a movie). And Emilio Estevez plays his hapless delinquent role to some amusing lengths (there's just something about his voice that makes it funny). It's kinda like "After Hours", only less caffeinated - at least in terms of that desolate nighttime feel. Both movies might actually work as a double bill. And everything about this comes together in a sort of oddball harmony. The punk soundtrack dovetails nicely with the overall middle-finger attitude. This flick is steeped in all manner of weirdness, but there's a reason I keep coming back to it every so often. It's somehow charming in a rebellious sort of way.8/10