Repo Man (1984)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  Talk about cult films, this is probably the king of cults, the perfect example of a trashy low grade 80's punk film that incompasses everything from a weird B-movie plot to glorious displays of anarchy. Harry Dean Stanton riding high on his 'Alien' fame still chose to… More
  Talk about cult films, this is probably the king of cults, the perfect example of a trashy low grade 80's punk film that incompasses everything from a weird B-movie plot to glorious displays of anarchy. Harry Dean Stanton riding high on his 'Alien' fame still chose to go with this which is curious but shows his respect for director Cox, a true British oddball. The plot is just non sensical really, dead aliens in the trunk of a car that is being driven around by some scientist guy who is slowly going mad from the radiation emitted from the bodies. At the same time Estevez and Stanton are repo men and pinching peoples cars when they hear of this one car and the reward, there isn't really much explanation for backstory here. I love how this film looks with its grimy low budget vibe and harsh street language hehe you gotta love Estevez's look here too, weird kinda clean cut punk thing going on. The film makes little sense and isn't explained in any fashion, it just happens cos it happens basically, director Cox manages to combine an Ed Wood level of sci-fi with a kind of urban punk ghetto gang theme running through it at the same time. The results are not exactly off the wall but gloriously silly, cheap and somewhat eccentric if you will, the whole thing is kinda like a druggie trip. Certainly not mainstream and probably not liked by just as many that do and see it as a cult classic. Very unique yet kinda pointless really, there doesn't appear to be any kind of revelation or moral to the story, it just ends on a very tacky looking bit of sci-fi leaving the rest up to you.

• Jacob E

  
  This film can only be described as inexplicably awesome. Really, I can't think of any other way to describe it. I mean, here's the description this website has for the film: "A down and out young punk gets a job working with a seasoned repo man, but what awaits him in… More
  This film can only be described as inexplicably awesome. Really, I can't think of any other way to describe it. I mean, here's the description this website has for the film: "A down and out young punk gets a job working with a seasoned repo man, but what awaits him in his new career is a series of outlandish adventures revolving around aliens, the CIA, and a most wanted '64 Chevy." Sound insane? It's because it is. And it's a ton of fun. This is one of those cult films you have to see. Almost as quotable as a Monty Python film and it's one of the best examples in film history where imagination and great performances trump the limitations of a very low budget. It's intense, because the life of a Repo Man is always intense.

• Jonathan H

  
  Harry Dean Stanton is wonderfully reprehensible, and I can see its appeal as a cult film, but Repo Man, for me, isn't nearly as clever as it thinks it is.

• paul o

  
  Its something different. Its original, a mix, and a great away for emilio to go crazy on camera. Its engaging and a cult classic!

• AJ V

  
  I love Estevez in this movie, but the story eludes me, it's a weird sci-fi movie that sometimes feels out of place, but sometimes feels awesome too. I mostly liked it, but I think I need to watch it over to get the whole story.

• xGary X

  
  Otto is a white suburban punk in a dead end job, but when he falls in with a crew of disreputable repo men he becomes involved in a conspiracy to cover up the existence of aliens. This all sounds very sci-fi but Repo Man is pure cult film making, so anyone expecting rayguns or… More
  Otto is a white suburban punk in a dead end job, but when he falls in with a crew of disreputable repo men he becomes involved in a conspiracy to cover up the existence of aliens. This all sounds very sci-fi but Repo Man is pure cult film making, so anyone expecting rayguns or spaceships is going to be utterly bemused. Its formula of oddball characters, bizarre situations, surreal humour and foul mouthed dialogue will be familiar to fans of the Tarantino and Rodriguez school, but Repo Man was made when it was still a kindergarten. This is the film that made me fall in love with Harry Dean Stanton and his hilarious rants are one of the many reasons why this film is so special; even Emilio Estevez is great (and I can't think of one other good film he's been in), as is the rest of the no-name cast. The plot makes no sense, the dialogue often wanders off on bizarre tangents and it's littered with gratuitous swearing and violence, and I love it all the more for it. Add a brilliant soundtrack and you've got the recipe for the ultimate "cult" movie.

• Alexis N

  
  it's like Back To the Future meets Cocoon. it's from the 80's and kinda weird (just like me) i thought it was okay. emmmmmmilio!

• Michael G

  
  Repo Man is straight up awesome if for no other reason than giving Harry Dean Stanton top billing. Also the only great thing I can think of that Emilio Estevez ever did. Repo Man is also chock full of subtle commentary (pay attention to food and drink labels) and humor, not to mention… More
  Repo Man is straight up awesome if for no other reason than giving Harry Dean Stanton top billing. Also the only great thing I can think of that Emilio Estevez ever did. Repo Man is also chock full of subtle commentary (pay attention to food and drink labels) and humor, not to mention a great soundtrack. The movie also meanders a little bit but its oddness (case in point, Miller), dialogue (the John Wayne conversation), healthy disrespect for authority and the enjoyable what the fuck ending make sure you hardly notice. Let me put it this way -- I can't stand Alex Cox but I love this movie and can forget he made it. That is the awesomeness of Repo Man.

• El Hombre I

  
  A favorite of mine for personal reasons to include seeing it for the first time late night at the drive-in upon its' release. The year was 1984, a bizarre year for many reasons. This film is a complete time capsule that may seem very odd to those lucky enough to not remember… More
  A favorite of mine for personal reasons to include seeing it for the first time late night at the drive-in upon its' release. The year was 1984, a bizarre year for many reasons. This film is a complete time capsule that may seem very odd to those lucky enough to not remember the 1980s. A time of bad hair, bad clothes, the rise of new wave pop, the peak of hardcore punk music and that sumbitch Reagan in the White House. What's intriguing about it are the many statements made about where we as people and consumers were headed (and have achieved on some major levels). It's a satire on society and deadpan paranoid science fiction without getting too wrapped up in the details. Great soundtrack, dark humor, aliens, liquor store hold-ups, car chases, plates of shrimp, two gypsy dildo punks and Harry Dean Stanton. He steals the film as Bud, the repo man whose connection with Otto (Estevez) is sort of a Master and Apprentice relationship. A great movie that deserves its' cult status. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=repoman.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/repoman.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Conner R

  
  It's such a funny and bizarre movie for its time, even in the context of the 80s. Only then could you get away with a skinhead turning into a Repo Man and chasing down an alien car. It has a lot of great subtle elements, like the standardized Food & Drink containers and… More
  It's such a funny and bizarre movie for its time, even in the context of the 80s. Only then could you get away with a skinhead turning into a Repo Man and chasing down an alien car. It has a lot of great subtle elements, like the standardized Food & Drink containers and religious ghost channels. Emilio Estevez was perfect, a complete 360 from his John Hughes routine. It's also got a very 50s sci-fi element to it that really makes it unique. The sarcastic dialogue and message, however, is what sets it apart from mainstream movies.

• Curtis L

  
  Pretty fun stuff. I love films that are set in reality, but are just a little off.

• Anthony L

  
  Love this film! It?s one of those underground 80's films I adore. Great cast, great lines and great story, not to mention the great soundtrack. This is one of the coolest films ever made!

• Aaron N

  
  Miller: The life of a repo man is always intense. A bizarre tale set in LA, that involves the repo man business, punks, a Chevy Malibu, and aliens. Its a dark comedy of sorts, with elements suggesting satire, cold war paranoia, and hints of a coming of age tale. Emilio Estevez… More
  Miller: The life of a repo man is always intense. A bizarre tale set in LA, that involves the repo man business, punks, a Chevy Malibu, and aliens. Its a dark comedy of sorts, with elements suggesting satire, cold war paranoia, and hints of a coming of age tale. Emilio Estevez (the Mighty Ducks man himself) stars as Otto, a young punk who just lost his job at a grocery store as well as his girlfriend to his recently released best friend. He is tricked by a seasoned repo man Bud, played by Harry Dean Stanton, to help him on a job and then becomes a young repo man himself. Lite: Put your seatbelt on, boy. I don't ride with anybody 'less they wear their seatbelt. It's one of my rules. Meanwhile, a Chevy Malibu has made its way from a certain spot in New Mexico over to LA and the trunk is packing something straight out of the film "Kiss Me Deadly." It becomes a hot commodity for many, as the CIA are hunting it down, as well as the repo men, knowing it has a $20,000 tag on it. Watching this film, I found it very obvious that Richard Kelly's Southland Tales was clearly inspired in part by this movie. This flick is a bizarre ride that takes multiple characters, situations, and very funny sight gags and mixes it all together until it reaches its final five minutes that make you wonder what the hell just happened, not to mention all the crazy shit that happened during the flick. All this being said, I enjoyed this movie's sense of humor. The way it is woven together was intriguing enough to keep me watching with expectations for what would happen next. I also really enjoyed Harry Dean Stanton and Tracey Walter as the strange Miller character, as well as the solid punk rock soundtrack. It certainly fits the billing of a strange cult movie, but something tells me that I'm gonna look back on this flick and want to watch it again. It has the weird intriguing quality that makes me curious. Duke: The lights are growing dim Otto. I know a life of crime has led me to this sorry fate, and yet, I blame society. Society made me what I am. Otto: That's bullshit. You're a white suburban punk just like me. Duke: Yeah, but it still hurts.

• Stella D

  
  a sequel is in the works? what the fuckin fuck?

• Stephen M

  
  On the evidence of "Repo Man" alone, British director Alex Cox ought to have had a subsequent career similar to those of the Coens or Terry Gilliam: producing quirky, imaginative, critically respected little gems, just outside of the mainstream. Unfortunately, Cox soon… More
  On the evidence of "Repo Man" alone, British director Alex Cox ought to have had a subsequent career similar to those of the Coens or Terry Gilliam: producing quirky, imaginative, critically respected little gems, just outside of the mainstream. Unfortunately, Cox soon frittered away his credibility with a series of failures that nobody went to see, so for a generation of young British movie fans in the late-'80s to mid-'90s, he became the face of BBC2's seminal "Moviedrome" film season, which first acquainted me with "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "Week-End", "The Witchfinder General", "Dead Ringers", "Assault on Precinct 13" and a host of others. Essentially a MacGuffin chase movie, there's not a lot of plot to "Repo Man", but it's stunningly shot by Wim Wenders' regular cameraman, Robby Muller, and it's perfectly cast right down to the smallest parts. Witty gags about consumerism and jokey references to other movies abound, and it has a fantastic soundtrack.

• Cindy I

  
  Weird movie. Emilio Estevez plays a punk with a dead-end job who gets conned into becoming a "Repo Man", a repossessor of vehicles of people behind on their payments. Simple enough right? Now throw in gunfights, car chases, a mysterious Chevy Malibu and an extraterrestrial… More
  Weird movie. Emilio Estevez plays a punk with a dead-end job who gets conned into becoming a "Repo Man", a repossessor of vehicles of people behind on their payments. Simple enough right? Now throw in gunfights, car chases, a mysterious Chevy Malibu and an extraterrestrial conspiracy. Now you've got something. Not for everybody, but if you're looking for something a little different this could be worth a shot. Harry Dean Stanton as Emilio's fellow repo man and "mentor" and a pretty rockin' soundtrack help things along as well.

• A B

  
  You'll either hate or love this cult classic.

• Emily A

  
  Amother "cult classic" whose appeal hands-down eludes me. I remember a lot of crazy weirdness, but no cohesive story to speak of. I don't really have much to say about this. If you're a fan of cult movies, you should watch this. At least once.

• Michael S

  
  80's punk/cult classic.

• Stephen E

  
  "Repo Man" is the kind of movie I never thought I'd like. It's a grungy low-budget, anti-establishment, part science-fiction indie flick with punk rock characters and a punk rock score. Turns out I actually really liked it. It doesn't start off so well, the… More
  "Repo Man" is the kind of movie I never thought I'd like. It's a grungy low-budget, anti-establishment, part science-fiction indie flick with punk rock characters and a punk rock score. Turns out I actually really liked it. It doesn't start off so well, the final twenty or so minutes are a mess, and the effects are completely dated, but it's fun and entertaining. I was never bored and Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton are a blast. "Repo Man" is surprisingly enjoyable.

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