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mahatmakanejeeves

(60,949 posts)
Mon Mar 4, 2024, 11:18 AM Mar 2024

On March 2, 1984, "Repo Man" was released.

Yeah. Forty years ago.

Hat tip: I heard the tune on some online radio station last week.

Repo Man (film)


Theatrical release poster

Directed by: Alex Cox
Written by: Alex Cox
Release date : March 2, 1984

Repo Man is a 1984 American science fiction black comedy film written and directed by Alex Cox in his directorial debut. It stars Harry Dean Stanton and Emilio Estevez, with Tracey Walter, Olivia Barash, Sy Richardson, Vonetta McGee, Fox Harris, and Dick Rude among the supporting cast. Set in Los Angeles, the plot concerns a young punk rocker (Estevez) who is recruited by a car repossession agency and gets caught up in the pursuit of a mysterious Chevrolet Malibu that might be connected to extraterrestrials.

A satire of America under the Reagan administration, consumerism and the Atomic Age, Repo Man was developed by Cox in partnership with his fellow film school graduates from UCLA, independent producers Jonathan Wacks and Peter McCarthy. His inspiration for the film came from his own experiences working with repossession agent Mark Lewis. Originally conceiving of it as a road movie, Cox reconfigured the story to take place mostly in Los Angeles to maintain its budget. Michael Nesmith of The Monkees came on board the project as an executive producer, and secured a negative pickup deal with Universal Pictures. Principal photography ran through summer 1983, during which Cox encouraged improvisation from the cast; the film's ending notably differed from what had originally been written. The soundtrack, headlined by a main theme composed and performed by Iggy Pop, is noted as a snapshot of 1980s hardcore punk; Cox wanted the music to underscore the life of repo men.

Despite a troubled initial release due to Universal's skepticism towards the film's commercial viability, Repo Man received widespread acclaim, and was deemed by critics to be one of the best films of 1984. It has since gained a cult following, particularly surrounding Cox's re-edited version of the film for television due to its deliberate inclusion of surreal overdubs to replace profanity. A stand-alone sequel based on an unproduced screenplay by Cox, Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday, was published as a graphic novel in 2008, while a spiritual successor, Repo Chick, was released in 2009.

{snip}


Repo Man (Demo March 1983)

Iggy Pop Official

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42,965 views Nov 14, 2020
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Repo Man (Demo March 1983) · Iggy Pop

Where the Faces Shine, Vol. 2 - The Official Live Experience 1982-1989

℗ Easy Action

Released on: 2010-05-31

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7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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On March 2, 1984, "Repo Man" was released. (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Mar 2024 OP
Harlan Ellison saw the film when it first came out. He was on the board of the Screenwriters Guild of America. Aristus Mar 2024 #1
The more you drive, the less intelligent you are... FSogol Mar 2024 #2
I love that scene. mahatmakanejeeves Mar 2024 #3
Alex Cox is planning a sequel with a new lead where Otto has been gone for 25 years but only aged 90 minutes. FSogol Mar 2024 #5
Cult Classic! Blue Owl Mar 2024 #4
OTTO! Charlie Chapulin Mar 2024 #6
Let's do crimes..... Tyche Mar 2024 #7

Aristus

(68,357 posts)
1. Harlan Ellison saw the film when it first came out. He was on the board of the Screenwriters Guild of America.
Mon Mar 4, 2024, 11:26 AM
Mar 2024

He saw the movie with, I think, Robert Silverberg. During the movie, he leaned over and told Silverberg: "That kid looks and sounds just like a young Martin Sheen." Silverberg replied: "That's Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen's son."

FSogol

(46,525 posts)
2. The more you drive, the less intelligent you are...
Mon Mar 4, 2024, 11:43 AM
Mar 2024

Miller: A lot o' people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch o' unconnected incidents 'n things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice o' coincidence that lays on top o' everything. Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about a plate o' shrimp. Suddenly someone'll say, like, plate, or shrimp, or plate o' shrimp out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

Otto: You eat a lot of acid, Miller, back in the hippie days?

Miller: I'll give you another instance: you know how everybody's into weirdness right now?...

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