BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:PRODID:-//blogTO//NONSGML Toronto Events V1.0//EN
X-WR-CALNAME:REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
X-ORIGINAL-URL:http://www.blogto.com/events/6084
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20091121T000000
LAST-MODIFIED:20091121T000000
CREATED:20091121T000000
DTSTART:20090106T000000
DTEND:20090106T000000
UID:
SUMMARY: REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA
LOCATION:Bloor Cinema
URL:http://www.blogto.com/events/6084
DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:Two more days left=21=0D=0AREPO=21 THE GENETIC OPERA=0D=0ABy =
Peter Roffman=0D=0A=0D=0A=22Repo=21 The Genetic Opera defies =
coherent=0D=0Adescription=2C but that=27s a good thing=2E =
It=27s pure energy=2C=0D=0ARitalin=2C caffeine and maybe =
some misused allergy=0D=0Amedication=2C all put on screen =
like a schizophrenic=0D=0Afinger painting=2E Starring =
Buffy=27s Anthony Stewart=0D=0AHead and Alexa Vega from Spy =
Kids=2C the story is=0D=0Aset far in the future=2C where =
replacement organs are=0D=0Asold by an evil corporation=2C =
and narration has been=0D=0Areplaced by comic book art and =
song lyrics=2E Head is a=0D=0Acompany Repo Man=2C =
repossessing organs from those=0D=0Aunable to pay their =
debts=2C and Vega plays his daughter=2C=0D=0Akept cooped up =
to prevent her from wandering=0D=0Aaround a world resembling =
a cross between Blade=0D=0ARunner and a Cradle of Filth =
video=2E Performances=0D=0Aby Paris Hilton=2C Ogre from =
Skinny Puppy=2C and horror=0D=0Aicon Bill Moseley further =
push the film into =
surreal=0D=0Adementia=2E=0D=0A=0D=0ARepo=2C directed by =
Saw=27s sequel mastermind Darren=0D=0ALynn Bousman=2C is =
completely unhinged=2C trumping=0D=0AThe Rocky Horror =
Picture Show with inventiveness=0D=0Aand kinesis without =
turning the audience into a=0D=0Ashrill gaggle of drunk club =
kids in drag=2E The constant=0D=0Amusic is surprisingly =
catchy at first blush=2C though the=0D=0Asoundtrack=27s =
production does occasionally veer into=0D=0Aterritory better =
served by an Evanescence concept=0D=0Aalbum=2E The visuals =
are dark=2C gloomy=2C and violent=2C=0D=0Abut don=27t bog =
down the film=27s momentum=2E It=27s =
fun=2C=0D=0Aenergetic=2C and completely original=2C in a way =
that=0D=0Arequires medication=2C and a long nap =
afterwards=2E=22=2D=2DAl=0D=0AKratina=2C Montreal =
Gazette=2E=0D=0A=0D=0A=22If the concept of the midnight =
movie weren=27t=0D=0Amoldering in its grave=2C Repo=21 The =
Genetic Opera=0D=0Awould be cutting=2Dedge fare for the =
latenight crowd=3B=0D=0Aone can almost hear the audience=27s =
partisan cheering=0D=0Afor different internal organs=2C =
depending on what is=0D=0Abeing eviscerated at any =
particular moment=2E Based on=0D=0Ascreenwriters Darren =
Smith and Terrance Zdunich=27s=0D=0Astage tuner=2C which =
director Darren Lynn Bousman=0D=0Adirected in Los Angeles =
several years ago=2C Repo=21=0D=0AThe Genetic Opera is so =
over=2Dthe=2Dtop it=27s purple=2E At=0D=0Athe same time=2C =
it=27s not too many lengths of intestine=0D=0Abeyond some =
mainstream movies=2C Sweeney Todd=0D=0Abeing the most =
obvious comparison=2E In fact=2C while=0D=0ARepo=21 is set =
in a futuristic world where replacement=0D=0Aorgans can be =
bought =2D=2D and repossessed=2C if you=27re late=0D=0Aon =
the payments =2D=2D it otherwise fits quite snugly =
into=0D=0Aa Todd template=2E=0D=0A=0D=0AThere=27s the =
guilt=2Dwracked=2C blade=2Dwielding principal=2C=0D=0ANathan =
=28Anthony Stewart Head=2C of TV=27s Buffy=0D=0Athe Vampire =
Slayer=29=2C a scientist convinced he was=0D=0Aresponsible =
for his wife=27s death and the illness of his=0D=0Aonly =
child=2C Shilo =28Alexa Vega=2C of Spy Kids=29=2E =
There=27s=0D=0Aa truly black=2Dhearted villain=2C Rotti =
Largo =28Paul=0D=0ASorvino=29 =2D=2D owner of GeneCo=2C the =
world=27s leader in=0D=0Ahuman replacement parts =2D=2D who =
has manipulated=0D=0ANathan into becoming Repo Man=2C =
Rotti=27s collector=0D=0Aof bad debts and the occasional =
kidney=2E Abetted by=0D=0Ahis demented sons=2C Luigi =28a =
venomous Bill Moseley=29=0D=0Aand the mask=2Dwearing Pavi =
=28Nivek Ogre of the band=0D=0ASkinny Puppy=29=2C Rotti is =
evil incarnate=2C manipulates=0D=0Aeveryone=2C and isn=27t a =
bad singer=2E=0D=0A=0D=0AShilo is the emotional centre of =
the film=2C the innocent=0D=0Awho is somehow unsoiled by the =
dementia rampant=0D=0Ain her universe=2C and Vega gives it =
her all=2E The same=0D=0Acan be said for all the cast =2D=2D =
including Paris Hilton=2C=0D=0Awho delivers a limited but =
thoroughly appropriate=0D=0Aperformance in a movie in which =
almost everything=0D=0Ais inappropriate=2E All the players =
throw themselves into=0D=0Atheir parts=2C so to speak=2C and =
given the limited amount=0D=0Aof direction going on here=2C =
this is probably Bousman=27s=0D=0Abiggest =
accomplishment=2E=0D=0A=0D=0AThis full=2Dblown enthusiasm =
extends to the movie=27s=0D=0Amost eccentric bit of =
casting=2C Sarah Brightman=0D=0A=28Andrew Lloyd Webber=27s =
ex=2C best known for playing=0D=0AChristine in The Phantom =
of the Opera=29=2C who=2C as the=0D=0Amysterious Blind =
Mag=2C is the most operatic element=0D=0Ain this genetic =
opera=2E The best number is performed=0D=0Aby co=2Dwriter =
Zdunich=2C who=2C as the ghoulish Grave=0D=0ARobber=2C may =
be the picture=27s most engaging character=2C=0D=0Adespite =
his unpleasant occupation=3A The painkiller used=0D=0Ain =
organ transplants can be harvested from the dead=2C =
it=0D=0Aseems=2E And Grave Robber is really into =
recycling=2E=22=97=0D=0AJohn Anderson=2C Variety=2E
CLASS:PRIVATE
CATEGORIES:
STATUS:CONFIRMED
PARTSTAT:ACCEPTED
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