I have never seen the stage show of Repo! the Genetic Opera, but I wanted to see the film version because it looked campy, surreal, and, well, it had Giles from Buffy in it. The limited release isn't in Chicago theaters yet, but the road tour came to an art house near me and sold out a 10:30 show on a Wednesday night. It was a crowd of industrial punk goths, sci-fi comic book geeks, leatherfolk, and other people who put the Nightmare Before Christmas on their all-time top 10 list. And many of them knew exactly when to cheer, boo, and sing along -- a sign the film is already of moderate cult status.
The universe of Repo consists of Dark City and Sin City -- as run through the mind of Bertolt Brecht. Anthony Head (Giles) is solid as the doting father with Munchausen-by-Proxy, but he shines more as his alter ego, the sadistic Repo Man. Paul Sorvino shows off his Pavarotti-esque pipes in the second half, and Sarah Brightman's performance as Blind Meg is a powerful blend of Shakespears Sister* and, um, Sarah Brightman. Paris Hilton is nothing to write home about in either direction. You'd think a person known as an Unpleasant-But-Compelling celebrity would nail the Unpleasant-But-Compelling character Amber Sweet, or flail so horribly that I experience the same glee as watching Jesse Spano writhe on the stripper pole. Instead I overheard in the lobby the damning of faint praise: "Well, she did all right." It helps that the actor playing her brother constantly has scenery stuck in his teeth.
In the spectrum of darker musical films, Repo is below recent internet sensation Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and even Moulin Rouge. The set design and costumes are stellar, and there are moments of musical and aesthetic brilliance, but within seconds, I would switch to cringing out of my skin -- it reminded me of Julie Taymor's Across the Universe in that way, loving and hating it simultaneously. But like Nina Garcia, I'd rather see something falter while trying to be bold and innovative than watch a safe, expected execution of an already classic (I'm looking at you, Tim Burton).
Will it cross over and garner more mainstream attention, a la Hedwig and the Angry inch? Not likely. But then again, that would take the fun out of being a cult classic.
-- A. RAYMOND JOHNSON
*If that video brings back vivid memories, please take time to watch the French and Saunders parody of it as well.
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