Repo! The Genetic Opera

MPAA Rating:

for strong bloody violence and gore, language, some drug and sexual content.

Moral Rating:

_____

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Moviemaking Quality:

Primary Audience:

Adults

Genre:

Horror, Musical

Length:

1 hr. 38 min.

Year of Release:

2008

USA Release:

November 7, 2008 (8 theaters)

Relevant Issues

Sin and the Bible

About murder in the Bible

Why are humans supposed to wear clothes? Answer

How does viewing violence in movies affect the family? Answer

Fear, Anxiety and Worry… What does the Bible say? Answer

Featuring:	Paul Sorvino “Goodfellas,” “Romeo + Juliet,” “The Cooler” Paris Hilton “The Hottie and the Nottie,” “House of Wax” Bill Moseley “The Devil's Rejects,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” “Halloween” Anthony Head “Imagine Me and You,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Alexa Vega “Spy Kids,” “Sleepover,” “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams” Sarah Brightman, Ogre, Terrance Zdunich, Sarah Power, Jessica Horn, Branko Lebar, Brianna Buckmaster, Anna Kostan, Brad Austin, Marty Adams, Rebecca Marshall, Egidio Tari, Jake Reardon, J. LaRose, John Gallagher Jr., Howard Glassman, Darren Smith, Dean Armstrong, Andreja Punkris, Alisa Burket, Athena Karkanis, Martin Samuel, Stephan Dubeau, Dena Chiarcossi, Natalli Reznik, Tre Armstrong, Elena Juatco, Noelle Boggio, Krystal Garib, Vanessa Cobham, Amanda Fritz, Andrea Ciacci, Matthew Boden, Carla Guiliani, Jamie Holmes, Romina D'Ugo, Tangara Jones, Jeffery Ong, Ron Bedeau, Hazel Gorin, Eve English, Lance Luther, Melissa Panton, Cheryl Quiacos, Jacques Monfiston, Omar Forrest, Jennifer Mote, Samantha Miller, Dani Jazzar, Tom Farr, Kevin Power, Roberta Angelica, Erica Cox, Charles Seminerio, Kathy Imrie, Paul De La Rosa, David Fujino, Janelle Hutchison, Tim Burd, Eva Redpath, Carla Bennett, Al Maini, Thom Allison, James Rankin, Gord Robertson
Director:	Darren Lynn Bousman “Saw” II, III, IV
Producer:	Burg/Koules Productions, Twisted Pictures, Troy Begnaud, Peter Block, Darren Lynn Bousman, Mark Burg, Daniel J. Heffner, Oren Koules, Carl Mazzocone, Jonathan McHugh
Distributor:	Lionsgate

“This is not your parents’ opera…”

Producer’s synopsis: “In the year 2056 – the not so distant future – an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. Out of the tragedy, a savior emerges: GeneCo, a biotech company that offers organ transplants… for a price. Those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by villainous Repo Men.

In a world where surgery addicts are hooked on painkilling drugs and murder is sanctioned by law, a sheltered young girl searches for the cure to her own rare disease as well as information about her family’s mysterious history. After being sucked into the haunting world of GeneCo, she is unable to turn back, as all of her questions will be answered at the… The Genetic Opera.

Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II, SAW III, SAW IV) and produced by Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate, this futuristic horror rock opera stars Paul Sorvino (GOODFELLAS), Alexa Vega (SPY KIDS), Paris Hilton (HOUSE OF WAX), Anthony Head (TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), Ogre (from the band Skinny Puppy) and world-renowned opera singer Sarah Brightman (Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera”). By fusing ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and BLADE RUNNER, this unique production will modernize the “rock opera” genre with original music and dark production design.”

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

Positive—I adore this film! This is seriously the most imaginative film to come out this year—and that's saying a lot, considering “The Fall” also made its way into theaters, as well. Sadly, though, “Repo! The Genetic Opera” got no marketing, so it's all been word-of-mouth advertising. And I'm here telling those of you with a strong constitution and a thirst for originality to watch this film! Great music, the most eclectic cast ever (and I don't say that lightly, because I'm an avid movie fan to the point of being a cinephile), and one of the most imaginative premises ever concocted. It's a horror rock opera about organ repossession—starring Sarah Brightman, Paris Hilton, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, and Anthony Stewart Head, among others. The director Darren Lynn Bousman has guts—there's just about nobody in Hollywood who'd take the risk of making a film this out of the ordinary.

Speaking of guts, let's move on to the potentially offensive content of the film. The film has about as much guts as its director, in more than one sense. See, Mr. Bousman also directed “Saw” II-IV, and it shows. If you have a weak stomach, you'd better skip this film.

Language and sexual content? Well, if you can get over the violence, you're probably the type of person who can also handle the other stuff as well. But for those of you who care, the language is rather strong, but not too strong, and the sexual content is minimal. There's brief nudity (in a nonsexual context, though).

Themes. The father-daughter relationship in this film is a troubled one because the dad is always trying to protect his daughter from the outside world. There are lots of lessons of love and forgiveness to be learned from this film.

Also, this film, as I already said, is about organ repossession in the future, where people are addicted to plastic surgery and other such dangerous stuff. So you can learn about the consequences of such actions. Overall, an entertaining film that grabs you a lot harder than you expect and holds you well after the end. For MATURE viewers only.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4½
—JM, age 18 (USA)

Positive—This film represents quite a few levels of determination on the parts of those involved in its creation. Lionsgate repeatedly delayed and blocked the release of it, and gave it nearly no budget at all. The cast and crew pulled together with what they had and it shows. The music is catchy and the characters are over the top in a very fun way. Yes, Paris Hilton is in it, but her part is pretty much written for her and her screentime is limited. The violence is pretty graphic but not as bad as the Saw films the director is known for. It is quite easy to become attached to several characters in it due to the fun ways the actors portray them. Definitely worth a chance for musical fans and those who enjoy things such as “Sweeney Todd” or “Rocky Horror…”.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
—Colt, age 19 (USA)