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Reviews3
darqueguy's rating
Let me preface things by stating that, flat-out, I am not a fan of horror movies. Not my thing. Add to that I'm 37 yrs old and have stepped foot in a Hot Topic maybe once in my life and it's pretty clear I'm not the target audience for this flick. And with that said, I loved this movie.
Is it perfect? Of course not. It's got plenty of issues and flaws, but so does every single movie out there anymore. But this is a good movie, a fun movie that's heir apparent to ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW that deserves to be seen on the big screen by as many people as possible. Is it for everyone? No. Will it disgust/horrify/turn off some people? Absolutely. But does it deserve a wide release in a country that made BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA the number one movie two weeks in a row? Damn straight.
The plot's been described before, so I'll short-hand it here: in the future, the rate of organ failure is skyrocketing. A corporation called Geneco is formed to combat this epidemic, complete with easy financing for those unable to pay for the transplants at that time. However, if you fail to pay the corporation what it's owed, they'll send a shadowy Repo Man out after you to recollect the organ from you, with all the pain and gore and death it takes to make it happen. This film uses that backdrop to look at two families bound together by corruption and tragedy and sets it all to music.
As far as the performances go, they're all across the board but none of them really fall into the "negative" column. The highlights for me were Anthony Stewart Head as Nathan, the single father with a dark, sinister secret, and Terrance Zdunich as the Graverobber, who serves as our narrator for a portion of the movie. Sarah Brightman did a phenomenal job as Blind Mag, an opera singer with unique vision, but was under-used in the cut that was released (the directory, Darren Lynn Bousman, said in a post-viewing Q & A that there were another 45 minutes or so that had to be cut due to budgetary concerns). Alexa Vega did a good job and definitely shed whatever SPY KIDS remnants were left in my mind. The rest did well but these were the standouts.
That brings us to the music. This is an opera, not a musical, so if somebody is saying something to someone in this film, odds are it's going to be to music. The songs themselves are hit-and-miss, definitely, but for every one that fails or seems unnecessary/tacked-on, there are one or two that work really well. Probably the best examples of this are "At the Opera Tonight," the one used in the initial trailer that has the entire cast coming together in song (if not physical presence) and builds to the film's climax; "Zydrate Anatomy," in which Zdunich explains to Vega the specifics of his job; and "Genetic Emancipation," Vega's final song. Overall, though, I think these are songs that are going to be sung by amateur actors portraying the characters as midnight showing for years to come.
And that brings us back to Lionsgate: there IS an audience for this film. They're not your precious critics, trying desperately to seem artistic by casually dismissing this film and instead falling firmly on the side of pretentiousness. They're the fringe element, the ones who don't fit snugly into studio demographics and don't rate inclusion in most test audience surveys. They're the teens and twenty-somethings who could give a damn about the latest Kate Hudson romantic comedy or whatever new Rush Fast Mummy Furious Return Hour action drivel is being spewed out this week. Lionsgate could, for almost two hours, give a cinematic voice to these types and, thinking like a studio type, tap into their wallets for a healthy return. And then reap it all again when the DVD hits a few months later. And it might just attract a few people who don't fit into that niche people like me. Instead, they're looking to bury it to where they're hoping nobody outside of LA, NYC, and a few other select cities will ever see it. I'm sure they consider a DVD release little more than a contractual obligation at this point. And that's just sad.
Finally, I want to say how much I admire Bousman, Zdunich, and everyone involved for taking this on the road, trying to raise awareness of the film and prove to the studio that the audience will show if Lionsgate just provides the door. It would seem just so easy to let the system chew up this film and spit it out, then shove it under the rug. But Bousman and the rest have a real passion for this, something I could definitely see in them.
Lionsgate do the right thing here. Give the guaranteed fans what they want. Don't mess this up.
Is it perfect? Of course not. It's got plenty of issues and flaws, but so does every single movie out there anymore. But this is a good movie, a fun movie that's heir apparent to ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW that deserves to be seen on the big screen by as many people as possible. Is it for everyone? No. Will it disgust/horrify/turn off some people? Absolutely. But does it deserve a wide release in a country that made BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA the number one movie two weeks in a row? Damn straight.
The plot's been described before, so I'll short-hand it here: in the future, the rate of organ failure is skyrocketing. A corporation called Geneco is formed to combat this epidemic, complete with easy financing for those unable to pay for the transplants at that time. However, if you fail to pay the corporation what it's owed, they'll send a shadowy Repo Man out after you to recollect the organ from you, with all the pain and gore and death it takes to make it happen. This film uses that backdrop to look at two families bound together by corruption and tragedy and sets it all to music.
As far as the performances go, they're all across the board but none of them really fall into the "negative" column. The highlights for me were Anthony Stewart Head as Nathan, the single father with a dark, sinister secret, and Terrance Zdunich as the Graverobber, who serves as our narrator for a portion of the movie. Sarah Brightman did a phenomenal job as Blind Mag, an opera singer with unique vision, but was under-used in the cut that was released (the directory, Darren Lynn Bousman, said in a post-viewing Q & A that there were another 45 minutes or so that had to be cut due to budgetary concerns). Alexa Vega did a good job and definitely shed whatever SPY KIDS remnants were left in my mind. The rest did well but these were the standouts.
That brings us to the music. This is an opera, not a musical, so if somebody is saying something to someone in this film, odds are it's going to be to music. The songs themselves are hit-and-miss, definitely, but for every one that fails or seems unnecessary/tacked-on, there are one or two that work really well. Probably the best examples of this are "At the Opera Tonight," the one used in the initial trailer that has the entire cast coming together in song (if not physical presence) and builds to the film's climax; "Zydrate Anatomy," in which Zdunich explains to Vega the specifics of his job; and "Genetic Emancipation," Vega's final song. Overall, though, I think these are songs that are going to be sung by amateur actors portraying the characters as midnight showing for years to come.
And that brings us back to Lionsgate: there IS an audience for this film. They're not your precious critics, trying desperately to seem artistic by casually dismissing this film and instead falling firmly on the side of pretentiousness. They're the fringe element, the ones who don't fit snugly into studio demographics and don't rate inclusion in most test audience surveys. They're the teens and twenty-somethings who could give a damn about the latest Kate Hudson romantic comedy or whatever new Rush Fast Mummy Furious Return Hour action drivel is being spewed out this week. Lionsgate could, for almost two hours, give a cinematic voice to these types and, thinking like a studio type, tap into their wallets for a healthy return. And then reap it all again when the DVD hits a few months later. And it might just attract a few people who don't fit into that niche people like me. Instead, they're looking to bury it to where they're hoping nobody outside of LA, NYC, and a few other select cities will ever see it. I'm sure they consider a DVD release little more than a contractual obligation at this point. And that's just sad.
Finally, I want to say how much I admire Bousman, Zdunich, and everyone involved for taking this on the road, trying to raise awareness of the film and prove to the studio that the audience will show if Lionsgate just provides the door. It would seem just so easy to let the system chew up this film and spit it out, then shove it under the rug. But Bousman and the rest have a real passion for this, something I could definitely see in them.
Lionsgate do the right thing here. Give the guaranteed fans what they want. Don't mess this up.
You know, I was too young in the 1980's to really appreciate the show...in fact, I don't recall having seen an episode during it's original run. I've just started watching the reruns at 4 AM (PST) on A&E and I'm amazed at just how fun a show it was. A lot the shows like this from the same era seem a bit dated today (Miami Vice, anybody?), but this remains fresh without showing it's age. Parker and McRaney are perfect as the brothers and hit the right combination of comedy and drama, just like a good show should. This is a new favorite for me.
