Musical Mondays Week 11 Repo! the Genetic Opera

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

The last post would only let me post two media files, so here's the third I wanted to post.

 

Here he is in something with no post-production:

 

[tomspanks 9039]

So, there's been some talk about Paul Sorvino and his singing, but I didn't have a problem with it really. Sorvino's a trained opera singer so it makes some sense for him to be in this, I just think the material isn't strong enough for him to carry the role.

 

Dude's plenty talented, it's just that he was singing some seriously horrible stuff in Repo! Thanks, Repo!.

 

I didn't have any issues with his singing either. What annoyed me was that they made him do a talk-chanting thing in many parts of the movie.

[EvRobert 1684]

I had never really paid attention to Sorvino's singing prior to this, so I was judging it solely on this film. I assumed he made the choice or the choice was made for him to do the talk-chanting thing because he couldn't.

[SaraK 1980]

 

I didn't have any issues with his singing either. What annoyed me was that they made him do a talk-chanting thing in many parts of the movie.

 

I didn't like anyone's singing but I think that has more to do with the song structures than anything else. The grave robber, Blind Mag and Sorvino all had moments where they hit a few nice notes in a row or an actual melody emerged in the song where I thought "oh maybe they really can sing". And then it would fall apart immediately after that. I'm not surprised a couple people have decent voices in real life.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I didn't have any issues with his singing either. What annoyed me was that they made him do a talk-chanting thing in many parts of the movie.

 

And God knows, if you have some talk-chanting to do, you don't outsource that shit to Paul Sorvino. There's only one man who can deliver on the sprechstimme...

 

 

 

 

Boom! Fred Schneider makes this movie a million times better.

 

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Was it talk-chanting or recitative? I honestly have no memory of it.

[EvRobert 1684]

I'm not surprised a couple people have decent voices in real life.

 

Sarah Brightman (Blind Mag) was probably the definitive soprano/Female vocalist in musical theater in the 80s and early 90s. Probably a little better then decent.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

As far as Sorvino's singing goes, I think the inconsistency is what bothered me the most. When he was going full-blown opera and was playing to the rafters, he was great. Literally every other time he wasn't, it was kind of awful. But, yeah, what everyone else has said - that's probably more a testament to the material not playing to his strengths than it is a lack of talent on his part.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I just wanted to say, that while I didn't purchase the full soundtrack, I did get "Zydrate Anatomy." I was listening to it and thinking, "If more of it had been like this, I might have been onboard." Then Alexa Vega started singing. Jesus, I had forgotten she sang on this one. She's terrible.

 

[tomspanks 9039]

I just wanted to say, that while I didn't purchase the full soundtrack, I did get "Zydrate Anatomy." I was listening to it and thinking, "If more of it had been like this, I might have been onboard." Then Alexa Vega started singing. Jesus, I had forgotten she sang on this one. She's terrible.

 

I just noticed that the Graverobber dresses like a pickup artist.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I just noticed that the Graverobber dresses like a pickup artist.

 

They're twins! Right down to the douchey smirk!

 

 

[EvRobert 1684]

 

I just noticed that the Graverobber dresses like a pickup artist.

 

I want to believe that is how Terrance Zduinich (or however you spell his name) always dresses.

[tomspanks 9039]

I want to believe that is how Terrance Zduinich (or however you spell his name) always dresses.

 

Sorry to disappoint you, but according to his IG, he dresses like an average normal person.

[EllenM2.0 412]

I just got my internet hooked up, so HERE WE GOOOO!

 

I think this is movie is weird, hilarious, has only a handful of good performances and still the greatest thing of all time. I want to give a special shout out to my girl, Paris Hilton. According to the creators' and producer DVD commentary, she fought for this part HARD. The majority of Amber Sweet's costumes are Paris's real-life wardrobe, which helped cut the costume budget. In terms of singing, I think she found her lane and crushed it. Again without irony, one of favourite songs is her song, Nothing in This World

 

I have problems with Alexa Vega, granted a lot of them are because I think I can do a better job than her. My favourite songs in the movie are Zydrate Anatomy, Night Surgeon and last but not least, Thankless Job. Anthony Head can do me no wrong.

 

Finally, there's a little bit of Canadian production showing which was a delight to my high school self. The overweight man who said "My organs felt repressed!" while testifying at the opening of the Genetic Opera is a Canadian comedian who frequented a show on Much Music called Video on Trial. Comedians would just make fun of 5 music videos in a half hour. It made me what I am today.

 

The siblings were really out of left field - especially in the warehouse/stockroom scene where one murders a woman for fun but its treated like a joke- but I also was very confused by their parentage. Are they kids of the woman that Giles stole from their father? Or did their mother die?

I believe that the 3 kids were from a previous relationship, not Marni (Giles's dead wife). So she could be divorce but more likely dead, if Rotti's behaviour is anything to go by.

 

I don't really understand why you would repo an organ. Is it to be used on someone else??

I imagined they had a gently used section for people who couldn't buy top of the line organs, like a used car dealership sort of deal or the woman who was allowed to keep the new breasts if she showed them on TV.

 

"Bad credit, no problem. Let me show you some eyes, with a relatively weak prescription. We'll even throw in the glasses for free!"

 

What kind of guns take batteries?

 

That's fucking hilarious. That never occurred to me before.

 

Yo. I watched this in one sitting.

 

But yeah, a lot of it doesn't make sense. My biggest question was if Repo Man was taking back X organ and leaving the person for dead, why not salvage a few others too? Get some bonuses for your work.

You have a bright future in the Repo game. Props on the 1 sitting (the correct number of sittings)

 

Sorvino says that he will get his surgeons to fix her face before she performs that night, so I assumed it was his surgeons that did it, but because it was rushed job or it didn't set caused her face to fall off.

 

That's another failing of this movie though or of the script, things like this aren't explained, like WHY her face falls off.

I just thought of it as "She's addicted to the knife, so she gets back alley surgeries done because (fuck me as I write this) doctors still have rules and can't operate on her as much as she wants them to. Therefore, it was a shoddy job and Rotti's doctors could only fix so much at one time" I think her face just hadn't set properly and that's why it fell off.

 

Did Nathan (Head) have Munchausen Syndrome by proxy?

Are we sure he didn't poison his wife as well to make her sick in the first place??

Since Rotti revealed at the end Nathan was poisoning Shilo-- to keep her super sick so she wouldn't leave him..(real fucked up)

 

I mean he could have done it to his wife too, and then Rotti went all the way / gave enough poison to kill her?

We see Rotti exchange the medicine for poison. I think Nathan, mentally, was fine before Marni died. I don't think he would have put the baby at risk for Munchausen by proxy.

 

Compare him, for example, with Sweeney Todd. Todd is fucked up from Jump Street...

I see what you did there.

 

I'm very glad there are already 6 pages of discussion and Tayloranne isn't here yet.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

 

And God knows, if you have some talk-chanting to do, you don't outsource that shit to Paul Sorvino. There's only one man who can deliver on the sprechstimme...

 

 

 

 

Boom! Fred Schneider makes this movie a million times better.

I think part of my problem with this movie is that it tries so hard and it's so subconsciously attempting to become a "cult classic." Movies like Rocky Horror Picture Show or Phantom of the Paradise don't become cult classics on purpose, it happens because of something wonderful about the films and an audience that recognizes that and continues to support the film. Doing it on purpose defeats the whole purpose of a cult film, especially because most cult films want to become straight-out of hits, plain old classics. Ask John Carpenter about The Thing and I'm pretty sure he still pissed that we now worship it but dumped on it in 1981.

 

HOWEVER, your magnificent Fred Schneider suggestion would go far to manufacturing a cult hit since that is such a better choice for this talk-singing silliness. He'd make a FABULOUS Graverobber or Rotti.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Wow, EllenMc, your multiquote game (and sense of humour!) is strong here.

 

 

Finally, there's a little bit of Canadian production showing which was a delight to my high school self. The overweight man who said "My organs felt repressed!" while testifying at the opening of the Genetic Opera is a Canadian comedian who frequented a show on Much Music called Video on Trial. Comedians would just make fun of 5 music videos in a half hour. It made me what I am today.

 

I noticed this too: I used to watch VoT and as soon as I saw Marty Adams I thought 'oh fuck, was this shot in Toronto?' (it was).

 

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS IS THIS.

 

http://imgur.com/a/ePSSz

 

This is from Marty Adams' IMDb page.

 

Do you see what two films he was in, in 2008 and 2010, and what roles he played?

 

We have singularity, folks.

[EllenM2.0 412]

Wow, EllenMc, your multiquote game (and sense of humour!) is strong here.

 

I noticed this too: I used to watch VoT and as soon as I saw Marty Adams I thought 'oh fuck, was this shot in Toronto?' (it was).

 

THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS IS THIS.

 

http://imgur.com/a/ePSSz

 

This is from Marty Adams' IMDb page.

 

Do you see what two films he was in, in 2008 and 2010, and what roles he played?

 

We have singularity, folks.

That is super awful and funny. Just like parts of this movie.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I'm very glad there are already 6 pages of discussion and Tayloranne isn't here yet.

I am known to single handedly (that doesn't seem like the correct spelling but whatever) contribute 4 pages alone

 

Last night didn't work out either for a movie watching night. When you're actually inspired to get some writing AND photo editing done you use your computer for that while you can lol.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

That is super awful and funny. Just like parts of this movie.

But also important given our conversation from, oh, five pages ago, that discussed how Repo! and Repo Men are suggested by some to be rip-offs of one from the other. The presence of the same actor is brilliant.

 

I want to hear that conversation between him and his agent.

 

"So we've got you a movie called 'Repo Men'"

"I was already in 'Repo!'"

"No, this is another thing, with Jude Law."

"Jude Law's in the sequel to 'Repo!'?"

[EllenM2.0 412]

I am known to single handedly (that doesn't seem like the correct spelling but whatever) contribute 4 pages alone

 

Last night didn't work out either for a movie watching night. When you're actually inspired to get some writing AND photo editing done you use your computer for that while you can lol.

 

I got you fam. I'll hold down the fort until you get here.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I am known to single handedly (that doesn't seem like the correct spelling but whatever) contribute 4 pages alone

 

Last night didn't work out either for a movie watching night. When you're actually inspired to get some writing AND photo editing done you use your computer for that while you can lol.

You should have put the movie on. I bet it would have helped you focus on other things...

[EvRobert 1684]

Ellen, I appreciate your love for this movie and sense of humor. I still hate it with the passion of a thousand suns, but again, it is mostly personal based on people who legit worship this film like it is the greatest thing ever without irony.

 

(they are Boondock Saints fans too...I imagine there is some crossover there).

[taylor anne photo 11311]

You should have put the movie on. I bet it would have helped you focus on other things...

My computer is the only way I can watch Prime movies and I'd rather be able to actually see it! Or else I honestly would have just had it on while I did some writing and editing lol.

[EllenM2.0 412]

Ellen, I appreciate your love for this movie and sense of humor. I still hate it with the passion of a thousand suns, but again, it is mostly personal based on people who legit worship this film like it is the greatest thing ever without irony.

 

(they are Boondock Saints fans too...I imagine there is some crossover there).

I love movies for what they are, not what they try to be. My only regret is that I'll never hear Jason talk about this movie.

[FisterRoboto 7499]

(they are Boondock Saints fans too...I imagine there is some crossover there).

I could definitely see that.