digitalbeachbum I remember seeing this in 1984 in a run down theatre which had rats and a leaky roof. The movie was so damn funny we went out and bought tickets for the next two showings. My friends and I instantly used the quotes from the movie in a variety of day to day experiences for the next 34 years.The movie is filled with social and political quotes and themes which go against the system. The variety of characters all represent the spectrum of society then and now. The script is brilliantly written which transcends generation after generation.The cast is an all star cast, which back in 1984 most of them were relatively unknowns with the exception of Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton and Tracey Walter.The story is fragmented and there is no real purpose other than to have the viewer think outside the box about the social and political issues from corrupt governments and big rich executive types. It's about class warfare and the struggle of the middle class while inject the anarchy of social misfits.A must for any serious movie fanatic.

Art Vandelay Since this pile of cr@p is in heavy rotation on cable eventually there would come a day when it was the least-worst thing I could watch. Tonight was that night.I'm almost certain the hack director filmed a bunch of scenes, maybe based off a working script but not necessarily - and then assembled them in random order in the editing room. It's not clever or funny or filmed in an interesting way. I've seen better acting in Italian Neo-Realism movies where the entire cast is amateurs plucked off the street. The soundtrack reminds me why the 80s were a wasteland of bad music. Electro-pop on Hit Radio and pretentious, unlistenable ''punk'' ''created'' by self-absorbed middle-class suburban white boys in the clubs.This movie has nearly zero redeeming value.

gavin6942 Young punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) becomes a repo man after helping to steal a car, and stumbles into a world of wackiness as a result.Films like these are why I have always preferred Emilio Estevez over Charlie Sheen. While Sheen has some great films, including "The Chase", when it comes to the crazy movies of the 1980s, Emilio is where it's at. Between this and "Maximum Overdrive", he is the master.This film is even better than many ult films, because it has the distinction of being honored by the Criterion Collection. How often do cult films get recognized by the defining label of classic film? Other than "RoboCop", I cannot think of another example.

pontifikator Released in 1984, "Repo Man" is at the confluence of punk rock and generic brands. Starring Emilio Estevez as Otto, "Repo Man" is the hip story of disaffected youth. In the early 80s, men were still wearing wide lapels, paisley ties, and coiffed hair, and our hero in "Repo Man" has a buzz cut and a pierced ear sporting a cross. And when he drinks beer, it comes in a white can that says "BEER," and the can has a huge UPC on the side.In addition to Mr. Estevez, we have the inimitable Harry Dean Stanton and Sy Richardson as Otto's mentors in the car repo business. Otto's fellow repo men are named Bud, Miller, Lite, and Oly. If you can see "Repo Man" on the big screen, I recommend it because the signs in the background are part of telling the story of the punk esthetics, with Mr. Stanton's voice over and Mr. Richardson's smooth lyricism. Read all the signs.Among the strange things about the punk movement is how modern it still is. Compare the costumes here with, say, "Earth Girls Are Easy," a film released four years later. The costumes in EGAE are hopelessly dated, but you'd be hard pressed to put a year on "Repo Man" based on how people dressed.And unlike EGAE, "Repo Man" still holds up. It's a funny movie still.