Movies that aim for cult status are always a risky proposition and here comes another one. After some delay, “Repo! The Genetic Opera” will get a November 7 release in New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, the sunny gentleman who directed the first four entries in the dependably unappealing “Saw” franchise, the movie is a rock opera set in a dystopian future. Written and composed by relative unknowns Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich (whose credits come mostly as a member of various art departments), ‘Repo!’ tells the story of an earth where, following a global pandemic of organ failures, an evil corporation called GeneCo offers organ transplants at a hefty fee. When the clients fail to pay for their innards, then the company sends out one of its “organ repo men” to reclaim the defaulted-upon items. Over this backdrop occurs a sweeping story of fatherly love, revenge and a blind opera singer. If this sounds stupid, that’s probably because it is.
More Halloween Fun: “Repo! The Genetic Opera” News
Check out a clip from the movie here, featuring Paris Hilton (doing her own vocals) and industrial music all-star Nivek Ogre from Skinny Puppy and almost every other industrial band ever. If you’re hungry for some more info, you can check out this interview with Ogre regarding upcoming projects and his involvement in the picture.
Also of note: the movie’s soundtrack came out last month to little fanfare, perhaps in hope of generating a little more excitement about this thing. All of the actors in the film handled their own vocal performances (even Paris). Music was provided by a group of musicians that reads like a who’s-who of gothy, weird rock circles: Clown from Slipknot, members of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, Steven Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Blasko from Ozzy Osbourne’s band, Melora Creager from Rasputina and Tommy Clefetus from Rob Zombie’s band. To top off the creepo-fest the opera was co-produced by Yoshiki Haysahi of Japan-X and Joe Bishara. You can file this one somewhere between ‘Hedwig’ and “Oh Dear God Make it Stop!”