Repo Man

"The life of a repo man is always intense," repo man Bud (Harry Dean Stanton) assures his new protégé, fed-up 9-to-5er Otto (Emilio Estevez), who trades in his supermarket job for a crowbar in Alex Cox's cult classic. Repo Man mixes biting consumer society satire (people eat from cans labeled "FOOD") with a wildly careening plot involving government agents, punk hoodlums, and repo men chasing a 1964 Chevy Malibu driven by a baked scientist (and, uh, containing dead aliens in the trunk). A good video transfer and a sharp Dolby Digital 5.1 punk music-laced soundtrack, together with an entertaining commentary audio track featuring director Cox, exec producer Michael Nesmith, and others, enhance this popular 1984 gem. Enthusiastically recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review--Jan. 24, 2006--Focus, 93 min., R, $19.98--Making its fourth appearance on DVD, 1984's Repo Man (Collector's Edition) sports a nice transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include the same audio commentary (by writer-director Alex Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and costars Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del Zamora) as found on the earlier Anchor Bay release, the 26-minute featurette “Repossessed” featuring Cox and producers Jonathan Wacks and Peter McCarthy, 25 minutes of deleted scenes, a 22-minute “Up Close with Harry Dean Stanton” interview segment, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a cult classic.]