Our Comic Con coverage is still going? Yup. The San Diego convention is just too big, and it's impossible to get it all done and out to you guys in the short time of the event. Today we've got SpookyDan's report from Lionsgate's panel for Darren Lynn Bousman's Repo! The Genetic Opera, which can be found by reading on. In the not-so-distant future when an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet, scientists gear for a massive organ harvest. A biotech giant comes up with easy organ payment plans, but all financed organs are subject to legal default, including repossession at the hands of repo men. Click here for all Comic Con coverage.
Last week Repo! The Genetic Opera had its world premiere at Fantasia in Montreal. Curious people lined up around the block, the film played to huge excitement, and rave reviews from those in attendance. Nearly 300 people were turned away, as the theater had filled early on. Repo Fever! has been spreading in the states as well. The San Diego Comic Con Repo panel was packed to capacity. The line for seats went all the way outside and wrapped around the back of the convention center. The crowd here was rabid and it even surprised the convention employees. We were told that they had not anticipated such a big draw, and that, this panel certainly should have been scheduled inside a much bigger hall.
The latest trailer was screened and the crowd was going insane. Darren Smith, Terrence Zdunich, Darren Bousman, Bill Mosley, Nivek Ogre (from Skinny Puppy), Alexa Vega and the always-popular Paris Hilton took center stage to talk about making this grand musical horror epic. Writing team Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith spoke about the origins of the film and how it transformed into the feature film version.
"Darren Smith and I began writing Repo back in 1999," says Zdunich. "It started out as a tiny performance art piece, and it has grown into this film." Smith adds, "Yeah, it started out as a ten-minute opera in which Terrance and I played all the different parts." Zdunich continues, "There is only so much you can do in a tiny black box theater. Over the years, we collaborated with Darren Bousman to expand the smaller stage version into what has become the film. Because this was not an established show on Broadway, We didn’t have to be a slave to what was onstage to what is in the movie, we didn’t have the fans saying don’t change it. We wanted o make a movie that’s an opera, its about 50% different than what was done on stage. I think what we made was a Movie Opera, as opposed to an opera."
Darren Bousman talked about how hard it was getting the movie made.
"This was not an easy sell, I have to thank Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate for letting me make this film. Because it's nothing like Saw, it was such a hard thing to walk into someone’s office and pitch them a horror rock opera starring Paul Sorvino, Anthony Stewart Head, Bill Mosley, Ogre, Alexa Vega where Sarah Brightman sings with Paris Hilton. I have done three sequels, I wanted to something completely unsafe and out of the box, and what is more unsafe than a horror rock opera?"
Bousman spoke further about the daunting task of making a musical.
"Essentially, it was two different movies, the recorded album was its own movie, and that was a huge ordeal. Then shooting the movie is an entirely different thing. This was not like a walk in, do you part and leave kind of a film. This was a six-month time commitment for all of the actors. When you do a normal feature film you can work with the actors on set, you can work with the performance, block it and shoot it while you are there. With Repo we had recorded all of the performances in a studio, two months in advance. Alexa Vega added: It made it a lot harder to film it, you know, for having to be out of breath while jumping on a bed, and then going later to match that."
Bousman also spoke about the eclectic cast, and how he got Paris Hilton involved.
"Every cast member has an awesome story of how they came to the project," he explains. "With Paris, all I knew of her was from whatever tabloid magazine happened to be at my house at the time. When her name came up, I just laughed it off and said No Way. Terrence, Darren and I kept talking about it, because it was such an out there idea, so we took a meeting with her. When she walked in I had this idea of what she would be like, then she walked in the room and was articulate and smart, not at all what we expected. So we gave her a song to try out and sent her home for just one day to prepare. The next day Paris Hilton walks into a room full of tattooed and Mohawk-ed dudes, basically straight faced, arms crossed and shaking their heads. By the time she left, she had everyone’s jaws dropped and clapping. She rocked it, and deserved the part. Just wait until you see her in it!"
Paris Hilton responds with why she jumped on the project and how it was something she had never seen before.
"When I first read the script it was obviously something I had never see or heard of before, it was really hard to picture. When I found out it was Bousman directing it, because I am a huge Saw fan, I immediately wanted to sign on," she tells fans. "Just being offered a roll that is completely different from anything I have ever done. Most people just would just offer a roll to the stereotype of what they think I am. Just the chance that I get to be involved was so much fun. I cannot wait for people to see it. When asked if she is comfortable with the Repo fans and the Comic Con crowd Hilton responded: I am more comfortable here at Comic Con than at a red carpet in Hollywood. This is Awesome, I am glad to be here with all the fans. This is Hot!"
Darren Bousman thanks his girlfriend for suggesting Alexa Vega to star as Shilo.
"With Alexa Vega I have to thank my girlfriend in turning me onto her. We had been looking for a Shilo, she had to look young, and still hot and sexy. My girlfriend Laura showed me a picture and said you have to meet with her, and I was like…The Spy Kid? She looks young, but that’s not sexy. But after seeing some pictures of her in the play Hairspray we flew out to New York to see her onstage. She was awesome and we immediately knew she was Shilo."
Vega decided not to let the story stand at that, she jokes about how she thought Bousman was a creepy liar on MySpace.
"That is only part of the story, Bousman did not just come to New York, first he messaged me on MySpace. He says, 'Listen, I really want you to do this movie; I really want you to take a look at it.' I though this is weird, so I had my assistant delete it," she jokes. "Then he writes back and says yeah I am the director of the Saw films. Well my little sister was in Saw 1, so I will just ask her, and she says NO he didn’t direct Saw! So I thought, wow this guy is a creep AND a liar. Later we looked it up and found out that he was legit." (The original Saw was directed by James Wan, while the sequels 2-4 were directed by Bousman).
Rounding out the cast is the horror icon Bill Mosley, and the musical genius behind the band Skinny Puppy, Nivek Ogre
"For me it was my first opportunity in making a film, so I was just overjoyed to be part of the process," Ogre explains. "It was a grass roots film. They all brought me into the family and made me comfortable. It’s such an odd concept for me to be on a movie set and really see how it’s all done."
"I had certainly killed a few people before, so I had some experience with that," Moseley jokes. "But when it came to the singing and dancing, it was new ground for me (in spite of my band Cornbugs) I just wanted to thank Ogre for helping me out with all of the singing parts, we did a lot of singing together, and that was a lot of fun!"
Bousman jumps back and talks a bit about mixing genres.
"One of the things we tried to do is mix genres. We went from complete and utter camp, to Opera, to real drama, we certainly tried to mix all of then in. The same is true with the music, its all over the board. While we did cut some scenes and some songs to fit the time restraints, you will eventually be able to see and hear them."
Smith adds, "The official Soundtrack comes out on CD on November 30th, there are a few songs that are not in the film but will be included on the disk something like 33 tracks. We recorded about 55 songs plus the score, so if you guys really like this, there certainly is enough for a double album! "
Many cast members spoke about how they would love to be involved in a potential sequel, or future stage version.
"I would love to see it LIVE ONSTAGE for you guys with this cast. If you like that idea start making noise, because we would all love to do it," says Zdunich.
"Well, I did Guys and Dolls in College," Moseley jokes. "Really, I have been taking singing lessons for years, in preparation for the Cornbugs world tour, But since that has not happened I am ready, and would love to do another Repo, and I would love to keep singing."
The strange thing is that Repo! fever has even got some cast members talking about creating new and original music based on the experience of working on the film.
"If there was a Repo part two I would definatly love to do it, I was so inspired by making this film that I went back into the studio to record another album," says Hilton.
"I obviously come from a more musical (business) background, which is both bad and good in the current situation of the economy," says Ogre. "But meeting Bill Moseley on this project, not only opened me up to looking at music differently, and meeting like minded people. Right now I am finishing up a new OHGR record right now, which is my solo side project, and Bill is going to be on it! This is kind of a foreshadowing to what we are hoping to do with the expanded OHGR universe, and taking the idea of the character of OGHR, and expand the world of The Devil is in my Details, which is the title of the upcoming record."
The panel ended after 10:00pm with the huge crowd rushing the stage for autographs and pictures. This panel was so much fun, I just wish that Repo! had been able to have a full screening at the con!
Check out the official website for updates and additions - many songs are already available for download
REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA hits limited theaters November 7th.
haha...that mexican dave guy is kinda funny, very persistent..but anyways im super stoked about this movie. Paris or not...she does seem to be really good in the movie though
Alot of people have been getting mad about the limited theatrical release and I think it's very ungrateful of them. First, us fans want to see more original films produced, so Lionsgate produced one (REPO) and instead of cutting costs and going straight-to-dvd like most "different" movies, they decide to give us the opportunity to see it on the big screen and people get mad because it's limited. It will take effort on both sides to get originality back onto the screen. We can't expect Lionsgate to shell out millions in advertising for a movie that might or might not do good...Be grateful and go see it if you want to see more films like this get better releases. Seriously...
It reminds me of BioShock. The scenery and subject matter, I mean. The style reminds me of Grindhouse. I love Darren's work, but calling this original is a bit far-fetched without seeing it first. I'm all for originality, but I'm not sure this is it. I've seen hundreds of movies that look original, then end up cliche. The opposite is true as well. I'm seeing this as soon as it comes out, though, and I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But for the record, just because something seems off-the-wall doesn't mean it's original. Look at Sin City. It had a off-the-wall style, but the movie itself was one of the most predictable and typical movies I've seen in my life.
I have to say I dont think Paris Hilton can act she is worthless also I am glad it's getting limited release it shouldnt get released period everything I have seen or watched about this looks like crap and the studio is probably like "crap" we are gonna lose money here. I say boo on this film looks terrible.
Irish Mic is my hero and the only one that makes sense in this room besides me. Can't wait til the sequel of "One Night In Paris"... I heard it's called "One Night In Paris II: The Clinic Visit", directed by Uwe Boll.
I'm glad REPO! did so well at Fantasia and Comic Con.. from what I've seen, this movie deserves it :) Too bad that there are ignorants who won't see the movie just because of Paris, lol.
Nagooya, I almost added the part about reposession Mambo. i was really happy you asked it becasue it was great to hear them address the matter. But it just felt out of place in this article. I will save that for a rainy day. :)
SD
thanks cpanthers and Irish Mic like you can act by the way the worthless one is you you can't make 1 million dollars by showing up she can do you are worthless not her
cpanthers, what's up your ass? =D Or do you think it isn't ignorant of someone to not see a movie because they hate a certain celebrity? Not seeing a movie because you think it looks bad is one thing, but saying a movie looks promissing and original, then not seeing it because of a cast member is just ridiculous...
Paris Ass Kisser... I wanna know why are so up far up Paris "AIDS" Hilton ass? What has she done for "YOU" and how in the world can you be proud to call yourself a fan of a heiress? Back off of cpanthers and Irish Mic.
Horror_Luva... Why am I ignorant? Is it because I won't see a movie with a porn star in it? SO WHAT, let me save some money for a rainy day. Name me a porn star that made it in Hollywood that is worth following around? I could only think of Traci Lords, I'd rather see her in Repo than Hilton anyday. Are you a Paris fan too, like ParisHiltonLover? If so, awesome... I'm not. If not, awesome... now, we're on the same page but calling someone ignorant for not liking the same "pornstar" as others is lame and, as you put it, IGNORANT.
ParisHiltonLover... Didn't Paris Hilton "crash" Comic-Con? I remember reading that. If so, that so fucking rude. Crashing a party is someone who wasn't even invited anyways to the party, someone who shows up because she was left out. Maybe someone didn't invite her on purpose and didn't want to catch AIDS from her by just breathing on them. And who funded the "One Million" that she got for just showing up? Quit making up things that isn't true... example: Like she's an excellent actress, awesome singer, wonderful dancer and a fun person.
This movie looks great(!!) regardless of who's in it...actually, Repo has Bill Mosely, Ogre, Paul Sorvino, and is directed by Bousman...those are 4 positive reasons to see it right there. Plus, Paris is wearing a prosthetic nose and chin while sporting long black hair aka- she looks nothing like "Paris Hilton".
Mexican Dave needs to relax, and probably have a few more birthdays before posting here again.
OMG you don't know shit about Paris Hilton she was invited to comic con all the repo fans welcomed her didn't you see the vid dumbass!And she did get paid a million dollars to show up at a club not comic con yes and I would gladly kiss Paris' million dollar ass because at least its worth something
MexicanDave, I am not a Paris Hilton fan because she just couldn't act in the movies she's been in. And I am not calling you ignorant for not liking Paris Hilton. Everyone in this whooole world is allowed to have their opinions about celebrities. Did you understand anything I've posted here? I believe that not seeing a movie because you think it looks bad is one thing, but commenting about how the movie looks promissing and then- whoah! Paris Hilton is in it, so I should start hating it is COMPLETELY IGNORANT. Every time there are REPO! news, the first things you say are "Whoa, Paris Fucking Hilton. Pornstart. AIDS spreading slut." I think everyone already knows you hate the bitch, but just calm down and let other people comment on THE MOVIE.
Comments Page 1 of 2 | Next -> | Last ->> You have to be logged in to comment! If you don't have an account register now for free! Your account allows you to post comments and reviews, upload videos and images, access or our forums, write personal blogs, and maintain your profile.
Last week Repo! The Genetic Opera had its world premiere at Fantasia in Montreal. Curious people lined up around the block, the film played to huge excitement, and rave reviews from those in attendance. Nearly 300 people were turned away, as the theater had filled early on. Repo Fever! has been spreading in the states as well. The San Diego Comic Con Repo panel was packed to capacity. The line for seats went all the way outside and wrapped around the back of the convention center. The crowd here was rabid and it even surprised the convention employees. We were told that they had not anticipated such a big draw, and that, this panel certainly should have been scheduled inside a much bigger hall.
"Every cast member has an awesome story of how they came to the project," he explains. "With Paris, all I knew of her was from whatever tabloid magazine happened to be at my house at the time. When her name came up, I just laughed it off and said No Way. Terrence, Darren and I kept talking about it, because it was such an out there idea, so we took a meeting with her. When she walked in I had this idea of what she would be like, then she walked in the room and was articulate and smart, not at all what we expected. So we gave her a song to try out and sent her home for just one day to prepare. The next day Paris Hilton walks into a room full of tattooed and Mohawk-ed dudes, basically straight faced, arms crossed and shaking their heads. By the time she left, she had everyone’s jaws dropped and clapping. She rocked it, and deserved the part. Just wait until you see her in it!"
Print Story
Send to a Friend
