REPO MAN 4K Review: This Criterion Release Rocks

For those who like a good dose of honesty and chaos, the 1984 punk cult classic debut from Alex Cox (Sid and Nancy, Straight to Hell), Repo Man is out in a 4K/Blu-ray combo. The release is beautiful; from the physical booklet to the actual restoration, this is a release you’ll want to pick up.

Repo Man follows the raucous Bud, played by the legendary Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, Seven Psychopaths, Twin Peaks), RIP. He takes young punk Otto (a young Emilio Estevez) under his wing, and together, the two of them are nihilistic urban cowboys on the brink of annihilation, of both themselves and the other criminals and punks they collide with in Los Angeles. 

Otto and Bud get into trouble ¾ a lot. They fight with their boss, those whose cars they repossess, punks, themselves, and more often than not, a pair of rival repo men, brothers who manage to get some of the cars they want for that sweet, sleazy commission. And it’s all so much fun, even if what the men proselytize is insanely destructive. This is the world of those on the fringe, those who live on the edges of society, and those who have absolutely no use for the foolery of Reaganomics.

And then there’s that 1967 Chevy Malibu, the grand prize commission of $20,000. It’s owned by the fictious creator of the neutron bomb, an eyepatch-wearing mad scientist who may or may not have said bomb in his trunk… which may or may not completely atomize anyone who looks at it.

There’s less plot and more lightning in a bottle in Repo Man, but this has the opposite effect of what you’d think; the results are endlessly enjoyable, thrilling, and comedic, and the pace is terrific. Anyone who’s seen this film knows how much fun it is, and for fans, there just might be a bit more coming to the Repo Man cinematic universe ¾ as of February 2024, there’s a sequel in development with a lead cast. Repo Man 2: The Wages of Beer would star Kiowa Gordon (Reservation Dogs, Quantum Cowboys) as Otto. The logline alludes to the film taking place after he travels time and space in that 1967 Malibu that Otto and Bud climb into at the end of the original film.

Aside from some flickering in some of the opening scenes, this release of Repo Man is absolutely beautiful. It really is amazing how good some restorations can be in the right, talented, and patient hands. And the film sounds pristine as well, which is important when a film is heavily focused on music. The soundtrack, which boasts Iggy Pop, is one of the reasons that this film did well back then.

But let’s check out the special features! Huzzah for physical media!

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Alex Cox, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring Cox, executive producer Michael Nesmith, casting director Victoria Thomas, and actors Sy Richardson, Zander Schloss, and Del Zamora
• Interviews with musicians Iggy Pop and Keith Morris and actors Dick Rude, Olivia Barash, and Miguel Sandoval
• Deleted scenes
• Roundtable discussion about the making of the film, featuring Cox, Richardson, Rude, Zamora, and producers Peter McCarthy and Jonathan Wacks
• Conversation between McCarthy and actor Harry Dean Stanton
• Cox’s “cleaned-up” television version of the film
• Trailers
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic Sam McPheeters, an illustrated production history by Cox, and a 1987 interview with real-life repo man Mark Lewis
• Cover illustrations by Jay Shaw and Tyler Stout; design by Rob Jones

The booklet included in this release is really fun; there’s a little Repo Man comic and lots of illustrations by Cox himself. He tells the story of how Repo Man actually got made, which was the result of some Hollywood pride and a touch of embarrassment by an executive, it seems. In addition, he includes the original film prospectus plans that he had in case he had to try to get 10 rich dentists aboard as investors to the tune of $7K USD each. (Remember, this is the 1980s.) It’s a fascinating and fun look into the makings of an indie film that the movie gods favored.

Repo Man fans will find plenty to love in this release. The deleted scenes are fine, but you’ve got to check out the interviews, especially with Harry Dean Stanton (actors are strange people) and Iggy Pop. To add Repo Man to your own home collection, head over to Criterion here and experience or relive the magic of defiance and elation in cinema.