What defines a cult classic? It's a term applied to many films, all different from each other in many ways - there's a clue: originality. Repo Man is not only a funny and surreal film from the 80's, it's also an original and genuinely great film.

Having been meaning to watch this film for a couple of years now, I never did due to the uncertainty in what it actually was. The term "cult classic" frequently scares me away for inexplicable reasons, perhaps due to the occasionally elitist mentality of those who feel like they have a wisdom that you don't. The main problem is the subjectivity involved with labelling something as a cult classic (a problem that I don't find with labelling a "great" film).

The fact that Repo Man is a cult classic is secondary to the appreciation of the film, although it has several perfect touches to it that make it seem perfectly fitted for that label. It's a low-budget film, combining punk and aliens and crime, many seemingly non-professional actors and a general feel of unique looseness.

First off, here's anything that might be construed as "bad" in the film: acting, effects and pacing. The acting by the trio of punk robbers is so abysmally poor that it actually lends a hand in creating a unique voice for a character - whether or not it's a coincidence, it works wonderfully. The effects are simply done - they get the message across. Also, this was 30 years ago, take it easy. The pace of the film does lull ocassionally, but the places the story goes to are well worth your time. Essentially, moments of funniness punctuate a general flow of hilarious originality. These "negatives" of the film blend into the positives of the film, becoming them. How this happens is beyond me, and in high regard.

The most incredible thing about the film is that once it's over, you notice that the script is surprisingly tight. Despite the roaming, loose and seemingly messy feel to the film, the audience is very aware of who's who, what their motivations are and how they come together. Essentially, the film is a city-wide comedy of errors, from the FBI to a hair-cutting, clothes-burning, UFO-spotting madman.

Another great merit in the film is the devil in the details. All products are labelled literally, ie. A can of something hydrating is labelled as drink, a tin of food is labelled as food. The scenes in stores featuring entire shelves of items in the bland generic labels (which came from an actual supermarket chain called Ralphs) add a wonderful touch of surrealism to the film, as if it's portraying an alternate reality of the nuclear 80's.

The film uses the cinematic medium to great effect in playing with time and space to a surreal and comic extreme that Gilles Deleuze would approve of. When Otto becomes a repo man, he drives around with other repo men and has continuous conversations that continue on at conflicting times of day with different people. The monologue of a dying punk is totally unnecessary, but that's besides the point - it's a hilarious satirical point of the film. The film itself is totally "unnecessary", but that's not a punk-rock attitude, man.

The soundtrack added to the film's longevity, featuring one of the best punk-based soundtracks in cinematic history, with Iggy Pop, Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies. The aesthetic punk tendencies of the film come together with a clear vision of Los Angeles from director Alex Cox.

In the end, the true merit of the film comes down to sheer originality. In Roger Ebert's review of Repo Man, he says:

"...I saw more relentlessly bad movies than during any comparable period in memory. Most of those bad movies were so cynically constructed out of formula ideas and "commercial" ingredients that watching them was an ordeal. "Repo Man" comes out of left field, has no big stars, didn't cost much, takes chances, dares to be unconventional, is funny, and works. There is a lesson here."

For anyone who dares to complain about the lack of availability of good films, you're looking in the wrong places (namely, Hollywood). Repo Man is an example of a film that can not only be funny, but also great.