This is the only film I know that combines punk teenagers, Auto repossessors, and alien abductions. The movie begins with a mad scientist careening down a New Mexico road in his Chevy Malibu. He is stopped by a cop, who finds some really strange things happening in the car’s trunk. Then the action moves to Los Angeles, where a punk kid Emilio Estevez is passing the time by going to dances and banging his head against other kids’ heads, to demonstrate his affection.

 

The whole pace of the movie is pretty quick in my opinion especially when the notable saying the movie holds to is: “I’ve never known a repo man who didn’t use a lot of speed.” I feel as if the movie’s way of using visual humor isn’t as try hard as a lot of movies come out to be. Its stupid and just silly how the use of food packages make stupid fun or how each interaction just seems so awkward despite the kid learning the ropes of being a repoman. All the angst, weirdness and everything else mixed with the sci fi aspect makes this to be a very unusual experience for anyone watching.

 

In the bigger picture I find Repoman to be a break away from the usual formula of how movies were made to be or tried to be a hit and all of these weird themes and plots just mesh together for no apparent reason, but you’re still entertained. They used a lot of things over done by the years and made it into something different and strange. Teenage angst, car chases, aliens, and drama have all been made to serve something else and for me gives a new twist to an old formula.

Velvet Goldmine is (no pun intended) a treasure for both gay culture and discovering one’s own sexuality. Honestly Im very bland when it comes to sexuality especially being curious about experimenting so seeing Arthur Stuart reliving his own journey of sexuality as he follows the rise and fall of Glamrockstar Brian Slade was very enlightening.

It was amazing how the transistions went from past to oresent as Brian was going through different stages if his career and “journey” the use of medias res kept us guessing and wondering and speculating what mightve happened and the innate curiousity to see everything end and see the resolution kept me at the edge of my seat. the story was was just as much as Brian’s story as it was Arthur’s as we really got to empathize through his flashbacks and looking at the rejection and alienation he felt when discovering himself.

But more than the story, the music and cinematoograhy felt as energetic as the concerts and shows. It was almost as if I could feel the sweat coming off the screen and even euphoria Brian mustve felt being on top.

Its also the exact opposite, I witnessed how devestating the fall felt seeing everything decline after the stunt he pulled in the begining of the movie. The addiction to be elusive, ever guessing and never tied down seemed a lonely life. Eccentricity, as pretty as it was, created walls that kept everyone else from knowing anyone. I found myself pitying Brian even more because in his quest of self discovery, he threw away so much just to become someone he wasn’t only for him.

Conversly, Arthur felt more liberated. In his previous scenes, the present seemed so dull and grey but when flashbacks of his you ger years when he began to experiment and explore his own sexuality, it seem vibrant, almost popping with color. But it was as if Arthur had lost all of that in exchange of being accepted and being with everyone else. He gave up who he was to wear a maske everyone knew. And both characters in parallel painted a picture of not just greatness, but of courage. the courage to go out be vulnerable for the sake of ones own journey to self discovery. And I hinestly believe that too be the strongest selling points of Velvet Goldmine as a homesexual treasure and culture of sexual discovery.