Repo Man

Where to begin with this film....? Well, I must say it was interesting and definitely had my attention- but unclear as to what I was keeping my attention for. The plot, well if there was a plot, was just about Emilio Estevez becoming a repo man and then discovering aliens. The part that got me was how it just ended with Otto (Estevev) flying away in the vehicle through the city. I really don't understand this ending, but do realize that maybe their is just nothing to get. In class we discussed how the eighties was time of experimentation with science fiction and all the new technology that was surfacing then. So this was a very interesting look into the future.

The area I would like to discuss is how the eighties represented a time of consumerism and commercial franchise. In the eighties- movies began to become saturated with commercial advertisements and product placements. In the reading, the author writes that "...such films identify and celebreate their landscape as American precisely by symbolically figuring our political franchise in the warm neon and comforting glows of the powerfully concentrated and yet spacially dispersed ubiquity of commercial franchise." The author then goes on to give an example of how Americans truly do find comfort and safety in the familiar glows a popular neon sign. In the film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the McDonald Arches sign suddenly dies out. This creates a sudden fear for the audience- for something truly must be wrong for those ever glowing lights to fade out. It is so interesting how something as simple as a glowing M can represent so much for a society.

Not only is it McDonald's that is a huge part of American culture- but other companies as well. In Back to the Future there are numerous spots- Mountain Dew, Burger King, Nike, etc... In E.T.- at the dinner scene in the beginning when the kids are eating pizza and drinking pop- it is not generic- it is Pizza Hut and Pepsi. I grew up on these films and ever since I was a child I always noticed the product placement and yes, I honestly will trust these products over others. I buy Nike shoes and clothing, and I do prefer Pizza Hut over others.

So in a time of commercalism and consumerism, it is fun to watch Repo man and see how it pokes these ideas. Instead of showing actual labels on food or drinks- like all the other movies made around its time- they just include labels of "Food" and "Drink." Either it is just representing a time in the future where everything is generic in society or rather it is the director trying to make a statement on consumerism in America. But then their is the one thing that I am concerned with in this film- I am pretty sure I saw the McDonald golden arches in one of the scenes. So...I am not sure why the director would still put them in...especially after providing the generic food and drink items.