# Please explain Repo Man for me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644 "2004-06-04T16:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/1 "2004-06-04T16:28:29Z")
What I said. Repo Man the film. I really enjoyed it but I’m sure I missed something, possibly a lot. Is there a coherent sub-plot or overall ‘message’, OK that’s not really what I mean but I’m having trouble finding words for it. How do all the elements fit together? Why the flying car? Why the priest and other holy guys at the end? Are UFOs time machines? What’s with the Food/Beer/Beans labels? Who’s the TV preacher guy (the one Otto-parents are watching)? Why do the Latino guys rescue Otto from the metal-hand woman? Is “Fuck that!” intended to be a recurring motif? How cute is Oliva Barash? (That is intended as a _rhetorical_ question guys but feel free to answer it anywoo). So, fill me in. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/2 "2004-06-04T16:56:46Z")
In Repo Man the underlying motif is “Things are not always what they seem.” This is demonstrated through the obvious examples: Otto’s Girlfriend (who gives it up to another guy at the party); Otto’s idea of the Repo job as undesireable–until he’s inside; Blanks & bullets; airhead is a spy; Crackpot who babbles about UFOs is the only one hip to their reality; Preacher is a leech; The book is not _Dianetics_, it’s \*Diuretics \* (in the movie)…etc. Some things hoever, can be taken at face value: food, drink. Olivis is cute. But c’mon, who’d want a long term thing with her? “Fuck That” is the hero’s attitude. It’s the only attitude that will keep you from being dragged down into the pathetic abyss of suburbia that has claimed Otto’s parents, his grocery store boss, the schlubs who are his customers…even his punk friends. basically, if there is no good reason here and now for something, “fuck that” because it’s probably based on a lie anyway. I’d categorize Repo Man as a film because it does so much, almost at the expense of recognizeable plot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/3 "2004-06-04T17:26:30Z")
“Plate O’ Shrimp” And that explains it all. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/4 "2004-06-04T18:47:49Z")
You eat a lot of acid, RealityChuck, back in the hippie days? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/5 "2004-06-04T19:07:50Z")
No. It’s all part of the cosmic unconsciousness. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/6 "2004-06-04T20:40:43Z")
It’s been awhile, but I remember the hero as having a distinctly “zen” attitude. He truly lives in the “now”. So when the girl lets him down, he just shrugs her off - “Fuck that”. He’s already past it. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/7 "2004-06-04T22:29:24Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > What’s with the Food/Beer/Beans labels? This one’s easy. Various companies refused to pay Alex Cox for product placement, so he said “Fuck you all” and put the generic labels on everything. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/8 "2004-06-04T23:22:55Z")
“Put it on a plate, son. It’ll taste better.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/9 "2004-06-04T23:53:55Z")
That’s “you’ll enjoy it more.” And I couldn’t enjoy it any more. Mmm-mmm-mmm. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/10 "2004-06-05T01:05:11Z")
Sorry… :smack: Repo Man is one of those movies I watched about a hundred times in college but haven’t seen it in the last ten years or so, so I’m a little rusty on the dialog. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/11 "2004-06-05T02:29:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > “Plate O’ Shrimp” > > And that explains it all. 🆒 HA! That’s exactly what I first thought of. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/12 "2004-06-07T08:06:48Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Olivis [oops] is cute. But c’mon, who’d want a long term thing with her? You wouldn’t? OK I’ll make do with short term. Thanks for the input guys (except for **RealityChuck** , shrimp?) Hey **Otto** is that a RepoName? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/13 "2004-06-07T12:44:39Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > (except for **RealityChuck** , shrimp?) Watch it again, carefully. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/14 "2004-06-07T13:16:14Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Watch it again, carefully. 🙂 I borrowed it from the library so I don’t have it available right now. C’mon what’s the context for the “Plate O’ Shrimp” and what scene does it come up in? Quick while I can still remember the (was gonna say plot but that’s not really how this film works) scenes and characters. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/15 "2004-06-07T13:44:41Z")
[Repo Man transcript](http://users.erols.com/bobcan/repo/script.html) > [@](#): > > Otto and Miller in vacant lot under bridge > > Otto holds up book he’s about to throw in burning garbage can. Book says “Dioretix: The Science of Matter over Mind. By A. Rum Bi…” > > Miller: A lot of people don’t realize what’s really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidences and things. They don’t realize that there’s this like lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything. I’ll Give you an example, show you what I mean. Suppose you thinking about a plate of shrimp. Suddenly somebody will say like plate or shrimp or plate of shrimp out of the blue no explanation. No point in looking for one either. It’s all part of a cosmic unconsciousness. > > Otto: You eat a lot of acid Miller, back in the hippie days? > > Miller: I’ll give you another instance. You know the way everybody’s into weirdness right now. Books in all the supermarkets about Bermuda triangles, UFO’s, how the Mayans invented television. That kind of thing. > > Otto: I don’t read them books. > > Miller: Well the way I see it it’s exactly the same. There ain’t no difference between a flying saucer and a time machine. People get so hung up on specifics. They miss out on seeing the whole thing. Take South America for example. In South America thousands of people go missing every year. Nobody knows where they go. They just like disappear. But if you think about it for a minute, you realize something. There had to be a time when there was no people. Right? > > Otto: Yeah. I guess. > > Miller: Well where did all these people come from? hmmm? I’ll tell you where. The future. Where did all these people disappear to? hmmm? > > Otto: The past? > > Miller: That’s right and how did they get there? > > Otto: How the fuck (hell) do I know? > > Miller: Flying saucers. Which are really? Yeah you got it. Time machines. I think a lot about this kind of stuff. I do my best thinking on the bus. That how come I don’t drive, see? > > Otto: You don’t even know how to drive. > > Miller: I don’t want to know how. I don’t want to learn. See? The more you drive, the less intelligent you are. And of course at the end of the film Miller and Otto fly off together in the Malibu, showing that Miller was the only one all along who knew what the hell was going on. I used to have a Chevy Malibu (but ten years later model than the one in the movie, much to my disappointment). Yeah, my user name is in part from the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/16 "2004-06-07T14:23:51Z")
Thanks. So all the stuff that Miller says is real in the film’s reality? How about what he says about John Wayne? I was wondering about symbolism’n’all that while watching, like does Millers’ oil drum/trashcan stand for something (you see him dragging it around in another scene). I had to rewind/freeze-frame to make out some stuff - like the contents of the presents they chuck out of one of the repo’d cars - some of the antics of the awful bar band - so I got to wondering just how much I’d missed. How much deconstruction does this flick warrant? > [@Otto](#): > > I used to have a Chevy Malibu. . . Wow? that’s a real fan! What did you keep in the boot/trunk? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/17 "2004-06-07T14:46:42Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > Wow? that’s a real fan! Well, I had nothing to do with the purchase of the vehicle. It was my parents’ car which I drove when I first got my license. Lord, that thing was a behemoth. Weighed something like 13,000 pounds with no power steering. When we moved after I graduated high school my dad _gave_ the car away to the neighbors to use in a _demolition derby_. I still carry the trauma. > [@](#): > > What did you keep in the boot/trunk? Marsellus Wallace’s soul, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/18 "2004-06-07T14:50:47Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > What did you keep in the boot/trunk? Ohhhhhhh…You don’t want to look in there. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/19 "2004-06-07T16:39:00Z")
> [@Small Clanger](#): > > - some of the antics of the awful bar band - That “awful bar band” was the Circle Jerks doing a wonderful parody of their own song “When the Shit Hits the Fan”. Otto…Otto parts? "Let’s go do some crimes. Yea, let’s go get sushi and not pay" ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-repo-man-for-me/248644/20 "2004-06-07T16:44:54Z")
And, if you watch carefully, you’ll see “Plate of Shrimp” as a special in a store window. 😃