Repo Men, Surprised this hasn't come up in topic yet. Options

[GrimWulf]

So I watched the movie Repo Men last Sunday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repo_Men

Story's about a Corporate repo man who's repossesing delinquent assets. In the movie, these assets are cyber implants, hearts, livers pancreas etc. Now the prices they ask for the things are certainly extremely high (I think a pancreas was quoted at $650K).

Bearing in mind the prices it's likely they're still fairly new to the market. Makes me wonder if in Shadowrun if prices would have started out that high?

The technology they use to find the errant implants is also interesting, though of course leads to questions on just how accurate it is.

I'm trying not to post spoilers here, so wont describe specifics.

Just wondering who else has seen this and what impressions they had. (not really of the movie itself which wasn't very good)

[LurkerOutThere]

I actually liked the movie a lot, it was about what I was expecting it to be and as long as you don't apply too much fridge logic to it it's fairly entertaining. It even can avoid most (but not all) of the fridge logic by the way the story works. I meant to start a thread after i got hom from it the other night but didn't have the chance.

Funniest/Geekiest moment of the movie:
Fiance' leans over and whispers "Wow how hasn't she hit he essence cap yet"
Me: "Well obviously she's not getting much mechanical benefit out of it so maybe it's all low essence stuff"

That was my biggest thought going through the movie, if I'm entering into pretty much serfdom for the cost of those organs they better damn well give me at least one extra IP.

[D2F]

How about 500,000¥ for Wired Reflexes 3?
Or 100,000¥ for a synthetic cyberarm?

Are those high enough for you or were you aiming higher with your question?

[GrimWulf]

Arguably the implants from the movie don't do as much as Wired 3.

I was more just commenting on the fact that with the tech being new, that they can charge pretty much anything they want. Once real competition comes out prices plummet.

Another thing that wasn't really even touched on was, what is the value of a dollar at that point anyways?

If it costs $20 for a loaf of bread or a 4L(Gallon) of Milk, who's to say the prices given were really that outlandish.

[djinni]

Bearing in mind the prices it's likely they're still fairly new to the market. Makes me wonder if in Shadowrun if prices would have started out that high?

you have to remember the conversion scale
something around $5 is equivalent to 1¥
$ = UCAS currency
¥ = global currency

at around 130,000¥ a new to the market implant seems right in line with the shadowrun

[Pepsi Jedi]

The concept for the movie's been around about as long as the concept for replacement bodyparts, and appears in many Sci-fi places. It's in shadowrun too. There's a group... can't remember the name off the top of my head, that jack up people for implants or even for raw meat materials. I think it's in Augmentation or SR4A.

[GrimWulf]

Well I'm pretty sure organleggers wouldn't leave good 'wares behind.

[LurkerOutThere]

There are a LOT of groups that do that in shadowrun. Tamorious(sp?) is just likely the best known and organized.

[Stahlseele]

Tamanous, the Eighty Eights? And many more i guess.

[Acidsaliva]

Brief discussion here already
Repo Men thread

[Digital Heroin]

The concept for the movie's been around about as long as the concept for replacement bodyparts, and appears in many Sci-fi places. It's in shadowrun too. There's a group... can't remember the name off the top of my head, that jack up people for implants or even for raw meat materials. I think it's in Augmentation or SR4A.

*cough* Repo: The Genetic Opera

Of course the new movie is so bloody similar (my mind screamed rip-off when I first say the posters) that apparently there is a part where they acknowledge it by having someone watching R:tGO in the background during a scene.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Heck it was in Rifts 20 years ago.

Repo: The Genetic Opera ripped it off too. I'm pretty sure it's mentioned in one of the old Huxley books too.

[Emeraldknite]

Well You have to remember that everyone else in the world aren't all shadowrunners. So something that a Shadowrunner would buy for 10,000 nuyen would have to be financed by some average wageslave. So you add in the 13.5%apr on that and you can easily get some one that misses payments 3 months in a row and the Repo men come in and take it. Now I don't think it would be as cut throat as the movie. But I plan to have some of my players less wealthy contacts come asking them for help from the repo men.

Should be fun to see how they help out.

[GrimWulf]

Oops, missed that thread.

[Method]

I think I mentioned Repo: Genetic Opera somewhere around here a couple of years ago.

[LurkerOutThere]

To bring up that old thread would have been thread ressurection which is frowned on, even on Easter. (Bad joke!)

As to repo men ripping off repo: the genetic opera? Yea Repo! for as entertaining as it is didn't come up with the concept, not even close. Howard Taylor the guy who writes Schlock Mercenary (an excellent web comic that all shadowrunners should be reading) had this to say.

"On to Repo Men. This is a remake of Repo! The Genetic Opera in the same way that Snakes on a Plane was a remake of Airplane! Which is to say, it’s not. They start with the same premise (replacement organs are expensive, if you can’t make payments they’ll get repossessed) but the actual plot is a lot more like Logan’s Run. (Note: “plot” and “premise” are two different things, and “setting” is a third, also different thing)"

I liked both films but to say one ripped off the other is a bit dishonest to say the least. It is entirely possible that Repo brought the concept back to the forefront of the authors minds but as above it's not a new concept.

Chiba collecting it's debts with a scapel was a theme in cyberpunk and might play well in shadowrun, but might be lost amongst all the other stuff going on.

[graywulfe]

To the best of my understading Repo Men is not ripping off Repo! the genetic opera. I believe, it is written by the same guy. In the DVD extras he talks about working on a non-musical screen play for the story. I've sort of just assumed this is that.


Graywulfe

[Method]

Darren Bousman produced and directed "Repo:Genetic Opera" (along with a whole slew of Saw movies). He posted his thoughts on his Myspace Blog back in Dec:

[ Spoiler ]

Okay, lets get this out - I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT REPO MEN! In fact, I am really let down. All it takes is one viewing of the trailer to see how similar our movies are. Come on, Organ Repossession? Cheesy commercials selling organs? An EVIL corporation? A bar code logo which is scanned by REPO MEN? A street drug - the corporation turning on their main REPO MAN - The mere name - REPO MEN?!? Yeah - all too familiar.

But that is the exact reason I want you to not bash this movie. Think about what that says for our little opera? We have a bunch of angry bitter fans, ready to spam message board, and preach hate... THAT is not what our REPO is about.

What I do want you to do is talk about REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA! Talk about what you love about it, talk about how it affected you. Talk about the friends you have made from it. Talk about experiences you have taken from being apart of the community!

I have not seen REPO MEN! But I can almost promise you - it will not STILL be in theaters ONE YEAR after it's release. I can almost PROMISE you people will not make road trips thousands of miles away to catch a screening of the movie. I can almost PROMISE you fans won't form bonds, have parties, and even have 'themed REPO MEN weddings. I can almost guarantee you people will not dress up as characters from REPO MEN for Halloween. All things REPO! The Genetic Opera accomplished in a mere six months after it's release.

The world is big enough for both of us to exist... So let us EXIST TOGETHER - and instead of talking how pissed and angry we are - just continue to show people why REPO! THE GENETIC OEPRA is important to you... To your friends... Talk... no SCREAM about why REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA is important - not why REPO MEN suck!

THE GENETIC OPERA has been around since the late 90's - starting as a small stage show - playing at rock clubs. And we will continue to be around until 2056!

Never forget - "WE STARTED THIS OPERA SHIT!"

Now, go have a Happy Holiday!

dlb

[graywulfe]

Highly disappointing. Damn rose colored lenses.