Staci Layne Wilson [1] reporting

Having seen Repo! The Genetic Opera already at a few screenings, I was there on opening night in Hollywood on November 7 of last year, prior to any of its "road tours" (an ingenious marketing move and fan thank you conducted by its director, Darren Lynn Bousman, and flanked by its composers and creators, Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich).

While the theater was sold out last year and there were a few people in costumes, there wasn't a whole lot of singing along no shadow-casting. That mania all came later, and gained momentum when the guys went "on the road" showing the movie across the nation. That initial tour justified two more, and last night was the swan song of RRT3 — but certainly not the movie, which is now available on DVD.

I've been to a lot of cult movies in my time. I've seen some of the true gems along with singing and bopping and playfully heckling audiences — Rocky Horror, The Song Remains The Same, The Apple, and Phantom of the Paradise to name a few of the hardcores with steadfast fandom. But nothing could quite prepare me for this outpouring of love, devotion and support. 600+ fans filled the historic Laemmle Royal Theater to capacity, nearly every one of them dressed as favorite characters: Blind Mag, Pavi, Repo Man, Genterns and Hench Girls, Amber Sweet, et al. Many of them drove and flew across the country just to see their favorite flick off in style.

On hand for the farewell gala were Bousman, Smith, Zdunich, producer Mark Berg, music producer Joe Bishara, singer Nancy Long, and actors from the film including Ogre, Bill Moseley, Alexa Vega, and Paris Hilton. There were also a few special genre guests; I spotted actor Scott Patterson, and director John Gulager.

I snapped a few pics to commemorate our favorite film of 2008, and grabbed a few quick sound-bites before the curtains opened and the marvelous madness began:

Ogre: This is my first road tour stop. I was supposed to go to one along the way before this, but I went underground for awhile and starting working on the next Skinny Puppy record. This is amazing, though. I've seen people dressed up for my concerts, but I've never seen anything like this for a movie. I think Darren's done a slam dunk job on this. At first a lot of people were confused at how to respond to this movie, but now look at them. I'm shocked by some of the makeups, too — I mean, there are some better Pavi's than me! It's a really good thing all around [I think I've gotten some new fans for my music through Repo, who might not otherwise have heard it]. It's hard to tell with my solo tour [which just wrapped], but I've definitely seen an increase on the Skinny Puppy boards and we'll see what happens with this upcoming record, if that reaps the Repo's! (I love a man who needs his own rim-shot to follow him around — SW)

Joe Bishara: Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich wrote all the music, and I was the producer of it. [but] in all my years of doing music for movies I have never seen anything quite like this. It does make a case for just getting out there doing it — for getting out there and showing it to people. But I don't know if this can be quantified like a normal movie, because the performances are more like taking a band on tour than showing a movie to people. It's more about the whole crowd experience. But if anything, I learned a movie is not just a movie… it's an experience! [we laugh]

Mark Berg: Repo is a one-of-a-kind movie that only comes around once every 20 years or so. It's built a really true, loyal following that responds to it — those that do, respond overwhelmingly positive, and those that don't respond overwhelmingly negative. There is nothing in between with this movie! So, I'm glad we produced it, I'm glad we financed it, and I'm glad Darren finally got to make his dream project. It's hard to project whether it'll be another Rocky Horror, but I hope so — if it is, I'll be here 20 years from now.

All photos © Staci Layne Wilson, except for the final one of me and Nancy Long, which is © Enzo Giobbé

For more of Horror.com's exclusive Repo! coverage, please visit our extensive Repo! Central Page [2] and also be sure and visit the official website, Repo-Opera.com [3]